She booked Grant a room and phoned the cab company. She hung up and looked at her ex-father-in-law. “Your cab will be here soon. It’ll take you to a motel. Check out is at 10 a.m.”
“I don’t want to go nowhere but home, in Oconto.”
“It’s either a room with a bed and heat or a cell with a hard bench and a cold floor. Take your pick.”
“I’ll wait for the cab.”
“We’ll wait with you.” Lily put out her hand, palms up. “Let me have your keys.”
Grant drew in a long breath and placed the set of keys in Lily’s hand. “You’re so kind. When will I get my car back?”
“I’ll have it towed over to you in the morning. The driver will leave your keys at the front desk. And please, for both our sakes, don’t visit me again.”
Grant nodded as the cab pulled into the parking lot and came to a stop just in front of them. He got in the back seat as Lily pulled out some cash and handed it to the cab driver.
Lily quickly explained the situation. The cabbie nodded and drove away.
Evan said, “Deena’s going to flip her bun when she finds out what you did.”
Lily wasn’t sure if Grant had fulfilled his mission by coming here, but she didn’t care anymore. Enough was enough.
Chapter 13
7:33 p.m.
Haley zig-zagged through traffic until she reached her turn, then pulled into her parking space in front of her home. She looked over at the parked Cadillac sedan across the street and saw Deena open the driver’s side door.
Haley remained in the car and rolled down her window. Here comes the lecture.
Deena stepped out, slammed the door and marched over to Haley. “I warned you to stay away from Lily.”
“You didn’t tell me to stay away from the house. I came to see you like I always do to discuss work.”
“You know that you’re not at a point in your career to handle a million dollar listing. You came by with an agenda, and you’ve got Lily on your radar.”
“I’ve respected your wishes to stay away from Lily for all these years. You’ve known me for most of my life, I’ve never done anything to try and hurt you on purpose.”
“Haley, you had the nerve to call my home and ask for my daughter. Did you think that I wouldn’t find out?”
Haley’s head dropped as she leaned forward in the seat. “I just wanted to talk to Lily and see how she was doing. It’s not like we’re not family.”
“My daughter is going through some things that you can’t possibly understand, and I won’t have her time for healing disturbed by you or anyone else. She’s living with me so that I can make sure of that. Is that clear?”
“Do you still want me to meet Lily?”
Deena huffed. “I promised my sister that I would take care of you after she died, which I have done. But in the interim, my plans for you and our family are on hold until Lily is feeling more like herself and not a moment before.”
Haley said, “I’ve been waiting all this time; I can wait a little while longer.”
“Good.” Deena spun on her heels and walked back to her car.
Haley leaned back. Your time has run out, Deena. I’ll be the one to share our news with Lily.
*
Diamond’s heart thumped in her chest as she fumbled to find the right key for the lock. I’m going to be a marked woman.
Four hours ago, she had spent the most uncomfortable time in a room filled with cops who’d pressured her to finger the one man in her life she’d been trying to avoid and place him at the scene of the crime.
No matter how bad Diamond wanted to get back at Mikey for what he did to her, she couldn’t place him as the trigger man and send him down the river for a crime he didn’t commit.
All of that aside, Diamond had betrayed the family. She’d talked to the cops and once word got to Mikey—and it would, she’d be known as a rat. Worse, everyone would know that Mikey Surace’s fiancée had turned snitch.
Getting those letters to the cops and demanding protection was the only way she might live to see another day. Leaving Wisconsin sounded even better. Especially with Quentin being on the Surace’s payroll. When Diamond got a visit from the cops, she was sure that Quentin was following orders to watch her every move.
As she entered the condo, her fingers felt along the wall in the dark for the light switch, her eyes trying to focus on the open black space in front of her.
Seconds later, Diamond found the switch and turned it on.
An ache formed in the back of her throat as the lights illuminated the dining room. He knows. There, seated on the couch next to the end table was Mikey. “Holy crap, what the hell are you doing here?”
“You should get better locks,” Mikey said.
“I never had a problem until now. Why you snooping around my place?”
“Why did you come back? You’re supposed to be at our home in Palmyra.”
Be strong. Don’t show any signs of guilt. “I had to pack some clothes.”
“And I could’ve been the person who wants you dead. Pop knows that you spoke with that detective.”
“So? They asked me about you and if you were the one who killed Kyle and I told them it wasn’t you. I gave you an alibi.”
“I don’t need an alibi. I didn’t kill him.” Mikey walked over to the coffee table and searched through her pile of mail. “People at the club are talking. They’re sayin’ you knew the broad was a cop. I’ve asked you before, and I’m going to ask you again. Did you know she was a fink?”
Diamond shook her head furiously. “I swear, Mikey, I didn’t know. I found out along with everybody else.”
Mikey reached out and grabbed Diamond by the arm. As he tightened his grip, cold tingles traveled up and down Diamond’s legs, forcing her to her knees. “You wanted to be in charge of the club. I gave it to you. Anything that hurts us because of a decision you made comes back ten-fold on you. I want those letters found before the cops find them. Got it?”
Diamond nodded.
Mikey let go of Diamond’s arm. “The letters, are they still at Kyle’s place?”
“I don’t know,” Diamond lied.
“I want you to go back and go get them.”
Diamond rubbed her arm. How am I going to do that? The letters are already here. Is Mikey going to want to follow me? “What if the cops are still there?”
“You figure that out. Pop wants me to stay at the club until this blows over. After you get those letters, take them to Palmyra.”
“Then what?”
“Come back to the club. Pop wants to have a word with you.”
If I come back to the club that’ll be the last time anyone would see me. “Sure, Mikey.”
Mikey closed in on Diamond. “Ditch me and I’ll find you.” His eyes went dark.
“Mikey. Honey. I promise I’m not going to ditch you.”
“Remember who you belong to.” Mikey slapped Diamond across the face, knocking her to the side and into the book stand.
Warmth trickled over Diamond’s beaten flesh. She got to her feet, touched her lips and stared at the blood on her hand. She looked up as Mikey charged her again.
She put her hands up to shield herself and closed her eyes.
Later that night, Lily returned to her room at the Colonial and settled into the armchair next to the window. She stared at her phone screen as she read the e-mail sent by the Jefferson County detective heading the case about the woman found in Lake Koshkonong.
Detective Blanchette,
Yes, I do believe our cases are connected. My victim was a runaway and a witness in the case being built against Mikey Surace and his family. She went by the name Venus and worked at the club for several months. I’ve spoken with Ibee Walters who confirmed it, but she didn’t provide any more useful information, stating that the D.A.’s office was still looking into the case.
No one at the club is talking.
If you have any other questions or learn anything more, ple
ase don’t hesitate to contact me.
Lily forwarded the email to the detectives on her team and slumped back in her chair. What are you hiding, Ibee?
Suddenly, Max’s ears perked up and he started growling, pulling Lily out of her thoughts.
“Max? What’s the matter?”
A noise outside her bedroom window demanded her attention.
Max got up, went to the window, and started barking.
Lily peeked out the side of the curtain.
The blaring alarm on Lily’s truck startled her; tail and headlights started flashing off and on.
With Max at her side, she placed her hand on her the butt of her gun and ran out of the bedroom. She shut off the lights in front of the house and found a place between the front door and a side window.
Using the lamp posts illuminating the driveway and sidewalk, Lily looked out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of the disturbance outside the house.
Nothing.
She pulled her keys out of her pocket, pointed the fob at her truck and hit the panic button to shut off the alarm.
Quiet.
The dome lights in the Ram lit up the interior of the vehicle. “The passenger door’s open.” She listened for a few seconds longer for any movement in the house or on the outside. Again, quiet reigned. Who’d want to break into my truck? Who knows I’m here?
Max pawed at the front door and mellowed down to whining.
Lily grabbed Max’s leash off the chair, clipped it onto his collar and struggled to listen as he clamored to be set free. As she opened the door, Max took the lead.
Once outside, Lily surveyed her surroundings but saw no disturbances that would put them in harm’s way. Max’s whining had turned into panting out puffs of cloud.
Lily tugged gently on the leash and she and Max circled the perimeter of her truck. As they drew closer to the driver’s side, she saw a postcard lying on the seat. It was a picture of the Rock River Cabins, a Catholic resort near Emmett off of Highway K.
Camp Haven. Suddenly, Lily felt like she was ten again; running up and down the dirt road holding her cousin’s hand as they rushed to the mess hall so they’d be first in line to pick their favorite flavor of fruity drinks.
Now the mess hall she used to spend her summers had been replaced with a strip club.
The scene pictured the camping resort from the sixties era. An old Ford Falcon sparkled in the foreground as families carried luggage down a path leading to a wooden dock on the river.
Who’d go through all this trouble to leave this in my truck? Why not drop it in the mailbox? Lily scoured the front yard, holding her breath.
Neighborhood cats mewed in the bushes as a train whistled in the distance.
Max’s ears drooped as he sat next to Lily, looking into the darkness.
She reached into the truck, flipped open the center console, and pulled out a small brown bag. She dropped the postcard inside and closed it.
Who would want to scare her by breaking into her truck and leaving behind a piece of history? A chill came over Lily. Was someone watching her to see how she would react to finding the postcard?
The Surace’s? Everything fit, almost. What were they trying to tell her?
Chapter 14
December 14, 5:12 a.m.
Vibration on Lily’s bed stirred her out of a restless sleep. She patted the mattress until she found her cell phone and answered it. “Hello?”
“Sorry to bother you. It’s Nick. I’m at the station.”
Lily yawned and looked over at the alarm clock on the nightstand. “Yes?”
“I’ve got Diamond Reese with me. She has a small box containing Ariel’s letters. Jeremiah’s here, but Diamond says she’ll only see you. If you ask me, she needs to see a doctor.”
“Give me ten minutes,” Lily said, clicking off the phone.
Curious, Max lifted his head as Lily leaped out of bed and got dressed.
She gave her dog a quick belly rub and left.
Still unnerved about what happened last night, Lily double-checked the inside, tires and bed of the truck before hopping in and driving off.
When Lily arrived at the station, she was horrified to see bruises covering Diamond’s face. The young woman’s left eye was black and blue. Her bottom lip reminded Lily of a balloon that had fizzled all but a small pocket of remaining air.
“Did Mikey do that to you?”
Diamond nodded.
“Are you going to press charges?”
“Why? So Mikey’s lawyer can get him out, giving him a chance to come after me? No way.”
Lily seized Diamond by the arm and led her into the conference room. She rolled up her sleeves and extended her arms. “This is what happened when I failed to press charges after the first time, hoping things would get better. The bruises are fading, but the memory is still there as if it happened yesterday.
“The first time, my husband came very close to choking me to death. The second time he tossed me into a hole where he planned to kill me. He almost succeeded.”
Diamond handed Lily the box. “I come from the streets, Detective. Getting beat is the way of life for women like me. Mikey beats his women. He always has and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“If you press charges, I can go to the district attorney’s office and get this monster. Or I can get him for threatening a witness.”
Diamond shook her head. “Don’t bother. Mikey is the son of a mob boss. All it takes is a little money to make things go away.” She brought her hand to her face, touched her swollen lip and flinched. “I kept my promise to Detective York and brought the letters. That’s it for me. I’m outta here.”
“Where will you go?”
“Canada.”
It was imperative that Diamond stay and testify. If she left the country, Lily would lose her only witness. “I need you for this case. I’ll arrange in-house protection for you so Mikey can’t find you, even if I have to protect you myself. Will you stick around?”
Diamond looked away and nodded.
Lily’s gut instinct told her Diamond was lying. She shot a quick text to her partner. “Need you in conference room.”
Several seconds later, the door opened and Jeremiah poked his head inside.
Lily pointed at Jeremiah. “Detective Mills will stay with you until I get back. I’m going to get a plan in motion to make sure that you’re protected.”
As Lily stepped into the hall, Jeremiah pulled her to the side. “I can’t supervise this witness.”
Lily switched the box to her other arm. “Does this have anything to do with the exchange between you two back at the club?”
“Sort of.”
“Jeremiah, I don’t have time to play the guessing game regarding your past with Diamond, but I need you to be the cop. I need you to back me up for two minutes while I try to figure out something with Sergeant Owen.”
As Lily made her way down the hall, Diamond’s willingness to be a witness alarmed her. At first, she’d refused. So why agree now? Mikey had no empathy for the woman he called his fiancée, which meant outsiders didn’t stand a chance.
Lily spotted Sergeant Owen a few feet from the conference room, speaking with another officer. She waited impatiently for him to finish before joining him in his office. “Diamond’s going to run if we don’t find a way to convince her to stay in Wisconsin. I need an officer to stay with her while I finish working this case.”
“Diamond’s a flight risk and what money the department does have would be better spent keeping officers out on a BOLO for Mikey Surace. We’ve got Diamond’s statement that Mikey was at Kyle’s the night he was killed and that’s what I’m sticking to.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Sarge shook his head. “You’re lead on this case. If what Diamond says is true, that Mikey didn’t pull the trigger, good. But that means I need you focused on finding the person that was with Mikey that night. I want to know if this is the same person who killed Ariel
and the others.”
Static sounded on Sarge’s radio. “You there, sir?”
“Go ahead.”
“The tip was confirmed. The suspect gave us the slip.”
“Stand by,” Sarge said. He faced Lily. “Mikey Surace was spotted parking in the rear of the club where he went in, but they lost him.”
“Why aren’t they going after him?”
“We don’t want to do anything that would escalate the situation. My officers would be in a blind pursuit. We’ll keep an eye out, from a distance. Yes, we should bring Mikey in, and we will. But it’d be better if we did while he’s in public. Our best bet would be during a traffic stop.”
“Mikey may be our killer, Sir. He’s already beaten Diamond to keep her quiet. Charging Mikey with domestic abuse is only the beginning. I want to bring him in for intimidating my witness.”
“Lily, you know that’s not up to us. That decision would need to be made by the district attorney’s office.”
“Now we have to sit on our hands, hoping he’ll decide to leave the confines of his club before we do anything? Fantastic.”
“You need to calm down.”
Lily exhaled. “I’m calm.” She turned and left. I’ll bring you in, Mikey. Infuriated that Mikey had given them the slip, Lily ran down the hall to the conference room and opened the door. She quickly scanned the empty room and looked at Jeremiah, furious. “Where’s Diamond?”
Jeremiah cocked his head to the side, in the direction of the door leading to the stairs.
Lily shook her head. “She’s gone?”
Jeremiah nodded.
“So did she overpower you or did you just let her walk out of the police station after I said to stay with her?”
“We had no reason to hold her. She wanted to leave and I let her go.”
“For Christ sakes, Jeremiah! Your past with Diamond is interfering with this case. Get your shit together. If Sarge comes to me, I’m going to inform him that there’s a history between you two.”
“I thought what happened between us four stayed between us four.”
“For that to happen, I need to know what it is I’m backing you up for. You can’t just walk around with some secret in your back pocket and not tell me, your partner. I’ve backed your play up until now. My patience is wearing thin. It’s my ass on the line and you’ve just let our only witness go.
Her Final Watch (A Detective Blanchette Mystery Book 2) Page 11
