Back Against the Wall

by Janice Kay Johnson

  At last the doctor gave her a shot that didn’t kill the pain but made it seem so distant, it might not be hers. Now drifting, she closed her eyes.

  * * *

  THE FLICKER OF light he saw through the front blinds didn’t soothe Tony’s worry. When her husband wasn’t home, Eloisa kept the TV on all the time.

  “I don’t feel so alone,” she’d told Tony.

  Guilt took a bite as he hammered on the door. He should have stopped by a couple times in the past two days, made sure she was all right. He knew Eloisa never told Carlos about her fears.

  “He has to work,” she said. “He deserves to go out with his friends sometimes.” Seeing Tony’s expression, she shook her head. “Carlos is a good man.”

  He’d seemed okay to Tony, but he knew that if he had a wife, he wouldn’t like finding out she’d been hiding something like this from him.

  This was her second pregnancy, and she’d suffered in the first four months of the first as much as she was this time. He hoped they had the sense to limit the size of their family, Catholic edicts or not.

  Swearing, he started down the porch steps. He’d go around back, look in the slider before he broke a window to go in—

  The door opened behind him. “Tony? Is that you?” his sister said timidly.

  He swung around. “Why the hell didn’t you answer the door sooner? You scared the shit out of me!”

  “I was asleep!” she exclaimed, indignant. “Why are you here?”

  Yeah, she was dressed, but barefoot, and her hair was sticking out in strange ways. A petite woman like their mother, Eloisa looked frail now, only a small bump showing her pregnancy. At four months, he thought, she should be ripening, not losing what muscle and fat usually padded her slight body.

  “Because you haven’t been answering your phone, and Mamá was worried.”

  “I love you all, but sometimes I hate being babied.” She backed up. “Come in.”

  Finally able to smile, he ruffled her hair on the way in.

  She snorted and stomped to the kitchen. “I suppose you want coffee.”

  No, he wanted to go back to Beth’s and slide into bed with her. Except he didn’t have another condom, he reminded himself, before looking speculatively at his sister. Did she and Carlos ever use them? Might he find some in the bathroom?

  Forget it. He could make a quick stop at a convenience store.

  Uneasiness stirred. It would be smarter to go home. If he went to Beth’s, he might fall asleep after making love with her again. Stay the night, which could give her the wrong impression.

  “Jaime asleep?” he asked his sister.

  “Of course he is.” She planted a hand on her hip and glared at him. “You think I take naps while my little boy gets into trouble?”

  Laughing, Tony swept her into a hug. “No, I think you get into trouble because you won’t accept help. How much food have you been able to keep down today?”

  “Enough. Mamá wants to force feed me. She’s seen me puke, but she’s convinced if she wills me to eat, it’ll stay down. She’s wrong.”

  “She aggravates me, too,” he said, calming her with a hand on her shoulder. “But she loves us. You know that.”

  Eloisa heaved a sigh. “I know. Tonight I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t realize she’d call the cops.”

  Tony grinned. “If not for her cataracts, she’d have come herself.”

  She frowned at him, her gaze taking in his weapon. “You were still working? This late?”

  “No, I was having dinner with a woman I met recently. Didn’t have time to go home and change before I went to her place.”

  “A-ha!” Eloisa’s pixie face lit with delight. “Now you have to tell me all about her.”

  “So you can tell everybody?”

  She returned his grin. “Of course.”

  This was why he didn’t tell anyone in his family about the women he saw. There would be demands to meet her. He’d once made the mistake of taking a casual girlfriend to Sunday dinner at his mother’s, but never again. Not everyone in the family had liked her. Others did and wanted to know why he didn’t bring her again. When he’d been driven to admit he wasn’t seeing her anymore, they wanted to know why. If he gave them so much as a peek into his personal life, his family would drive him crazy.

  Crazier than they already did.

  He’d worried that Tia Paloma would have spread the word about the woman he had taken to lunch. Not only taken to lunch but brought to her restaurant. He felt certain that everyone in the family would like Beth, and she’d like them. That he could see it happening alarmed him. She’d fit right in. They’d have him married off before he knew it.

  It alarmed him that he couldn’t think of any good arguments against an ending that had never struck him as happy. But why think about anything like that, anyway? He hadn’t even known her a week.

  While his mind wandered, his sister had poured him the coffee he didn’t want but now couldn’t refuse. He had started to thank her when his phone rang. Beth was the only person he’d like to hear from—

  The number, although local, wasn’t hers.

  “Navarro.”

  “Detective? This is Officer Scott Kelly. I responded to a call that I’m told will concern you. A woman named Bethany Marshall was assaulted behind her townhouse.”

  What the—“Beth?”

  “That’s what a neighbor called her.”

  His body rigid, he said sharply, “Tell me what happened.”

  A man who may have worn a mask had stepped from behind a parked car and swung a baseball bat she thought was aimed at her head. She’d somehow dodged that swing, but he’d connected with a second that broke her arm. She’d suffered additional, minor injuries from falling. Yes, she was currently at the ER.

  Had she been attacked right after he drove away? Tony couldn’t think of any other reason she’d have been out back, unless she’d decided to go somewhere.

  Heart thudding, he said, “I’m on my way. Keep me informed.”

  He poured the coffee down the sink, kissed his sister and said, “Next time, answer the damn phone, at least when I’m calling,” and jogged out to his pickup.

  Five minutes later, he walked into the ER.

  * * *

  BETH KEPT NODDING OFF, but she opened her eyes when she heard the sound of the sliding door that separated her cubicle from the corridor and the nurse’s station. The doctor had promised to let her go once he issued a prescription.

  But it was Tony who walked in, his gaze locking on her as he came straight to her side, ignoring Matt as if he wasn’t there. Then he assessed her, from the gauze wrapping her palms to the cast enclosing her left arm.

  “You look out of it.”

  She worked her tongue around in her mouth before she tried to speak. “They gave me something.”

  “Damn.” The hand he lifted to stroke her cheek had a tremor. “If I hadn’t left...”

  “You had to go. Your sister...”

  “She’s fine. Wanting to be left alone, that’s all.” He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. “Officer Kelly told me what happened. I won’t ask you to repeat it right now—”

  On the other side of the bed, Matt assumed a cross-armed stance. “No, you won’t. This son of a bitch tried to kill my sister. What are you going to do about it?”

  “Catch him.” His dark eyes met hers again. “Kelly thinks this could have been random. You were standing outside, your door open behind you. A burglar who saw a great opportunity.”

  “He was right there,” she whispered, seeing the dark shape loom, feeling the terror anew. “Behind a car. He was waiting.”

  She saw him understand. If the man had been after her, he had to have seen Tony arrive. Bided his time until she was alone. Would he have risked rushing her if she’d stepped back inside be
fore Tony was out of sight?

  “I tripped and fell down. If I hadn’t...”

  His face spasmed. “I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

  “You can’t be with me all the time.”

  “I swear, I’m going to throttle Emily,” Matt said, violence vibrating in his voice. “How could she be that stupid?”

  Beth already knew Tony shared the sentiment. She mumbled, “My fault for—”

  Tony laid a hand over her mouth. “We’ve talked about this.”

  Looking bullish again, Matt asked, “About what?”

  Tony looked straight at her brother. “Beth tries to take responsibility for everything and everyone, and that means the blame, too.”

  To her astonishment, red stained Matt’s cheeks, and he hunched his shoulders. “Yeah. I guess we’ve all gotten too used to it.”

  “Yes, you have,” Tony said, with no give in his voice.

  To her surprise and embarrassment, Matt touched her face much as Tony had, with a tenderness that made her eyes sting. “He’s right,” Matt murmured. “I’m sorry, Bethie. You...made it too easy for us.”

  “That’s what Dad said, too.”

  “Dad?” He stared at her. “Are you sure you weren’t hearing things?”

  She started to shake her head and regretted it. Had she bumped her head? She didn’t remember, but it did ache. “No. He...apologized to me. He said some other things, too.” She told him, watching emotions wash over his face. He didn’t hide what he was thinking well. Like me, she thought, at least according to Tony.

  “I don’t know if that makes it better or worse,” he grumbled.

  She didn’t either. Right now, she didn’t want to think about Dad or—

  The sliding door opened again, and the too-cheerful nurse announced she had the prescription and a sample of painkillers to get her through until tomorrow. “An orderly is on his way with a wheelchair.”

  “Ashley is making up the bed in our spare room,” Matt said gruffly. “I’ll go get my car and meet you outside.”

  “No.” Tony. “I’ll take her home and stay with her for the night.”

  Matt’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a little above and beyond, don’t you think?” His gaze dropped to the hand Tony was holding. “Please tell me—”

  Tony stared him down. “It’s none of your business.”

  “Yes, but...” His pleading gaze met hers. “What if he arrests Dad?”

  “He won’t. We both know Dad would never do anything like that.”

  Her brother’s mouth opened and closed a couple times. Finally, he settled for a surly, “He never admitted he was more aware than he let on, either.”

  Beth couldn’t argue with that, except one had nothing to do with the other. Anyway, she didn’t want to argue about anything. She wanted to go home, take a pain pill and snuggle into her own bed. Preferably with Tony wrapped around her.

  When she thanked her brother for being there for her, he gave way. Relieved not to have to take her home with him? She couldn’t tell. Tony went out to move his pickup, while Matt walked beside her as the orderly wheeled her down the corridor.

  Outside, Tony helped her into the high cab with exquisite gentleness. Then the two men shook hands, although she didn’t get why, and Tony drove away, leaving Matt standing alone, looking forlorn.

  Beth turned her head. “He really was sweet. Maybe I should have let him take care of me.”

  “Not a chance,” her detective said flatly.

  Someday, she’d have to stand firm against his domineering tendencies—if this relationship lasted. Tonight, she didn’t have the spirit, since he wanted the same thing she did.

  “There’s no way to track the man who attacked me, is there?”

  Passing headlights let her see the taut, unhappy line of his jaw. “No. Even if we could get DNA, it wouldn’t be much use. Getting results takes forever, and we haven’t even come up with a fingerprint match yet.”

  She’d been wondering. “Because whoever he is has never been arrested.”

  “Or been required to give fingerprints for any other reason. Unless he served in the military, but getting them to open their databases isn’t easy.”

  “Did any of the men you’re looking at serve?”

  He shook his head and laid his hand on her thigh. “We’ll get this creep.”

  “I know.” But how?

  “I’m glad it wasn’t your right arm that was broken.”

  “A silver lining.” Despite her overall woozy, hurting state, she almost smiled. “How unlike you.”

  He gave a short laugh. “It’s cover. I’m so angry, if I could get my hands on the son of a bitch right this minute, I’m not sure I could do my job instead of beating the crap out of him. And I’m not feeling so friendly toward your sister, either. Matt was right.”

  “She’ll be horrified when she hears what happened.” It was true. Too bad Emily never foresaw consequences.

  He grunted, turning into the alley behind her building. “Do you have your keys?”

  “Yes, fortunately I’d left them sitting out on the table. The police officer locked the back door and brought them to me at the hospital.”

  The visitor parking spot near her back door was open. There shouldn’t be any reason she couldn’t walk—except her knees hurt. And she felt shaky.

  Tony would help her.

  * * *

  “WAIT UNTIL I come around,” Tony ordered.

  Beth probably rolled her eyes but made no move to get out beyond gingerly freeing herself from her seatbelt. After opening her door, he picked her up and used his shoulder to nudge the door closed.

  “What are you doing?” She sounded panicked. “I’m too heavy! You shouldn’t be carrying me.”

  She wasn’t a lightweight, not like a couple of his sisters who were as tiny as his mother, but he didn’t have any trouble carrying Beth either. “Of course I should,” he said, but he gently set her on her feet when they reached the concrete pad in front of her door. “Key?”

  “Oh.” She dug them out of her pocket and handed it to him.

  He unlocked the door, then said, “Do you need to lie down immediately?” When she said she was fine, he nodded. Keeping a supportive arm around her, he said, “Talk me through what happened.”

  She swept an uneasy glance over the parking area and alley. “I didn’t move after you left. The cool air felt good. I was looking after your pickup, when I caught movement out of the corner of my eye.” She told him how her flip-flop had tripped her as she tried to turn to face a possible danger. “He came from behind that SUV.” She pointed. “It belongs to the guy who lives next door.”

  “Stay here.” After making sure she was steady on her feet, Tony turned on the flashlight he’d hung from his belt before getting out. Now he turned it on and walked slowly around the black Toyota Sequoia, scanning the ground as well as the vehicle. Then he returned to her. “Was he wearing gloves?”

  She closed her eyes for a moment, as if to see the scene more clearly, then said, “Yes. Black.”

  “Not worth more fingerprinting, then.” He sighed. “Okay, his first swing missed you.”

  Beth wrinkled her nose. “Because I was doing a belly flop. I skinned my knees there—” a smear of blood had dried on the concrete, he saw “—and my hands on some of that loose gravel.”

  His jaw was so tight his molars ached.

  “I started to push myself up, and that’s when I saw him going back for another swing. So I threw myself at his legs, and he had to adjust mid-swing.”

  When the bat had smashed into her upper arm. Tony wished he couldn’t envision that moment with no effort at all. “Did you get your hands on him?”

  “Just for a second.” She frowned. “I think he was wearing sweatpants. Something soft. You know?”

  “Black
.”

  “He had a black hoodie on, and what I think were black athletic shoes. There might have been a metallic design on the sides. I saw him running that way—” she pointed, just as Officer Kelly said she had for him “—and he passed under the streetlight. That’s really the only look I had at him, and it wasn’t good because of the SUV in the way.” The streetlight was on the corner at the cross street. The city didn’t bother lighting alleys.

  Tony had every intention of calling the owner of these townhouses tomorrow and urging him or her—strongly—to improve the lighting in the back. Motion-sensitive lights would be good.

  “But you didn’t see his face at all.”

  She bit her lower lip as she shook her head. “I think it was covered, but I’m not positive. I mean, I was already falling as I started to turn. And, you know, I kind of was focused on the bat.” She sounded apologetic. “And then I was on my face and, when I lunged for him, I didn’t lift my eyes higher than his knees.”

  “Any sense of height?” Not that he expected anything helpful. Victims almost always exaggerated the size of assailants and, in this case, Beth hadn’t been on her feet long enough to judge their relative heights. But he had to ask.

  “Tall,” she said. “But not huge. He was more...lean.”

  As he would describe both Alan Schuh and Michael Longley. Tim Oberholtzer, the banker, was heftier. Tony had done a search for photos and had found two in the Frenchman Lake newspaper taken close to the time of Christine Marshall’s murder. Even then, the guy had some extra padding and a soft jawline. He was a few years older than the other two men, too. And still married to the same woman. After Beth’s description of her assailant, Oberholtzer dropped even lower on Tony’s list of possibilities.

  Tony really needed to connect with the senior partner in the accounting firm and ask for names of Christine’s male clients, particularly any she might have gotten friendly with.

  “Smell?” he asked.

  Beth looked startled, then thought about it. Finally, she said, “Nothing I remember except, you know, a whiff from the Dumpster, and some oil or gas.”

  “Okay.” Seeing her sway, he pushed the door open and swung her back into his arms despite her protest, carrying her through the townhouse to her bedroom. There, he helped her undress. She left on her panties, and, doing his best to ignore her beautiful breasts, he was able to work an oversize T-shirt over her cast. It fell almost to mid-thigh.