by Lilly York
She hated the idea of it, but as soon as life settled down a little, pretty much as soon as this murder was solved, she’d have to make an appointment to have it cut out. Six years before she had the procedure done. It took 15 shots to numb her toe enough so the doctor could cut away the nail. She was not looking forward to a repeat performance. Yet she couldn’t put it off. Every time her toe so much as brushed against the bed sheet, she woke up. So much for getting a good night’s rest.
Willow took the elevator to the third floor. She glanced around on the lookout for Bridget. She wanted information but she didn’t want to cross paths with the unfriendly woman if she didn’t have to. She approached the nurses’ desk and waited for the woman on the phone to finish up.
“Can I help you?”
“Yeah, I’m looking for Bridget Tully.”
The older lady replied. “You and me both.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “If you happen to find her tell her she’s fired. This is the third time this week she’s not showed for her shift. And the second time I’ve had to cover for her. If she doesn’t need this job, there are plenty who would be mighty happy to take her place.” She narrowed her eyes. “Who are you, anyway?”
Willow tried to look ornery, “Disgruntled patient. Just wanted to give her a piece of my mind. She assisted with my toe surgery. She had a bad attitude.”
The nurse looked confused but didn’t question Willow. “She’s had a series of formal complaints lately. I thought she was such a good nurse when she first signed on. She cared about her patients and was always on time for work. Lately it’s like she is so distracted when she is here, she might as well not be.”
Willow’s phone began buzzing so she took a few steps backward. “Thanks for the help and if I come across her, I’ll let her know you’re looking for her.”
The phone rang again so Willow beelined for the elevator. Willow waved goodbye to the staring nurse as the elevator doors began to close. Her phone stopped buzzing before she could answer. Not that she had a signal in the elevator.
She called Steve back once she got situated behind the wheel of her truck. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Where are you at?”
She pinched her lips together. He would not be pleased. “I’m at the hospital.”
“What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just had an errand to run.”
“Wait a minute. You’re there checking up on Bridget, aren’t you?”
“The little good it did me. She didn’t show up for work today. Which happens to be the third day this week she’s missed.”
“Well, she had a pretty good reason for missing today.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“Her body was found downtown in an alley. In a not so great neighborhood.”
“Body, meaning no longer alive?”
“Yep.”
“I take it she didn’t die from natural causes?”
“Broken neck. Someone snapped her neck like she was nothing more than a twig. Had to be someone she knew and it had to be someone who could over power her pretty easily.”
Willow sighed. “I didn’t like the girl, I mean, I haven’t met anyone who actually did like her, but she certainly didn’t deserve this. Do you think her murder is related to Dean’s?”
Steve was silent on the other end of the line for a few seconds then replied. “I don’t know. I think it would be too much of a coincidence to have two people who knew each other intimately be murdered within days of one another and not be connected.”
“I’m thinking so too.” Another thought cheered her up. “Do you think this gets Chester off the hook?”
“Don’t start counting your chickens before they hatch. One step at a time. Just because they’re related doesn’t mean the same person murdered both of them. We have to figure out what is going on. There is definitely something going on.”
Willow ended the call with Steve and immediately dialed the number Marshall gave her. After a quick explanation and a short drive, she found herself surrounded by baseball players in various forms of dress. She was thankful for the opportunity to speak to the team as a whole, but she would have chosen a pizza place or, well, any place other than the locker room. The catcalls kept her from asking any questions. It seemed every guy knew she was uncomfortable and they knew exactly what to say to keep her face flushed a deep red. Marshall stepped in and called for some semblance of order.
“Hey guys. The lady needs to ask us about Dean. Can you show a little respect? And for goodness sake, keep yourselves covered. She’s not a reporter looking for a story. She’s trying to help solve the murder of one of our own.”
Willow was thankful. The ball players cooperated and as long as she kept eye contact with every person she spoke with and never allowed her gaze to drift lower than shoulder height, she was able to keep from turning crimson. She doubted the team had anything to do with Dean’s murder but since they had a bbq team at the competition and had a relationship with Dean, well, she had to at least cross them off the list. It turned out the only reason they were even at the competition was one of their sponsors was a local stockyard. They entered to promote their sponsor. And it was good PR for the team.
Marshall walked Willow to her truck. “Sorry about that. The guys aren’t all from around here. Not all of them are Southern gentlemen. They didn’t mean anything by how they acted. You just gave them the opportunity to act out. During season everyone maintains a strict everything, diet, no partying, practice and drills every day, they don’t get much of a chance to just be, well, guys.” He kicked up a little dust. “And most of them are pretty young. They’re used to making a ruckus.”
She smiled. “It’s okay. I have to admit I was a bit embarrassed and surprised, but, I lived. I only have a daughter. I’ve not raised up any young men.”
He laughed. “Well, you’ll find we’re a whole other breed.”
She nodded. “I have to agree.”
They both laughed then Marshall turned serious. “Did you find out anything today? Anything at all that will help you figure out what happened?”
“No, not really. Dean was arguing with his uncle. That we already knew. He was arguing with Bridget—which we also knew. I guess there was one surprise. Brian didn’t have much contact with Dean at the park. Apparently they were at odds with one another. Brian stuck close to their camp. He did have the night shift though, watching the smoker. Same as Dean. I guess it’s something we’ll have to look into.”
He opened her door for her and she climbed in and rolled down her window. “It would appear you have something you’d like to say. Maybe something that has nothing to do with Dean?”
It was Marshall’s turn to blush. “Yeah, I just wanted to tell you how much I like your daughter. She really is something.”
She studied him. “Yep. I know. She’s pretty special.” She started the Jeep. “Marshall, don’t break her heart. If you aren’t looking for the real deal, end it now. Embry is tender hearted and she tends to give a lot more in a relationship than she gets.” Willow smiled. “Did you know I’m getting my concealed carry permit? I’m going to get my gun on Saturday.”
He touched the brim of his hat. “I did not know that, um, thank you for filling me in though.” He smiled back. “Point taken. I’ll do my best to tread gently.”
“You do that, Marshall.”
Willow had one last stop before she had to pick up Clover and head home.
She parked in front of the small boutique and braved the front door. Her heart was rapidly beating. She played it cool when Steve asked her to attend the fund raiser, but inside, she was falling apart. She had nothing to wear. She entertained the idea of asking Embry for help then changed her mind. There would be plenty of time to spill her guts after the date was over. For a few days she felt like Cinderella getting ready for the ball and she kept the secret to herself. She even had an appointment to get her nails and hair done. She self-consciously ran her hand through her hair.<
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She glanced around the shop. She wasn’t certain they carried her size. She wasn’t exactly petite.
A sales lady approached her. “Hi, can I help you with something?”
“I’m looking for a dress. Uh…”
The well-dressed woman took a step back and eyed Willow. “I’d say a size 12? And I’m guessing this is for something special?”
Willow nodded.
The lady smiled. “Follow me. I have something that will knock him dead.” She started toward the back of the shop and stopped in front of a rack of little black dresses. “She pulled a dress off the rack and held it up to Willow. “Why don’t you try it on and see what you think.” She pointed to the dressing room.
Willow took the silky dress and pulled the curtain closed. She allowed the soft material to glide over her head and down her back. She turned in a circle as the dress swished against her legs. It fell just above the knee. Respectable and perfect for summer. The sleeveless garment reminded her of something Audrey Hepburn would wear. Feminine, demure, and yes, sexy, in a simple unassuming way. She loved it. It was perfect.
She opened the curtain and stood before the full length mirrors.
“I knew it was perfect for you. Just perfect.” She motioned for Willow to turn in a circle. “Well, what do you think?”
“I’ll take it.”
“I thought as much.”
Willow quickly changed and handed the dress over to be packaged. The bill surprised her a little. She’d never spent so much for so little material. She didn’t care. She never did such things and this time, she was going to go all out. She wanted the evening to be special. In order for that to happen, she had to feel special. This dress did just that. She handed the woman her credit card without hesitation.
Willow whistled as she walked back to her Jeep. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Steve’s face. One way or another, he was going to have to confront his feelings for her. This dress would act as the catalyst to make that happen. She just knew it.
Chapter 13
Willow used some downtime at the café to look up the numbers from Dean’s cell phone records. The first number belonged to Preston. No surprise there. Then there was Brian’s and Bridget’s numbers. Again, no surprise. What took her by surprise was a long list of numbers he called only once that were a minute or two in length. A reverse lookup did not provide her with any information. She took a chance and dialed the first number on the list.
“Hola.”
“Hello. Who is this?”
“No hablo ingles.”
Willow heard a click on the other end of the line. She held the phone out and dialed the next number on the list and once again she received the same response. In fact, she received the same response for every number Dean used only once on the same day nearly at the same time. Which happened to be a week prior to his death. “How odd.”
“What’s odd?”
She smiled at Embry. “I didn’t hear you come in.” She stood and gave her daughter a hug.
Embry looked over her shoulder. “What ya working on?”
“Oh, well, I’m trying to figure out who these numbers belong to. It’s Dean’s call log.” She pointed to a long list of numbers. “There must be at least 15 numbers here and each one says they do not speak English then they hang up. That’s all I’ve got.”
Embry poured herself a glass of ice tea and joined her mother. “Well, the key is to find what each of these people have in common. Or perhaps who they have in common.”
“Besides Dean, you mean.”
“Well, yes. Of course. There must be some reason he was calling these Hispanic families. But why?”
“I saw Brian talking with, what looked like, a group of Hispanic muscle men. I wonder if Brian is the common denominator.”
“We could always follow him and see where he leads us.”
“You’d go with me?”
“Sure. Why not.”
“Are you off Friday?”
“Sure am. Should I come here Thursday night?”
“Enchiladas for dinner?”
“Now you’re talking.”
The door to the café opened and both ladies spent the rest of the evening making ice cream cones, shakes, and lattes. Willow smiled as she watched Embry interact with their clientele. Someday this would be hers. To see her enjoying herself meant the world to Willow. She knew she was building a legacy to pass down to generations that came after her.
Willow woke before the alarm clock. She couldn’t remember the last time that happened. She showered then dressed in a pair of capris and a light summer tank top before leaving for her morning appointment. Janice, Dean’s mom, agreed to share their story with her. Of course she hoped it would solve the mystery of who murdered him. Willow sincerely hoped it would.
Willow was surprised to see Janice lived in a really nice gated community. She didn’t get the impression from Molly that Janice was well off. At least she didn’t have to worry about finances at a time like this. They say money doesn’t buy happiness but not having enough sure does cause stress.
She rang the doorbell and was promptly greeted by the woman of the house.
“Willow, please come in.”
Willow followed Janice into a well-appointed sitting room. She already had refreshments laid out and poured Willow a glass of ice tea.
“Please, help yourself to a Klobasnek. Or maybe two. They’re very good.” She pointed to a tray of pastry looking puffs. “There are also some mini quiche and some fruit. I wasn’t sure what you normally eat for breakfast so I made a variety.”
After taking a bite of the delicious sausage filled pastry, Willow said, “Thank you. I sure wasn’t expecting this. This is delicious. I thought they were called Kolaches.”
“No, although most people do call them that. Kolaches are actually pastry that have a hole in the middle that is filled with sweets. Klobasneks are completely enclosed and you don’t get to know the filling until you take a bite. Delicious is what I call them.”
“I can see why.” She wiped some juice from the corner of her mouth. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”
Janice nodded. “If there’s anything I can do to bring my baby’s killer to justice, then it’s my duty.”
“I know this is going to be painful for you. I’m sorry for that. But I have to ask. What happened with your daughter and how was Dean involved?” The grimace that flashed across the woman’s face was obvious. She hadn’t been expecting the question Willow posed. “I know this brings up memories that you are still healing from. I feel like I need to understand Dean to understand how he came to be in a place where someone would want him gone.”
Janice stood up and stared out the glass wall that separated them from the heat of the morning. “He never stopped blaming himself. For what happened, that is.” She turned to Willow. “He was home from college. So full of himself. So sure of himself. It was spring break. I had to run to the city and he was supposed to be watching his sister. Instead he was having a make out session with his girlfriend. Bridget Tully. She wouldn’t give him the time of day in high school. Once his college team figured out how talented he was, and he became the star of the team, she was attached to him at the hip. Funny how that happens.”
She poured herself a drink. Willow dare not look at her watch but it couldn’t be much past 10:30.
Janice took a long swallow of the amber liquid then continued. “As soon as she heard he was home, she was at the house like clockwork. What a hussy. She was all over him too.” She turned to look at Willow. “You’ve seen her. She’s a trophy girlfriend. At least in the looks department. He thought he’d died and gone to heaven. To think a girl like her would be interested in a guy like him. Well, that day we had record rainfall which caused the creeks and rivers to swell. Flooding is a terrible problem for us in the spring time. The rain had finally subsided and being 8, Mimi’s natural curiosity got the better of her. She ventured outside even though I told her firmly to stay insid
e. She had a tendency to do exactly what she wanted to do.
“No one really knows what happened after that. It could have been anything swirling around in the water that caught her interest. A toy. A dog. We just don’t know. The neighbor looked out the window just in time to see her wade into the water a little and reach for something. The next thing he knew she was knocked off her feet and swept downstream. He called 911 and ran outside but there was no sign of her. She was gone. We found her the next day a few miles south. Her clothing got caught on a felled tree and as the waters subsided…” Janice finished her drink and poured another. “You get the idea.”
Willow had no words. Nothing that could possibly make a difference to the mother who lost her child. Make that two children.
“Afterward, Dean started punishing himself. He had caught the eye of the scouts for the MLB and had already been offered a place on a pro team. Within the first few months he was let go and sent down to the minors. The team said when he got his act together he would get another chance. Most people chalked up his actions to youthful indiscretions. But we all knew it was because of Mimi. He managed to get on the team here in the city. He got into all kinds of trouble and hung with the wrong kind of people. It was almost as if he was on a mission to get himself killed.” She turned a sad gaze to Willow. “I didn’t lose Dean Saturday. I lost him the day I lost Mimi.”
Willow felt she understood Dean a lot better after talking with his mother. She offered to help clean up but Janice insisted she had daily help, thanks to her brother, Preston.
“No, we’ve got this. I have a young gal who comes in every day to help me with the house chores. She doesn’t speak a lick of English, but Preston speaks Spanish and does a great job of conveying what I need done. She’s gotten quite good at domestic help. I don’t think I could survive without her.” Janice turned toward a closing door. “Ah, here she is now. She’s been in the back half of the house catching up on laundry and dusting.” She motioned to the pretty young girl she was ready to have the dishes picked up. “Willow, you must take some of this home with you. I’ll never eat it all. Not in a million years and then it will go to waste.”
