by Judi McCoy
The door leading to Phil’s gym opened and a cluster of women spilled onto the sidewalk. Laughing, they called out good nights and went in whatever direction took them home. He spotted Ellie immediately, her coppery curls shining in the light from the fixture over the entryway, and his irritability quotient dropped to low gear.
Pushing from the wall as she walked by, he said in his best street-tough voice, “Need a ride, little girl?”
She passed him like an express bus at rush hour.
Beating feet to catch up, he fell in step beside her. “I planned to be here to watch your lesson, but something happened at work.”
They continued down the sidewalk in silence while his brain worked to come up with a more positive statement. When she stopped at the corner of Third and Twentieth, he assumed she wanted to catch a cab. “I’ll drive you home. My car is down the street.”
Muttering a terse “No, thanks” she raised her arm, flagging a taxi as only a born New Yorker could.
“It’s late. I’m parked close by.”
She stepped farther out into Third Avenue. and he grabbed her shoulder, jerking her to safety as a stretch limo sped past. Back on the sidewalk, he held her by both elbows. “Christ, woman. Do you have a death wish?”
She twisted from his grip. “A taxi will take me directly to my front door, and if I get the standard driver, I won’t have to answer any questions.” Then she eyed him like a prosecuting attorney. “You should go home, take a shower, and get some sleep. You look like hell.”
“You don’t look so good yourself,” he spouted. “Besides, I only live a couple of blocks from here.”
She shifted her tote bag to the opposite shoulder. “You live in Gramercy?”
“Just a few streets up, on Twenty-fifth.”
“Oh, I had no idea—”
“Where I lived. I know. I’d ask you over, but the place is a mess.”
“Cleaning lady didn’t make it this week?” She grinned. “Poor baby.”
“I’m at work more than I’m home these days, and my mother has a key, which allows her to drop in a couple times a year.” Dumb move, talking about what his mom did for her ungrateful son, but he was on a roll. “She decontaminates my fridge, tosses the empty pizza boxes and carryout cartons, even bug-bombs the place if she knows I’ll be gone for twenty-four hours, which I usually am.”
“She sounds like a nice woman—and a very caring mother.”
“She is, if you can handle the weekly ‘Why did you miss family dinner night?’ phone calls.” He took her hand and led her down the street. “Come on. I’m parked right around the corner.”
Instead of commenting, she followed quietly. At the car, he opened the passenger door, and she slid inside. Then he settled behind the wheel, buckled up, and studied her while he started the engine.
Eyes closed, Ellie rested her head on the seat back and heaved a sigh. Figuring her day had been as rough as his, he decided to go easy on her. “Please take note. You didn’t call me yesterday, and I’m not ragging you about it. That ought to get me a few brownie points.”
“I’ve been too busy to call anyone.”
“But you would have phoned me tonight, when you got home, right?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
Not the answer she wanted to hear. He pulled into traffic. “You look beat.”
“I had to choose Gary’s final resting place today, and in typical idiot fashion I ended up buying a jar that’s normally used for the ashes of a dog.”
He smiled at her candor. “Seems to me that would be right up Veridot’s alley. Didn’t you tell me he loved dogs?”
“He did.”
When she clammed up again, he asked, “How was tonight’s lesson?”
“Fine.”
The single syllable spoke volumes. “Did you meet Patty?”
“Uh-huh.”
Two syllables. Things were looking up. “How many women in the class?”
“Seven, counting me.”
Three entire words. Even better, though the conversation was going nowhere. “What did you learn?”
“Learn?”
“Learn as in self-defense. Did Phil show you how to foil a purse snatcher or evade some guy trying to grab you in an alley or your apartment lobby?” Or an ex-con bent on murdering you for the family fortune?
“We covered some of that.”
“And?”
She heaved another sigh. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
He took the hint, and they rode in silence. Ten minutes later, he made a right on Sixty-fifth, crossed Second, took a left on First, and a left onto Sixty-sixth to double park in front of her building. Turning off the engine, he asked, “Why do I have the feeling something else happened today—something I should know about?”
“What happened occurred over the past two days, and it’s nothing I want to repeat.” She undid her seat belt and opened the door. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Hang on. I’ll see you up.”
He made it to the outer lobby just as she unlocked the main door. Inside the body of the building, he wrested the keys from her hand. “Why do you always have to make a simple good night so difficult?”
She climbed the stairs, heaving a breath when she said, “Maybe because you always make it so complicated.”
Groaning mentally, he followed her up the two flights. At her door, she stepped aside and allowed him to unlock it. Then she held out her palm.
He stuffed the keys in his pocket. “Can I come in?”
“Not a bright move. You’re double-parked, remember?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll just add the ticket to my stash.” Biting the bullet, he asked, “How about I tag along while you give Rudy his nightly walk?”
A smile flickered across her lips, and she opened the door. Sure enough, there sat her dog, a canine frown etched on his fuzzy muzzle.
“Hey, big guy. You ready for me?” She stooped to take the leash from Rudy’s mouth, then glanced over her shoulder. “I know, but he insisted on giving me a ride home. What could I do?” Focusing on the mutt, she snapped the lead to his collar. “He won’t be here long.”
Sam knew better than to criticize the one-sided dialogue. In fact, he was starting to enjoy the conversations she had with her cantankerous canine. Some of the things she said to her dog were things he was fairly certain she would never say to him.
Outside, she stopped at a trash can while Rudy lifted his leg. On the way to the corner, the mutt watered anything taller than a cigarette butt. Sam kept his eye on Ellie as they walked, noting the worry in her eyes and the way she chewed her lower lip. After a couple of minutes, they retraced their steps and arrived back at her building.
“It’s late, and I’m beat,” she told him, again holding out a hand for her keys.
“I’d feel a hell of a lot better if you told me what went on over the last few days.”
She stared into the street. “It’s no big deal, really. Just promise me you won’t hire that bodyguard when I tell you.”
He cursed under his breath and nodded toward the main door. “Inside. Now.”
Ellie was simply too tired to argue. She let Sam march her up the stairs and into the apartment, where she unhooked Rudy’s leash and whispered that she would join him soon. He gave Sam a doggie glare, then headed down the hall, and she shuffled to the kitchen. After filling a pair of mugs with water, she placed them in the microwave and set the timer. Then she removed two bags of Earl Grey from her tea caddy, put spoons and milk on the table, and removed the mugs when the nuker dinged. Aware that Sam had parked himself in a chair and now watched her every move, she brought the cups to the table and took a seat.
“Thanks for giving me time to think.”
He dunked his tea bag a couple of times and laid it on a paper napkin. Reaching across the table, he clasped her hand. “And . . .”
Taking comfort in the feel of his warm fingers, Ellie fiddled with her own tea, adding milk to prolong the peacefu
l moment. She had no intention of describing her half-assed self-defense class, but he probably did need to hear about the tattooed man in the laundry room and Rudy’s snarling battle with a bush in Carl Schurz.
“Okay, I’ll fill you in, but don’t jump down my throat until I’m finished.”
Sam didn’t say a word; he just sat with a frown etched on his face as he listened to her abbreviated replay of both incidents. When she stuttered to a stop, he asked, “You swear you didn’t see anyone in the park? No one hanging around when you got there or following you when you left?”
“Nope, but it was unsettling.” Creepy was more like it, but she could only give her impression, not use the exact words Rudy had spoken. “Viv and I decided that, aside from taking the dogs for a final walk around the block before bed, it was our last trip there at night until this mess is over.”
“And the guy in the laundry room? Verne Thompson? He never made a threatening move or suspicious comment?”
“He wasn’t terribly talkative, but he was pleasant. Why?”
Sam leaned back in his chair. “Because he’s the one I’m most concerned about, not the invisible person in the shrubbery. If Veridot has access to your building, anything could happen to you at any time.”
“So you don’t think the laundry room guy was who he said he was? A man visiting his sister and brother-in-law?”
“It’s too early to tell, but you’re right about one thing. If he was Thompson Veridot, he missed a perfect opportunity to drag the info out of you.”
She straightened her shoulders. “Then I need to find out more about him.”
He blew out a breath. “Finding out more is my job. You just watch yourself around strangers. And don’t go to the basement alone again. Take your pal Vivian. Hell, take your dog. It couldn’t hurt.”
Pleased he made a suggestion she could live with instead of demanding she follow a ridiculous order, she nodded. “Okay, I can do that.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet. “It’s been a rough couple of days for both of us, so no more questions. Walk me out, and I’ll leave.”
At the door, she smiled. “Thanks for understanding.”
“I’m going to Gruning in the morning to see if he’s heard anything more about Veridot,” Sam told her. “I’m also going to run a check on your neighbors in 4-D. And I’ll expect a phone call tomorrow night, when you’re through with the afternoon shift. Okay?”
At least he wasn’t threatening to hunt her down if she didn’t make the call. “I’ll do it when I get in.”
Cupping her jaw, he leaned forward, and Ellie closed her eyes. His kiss, firm yet gentle, made her toes tingle and her heart beat like a jackhammer. Lost in a sea of emotion, she melted in his arms and rode the feeling of care and safety surrounding her.
When he drew away, she rested her forehead on his chin. Sam had shown a new side tonight. A side she liked. A side she wouldn’t mind seeing more often.
Stepping back, he opened the door and handed her the keys. “Lock up. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Well, well, well. That was a touching scene.”
Ellie jumped a mile. Spinning around, she stared at her four-footed pal. “You scared the crap out of me. Aren’t you supposed to be in the bedroom?”
“I only agreed to the suggestion because you promised to join me in a couple of minutes. When I realized I’d been lying alone for way too long, I decided to find out what was keeping you. It figures the deceitful dick was at fault.”
“You’re making too much of Sam’s actions.” She engaged both locks and hung her keys on the hook she used for Rudy’s leash. “It was a simple good night kiss.”
“Yeah, sure. If that kiss was simple, I’m a St. Bernard.”
She headed down the hall, undressing as she walked. Right now, she just wanted to sink into a tub full of bubbles, then drop on her mattress and fall into a mind-numbing sleep. Too bad if Rudy didn’t want Sam hanging around. He’d just have to get used to it—at least until this business with Veridot was over.
After dumping her clothes in the hamper, she gathered her robe and sleep shirt and walked to the bathroom, where she ran hot water in the tub and added a splash of gardenia-scented bubble bath. When she heard a knock on her front door, she assumed it was Sam.
No more talking for tonight, she told herself. She needed peace and quiet—not conversation.
A moment later, the bathroom door inched inward, and Rudy nosed his way into the room. “And one more thing. I’m registering an official protest.”
So much for peace and quiet. “Good grief, now what?”
“You know exactly what. Don’t ever do that to me again.”
At the sound of another series of knocks, she stepped into the tub and willed her body to relax. Sam could leave a message on her cell if he had more to say. “I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.”
Rudy plopped on the plush throw rug and curled into a ball. “You try peeing in front of someone who thinks you’re a useless dumb animal and let me know how it feels.”
“Sam doesn’t think you’re useless.” She scrubbed her legs with a loofah, then moved the sponge to her belly. “He simply has a difficult time understanding canines.”
“He doesn’t like dogs, period. And I thought that was your numero uno criteria for bringing a new human into our life.”
At the sound of footsteps in the hall, she froze. Since when had Sam gotten a key to her apartment?
“Ellie? Ellie, it’s me,” Viv said in an exaggerated whisper. “I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”
Rudy raised a leg and started licking his privates in double time.
Relieved, Ellie blew out a breath. This was turning into a lousy end to a perfectly lousy day. She and Viv had traded keys over a year ago, but aside from using Viv’s when she walked T, they’d agreed the keys were for emergencies only. What the heck had happened that Vivian would consider an emergency?
The bathroom door opened wide. “Are you alone? I thought I heard you talking to someone.”
Ellie slid deeper into the water. “What do you need?”
Viv sat on the commode, took one look at Rudy’s canine machinations, and wrinkled her nose. “I promise I won’t stay long, but I found out something tonight after work, and you need to hear it.”
“Something that couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”
“I don’t think so.”
After squeezing the water from her loofah, she set the sponge in its holder. “Well?”
“I ran into Stefan Burns—you know, the guy who’s supposed to be the brother-in-law of the man you met in the laundry room, and we got to talking. He says his wife doesn’t have a brother and neither does he.”
No brother? A shiver tripped up Ellie’s spine. “But that doesn’t make sense. The guy gave me both their names and their apartment number. Are you sure it was the real Mr. Burns?”
“The man opened the box for 4-D and removed the mail. I couldn’t see the name on the envelopes, but he didn’t correct me when I asked about his wife Adrianne having a brother.”
“So, unless he stole the mailbox key, it was probably Stefan, huh?”
“That’s my guess. Look, I know you’re almost ready for bed, but if I were you I’d let Sam know tonight. Maybe he can call in a background check or something.”
“I already told Sam about the laundry room guy.”
“Really? When did you see Detective Delicious?”
She ignored Viv’s silly comment. “He came to the gym and offered me a ride home.”
“I forgot you had a class tonight. How did it go?”
Ellie closed her eyes and leaned back into the bubbles. “How about if we discuss it tomorrow? I really need to get to sleep.”
“You sure you want to wait?”
“I don’t see what else I can do.”
“Okay, then.” Viv stood and sidled into the hall. “I’ll lock up on my way out.”
When her steps faded and the apart
ment door closed, Rudy said, “Interesting bit of information Viv just gave us, huh?”
“I’ll say.” She climbed out of the tub and let it drain.
“So, what are you gonna do about it?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I know. Bring me wherever you go, even the gym for those karate lessons. Besides giving you my excellent canine impressions, I’ll protect you.”
Stifling a smile, she toweled off, then slipped into her sleep shirt. “They’re self-defense lessons, not karate, you knucklehead.” She brushed her teeth while he continued pestering. “All right, that’s enough. You already go just about everywhere I do.”
“But not the important places.”
She headed for the bedroom with the Yorkiepoo on her heels. After pulling down the comforter and sheet, she flicked off her bedside lamp and sank onto the mattress. “What kind of important places?”
Rudy hopped on the bed and took his usual spot on the pillow next to her. “The bank holding our money, for one. And Blackman’s. If I’d been with you, I would have made sure you found the right container for Gary.”
Reaching out, Ellie ran her hand over his side. When he rolled to his back, she stroked his belly, then walked her fingers to his neck, scratching in his favorite spot—the underside of his chin. “Okay. Next time I plan to stop at either of those places, I’ll think about bringing you along. And I guess I should tell Sam what Viv just said. I’ve filled him in on all the other stuff, so why not this?”
“I hate to say it, but it wouldn’t hurt to give him the info.” Rudy curled into a ball and gave her hand a comforting lick. “Just remember, Ryder doesn’t love you like I do.”
“I know, big guy. We only have each other. And no one will ever come between us.”
“Hey, don’t get me wrong. You deserve a first-class human male, but he’s got to be as good to you as I am. He has to put you first, before his family, his job, before everything. And that’s something the doofus detective will never do.”
Ellie suspected Rudy was right, though she had no intention of telling him so. Sam was a dedicated officer of the law. She imagined that even the lectures he gave her were spoken in the line of duty. That’s why tonight had been different. He’d been understanding, and instead of the usual lecture, he’d pulled a sweet and gentle act.
