Personal affects. Michelle looked down at Nay’s worn leather purse and bitter bile rose in Shells throat. She swallowed and fought to find words while holding up her friend’s purse. “I brought what I thought I should, but I guess she won’t be needing them now.” Michelle’s chin dropped to her chest and sobs wracked her body.
* * *
On the way back to Naomi’s apartment, Michelle’s crying had subsided and her mind spun. Did Paul have anything to do with her friend being dead? Putting suicide as a reason on a death certificate didn’t feel right if the bastard had been the cause. She turned blurry eyes to Tony. “We can’t go back to Nay’s until the CSI guys have come in and checked everything out. If Paul had anything to do with this, I want to nail him.”
Her partner’s eyes focused on the heavy traffic; he didn’t glance aside. “That’s what the call I made was about. I’m sure they’ve already been there and left.”
“But...I don’t know if I can stand going to her place so soon.” Michelle stared out the passenger window at the blurring buildings and vehicles lined along adjacent streets.
“You can do it.” Tony assured. “Besides, we’ll need to notify her landlord and plan what to do with her belongings.”
Tears spilled down Michelle’s face. Giving away Nay’s things, planning her funeral. She never saw any of those tasks in her stupid visions. Her chest burned and her eyes hurt from crying. How could she not have known her friend was so depressed? Nay obviously did a great job of hiding her sadness with humor. Michelle, feeling like she’d truly failed her best friend, choked back sobs.
Tony stopped the car in Nay’s parking place before Michelle realized they’d arrived. Paul’s spot still sat empty. Reluctant to face the inevitable, Michelle stayed in the car until Tony came around and opened the door. “Come on, babe. We have to do this.”
As if in a trance, she allowed him to take her elbow and lead her to the elevator. So engrossed in her loss, she remained unfazed by the closing of the steel doors that always made her feel trapped. She fished Nay’s keys out of a side purse pocket and handed them to Tony, who opened the door.
Signs of white powder dusted the furniture surfaces...residue from printing by the Crime Scene Investigators. The empty cans and bottle had been removed, and someone had up righted the end table and discarded the broken lamp. Michelle pushed her shoulders back and took a deep breath. She was a detective, and this was just a job...at least that’s what she kept telling herself. Detached for a moment, she moved about the apartment looking for anything out of place or something that might point a definite finger at Paul Hance. Tony wandered into the bedroom.
Michelle located the telephone book in a kitchen drawer and pulled it out. Gathering her nerves, she began thumbing through the yellow pages. The hospital would need someone to pick Nay’s body up, and soon. No autopsy because she died at the hospital from known causes.
A cell phone sounded from the other room. Tony’s muffled voice responded, but Michelle couldn’t make out the conversation. While he talked, she used her own phone to call the first name on the mortuary list, ‘Abernathy’s,’ and made the necessary arrangements. Why did everyone always worry about money at a time like this? She felt insulted when they wanted the name and address of the person responsible, but quickly gave her own. It was the least she could do for a person she loved dearly.
“Hey, Meesh,” Tony called from the bedroom. “Can you come in here please?”
Michelle, still carrying her phone, crossed to the door and leaned against the jamb. “I’m right here.”
“Take a look at this.” He held up a notepad with noticeable writing indentions on a blank page.
“Yeah, so?”
Frank just called from the station. They found a suicide note on the nightstand. He said it was long and addressed to you. Naomi kept mentioning Kitten, Persia and a journal. She also mentioned her purse, so you might want to take a peek inside before we head back to work.”
Michelle hurried back into the living room and returned with Naomi’s purse. She emptied the contents onto the bed and gasped. There, among the wallet, hairbrush, tissue, lipstick and miscellaneous receipts and pieces of paper, was a brown book with the word “journal” etched onto the front. Shell picked it up. “I’ve been carrying this thing around for hours.” She sagged onto the bed and opened the cover. On the first page was written in neat script, Cara Austin, and a date three years prior. Michelle turned wide eyes on her partner. “This is it. We’ve got the journal.” She looked from him back to the book then back at him. “Why would Naomi have it?”
Chapter Sixteen
On the way back to the station, Tony drove while Michelle sat in the passenger seat and read Cara Austin’s journal. She flipped through the pages, finding nothing exciting or in the least helpful.
“Anything yet?” Eagerness tinged Tony’s voice.
“No. She’s younger at the beginning, and everything is about her mundane life. She liked this boy, that boy, Jay broke her heart, and her parents don’t understand her. She wishes she had younger parents instead of ones who had her late in life...blah, blah, blah.”
“Well, at least you’ve confirmed she isn’t a lesbian.”
“Wasn’t a lesbian. She could have changed her mind, you know? It happens all the time.”
“I thought being gay was a genetic thing.”
“It probably is, but it takes time for some people to gather the courage to admit they aren’t like everyone else. Remember the term, ‘coming out of the closet?’ Maybe I’ll skip forward. This is boring stuff.”
“Whatever.” Tony turned into the station so fast she hit her head against the window.
“Hey, Parnelli. How about a little consideration for the passenger?”
“Sorry, guess I should have followed my passion for racing.”
She rubbed the side of her head and smiled. “I’m glad you didn’t. I like having you in my life.”
“Me, too, and if we were in a more private place I’d show you just how much.”
When had he gotten so bold? She’d heard him refer to her as his girlfriend at the hospital, he’d been using terms of endearment she’d never heard him use before, and now he threatened her with a kiss. She liked the way things were progressing. For a moment she smiled at sharing the news with Naomi, but then remembered, and her smile faded. Those days were gone forever.
“What say we get inside and get back to work? You can read Naomi’s sui...note,” he patted Michelle’s hand, “and I’ll finish going through the journal.”
Tony was kind not to call Naomi’s last letter what it was. Dread pooled in Shell’s stomach, but on the other hand, she had to know why her joyous and playful friend had taken an overdose...killed herself with pills she’d never talked about, prescribed by a doctor she never mentioned. Michelle always felt confident they knew each other inside and out. Obviously she was wrong.
She heaved a loud sigh. “I suppose I have to face it sometime. Might as well be now. Let’s go solve this case and nail Paul Hance to the wall. We can put out an BOLO on him because I never had a chance to sneak the picture of him with Nay back into her apartment.” Tears spilled down Michelle’s cheeks and she wiped them away. “I guess Nay and I didn’t know each other as well as we thought, but at least I’ll never have to admit to what I did.” She fished in her purse and handed Tony the photograph. She averted her gaze, unable to look upon her friend’s smiling face.
At her desk, Michelle held the folded note in her hand and stared at it. Her stomach turned queasy and reading Nay’s last words would make everything final. No more pretending everything that happened was just a bad dream. Forcing herself, Shell unfolded the note and surprised herself with a chuckle when she read the salutation.
Dear Meesh (I know you hate that so I had to use it)
By the time you find this, I’ll be gone. Leaving you behind is the only regret I have, but if you read further, you’ll understand why I decided to take my own life.
Paul and I are through. We have been for quite a while. I’ve just been holding on to the hope that he really loved me, but my suspicions played out when I decided to follow him one night to see if he was really getting on a plane. You’ll probably realize a connection when I tell you we ended up at Kitty Katz. You have no idea how many times I wanted to tell you what I did and put your mind to rest over the stripper murders so you could concentrate on being with Tony but I didn’t have the courage to look into your eyes and tell you I was the horrible person you sought.
Anyhow, the night I followed Paul, I waited outside and watched Cara Austin get in his car. They were all over each other, and I followed them to her house. I didn’t do anything that night except go home and stew over his cheating, but when he actually did leave town, I waited until she came home from work and I took my revenge. I’m sorry you had to watch that, but I was thankful you didn’t see my face. I know you’ve always been bothered by your visions not showing the criminal, but in this case it was a blessing for me.
Paul didn’t know I’d killed Cara so when he left on one of his flimsy excuses, I followed him again. We had a horrific argument in Kitty Katz’s parking lot, and the girl you knew as Persia overheard us. I don’t know how long she was listening, but I confessed to Paul that his beloved Cara wouldn’t be around anymore. I couldn’t risk Persia talking, so when Paul stormed off, I waited and followed Persia home. I’m so sorry she became what you would call “collateral damage.” I honestly never meant to hurt anyone, but I guess I should have listened to my psychiatrist when he warned me I might suffer from erratic behavior. Murder is probably as erratic as it gets, huh?
Michelle paused and wiped welling tears. Naomi, the perp? Of all the people she would have though capable of murder, Nay would never have made the list. Taking a breath, she continued reading.
On a whim, I took Cara’s journal because I feared she might have mentioned something about Paul in it, and that would have led you to me. I’ve been carrying it in my purse because I didn’t know what to do with it. I considered burning it, but somehow I never got around to it. If my crummy apartment had come with a fireplace it would have been easy, but you can’t just start a bonfire anywhere in Philly. Oh, and Paul...he might have turned me in, but I was his meal ticket and a roof over his head. If the arsenic I put in his coffee this morning worked, you’ll probably get a report about someone finding a body today. I couldn’t leave the son-of-a-bitch to his carefree, skirt chasing, woman abusing ways. He had to pay, and I’m hoping he did.
So, my friend, even though I know you’ll cry over me, please make it brief. Celebrate the years we had together and how much we loved one another. I hope where I’m going I’ll be happier, but I know God’s not big on people who cut their own lives short. Pray for me, don’t forget me, and please, marry that man you love and have a wonderful life together. If I know you’re happy, then my death won’t have been in vain.
Love,
Nay
Michelle calmly refolded the note and put it on her desk. She wiped away what she swore would be her last tear...at Nay’s request. Michelle’s heart ached, but she understood how loving a man could drive a woman crazy.
Tony snapped the journal shut. “Wow, that was a eye-opening–”
“Let me guess....” Michelle spoke before he had a chance to recover from the shock and spill what he thought was a surprise. “Paul was cheating with Cara Austin.”
“How did you...oh, I guess the note told you more than the journal told me. So...”
“Nay followed him to Kitty Katz and followed them back to Cara’s place. At her first opportunity she killed Cara.” Recalling the whole note was too painful. Michelle picked it up and slid it across her desk. “Read it yourself.”
He stretched across and nabbed it.
She watched and waited.
The more he read, the wider his eyes became. He finished, shaking his head. “Poor Persia. She might have died for nothing. How sad, and Paul...I hate to say he deserved what he got, but I suppose he did.” He turned and clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention. “Anyone here get a call about a deceased male today, please direct it to me or Detective Wallace.”
Michelle’s mouth gaped. “Do you really think he’s dead?”
“Arsenic isn’t anything to play around with. I’m sure he is.”
“I still can’t believe Naomi capable of hurting a fly. It just doesn’t make sense.”
“Part of her note made a lot of sense.”
“What part was that?” Michelle raised her brow.
“You need to marry this man and have a happy life.”
He walked around their desks and got down on one knee and produced a velvet box from his pocket. “How about it Meesh, will you marry me?”
A crowd gathered around, smiles and confusion on a myriad of blurred faces as Tony’s proposal raced through her mind.
“I know this isn’t an ideal time, with Naomi’s death and all,” he continued, “but this is the one request she made. I love you and I can’t think of better way to honor your best friend’s memory.”
He opened the box and displayed a beautiful diamond.
“But when...?”
“Right after you kissed me. I’ve been trying to deny it, but it’s no use. When you’re in love, you’re in love, so...will you marry me?”
“Give me a minute, will you.”
He nodded, still on one knee.
She took out a note pad from her desk, dated it, and scrawled, “I quit” across the page and signed it. Thrusting out her left hand, she blinked back tears she didn’t know she had left. “Yes, yes, I’ll marry you, and I won’t be breaking anymore rules.” They stood and Tony gathered her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. In her opinion, the kiss that sealed the deal was the best ever.
“Hey, Tony,” someone called from across the room. “Got a call from hospital. They’ve got a stiff named Paul Hance there. You said you wanted to know."
Tony pulled back for a moment, leaving Michelle with her mouth open. “Not now, can’t you see I’m busy.” He continued the kiss where he left off, and this time Michelle didn’t care who saw. She was about to become a wife and a full-time author.
Epilogue
At the kitchen table, laptop in front of her, Michelle worked on her third novel. Her growing stomach filled the space where she once had a lap. Her gaze occasionally caught the sparkle of the rings on her hand and she found it hard to believe she’d been married for almost a year with a child on the way. The recent sonogram showed the baby to be a girl, and her name would be Renee Naomi Rizetti. Nay would be pleased with the choice.
Wherever Naomi’s soul had gone was up to the Lord, but her cremated ashes had found a home in the beauty of the countryside. Michelle and Tony had forgone a funeral and held their own special memorial service when they scattered her remains on an evergreen covered hill where flowers were just beginning to bloom. Although Tony hadn’t known Naomi, he participated as though she’d been his life-long friend. That was his way with everything. If something was important to Michelle, it was important to him.
Michelle had finished her “breakout” novel, but missed the deadline. She’d changed the entire plot, deciding that writing romance came much easier than crime stories. To her relief, her publisher had loved her choice and encouraged her to keep on writing. Despite her shortcomings in life, Naomi was the heroine in that story and the title came with the final paragraph...Never Ending Love.
The royalty checks didn’t total as much as Shell’s police salary, but she earned enough to help qualify for their perfect family home in the suburbs. She’d never been happier, and Tony had just received news of his official promotion to Captain. Pains and bad memories from the past vanished with the happy future looming before her.
She stopped musing about the past and went back to typing her unnamed story about a female pirate whose identity was hidden by the name of Raven and everyone thought her a man...everyone except the
captain of another ship who knew better. Somehow, every hero she wrote about resembled Tony, but in her mind, he was one in every sense of the word. She’d even shared her ‘secret’ about the sporadic visions she’d had since childhood, and he didn’t appear too shocked, only requested that she share them only with him.
She’d told him everything there was to know about her, and he still loved her. Maybe, just maybe, having his love put an end to anything bad in her life, including those nightmarish scenes. She crossed her fingers and looked up. “What do you think, Nay? Is my future going to be as rosy as you predicted?” For a split second, she conjured an image of Naomi...smiling and nodding. That was one vision she didn’t mind keeping forever.
The End
About The Author
Ginger lives in Tennessee with her husband, Kelly and both are retired…sort of. Ginger views writing as her second career and loves the voices in her head. As transplants from California, both have accepted that in the south, you get a side of gravy with everything you order in a restaurant, and humidity is far worse than dry heat. Preferring the slow Tennessee pace to the hustle and bustle of California, they’ve decided being close to their only grandson is a good enough reason to stay. When asked how long she plans to keep writing, Ginger will always say, “as long as the Good Lord allows me.”
Also Published by Books We Love
Sarah's Heart
Sarah’s Passion
Ellie's Legacy
Embezzled Love
First Degree Innocence
Time Invested
Time Tantrums
About the Publisher
http://bookswelove.com
We hope you have enjoyed your reading experience. Books We Love and the author would very much appreciate you returning to the online retailer where you purchased this book and leaving a review. Happy reading, Jude and Jamie
A Novel Murder Page 12
