Not Quite Right (Indigo Love Spectrum)

by Tammy Williams

  Darci sifted through the pages of the letter. “How did it go? How did it go?” She closed her eyes and squeezed them tight, urging the childhood ritual to return. “Numbers. A sequence of numbers.” She looked at the note. The word ‘change’ was underlined. Underlined meant what? “Change. Six letters.” She snapped her fingers. “Got it!”

  Twenty minutes later, the jumbled words and letters Darci scribbled onto a notepad came together to answer her every question. She grabbed the phone and dialed the station.

  “McGraw.”

  Darci noted tension and sadness in his tone, but he only had himself to blame for that. “Steed, it’s me. I…”

  “Darci, I’m so glad you called. Look, I—”

  “Steed, stop. I didn’t call to talk about us. This is about Kenny.”

  He grunted. “Isn’t it always?”

  Darci ignored his snipe. “I was right,” she said.

  “Right?”

  “The letter. Kenny. He didn’t kill himself.”

  Steed groaned. “Damn it, Darci, why do you…”

  “I have proof. It’s not what you think. Everybody was wrong. Kenny didn’t die. He didn’t die.”

  “Darci…”

  “Stay there. I’ll be right over.”

  Ripping the coded message from the notepad, Darci stuffed it and the letter in her purse and raced out of the house. The security light illuminated the dark driveway, bringing Darci’s attention to a very flat front left tire. “Damn!” She knew how to change a tire, but she’d never done it, and she had no time to waste. She would just have to borrow Jackie’s car.

  Darci raced down the street, focused on getting to her cousin’s and driving to the station. When she turned the corner, bright headlights appeared behind her out of nowhere. She moved to the sidewalk and looked over the shoulder, just in time to see the car coming straight for her.

  * * *

  After straightening the folders and papers on his desk for the umpteenth time, Steed glanced at his watch. Half an hour. She should’ve been here twenty minutes ago.

  What did she mean Warwick didn’t die? If she believed that to be true, she was too wound up to drive. Why didn’t he go to her? If something had happened to her, he’d never be able to…

  The ringing phone startled Steed from his fearful thoughts. He jammed the handset to his ear. “Darci?”

  “No, no, Steed, it’s…it’s Jackie,” she said, sniffling.

  The alarm in Jackie’s usually calm voice shook Steed to his core. For her to be so upset…Tears filled his eyes. “What happened?”

  * * *

  Steed steadied his nerves as he did every time before entering Darci’s room. After seven days, the heartbreaking sight of her lying so still, recovering from a closed-head injury, bruised ribs, and a severely sprained ankle, never got any easier for him to take.

  The clack of his boots against the shiny linoleum floor broke the monotony of electronic tones from machines monitoring Darci’s stats. Steed took a seat at her bedside, being mindful of the IV as he pressed her warm hand against his cheek.

  “It’s a beautiful day,” he said, stroking her hair. “It’s mild, the sky is blue, and there’s no chilling breeze. You’ll have to wake up soon so you can enjoy this. Winter is around the corner, Darci. There won’t be many more days like this.”

  Steed sighed. Not so much as a flutter of her eyelids, yet the doctors remained optimistic. They’d given Darci medication to alleviate brain swelling and help her pain. With the numerous bruises and contusions her body withstood, they thought the rest would do her good and were hopeful she would soon awaken from her coma. But after a week, fear she would never wake up kept a constant knot in Steed’s throat. He didn’t doubt the doctors, but he needed to see her awake.

  Tears filled his eyes. “Darci, please, wake up. Just open your eyes for a little while, please.” He lowered his head to her shoulder. “I miss you so much. All I can think about is the way we left things. The way I let you down. Darci, I promise, if you just open your eyes, let me look at those beautiful dark eyes, I’ll help you. I’ll do anything you want to prove this theory you have about Warwick. Just wake up.”

  “You’ll do anything?”

  Steed lifted his head from Darci’s shoulder. Her onyx eyes looked back at him. “Darci.”

  “You’ll help me?” she said, her voice low, raspy. “Did you mean that?”

  He smoothed the tears from his eyes, smiling. “Is that all I had to say to get you to wake up?”

  “Yeah. Did you mean it?”

  “Yes, Darci, I meant it. I can’t tell you how scared I’ve been. Your parents are here. Jackie and I just got them to go to her place and get some rest. How do you feel?”

  “Sore. What happened?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  “I remember leaving Kenny’s and being very angry with you, but we worked past it and were going to have dinner later.”

  “That’s all?”

  “Is there more?”

  Steed considered the question before answering. If she didn’t remember their fight, it might be best not to tell her, at least not until he talked to her doctors. From the shows he’d seen on television, soaps mostly, it wasn’t a good idea to inform people of things they didn’t remember, especially if it would come as a shock. Having a fight with him was one thing, but not remembering she broke things off and why was something altogether different. “You got hit by a car,” he said. “You were unconscious for a week.”

  “A week?”

  “Yeah. Thanksgiving is a few days away, but it’s today for me. I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “How did I get hit by a car?”

  “You were in your neighborhood, a few feet from Jackie’s house. You were thrown about ten feet. The doctors said you were lucky to land on the lawn of Jackie’s neighbor and not the pavement. That thick grass probably saved your life. We’re still investigating, but we don’t have any solid leads. The car never stopped and no one saw anything.” Darci would live in a neighborhood with no nosy neighbors. She was on the lawn twenty minutes before being found.

  “I got hit by a car.” She rubbed her forehead. “That might explain this monster headache.” She grimaced. “And everything else that aches. Ow! What happened to my foot?”

  “It’s sprained. You got pretty banged up.” He patted her shoulder. “Don’t try to move too much. I’ll get your doctor.”

  Darci took his arm before he left her bedside. “You’ll help me with Kenny? You didn’t just say that to get my attention, did you?”

  “I would have said anything to get you to wake up, but I meant it. I hadn’t felt this alone or scared since right after my father died. From now on, I want you to know you can count on me. Even if I don’t agree with you, I’ll accept that’s a part of our dynamic, and still do everything I can for you.” He kissed her hand. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” She brushed her fingertips through his hair and smiled. “I’ll have to get hit by a car more often.”

  Steed frowned. “Don’t even joke about that.”

  “Sorry. Are you sure there’s nothing more to tell about my health? You paused for a moment before answering me.”

  “No, there’s nothing more. I’m just glad you’re awake.”

  While the doctors and nurses looked Darci over, Steed whispered a prayer of thanks and then called her family.

  Jackie answered on the first ring.

  “Hi, Jackie, it’s Steed,” he said.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is great.” Steed smiled. “Darci woke up.”

  “She did!”

  “Yeah. Just now.”

  “Uncle Chuck, Aunt Darlene, Darci’s awake,” Jackie announced.

  “Thank the Lord,” Steed heard Mrs. Clarke say in the background.

  “How is she?” Jackie asked.

  “Sore. But she’s alert and talking. She’s back.”

  “That’s so good. We’l
l be right there, Steed.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you soon.”

  Steed stuck his phone in his pocket and leaned against the wall. Kenny didn’t die. Darci’s words were back, haunting him. Steed brushed his fingers against the stubbly week-old whiskers covering his face. Darci couldn’t explain how she came to that unlikely conclusion, so he’d have to find out for himself.

  After much arm-twisting, Steed had convinced Chief Rogers to agree to the next step he wanted to take in the investigation. With that hurdle crossed, Steed pulled out his address book and made another call.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Warwick. This is Steed McGraw.”

  “Detective, how is Darci?” she asked.

  “Much better. She woke up a bit ago.”

  “Oh, that’s so wonderful. Is that why you called? To tell us the good news?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “What is it?”

  “If it’s okay, I need to come over and talk to you and your husband about your son. I need to make one stop first, but I can be there in an hour.”

  CHAPTER 18

  “You want to what?”

  “Shhh.” Steed placed his finger to his lips. “Mr. Clayton, lower your voice.”

  “Lower my voice?” The lawyer walked to his door, looked outside, and then locked the door behind him. The older man rubbed his face as he made his way back to his chair. “Let me get this straight. You want me to file a court order to have Kenneth Warwick’s body exhumed?”

  “That’s right.”

  “And why would I do that?”

  “His case has been reopened.”

  “What does that have to do with me having his body exhumed?”

  “You’re a lawyer with lots of influence, especially with judges. I think if you talk with the Warwicks, they’ll agree to the exhumation, and we can get this done.”

  “Steed, you’re not answering my question. You have insisted from the beginning Kenny killed himself. Why would you want to exhume his body?”

  “Because of Darci. The idea she could have died thinking the man who claims to love her didn’t do all he could to help with something that meant so much to her haunts me. I want Darci to get over this. I want her every question, her every doubt, satisfied. Darci is going to see what I’ve known from the beginning. Warwick killed himself.”

  Mr. Clayton rubbed the back of his neck. “This seems a bit drastic to show a woman you love her.”

  “It’s not just about that.”

  “What else is it about?”

  Steed stuck his thumbs in the back pocket of his jeans, not at all excited about disclosing more information. Much like he felt when he’d called Benjamin earlier. The mayor was none too happy to hear Darci had no recollection of their conversation, but for her health, promised not to remind her of it. Steed released a deep breath.

  Mr. Clayton shook his head. “Look, I’m a busy man, Detective. Tell Darci I’m glad she’s feeling better, and I’ll try to get by the hospital to visit her later,” he said, gathering some papers strewn about his desk.

  “Can I invoke privilege?”

  “I’m not your attorney.”

  Steed tossed a quarter on the desk.

  Mr. Clayton grunted.

  “Don’t be insulted,” Steed said, “I just don’t have time to pull a bill out of my wallet.”

  “I’m listening.”

  “Before her accident, Darci called and told me—she told me Warwick wasn’t dead.”

  “She what?”

  “She said Warwick wasn’t dead. She doesn’t remember any of this, and I’m in no rush to tell her, but because of that, and some other inconsistencies, I feel compelled to look into it. Since the identity wasn’t in question during the first autopsy, the collected prints weren’t checked, so it’s being done now.”

  “Wouldn’t that be enough?”

  “It would be if I could trust those findings to be accurate, but I can’t. Hell, I can’t be sure anything’s been accurate with this investigation. I want this case settled. The body seems the best place to start. So, will you help me?”

  * * *

  Kenny shifted on the tiny cot, searching for the foreign concept of comfort. His body was used to down feathers and silk sheets, not this hideous green refuse Fritz must have snatched from the back lot of a military store. For all the time he’d been captive, the things that kept him sane were his constant prayers and hope that somehow, someway, Darci would find him.

  The door slamming against the wall startled him. Kenny looked up to see Fritz, red-faced and agitated, storm into the room, with Eva following closely behind.

  “Fritz, you have to calm down. It might not be…”

  The loud smack to Eva’s face roused a dormant instinct in Kenny he didn’t realize he had. He leapt from the cot and made a feverish attempt to break free from his prison and run to his sister’s aid.

  A deadly burning gaze froze Kenny’s movements. Stomping over, Fritz pulled a revolver from the waistband of his slacks and pointed it between the bars and directly at Kenny’s head.

  “Fritz, don’t!” Eva shouted.

  Kenny’s heart pounded as the angry gunman turned blazing eyes on his sister. Fear infiltrated every pore of his body, but he refused to show any emotion. He would never give Fritz the satisfaction, and to show fear at this moment would be of little good to Eva. If she saw he was afraid, there was no telling what she would do. And what was she doing? She’d been anything but sisterly since he’d become her captive, yet now she was coming to his defense.

  Eva sniffled as she wrapped her arms around Fritz’s. “You should calm down.”

  “Calm down! That bitch woke up!”

  Kenny studied the irate man. What was Fritz talking about? He looked over at his sister, hoping she’d press the matter.

  “Darci?” said Eva.

  “Who else?” Fritz barked. “If she’s said anything…”

  “Darci?” Kenny repeated. He looked from Eva to Fritz. “What are you talking about? What happened to Darci?”

  “Shut the hell up!”

  “I will not!”

  Fritz pointed the gun, but Kenny refused to back down. If Fritz didn’t have a pistol, and this was a movie and not real life, he would reach through the bars and try to strangle the man. He held Fritz’s furious glare. “You’re not going to shoot me,” Kenny said. “You need me, whether you choose to believe it or not. And if I die, you’ll never get my money. And if anything happens to Darci, and you’re responsible, the cops won’t stop looking until they find the guilty party, and you’ll spend the rest of your miserable life behind bars.”

  “No one can touch me.”

  “No? Then why are you so worried, huh? Now, answer me! What happened to Darci?”

  While Fritz stared at him tight-lipped, Kenny heard what he needed on the television his sister left playing when she raced out to welcome Fritz. A breaking news report, following the conclusion of the soap Eva watched faithfully, stated Darci had regained consciousness after being struck by a car.

  Whatever else the reporter said got lost in the roar of blood in Kenny’s ears. His eyes cut to Fritz. “You son of a bitch! You ran over her.” Kenny struggled to free himself, pulling on the bars, desperate to break free and somehow get his hands around Fritz’s neck. “What the hell is wrong with you?” He looked to his sister. “Damn it, Eva, how could you let him do this?”

  “I didn’t let him,” she said. “I didn’t know about it. Besides, if Darci had just given me my money, Fritz wouldn’t have been in her neighborhood to try to talk to her.”

  “Talk to her? He ran her down like she was a stray dog! Darci is following my wishes. Do you not know a will is a legal document? She can’t do what she wants. She did what I asked of her. And you tried to kill her, just to get to my money!”

  “It’s my money, Kenny. You left it to me.”

  “For when I was dead and if you followed conditions.” He grunted. “Why am I explaini
ng this again? Is being high that important to you?”

  “You two shut up!” Fritz shouted.

  “We should have waited until his trip to Rio and kidnapped him like we first planned. You decided to fake his death, Fritz. That wasn’t my idea.”

  “It’s too late for second thoughts now. What’s done is done.” Fritz moved toward Eva and dragged his forefinger against her cheek. Eva recoiled and stepped back. Fritz grabbed her arm. She tried to pull away but the man’s hold wouldn’t loosen. “We’re in this together, Eva.”

  Kenny watched the unlikely exchange. If he could help his sister, right now he wasn’t sure he would. It was amazing how fast things happened. He’d gone from despising his sister, to wanting to help her, to despising her again in two minutes flat. Faking his death was bad, but to learn they’d planned to kidnap him…Was there no end to what she’d do to get his money?

  Eva persisted in her struggle for freedom. “Let go of me.”

  “Never.” Fritz’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll always have a hold on you, whether I’m touching you or not. If I go down, you are going down with me. It took using my considerable connections and cashing in some big favors to set this whole thing up, and those same connections can make it look like you did it all.” Fritz pushed Eva away and turned his gaze to Kenny. “And you’d better watch that eyeballing, because if anything does happen to me, you’re dead.” He pointed the gun at Kenny’s head. “And this time it will be for real.”

  * * *

  “I don’t understand.”

  Steed gazed over at Mr. Clayton as the Warwicks processed all they had just said. Suzette had seemed to age twenty years in the past ten minutes, but the confusion in her eyes remained the same.

  “You want to unearth my boy?” said Thomas, who didn’t look any more stable than his wife. “The medical examiner said…”

  “I know, I know,” Steed answered with a nod, “but there are some questions. The second examination will more than likely back the first, but I think if there’s any chance foul play could have been involved, we have to look into it.”