by J. A. Howell
“Weel, they’re pretty clean, but ye’ll probably be havin’ a couple of wee scars there, Harley.” Angus said as he tossed gauze in the trash. “Ye’ll still be catchin’ the men lookin’ at ye, but some will think twice about messin’ with a woman that looks like she’s gotten intae a few scraps herself.” He patted my arm and gave me a warm smile. Despite how crappy I felt, I smiled back at him. Angus left the room a moment later, mumbling something about the bakery before heading downstairs.
“Aggie, what happened?” I turned my attention back to her as soon as the door closed. Her eyes remained fixed on the tattered carpeting on the floor. After a deep breath, she started to speak, but was interrupted by the commotion of someone’s feet pounding up the stairs.
“Is she okay?” Nolan flung the door open as his eyes searched the room for me.
“She’s fine.” Aggie answered, her disappointed gaze returning to the floor. He turned to Aggie for a moment, but stopped as he caught sight of my face.
“Christ, Harley! What the hell happened ta ya?”
“Nolan, don’t be shouting at her. She’s got a splitting headache as it is.” Aggie glared at him. He narrowed his eyes at her but quickly returned his attention to me as he took a seat in front of me. I wanted to yell at him for storming in before I could talk to Aggie, but the look on his face doused any annoyance that had been burning beneath my words. Aggie seemed to have noticed too and quietly excused herself.
“We’ll talk later, Harley.” She patted my hand before heading down the stairs. I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted to find out what had happened at the apartment. Why was she acting so weird now? Had she seen something too?
“Harley, what happened ta ya?” Nolan carefully appraised the cuts and bruises on my face as guilt clouded his blue eyes.
“I was mugged the other night after I left work.”
His eyebrows knit together as his lips turned into a frown. Anger melted in with the guilt as he finally looked into my eyes. His jaw clenched as he stared at my cheek and his nostrils flared slightly with his heavy breathing.
“I should have offered ta take ya home,” Nolan’s thumb gently brushed over my jaw. “If I had just given ya a ride home, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“I’ve walked home plenty of nights after closing. All without incident. Why would you think that night would have been any different?” He seemed to weigh my words, but something still didn’t sit right with him.
“I should of called ya at least. I didn’t even think ta call ya when ya didn’t show up yesterday.” He stood from his chair abruptly and began pacing, shaking his head. “I’m a feckin’ idjit. I figured ya had quit.”
“Why would I quit?” I questioned him as I sat up on my elbows. Some of my nausea had subsided thanks to the IV drip. He stopped mid-pace, his eyes catching mine with a bewildered gaze.
“Because of that day in the office.” His face seemed to blaze bright red as he forced the answer out.
“Oh. That.” My own cheeks grew hot as I turned my attention away from him.
“I’m sorry I came at ya like I did. I just –” Nolan let out a huff as he tried to pull his words out, “I can’t control myself around ya, Harley. Ya do something ta me. Ya make me feel things I’ve never felt. I can’t seem ta think straight around ya and I can’t keep my mind off ya when yir not around. I just want ta be near ya.” His tortured eyes burned into mine as I stared back up at him. I was speechless, my eyes widening as I took in the meaning of his words.
“Oh.” Really, Harley? Oh? He says that and you say “Oh?” Nolan sunk into the chair and shoved his head into his hands, doing his best to hide his embarrassment. I pulled myself up to a sitting position and looked over at him. If he was Brody’s killer, he was certainly one hell of an actor. Or maybe Aggie was right. Nolan wasn’t capable of something so heinous.
“Feck! I must sound like a blithering idjit.” Nolan mumbled into his hands, “I should let ya rest.”
“Nolan, wait.” He started to stand, but I grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle tug before he returned to his seat. “You just caught me off guard. I like you too. It’s just...”
His hopeful gaze quickly returned to its prior state with my last words.
“Just say it, Harley.” His tone was flat as his hand slipped out of mine.
“There are other things going on with me right now, and I need to figure those things out first.” He probably thought it was a cop out, and I suppose it was. But the last thing I needed was to get involved with Nolan. It might have been a nice distraction before, but his words already told me I’d let things get far enough. If I wasn’t able to stop the events that were already in motion, I’d rather Nolan be hurt that I turned him down, instead of hurt because I’d been taken away from him.
“Right, then. I understand.” His voice was barely more than a whisper as he stood and turned for the door. I wanted to pull him back down to me. I wanted to kiss him again and forget this whole mess with Brody, but that would just be selfish. There were much more pressing matters to deal with. I needed to find out what happened to Aggie at the apartment, and find out what Flynn Jacobs knew.
“Jesus, Harley,” Aggie shook her head when she finally came back up the stairs, “What did you say to Nolan?”
“I don’t really want to talk about it.” I kept my attention on the window on the far wall of the living room. “It’s better this way.” Aggie groaned at my words, sinking down onto the couch by my feet before she looked over at me.
“If you really like him, trust me, it’s not better.” Her emerald eyes still held that strange gleam from earlier as she stared off into nothing. I had the sneaking suspicion she wasn’t just talking about me and Nolan anymore.
“Aggie, what happened when you came to the apartment today?” As soon as I asked the question, her muscles tensed and her back straightened as she gripped the couch cushion. “Aggie?”
“I saw Brody,” she finally spoke, her eyes instantly growing misty. “He told me about the murder.”
“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure what else to say to her. I was relieved that someone else had seen him, but I hated seeing Aggie in pain. I hadn’t realized how close they were, but from the way she was acting, it was obvious there was more between them than I knew.
“All I wanted was to talk to him one last time,” she said, a hint of disbelief still evident in her voice. “I knew he couldn’t have killed himself, but to hear him say it,” Aggie squeezed her eyes shut for a moment as her emotions overtook her. She wiped at her face, taking in a gulp of air before continuing. “God, you don’t know how much I’ve missed him.” Aggie smiled through the tears that ran down her face, unsure of which emotion to follow. Should she be happy she had gotten a little more time with Brody? Or distraught to know the truth? I pulled her into a hug and she stiffened up for a moment then hugged me back, resting her chin on my shoulder.
“It’ll be okay.” I whispered. For her it would be. For me? Not so much. There were too many unanswered questions, too few leads to go off of, and with each passing day I could feel my hope diminishing. There was the private investigator and the feeling I got about those hands. The latter didn’t seem to be of much use but maybe the investigator could provide some insight where mine ran dry.
“I’m so sorry you got pulled into this mess now, too.” Aggie’s eyes glistened with tears as she pulled away. “He told me you can’t go to the cops. What are you going to do?”
I explained to her about the other dead girl Brody had helped me find, about Claire’s real name, about the vision of the investigator, and that he had found information that could lead to the killer. She listened, watching me intently through misty eyes.
“Whatever you need me to do, Brody wanted me to help you.” She said. I paused, looking at her. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her help. Not that Aggie wasn’t trustworthy, but I would never forgive myself if she got pulled down into the mess I was already in. Knowing Aggie, however, she would refuse t
o let me go it alone.
“We can look up Flynn Jacobs’s address then go check him out tomorrow.” I nodded, noting that it was already late in the evening.
“That sounds like a good plan.” Aggie smiled, a bit more naturally. Even if I didn’t think it good for her to get involved, maybe it was something she needed. I couldn’t pretend to understand what had transpired between her and Brody at the apartment or even fathom how it had happened, but I was thankful not to have to keep this to myself anymore.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Another Dead End
After another infamous breakfast biscuit, courtesy of Angus, and a quick search through the phone book, Aggie and I headed out in Nolan’s car to visit Flynn Jacobs’ office. I made sure to wait outside when she grabbed the keys from Nolan, not wanting to face him again.
“So his office is in one of the financial buildings downtown.” Aggie said as she started the little Honda. She wasn’t completely back to the old Aggie, but she did seem a little better. I figured it had a lot to do with helping me find Flynn Jacobs, but any reason to see her smiling again was a welcome one.
“How was Nolan?” Without thinking the question spilled out. I hadn’t meant to let my mind wander to him, but we were in his car. Aggie’s lip twitched up for a moment and she glanced over at me.
“He looked like a mopey Irish bastard,” she sighed. “He told me what he said to you yesterday and that all you said was ‘Oh.’ Was that really your reaction?”
“He caught me off guard,” I mumbled. “Are we almost there?” Aggie looked like she wanted to say more, but she kept her mouth shut, glancing at me a few more times as she drove.
“We’re here.” She answered as she pulled into a parking garage below one of the taller buildings downtown. We paid for parking and headed for the elevators, stopping only to scan the directory.
“There. Eighteenth floor, C.I.S. That’s the firm he works for.” I tapped my finger on the glass. I felt giddy as we rushed for the opening elevator. “Suite 818.” I repeated the number as the elevator doors shut and Aggie pressed the button for his floor. The ride up took forever. There were stops at nearly each floor. I scooted into the corner with Aggie, grimacing as more suits and skirts stuffed themselves in with us. A few gave us a wary glance. I imagine it was because I looked like I’d been in a prison fight. Whatever, let them stare. We were on a mission and we only had a few more floors to get there.
Aggie and I both let out huge breaths as we squeezed our way out of the crowded elevator onto the eighteenth floor. I made a mental note to take the stairs back down, and from the look on Aggie’s face, she wouldn’t argue. We both looked up and down the hall, then followed a sign that pointed to suites 800-820. Our anxiety was almost tangible as we neared the office. I reached a sweaty palm forward and pulled the door open. Maybe this will all be over soon. The tiny bit of hope I had been holding onto swelled at the thought of figuring out this mystery. When we entered the office, a cheerful young blonde woman peered up from a Cosmo magazine.
“Can I help you ladies?” She asked, placing her magazine down on the desk.
“We were looking for Flynn Jacobs. Is he in today?” I stepped forward, wiping my sweaty palms on my jeans. The blonde girl scrunched her nose at my question, shaking her head. “Well, will he be here tomorrow?”
My hopes plummeted with every passing second.
“I’m sorry. Mr. Jacobs hasn’t been with us for about five years now.”
Aggie and I exchanged worried glances.
“Well can you tell us how we can get in touch with him?” I asked.
“Mr. Jacobs died.” The woman frowned at us. “He was killed in a car accident back in ‘95. Hit and Run. Quite the tragedy.”
“Shit!” Aggie’s foot stomped the floor, startling me and the bombshell behind the desk. “Sorry. Do you still have any of his files?”
“Who exactly are you two?” The woman’s glare grew suspicious as she looked between us.
“Our friend came to him for assistance. He was trying to find out who killed his girlfriend.”
“Are you talking about that big murder case? God, I remember that. It was all over the news.” The woman’s eyes seemed to light up at the thought. Aggie’s expression only grew more annoyed.
“Yes, yes. That one. Do you have any of the files for that?”
The woman pursed her lips, shaking her head once more.
“If it was a case that he was working on when he died, Mr. Jacobs most likely had it in his vehicle at the time. We wouldn’t have it here.” She shrugged, picking her magazine back up, “And if it was in his car that night, it would have been destroyed.”
“Destroyed? How?” My fists were balled at my sides as I spoke. It was taking everything in me to not grab that magazine and bat her across the face with it. Did she have any idea what she was telling us? This was supposed to be it. This was supposed to be when we learned what Brody had been trying to find out all along. The woman let out an exasperated sigh and set down her magazine once more. The dull look in her eyes told us she was clearly bored with entertaining us and wanted to finish reading her horoscope.
“Mr. Jacobs’ car crashed into a ravine and caught on fire. Him, the car, and everything in it were incinerated. Any other questions?” She raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds of silence, she returned to her magazine.
Bitch. Aggie and I left without another word. Both at a loss.
“You don’t think he was –?” Aggie looked over at me as we reached the parking garage.
“Murdered? I would bet money on it.” I answered before she could finish and slid into the passenger seat. I felt completely numb. That tiny ray of hope that existed when we arrived was completely gone. Now all that settled in the void was utter dread. Whoever killed Brody made sure to tie up their loose ends. My snooping around qualified me as a loose end – whether I actually knew anything or not. And after this, it was glaringly obvious that I knew nothing.
Aggie pulled out of the parking spot, pressing the gas hard as we came up out of the garage. Her eyes were as fiery as her red hair, her gaze fixed straight ahead, her hands squeezed the steering wheel tightly as the engine revved.
“Damn her,” her teeth grated together as she grumbled. “Damn that stupid bitch.”
“The receptionist?” I tilted my head, my hand gripping the door handle as we zipped past several vehicles a bit too close for comfort.
“Fucking Claire! That stupid bitch!” Aggie nearly flung both of us into the windshield as she stopped at the red light. My stomach did a nauseating flip flop as I was jarred back against my seat. “If he’d never met her, none of this shit would have ever happened! It’s her fucking fault that Brody is dead. Her fault that Nolan –” She abruptly shut her mouth, pulling her lips into a tight line, her breathing still heavy with rage.
“Her fault that Nolan, what?” I watched her closely, but she didn’t answer. The light turned green a second later, and her grip eased slightly.
“It’s her fault that Nolan and I lost our best friend.” Aggie finally answered, her tone more subdued.
“But how is it her fault, Aggie? She was killed too. It would seem natural that Brody would want to know who did it. If that person killed him because of that, you can’t really blame it on her, can you?” I was completely baffled by the anger towards Claire. What had she done to warrant so much rage on Aggie’s part?
“Just forget it. I’m just angry about the investigator.” She said, but she wasn’t the least bit convincing.
“Aggie, if you know something else, please tell me.” I couldn’t help the desperation that seeped through as I pleaded with her.
“I don’t know anything else, Harley. Nothing that will get us closer to finding Brody’s murderer.” She looked over at me as we pulled in behind the pub. I couldn’t shake the feeling there was more she wasn’t telling me, but her look was sincere, and Aggie was the closest friend I had right now. She knew just as well as I did what would
happen if I didn’t find Brody’s killer. I had to believe that, like me, she didn’t want to see that happen.
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Pancakes With A Side Of Guilt
I had been staying with Angus and Aggie for a couple of days. I was in no rush to go back to my place alone, but it was my only hope of finding more clues. Aggie had begged me to stay with them, at least until we got everything sorted out, but I couldn’t chance bringing the killer there. They only agreed to let me go after Angus gave me a taser he had bought for Aggie.
“She never actually used it,” he’d told me. “I’m thinkin’ ye might need it more richt noo, lass.” I stuffed it in my bag before thanking him and heading out. I assured them I’d manage walking home just fine since it was still early in the day.
Once I arrived back at the apartment, I set to searching every nook and cranny. I combed through the overturned box I had left on the floor. Nothing. I dumped out Claire’s box of books. Nothing there either. I hadn’t expected to strike gold, but there was absolutely nothing there. Nolan had switched me to a morning shift after what happened and it was nearing opening time. Maybe I can hit up the library again, I thought. No, definitely not a good idea. If that man was still watching me, I couldn’t go there. I did not want to find out if he was a man of his word. The fading bruises on my face were a good indicator that he was.
“I’m so screwed.” I mumbled to myself as I stared in the mirror. I wanted to cry, to scream, to feel angry. Instead, I felt completely void of emotion as I changed into a work shirt and slipped on my jacket and a beanie. I made sure to dress warm. Angus had the weather channel on when I had left their place. Snow was expected in Midtown any day.
