CHAPTER 7
Rueben Smith came to a screeching halt in front of Mira’s building, before jumping out of his car and running towards the entrance.
Jake came to a sliding stop behind Smith’s car and then he and Velma followed Smith into the building’s lobby. There were two elevators and one was on the rise. It had just passed the second floor and was still going; Mira’s apartment was on the sixth floor. Velma and Jake got into the other car and Jake started mashing the number six button impatiently; after what seemed an eternity, the doors closed and the elevator began its ascent.
“He’s not answering his phone,” Velma said, after dialing Chris’s number.
“Keep trying,” Jake said.
Finally, they reached the sixth floor. As they exited the elevator car, they both stared at the display above the other elevator; it read number five.
“Someone on the fifth floor must have wanted the elevator,” Jake said.
Velma was checking apartment numbers and found Mira’s just two doors down.
“Let’s get inside before he sees us,” she said, next, she raised her hand to knock.
The three gunshots coincided with her knocking, three shots coming from inside the apartment.
A second later, they both held their weapons and Jake nodded at Velma.
“Cover me!” he said, as he stepped back to the opposite wall, before flinging himself at the door.
The door flew open with a loud CRACK! and Jake landed on the floor, gun at the ready. Velma walked in behind him, sideways, while swinging her gun arm back and forth in an arc while holding it in both hands. It was she who spotted Chris.
“Chris!”
He was lying face down on the floor, the back of his head, bloody. Velma laid two fingers against the side of his neck and smiled.
“He’s alive, a nice strong heartbeat,”
She rolled him over gently and his eyes flickered open, as he moaned.
“Ahh, what happened?”
A sound came then, the sound of crying. Jake whispered for Velma to stay with Chris while he investigated.
He found her on the floor of the bedroom. Her legs were splayed out before her, hiking her dress up about her hips, revealing her shapely legs, while her blouse was ripped open, showcasing her silky lace bra and ample bosom. However, Jake was not enticed by the sight. The glazed look of fear and sorrow on Mira’s tear-stained face competed for his gaze along with the spreading puddle of blood beneath the dead man on the floor.
As he reached her, he leaned over and carefully eased the gun from her hand; next, he took his foot and shoved a similar gun away from the fallen man, just in case.
As he bent over the man to make a positive I.D., Chris and Velma appeared in the doorway.
“Is that...?” Velma said.
“Yeah, it’s Reuben Smith; he’s dead.” Jake looked over at his brother. “Sorry kid, but your date just got cancelled.”
***
Gail Caliber rushed into Chris’s hospital room with the old man following. Chris was sitting up in bed with a bandage on the back of his head and a small bruise on his chin. The chin injury came from the impact of his face hitting the floor. Standing beside his bed, were Jake and Velma.
Gail gazed at him as if he were a broken doll.
“Oh my poor baby, who did this to you?”
“If you’re looking for revenge, Mother, you’re too late; the guy that hit me is dead.”
The old man walked over and took a good look at him.
“You scared your mother, boy, try to duck next time.”
“There shouldn’t be a next time,” Gail said. “This wouldn’t happen if you became a lawyer.”
Chris groaned.
“Not that conversation again; I’m in enough pain already.”
“I’ll drop it for now, but you know I’m right.”
Jake reached out and gripped his little brother’s shoulder.
“This is my fault; I should have stuck closer to Smith.”
“But we were close, Jake,” Velma said. “We had no way of knowing that he would take the back staircase and sprint up six floors, anyone else would have taken the elevator.”
“Is that how he slipped by you?” The old man said.
Velma nodded.
“Mira is sedated right now, and she was a mess when we found her, but the first cop on the scene got her story. She said that when she went into the kitchen she saw that the back door was ajar, a moment later, she heard Chris let out a grunt. The next thing she knew, her ex was dragging her into the bedroom at gunpoint.”
“How did she get the better of him if he was armed?” Gail said.
“After the 'muggings' began, she bought guns for protection, and kept one in her nightstand.”
Jake looked over at his grandfather and raised an eyebrow.
“I know that look. You think that something’s not kosher, right?”
“Maybe, but I need more info before I make that call. Now, let’s all of us skedaddle and let the kid get his rest.”
“I’ll be in the office by noon; they’re just keeping me overnight for observation,” Chris said.
Gail leaned over and gave him a kiss.
“Goodnight, baby, I’ll come back in the morning.”
Velma was the last to leave, and at the doorway, she turned around.
“You scared me to death you know, when we found you, I thought that you had been shot.”
“It’s nice to know that you care.”
“Get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Velma.”
Velma sent him a little wave, and then she was gone.
***
One floor below, Mira Asher was preparing for bed as a nurse walked in. The nurse was a middle-aged Asian woman whose nametag read, Sue.
“How are you feeling, Miss Asher?”
“I’m still a little woozy, that mild sedative isn’t really that mild, is it?”
“Well, you had quite a trauma and the doctor wants you to get plenty of rest. Why don’t you climb into bed now, hmm?”
“In a minute, but first I want to brush my teeth.”
“All right, and if you need anything just press that button.”
“I will, thank you.”
After the nurse left, Mira walked into the bathroom and turned on the water. Then, she stood there, just staring into the mirror as she recalled the shooting, while grinning like a Cheshire cat.
CHAPTER 8
The four of them were in the office.
The old man, Jake, Velma, and Chris, who still wore a bandage on his wounded scalp. Their guest, Lieutenant Thomas Delaney, had just gifted them with a bit of news.
“What do you mean they’re not divorced?” Jake said.
“They were close, but it wasn’t going to be final until they went to court on Monday.”
“Tell them the rest, Tommy,” the old man said.
“Reuben Smith was worth over two million dollars, he wasn’t just a personal trainer, he inherited a string of gyms when his old man died. Now it’ll all go to his wife.”
“Better known as our client, Mira Asher,” Velma said. “I smell a rat.”
Jake looked over at his grandfather.
“Do you think we were set up to be her alibi? She made sure we were watching her husband, and we can testify that he ran into her building in an agitated state.”
“Could be, and if she’s using us, then she’s also the one who slugged Chris.”
Velma walked over to Chris.
“Let me see your phone.”
“Why?”
“I was calling your phone when we stepped on the elevator. I suppose it’s possible that Smith had time to enter the apartment and knock you unconscious, but we were just seconds behind him. It’s also possible that you were already out cold when Smith arrived.”
Chris checked his phone and found Velma’s unanswered call; he then played her succinct message via speaker phone.
�
��It’s Velma, Smith is in the building!”
Chris touched the bandage on his head.
“Mira hit me?”
The old man nodded.
“She knocks you out, then, when Smith comes rushing through the back door and into the bedroom, she shoots him, plants a gun on him, and then claims self-defense.”
“And as his wife, she would know that he was such a health nut that he always took the back stairs, even though they lived on the sixth floor, something we had no way of knowing,” Velma said.
“Yeah, but who called Smith at the restaurant and what did they say to get him there in such a hurry?” Jake said.
“It wasn’t Mira,” Chris said. “She didn’t touch her phone the whole time I was with her.”
“Maybe she has a partner, the one who made the phone call,” Jake said.
Lieutenant Delaney checked his notebook.
“Smith received a call that lasted twenty-two seconds at 6:47 p.m. from a disposable cell phone, so no luck there. But I got the lab checking the guns, so maybe we’ll get lucky and find a stray print.”
“Was her gun registered?” Velma said.
“Yeah, and his too, but they were both registered under her name. She claims her husband must have taken the gun when she was working at her dress shop; he still had keys.”
“If she’s got a partner, who could it be? She mention any names of friends while you were with her, Chris?” Jake said.
“No, but I did meet a neighbor of hers named Sammy. Sammy may be able to shed some light on what went on in the building.”
“I remember him,” Velma said. “He seemed shaken when he learned what had happened.”
Chris stood up.
“I want to go talk to him; maybe he knows something that can help us.”
Velma grabbed her purse.
“I’ll come with you.”
“Hey you two, listen up,” the old man said.
They both turned and looked at him with attentive gazes.
“If you run into Mira Asher, don’t let on that we suspect her. Let her think that she’s gotten away with it, right up until the time Tommy here slaps the bracelets on her.”
Chris and Velma nodded in agreement, and then off they went to see Sammy.
***
They left the building and began walking to the parking garage that was half a block away. As they entered, Chris stopped talking in mid-sentence and leaned against the wall.
“Whoa, I think you should drive; I’m still a little dizzy from that whack on the head.”
Velma stood close to him, concern clouding her face.
“Maybe you left the hospital too soon?”
“I’ll be fine; the doctor said that this might happen, but that it would soon pass.”
“It scared me, seeing you lying on the floor like that and bleeding,”
Chris stared at her. She was blonde, blue-eyed, and stunning. Every time he looked at her, he felt a tug at his heart. He reached over and took her in his arms.
“I still feel a little dizzy, maybe you should hold me up.”
They gazed at each other, and a moment later, they were kissing. It lasted only a few seconds before Velma ended it.
She left his arms and sent him an apologetic smile.
“I’m sorry, that shouldn’t have happened.”
“Why not? Are you seeing someone... someone I know?”
“Someone you... no, it’s not that, it’s... Chris, I’m married.”
“Married?”
“Yes, and there are complications, but I still love him and I—can we discuss this later?”
He handed her the keys to the car.
“Whatever you say, but I’d like to meet him; I’m sure we all would. Have him stop by the office sometime.”
At those words, Velma sent him a stricken look and Chris realized that there was more to the story, much more than Velma was willing to share.
They spent the ride to Mira’s apartment house with the radio playing and no words spoken.
***
Sammy Kaye opened his door with a big smile on his face as he stared at Chris, but when Velma stepped out from behind him, his smile faded.
“Oh darn, and here I thought that you had come here on pleasure, but since she’s with you, I guess it’s business, you’re playing detective, no?”
“That’s right, Sammy, and we’re hoping you can help,” Chris said.
“Well, let’s not stand here in the doorway like savages when I’ve got a perfectly good living room.”
They entered the apartment and saw a blue, leather sectional sofa, along with a matching recliner and a glass coffee table. In a corner of the room was a desk with a computer and a huge monitor; in an opposite corner was the TV.
“Would you two like coffee? I don’t have any made, but it won’t take long,” Sammy said.
They declined his offer of coffee and then asked him if he had ever known Reuben Smith to be violent.
“Reuben? No, in fact, he was much nicer than Mira, but what’s this about? She did kill him in self-defense, right?”
Velma nodded.
“As far as we know, yes, but we’re just trying to tie up some lose ends.”
“Such as?”
“Well, what about Gary Rollins? He was Reuben’s best friend according to Mira.”
“True, but what Reuben didn’t know is that he was also pretty friendly with Mira, that is, when Reuben was at work.”
“Mira and Gary Rollins are lovers?” Velma said.
“I never caught them in the act, but he spent a lot of time over there when Reuben wasn’t home.”
“Maybe that’s why they were getting divorced; maybe Reuben found out about them,” Chris said.
“It could be; I know I haven’t seen him around lately.”
“I saw Gary and Reuben together yesterday,” Velma said. “There didn’t seem to be any love lost between them. What’s Gary do for a living?”
“He’s a lawyer.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know where he lives, would you?” Chris asked.
Sammy smiled and pointed towards the floor.
“Fifth floor, apartment 5-H,”
***
Gary Rollins opened his door and stared at them.
“Is this about Reuben?”
“Yes,” Chris said, while taking Rollins’ measure. Like his recently deceased best friend, Reuben, Gary Rollins looked to be in exceptional condition. He wore a sleeveless T-shirt and his biceps bulged with his slightest movement.
Rollins squinted at them.
“Are you two cops?”
“We’re private detectives,” Velma said. “Mira Asher hired us to protect her from Reuben.”
“Someone should have protected him from her, no?”
“You don’t sound as if you like Mira much.”
“I always told Reuben that she was a bitch, and now she’s killed him. I think she only married him in the first place because she knew that someday he’d inherit his father’s business. Reuben’s dad was already sick when they met, and to make things worse, she made him go deep into debt to buy that dress shop for her.”
“If you disliked her so much then why were you sleeping with her?” Velma said.
Gary Rollins looked surprised by her knowledge, but then he shrugged.
“She threw herself at me more than once, and well, you’ve seen her. What man wouldn’t want to sleep with her? But now I know she did it just to end my friendship with Reuben. But the bitch miscalculated, Reuben didn’t just end our friendship, he also ended his marriage, or would have.”
Velma smiled at him.
“May we come in?”
“No. Anything else?”
“Yes,” Chris said. “Your upstairs neighbor, Sammy, how do you feel about him?”
“He’s too damn nosy for his own good,” Rollins said, and a moment later, he slammed the door shut in their faces.
***
On the ride back to the office, Chri
s and Velma discussed what they had learned.
“Sammy was right about Mira and Rollins being lovers, but Rollins’ hatred for Mira also seemed genuine,” Velma said.
“Do you think he could be Mira’s partner?”
“Maybe, or maybe there’s someone else that we haven’t come across yet.”
Velma’s phone rang and she answered it; it was Jake with news.
“Tommy got the lab reports back on those guns. The one that Mira killed her husband with had a trace of blood on it. On a hunch, he checked it against the men Reuben supposedly mugged, and there’s a match. Granddad thinks that she meant to plant that gun on her husband, but got confused. The cops are headed over there now to bring her in for questioning.”
“That’s good news, maybe she’ll give up her partner in order to make a deal.”
Velma ended the call and soon they were back at Caliber. When they entered the office, they heard the news.
“Mira won’t be making any deals,” Jake said.
Chris looked at him.
“Why not?”
“She’s dead, when the cops went to her dress shop, they found her dead of an overdose of sleeping pills. There was a suicide note typed out on her laptop, in the note, she says that she can’t live knowing that she murdered someone, even if it was in self-defense.”
“That still doesn’t explain what drove Smith to rush to the apartment that night,” Chris said.
“The cops think that was also Mira, although they haven’t found the phone. They think she called and taunted him with the fact that she was going on another date, and that Smith snapped, rushed to the apartment, hit you, and then attacked her.”
“But there’s no way she could have made that call,” Chris said. “I was with her when you said he received it, and she never made a call.”
“Tommy said his captain thinks you’re mistaken about that and that she must have called him without you noticing. As far as the cops are concerned, this case is closed.”
Chris walked over to his grandfather.
“I know that I’m new at this, but I was with her the whole time. I swear that she never made a call.”
“Everybody screws up sometime, kid, let it go.”
“You don’t believe me?”
“It doesn’t matter; the case is closed.”
“It’s not closed! Mira never made that call. That means she had a partner and I’m going to prove it.”
Caliber Detective Agency Box Set 1 Page 5
