Murder After Midnight

by Dianne Harman

  Al locked the door and walked down the hall to where DeeDee was curled up on the sofa with Balto at her feet. “You stay there,” he smiled. “Do you have any bacon?”

  Balto’s ears pricked up.

  DeeDee nodded. “Yes. I always have some in the refrigerator. As you may have guessed, Balto is a big fan.” She started to get up. “I’ll get you some now.”

  “No, don’t move,” Al said, motioning her to stay seated. “Are ya’ hungry? Not sure if ya’ ever heard of Big Al’s Special. It’s bacon and poached eggs. I can rustle some up for us.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Tempted?”

  Balto jumped off the sofa and stood beside Al, and a smile crossed DeeDee’s face .

  “When you put it like that, I can hardly refuse. I only had a small snack, so that would be lovely. Thanks Al.”

  Al raised his hand in the gesture of a salute. “Balto and Al, at yer’ service, ma’am. Sit tight, and I’ll call ya’ when it’s ready.”

  “By the way, how did everything go today?” DeeDee called after him as he walked back into the hallway, closely followed by Balto. He saw DeeDee’s purse sitting on the table.

  “Oh, ya’ know,” Al said, opening the purse and making a small tear in the bottom of the interior fabric, before slipping the microphone he’d picked up from Jake earlier through the incision. It was a tiny bug-type device of the kind used by Russian spies, and closer to home, the CIA. “Not much to report. I’ll tell ya’ ‘bout my meetin’ with Dino over dinner.”

  “And your new special friend?”

  “Still pleadin’ the fifth,” Al called back, glad that DeeDee was unable to see his wolfish grin.

  CHAPTER 17

  Al drove DeeDee to Jerry McGee’s home the following morning.

  “Here ya’ go,” he said, pulling up outside the house he’d visited under the cover of darkness the evening before. In the light of day, the house looked even more like a Hollywood set than he remembered. Jerry’s car, a shiny black Range Rover, was parked in the driveway. Al got out and went around to open DeeDee’s door.

  “Thanks, Al,” she smiled, getting out. “What’s wrong. Why are you looking at me that way. Is there something stuck in my teeth?”

  Al stared at her in dismay when he noticed that she wasn’t carrying her purse, the one in which Al had concealed a hidden microphone. Instead, DeeDee was carrying a canvas tote over her shoulder, which looked like it was stuffed full of bulky paper items. “Where’s yer’ purse?” he barked at her, blocking her path.

  “I don’t need it,” she shrugged. “I’ve got all the literature about my catering business, Deelish, in this.” She patted the tote bag. “Sample menu plans, price lists, even dummy place cards. And my phone. That should cover it.”

  “Ya’ better take yer’ purse,” Al insisted. “Ya’ can’t go in there without it. What if ya’ need yer lipstick?”

  DeeDee made a face. “For Jerry? He’s not my type. ”

  Al crossed his arms. “We’re gonna’ have to go back and get it.”

  DeeDee tried to get past Al, first one way then the other, but Al extended his arms so she was unable to pass. “What is wrong with you, Al?” DeeDee hissed. “If this is your idea of a joke, it’s not funny. It’s already 10:00 a.m., and if you don’t let me through, I’m going to be late. You can practice your linebacker moves with Balto later, if it makes you happy.”

  Al spied DeeDee’s purse on the back seat of the SUV, and reached in and grabbed it. “Here,” he said, thrusting it at her. “I don’t like to say anything, but if ya’ must know, I think a lady oughta have her purse. It marks out the wheat from the chaff, if ya’ catch my drift.”

  “Really?” DeeDee looked unconvinced. “Okay, I suppose it won’t hurt.” She took the purse from Al. “If it keeps you happy, and you let me pass, I’ll bring it.”

  “Right,” Al said, stepping aside with a nod. “On ya’ go. I’ll be waitin’ fer ya’.”

  “Okay,” DeeDee said, with a quizzical smile. “Thanks. I won’t be long.”

  Al watched DeeDee walk up the driveway before he got back in the car. Adjusting the earpiece nestled in his left ear, he spoke into the microphone concealed under the collar of his new dove-gray button-down shirt.

  “Alpha calling Juliet, do you copy? Over.” The only noise he could hear was a crackling sound. He cleared his throat and spoke louder. “Jake, it’s Al. Radio check. Over.”

  The crackling cleared, and Jake’s voice came through his ear. “Roger. This is Juliet. I read you. Over.”

  Al smiled. “It’s Al, not Roger. DeeDee’s on her way in. Where are ya’? ”

  “In the closet in the room at the end of the upstairs hallway, just like you told me.” Jake’s voice was low, and Al had to strain to hear it.

  “Did Jerry go for his run, like Rob said?”

  “Yes, he left at 8:00 a.m. on the button, and that’s when I slipped into the house. I know you described what was in here to me, but I still got a shock when I saw it. I understand now what a wacko Jerry is. If he lays a finger on DeeDee, I swear I’ll—”

  “Ssh,” Al ordered him. He could hear voices coming through the second earpiece, placed in his other ear. “I’m picking up DeeDee and Jerry now, can you hear them, Jake?” Al pressed the red button on the recording device in his lap. Whatever DeeDee’s microphone picked up from then on would be on the recorder.

  Jake also had two earpieces, one for Al’s microphone, and one for DeeDee’s. “Loud and clear,” he confirmed.

  “Okay,” Al barked. “We’re rollin’. Stay calm and do like we said. Ima gonna leave it to ya’, unless somethin’ goes wrong, and if it does, then I’m movin’ in, guns blazin’. Got it?”

  “Affirmative,” Jake said. “I’m on it.”

  “Good man,” Al said, drawing his gun and putting it on his lap beside the recording device. He picked up the newspaper that he’d taken from the porch at DeeDee’s house on the way out, and set it loosely on top of them. Then he adjusted his sunglasses and settled down in the seat as if he was taking a little nap. Anyone passing by would never have guessed the scene unfolding inside the house, the one that was playing through Al’s ears.

  Al zoned in on the conversation between DeeDee and Jerry, about what type of catering he would like for his imaginary party. DeeDee, oblivious to the fact Jerry had lured her there under false pretenses, was patiently explaining different finger food, bowl food, or sit-down meal options for twenty guests .

  “Oh, man,” Al said to Jake. “I can’t believe he’s arguing with her about the price for a fake party.”

  The strains of Jerry’s voice came over the receiver. “I’m not paying a cent more than thirty dollars a head. Stop taking me for some kind of a fool, Ms. Wilson.”

  “That’s no problem at all, Mr. McGee,” DeeDee said. “But we can’t include everything you’re requesting within that price range. How about if we forget the fresh shrimp, and substitute cheesy seafood bites instead?”

  Al was amazed that DeeDee managed to keep her voice calm, steady, and polite. The way Jerry was talking to her, Al was ready to burst right in there and sock him in the kisser.

  Jerry’s voice came through as cold and sneering. “I’ll thank you not to insult me or my guests, with cheesy anything. Is that understood?”

  Al could hear papers rustling, and the sound of a chair being moved. He heard DeeDee’s voice. “Mr. McGee, I think this meeting is over. It’s obvious there’s been some misunderstanding or breakdown in communications. If it was on my part, I’m sorry. I appreciate you considering Deelish for catering your party, and hope you find another caterer more suitable for your requirements.”

  “Atta’ girl, DeeDee,” Al said, cheering her on. “Jake, that’s some woman. She’s not afraid of confrontation, is she?”

  “I can vouch for that,” Jake whispered, “but wait, Jerry’s changed his tune. Sounds like he’s doing some schmoozing. What the—?”

  “Ssh,” Al instructed him. “Quit jabberin’. G
uy can’t hear a thing with you goin’ on like that.”

  Jerry’s voice had become much friendlier. “As I was saying, Ms. Wilson, the confusion was entirely mine. Please accept my apologies. I’ve been ripped off in the past, and I let that color my judgment. I wasn’t questioning your integrity, I was just trying to see how far my budget will stretch.”

  “Wow,” Al muttered to Jake. “What a cheapskate scumbag this loser is.”

  “Apology accepted, Mr. McGee. As I was saying, a selection of five canapés would be thirty dollars a head. You can take or leave the cheesy bites, it’s entirely up to you.” DeeDee voice sounded firm and businesslike.

  “Whatever you think,” Jerry said, all of a sudden sounding like he was Prince Charming. “It’s probably easier if you take care of everything. Ignore my silly ideas, I suppose too many Emmys have gone to my head.”

  DeeDee’s voice softened. “No problem at all. I couldn’t help but notice your photo gallery on the wall on the way in. So many celebrities! Your rolodex must be full of A-listers. I totally understand why you want the party to be perfect. You probably have a lot of important guests coming.”

  Jerry laughed. “You’re too polite to ask, I know, but yes, the guest list is very high profile. And that’s just a small selection of the photos. I’ve hung the best ones on the wall in the upstairs hallway. I like to keep them out of the way. I wouldn’t want people to think I was showing off. I don’t want to appear to be vulgar. Would you like me to show them to you?”

  “Thanks for the offer,” DeeDee said. “But I don’t want to intrude. I should be going anyway.”

  Al sensed what was coming next, and instinctively, he reached for his gun.

  “Please, Mrs. Wilson, I insist. It’s no trouble, really. How about taking a selfie holding one of my Emmys? There’s plenty of them to choose from. ”

  “Well…that would be awesome. My daughter would love it. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all,” Jerry murmured. “Not at all.”

  Al heard two sets of footsteps, and he knew DeeDee and Jerry were climbing up the stairs.

  “Get ready,” he hissed into the microphone at Jake, while at the same time he opened the car door and stepped outside. He started walking up the driveway. “I got yer’ back.”

  Al slipped in the rear entrance of the house and crept up the stairs, pausing at the top. He didn’t need the earpiece to make out the voices coming from the hallway just around the corner from where he was standing.

  “George Clooney!” DeeDee gasped. “Oh look, there’s you and Madonna. Oh, my gosh. What’s she like, really?”

  “Madonna’s a tough cookie,” Jerry said with a laugh. “And I don’t know if you like Ryan Gosling, or Justin Bieber, but there are some great shots of them in my office.”

  “My daughter is a fan of both of them,” DeeDee laughed. “Although between you and me, I wouldn’t turn Ryan down myself.”

  “If you’d like, I’ll show you their photos,” Jerry said. “My office is just at the end of the hall.”

  Al poked his head around the corner just in time to see Jerry enter the room at the end of the hallway, followed by DeeDee, who let out a sharp scream when she saw what was in the room. Al inched closer, holding his gun steady in his hand.

  “You killed her?” DeeDee yelled. “What sort of a psychopath are you? This room is like some sort of horror movie.”

  “Yes,” Jerry sneered. “And you, stupid woman, are now the star of the show. I don’t need a caterer. I need you to die. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you’d left Dana’s house when the party was over, killing you wouldn’t be necessary, but unfortunately, now it is.”

  From his vantage point just outside the room, Al saw Jerry take a knife from inside the top drawer of his desk. He pointed it at DeeDee, who was trembling with fear. Despite that, her voice remained strong and defiant. Al admired her courage.

  DeeDee challenged Jerry. “Why did you kill her? She was a good woman.”

  Jerry slashed the knife through the air in the shape of an X. “I’ve spent half my life trying to get out of the slums, and the other half making a new one for myself. Do you know how hard that was? Do you?”

  DeeDee, her back to Al, flinched as Jerry took a step toward her. He grabbed her arm, the knife touching her chest. Al saw the door of the closet behind Jerry edge open, and ducked back out of view into the hallway.

  “I’m sure that must have been very difficult for you,” DeeDee continued, “but it wasn’t Dana’s fault.”

  “I didn’t want anyone to know what I came from,” Jerry went on. “I had no choice but to kill her, just as I have no choice now, but to kill you.”

  Al momentarily stepped away from his hiding place just in time to hear Jake’s voice take over. “Let go of her, or I won’t be responsible for what I’m about to do to you.”

  Al knew Jake’s gun was pressed into Jerry’s spine. For a split second, Al caught Jake’s eye, and gave him a silent nod. DeeDee, who had been facing away from Al the whole time, didn’t turn or know that he’d ever been there. Within seconds, Al had let himself out of the house and was walking back down the driveway toward the car. He knew Jake had it under control and before long, because of the anonymous phone call Al was getting ready to make to Chief Hewson, the police would take over. Jerry would be charged with murder and attempted murder. As for what happened between Jake and DeeDee, that was up to them. All Al could do was make sure that the conversations they had with each other from that moment forward, were off the record.

  Al climbed into the SUV and spoke into his microphone. “Jake, Ima gonna borrow DeeDee’s car for the rest of the day. I gotta go see ‘bout somethin’. Catch ya’ later.” Without waiting for a response, he tore the microphone off his collar and removed both his earpieces, turning all the devices off. Then, he pressed stop on the recording machine that he’d left sitting on the passenger seat of the car. Placing the equipment in the glove compartment, he pressed 911 on his phone.

  Minutes later, Al was headed away from Jerry’s house in the direction of the ferry. Spotting a flower store on the way, he screeched to a halt and walked inside.

  “Biggest bouquet ya’ got,” he grinned at the clerk. “Roses. I’ll take ‘em all. And can ya’ make it snappy? Ima bustin’ to see my girl.”

  CHAPTER 18

  The way Jerry was holding the knife against her chest, DeeDee knew the only barrier between her and certain death was the thin wool sweater she was wearing. As her life flashed before her eyes, thoughts of her children rushed through her mind, and she wished she could tell them one last time how much she loved them. Her only regret was she hadn’t made up with Jake. Now he’d never know that she’d loved him too, because she’d never told him, not even once.

  And then, suddenly, there he was. The moment she saw Jake step out of the closet, gun in hand, DeeDee almost collapsed with relief. His flashing blue eyes signaled to her that she was safe, and everything was going to be okay.

  “Drop the knife, Jerry,” Jake instructed, his jaw set in a straight line.

  Jerry gave DeeDee a venomous look before letting the knife fall to the floor. Jake motioned with his head for DeeDee to step out of the way. Then he shoved Jerry against one the walls in the office and clipped handcuffs around his wrists, while at the same time keeping his gun pointed at Jerry’s back.

  “Go downstairs, DeeDee,” Jake instructed her, “and wait for the police. ”

  Sirens were already audible in the distance, and by the time DeeDee stumbled into the kitchen in a daze, the first of several squad cars was pulling up in the driveway. It wasn’t long before the house was swarming with police officers and emergency medical services personnel.

  The paramedic team homed in on DeeDee, checking to make sure she was all right. They were equipped to deal with life-threatening injuries, which made it very clear to her just how lucky she’d been. Then Chief Hewson and another officer sat down to take her statement, maki
ng her go over every detail of the events of her meeting with Jerry. Her head was spinning, trying to think straight, all the time looking around, desperately trying to locate Jake. At one point, she heard his voice in the hallway, but by the time she’d finished with Chief Hewson and stood in the doorway to look for him, the only person she recognized was an angry Jerry McGee, who was being led out of the house by two officers towards a waiting police van equipped with bars on the small back window.

  She remembered that Al was waiting in the street in her car, and wondered if he knew what was going on. There was no way he could have missed the commotion, but something in the back of her mind told her that an ex-gangster and a house full of police officers shouldn’t mix, which probably explained his absence. Picking up her purse, she wandered outside, leaving her pile of Deelish paperwork still sitting on the kitchen table. If this is what her business had brought her to, she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to cater another party again.

  “DeeDee?” She froze when she heard Jake’s voice, and turned in slow motion. This was the moment when they should have raced into each other’s arms, and lived happily ever after. Instead, DeeDee fainted in a heap onto the yellow bricks.

  “You were in shock, DeeDee,” Jake reassured her, when she came to. She was lying on the sofa in her house on Bainbridge Island, with no recollection of how she’d gotten there. “I brought you home after you fainted, but you were in a dazed condition and lapsed in and out of consciousness. Don’t even try to stand up. Just lay there and rest. ”

  “Where’s Al?” DeeDee murmured, trying to work out if the events of the day had been a dream. Unfortunately, the memory of Jerry holding a knife against her chest was all too clear for it to have been a figment of her imagination.

  “He told me he was going to borrow your SUV to take care of something,” Jake explained. “That’s all I know. I brought you home, and I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”

  Tears filled DeeDee’s eyes. “I’m so tired,” she mumbled. “What time is it?”

  “Time you had something to eat,” Jake said, patting her gently on her arm. “I’m going to warm up some soup for you, and make sure you’re okay before I go.”