“That’s pretty far-fetched.”
It was. I was still missing something. “Leo cozied up to Julia months before she died,” I said. “She was buying him food and trying to get him into rehab. What if he was acting with her the whole time?”
“What if he was? What does that prove? You’re never going to convince me Leo is a murderer. Even if he was putting on an act he could’ve been doing it because Julia was slipping him money.”
“I’m sure she was,” I said. “From everything I’ve heard, though, Julia would’ve tried to help him whether he was slow or not. Acting like he was slower than he really was had to be a way for him to get closer to Julia.”
“You’re insinuating that Leo was working with Adam or Amber – or maybe both of them – to sucker Julia in and then kill her when the time was right,” Lexie said. “How are you going to prove that?”
“I have no idea.”
The sound of the studio door opening drew our attention and I was surprised to see Carly standing there. She shouldn’t be out of work yet. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for you,” Carly said. “Do you know what happened to me today?”
“You lost your mind and left work early?” Carly was a slave to her job. She enjoyed it and she never left early. She even went in when her fever crossed the hundred-degree mark.
“I threw up on my boss,” Carly snapped. “I was in the middle of a big presentation and all of sudden I realized I was going to throw up. I tried to move around him but he thought I was faking it and then it was too late by the time I convinced him I was serious, and I barfed all over him.”
“That is really gross,” Lexie said, making a face. “Do you have the flu? If you do, you need to stay away from me. I don’t want to get sick.”
“I don’t want to get sick either so I went to the emergency care place on the corner by my office,” Carly said. Her eyes were wide and she wasn’t blinking. There was also a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. Whatever was going on here was big.
“Did they give you antibiotics?” Lexie asked. “I read a story that said we shouldn’t always take antibiotics because when something really bad hits we’re going to wear our systems down and die. I can’t remember why.”
I love Lexie but her mind wanders at the worst times. “What did the doctor say?” I asked.
“I’m pregnant.”
I pressed my lips together and momentarily wondered if I’d misheard her. “I’m sorry, what?”
“I’m pregnant.”
“That’s great,” Lexie said. “Have you told Kyle yet?”
“Of course I haven’t told him,” Carly said. “I don’t want to tell him because he’s going to be excited and I don’t want him to be excited because he’s the one who did this to me.”
I was about three sentences behind everyone else. “So … wait … what did the doctor say?”
“You’re going to be a godmother,” Carly sneered. “In seven months I’m going to be in excruciating pain – and you’re going to be in the delivery room, so you’d better not even think about missing it – and then there’s going to be a baby to take care of.”
“Holy crap. You’re pregnant.”
“And people think you’re smart,” Carly snapped.
“I … are you happy about this?”
“Do I look happy?”
She looked pissed off. “Do you think Kyle is going to be happy about this?”
“Kyle is going to throw a fricking party. He’s not the one who has to push a human being out of his lady parts, though. I’m totally freaking out here!”
I didn’t blame her. This wasn’t big. It was … monumental. “This is going to totally change my life,” I muttered.
Carly’s eyebrows nearly flew off her forehead. “Your life?”
“After it changes yours,” I conceded. “I’m … stunned. Weren’t you on birth control?”
“Yes.”
“I’d sue them.”
“I can’t even talk to you,” Carly said, lifting her hand to her forehead to wipe the sweat away. “My life has been upended and all you can think about is yourself … and lawsuits.”
“I’ll write a great story if you want to sue them,” I offered.
“You’d better start planning the baby shower,” Carly hissed. “As the godmother, that’s your responsibility.”
How did Carly getting pregnant equate to more work for me? Life is so unfair. “Well, look at it this way,” I said, an idea forming. “Now you don’t have to get Kyle a Valentine’s Day gift. The baby can be his gift.”
Carly opened her mouth – I was sure a scream would follow – but the look on her face was more contemplative than anything else. “Well, that’s the one good thing that happened to me today. I need a drink.”
I wasn’t going to explain to her why she couldn’t have a drink. She was tiny but strong. Even pregnant I was convinced she could take me. “I need a drink, too.”
Thirty-Two
After leaving Yoga One That I Want, I was having trouble focusing. A baby? Carly was too young for a baby. How was she going to stalk people with a baby on her hip? A baby doesn’t know when to keep its mouth shut. It will give our position away in stealth situations.
Plus, and I don’t want to say this out loud because people will laugh at me, babies are terrifying. They can’t hold up their own heads and they squawk like birds. They’re completely helpless and, because they’re little, you can’t be mean to them. People frown on that. Heck, even when they get older people don’t like it if you’re mean to them. I was once in a deli and some little monster wouldn’t stop ramming his mother’s shopping cart into me. When I told him if he rammed me one more time I was going to see if I could fit him under the glass so someone else could spread him on their sandwich bread, his mother acted offended. If she was so offended she should have made the kid behave. It’s not my fault she raised such a pain.
Carly was in full panic mode when I left Lexie’s studio. I made up an excuse that I had to check on something and even secured the location of the house Lexie visited Leo at so I would have a legitimate reason to beg off from all the baby planning. I swear, Lexie was more excited at the prospect than Carly was. Of course, Lexie didn’t have to forego alcohol for the next seven months and squeeze a ten-pound meatloaf out of her girl parts.
I followed Lexie’s directions, which were only helpful in the mildest sense of the word. She knew the name of the street, but other than that she could only describe the house. I thought finding a “piece of crap two-story with sagging gutters, turquoise trim, mismatched roofing shingles and a plastic goose with a missing head on the front porch” was going to be a breeze. I had two choices when I parked on the street.
I was about to get out of the car and check out the first house when my phone rang. Eliot’s number popped up on the screen. “Hello, Handsome.”
“Hello, Trouble,” Eliot said. He sounded as if he was in a good mood. “How is your video game going?”
“I played for a few hours and then I went to Lexie’s studio to hang out.”
“I figured you would. How is Lexie?”
“She’s fine.”
“You sound … odd,” Eliot said. “Is something wrong?”
“Carly showed up at the studio,” I replied. “She … um … is sick.”
“What do you mean? She doesn’t have cancer or something, does she?” Eliot’s jovial tone turned to alarm quickly. He knows how close I am to Carly.
“She threw up on her boss today.”
“Does she have the flu?” Eliot almost sounded relieved. “That must be killing her. She always pretends she’s fine when she’s sick.”
“She doesn’t have the flu.”
“Avery, you’re starting to freak me out,” Eliot said. “What’s wrong with Carly?”
“She’s pregnant.”
“Oh.”
Oh? I thought for sure he would realize the world was ending. That was a muted respon
se to such a big deal. “You know what this means, right?”
“Carly and Kyle are going to be good parents,” Eliot said. “Carly is going to freak out and overprotect the kid, but that could be a good thing.”
How was he not getting this? “She says I have to be the godmother.” He would understand how freaky that was.
“That will be fun,” Eliot said. “Now you can buy toys for someone other than yourself.”
“She expects me to throw her a baby shower and … you’re not going to believe this … be in the delivery room with her,” I said, my voice getting shriller.
“I’m sure you can get out of the delivery room thing,” Eliot said calmly. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to see that. How hard can it be to throw a shower?”
“This baby is going to ruin my life.”
“How?”
“How is Carly going to help me spy on people if we have to bring a baby with us?” I asked.
Eliot snorted. “I’m sure we’ll be able to find a babysitter when you two have the unquenchable urge to stalk someone. Once the kid is big enough to hold its head up you might even be able to convince me to do it.”
He was killing me. “It’s never going to be the same, Eliot.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s going to be bad, Avery. Change happens in life. You have to roll with the punches.”
“If that baby punches me I’m going to punch it right back,” I warned.
“That will make you Godmother of the Year.” Eliot was laughing.
“I was in such a good mood until this happened,” I muttered.
“I’ll fix your mood when I see you tonight,” Eliot promised. “I have about two hours of work left. Do you want to go out for dinner or order in?”
“Order in. I want a lot of alcohol, too.”
“I can tell you’re going to be fun tonight,” Eliot groused. “How long are you going to be at Lexie’s studio?”
“Oh, I had to get out of there. I told them I had to do something on the Grisham case and skedaddled.”
“Are you back home?”
“Um … not really.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Detroit,” I said, realizing Eliot was about to pitch an outrageous fit and knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it.
“Why?” Eliot’s voice lost any hint of warmth.
I told him about my conversation with Lexie, leaving nothing out, and when I was done I heard him swearing as he held the phone away from his mouth. When he returned to the conversation he sounded calm, but I knew he was anything but.
“Did you find the house?”
“I have two options,” I said. “I haven’t approached either one of them yet.”
“Don’t.”
“But … I’m already here,” I said.
“Turn around and go home,” Eliot ordered. “I will take you to the house tonight. You only have to wait a few hours. There’s no reason to go there now.”
“But I’m already here.”
“Avery, you’re in a bad neighborhood and you’re trying to find out whether a potential killer has a house on that street,” Eliot said. “I’m telling you to turn your ass around, go home and wait for me.”
“Leo is in custody,” I reminded him. “Heck, Adam Grisham is in custody, too. What trouble could I possibly find at a vacant house in the middle of the day?”
“I don’t know how you find half the trouble you do,” Eliot snapped. “If anyone can turn your current situation into a cluster of crap, though, it’s you.”
“I think you’re overreacting.”
“Says the woman who wants to punch a baby,” Eliot grumbled. “Leave.”
“I just want to look around,” I argued. “I promise I’ll be careful. I’ll stay for twenty minutes and then head home.”
“Leave now.”
“Eliot, you’re being ridiculous.”
“You’re going to be the death of me,” Eliot said. “You make me feel old. You know that, right? I feel like a fifty-year-old man. You’re going to turn my hair gray and give me an ulcer. Is that what you want?”
“You might look distinguished with gray hair.”
“Avery,” Eliot growled.
“I don’t think you should go for that look right now,” I said. “I happen to love your hair the way it is. I don’t think going gray later in life is going to be the big deal you seem to think it’s going to be, though.”
“I’m going to tie you to the bed when I find you,” Eliot said. “I’m going to buy a set of cuffs on my way home.”
“I told you I’m not into the kinky stuff, but if you want to think outside of the box … .”
“Go home!”
“I … .”
The sound of someone tapping on the side window caught my attention, and when I shifted my gaze up I realized whoever was tapping was using a gun. “Uh-oh.”
“Uh-oh what?”
“I think you were right about me turning around and going home.”
“Who’s there?” Eliot asked.
“I’m going to have to let you go now,” I said. “I … um … do you think you could call the police down here and tell them I’m about to be shot.”
“Sonovabitch! Who’s with you?”
“I think I just solved the Grisham case … although I might need a few holes plugged before I’m satisfied with the story,” I said.
“Get off the phone,” the person outside of the car ordered.
“I’m about to be in real trouble and I know you’re going to tell me that you told me so when you see me later,” I said. If you see me later, I added silently. “Amber is definitely involved in this and she doesn’t look happy to see me.”
“Avery … don’t get out of the car!”
“I don’t think I’m going to have much of a choice. I … I’m sorry, Eliot.”
“I’m coming for you,” Eliot said. “I love you! I’ll be there as soon as I can. Don’t you die on me!”
Even in the heat of the moment his words gave me strength. Somehow I choked out a response. “I love you, too. I … goodbye.”
“THIS is just unbelievable,” Amber said, glaring at me from the street as she pointed the gun in my direction. “How did you find me?”
I didn’t immediately answer. I knew I was in trouble.
“How did you find me?” Amber repeated.
“I think I’m lost,” I said finally, forcing myself to meet her gaze.
“I can barely hear you,” Amber said. “Roll down the window.”
“No. I’m not going to do that.”
“Roll down the window!”
“I’m sticking with no.”
Amber pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand while keeping the gun trained on me with the other. “How did you figure this out?”
“I wasn’t actually looking for you,” I said. “I was looking for a house Leo Putnam used to party in. Something tells me you know exactly which house I’m looking for.”
“You didn’t know I would be here?”
“I wasn’t expecting anyone to be here,” I said. “I thought Leo and Adam were working together in all of this. Once I found out Leo was putting on an act I knew he had more to do with Julia’s death than he was letting on.”
“Get out of the car.”
“I don’t think I want to do that.”
“Either get out of that car or I’m going to shoot you,” Amber threatened.
“If I get out of this car you’re going to shoot me anyway,” I said. “I think I’d rather take my chances.”
“I have no problem shooting you,” Amber warned. “You’ve ruined everything. Somehow I think it will be poetic justice.”
“From your point of view I can see that,” I said. “I’m hoping you rethink your stance, though.”
“Why would I do that?”
“You haven’t killed anyone yet.” I didn’t know whether that was true. I hoped it was, but something about Amber’s demeanor told me dif
ferently.
“I’m sure you’d like to believe that given your current predicament, but that’s simply not the truth,” Amber said. “I killed Julia.
“I’m guessing the fact that you’re telling me that means you don’t want a story highlighting your side of things,” I said, swallowing hard.
“No,” Amber replied, her eyes lighting with malevolence. “I’m telling you because I want you to have all the answers you’ve been working so hard to find before I kill you.”
“That’s what I thought you were going to say.”
“Now get out of the car!”
I have no idea how I always manage to get myself into these situations, but I was starting to think Eliot was right. I am a walking trouble magnet.
How was I supposed to get out of this mess?
Thirty-Three
Despite Amber’s orders to the contrary I was still in my car two minutes later. I knew getting out was a horrible idea. I also knew the flimsy window separating Amber from me wouldn’t stop a bullet. I hoped she didn’t want to kill me in front of potential witnesses. Given the neighborhood I was parked in, though, I guessed they were used to the sound of gunfire.
“Get out of the car!” She tried to yank the door open, but it was locked. My car doors automatically lock once the engine is engaged and don’t unlock until I manually open the door. There was no way I was doing that now.
“Tell me why you’re here,” I said, hoping my world-class mouth would give me the time I needed for the cops to show up. Of course, since Eliot had no idea where I was and would have to waste time questioning Lexie, I was going to have to talk for a long time. Thankfully, I was up for the task.
“You want to know why I’m here?” Amber was flustered, her face red.
“I found out this afternoon that Leo was putting on an act,” I said, glancing through the front window in hope of seeing – anyone – on the street. It was empty. “I happen to know someone who knew him before he started working Julia for handouts. She said he was no MENSA candidate, but he wasn’t slow.”
“I told him that was a stupid idea,” Amber grumbled. “People know him. People know he’s not retarded.”
Headlines & Deadlines (An Avery Shaw Mystery Book 7) Page 25
