by Judith Gould
"What do you mean?" Santo asked, trying to act as if he didn't have any idea that there might be a budding relationship between his boss and the veterinarian.
"Oh, come on, Santo," Wyn replied. "You know I've been seeing her."
Santo nodded. "Yeah, I knew that, but I just thought it was, like, real casual."
Wyn looked at him with a serious expression. "It's more than that, Santo," he said. "Much more."
"Well," Santo said, "I guess congratulations are in order, huh?"
"Maybe," Wyn said. "Anyway, I'm going to get on the telephone and see if I can help dig up Arielle. If you think of anything, let me know."
"I will," Santo said. "I'm going down to the stable, check on things there, but I'll give a call if anything comes to mind."
"See you later," Wyn said.
Santo turned and left the room, trying not to hurry, heading down to the stable where he would try to get hold of Arielle in privacy.
Wyn watched him leave. What's going on with him? he wondered. He hasn't been acting like himself lately.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tiffani jerked and missed a key on the computer's keyboard. Damn! she thought. The creepy bustard's done it again. Scared the life out of me. Except this time, I'm already nearly jumping out of my skin. She quickly planted a big smile on her fuchsia-painted lips and turned around, thrusting her large breasts out and giving her long, curly hair a big swing, a habit she'd developed, certain that men found it irresistible.
"Hi, Santo," she said, forcing cheer into her voice. "How are you?" She was chewing gum and popped it.
Santo returned her smile with the mere semblance of one and that was an effort. "Okay, Tiff," he replied. "You doing all right?"
"Yeah," she said. "I've got tons of typing to do. A lot of checks to get ready for signing and stuff." She paused for a moment, considering her next move. "Are you going to be working in here today?"
Santo shook his head. "That's why I came by," he said. "I've got a lot of stuff to do, too, and I wondered if you could hold the fort down today."
"Sure!" she said gaily, almost shuddering with relief. How good can my luck get? she thought. "I'd be glad to. I'm way behind on paperwork, so I'll be right here except to maybe run out and get a sandwich or some¬thing later on."
"That's cool," he said. "Oh, yeah, if Mr. Conrad calls down here for me, tell him I'll call him right back. Okay? Then you give me a buzz at my cottage. I'm going to be working over there."
"Yeah, I'll do it for sure," she said, thinking that he was acting pretty odd. The creepy giant never left his post, and while she was working at the stable that usually seemed to be his post. Maybe the boss had him doing something else? Maybe he and the boss had a fight?
Oh, well, who cares, she decided. He'll be out of the way, and that's the best news I've had all day. I'll just have to watch out for old man Reinhardt, but that shouldn't be much trouble. He's always in a world of his own. Never even speaks to me, just nods. I'll be able to help Teddy out, and nobody will ever know the difference. Except Teddy. My Teddy.
"See you later," Santo said, then went back out the door.
"Yeah, sure," Tiffani said. "See you." When she was certain that he was gone, she picked up the telephone receiver and dialed a number.
In the privacy of his cottage, Santo quickly punched in the number on his cell phone. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Nada. Fuck. He was about to press the end button when she answered.
"Hello?"
"It's Santo," he said. "Maybe it's time we had a little talk."
"I was hoping you would see it my way," Arielle said.
"I'm not sure I do," Santo replied, "but I want to discuss it. Something's come up."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Wyn's going to settle," Santo said. "He's already contacted your lawyers about it, but they haven't been able to reach you."
"I guess his little girlfriend brought on this sudden change of heart," Arielle said.
"Yeah."
"So now that he's found somebody he wants," she went on, "he's finally willing to get rid of me."
"You could say that."
"Listen, Santo," she said, "could you get away from there now? I want to talk to you in private."
"What about Lolo?"
"He's over at the polo grounds. He might be back soon so we'd have to meet someplace."
"You mean you don't want him involved?" Santo asked.
"No way," Arielle said. "He can't handle it. I'm very disappointed in him. I thought he was more of a man." She paused, then added, "Like you."
"What've you got in mind?" Santo enjoyed her obvious flirting.
"We'll talk about it when I see you," she replied. "Can you get away?"
"Sure."
"I know a place between Saratoga Springs and Albany," she said. "We'd have privacy there. Nobody in the world we know would see either one of us."
Santo listened as she gave him the name and address of a motel. "I can be there in less than an hour," he said.
"Good," Arielle said. "I knew I could count on your help, Santo."
"I don't know," he said, "but I'm willing to discuss it."
"See you in an hour," she said and hung up.
Santo depressed the end button on his cell phone and flipped it shut. He felt life stir in his groin and smiled as he headed out to the garage.
Valerie had just finished examining George and Jesse, two Labrador retrievers, and giving them Lyme disease vaccinations. She was filling in their charts and sipping coffee when the telephone jangled.
"Yes?" she said, still focused on a chart.
"Val," Tami said teasingly, "guess who's holding on line four?"
"I don't have any idea," Valerie replied. "Is it friend or foe?"
"Oh, it's definitely friend," Tami said conspiratorially. "In fact, I would say it's probably a whole lot more than that."
Tami hung up, and Valerie pressed the line four button. "What can I do for you, Mr. Conrad?" she asked.
"Ask not what you can do for me, Doc," Wyn retorted, "but what I can do for you."
"The possibilities are infinite, I'm sure," she said with a laugh, "but did you have something specific in mind?"
"Indeed, I did," he replied. "I want to wine and dine you again tonight at my humble abode, then see what happens from there. If you're not already bored with my company, that is."
"I'm certainly not bored with your company, Mr. Conrad," she replied, "but why don't you come over to my humble abode for a change and let me show off my culinary skills?"
"Because I have something special in mind," he said, "and I think we ought to do it here at Stonelair. Besides, I'd like to cook for you since I know you'll be tired after a long day at the office."
"Why, thank you, Mr. Conrad," she replied.
"How about eight?" he asked.
"I think I can fit that into my schedule," she said.
"I'll see you then."
"Okay, bye." She hung up the phone and squeezed herself with her arms. "This is what they call dreamy, Elvis," she said, looking down at him. "I hope you've felt it at least once in your life. Dreamy, dreamy—"
The telephone jangled again, and she reached over and picked it up. "Yes?"
"Val," Tami said in an alarmed voice, "it's Colette on line two, and she's absolutely hysterical. It's some¬thing about Hayden, that African pygmy hedgehog of hers."
"I'll get it," Valerie said. She immediately pressed the line two button. "Colette, what's going on?" she asked.
"V-V-Val, darling," Colette managed to say, "someone's m-m-murdered Hayden!"
"Give me ten minutes to get there, Colette," Valerie replied.
"You're a darling," Colette said.
Valerie pushed the button for Daphne's line. "Daphne," she said, when she'd picked up, "I have an emergency that may take about an hour. Could you cover for me?"
"What's the emergency?" Daphne asked.
"Colette Richards's African pygmy hedgehog," V
alerie replied.
"Oh, no," Daphne said. "Of course I'll cover for you. I hope it's nothing serious."
"I'm not really certain," Valerie said noncommittally. "I'll leave the charts with Tami."
"Sure, Val," Daphne said. "Let me know what happens."
Valerie hung up, gathered up her charts and carryall, put Elvis on his leash, and rushed out to reception to leave the patient charts with Tami.
Santo knocked on the motel room door, and it was opened at once by Arielle.
"Come on in," she said, swinging the door wide.
Santo stepped into the room and noticed that she was dressed in a filmy blouse that left little to the imagination and a micromini skirt that barely covered her silk bikini panties. Bottles of vodka and tonic sat open on a bedside table, along with two glasses. One of them wore Arielle's plum lipstick.
She saw him looking at the bottles. "Want to wet your whistle?" she asked.
"I better not," Santo replied. "I don't have much time. I've got to get back to Stonelair."
"Oh, come on, Santo," she cajoled, running a fingertip down his chest, "as big a man as you are, one itsy-bitsy drink won't do you any harm. Besides, I hate to drink alone."
Santo shrugged. "Okay," he said, "just one."
Arielle padded over to the bedside table on bare feet and poured a generous portion of vodka into a glass and added a splash of tonic. She handed it to him, then picked up her own.
"Cheers," she said, tapping her glass against his.
Santo nodded and took a sip of the drink.
"Let's get comfortable," she said, spreading out on the bed and patting the cover next to her.
"We need to talk," Santo said, eyeing her hungrily.
"So we'll talk," she said. "Here." She patted the bed a second time.
Santo shrugged his massive shoulders again and strode over to the bed and sat down facing her on the spot she'd indicated.
She looked into his eyes and ran a fingertip down his chest once more. "Tell me, Santo," she said softly, "what's on your mind?"
"It's like I told you on the telephone," he said, "Wyn's decided to settle, so you can drop all your plans to get rid of him. But. . ."
His voice trailed off into silence, and he took another swallow of vodka and tonic.
"But," Arielle said, "we both know that I'm worth more with him dead. Isn't that right?"
Santo nodded slowly.
"If I accept a settlement," she went on, running a hand up and down his powerful biceps, "I'd be getting a fraction of his worth. But if he suddenly dies and a settlement hasn't been arrived at, I'm still legally his wife . . . And if he marries again, he might change his will, leaving you out in the cold." She lifted her micro- mini skirt and smoothed out an imaginary wrinkle in her black silk panties.
Santo watched her with unabashed lust in his eyes. She'd always flirted with him, but they'd never actually made it. Things were different now, though. They weren't under Wyn's watchful eyes, and besides, she and Wyn were going to be divorced or . . . Wyn was going to be dead.
"We would have to move fast," Arielle said, unbuttoning her sheer blouse down to the waist. "Before the lawyers track me down and offer me a deal."
Santo nodded, but his eyes were riveted to the perfect breasts that were revealed right in front of him, within his touch.
"I know you could pull it off, Santo," she said seductively. "And I would go there with you to help if need be." She took a sip of her drink. "Just think, we could go off together."
"That would certainly look suspicious," he said.
"I mean eventually," Arielle said. "After it's all over, and I've got his money."
"What about Lolo?" he asked, his hand beginning to rub her naked thigh.
"Lolo," she said nastily. "What a joke. He's not half the man you are, Santo. He doesn't deserve a woman like me. Especially with all the money I'm going to have. And don't worry, he'd be terrified to talk. Even if he knew anything."
She reached up and ran a finger down his thick neck and back up to his lips, rubbing them, then trying to penetrate them.
Santo caught her wrist in his hand. "We need to work this out. Plan on exactly what we'll do— tonight," he said.
"And we will," she said. "But let's have some fun first, why don't we?"
Santo loosened his grip on her wrist. "You were always a little crazy, Arielle," he said.
"So were you," she said, reaching between his muscular thighs and stroking the erection that was visibly pressing against his pants.
"I'm in a real hurry," Santo said. He set his drink down and took hers out of her hand and placed it next to his. He stared into her eyes for a mere instant before his massive torso was on top of her.
"Yeah," he whispered, "we'll work out the details later."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Colette sat at the kitchen table, a soggy linen handkerchief wadded in her wrinkled hand. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen from the fitful tears that still came.
Valerie was leaning back against the center island, looking over at her with a deeply saddened heart. Colette looked her age today, she thought, and her normally optimistic and extravagant demeanor was subdued. Valerie cleared her voice. "Colette, I know it's difficult to make decisions now, and I don't want to seem insensitive and crass. But I have to know what you want to do with him."
Colette looked up at her. "Oh, darling," she said, "you could never be insensitive or crass. I ... I think I'll bury him in the garden and put a little marker there. That way we can visit him. What do you think?"
"I think that's a very good idea," Valerie replied. "I'll help you do it."
"No, Val," Colette replied. "You don't have to do that. I'm quite capable. I'll find a little box and wrap him up and put him in it, then do it myself."
"You're sure?" Valerie asked. "I don't mind at all, you know. I loved Hayden, too."
"I know, darling," she said, "but I think maybe I'd better do this alone. Just me and Hayden, maybe Puff Puppy if he'll behave himself." She heaved a melancholy sigh. "I'll wait until after the police have been here and gone. I should've called them a long time ago, but I simply couldn't face having them here. I appreciate your doing it, Val."
"I'm glad you let me call them," Valerie said. "This is getting to be really scary, especially when you think that somebody actually came into your house to do it."
Colette shivered anew. "Oh, the very thought," she cried. "I feel so . . . violated, Val darling, I can't begin to tell you."
"Well, I think that this was clearly a premeditated act," Valerie said. "But I don't think that whoever did it was after you."
Colette looked at her again. "You don't think so, really? It's just like with Eddie, isn't it? The same person, I would venture. Whoever murdered poor Noah knew exactly when and where and how. The same with Hayden." Her voice broke, and she paused a moment before continuing. "It's awful to think that someone would take out their hate on innocent animals, no matter who or what has angered them."
Valerie strode over and put an arm on Colette's shoulder, "patting her tenderly. "I have a feeling, Colette," she said, "that you and Eddie may not be the targets at all."
Colette looked up at her, her watery blue eyes questioning. "Then who, Val?" she asked.
Valerie went around and sat down at the table opposite her. "It sounds crazy, I guess," she said, "but Hayden and Noah were my patients, and you and Eddie are my friends. Neither you nor Eddie can think of anybody that might have a grudge against you." She paused and looked Colette in the eye. "But I know of at least one person who has one against me."
Colette's eyes widened in alarm, and her hand flew to her breast. "Oh, Val, darling," she cried. "You can't think ... but. . ."
Valerie nodded.
"Oh, it's too dreadful," Colette said. "Teddy surely couldn't do anything this repugnant."
"I don't really know what he's capable of," Valerie responded, "but I'm seriously thinking about it. I don't know who else both has a grudge a
gainst me and knows who my patients and friends are."
"Will you tell the police?" Colette asked.
"I don't honestly know," Valerie said. She sighed wearily. "I certainly don't want to, but we have to get to the bottom of this, Colette. If Teddy didn't have anything to do with these crimes, then he shouldn't have any problem proving it. At the same time, of course, I hate to put him through police questioning if he's innocent. Imagine how that'll make him feel."
"It's so hard to know what to do," Colette said. "I wonder what's keeping the police anyway?"
"They shouldn't be much longer," Valerie said.
Valerie's cell phone rang and startled them both.
"I guess I'm a little jumpy," Colette said.
"It's no wonder," Valerie replied, slipping the cell phone off her belt and flipping it open. "I'll just be a minute," she apologized.
Valerie pushed the talk button. "Valerie Rochelle," she said. As she listened, she slowly turned away so that Colette couldn't see her face. She didn't want her friend to catch the increasingly worried expression there.
"Doesn't sound good," she finally said, trying desperately to control her reaction to Wyn's news. She didn't want to disturb Colette unnecessarily. Colette had received enough terrible news today.
"Hold on for a minute, Wyn," she said. "I'm over at my friend Colette's, and I need to speak to her for just a moment." She pressed the hold button.
"Colette," she said, "there's an emergency out at Stonelair. Something's wrong with a horse. Will you be all right if I leave you alone until the police get here?"
"Of course, Val," Colette said. "You must go tend to the horse. There's not a thing more you can do for Hayden. Or me."
Valerie pressed the hold button again. "Wyn," she said, "I'll come right out there."
She pushed the end button, then snapped the phone shut and slipped it back on her belt. "I'm sorry, Colette," she said. "Are you sure you can handle the police?"
"Of course I can," Colette responded. "I may be old, but I'm not a fool."
"I didn't mean to imply that you were," Valerie said.
