Full Bodied Murder

by Christine E. Blum

  The good news was that orthopedics shared the same floor as labor and delivery, so once we arrived, we saw more happy people than otherwise. We checked in at the nurses’ station and although it was an hour before visitors were allowed, Jack charmed our way into Sally’s room.

  Her right shoulder was heavily bandaged and she looked pale and in pain. But she brightened somewhat when she saw us.

  “You two are a sight for sore eyes,” she said, trying to smile.

  Jack gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “How’re you doing?” I asked, getting mad all over again at Tala.

  I noticed that she looked sad; getting shot traumatizes even the most stoic.

  “Well, unfortunately the bullet didn’t cauterize the bleeding as it often does, so I needed immediate surgery and a transfusion. Then the ortho surgeon performed debridement and sutured up my wound. Because of the clavicle damage they had to go back in and do an ORIF. An internal clavicle fixation,” she explained, seeing the confused and petrified look on Jack’s face.

  “I am so sorry I wasn’t there to stop them,” Jack apologized.

  “How could you have known? We didn’t tell anyone and we didn’t really have a plan. That was our stupidity and our desperation.”

  She paused and took a sip of water, still very weak.

  “This is all my fault, I should not have roped you into this, Sally. Besides when the cops arrived and saw that I was holding a gun, they pretty much called housekeeping at the California Women’s Prison and told them to get my room ready.”

  “Now, worrying is about as useful as a doggie door on a submarine, Halsey, we will all set them straight.”

  “And how about that sexy shiner?” Jack said. “Tala kicked Halsey after she shot you.”

  Sally winced and I struck a pouty pose.

  “Well, that should prove that she was also the one on the roof of Chill Out. She’s in custody, isn’t she? And Musso?” Sally asked.

  Jack started tugging on his beard.

  “What?”

  “They got away; by the time the cops sorted things out, their plane had taken off.”

  Jack continued to work on his beard.

  “That’s why we have extradition, she should be arrested and sent right back here!”

  More tugging.

  “Out with it, Jack!”

  “Well, the only gun they found was in Halsey’s hand, so they really don’t have any evidence that it was Tala who pulled the trigger.”

  “See what I mean about being measured for an orange jumpsuit?”

  “What about Tala’s prints, they must have been found on the weapon? Even if it did end up in the pool.”

  “Not enough.” Jack was sullen.

  “Ooh, that makes me twelve kinds of angry.”

  Jack took a quick look out into the hallway.

  “Listen,” he lowered his voice. “The cops will be here to question you any minute now. We’ve got to convince them that you and Halsey did nothing wrong, and erase how bad this looks in their minds now. Tell the truth, of course, but it’s important that you seem confident, forceful, and very credible. You up for that?”

  “Hell yeah.”

  She realized that she didn’t sound convincing.

  Sally rang for the nurse.

  “You need something?” Jack quickly asked, turning white.

  Sally put her index finger to her lips.

  “And Halsey, you need to say nothing, nothing!”

  Yeah, good luck with that.

  “You okay, Sally?” The nurse responded almost immediately over the speaker.

  “I’m fine, Melissa. Listen, Dr. Redding okayed a B12, it would be great if I could get that shot now.”

  “Umm, I don’t see it updated in your chart. . . .”

  “Mel, you were there when he said it. I just need a little energy boost. We used to give each other B12 shots all the time when we worked together for Dr. Levin.”

  There was a pause.

  “Gimme five.”

  Sally smiled and winked at us.

  * * *

  “So you are saying that you two broke into this guy Musso’s backyard?”

  Detective Marquez and Augie had crammed into her room, making it tight quarters with Jack and myself there and an orderly taking Sally’s blood pressure.

  There had been a big argument right from the start because they wanted to question Sally alone. Jack and Detective Marquez stood face-to-face, about an inch away from each other. I actually did keep my mouth shut. Finally Sally prevailed.

  “Here’s the deal, fellas. I didn’t sleep well last night and I can see that my blood pressure is high.”

  The orderly looked at her confused and Sally gave him a slight headshake. He wrote in her chart and left.

  “Jack and Halsey calm me down, we’ve known each other for years, we’re practically related.”

  Jack started to look up and caught himself.

  “So either they stay and I’ll answer your questions, or you ask them to leave and I ask the nurse for a sedative. Either way is fine by me.”

  And so the interrogation began.

  “What was the question again?”

  “You were saying that you two broke into Musso’s backyard.”

  “Very clever, Detective, but I am not going to let you put words in my mouth. I assure you, I can formulate a perfectly proper sentence on my own.”

  “So how did you end up in Musso’s yard,” he re-asked, swallowing a whole lot of frustration.

  “We were in our neighbor Marisol’s backyard, at the far end where she keeps her recycling. Did you know that recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run your television for three hours? I sense you’re a Duck Dynasty fan?”

  He ignored the question and stared at her. Augie stopped taking notes and joined in the staring contest.

  Sally cleared her throat.

  “We had Halsey’s dog Bardot with us and while we were saving the planet, Bardot discovered a loose slat in the fence and slipped through into his yard. She must have seen a squirrel. Halsey and I quickly went after her.”

  “So you weren’t spying on Musso and his girlfriend Tala?”

  “Puh-lease,” I said and got a death stare from Sally.

  “Why on earth would we do that?”

  Sally went on to recount the facts (pretty much) of what ensued.

  “And that’s how the cops found me, hands tied, hemorrhaging from my subscapularis where Tala shot me.”

  “Was anyone else there to witness this?”

  “I was! And if you ever find him, Musso.” I was about to lose it.

  “Yes, we have your statement, Ms. Hall, and we are looking for Musso now, but it seems that he may have left on the plane with Tala under an alias.”

  “You shouldn’t need to wait, this is as clear as day. That asstard bitch shot me and I want her put away for good!”

  There’s the Sally I love.

  “Without more evidence we can’t even begin applying for extradition,” Augie said sheepishly. “Plus, it’s clear that the gun in Halsey’s hand was fired, forensics found GSR.”

  “And with no other witnesses, we are pretty much done,” the detective added.

  “Are you kidding me?” Jack was on his feet and in the detective’s face. Both men on reflex reached for their holsters.

  “Jack, calm down,” Sally entreated. “You’re going to raise your systolic.”

  Jack didn’t move but his breathing was slowing down.

  Sally closed her eyes and appeared to be dozing off. When she opened them suddenly, it was clear that she had thought of something.

  “Now, you guys listen to me. I saw who shot me and it was Tala. The gun that Halsey had did go off, but that bullet went God knows where. Your people should be looking for it. Marisol may have seen where it went, I take it that you’ve talked to her?”

  They looked confused and Augie hung down his head.

  “Who the hell is driving this bus?�
� I yelled and Jack reeled me into him.

  “NO? Marisol’s the one who called the cops initially. She had to have given a statement to the first responders, and I’ll bet she saw the whole thing.” Sally gave me a calming look; I caught her drift and made a mental note to call Marisol.

  “I can handle that part; as soon as we leave, I’ll go speak with her,” Augie said.

  “You can’t look at the police report? Jesus, one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing.”

  Sally was visibly tired.

  “Who’s got the bullet they took out of me? Melissa, can you come in for a minute?” she asked after hitting the nurses’ call button.

  “I don’t think we’ve logged it in, so it should still be here. It is SOP to keep everything as evidence. I’ll be right in,” Melissa said over the intercom.

  “Hi, hon,” Sally said when she walked in. “Do you think someone can track down the bullet they removed from me and give it to these fine officers of the law?”

  “I’ll call down for it.”

  I smiled at Sally.

  “You’re going to want to write this down. When you get the bullet, you are going to know if it could have been fired from the gun that has Halsey’s prints on it. You’re going to find that the bullet I was shot with is too small and had to have come from a different gun.”

  “That would still not be enough to bring Tala back, but we’ll check on it.”

  “Of course you will. Now if you don’t mind waiting outside for your evidence, I’m going to have my nap now,” Sally said, dismissing them.

  “It may not be enough for Tala, but it’ll prove that I didn’t shoot anybody.” I gave them a steely stare.

  Once the door closed behind them, Sally gave us a wink and a hug with her one good arm.

  Chapter 32

  “So the two of them have just disappeared?” Peggy asked, taking a healthy tug on her wine.

  We’d pulled out all the stops for Christmas and were enjoying a Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel California Désirée Chocolate Dessert Wine. This luscious liquid dessert is meant to be sipped, but try telling that to this crowd.

  “They have a manifest from the airline that shows that Tala was onboard a flight from LAX to Honolulu, but nothing after that, and no records for Musso.”

  We were having the “Secret Santa” Wine Club and Aimee was hosting it. Several weeks prior we had each drawn names to let us know whom we’d be buying a Christmas gift for. It was supposed to be a surprise, but with this group that is nearly impossible. Cassie had consulted me on what to get for Sally, Peggy suddenly got up in one Wine Club and started measuring my torso, and Aimee had let everyone know that she didn’t care; she was getting everyone a gift.

  “It’s really a damn shame,” said Sally, pale and a bit fragile. “Even now that we know the bullet I was shot with came from a much smaller gun.”

  “Well at least it’s over with, she sure as heck isn’t going to come back here,” Aimee said, laying out napkins printed with ’TIS THE SEASON TO DRINK WINE on them.

  “It sounds to me like this was a love triangle gone terribly wrong,” said Cassie.

  “I wouldn’t call this all tied up and wrapped with a Christmas bow just yet,” Peggy said, looking concerned. “Why on God’s green earth would they need to set my house on fire? I’ve hardly ever talked to them.” She punctuated her statement by licking the peppermint frosting off a cupcake.

  “People have killed for less,” Cassie said.

  Aimee walked in carrying a scrumptious-looking platter.

  “There’s another tray in the kitchen, can somebody grab it?”

  Cassie zipped out, as best as she could while wearing green felt elf shoes with the toes curled up.

  We had all dressed up for the occasion. Peggy was sporting a hand-knit sweater with a patchwork-quilted square sewn into the center. Quilting was Peggy’s specialty and this one did not disappoint. Lest you think it was one of those Granny holiday jobs depicting “Twelve maids a-milking” in the style of Hummel figurines, let me clarify.

  Peggy collected the most beautiful fabric swatches going back sixty years. Damask with gold filaments, crisp linens, brocades, moiré silks, all in the most gorgeous colors and patterns. And she had a great eye for composition. When the event called for Peggy to set aside her fleece and bring out the good stuff, she brought it.

  Sally stood tall and regal despite her bandaged shoulder in a Ralph Lauren sweater and pants. She looked like a guest at the Ahwahnee Lodge who had suffered a small skiing mishap.

  Aimee had the day off and was finally able to exchange her Chill Out togs for something more festive. She’d chosen a mini dress in traditional red over which she wore a cropped black leather motorcycle jacket.

  I’d had to change in the last minute as work was really heating up with the Coast Guard project. I chose brown leggings, ankle boots, and a vintage ’50s oversized turquoise and tan sweater that I had gotten at a thrift shop in lower Manhattan. I was going for the ’60s Mod look. And did I mention that it was sixty-eight degrees outside?

  “Okay, for today’s festivities we will be enjoying a sampling of Mexican street food,” Aimee proudly announced, laying down a beautiful and intriguing tray of comestibles.

  “How Christmassy,” said Peggy, clapping her hands with delight. I suspect that I was the only one to pick up on the veiled sarcasm. But then, that’s my forte.

  “I’m going to need some descriptions on this, but it all looks fabulous,” Sally said.

  Okay, so it wasn’t Swedish meatballs and spiced nut cheese logs. My knowledge of Mexican food consisted of the guacamole and nachos I ate at one a.m. after a long night of clubs and bars, so I was excited.

  “I think that’s everything from the back. Yummy,” Cassie said, making an entrance. Did I mention the elf shoes? How about the accompanying red and white bolero pants?

  “It’s called ‘street food’ because that is what you find when you visit the non-touristy towns, particularly in the Yucatán. Tom and I discovered it when we backpacked down the peninsula all the way to Belize. We carried an inflatable kayak the whole way but only used it once. We were too busy enjoying the open-sided palapas kitchens and the local culture.”

  Food and all sorts of cuisines were Aimee’s métier. She really needs to leave the frozen yogurt gig behind. She could run almost any kind of great restaurant. She just needs a little encouragement and some self-esteem.

  “So what have we got?” Sally asked, carefully perusing the array as if she were surveying a mountain panorama for a section to paint.

  “These are mini chipotle shrimp tostadas. We’ve got jicama and mango salsa. That goes with these homemade plantain chips. There are two kinds of guac, small chorizo and apricot tamales, and Cassie has a bunch of sauces and veggies and chips on that tray.”

  Spontaneously we all stood up and applauded.

  Marisol, who had just walked in, thought that she was the one getting such a warm reception.

  “And for our imbibing pleasure,” I added, having been told in advance about the menu, “I’ll be serving a zesty, crisp and bright Albariño from Spain. It should be perfect for this repast as it is ice cold, has notes of grapefruit and pineapple, and will calm the sting from even the spiciest of peppers.”

  “Damn cops must be really anal retentive,” Marisol said, dropping onto the sofa, “after I explained everything to Augie they sent over another officer to write it all down. What kind of food is this?” Marisol asked, trying to disguise her mouth watering.

  “How nice of you to join us, Marisol. However did you know that we were having a little gathering?” I asked and got a squinted eye response.

  “So now, do they have enough to put Tala away for good?” Cassie asked.

  “They think so,” Marisol replied, “they just need to get the sign off from the DA.”

  “That makes me happier than a turtle on an escalator,” Sally exclaimed.

  “I propose a toast, to getting back to
normal and to saying ‘sayonara’ to the murderer of Rose Avenue.” Cassie took off her elf ears and placed them over her heart.

  I wondered why I didn’t feel better about this and then noticed that Peggy and Marisol were also not displaying exuberance.

  “Who wants another glass of wine?” Aimee said to the group.

  Hands went up, and Cassie waved with aplomb, as if only one person could be chosen for this fantastic elixir.

  * * *

  It was well after dark before the holiday Wine Club broke up. Marisol had left before me, saying something about an early dinner with Augie, which of course, got my curiosity up.

  As I was passing the ugly, rotting fence of Musso’s house, I felt something grab my arm and then a hand go over my mouth.

  Not again. Really?

  I was dragged up the driveway from behind and lifted into the house. Once the door shut, I was released.

  “I hope I didn’t hurt you,” said a soothing male voice. “Sorry, I don’t want to turn the lights on but this may help.”

  A soft glow emanated from a cell phone and when my eyes adjusted, I recognized Musso. I gasped and tried to recoil toward the door.

  “Calm down, Halsey, I mean you no harm,” he said, raising his palms up to show he was sincere.

  “Why are you still here?” I asked.

  “I want to come clean and explain. I think that Tala killed Rosa; I’m the one that sent in the video.”

  The cell phone light went off, sending us back into blackness. For a second nothing happened and then I heard and smelled a match being struck. Then it touched the wick of a candle and we were bathed in warm, flickering low light. He brushed his long straight hair back and I saw something in his face that I had never seen before. Emotion. It really was a nice face.

  “I’ve seen the video, and even enhanced, it is hard to make out anything more than the person in it is a woman, what makes you think that it was Tala?”

  “She wasn’t at home when it was shot but all the cars were still here. And she knew about me and Rosa.” He dropped his head in silence.

  “Maybe she went for a walk; where is she now?” I asked, slowly looking around and fearing the worst.

  “I don’t know really. After she shot your friend, I made a deal with her that I would give her enough money to go wherever she wanted, as long as I never saw her again. How is your friend, I heard that she was shot. I didn’t know that Tala had her own gun.”