MURDER ON A DESIGNER DIET

by Shawn Reilly Simmons

  “I’m going to need you to calm down. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

  Penelope reluctantly relaxed against the pillow. She looked towards the door when she heard a sharp knock and saw Officer Gomez walking towards them. She was back in uniform, her hat tucked under her arm.

  “What are you doing here?” Penelope asked, a fresh wave of exhaustion passing through her.

  “They found my card in your purse,” Officer Gomez said. She eyed Penelope’s head, then glanced down at her wrist. “A bystander called 911 to report you’d been pushed, said she saw the accident.”

  “Accident?” Penelope asked. “It was deliberate. Not an accident.”

  “Right, sorry,” Officer Gomez said. “What happened?”

  Penelope started to respond, but then turned her head and stared out the window without saying anything.

  Nurse Kurtz tucked a blanket around Penelope’s legs. “I’ll be right outside at the nurse’s station. And I’ll get you something for your headache after I talk to the doctor. Use the call button if you need anything else.”

  Penelope continued to stare out the window as tears slid down her cheeks.

  Officer Gomez sighed and pulled a chair closer to Penelope’s bed. She sat down, placed her hat in her lap and her hand on top of Penelope’s. “Penelope, do remember what happened?”

  Penelope squeezed her eyes closed tightly, fighting off a fresh wave of tears. She cleared her throat and said, “I was standing on the corner, waiting to cross, and someone pushed me from behind. That’s all I remember.”

  Officer Gomez nodded. “I talked to the responding officer, and that’s what the witnesses say too.”

  Penelope opened her eyes and looked at her. “What else did they say?”

  “That it was someone in a blue hoodie, male, tall with a slight build, white. Not much more than a general description, unfortunately.”

  “And what? He just got away? There must have been a hundred people around me on the street. No one stopped him?”

  “Looks that way. After he pushed you, the guy took off running through the park. No one chased him.”

  Penelope let out a harsh laugh.

  “I left a message for your boyfriend,” Officer Gomez said, “letting him know what happened and that you’re here. The officer who responded to the incident will be in touch with you to get a statement.”

  “What good is that going to do? Most likely he’s just going to get away with it.”

  “Unfortunately, there are people in this city who do these types of things. There’s random violence, mental illness—”

  “I was surrounded by people on that corner. There had to be a reason he picked me. Maybe I’m getting closer to finding out what happened Friday night. Christian was involved with some shady people.”

  “Look,” Officer Gomez said, “I know you’ve been through a lot the past couple of days, but maybe this isn’t related to Christian and Max. It could be a fluke, a random incident.”

  “I don’t think that at all. Max is still missing, right? And Christian is dead. I know something terrible has happened to Max, but no one will listen to me or give me a straight answer.”

  “What do you mean? Who won’t give you a straight answer?” Officer Gomez asked.

  “I went to the V in Chelsea and spoke with Sienna Wentworth about Max, trying to see if she’d heard from him or knew anything about where he might be.”

  “Right, she’s the designer. It was her show you were all at earlier. Detective Leary was going to talk with her today too.”

  “I broke the news to her, so I must have beat him there,” Penelope said foggily.

  “How did that go?” Officer Gomez said, sounding impressed. “Did you learn anything about Max’s whereabouts or Christian?”

  “No. Well, I started thinking that all of this might have something to do with his club promotion work. Maybe he got mixed up with someone dangerous,” Penelope said.

  Officer Gomez sniffed. “What, some wealthy investor didn’t get enough people in the door and decided to kill the head of advertising?”

  “You’d be surprised. The restaurant business in New York is competitive, and clubs are worse. I’ve heard stories, crazy stuff…outright intimidation and threats, property being destroyed because a new place opens up too close to a competitor. It wouldn’t surprise me,” Penelope said, gaining steam as she heard the idea taking shape. “Maybe Christian took payment for work he didn’t do, and they came to get their money back.”

  “Okay, maybe,” Officer Gomez said. “That’s worth looking into, sure. You find out anything else?”

  “Not really. There were other people there, one of the male models from the show and his girlfriend. I woke them all up, I think. Looked like they had been partying pretty hard.”

  Officer Gomez sat down and thought for a moment while Penelope closed her eyes, giving her head a rest.

  “Someone may have decided to follow you, hurt you, like you said,” Officer Gomez said. “Maybe it is someone connected with Christian.”

  “But who?” Penelope asked. “I barely knew Christian. Why would anyone want to hurt me on purpose?”

  “You did hear him get killed over the phone, and you’ve been asking around about it. It doesn’t have to be someone you’ve talked to…maybe the guy who pushed you was tipped off by a friend of a friend, someone involved in the investigation, to get you to stop asking questions.”

  Penelope sighed. “It’s all so confusing.”

  Officer Gomez stared at her for a few seconds. “Maybe it’s time you backed off of this. You’re hurt, possibly on purpose. If you did get too close to something that someone would kill for...I don’t want to find you shot dead on a floor somewhere.”

  A series of soft knocks on the door drew their attention to the doctor as he entered. He was flipping through screens on a tablet as he approached the bed. Without looking up, he asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I’ve been run over by a taxi,” Penelope said. She’d meant it as a joke, but no one laughed.

  “Luckily, you just bounced off a taxi. You hit the pavement pretty hard though.” The doctor set his tablet on the bed near Penelope’s feet and sanitized his hands, using the dispenser on the wall near the bed. He smiled at Penelope and placed his hands carefully around her neck, pressing gently along her jawbone.

  “I’ll let you go,” Officer Gomez said. She stood up from the chair and nodded tightly at Penelope. “I’m going to look into some of the things you mentioned, check back in with you later.”

  “Denise, wait,” Penelope said.

  Officer Gomez paused, raising her eyebrows in mild surprise.

  “Can you do me a favor and call my friend?”

  “I already called him, remember?” Officer Gomez said, flashing a quick smile at Penelope, the first one she’d seen.

  “No,” Penelope said, feeling weak. “Not him.”

  Chapter 20

  Penelope’s eyes unglued themselves once more, but this time instead of ceiling tiles, she saw Arlena’s face, smiling worriedly back at her from the visitor’s chair.

  “Thank God you’re okay,” Arlena said, her forehead creased with concern.

  Penelope smiled. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Of course. Pen, I’m so sorry this happened.” Arlena stood up and went to hug Penelope, being very careful not to squeeze too hard.

  Penelope eased herself into a seated position, keeping her sprained wrist elevated and making sure not to bump it on the bed’s railing. She’d done that when Nurse Kurtz was helping her get dressed, and bolts of lightning had raced up her arm and brought fresh tears to her eyes until the pain ebbed to a dull throb.

  “I must have dozed off,” Penelope said, glancing at the window. She could still see daylight, but could tell it was late afternoon from the r
ed-orange glow. “They said I could go.”

  Arlena nodded. “Yes, you’ve been released. I’m going to take care of you.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Penelope said. “I can manage if you just help me get my things together and get home. I’m feeling much better.”

  “Stop. I’m taking care of you,” Arlena said sternly. She picked up the plastic bag at the foot of the hospital bed and glanced inside. “Your purse is in here. And your shoes.” She pulled out Penelope’s sneakers and knelt down on the floor, sliding them onto Penelope’s feet and lacing them up.

  Penelope slid her purse out of the bag and dug in it with her uninjured hand for her phone. She had a few missed calls and a voicemail from an unknown number. Penelope’s heart swelled in her chest and she fought back tears as she watched Arlena’s long fingers tie her shoes. An unfamiliar ring sparkled on her index finger. “Where did you get that?”

  Arlena flattened her hand and looked at it. It was a jade ring exactly like the one she had seen Hannah wearing at Xapa. “It’s from Sienna’s line. She gave it to me as a gift a while ago.” She finished tying Penelope’s shoes and stood up.

  Nurse Kurtz entered. “How is your pain level?”

  “It’s better,” Penelope said. “It’s mostly my wrist and my ribcage.”

  “The wrist is a second-degree sprain, so you’re going to have pain and a loss of function for a while. Your ribs on your left side are bruised, but there are no fractures. You’re very lucky you didn’t break any bones.”

  “And what about this?” Arlena asked, pointing to the purple and yellow bruise forming around Penelope’s eye and across the right side of her forehead. Two butterfly bandages stretched across a gash over her eyebrow. “Does she have a concussion?”

  “No, she took impact there from the pavement, but the CT scan ruled that out. Continue with the cold compresses and the bruising should subside within a week to ten days. The best thing you can do is rest. We’ll schedule a follow-up for you here, or you can do it with your own doctor.”

  “I’ll do it here,” Penelope said. “I’m working nearby, so it’ll be more convenient.”

  Nurse Kurtz looked at her with mild surprise. “You shouldn’t be in a hurry to get back to work. Don’t put any strain on that wrist or you’ll risk nerve damage, which is much harder to recover from.”

  “Okay, I promise,” Penelope said, sliding off the side of the bed. Arlena put out her arm for support until Penelope felt stable enough to stand on her own.

  Nurse Kurtz warned Penelope again to rest, then pulled a wheelchair from right outside the door.

  “I don’t need that,” Penelope said a bit sharply. She didn’t want to be rude to the kind nurse, but the urge to walk out of the hospital under her own steam was overwhelming.

  “Hospital policy,” Nurse Kurtz said. “Only to the lobby, then you’re free to go.”

  “Just sit down,” Arlena said. “Can I push her?”

  “Sure,” Nurse Kurtz said. She got Penelope situated in the chair and put the plastic bag containing her personal items on her lap. Arlena wheeled Penelope out of the room and down the elevator to the lobby, Nurse Kurtz observing them the whole time. When they walked out the sliding glass doors in front of the hospital, a Lincoln Town Car slid up to the curb in front of them. The driver jumped out and opened the rear door, helping Penelope ease down into the seat. Arlena walked around to the other side of the car, slipping on her large sunglasses and pulling her thin sweatshirt hood up over her head.

  “What hotel?” Arlena asked as she settled into her seat. “We’ll get you settled, then I’m going to have to eat again. Stressing about Max is helping my weight gain, at least.” She looked down at her stomach and rubbed it, as if it were any less flat than it had been a few days before.

  “Tribeca Loft,” Penelope said, leaning back against the leather seat and closing her eyes.

  Remembering the voicemail from the unknown number on her phone, she sat up again and listened to it, surprised to hear Joey’s voice. He sounded distant, and there was a lot of background noise, like he was in a restaurant or a bar.

  “Penny, I just checked my messages and heard about the accident. The officer who called didn’t give me any details, so I don’t know what’s going on. I’m upstate at the cabin, and my phone doesn’t work out here. I can use the phone at the diner to get messages. There’s a snow storm coming through, but I’m going to close up the cabin and get back on the road, down to you. Call me and let me know what’s going on.” She could hear the worried tension in his voice and her stomach tightened. She called his number and left a message, letting him know she’d been released from the hospital and was on her way back to the hotel. She finished by saying, “Hearing your voice has made me feel better. Please call me back when you can. Can’t wait to see you.”

  The car slid away from the hospital and Penelope dropped the phone in her lap, breathing a sigh of relief, which pinched her ribcage. She put her hand lightly against her side and thought about how much worse she could have been hurt if she had fallen in front of the car instead of on top of it.

  Arlena pulled out her phone and looked at the screen. “I can’t believe I haven’t heard from Max yet. I’m really worried about him.” She dug in her purse and plucked out a bag of Peanut M&M’s.

  “Where did you get those?” Penelope asked, her stomach rumbling.

  “Vending machine,” Arlena said, popping three colorful candies in her mouth. She tilted the bag towards Penelope, who thanked her and took one.

  Penelope looked at the clock on the dashboard. It was a little after five in the afternoon. “I’ve been out of it most of the day...there’s been no news?”

  “Nope. Daddy’s been looking for him all day,” she said through a mouthful of chocolate.

  “What about Hannah?”

  Arlena shook her head. “Whatever those two are up to, we have no idea.”

  “How are you feeling about the pregnancy test in Max’s apartment?” Penelope asked.

  Arlena closed her eyes and laid her head heavily against the headrest, crumpling the candy bag in her fist. She let out a single sharp laugh. “I’m having a hard time believing it’s true. I mean…” She trailed off.

  “I’m sorry,” Penelope said. “It’s none of my business. I was just looking around his apartment because we were all so worried.”

  Arlena shook her head. “I’m surprised, is all. And look at everything he’s put us through today. You end up in the hospital, Daddy is worried sick, and I’m totally stressed out. I’m going to strangle him.”

  Penelope was quiet for a few beats as Arlena angrily ate a few more M&Ms. “How do you feel about Max becoming a father?”

  Arlena crossed her arms tightly across her chest. “If Max wants to start a family, that’s his decision. But I know my brother. I just don’t think he’s ready for that kind of responsibility. And with Hannah? How are the two of them going to manage a baby?”

  “I thought the same thing,” Penelope said. “But Max has a great heart. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”

  Arlena nodded reluctantly. “Yes, he is a good person. Luckily, he has the means to hire any help he needs. It’s not like they won’t be able to afford a nanny. Daddy will be happy…he loves babies.”

  “Wow, Randall Madison is going to be a grandfather,” Penelope said, smiling cautiously.

  Arlena rolled her eyes and laughed. “I guess that makes me Aunt Arlena.”

  The car pulled in front of the hotel and the driver opened the doors for them.

  Arlena helped Penelope gather up her things from the room, folding her clothes and placing them in one of Penelope’s gym bags Arlena had brought from the house.

  When they finished packing, Penelope ducked into the bathroom for one last check to be sure she hadn’t left anything behind.

  Arlena’s phone
rang and she pulled it from her purse. “It’s Daddy.”

  Penelope pulled the shower curtain aside and glanced at the tub, grabbing a shampoo bottle she’d left on the ledge. When she came out she saw Arlena sitting in one of the club chairs, her face an expression of grim surprise.

  “What is it?” Penelope asked. She could hear Randall’s voice shouting on the other end of the phone.

  Arlena pulled the phone from her ear. “We’ve found Max. He’s been arrested for murder.”

  Chapter 21

  Arlena hung up with her father and stared out of the hotel window in stunned silence.

  “What happened?” Penelope asked.

  “He’s been arrested. Daddy doesn’t have all the details yet, but from what Max told him on the phone, they’re charging him with Christian’s murder.”

  Penelope walked to the table and sat down in the opposite chair facing Arlena, the small dining table in between them. “Where was he when they arrested him?”

  “Somewhere in the Village,” Arlena said, breaking off her stare and looking at Penelope.

  “Was he with Hannah?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t think so. Daddy didn’t say,” Arlena said. “He’s so upset. I don’t know what to do.”

  Penelope reached across the table with her good hand and held it out to Arlena, who reached over to take it. They sat like that for a minute while Penelope thought about what to say. “Did Randall say what evidence they have against Max?”

  Arlena rubbed Penelope’s fingers with her own. “No, except they had proof he was at the murder scene, and Max had blood on his clothes when they took him into custody.” She released Penelope’s hand and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms loosely at her waist.

  “Where is he now?”

  “Some precinct in Lower Manhattan,” Arlena said. “Daddy is on his way over there. With my luck, he’ll punch somebody and get arrested too. And I’ll be on my own to help them.”