“It so happens I already have my first case. A big one.”
“Yeah? How big can it be?”
“Big. As in murder big. I can’t say more than that.”
He laughed out loud. “Of course you can’t. You made that up. Who would hire a brand-new private dick to investigate a murder case, especially you.” He laughed again.
“Oh, fuck you.” Josie got up and kicked her way through the basement, her father chuckling behind her. She found her mother still at the table, her plate full of untouched food and a full glass of orange juice in her hand.
“Did you have a nice chat?” Elaine said.
Josie walked past her and out the door.
Chapter Ten
Lauren dropped the plastic grocery bag on her kitchen counter. It held her skirt and top, stuffed into her stiletto shoes with room to spare. She wore painters pants and an old T-shirt Cory dug out of her dresser, with flip-flops on her feet. She was chilly, but not in comparison to how cold she’d been in the bar the night before. Being home again felt like a warm bath, which she intended to take first thing.
It was noon; the church bells started ringing as Cory dropped her off. Lauren should have given her a decoy address; her Lincoln Park house set off another round of questions from Cory about who she was and what she’d been playing at in the bar. They’d made love far into the night and again when they woke up, and talk was minimal, but Cory’s curiosity couldn’t be held off much longer. Their lovemaking had surprised Lauren. She’d had the best twelve hours she’d had in a year. She almost felt sad she wouldn’t be seeing Cory again.
She went up to the master suite and started to draw a bubble bath in the enormous tub Kelly had picked out. The humiliation of the night before felt quite real, while everything else in her life felt abstract. Her life as a business executive was all she had, and these stupid games of Tim’s were ruining her reputation. She’d lost all contact with the few people she counted as friends because they’d abandoned her after her arrest or Lauren never returned their calls. She had no one to reflect anything back to her, no one but Tim with his wildly distorted lens.
The fact her parents were being held somewhere, terrified and dependent on her for their lives, felt increasingly like a novel she might find engrossing and suspenseful, but with no real ability to affect her. The more time that passed without seeing or talking to them, the less she found herself willing to do whatever it took to keep them alive. They no longer felt real. This last assignment from Tim had required her to dig deeper than she thought possible. She might simply crack if he asked her to do much more.
Yet the few hours of sex with Cory reminded her of what feeling good was like. Cory was a gentle but thorough lover and Lauren had abandoned herself to the pleasure. She felt momentarily victorious—the very thing Tim thought would make her the most uncomfortable turned out to be the only pleasurable thing she’d done in months.
She was in her bath when the door flew open and slammed against the wall. Tim strolled into the bathroom and looked down at her. Lauren kept washing.
“I thought that would get a scream out of you,” he said. “I’m a little disappointed.”
Lauren lay back in the tub and closed her eyes while Tim sat on the toilet on the other side of the room and pulled out his phone. He was dressed as a hipster, the first time Lauren felt he’d misfired on his choice of clothing. He was far too old for the skinny jeans, the wool cap pulled down to his eyes. His shirt coordinated with his pants and the scarf bunched around his neck. Each piece of his ensemble looked brand new. He was the hipster you’d bring home to Mom and Dad.
“I see your trick for the night dropped you home,” he said. “I got some photos of her. Him? Her, I guess. Very handsome all the same and I have to say, well done you. I really expected you were going to flee her place as soon as you could, but you stuck it out.”
Lauren turned her head toward him. “Does that get me anything?” There were still remnants of makeup rimming her eyes.
“Huh. I hadn’t thought about that. But fair’s fair. Let me consider it.” He was sitting with his legs crossed and his chin on his fist. Rodin’s The Thinker on the toilet.
Lauren finished cleaning herself and rose from the tub. She was beyond any modesty with him. Tim stared at her with a critical eye.
“You’re looking a little thin, sis. That prison diet didn’t agree with you? I’ve heard about the bologna sandwiches at Cook County Jail. Nasty.”
She pulled on a robe and headed downstairs. Tim didn’t immediately follow. She was trying to pretend he wasn’t there, like a small child squeezing her eyes shut to make the bad thing go away. She put on a pot of coffee and pulled one mug from the cabinet. Tim came in a few minutes later. She’d have to sweep for bugs again. He liked to put them in her bedroom, as if anything happened in there but tossing and turning and a little bit of sleep.
“I’ve thought this over,” he said. He put his phone on the kitchen counter. “I’m going to show you a video I took of Mom and Dad yesterday. I was going to use it as a motivator, but what the hell. I can be generous. Consider it a reward.”
He clicked his way to the photo function and brought up a video. Lauren stared at it from a few feet away. When Tim started it, she walked over and took the phone from him.
John and Helen sat at a small Formica table, their hands clasped together. She could see the stub of her father’s index finger. Behind her parents there was an old, round-top refrigerator and some dingy cabinets, but not much else. There was no window in sight, no way to place them anywhere other than in a run-down house.
A newspaper lay in front of them and John picked it up so it faced the camera, while Tim zoomed in to show the date on the Tribune’s front page.
“It’s been a while now since we’ve been able to talk to you,” John said. “The days and months run into each other. Everything seems long.”
Lauren saw her mother grip John’s hand tighter, trying to hold herself together. They were always hanging on to each other, as far back as she could remember.
“I know you’re doing what Tim says to keep us alive,” Helen said. “We’ve talked to him. He doesn’t listen to reason. You’ll have to figure something out.” Lauren was shocked to hear her mother plead. “You can’t let us die, Lauren.” She could hear Tim laugh in the background. “He’s told us some of the things he’s been making you do while he has us captive here…”
The video shut off and then started up again. Helen picked up where she left off. “I’ve just been reminded to not give you any hints as to where he’s keeping us. Unfortunately, I’m not clever enough to think of any.
“He’s not hurting us,” she went on, “as long as you do as he says. I simply don’t know how it will end.”
The video ended. Lauren saw Tim studying her. “You do know if you don’t keep up, I’ll kill them. I don’t think I’ve given you any reason to doubt that. And if anything happens to me, they’ll die from starvation. I’m the only one who knows where they are, and there aren’t any neighbors. I’ve given you your proof of life. Let’s go on from here.”
The part of Tim that chilled Lauren the most was he didn’t seem the least bit crazy. What he was doing was crazy, but his manner was completely calm and measured. After years of aimlessness, he’d finally gotten serious about something, and this was the work he’d chosen. There was no exit strategy she could come up with that didn’t involve getting her parents killed.
“So, now we’ve exchanged all this goodwill, I think I’ll leave you alone for a few days. I need to think up your next assignment. This is very creative work, don’t you think?”
Lauren held tight to her mug and swung it as fast as she could at Tim’s face. He caught her wrist just before it reached him and then gave her a backhand slap, nearly in one motion. Lauren staggered back, her bare feet slipping in the spilled coffee. She crashed against the counter before she dropped to the floor.
“Oh, my God,” Tim said, staring down a
t Lauren. “What possessed you to do that? Did you think you’d kill me with a coffee mug? I’m embarrassed for you.” He watched her sitting slightly dazed in a puddle of coffee. “And you know this has consequences.”
Lauren scrambled up to face Tim. “No. Do not take this out on them.” She tried to hide the desperation in her voice and sound contrite. “I’m sorry I tried to hit you. I must have snapped.” She saw Tim’s face settle into stone. “It was wrong.”
“Nice try, Lauren. Don’t give up your day job for an acting career. You’ll starve.”
He shoved his phone into his pocket and turned to leave.
“What are you doing?” Lauren said.
Tim turned back with a big smile. “I’m going to see Mom and Dad, of course. I’ll be sure to tell them you were thinking about them before you tried to cave in my pretty face.”
Lauren froze. “Tim, please don’t hurt them. They can’t take much more.” Lauren was pleading now, and Tim watched her, enjoying her groveling. “Hurt me if you have to hurt someone.”
“No, no, no. Your guilt is the whole point of this. It’s delicious to watch. It practically oozes from your pores,” he said, heading for the door. “Keep a lookout for a package. I’ll have Mom wrap the gift up nice and pretty.”
She couldn’t believe she’d put them in so much jeopardy. She wouldn’t win any points with her parents for this. In a moment of selfish anger she’d put them in even more danger.
Chapter Eleven
Josie met with Kelly’s younger sister on Sunday afternoon at the Starbucks in Nikki’s condo building. Josie was on time; Nikki was a half hour late. Josie had time to review Nikki’s police statement, which wasn’t long and centered on Nikki telling the police about Kelly’s affair with Ann-Marie. That was the most damning evidence against Lauren, as far as Josie was concerned.
Josie identified Nikki as soon as she walked through the door. Based on the photos of Kelly she’d seen, Nikki looked like Kelly’s twin. She had the same long, silky hair, carefully made-up face, and stylish clothes. The only distinguishing feature seemed to be Nikki wasn’t dead.
“Sorry, sorry,” Nikki said. She sat down across the small table from Josie and thrust out her hand. “I overslept! God, I hate being late.”
She didn’t look like she was sorry in the least, the mark of the chronically late. Sleeping until two in the afternoon usually meant one of two things, insomnia or hangover. Nikki wore the mask of the deeply hungover. Josie knew the look intimately.
“Thanks for meeting,” Josie said, returning the handshake. “I’m sorry for your loss. You must have been close to your sister.”
“Yeah, we were close. But it’s been a few months since she passed. I’m doing a lot better.” She plucked her wallet from her purse and went to the counter to order a drink. Apparently the drink required every ingredient available in the coffee shop. It took ages before Nikki returned carrying an enormous cup with a mountain of whipped cream on top.
“So tell me again why you’re investigating Kelly’s death.” Nikki took a sip and slowly licked the whipped cream from her top lip. Josie found it curiously unappealing. A year ago she would have taken it as an invitation to leap over the table at her.
“There are people who feel Kelly’s real killer is still out there.”
“Who hired you?” Nikki said. She was now reducing the mound of whipped cream through a direct assault with her tongue. She seemed only vaguely interested in the murder.
“I can’t say, I’m afraid. But I can say they want to know justice is being done for Kelly.”
Nikki considered this for a moment and then shrugged. She was starting to remind Josie of Bev’s teenage daughter. “I don’t know what I can do, but if you want to ask me questions I’m cool with that.”
“As I understand it, you’re the one who first told the police Kelly was having an affair. How did that come about?”
Nikki was simultaneously drinking, fiddling with her phone, and absentmindedly listening to Josie. “The detective who told my folks Kelly had been murdered came back to their house the day after. I was there with them. My parents were kind of in shock, so the police asked me most of the questions. They asked a lot about Kelly and Lauren’s relationship, and I could tell they didn’t know about Kelly’s affair with Ann-Marie. So I told them.”
“I imagine they found that interesting,” Josie said.
“Oh, yeah. I hadn’t really thought about whether Lauren had killed Kelly. I didn’t know she’d been arrested. But when I thought about it later I could see where people would think she had. It happens all the time in the movies, right?”
“Do you think Lauren did it?” Josie asked.
She shrugged again. “I don’t know. There are some things that make it seem obvious, but from what I know about Lauren, I can’t really see it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’d think there’d be more heat in their relationship. You know, crime of passion. I didn’t see much passion between Kelly and Lauren.”
“Tell me about them.”
Josie got her notebook out, which seemed to wake Nikki up. “Honestly, I didn’t know them as a couple very well. I mean, they’re the only gay couple I know, so I’m not sure what’s normal. Kelly wasn’t close to my folks, so they didn’t come around for family stuff. And they had a totally different set of friends from mine. But Kelly and I talked on the phone a lot and she seemed happy.” She peered at the notebook.
“What did you think when you saw them together?” Josie said.
“I went over to their house occasionally, but most of the time Lauren was working when I was there. When she was at home she left Kelly and me to ourselves, but she was always nice to me, and she was sweet to Kelly. She always kissed her hello or good-bye, and she pampered her a lot.”
“You mean she gave Kelly lots of things.”
“Pretty much whatever she wanted.” Nikki looked a little peeved about that.
“Did Kelly talk about Lauren’s money?”
“I’d say she bragged about it. To me, anyway. I’m sure Kelly loved Lauren, but I think she loved her money more.”
Nikki slurped down the rest of her drink and looked at the time on her phone. “I’m going to be late meeting a friend,” she said. Josie didn’t think being late was really much of a concern for her.
“How did you find out about Kelly’s affair?” Josie asked.
“She called me the morning after Lauren found out about it. It was really early, like the middle of the night early, and I was pissed she woke me up. But she was frantic. She told me she’d come home the night before and Lauren could tell she’d been with someone. How is that, by the way? Is that a lesbian thing?”
Josie didn’t respond.
“Oh. I thought you were gay. Sorry.” Nikki looked chagrined, like she’d just told Josie she thought she had herpes and was apologizing for thinking so. Josie thought of the hundreds of things she could say in response but kept her mouth shut instead.
“What else did she say?” Josie said.
“She said she was a little drunk and kind of a bitch about it when she admitted the truth to Lauren. Then she was angry Lauren didn’t act mad about it. But Lauren never acted mad about anything, and that drove Kelly a little crazy. I think Kelly had the affair to see if Lauren cared, but then she panicked about the money. She didn’t know if Lauren was going to kick her out or not.”
“Did Kelly tell you before she died what Lauren decided?” Josie said.
“No. I talked to her the day before and she was still walking on eggshells. Lauren was keeping to herself. All she would tell Kelly is she needed time to think about things. That was the last time I talked to her.”
Josie was struck by how blasé Nikki was about her sister’s death. “Can you think of anyone else who might have wanted Kelly dead?”
Nikki put her purse on the table, ready to go. “I really can’t. I thought about Lauren’s parents, that they might be really pissed at the
way Kelly was going through Lauren’s money. It’s really a guess. I can’t think of anyone who’d want her dead.”
“Where were you the day she died, say from the afternoon through evening?” Josie said.
“I get it. You have to ask everyone this, right?”
“Right.”
“Well, this is easy. I left work at five and went out for cocktails with friends and then on to dinner. They can vouch for me.”
Josie wrote down Nicki’s parent’s names and phone numbers. Then she asked Nikki where she worked.
“I work in marketing at Jones Bell.”
“Same sort of work as Kelly,” Josie said.
Nikki shrugged. “I guess,” she said. “Different companies, but I might not be there much longer. I’m applying for Kelly’s job, which is much cooler than mine. The person they hired after Kelly didn’t work out. It’s looking like I’ll get it. Isn’t that awesome?”
Nikki rose and stuck out her hand again. “I’ve gotta go. Let me know if I can be of any help.” She walked away, leaving her sticky cup on the table. Josie dutifully bussed it and walked out after her, thinking Nikki’s desire for Kelly’s job was a possible motive for killing her sister, though a weak one. Josie hated to think anyone could be that venal, though she knew some were.
The streets and sidewalks were busy on the beautiful Sunday afternoon. Josie headed back up to Andersonville to meet Ann-Marie. She’d have liked nothing better than to sit at a sidewalk café with a book, or maybe stop into Alamo Shoes to pick out a replacement for her fifteen-year-old Frye boots. She wanted to spend some of that $5,000. Instead, she walked into the dark of Kopi Café, fully expecting to be there before Ann-Marie. Casey intercepted her near the front, balancing a tray full of panini and leaning down to whisper.
“There’s a hot one waiting for you.”
“A panini?”
He looked at her sternly. “You’re in worse shape than I thought. It’s a woman, Josie. Remember those?”
The Aquittal Page 7
