by Leonie Gant
Heading to the hotel I had booked, I found Adele with the nurse. Miranda was talking on her cell out on the balcony so I sat next to Adele.
“How are you feeling?” I asked gently.
“Good” she said frowning as if to concentrate. “Did you get my things?”
“Yes I did” I said. “I’ve spoken to the investigator about Eric’s family and I’ll try to talk to them tomorrow. I’ve also started to organize the funeral service.”
“That’s good” she said gripping my hand. “I’m glad you’re here to help me.”
“Are you going to need me for anything else tomorrow” I asked.
“No, I just need you to take care of the funeral. At this point nothing else matters. I don’t want to have to think about it” she looked at me pleadingly.
“I’ll take care of everything” I said. “You just concentrate on getting better.”
She nodded and walked towards her bedroom. I watched her walk away, my concern evident on my face.
“She’s very fragile” said Miranda as she walked in from the balcony. “Always has been, Andrew used to be able to deal with her. I thought we were going to lose her when he died.”
“Her first husband” I said.
“Yes, Andrew adored her and he let her be fragile and delicate. Adele never had to stand on her own two feet because Andrew took care of everything. When he died she fell apart. Elliot and I tried to fill the void but we could never be to her what Andrew was. When Eric came into her life he was passionate and exciting. We all knew he was a mistake but he gave her the first spark of life that we had seen since Andrew’s death. I don’t think any of us actually believed that she would marry him or else we would have tried to step in sooner” Miranda said regretfully.
“Do you think she’ll be okay after this?” I asked.
“We’ll get her through” Miranda said confidently. “It will just take some time and a lot of patience. I don’t think it has got through to her that not only is Eric dead but the way he died. They’re going to look at her for the murder and I don’t know how she is going to deal with that. I don’t think she is strong enough.”
I couldn’t refute what Miranda was saying. Adele was the wife in an unhappy marriage and she was the only one in the house when Eric was killed.
“I’ll be working on the funeral tomorrow but I’ll come by if I can to check on her” I said to Miranda.
“That would be good” Miranda smiled. “I know she likes you. Staffing has been a bit of a problem with Eric being, well Eric. You’re the first one that she thought was going to last the distance.”
I shrugged because really what could I say. It was kind of sad that the thing that I had going most for me was that I hadn’t slept with her husband.
Chapter Thirteen
By the time I pulled up into my parking spot at my apartment I could feel myself starting to drift. It had been a long couple of days and I was looking forward to getting some sleep. Spotting Sean taking out his trash I called over and asked whether he wanted some dinner. I didn’t really feel like cooking but I knew that a teenage boy was always hungry. It seemed to take both my and Miss Betsy’s pantries to keep Sean fed.
“That’s okay” he waved back. “I’ve already eaten. Goodnight Trudie.”
Very well then, quiet night in it was. I had to admit I was kind of looking forward to it. Coming up to the door of my apartment I realized that my quiet night was not going to happen. Detective Jake Griffin was leaning against the wall next to my door with a bag of what smelled like Thai food in his hands.
He held it up. “I figured I owed you for cutting out so quickly last night.”
“You mean during my kidnapping?” I asked.
“It was dinner, not a kidnapping.”
“Choices were taken away, that constitutes kidnapping.”
“You are so stubborn” he said.
“My mother calls it strong willed” I said automatically.
“Are you going to let me in?” Griffin asked holding the Thai food just out of my reach as an enticement.
“You’re lucky I can’t be bothered cooking tonight” I mumbled, opening the door and motioning for him to follow me.
I pulled out some plates and cutlery, placed them on the coffee table and sat on the couch with a groan.
“Busy day?” asked Griffin as he pulled out the containers of food and opened them up. The aroma was heavenly and I started to serve myself a healthy helping.
“You could say that. I’ve been asked to organize Eric’s funeral.”
Griffin grimaced. “That doesn’t sound very pleasant.”
“Not particularly, but considering that Adele isn’t really in much of a state to do anything, the rest of us are having to take up the slack.”
My cell started ringing and I fished it out of my bag. It was Miranda. “I’m sorry to disturb you at home” she started, “but Adele is saying there were some photos in her notes that are missing. She’s quite adamant.”
“I got everything out of the safe that I could find that was relevant.” I said. “There were some bags in the bottom of the safe but I assumed they were jewelry. I didn’t want to go poking around in there. I can go back tomorrow if you want me to and give it a better look.”
“That would be good” said Miranda. “She’s quite distressed and I’m going to give her something so she can get to sleep.”
I hung up the phone. Frankly I thought that the last thing Adele needed was further medication, but what did I know. Miranda was a respected doctor and I was the personal assistant who still looked up the internet whenever I got sick and managed to convince myself I was going to die from the common cold. Looking up I found Griffin staring at the business card that had fallen out of my bag when I pulled my cell phone out.
“Why are you dealing with Travis Cooper?” he asked.
I grabbed the card out of his hand. “He helped me out with an issue at work.”
“Cooper deals with cheating husbands and wives” Griffin said. “Considering his history I’m assuming we’re talking about Eric Wesson.”
“Are we talking here or are you asking questions expecting me to answer?” I asked as I took a mouthful of food.
Griffin looked at me carefully. I could see him mentally stepping back. “We’re just talking” he said.
I put my plate down. “I’m organizing the funeral. Adele doesn’t know of any family that Eric might have but I think it is important for them to be given the chance to be there. Cooper had done some work for Adele previously, so I went to him for help.”
“I just think you would be better off working with someone other than Cooper” Griffin said.
“Is this because of his reputation or based on what you know about him personally?” I asked.
Griffin looked surprised. “He told you about me?” he asked.
“Not really” I said, “just that you used to work together.”
I knew I was keeping some of the conversation to myself but I didn’t feel that he needed to know everything that Travis had told me.
“Cooper is someone you should be very wary about dealing with” Griffin said in a measured tone.
Good to know that they both had the same level of distrust for each other.
“Your father seems nice” I said, thinking a change of topic was in order.
Griffin grunted while he was eating. Obviously not one of the topics to approach him with. The sound of his phone ringing interrupted us.
“Sorry” Griffin said as he got up.
I returned to my food, because seriously, it was that good. Griffin came back, an apologetic look on his face.
“I’ve got to get going” he said. “Just caught another case.”
“If I spend much more time with you, I’ll get to the point where I’ll be too afraid to walk out my front door” I said.
“I like that you’re thinking of spending more time with me” Griffin said softly, his eyes warming as he moved towards me.
“I’ll see you soon” he said as he opened my door, gave me another quick kiss on the lips and disappeared.
I closed my door and leaned heavily against it. I was in so much trouble. I had a feeling that I was in no way capable of handling Jake Griffin, and that kiss was stamped with a great deal of possessiveness to it. I was serious when I said that I wasn’t willing to settle for anything other than awesome. I had a very bad feeling that Jake Griffin was capable of breaking my heart, and the worst part was, he wouldn’t even mean to do it.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning as I looked blearily into my mirror after a restless night of tossing and turning in my bed, I roundly cursed all hot detectives and the way my heart seemed to race a little every time I thought of Detective Griffin. The last thing I needed right now was to get involved with a man that tied up in his work. Rightly or wrongly I wanted someone who would always put me first, just like my grandmother told me I deserved. After my ex fiancée had dumped me, my Grandma Rita had been a very regular feature in my rehabilitation room while I learned to walk again. One day, when things had started getting on top of me she had told me that I deserved amazing, that my ex was a moron, that I didn’t need him and I should pull up my big girl panties and grab life. Of course she had ruined her little feminist power speech by then telling me she hoped those panties weren’t the beige full briefs that she knew I wore, because men liked a bit of silk and lace and there wasn’t any harm in always being prepared. My grandmother always had very interesting views on things which she was never afraid to share with her grandchildren.
The heavy knocking on my front door interrupted my musing. I opened it to find my friend Crystal peering over my shoulder, while handing me a coffee.
“He’s not here” I said dryly turning around as she followed.
“Pity” Crystal said. “I was at least hoping to get a glimpse of Detective Hottie as he walked out of the shower.”
“Really” I said.
“I figured that considering those black circles under your eyes that at least you had some very good, or very hot stories to tell me to justify what is obviously a severe lack of sleep.”
“That bad huh?” I asked.
“Trudie you look like a panda bear whose mascara is running.”
I looked at her sourly as Crystal sipped her coffee serenely. I liked Crystal but then I was able to handle her sometimes brutal honesty. I knew of many other people who weren’t quite so understanding. My ringing phone interrupted what was obviously going to be Crystal starting her favorite topic, of why I should be enjoying my youth, and scoring with every good looking man I saw. I loved the girl but she was a prime example of how having the wrong parents could really mess you up. Although I liked her dad, he was nice. Crystal’s mother on the other hand was the most selfish human being I had ever met in my life. Considering my job and the people I came into contact with on a regular basis, that was actually saying something. The phone call was Adele and I was pleased to note that she sounded to be a lot more with it than she had been yesterday. I hoped that meant that she had wound down the number of drugs she was taking.
“Trudie, I just heard from the police” she said nervously. “They said that I can collect Eric’s body and get him ready for burial. I can’t deal with it.” I could hear the tears hitching in her voice.
“I have it all under control” I said soothingly. “When did you want to have the funeral?”
“Can it be tomorrow?” she asked “I just want it over and done with.”
A little harsh I thought, considering the man in question was her husband for almost a year but this was my job.
“I’ll see what I can do” I said. “I’ll organize the details today and get in touch with you this afternoon to let you know.”
“Thank you Trudie, I don’t know what I would have done without you through this horrible ordeal.”
Getting off the phone I realized that I was going to have to do some fancy footwork today to make sure everything was organized for a funeral tomorrow. First job was calling Tomas. Explaining the situation to him I was relieved when he assured me that twenty four hours’ notice for a funeral was not only achievable but barely a challenge.
I hung up the phone and Crystal peered at me.
“Going to be a bad day?” she asked sympathetically.
“It’s Eric Wesson’s funeral tomorrow and I need to find out if any of his family are able to go.”
“Any leads?” she asked.
“I’ve got a file from a PI that Adele used to investigate him but it’s incomplete as she married him before the investigation was finished.”
Crystal gave me a look.
I sighed, “I know, sometimes I wonder about her too. It’s got an old employer listed here. It’s a gym, maybe I’ll go there and find out whether they’ve got any family on file for him.”
“Do you want some company?” Crystal asked.
“Don’t you have to work today?” I asked curiously.
“Ah, no. There was an incident yesterday and Dad told me that maybe I should take a couple of days off while he dealt with it.”
Crystal’s father owned and ran the biggest casting agency in Hollywood. Crystal had been working there for years.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Why do you automatically think that it was me that did something?” Crystal said indignantly.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, we had Mia Lee trying out for a part and you know that woman can’t act at all.”
I nodded. Mia Lee was the up and coming It girl in Hollywood. Her publicist was amazing. This woman had come from nowhere and was now dominating all the magazines, news feeds and social media everywhere. So far she had been in a few movies where the most that was asked of her was to look gorgeous, run without knocking herself out with her breasts and scream on cue.
“So” I said.
“She kept throwing her boobs in our faces with every movement while trying to be dramatic and sexy.”
“So…” I said slowly. “Isn’t that what she does? Everyone loves her regardless of the way she actually acts.”
“She was trying out for the part of a nun.”
The look on my face must have shown my disbelief.
“Exactly” said Crystal. “That look on your face was my reaction as well but some moron decided that the woman who is better known for the way her breasts constantly seem to accidentally fall out of her top, was the best option for playing an innocent nun who is martyred for her beliefs, rather than the dramatically trained actress that I had put forward who was perfect”
“You could have just waited and had a quiet word with your father” I said gently.
“I was going to” Crystal said, “but she started rubbing herself up against the guy playing the priest during a confessional scene. You could see him getting excited about it, but he was trying to concentrate on the scene, and the guys with me on the panel were getting turned on and I just couldn’t take it any more.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I may have stopped the audition and told her if she really needed to rub up against something, there was a stripper bar around the corner where she could make a bit of money.”
“Oh Crystal” I said shaking my head.
“She got a little upset and started accusing me of compromising her artistic integrity, at which stage I may have pointed out that if she thought that was artistic, then the stripper bar was exactly where she belonged. Needless to say my Dad is now dealing with the petulant fallout from the woman who will no doubt be gracing our screens in the worst movie ever.”
“Not that you’re bitter” I said.
“Of course I’m
bitter” said Crystal. “I see really good actors and actresses that come through my office all the time, really talented, and they get passed over because they don’t have a name or a social media presence or the right plastic surgeon.”
I nodded sagely because really what was there to say. This was the world we were living in.
“If you want to come and help me find Eric’s family, you are more than welcome.” I said.
“Thanks” said Crystal. “I think I need to get a dose of reality in my life.”
Looking down at the dingy steps of the basement gym where Eric used to work, I mused that Crystal was going to get a massive dose of reality here. The basement gym lights were quite bright after the dimness of the stairs. Two musclebound men covered in tattoos looked us up and down as they passed us. Crystal looked at me in surprise. I had to agree with her. This was not the sort of place that I had expected Eric to be working at. I knew the gym that he had been working at when he met Adele. I had attended it on occasion. My friend Edwin worked there sometimes in one of his myriad of part time jobs. It was bright and light and had obviously had a new age consultant involved in the way it was set out. This gym was obviously trying hard, but it wasn’t quite reaching the atmosphere that only an overpaid expert can achieve.
Looking over at the reception area I was surprised to see Travis Cooper leaning against the desk. He was charming a young lady with six pack abs that I would never be able to achieve without giving up on my weakness for chocolate. The idea was simply so ridiculous it was laughable. Travis straightened up as Crystal and I approached.
“Trudie” he said warmly and I noticed how Miss Six Pack shot me a dark look.
“Did not expect to see you here” I said suspiciously.
Crystal elbowed me in the side and I stopped myself from wincing.
“This is my friend, Crystal Bronstein” I said trying to discreetly rub the soreness away from my ribs. “Crystal, this is Travis. What brings you here?”
“After seeing you yesterday I thought I’d follow up on Eric and see if I could give you a bit more assistance.”
