by Ann Roberts
“As I said, whether we acknowledge it or not.” She paused and when Molly looked up at her, she was staring intently. “There’s more. Tell me.”
“How do you always know?” she asked, completely exasperated.
“Molly, your tells are pronounced. At this moment your left leg is bobbing up and down, you’re sweating, and despite the fact that you’re holding a cigarette in your left hand, you’re chewing the nails on your right. You’re in oral fixation overdrive. It makes me wonder how successful you were at interrogating suspects.”
She snorted. “That was different. My personal life is much harder.”
“Agreed. What else is going on?”
She grabbed the armrest with her right hand determined to stop chewing her nails. After she took a long drag she said, “We had phone sex yesterday. Me and Ari,” she added to be clear. “She says she can’t just be friends.”
A long pause followed and she wondered how many minutes of each session were lost in silence. Sometimes it seemed Dr. Yee got paid quite a lot for doing very little.
“Did you hate fighting with Ari?”
“Sure, but I loved makeup sex,” she said automatically.
“Were there a lot of makeup sex opportunities?”
“I suppose. It’s not like we counted or anything, but I got angry a lot.” She felt her cheeks burning. “You know, the drinking… ”
“I want to show you something,” Dr. Yee said. She extinguished her cigarette and went inside to retrieve a newspaper. She’d folded the Arts and Entertainment section open to the third page and circled a small article with a red pen. The Orpheum theater had announced it was canceling the Sunday movies at the end of August, just three weeks away. Molly sank back into the chair, rereading the four sentences.
“I’m guessing you didn’t know this?”
“No,” she said, staring at the red circle.
She imagined Dr. Yee sitting in her lovely home sipping tea and coming across the article. She would have risen from her dining table and gone in search of a red pen. She would’ve needed to hunt for the pen since no one keeps a red pen handy. This was important. Important enough to interrupt her morning. Important enough to find the red pen.
Dr. Yee leaned forward and asked, “How do you feel about severing the bond you’ve forged with Ari?”
“We’re not severing it. The City of Phoenix is doing it.”
“So are you upset that the movies are ending or that you’ll no longer have a specific reason to see Ari with any regularity once this case is solved?”
The question punched her viscerally, and she responded as any cop would: she fought back. “Of course I’m upset about the movies ending. I like old movies. This isn’t about Ari and me. We can see each other any time.”
“But will you?”
“Of course!” she shouted.
Dr. Yee waited for the echo of her outburst to dissipate before she whispered, “Then why haven’t you?”
She blinked, completely flummoxed. She looked around at the various objets d’art that sat against the perfectly trimmed hedge. It all looked very expensive and she wondered who Dr. Yee was seeing. Or maybe she was married? I wonder what her marriage is like. Does she take her own advice or does she have her own shrink? She pictured a Mr. Yee or maybe another Dr. Yee wandering through a swanky Scottsdale store pricing patio accessories.
When their eyes eventually locked, Dr. Yee repeated, “Why haven’t you?” When Molly didn’t answer, she continued. “Until this case came along, you only saw Ari on Sundays. You claimed no one in your circle of friends, including your girlfriend, had any desire to accompany you to the Orpheum, and you hated going to the movies alone. As you’ve explained it, the relationship continues because it satisfies an individual need you both share and nothing more. Now the lines are blurring, and although Ari may be initiating physical contact, it seems you are responding. Soon both of the events that link the two of you together, the movies and the case, will be gone.”
She reflexively winced and wasn’t sure if it was because of Dr. Yee’s use of the word gone or her entire tone. These were the most sentences she’d ever strung together since their sessions had begun.
She understood that she and Ari would make a choice to continue to see each other and it would be because they desired each other’s company. Desire. She closed her eyes and pictured Ari sitting at the Fresh Bean Café, their usual hangout. Whenever she laughed, she threw her head back and her short hair flipped away from her face, revealing the most gorgeous cheekbones Molly had ever seen. She’d loved Ari’s hair when it was long and initially hated her short haircut, until she realized how much easier it was to see her cheekbones and her beautiful long neck. And now that she wore skirts so often and displayed her gorgeous calves…
“I think our time is up.”
“But, but it hasn’t been an hour,” she stuttered, looking at her watch.
“It’s amazing how you know that even though we’re outside. I think I’ve given you enough to think about, Molly.” She glanced at her own watch. “You have twenty minutes to get to the eight o’clock AA meeting at the YMCA. Now go.”
Chapter Ten
When Ari’s alarm sounded Monday morning she nearly hurled the cell phone across the room. She hadn’t slept well. Her mind wouldn’t turn off. Her thoughts spun in a circle: the case, buying the Scrabble property and Molly. They’d spent several hours sitting at a tiny table in the corner of the Bikini Lounge just talking.
She stared at the ceiling. That was the part that had kept her awake. It wasn’t recalling the laughter or the stories they’d told. It was analyzing the meaning and what it really meant to her and to Molly. The only awkward moment had occurred when they’d pulled up in front of her house. They were still laughing about a recent Saturday Night Live sketch when she’d announced, “I want a hug.”
“Okay!” Molly had replied, throwing her arms open.
At first the embrace had been silly with fake cooing and swaying side to side, but they eventually nestled against each other. Everything she’d loved about her surfaced at once, the feel of her blond curls, the musky fragrance she wore and the complete sense of security from her strong arms. She savored it—for too long—but Molly was doing the same. She knew she should get out of the truck, but instead she buried her head against her chest and cried.
“It’s okay,” Molly whispered. “It’s okay.”
“I’m still so sorry about what happened. You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I do. I forgave you a long time ago and I hope you forgave me.”
“For what?”
Molly pulled away so she could see her face. “For being a crazy drunk. I didn’t really go through AA officially so I never followed the steps. I never went to those I’d harmed and made amends. If I had, you would’ve been first.” She kissed the tears on her cheeks and whispered, “No denials.”
Her lips strayed to Ari’s neck while her hands explored the curves she knew so well. Ari whimpered when her hand slid up her thigh, but when she reached for the top button of her shorts, Ari took her hand and guided it to her lips.
She kissed each finger and said, “It’s one thing to have phone sex, but I don’t want our first time in over a year to happen in your truck.” Then she’d fled from the cab without another word.
Now she got up and went to the bathroom mirror. Staring at her frumpy bed head, she stated, “It’s going to be okay. Whatever it is going to be, I accept it.”
She was still cheerful a few hours later when Molly appeared at her office door. “Ready to go sleuthing?” Ari asked.
“Yeah,” she said, and Ari automatically sensed she was distracted.
“What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and Ari followed her out to the truck. They drove in silence and her positive attitude dissolved into concern and anxiety. Maybe it would help to talk about the case.
“Did you have a chance to stop at the post office?”
“I
did,” she said. “You were right about going early. A lot of the street people were still hanging around. I talked with an ex-vet who saw Ms. Wonders there more than once. Of course he was fuzzy on the time frame, but he said a lot of sunrises passed between visits.”
“So maybe she went there once a month?” she suggested.
“Yes. If that’s the case, then she’s still drawing a pension check and more than likely they’ll contact the next of kin.”
“If she has anyone.”
They exchanged a worried glance and Molly returned to her funk. Instead of pulling into the Veterans Administration’s visitor parking, they went around the block to Steele Park, avoiding the suspicious VA Police.
“What’s wrong?” she blurted before they exited the cab. “Are you upset about last night?”
As if coming out of a fog, Molly said, “No, not at all. I’m sorry. I’m distracted.” She reached behind her seat and pulled out a newspaper. “Have you seen this?”
Ari scanned the brief article circled in red. “Oh, no. Really? No more Sunday movies?”
“My shrink gave it to me this morning. I’m totally bummed.”
“Me too.”
They gazed at each other and Ari finally said, “Hey, we’ll figure something out. Maybe we could make our own Sunday matinee.”
Her face brightened. “That’s a great idea.”
They headed toward the VA, naming all the old films they wanted to see, so engrossed in the conversation that they didn’t realize they’d taken a wrong turn until an older female officer approached them. Her frame struggled to fit into the polyester uniform, and her extra large bosom formed a ski slope on her chest, the pockets practically lying flat. Her name badge identified her as Officer Roy.
“Ladies, you can’t be in this area. This is only for loading and unloading.”
“I’m sorry,” Ari said, distressed. “We’re out here searching for my aunt. Her name is Carol?” Ari pulled out the picture of Ms. Wonders standing in front of the Grand Canyon. “Have you seen her? She gets a little disoriented sometimes.”
The officer smiled knowingly. “Goes by Ms. Wonders. But she’s usually here on Thursdays. In fact, she was just here last Thursday.” Her expression turned suspicious as she eyed them both.
“We know,” Molly said. She reached into her back pocket and withdrew her PI license. “I’m Molly Nelson and I’ve been retained by Ms. Kendricks’ family to find her. She hasn’t been seen since last Thursday so we’re trying to retrace her steps.”
Officer Roy studied her ID before she said, “I saw her around noontime during my rounds. She’d just finished her appointment and was heading to the bus stop. She’s pals with the driver, a good guy named Arnulfo. He understands these people, knows how to deal with them.”
“So does she come here every week?” Ari asked.
“She—” Officer Roy started to answer, then said firmly, “I’d feel more comfortable if someone in authority answered your questions. Why don’t I escort you to the front desk and we can find her caseworker?”
“Sure,” Molly said.
They walked around the exterior of the VA, and Ari glanced at Molly. How are we going to get out of this?
Officer Roy turned to Ari. “So, how did you say you’re related to Ms. Wonders?”
“I’m her niece. I live here in the valley and I try to keep tabs on her, especially now that Jonny’s gone.”
“Oh,” she sighed. “Such a shame about Jonny. She was quite a character.”
“Yeah,” Ari laughed. “All of those conspiracy theories about the VA. Did you hear any of those?” When Officer Roy didn’t answer, Ari said, “I imagine she might’ve made quite a scene sometimes.”
She stopped suddenly and gave Ari a stern look. “I don’t know anything about that. Now, let’s find someone who can help you.”
“I knew Ms. Wonders,” a voice called from behind them.
They stopped and a man with white hair and skin like worn leather hobbled toward them. He used crutches to compensate for his left leg, which was missing at the knee.
“I knew Ms. Wonders,” he said again.
“Now, Petey,” Officer Roy scolded, “why are you outside in the sun? This isn’t good for you. You’re supposed to wait for van pickup in the lobby.”
Petey grinned. He had few teeth, one of which was dark brown and looked as if it should be pulled. “I like it outside.” He pointed at Ari. “You know Ms. Wonders?”
“Yes,” Ari said, not completely sure of what Petey had asked. His missing teeth made pronunciation a challenge. “Are you one of her friends?”
“Uh-huh. She said I could have Jonny’s Swiss army knife when she died. Is she dead?”
Molly shook her head and Ari replied, “Not as far as we know, Petey.”
“Okay, but if she is, I get the knife. A J and an H are on the blade in marker. I helped Jonny put her initials on the knife so if anybody stole it, she’d be able to get it back. If Ms. Wonders is dead, it’s mine. Okay?”
“There’s your van, Petey,” Officer Roy said. She pointed to a white van entering the roundabout near the entrance. The driver waved at Officer Roy and she pointed at Petey, who was walking as fast as he could to the van.
They headed into the main lobby, and just as Officer Roy approached the receptionist, Molly pulled out her phone and pretended to answer it.
“Uh-huh. I see.” The three of them were watching her, so she held up a finger. “Okay, we’ll come pick her up. Thank you so much.”
She put away her phone and turned to Ari. “We found her. She’d gone to your brother’s house looking for chocolate cake. Apparently she’s been there the whole time.”
“Damn him,” she replied acidly. “You’d think he could call.” She whipped out her own phone and stepped away for some privacy while Molly thanked Officer Roy and shuttled Ari out of the lobby quickly.
“Chocolate cake?” Ari whispered.
“Hey, it was the best I had. I didn’t get breakfast.”
* * *
“I can’t believe she’s dead,” Arnulfo the bus driver said as he wiped away tears. They had boarded the bus and waited until he’d parked on a side street and joined them in the back for his lunch break. Ari could tell he was genuinely upset about the death of Ms. Wonders.
“So, you saw her last Thursday?” Molly asked.
“Yeah, she got on right in front of the VA. That’s the twelve twenty stop. She always sits right there,” he said, pointing at the seat behind his driver’s chair. “I’d brought her an apple. I knew she was homeless, and I’ve been close to that myself so I know you don’t get a lot of fruit and vegetables. I always tried to bring her something.”
“That was very kind of you,” Ari said. “Did she seem any different?”
“No, it was a good day. I’ve only seen her do the crazy once.”
“And what does the crazy look like?” Molly asked, somewhat offended.
Arnulfo read her tone. “Hey, I didn’t mean that in a bad way. That was what she called it. She said she always tried to keep the crazy on the down low because if it surfaced, watch out.”
Ari tried to picture the scene on the bus. “What happened exactly? Did she scream or become violent?”
“Both,” he said. “One time when there was a sub driver she got so hostile the sub threw her off at Twenty-seventh Avenue. One of the other regulars told me that Ms. Wonders had threatened the sub with her Swiss army knife. The guy filed a report so technically I’m not supposed to be letting her on the bus, but I do,” he admitted. “With me, she’s usually fine. I know how to calm her down if I see she’s getting upset, but sometimes she’s not all there. A lot of the vets are like that. They’ve got stuff wrong in the head.” He snorted and added, “I don’t see that VA hospital doin’ them much good at all.”
Ari pictured the items from Ms. Wonders’s daypack. “Have you seen the Swiss army knife?”
“Uh-huh. It used to belong to Jonny. She always had it w
ith her.”
Ari exchanged a look with Molly. Where was the knife now?
They gave him a little time to finish his sandwich before Molly asked, “Did she ever talk about the VA?”
“Once in a while. She mentioned her friend Jonny hated them and I get it. You don’t know how many people get on at that stop who are hopping mad about whatever appointment they’ve just had there.” He rummaged through his lunchbox and pulled out a bag of chips. He offered them to Molly and Ari but they politely declined. “Nobody’s happy as far as I can tell.”
Ari wasn’t surprised but she doubted Ms. Wonders was killed by the VA. “What else did you talk about?”
“Mainly Fleetwood Mac. No one knew more about Fleetwood Mac than she did. Sometimes she asked me about my family. And history. She knew a lot about military history and I’ve always been interested in World War Two, so we’d talk about that.”
Molly pursed her lips and Ari could tell she was getting frustrated. They’d spent nearly two hours riding to the west side on Arnulfo’s route, waiting for his lunch break, and he wasn’t providing much new information.
Molly wiped some sweat off her forehead. Since the bus was parked, the air wasn’t going. “Did she ever mention being a crime-fighter or being on a case?”
He looked up with recognition. “Yeah, about a month ago she did. She didn’t say much, and I didn’t follow up because I thought she was being a little wacky. That happened sometimes. Once she said she’d been to the Taj Mahal.”
“Actually, she did visit the Taj Mahal,” Ari said.
Arnulfo laughed. “Well, I find that surprising, but in the next sentence she told me she’d gone to the moon.”
Ari laughed with him. “I can see why you’d doubt her then.”
“So what did she say about being on a case?” Molly pressed. “This could be really important.”
He cocked his head to the side. “She got on the bus and told me we had to hurry. She needed to get back ASAP. She said, ‘Arnie, I’ve got a hunch and I’ve gotta check it out. It’s pie day.’ I told her I’d drive as fast as I could, but we still had to make all of the stops and I had to be safe. Then she sat down and she pulled out this little notebook that had a pen attached to it.”
