He shook his head. “No, actually. I could care less who Lloyd sleeps with, or…bangs,” he finished with a grin. “You just surprised me.”
“When Will told the family he was gay, it surprised us, too. When he was in high school, all the girls were crushing on him, and he always had a date.” She shrugged. “I’m glad he’s out, and happy, and with the right partner.”
“Are you disappointed Will and Celeste didn’t make it to the hospital last night?”
“No, not at all. Relieved is more like it. I…haven’t been the best sister to either of them. Actually Celeste and I have been arguing more and more lately.”
“Why’s that?”
“Long story.”
“We’ve got a thirty minute drive to the former Mrs. Elliot’s house, so I’ve got the time.”
Which meant Hudson wouldn’t make her stay home with a babysitter. Thank God. Although embarrassed by her remark to Lloyd, if he had come to the house to stay with her, she would have apologized. And while she had confidence in Lloyd as a pseudo bodyguard, she preferred Hudson’s company. With him, she knew she’d always be safe. Hudson didn’t like to lose, and, at any cost, had always achieved his objectives.
“Thank you,” she said and squeezed his hand.
“For the record, I’d prefer if you were at home resting. But I also know, Ms. Investigative Reporter, how important it is for you to be part of this case.” He lifted a shoulder. “Besides, I like your company.”
She gave his arm a light punch. “You wouldn’t have said that two days ago.”
“You wouldn’t have given me the chance,” he reminded her. “Now tell me the deal with your sister. The few times I met her, she seemed nice.”
“She is nice. She’s everything I’m not. Pretty—”
“I think you’re prettier.”
She grinned. “Thanks, but Celeste is pretty inside and out, where I’m not as…nice.”
“Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I’m not. It’s just that Celeste has always put everyone else first before taking care of herself, where I have always taken care of me.”
“Eden,” he began, and took her hand again. “If you don’t take care of you, who will?”
She thought about him alone in a basement cell somewhere in the jungles of Columbia. How vulnerable and scared he must have felt. Her heart ached for him. She might have disposed of their relationship, and had acted flippant about her feelings for him, but deep down, she’d never stopped caring about him.
“Speaking from experience?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
“While I agree with you, Celeste sees things differently. She’s been hard on me lately for being a control freak, and for not keeping in touch with the family. She just doesn’t understand that I’m extremely busy with my career. I can’t drop everything to meet for lunch or gab on the phone. I text and email. It’s quick and easy, and—”
“Keeps you from having to have real contact.”
So much for a truce. She pulled her hand away, then peeled off the glove.
Hudson blew out a deep breath. “I’m not trying to start an argument, only pointing out the facts. Your sister is different from you. She needs that human contact, whereas you don’t. Maybe you can make an exception for Celeste and Will. You know, I don’t have any siblings, but I would have loved a brother or sister. Growing up might not have been as hard and lonely.”
Wow. All of this truth-telling crap exhausted and upset her. She didn’t want to think about Hudson as a lonely little boy. How he might have lain in his childhood bed wishing for an older brother to soften whatever blows he’d been delivered as a kid. Thinking about any pain he’d endured made her heart ache. Thinking about the pain she might have caused Celeste and Will created a well of guilt. Still, she couldn’t help the resentment toward Celeste, how she’d always been favored by their mother. How Celeste and their mom hadn’t been able to help save her from the nightmare that still haunted her.
“I understand what you’re saying,” she began. “And I think you’re right. Celeste isn’t like me, and I think I need to keep reminding myself of that. I’ll call her tomorrow and schedule lunch for sometime next week.”
“Why not call her today?”
“Because I’m busy trying to find a killer. And after we meet with the ex-wife, I was hoping you’d take me to the station. I promise it’ll only be an hour,” she said before he could argue. “I really have to get this last segment for my show done.”
He glanced at her, then shifted his focus back to the road. “One hour.”
“Promise.”
“Good,” he said, then pulled the car into a driveway. After turning off the ignition, he faced her. “How’d we do for our first major truth-telling conversation?”
She thought about a couple of major points of interest she’d neglected to share. The Trans Am hadn’t been the ideal place to blurt out that she’d been gang raped as a teenager, and that her sister and mom had claimed to be psychic, but hadn’t been able to help her. At times, when she’d thought about the reasons behind her resentment for Celeste and her mom, she’d questioned her rationale. If she’d sometimes thought her actions and motives had been illogical, what would Hudson think? She needed time to consider how she’d word this portion of her past. Hudson might not be judgmental, but she didn’t want to lose his respect. Even when she’d been angry with him, even when he’d made a huge mistake that had cost them their relationship, she’d always respected him as a person. Hudson’s intentions had always been pure. Protect the innocent. Fight the bad guys.
“For a start, I think we did pretty good,” she answered him.
“Dr. Phil, good?” he asked with a grin, then opened his door.
“I don’t know if I’d go that far,” she said, as he helped her from the Trans Am. “But it’s a start.”
He drew in a deep breath. “Are you sure you’re up to this?”
She nodded, then rubbed her arms to ward off the cold, brisk wind.
“Then let’s introduce ourselves to our victim’s ex.”
*
Pudge woke from a deep, dreamless sleep to Mama banging on her bed tray.
bitch ungrateful bitch
“Yes, she is.” Pudge climbed out of the bed. “I’m coming, Mama,” Pudge shouted, then began to dress. Once clothed, Pudge left the bedroom, then headed for the living room.
“It’s about time,” Mama yelled. “What’s wrong with you? It’s almost noon. Are you sick or something?”
Pudge hadn’t realized the hour, and wanted to hurry up with Mama. They needed to see the news and find out how popular Dr. Dread had been today.
“Don’t you have to work?” Mama asked.
“I’m on the afternoon shift at the factory,” Pudge lied. Mama had no clue there wasn’t, and never had been, a factory job. While Pudge did earn an income, it came from WBDJ-TV. Mama didn’t need to know about their aspirations, or the job at the station. Disclosing them would mean disclosing the disguise Pudge had perfected during the past two years. The people who worked at WBDJ didn’t know Pudge as Pudge. And Mama wouldn’t recognize her own child, even on the evening news.
“Whatever. Just make me something to eat. I’m starving. Damn near slept the day away yesterday,” Mama griped, then gave her food order.
Pudge made the frozen pizza, eggs, waffles and bacon the bitch had demanded. After changing Mama’s colostomy bag and checking her bedsores, Pudge took the remote off the bed.
“Gimme that,” Mama commanded. “It’s mine.”
Pudge held the remote out of reach and walked toward the TV. “Just hang on a second. I want to catch the twelve o’clock news and see what the weather’s going to be like today.”
“It’s frickin’ November,” Mama said over a mouthful. “Don’t take a genius meteorologist to know it’s going to be cold.”
sleep sleep put mama back to sleep hate her hate her
Pudge hid a smile, and ignored t
he voice. With the TV set on Channel 5, Pudge watched and waited with anticipation.
Thirty minutes later, confused and concerned, Pudge dropped the remote on Mama’s fat belly. “Need anything else before I leave?”
“Where you going? I thought your shift don’t start until later.”
“It doesn’t, but I have a few errands to run beforehand.”
“Leave me enough food and soda to get me by ‘til you come home.”
Pudge took care of Mama, then went to the bedroom. “I don’t understand. Why wasn’t it on the news? They should have found the body by now.”
dont worry dont
“You’re right. It’s stupid to worry. Maybe Nurse Gretchen wasn’t supposed to work today, and that’s why no one has searched for her.”
yes yes smart so smart
Pudge dressed, then stood in front of the mirror and applied the necessary hair and makeup. “Poor Eden won’t get the scoop on Nurse Gretchen when she’s finally discovered. That dumb ass, Ryan Anders, won’t either.”
black ball blackity black ball
Pudge smiled. That fool, Kyle Edwards, had fallen for the bait, and had proceeded to force the Chicago police to black ball WBDJ from the CPD inner circle. Once Eden and Ryan were out of the picture, Pudge would rectify that situation and receive the promotion that had long been denied. “Richard Jeffries will be kissing my ass when it’s all said and done. After he’s finished paying his respects to Eden.”
departed dearly departed
Pudge laughed. “Yes, my love. They should have never messed with us.”
*
Michael Morrison stood against the brick wall, waiting for his next patient to emerge from his newly renovated, eight thousand square foot mansion. The plastic surgeon had paid nearly three million for the home, then had dropped another million for the renovations. Business had been very good for Dr. Leonard Tully. The money the doctor had made off of Eliza’s surgeries could have paid for the upgrade to one of the mansion’s seven bathrooms.
Twenty minutes passed and he began to worry that today might have been a waste of time. Tully should have left by now. Michael had researched his schedule and knew Tully came home for lunch twice a week, stayed for an hour, then left for the plastic surgery clinic he’d joined after Cosmetic Solutions and Med Spa had disbanded. Today was one of those days. He should have left by now.
The door to the mansion opened. Michael pushed off the wall as a short, rotund man kissed a beautiful woman on the lips. The man slipped on a pair of sunglasses, and began to walk down the steps.
Michael recognized Tully immediately, and also noticed the man’s girth had grown since he’d last seen him. Ironic, considering the doctor performed liposuction for a living. In his opinion, if you’re pushing your wares, you should look the part.
He also recognized the woman waving from the door as Mrs. Tully. Although in her early forties, she had the body and face of a twenty-year-old woman. Being married to a plastic surgeon did have its merits, he supposed. Too bad it wasn’t a happy marriage. Lonely Mrs. Tully, Michael had discovered, had a penchant for young Latin men. Of course her husband didn’t have a clue, and if he had, Michael assumed the man didn’t care. Dr. Tully had his share of extra marital affairs as well. Wouldn’t Mrs. Tully be interested to know that her husband also enjoyed the company of young Latin men?
Michael casually walked to the minivan he’d parked on an adjacent street. Once inside the van, he checked the review mirror, and waited for Tully to drive his Mercedes from the garage. Seconds later, Tully passed him. Michael switched the van’s gear into DRIVE and began to follow.
Taking Tully during the day had its risks, but the timing worked. Mrs. Tully had planned a ladies weekend in Arizona, and would leave this evening. No one would be home to miss the doctor when he didn’t arrive. Plus, Michael had a schedule to meet. There were also the coyotes that needed to be kept fat and happy. He didn’t want to hear about them threatening his neighbors to the point that the animal warden had to become involved. Once he closed his OR, he could care less. The animal warden, the local sheriff, hell, even the FBI could roam his land and pick up the bits and pieces of the doctors that even a coyote wouldn’t eat. He would have accomplished his mission, his promises to his daughter. Besides, he planned to be long gone before anyone set foot on his land. He had a one-way ticket to a place where no one could extradite him.
Tully slowed, then turned the Mercedes into a parking garage located next to the plastic surgery clinic. Michael followed, and keeping his baseball cap low, paid the parking attendant, then drove the van to the level where the doctor usually parked his Mercedes.
Michael had been in this garage several times, and knew where the security cameras were located. Unfortunately for Dr. Tully, the owners of the garage had installed cheap units, and only placed them at the entrance of the garage and at the elevator and stairwell.
Michael parked the van shy of the elevator and its camera, while Dr. Tully parked in his reserved spot near the middle of the garage. Knowing Tully would soon pass him in order to reach the elevator, Michael readied the syringe, crawled into the back of the minivan, then slid open the passenger side back door.
His heart pounded as he edged toward the back of the van and waited. The distinct click of the doctor’s expensive Italian shoes echoed off the cement. Closer. Closer.
Michael watched the ground. When one leather shoe tip passed the van’s bumper, he chop blocked the man in the esophagus. Tully dropped, clutching his throat and gasping. Michael jabbed the syringe into his neck, directly into the man’s carotid artery.
Tully looked at him, his eyes already drooping and glassy. “Why?” he mouthed, still unable to speak due to the blow to the esophagus.
Michael ignored the doctor and shoved him into the van. Tully resisted. Shoved back and planted one Italian shoe on the van’s floorboard, and the other on the ground.
Considering Tully’s weight, Michael wondered if maybe he should have used a stronger dosage. Worried someone might exit the elevator, or drive through the garage and see them, he opted for plan B.
Using all of his weight, Michael pushed Tully harder, then swept the other man’s foot with his boot. One Italian shoe dropped to the ground as Tully fell forward into the van. Before the man could push himself up and offer more resistance, Michael grabbed the bat he’d used to subdue his first victim, and hit Tully on the back of the head. The man dropped and remained still.
Catching his breath, Michael picked up the shoe, tossed it next to Tully, climbed into the van, then closed the door. He checked the man’s pulse.
Alive.
Good.
After going through all of this trouble, he’d hate to have killed Tully before he gave the man a taste of his own medicine.
Chapter 12
EDEN STEPPED UNDER the spray of hot water and released a sigh as she washed the lingering hospital scent from her body. When she realized the hair on her legs rivaled Fabio’s, she reached for the razor and shaving cream.
Just in case.
Not that she planned on seducing Hudson.
Okay, so she did. Maybe.
Like her, he acted as if he wanted to explore their relationship. Based on some of the things he’d said and done the past few days, she suspected that exploration went beyond the emotional. She thought back to the other day, when she’d lied about having a date. Thought back to the way he’d shoved his big hands through her hair, and drew their mouths together until their lips were only inches apart. Remembered his words, how he’d boldly reminded her of the way she’d cried out his name when she’d come for him.
Flashbacks to when they’d been together, in his bed or hers, having hot sex on the kitchen counter or the living room floor, collided together into a pornographic kaleidoscope of naked skin, frenzied kisses, and rapturous caresses. Sucking in a deep breath, she dropped the razor and pressed her palm between her thighs. She needed to come, to release the pent up sexual frustration that h
ad been driving her insane since Hudson walked back into her life.
Although tempted to take care of herself in the shower, she retrieved the razor and finished shaving. Since she’d broken up with Hudson, there had been a couple of bad lovers, and masturbation had become a necessity. Only now, the man she’d fantasized about during those lonely nights was in her home.
Down the hall.
Only a shout away.
She rinsed, then toweled off her hair and body while contemplating how and if she should attempt to seduce Hudson. The how really wasn’t the difficult part to plan. The if was the problem. If she had sex with Hudson, there would be no turning back, and no easy way to remain as aloof about their relationship as she’d pretended two years ago, or even now. She did have an easy out should things go to hell again. The trip scheduled to New York and the Network job would be an excellent way to soften another break-up with him.
What was wrong with her? She was contemplating sex and a fast, easy break-up at the same time? She couldn’t help herself, though. Yes, she loved to take risks, but not with her heart. And having an easy out was comforting, safe.
As she finished blowing her hair dry, she looked at her reflection in the large mirror. Her hair lacked the luster it used to have, and her body…
She quickly wrapped the towel around her, then rushed to the bedroom in search of anything to cover herself. The sight of her bony ribs, small tits, concave belly and flat ass horrified her. Being slim and fit had always been important to her. She controlled how she looked, no one else. But looking as if she’d been recently released from a prison camp hadn’t been part of her strict diet and exercise regimen.
To think she’d considered seducing Hudson. She couldn’t even hide her lack of curves in the dark. Hell, her bony ribs would stab him.
Dropping the towel, she pulled a pair of jeans out of the closet. She slipped them on and looked in the mirror. She couldn’t wear these. They hung from her hips and bagged around her legs and ass.
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