by Fiona McGier
“No sign of him, sir.”
Detective Jones turned to Alexandra with an accusing stare.
“You aren’t covering for him in any way, are you, Miss Blackstone?”
She reached inside of herself for the anger she felt at the perpetrator.
“Why would I? I want the guilty person caught and punished! Tom and Jim were my friends. Very close friends. I want their deaths avenged in the most painful way possible. So, no. If I had any suspicion he was the one responsible for the funerals I’ve been dreading, I’d never cover for him.”
“You didn’t by any chance share anything I told you with him, did you?”
“Why would I do that?”
He stared at her for a long moment.
“Why, indeed.” He looked around at the uniformed officers. “Alright, guys. I think we’re done here.”
He turned back to Alexandra. “This time I was too late. But I want you to call me the next time he contacts you in any way. Is that clear?”
Alexandra nodded.
“And don’t…”
“Don’t leave town…yeah, I know. You’ve said that before,” she interrupted him.
He turned and followed the uniformed officers out the door.
Alexandra let out a huge sigh of relief once she was able to lock the door behind them. She went out onto the balcony herself and looked around, gazing at the drop down to the ground from up there.
“So this is a piece of cake for you, huh? Dmitri, I have the feeling you could share stories with me for the rest of our lives, and still I wouldn’t hear all of them.”
She went back in and looked at the food he had put on the plate for her.
I’ll bet I could eat some of that. I am kind of hungry, now that I think about it. Maybe I’ll just warm it up a little.
As the plate spun in the microwave, she got another beer out of the fridge and twisted the cover off. When the food was done she sat and put a forkful into her mouth and chewed experimentally.
Wow! Yum! Just like everything else you’ve cooked for me. I really don’t deserve you, Dmitri. But once this is all over, assuming we both survive, I’m going to spend a really long time trying to make you believe I deserve you…even if I don’t.
After eating, Alexandra made her way to the Jacuzzi and soaked while she finished her beer. Then she crawled into her bed and settled down, hugging the pillow Dmitri’s head had rested on the last night he was with her. She sniffed it deeply. Satisfied it smelled like him, she smiled.
The next thing she knew, her alarm was going off and it was morning and time to get ready for work. She stretched and rolled over, feeling more rested than she had for days.
Not out of the water yet, but I trust Dmitri will be able to figure this whole thing out. He’s good at so many things. I just have to trust him. And I do…I really, really do.
Chapter Fourteen
Alexandra was so busy at work on Thursday she didn’t have any time to worry about Dmitri. While she was on her lunch break, sitting at her desk eating some soup, she got a call from Angela letting her know the wake and funeral for Jim had been postponed to the following Monday because they were waiting for all of his out-of-town relatives to arrive.
“So Monday night will be the wake and Tuesday will be the funeral.”
Alexandra sighed heavily. “Just like this week, huh? What a shitty way to start a week.”
“Yeah, but at least you’re the boss at your job. When I told my boss I’d need off on Tuesday morning again, you’d have thought I was asking for a month off, judging by the bitching he did. I mean, I never take any time off all year, and he begrudges me two late starts due to funerals for two of my closest friends? What a dickhead!”
“You want I should make an appearance there right after the funeral, before I get a chance to change into my business-persona? I can scare the shit out of him and still be here before lunchtime.”
Angela giggled. “I’ll bet you could. No, not this time. But if he tries to give me any crap when I’m taking time off for my wedding, or to have my baby, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“You got it. It will be part of my wedding present to you.”
“Um, have you heard from Dmitri? The cops have been asking a lot of questions about how much we know about him.”
“No. I don’t know where he is, but I know in my heart he’s not the one who’s been hunting my gang. Someone else is, and there’s gotta be some way to find out who.”
“I wish I could help. But I’m getting the evil eye from my boss now. Jesus, I’m sitting at my desk snarfing my food here, so I’m not even wasting his time making any calls. I’ve gotta go. Talk to you later, okay? Maybe see you tomorrow night?”
“We’ll see. Depends on how I feel after a grueling day spent meeting with demanding clients all day. But maybe, okay? Bye.”
“Goodbye, Alex.”
Alexandra leaned back in her chair and stared out the window for a while.
Should I go tomorrow night? I know Dmitri won’t come, in case Detective Jones has someone watching the place. None of the cops know what he looks like, but if he’s right and it’s someone in my gang, then that guy is bound to alert the police if he shows up.
And who can it be? Not Bob, certainly, since he and Emma are getting married so he doesn’t even want me anymore. Ditto José, since he and Angela have a baby on the way. That leaves Steve, and he’s not that hot-blooded of a guy. I never got the feeling he cared whose hole he was poking, as long as he got laid. Chuck? I kind of thought he was getting sweet on Katie, but she seems to be oblivious. And Brad? I know Valerie had a real heavy-duty crush on him when he joined us last year. And every time we’ve had play-time, she’s been sucking him off at some point.
That leaves Rich, and he’s the only one I’m really worried about. He’s got a real temper. Plus he’s the only one who has ever really wanted to play rough. No one else raises welts on the gals with the riding crop…but he does. He’s the one who enjoys scaring people when we’re in new bars. He also tends to hurt people when we’re having a rumble with another gang. Mike wouldn’t let him go with him to New Orleans when he moved last year because he said Rich picks too many fights. And Craig almost threw us out of the bar he co-owns with that babe he met in Sturgis, when we were out there last summer and Rich broke her brother’s nose.
Her alarm went off to remind her she needed to get herself back to thinking about her business, because she had a client due to arrive in less than a half-hour and she needed to review his file.
This has to wait until later.
* * * *
Once again it was after eight when Alexandra finally got home. This time there were no enticing aromas to greet her when she walked in, but she was too bone-tired to care. Her brain hurt from mental sparring with clients all day, and her body ached from stress. The first thing she did was tear off her business clothes and change into shorts and a T-shirt. Then she hit the treadmill and ran a quick six miles, mostly uphill. She lifted weights for another twenty minutes, then followed up with sit-ups and push-ups until every muscle in her body ached from over-use, not stress.
She got the water running to fill the Jacuzzi while she cut up cheese and fruit, then brought that, along with a bottle of a nice Cava into the bathroom with her. The Spanish sparkling wine was dry enough to enhance the cheese and the fruit. She picked at the food while she soaked. Once she was beginning to feel pruned, she got up and carried her impromptu dinner into her bedroom. She continued to nosh while she looked through her personal emails and checked the news of the day for anything to keep her mind off of her own problems.
She was reading the obituary for Jim when her phone buzzed with a text. She picked it up quickly and saw it was from Dmitri. Wondering why he didn’t call her, since she missed his voice along with his presence, she called up the text and read it.
Your phone may be tapped. Go to bar tomorrow. Tell everyone you want to be alone at farm next day…to mourn in peace.
>
Okay, she thought. I guess I’m the bait to get the murderer to follow me out there, thinking he’ll get me to himself.
Her phone buzzed again.
Tell detective to hide with back-up in barn. Get who-ever shows up to go into the barn with you then you go into house. I’ll ride up and confront him in barn.
Be careful! She texted back.
She leaned back on her pillow and drank the last of the sparkling Cava as she thought about Dmitri’s plan.
This could work. Or it could go very wrong. I’ll need to go see the Detective during my lunch break tomorrow. Not much time to convince him. Since he’s supposed to be hiding, what if he doesn’t show up? What if Dmitri gets a confession and there’s no one there to hear it? No way around it. I’ll have to go back into the barn after I hear Dmitri go in there.
I’m not an agent like you, Dmitri. But I’d do anything to help you prove your innocence. So, I’ll just have to pretend to be the bad-ass everyone thinks I am, and hope we all survive to laugh about it later.
She reached over and turned out the lights, but sleep proved to be elusive for a long time. She ended up having to pleasure herself with her trusty weeknight lover, the battery-operated Mister Big, while imagining it was Dmitri who slid in and out of her. Eventually she fell into a fitful sleep.
* * * *
Alexandra had yet another late night at work, though not quite as late as the previous night’s simply because she made herself leave before seven. She was too nervous about the part she had to play in trying to force the killer to out himself. Once she had changed into her biker queen regalia, she stared gravely at herself in the mirror.
Black leather halter showing maximum cleavage? Check. Skin-tight jeans shorts that show my ass cheeks when I bend over to make a shot at the pool table? Check. Tattoos all showing to let everyone know what a bad-ass I am? Check. Dark red and black striped nail polish on my fingers and toes? Check. High-heeled sandals so I’m taller than some men, and so my ass is nice and tight while I swing my hips when I walk? Check.
She leaned closer to peer at her face in the mirror.
Enough makeup so the circles under my eyes aren’t so dark and noticeable? Check. Blush to be sure I have color, though I’m not eating, sleeping, or even feeling like normal? Check.
She stuck out her tongue at her image and grimaced.
Then I’m ready to do this. If it will help find and trap the killer, and allow for Dmitri to come back to me, then I’m more than ready. I just hope his identity is iron-clad enough by now so that when Detective Jones starts asking him questions, he will show up as legally allowed to be here. That, more than anything else, will let me know he’s been telling me the truth.
She strode decisively over to the door and with a last look around her condo, she pulled the door closed, locked it, and headed down to the garage for her Harley.
* * * *
Alexandra laughed as she finished chugging the second beer faster than she had chugged the first one. Cheers rang out from all around her as her gang celebrated that she was still the queen of chugs.
“Hey, did you think I forgot how?” She yelled at her gang. “I’ve been in mourning, but I’m still here. And I’m still thirsty! Pour me another one, Brad!”
“So, what kind of beer’s in the keg you’re getting delivered tomorrow?” Brad was busy pouring more beer into her glass from the over-sized pitcher.
“Ah, that’s what I wanted to tell you all,” she began, looking all around so everyone would gather to listen.
“Are we gonna have a ceremony to honor Tom and Jim?” asked Steve.
Alexandra shook her head. “Not tomorrow. I was figuring to wait until after Jim’s wake and funeral. So next weekend we’ll have a huge-ass bonfire in their honor. I think everyone should find something that makes you think of them, and you can throw that in so it follows them.”
“So, no partying this weekend at your place?” Rich asked.
“No. I’m not in a partying kind of mood. In fact, I’m going to head out there by myself tomorrow. I want to be alone for a while. I need some solitude to think things through.”
“What kind of things?” Rich asked, studying her face.
Alexandra shrugged. “I don’t know. Just things.”
“You’re not gonna break up the gang, are you?” Katie leaned forward, both elbows on the table, giving everyone a great view of her cleavage. Chuck’s eyes grew big as he sucked in a breath so audible Alexandra laughed.
“Dude! Ask her on a fucking date already! You don’t have to wait until we’re at my place to pair up, you know. Just ask Bob and Emma, or José and Angela! Right, people?”
There was a ripple of laughter around the table as those named called out their agreement, and Chuck blushed slightly while Katie’s eyes narrowed speculatively as she studied his reaction.
Alexandra leaned back in her chair, balancing on the back two legs like her mother had always told her not to. She rocked slightly as she spoke.
“No, I have no plans to break up the gang. But things are changing around us and we have to decide how we’re gonna react to those changes. I had hoped I’d have me a biker king at my side, but he seems to have disappeared.”
“Maybe he’s just out of town again?” Leann suggested.
“Or maybe he’s on the run from the cops,” Rich growled.
Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, so Alexandra asked, “What makes you think that?”
“He ran outta Tom’s wake like his ass was on fire when the detective showed up. He didn’t come to the funeral and no one has seen him since before two guys in our gang were killed.”
“Correction, dude. I saw him last Saturday night, when he got back to town.”
“Kind of suspicious, that he was out of town until after Jim was shot, huh?”
Alexandra tried to keep her face and tone neutral. “You think so?”
Brad spoke up. “He might be avoiding us because he thinks we suspect him.”
“Or he’s just avoiding the cops, since he’s not here legally,” suggested Valerie.
Alexandra shrugged. “Who knows? Anyway, I’m going out there alone tomorrow and I don’t want any company. Got that everyone?”
She looked around to a general chorus of yes and heads nodding.
“We’ll have our celebration of the passing of two of our members next Saturday. And that will be a party to remember. Got it?”
“To the party!” yelled Bob, holding his glass up in a toast.
Everyone held up their glass and echoed his words, and Alexandra felt a lump in her throat again.
Shit! I can’t start crying again! What the fuck is wrong with me? I used to be able to handle anything without blinking an eye. But now? I can’t seem to stop feeling raw and fragile, like my emotions are way too close to the surface.
Rich tapped her on the shoulder.
“Hear what’s playing? It’s your song, Queen.”
Alexandra stared at him as she heard the chorus of the song about the woman who could rock your world all night long.
“So?”
“You wanna dance?”
“I’m not really in a dancing kind of mood. In fact, I need to pee. I’m gonna hit the can. Maybe someone else will dance with you…”
She ignored the irritated look on his face and slid off her barstool. She made sure to swing her hips on the way through the crowd and was rewarded by open-mouthed stares and grunted appreciation.
She pushed the door open and went into the lounge area of the small bathroom. Even though she’d been unaware she’d been followed, Emma walked through the door right after her.
“You okay, Alex?”
“Yeah, I just gotta pee.” Alexandra pushed into the stall and did her business while Emma continued to talk to her.
“You really gonna go out there alone tomorrow? Doesn’t sound like a smart idea to me, what with the person who’s been hunting our gang still not caught.”
“Too fucking
bad. When have you ever known me to be afraid of anything or anyone?”
“Is Dmitri meeting you out there? Is that why you don’t want anyone else to come?”
There was a loud flushing sound then Alexandra opened the door to meet the worried look on her friend’s face with a shake of her head and a smile.
“No, Emma. I really do think being up there alone will be good for my head. I’m distracted at work, and not able to concentrate on much of anything. I can’t let my personal business interfere with running the company. So I’m hoping having time to myself will do the trick. Or at least get me ready for another grueling week that’s gonna start with a wake and funeral again.”
Emma reached out and Alexandra allowed the hug to happen. She wasn’t usually very comfortable with expressions of emotions, but Emma was her closest female friend. Emma seemed to take more comfort in it than Alexandra did, but as she pulled back, Emma smiled broadly at her.
“I hope you find what you’re looking for out there tomorrow,” Emma said. “You know, now I think about it, I’ve gotta pee too.” She pushed open the stall door and went inside.
Alexandra washed her hands and checked her appearance in the dingy mirror above the sink. With a final grimace at herself, she opened the door and called out, “See you back at the bar, okay?”
“Be right out,” Emma responded.
The rest of the evening played out as it usually did, with multiple pitchers of beer being consumed, along with some pizzas they had delivered to the bar.
I really miss having Dmitri around to drive me home, Alexandra thought as she stood up to walk to the bathroom again. I’ve been getting used to having him as my designated driver so I could drink as much as I want. But I should be leaving soon anyway. I don’t wanna be hung-over tomorrow morning when I’m gonna ride solo up to my place.
When the lights blinked and the bartender announced it was time for the last call for alcohol, Alexandra surprised everyone including herself when she slammed her beer glass to the table and got up.
“That’s it for me tonight, folks. I’ve gotta try to actually get some sleep before I ride solo tomorrow.”
