The Cure May Kill You: A Cassidy Hudson Mystery

by Carlie Lemont

  “Where I was, when?”

  “When you heard about the murders.”

  Cassidy shook her head, reluctant to answer at first. “I... I really don’t want to talk about this. I’ve been trying to unwind from work. Let’s just talk about fun stuff.”

  Both her head and her vision were now foggy, but they continued to banter, though she didn’t really care what answers she gave. At one point, Cassidy vaguely remembered telling Cruz about Marge. Not the day of the killing; about her as a person. It broke all of the HIPPA laws, but she couldn’t help it. The woman was undeservedly dead, and Cassidy hung her head, fighting back tears.

  “Are you all right?” Cruz said.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m just really sad that Margie isn’t with us anymore.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Me, too.”

  Cruz pulled his chair up alongside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, cheek pressed against his chest, where a few tears escaped and rolled onto his shirt. There wasn’t too much more to discuss this evening, but Cassidy felt fine with the growing silence between them... which wasn’t normally the case. Usually, Cassidy hit the road as soon as the talking stopped. This felt different.

  All in all, the evening went pretty well, talking and laughing as they got to know one another a little better. Cassidy had no idea how many glasses of wine she’d had, but at the same time, didn’t care. She’d needed an escape. But now, the night was growing long, and she was getting sleepy.

  “Oh, would you look at the time?” Cassidy said, then started to giggle. She’d glanced at her wrist, even though it didn’t have a watch on it.

  “Yeah, would you look at that?” Cruz agreed with a warm smile.

  “Seriously, I have to get up early for work. I don’t have the luxury of waking up whenever I want to, mister pool man.” And she playfully slapped at him. “Look at you. Did you only drink one glass? I think I’d finished at least three. Are you trying to make me look bad or something?”

  “Of course not. You’re just enjoying a lovely evening, sharing a bottle of wine with a friend. And like we discussed earlier, I’m not the pool man. I do have one quick question before you go, though.”

  “What’s on your mind, Cruz?”

  “When can I see you again?”

  And at this, Cassidy’s heart fluttered, despite the alcohol.

  “Well...” She extended her hand. “I’d like to do this again soon. Real soon, actually.”

  Cruz gripped her hand securely. How warm and strong his hand felt around hers. Nice and very inviting. And before she realized it, Cassidy was wrapped up in his arms for a goodnight embrace, melting against him without a thought or concern about germs or personal space. The sensation ended far too quickly, and she was left standing alone while he walked away into the night. With her head still clouded by alcohol, a strange giddiness tickled at her tummy, making her head spin and tapping into a deep-seated feeling that hadn’t been touched in ages.

  “Good night!” Cassidy called out to him.

  Cruz stopped, turned to face her, and said, “Good night, Cassidy. I hope to see you again soon.” Then, he paused, simply looking upon her for a moment. “If I haven’t already told you this, you look lovely this evening.”

  Cassidy smiled, face flushing hot, and she spun away, hurrying up the stairs and into her apartment, where she was greeted by Max.

  “Oh, buddy. I had such a great time tonight. Did you miss me?” She got down onto the floor and held his wiggling form close. “It was so nice getting to know someone who didn’t just want to talk about himself.”

  Cassidy froze as it dawned on her that she hadn’t asked him much about his past, or his present, either, for that matter. He’d asked her all kinds of questions, and she’d loved the attention so much, she hadn’t even thought to ask him many of her own. Oh, bad form on her part. Something she’d have to rectify at their next meeting.

  As Cassidy showered love upon Max, who soaked it up like a thirsty sponge, something began to nag at her mind. She tried to recall the specifics of their conversation, but the details kept escaping her. Cruz had had a lot of questions for her tonight. He’d even asked about Marge, hadn’t he? Or... maybe she’d brought it up first. She couldn’t remember.

  Cassidy shrugged, torn between the happiness of a successful first date and the confusion over Cruz’s strange interrogation. She chalked it up to too much alcohol and too little sleep. So, after taking Max for his final potty break of the night, she curled up in bed, letting the soft sheets, the comfy pillows, and the rhythmic breathing of her canine companion lull her into a restful sleep.

  DELACRUZ TYPED CASSIDY Hudson’s name into the police database. It took a few seconds, but it returned no hits. Ms. Cassidy Hudson, if that was indeed her real name, was not in their official files. He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his thick, cropped hair, then pulled out his cellphone and connected a call to his partner, Sanchez.

  “Hello, this is Sanchez.”

  “Hey, it’s me. Have you come up with anything new on the case?”

  Sanchez paused for a moment. “Not really, no. Seems to be some commonalities between the two murders, but nothing pointing to a suspect. Personally, I think that Cassidy Hudson woman’s hiding something. She’s mean; heartless, even.”

  “You can’t make that assumption just yet. You’ve only had a couple of conversations with her.”

  “True. But you’ve had even less contact. Need I remind you of your last conversation with her on the phone? You’d practically slammed it down hard enough to crack. I believe your exact words to me were: ‘That woman is impossibly dense.’ Or was it ‘delusional’?”

  Delacruz smiled. “Something like that.”

  “I have a feeling you haven’t told me something. Did you reject my advice?”

  “What advice?”

  “When I told you it would be safest to stay clear of her; she’s a suspect, it could end badly. That advice.”

  “Oh, well not exactly.”

  “Spill it.”

  “Okay ... I’d decided to have a few drinks with her to get her to talk more openly about some things.”

  Sanchez huffed out a loud breath. “And?”

  “I believe her.”

  “Based on what?”

  “My gut.”

  “Your gut!” Sanchez laughed. “You sure that’s the body part making decisions?”

  “Hey, come on, don’t be like that. I had a nice, long conversation with her, and I truly believe she’s innocent. Granted, she’ll remain on the suspect list, but I think we need to double our efforts to find the real killer before someone else gets hurt.”

  “Like your new girlfriend?”

  “Like Cassidy, yes. Or anyone else, for that matter.”

  “My advice still stands. Stay away from her, unless she’s at the station, handcuffed to a desk, preferably with a gag in her mouth.”

  “Wow, Sanchez. That’s pretty harsh, even for you. But, yeah, sure. I’ll limit my contact with her.”

  “Good. See you tomorrow?”

  “Of course.” He hung up the phone.

  It would be hard to keep his word, though, he knew. He and Cassidy lived in the same apartment complex. Plus, he was starting to develop feelings for her. There was just something about her he found irresistible. Tonight, he’d taken a sneak peek under her hard exterior, and he liked it. But Sanchez was right. His job required him to stay objective, to follow the letter of the law, and to be open to his partner’s opinions. He couldn’t make any promises, of course, but he would try his level best.

  CHAPTER 21

  H

  ad Cassidy been in a better mood, she would have merely been disgruntled or even annoyed. But, she was furious.

  She’d stayed up way too late the previous evening, and had to wake up way too early that morning. With her job’s flexible scheduling, she tried not to rise before seven or eight. Today, howev
er, she had to force herself awake at four a.m. to get to Jake’s Quick-n-Easy Auto Repair Center by five. Jake’s job would be simple: to remove the blatant obscenity scrawled on her car door. And Jake himself had assured her that he could have her car door repainted and ready to go within three hours... but only if she got it into his shop by five a.m., and not a minute later. Cassidy had to be at the office around eight to pick up her payroll check, then get to her first therapy appointment by nine. Plenty of time. She might even be a few minutes early, if Jake did his job right.

  Jake didn’t fail to deliver her car precisely three hours after she’d dropped it off at his shop. What Jake had failed to do, however, was to accurately match the paint color to the rest of the vehicle. In fact, upon further inspection, she noticed he’d even immortalized a long-since dead bug under the fresh coat of paint.

  “Lovely, just lovely,” Cassidy said. “I can’t believe you didn’t wash the door before you repainted it.”

  “Never said anything about washing your car for you,” Jake said, crossing his arms over his chest and defiantly rocking from heel to toe. “I said I’d paint it, and that’s exactly what I did.”

  “You’re ridiculous. How the hell did you come so highly recommended?”

  “Because my mom told you to come here. Lemme guess, you helped her with her grocery shopping. No, wait—you drove her to a doctor’s appointment. Eh, who cares?” He shrugged. “My mom recommends me to everybody. That’s how she is.”

  “Actually, I was her physical therapist. I helped her recover from a stroke, which, quite frankly, I’m sure she had because you’re such an ass.”

  Jake grunted and adjusted his junk. “Whatever. I painted, now you pay up.”

  “You didn’t even come close to doing a good job. What kind of moron doesn’t match a car’s existing color?” Cassidy paused while another customer walked into the shop. “Hey,” she called out to the middle-aged woman who glanced over with concern and confusion. “I’d be careful with this guy, if I were you.”

  “Now, look here, lady,” Jake said. “You can’t come into my shop and start scaring away my other customers!”

  “Oh, no? I can’t? You listen to me, you greasy, fat pig. No one tells me what I can and can’t do—no one!” She again turned to the other customer. “Make sure you don’t get screwed over. Jake here sucks at everything except being an idiot.”

  Cassidy snatched the keys out of his dirty, callused hand and spun around to leave. But Jake rushed to the front of the shop and blocked the exit.

  “Give me my money, or I’m calling the police.” His arms and legs spread across the doorway to keep her from going around him.

  Cassidy huffed. She didn’t need any more dealings with the police. “Fine.” She took the cash out of her purse and tossed it on the floor.

  The slime-ball rushed for it like a greedy fat kid at a piñata party, and Cassidy high-stepped over him like yesterday’s trash, pausing to kick the last twenty-dollar-bill farther out of his reach. The incompetence of some people really boiled her blood. If she were a glass-half-full type of gal, she’d tell herself, “At least BITCH is no longer scratched into the car door.” But she’d never been that kind of girl—ever. She’d be contacting the Better Business Bureau to report Jake and his little shop of horrors.

  Cassidy unlocked her car and got inside. Already the heat of the day was building, sticking her clothes to her body. She sanitized the steering wheel, console, seat belt, and review mirror... and that’s when she noticed the other vehicle behind her, sitting under a large palm tree at the end of the block. She opened the door to get a better look and heard the aggressive revving from the dark-colored car. It had to be the same one she and JJ had seen at the restaurant after Marge’s murder.

  Adrenaline dumped into her veins, and Cassidy slammed her door closed, threw the car into reverse. Her tires squealed, leaving marks of burned rubber on the pavement as she sped backwards toward the other car. But her frustration soared when the driver took off, far too quickly for her to follow. She slammed on her brakes, then punched the steering wheel.

  “Damn it!” That settles it. I’m being followed.

  She sent JJ a text message, telling him to wait outside for her—they were in a hurry. Sunshine Home Health was so antiquated that they didn’t offer direct deposit, so she and JJ would need to stop in at the office to get their paychecks, but first... she needed coffee. Both for her own sanity, and for everyone else’s safety. And if they were a little late to their first appointment, it’d be okay. By this point, her patients expected it. To ensure a smooth encounter with coworkers, though, she would need a refreshing quad-shot of espresso, expertly diluted with chocolate and milk. Cassidy could almost taste it as she screeched to a halt in front of JJ’s apartment building, where he waited outside for her as instructed. This brought a smile to her face.

  “Good morning! I can’t believe you’re on time,” JJ said as he looked at his watch. “No, I take that back. You’re early! I don’t think that’s ever happened before. Is it a full moon? Are you okay? Is there something wrong I need to know about?”

  “I’m pretty sure we’re being followed by a cold-blooded killer,” Cassidy said.

  JJ blinked. “What?”

  “Never mind. Do a little less talking and little more shutting the darned car door. We need to get a move on.” Cassidy threw the car into gear and left in search of coffee.

  “Geez! Are you trying to kill us? Slow down.” JJ fastened his seatbelt and pulled it tight.

  Cassidy ignored him and continued on to Java Java, her favorite coffee shop in Miami, checking her rearview mirror time and again, but never once spotting the mystery car. Had she imagined it?

  It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the coffee house, which happened to be drive-thru only, meaning she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone except for the person taking the order. Just the way she liked it.

  “Welcome to Java Java!” crackled the excited voice from the intercom. “Can I interest you in an iced caramel mocha double espresso with a double whipped vanilla splash? It’s just the tops!” Cassidy’s skin crawled at the saccharine zeal.

  “No, I want a quad-shot of espresso with skim milk, and make it a mocha.”

  “Can I interest you in a—”

  “No! If I didn’t order it, then the answer is no.” Cassidy turned to JJ. “Did you want anything?”

  “No, thanks.”

  Cassidy didn’t wait for her total. She squealed her tires around the building to the pickup window and, after handing the Java Java worker the usual eight dollars for her drink order, she drove straight to Sunshine Home Health, where she parked her car and clutched her beverage like a lifeline to sanity.

  “I need to sit here in silence for a moment and enjoy my coffee,” Cassidy said.

  JJ shrugged. “Not a problem.” He waited for her to finish what he often called her “happy juice.”

  But that didn’t take too long, and as the caffeine kicked in, a sense of happiness washed over her, vanquishing the cobwebs in her mind.

  “Much better,” she said with a sigh. “So, what are the chances we’ll be able to go in, get our paychecks, and get back to the car without having to talk to anyone?”

  “Not good. When we pulled in, I saw Willow’s car parked in the Employee of the Month spot. She’ll be skulking about somewhere.”

  “Shoot. I really wanted to keep my caffeine buzz for a while. That troll has a way of making me uncomfortable.” Cassidy struggled to get the final drop out of her coffee cup. “Okay, well let’s go and get this over with.”

  They walked into the building, but no one was there to greet them, and for this, Cassidy was thankful. She signaled to JJ to keep quiet, and he nodded as they continued on toward Janet’s office. Somehow, they made it all the way there without being spotted.

  “Good morning, Janet,” said JJ.

  Janet looked up with a scowl. “I figured I’d see you two today.” With her hard, weathered
face, it wasn’t clear if she’d retained the ability to smile, and this was the first time Cassidy had ever seen wrinkled pockmarks. But she thought of something nice like golden retriever puppies, just in case Janet had developed the ability to read minds.

  “Of course, Janet. It’s payday,” Cassidy said.

  Janet rolled her bloodshot, sleep-encrusted eyes. “Right. Here, take ’em.” She handed them over. “And Randi called in sick today. I’ve been up since three this morning reassigning her visits to other therapists, but I wasn’t able to find anyone available to take Chester.”

  “So?” Cassidy shrugged. “Reschedule him. I don’t want to see any of Randi’s patients. Her idea of therapy is to work them until they nearly pass out in bed for a quick and painless death. From what I’ve been told, her patients have nicknamed her ‘The Crusher.’ Then I get in there, and they think I’m going to abuse them like she does. It’s never fun to have a patient open their door and start crying because they’re anticipating pain.”

  Janet scratched at her greasy mop of hair, and Cassidy stepped back to avoid the dandruff that fell like dirty snow on a sad winter’s day. After a long-held, smelly release of breath, Janet said, “Too bad. I can’t reschedule him. If he isn’t seen today, he’ll miss his recertification period. And if that happens, we’ll have to discharge him and reevaluate the following day.

  “Quite frankly,” she added, “that’s too much work, and it’s not cost effective. So, I’ve called and left a message on his answering machine this morning and told him that you and JJ would be more than happy to see him today.” Janet smiled like a demented Cheshire cat, which left Cassidy feeling sick to her stomach. “Have the paperwork, including the recertification, ready by tonight.”

  “But no one will be here.”

  “Use your key to the main office and then, slide the papers under my door.”

  “Fine.” Cassidy huffed and turned to leave. “Let’s get out of here, JJ, before we have to rescue someone else from their incompetence.”