M.urder R.eady to E.at (A Scotti Fitzgerald Murder Mystery Book 2)

by Anita Rodgers

  "Hey," Steve murmured and scooted around her to the door.

  Zelda's quizzical eyes flitted from me to Ted to Steve. "Am I interrupting something?"

  Standing behind Zelda, Steve shook his head at us and backed out the door.

  "What's up?" Zelda asked.

  I gave her ponytail a tug. "I know something you don’t know…”

  Chapter Nine

  The family dinner finally broke up about ten, and despite Ted’s adorable pout, I sent him home to his house. I loved him more than I could say but after spending the evening with the whole Jordan clan, I needed some down time. And there’s a lot to be said for sleeping in ratty sweats and having the whole bed to yourself.

  After I finished posting our schedule for the week on the food truck website, I turned off the computer and my phone, then changed into my sweats. Reading my mind, Zelda opened a bottle of Pino Gregrio and poured us each a big glass.

  She handed me a glass and clinked hers to mine. "Here's mud in your eye."

  We plunked down on the sofa, propped our feet on the coffee table and shared a sigh. "What a night," I said.

  "What a weekend," Zelda countered. "Did you get any sleep?"

  "Not much." I stared at the answering machine whose blinking light taunted me. "That's probably from Joe." I scooched down and nestled against the cushions. "But it’s too late to call back, right?"

  Zelda sucked in her lips and made a popping sound. "He'll text if he we don’t call back." I said nothing and she let it go. She sipped her wine and studied me. "I've got to say, you did okay tonight."

  I chuckled. "Melinda is no fan, that's for sure."

  Zelda cackled. "Marrying into that family will be a challenge."

  I came up out of my seat. "Who's getting married?"

  Zelda reared back her head. "Isn't that what you want? The house, the husband, the kids, the "mommy" support group?” She refilled our wineglasses. "You two have been serious since day one. Where the hell else would this be going?"

  I shrugged. "I didn't know it had go anywhere." I frowned. "This committed relationship stuff is harder than I thought."

  Zelda frowned. "There's not another guy is there?"

  I clutched my chest. "Damn you got me. Manny and I have been having a hot affair for years."

  Zelda shuddered. "First of all — gross. Second, you don't have to be a smart ass."

  I stared at the ceiling and sighed. "I’m used to doing whatever I please. Feels weird having to get permission if I want to do something." I rubbed my itchy eyes. "Until now my biggest fear was that he’d ask me to move in with him. Thanks for upping the ante."

  Zelda's face went red and she wagged her finger at me. "What the hell's wrong with you? Any other woman would thank God to have a guy like Ted." She waved her wine glass at me. "That guy would walk barefoot across broken glass for you. Hell, he'd probably take a bullet for you." She shook her head. "Don’t be an idiot, Scotti. Guys like him don’t come along often. Remember that."

  My mouth hung open in shock. "Who are you, his agent?"

  Zelda put down her glass and shook her head. "Don't try to turn this around on me. I never hated him. I just wanted to be sure he wouldn't screw you over." She scoffed. "Never thought it'd be the other way around."

  I slapped my hand to my chest. "Now I'm screwing him over? I'd never do that to Ted." I chewed on a cuticle. "It's just that things are moving so fast. No guy has ever been this crazy about me."

  "Bullshit, he zeroed in on you the first time you met. You knew what you were getting yourself into."

  I shrugged. "It's hard to trust." I looked at her. "Why me?"

  "Why you? Why not you?" She wagged a finger at me. "Why do you have to question everything. Why don’t you just count your blessings?" She held her wineglass to her cheek and stared into space. "Most of us don't get that lucky.” She looked at me. "Don’t take him for granted."

  I studied her for a minute. She was the last person to sing Ted’s praises. She liked him well enough but got her jollies out of teasing him. Then I got it. She and Eric were on the outs again. Eric was the opposite of Ted. Everything was casual. Day by day. Zelda acted like it didn't bother her, but I knew better. I patted her knee. "Eric doesn't deserve you."

  "Shut up."

  I threw up my arms in frustration. "He's just a kid whose big goal in life is to hack the Pentagon's computers. For fun."

  "He wants to help people."

  "He wants to be a rebel."

  She burrowed into the cushions and dropped her chin to her chest. "Okay, okay." She looked at me. "But I'm not you. All blonde and perky and cute as a button."

  "No, you look like a woman, not a Barbie doll."

  Zelda laughed. "Barbie never had hair like yours." She mimed sticking her finger in a live socket and being electrocuted.

  After a slightly drunken but good laugh, I tugged on her ponytail. "I’m the one who should be looking out for you. The right guy will come along. You'll see."

  She frowned at me. "You love Ted, don't you? Honest to God, love him?"

  I nodded. "No doubt there. It's just the idea of marriage that scares the shit out of me." I looked at her for sympathy. "Really, it does scare me."

  Zelda rolled her eyes and shoved me playfully. "Worry about that when he asks you."

  "You mean if he asks."

  "I mean when — he's definitely going to ask."

  I jumped like I'd been goosed. "Do you know something I don't know?"

  Zelda cackled. "Has he asked me to help him pick out a ring? No, you're safe for now."

  "Bitch."

  "Ingrate."

  We drained our glasses and refilled them — emptying the bottle. "Speaking of the right guy coming along…"

  "Quit screwing with me." I said nothing. "You're screwing with me right?" I shrugged. "Okay, what is it?"

  "Ted's brother thinks you're hot."

  She blushed and giggled like a cheer leader. "Shut up. Really? Which one?"

  "Steve."

  Her enthusiasm deflated. "The one who ran out of the kitchen when I came in?"

  "He's just a little shy."

  Zelda sighed. "Scared like a little bunny, you mean."

  "Bunnies are cute and snuggly." I raised my eyebrows. "So?"

  Zelda stood up and yanked me to my feet. "I'll tell you what, when that little bunny can be in the same room with me without running away, I'll think about it."

  Chapter Ten

  On Monday our route covered West Hollywood, including, Wilshire, Fairfax, Beverly, Highland and Sunset Boulevard. And there's nothing that hungover secretaries like more than pie and coffee to help them start off the work week. It must've been quite a weekend because we sold more whole pies than usual and landed a couple of corporate parties for the next month. When I'd get all that baking done, I didn't know, but I never turned down business.

  The weather was a hot, wet cloud dragging us down, so by two we packed it in for the day. I rode up front in the cab with Zelda and kept my face about two inches from the air vent until it was cold and sticky with dried sweat.

  Joe texted and asked us to spell him for dinner hour because he was still sitting on Beidemeyer. Why he stayed on Beidemeyer was beyond me — he hadn't deviated from his routine at all. If the man was having an affair with that crazy chick in Burbank, then my guess was he’d ended it. But we couldn't convince Joe of that.

  Joe ran a check on the Burbank address of that crazy chick. Marika Jansen came up as the legal homeowner and the bungalow was listed as her primary residence. Now, we had the name of Beidemeyer's mistress or former mistress, but little else. Considering the little scene that had played out on Saturday night, I was going with former mistress. Beidemeyer couldn't get away from the woman fast enough, and I believed he'd learned his lesson. That affair was over with a capital "O."

  Joe was pleased with the photos, which turned out pretty well because they were something concrete to give to Mrs. Beidemeyer. Though the pictures weren't co
mpromising, the late hour and apparent familiarity with Jansen was enough for Beidemeyer's wife to get what she wanted out of the divorce. Which apparently was to leave him without giving him a dime of all her money.

  Joe planned to run a background check on Marika Jansen, but she was probably just an ordinary woman who made the mistake of falling for a married man. A little more digging and we’d know for sure, but my feeling was that it was all a waste of time. What else did Joe think he would get?

  "You up for babysitting Beidemeyer while Joe gets some dinner?" Zelda sighed like a pouty kid but nodded. "It'll only be for a couple of hours. Five to seven sound okay?"

  I texted Joe and to say we'd meet him at Starbucks around five to relieve him. Then I texted Ted to see if he'd heard from Mike. When Ted didn't answer my text instantly, I stared at the phone for a few minutes. But when an answer didn't come, I put the phone on the dash.

  "Nothing?"

  I shook my head. "It's Monday, he's probably just swamped." I lolled my head in her direction. "If something was wrong, he'd have called anyway. So no news is good news right?"

  Zelda blew a breath upward to free her bangs from her forehead. "Yeah, sure. But the best news is a cool shower, food and a nap."

  "Amen, sister."

  Zelda changed lanes to catch the Sunland exit, decelerated and rolled to the bottom of the off ramp. When the light changed, she hooked left onto Foothill which would take us past the park. I craned my neck to see if I could spot the guys. I didn't see Mike or Ron but I did see a couple of familiars. "Shit! What are they doing down here?"

  Zelda checked the side mirror. "Who?"

  I sank back in my seat. "Nothing. Probably just heat stroke or something."

  Zelda snorted. "Like a mirage?"

  I frowned. "If you could call Daniels and Davis a mirage."

  "What?" Zelda cut over too fast into the left turn lane and got some angry horns for pulling the stunt. "Where?"

  I flailed my arms. "No, no, no, no. Let's just go home. I'm sure it wasn't them. What would they be doing there?" Daniels and Davis were a couple of homicide detectives we used to know. On a previous case, they'd hassled us and had thrown me in jail — and I wasn't keen on rekindling the relationship.

  Zelda hung a left as the light turned yellow. "We're already right here. Can't hurt to look."

  I put my hand on her arm. "Do you want a shower, food and a nap or do you want to satisfy your curiosity? We can't do both. "

  Zelda idled at Hillcrest, thinking. Finally she nodded and turned toward home.

  Relieved, I slouched in my seat. "Food, showers, and naps it is. Good answer." Two minutes later, we were idling at our gate, waiting for it to chug open. As we pulled in, Ted finally answered my text. "This can't be good."

  Zelda parked the truck along the back wall. "What?"

  But I didn't answer because Ted sat on the porch steps waiting for us.

  Zelda saw Ted and frowned. She switched off the engine and said, "What's this?"

  I shrugged and stepped out of the truck. The air was a hot sweaty slap in the face, and everything felt surreal as I walked toward Ted. Sweat shined his face and slicked his hair but his mind was elsewhere. His set jaw and unblinking eyes made my stomach clench.

  I smiled and pushed the damp hair off his brow. "Why didn't you wait inside? It's awful out here."

  He stood, hugged me, and motioned to the door. "Inside it is."

  I grinned and pinched his butt. "Not feeling frisky today?"

  He didn't smile or try to cop a feel — just led me by the elbow up the steps.

  "What's wrong? Is it Ron?"

  Zelda unlocked the door and we trooped inside.

  Boomer’s head lolled in our direction but he remained parked in front of the fan that had his floppy ears in perpetual flight. Zelda cranked up the A/C and went to the kitchen.

  I looked up at Ted. "What's the matter?"

  Zelda came back with cold sodas and tossed one to each of us. "Okay Teddy my boy, spill it."

  I held the deliciously cold can to my face and sighed. Ted took the can out of my hand and put it on the coffee table. Then he put his arm around me. "They found Ron."

  I don't know why, but I laughed. "Who found Ron? What do you mean found him?" I searched Ted's eyes looking for the light that was usually there. "Where's he been all this time? What happened?" He pulled his arm tighter around my shoulders but said nothing. "No. He's not dead is he?"

  Ted nodded. "They found him this morning."

  Shaking my head I pulled away from Ted. "No, he can't be dead. It's a mistake. I just saw him three days ago. It's a mistake. It has to be a mistake." I looked up at Ted's somber face. "Please tell me it's a mistake." My eyes bloomed with tears. "Not Ron. He's not dead. He's just hiding. Right? Right?" The words caught in my throat, and I started to sob. "How could he be dead?"

  Ted held me while I cried. The pain and grief I felt was inexplicable. I really didn't know Ron. I didn't even know his last name. He was just a sweet, sad little homeless guy that I felt sorry for. A disabled vet who'd made it through a war and only wanted to sit in the sun and eat pie. He was home. Where it was safe. How could he be dead?

  Zelda's eyes shimmered with tears. "What happened?"

  Ted spoke softly. "They're not sure — they think it was an overdose."

  I exploded out of Ted's embrace. "Overdose? Ron wasn't a junkie. He wouldn't even take his meds most of the time."

  Zelda put her arm around my shoulder and walked me to the sofa where she made me sit down. "Scotti, honey. Let Ted tell you what happened, okay?"

  I nodded sadly.

  Ted sat next to me and Zelda sat on the coffee table. Having trouble keeping it together, she nodded at Ted.

  Ted took a deep breath like it hurt to take in air. "There's not much more to tell. They found him this morning in one of the park restrooms. The cops came out, talked to a few people, then sent the body to the county morgue. Mike heard the cops thought it was drugs. Not street drugs. Maybe that he overdosed on his meds." He looked down at me and brushed away my tears with the back of his hand. "It happens honey, especially with guys who have brain damage. They take their meds, then they forget that they took them, and they take them again."

  I shook my head. "That can't be right. Ron didn't have any meds. He wouldn't let me drive him to the VA to get any either." I looked up at Ted. "We just talked about it on Friday. He hated that stuff! Wouldn't take it. So how could he overdose on meds he didn't have and wouldn't take?"

  Ted shook his head and squeezed my shoulders. "I don't know, baby. These guys aren't like ordinary people. They squirrel things away and hide it in different places. They're very guarded about their stuff. He could've had them tucked away at a different park or a P.O. Box." He blew out a troubled sigh and I could see that Ron’s death affected him too. "Could be that on Friday he didn't want any, but Saturday he changed his mind."

  "Then why didn’t he just tell me he had meds stashed somewhere then?"

  Ted brushed back my hair. "You mean like Mike told you he had a cell phone?"

  I fell silent and lay my head on his chest. Ted knew these guys — I only thought I knew them. They trusted him because he was one of them. I knew he was right, but I didn't want to accept it. I believed Ron when he said the meds made his head fubar and gave him the crazies. Maybe I just needed to believe that so I wouldn’t have to face how bad off Ron really was.

  Zelda told Ted to take care of me while she spelled Joe for dinner on her own. I sent Joe's pecan pie with her and teased her about not eating it on the way over. She gave me a hug and called me a bitch, then left.

  But five minutes after Zelda left, I vibrated with nervous energy, and I couldn't just sit in my house crying. I had to do something. I had to find out what the police knew. I wanted to talk to Mike and the other guys. I needed to understand what happened or I'd never let it go. "I'm going to the park."

  Ted frowned and put his arm around me. "There's nothing at the park
."

  I pulled out of his embrace and stood. "I don't care. I'm going. You can come with me or not, but I'm going." I peeled off my tank top as I walked to the bedroom. "I'm washing my face and my armpits — then I'm going."

  <<>>

  When we arrived at the park it was 90 degrees, and the heat rose from the sidewalks like rocks in a sauna. Even with sunglasses, I squinted against the glare — and my light cotton dress and sandals didn’t make me feel any cooler. The park is full of pines, pepper trees and mulberries, and they sheltered us from the burning rays — but didn’t stop sweat from popping out on my forehead and chin.