Thrilled To Death

by Jennifer Apodaca

  He took the water, drank a small sip, then said, “I was fine until the airplane took off.”

  Joel snickered.

  TJ announced, “Airsick,” and took another piece of pizza.

  Fletch laughed too. “Who knew? I never thought of getting airsick. The instructor wouldn’t let me jump.” He took another drink of his water and fixed his gaze on me. “What happened to you?”

  Joel set his pizza down. “Grandpa told us not to ask Mom about it until she settled down. He said she’s all nerved up and mad at Gabe.”

  Grandpa knew Gabe and I had a fight at the police station?

  Fletch slammed his water down on the counter. “Gabe? Your boyfriend? He hit you?”

  Here we go again, I thought tiredly. Another outraged male. “No. Gabe did not hit me. Gabe would never hit me. Shane Masters smacked me. Gabe and most every other available male in the city went after him, but they were too late. Shane was dead.” Belatedly, I thought about the boys. I should never have said it like that. Quickly, I walked toward them. “But I’m fine.”

  TJ swiveled around in his chair to look at my face. “Your face doesn’t look fine to me. And you shouldn’t be mad at Gabe, Mom. He did the right thing.”

  What happened to my sweet little boys with the chubby arms and dirty hands that hugged me tight? My heart caught and swelled when I looked at my two sons. My babies were growing into men. Both of them had their dad’s blue eyes. TJ had a harder cut face that was pulled tight with outrage. Joel usually had charm stamped all over his face, but right now he frowned with anger. I could see responsible young men with a strong sense of justice and a protective streak for me, their mom. God I was proud of them. “You might be right, TJ,” I said to my oldest son. “But Gabe should also have listened. Your grandpa, Ali, and I handled Shane.”

  Joel nodded approvingly. “Grandpa told us.”

  Fletch sat down heavily at the table and swallowed. “Shane is dead? What happened?”

  It would be all over Lake Elsinore and in the newspapers, so I couldn’t protect the boys from the truth. With my hand on TJ’s shoulder, I said, “Someone shot him.”

  TJ looked up at me. “Mom, are you investigating?”

  I wasn’t even sure Gabe and I were working together anymore after what I’d said to him. Or if I had a client once I talked to Nikki and Rosy. “I’m going to talk to my client in a little bit, TJ. We’ll see from there.” Grandpa didn’t appear to be a suspect anymore. But someone killed that hit man and Shane. And we were all afraid it was a magician.

  Grandpa set down his iced tea. “I’m not stopping. I have to find out if one of the Triple M magicians is behind this.”

  I noticed he barely ate any of his slice of pizza and that he didn’t mention Bo in front of the boys. No reason to worry them any more than they already were. They both liked Bo. “But you are being careful, right?”

  Fletch was recovering from the shock and cut in. “I’ll stay and help him tonight. We’ll be careful.” He glanced at Grandpa. “We are just looking for information. No one will know.”

  Fletch stared down at his hands playing with a napkin. I felt a little sorry for him. He came to visit his mentor, Grandpa, and was thrust into this mess. But I was more worried about Grandpa. Someone was desperate enough to try to have Shane killed, then to probably do it himself when that failed. If that person found out that Grandpa was on his trail, he might decide to get rid of Grandpa. But I didn’t want to say that in front of the boys. “Just promise me you’ll stay here in the house tonight.”

  Grandpa said, “I’ll be careful, Sam. Now stop worrying about me.”

  He sidestepped my question, but I decided to wait until I could talk to him without the boys around. I turned to Fletch. “Do you want some chicken soup or some toast?” He still looked greenish, and he appeared to be avoiding looking at the pizza.

  He shook his head. “Nah. It’ll wear off in a while and my appetite will be back.”

  I didn’t have much of an appetite either. I was trying to figure out what to do next when the doorbell rang.

  Ali raced to the door, barking loudly. I went to the front window and looked out. Then I ran to the door and yanked it open. “Cal? What’s wrong? Is Gabe okay?”

  12

  Cal stood in the doorway and grinned at me. “Gabe’s being an ass, uh I mean a bear. Can I stay here tonight?”

  Huh? TJ and Joel came up behind me, which explained Cal’s changing his choice of words, but why would he ask to stay here? Had Gabe told him we’d had a fight?

  Of course he had, and that was why Cal was here.

  I narrowed my eyes. “Gabe sent you.”

  Cal’s face hardened. “Either I sleep on your couch or in my truck. Your choice.”

  I opened the door, then turned and stormed down to my bedroom where I slammed the door. I stood there in the middle of my room and felt like an idiot. Cal was just like his brother, Gabe. Just like him. And he probably hated me for what I said to Gabe. But that hero streak must run through the whole Pulizzi clan, so they couldn’t leave us unprotected.

  I had to pull myself together. With Cal here to watch over Grandpa and the boys, I could go talk to Nikki and hunt down Bo. I’d take my stun gun and pepper spray. Better to leave Ali here as an extra layer of protection.

  Did Cal have a gun?

  “Sam?”

  I jumped and whirled around.

  Cal walked into my bedroom and shut the door behind him. He wore a haunted and tired expression. His face looked better than yesterday though. I don’t know why I was surprised that he came into my bedroom. Gabe appeared in my room whenever he damn well felt like it. I lifted my chin. “Did you come in here to yell at me?”

  Cal stopped short a couple feet from me. “Christ, no.”

  “Then what?” Cal looked a lot like Gabe, but whenever Gabe came into my bedroom the sexual sizzle nearly burned the house down. With Cal I just felt defensive and inadequate. No sizzle. But what pissed me off more, because I didn’t understand it, was that I felt safe.

  He closed the distance between us. “I came in here to see if you are all right.”

  “Of course I am. I can take care of my own family. I told Gabe that. He doesn’t have to worry about us.” I tried to look strong, but regret weighed heavily on me. I knew I wasn’t being fair to Gabe.

  Cal looked down at me. “He wants to worry about you.” He said softly, “I’ve never seen Gabe love anyone the way he loves you.”

  That statement took my breath away. “Don’t say that. You don’t know what I said to him. . . .” I turned away and looked out the dark window set high on the wall over my bookcases.

  Cal put his hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know what you said, but I’ve known Gabe all his life. I’ve said a few things to him I regret. He’s never held it against me. He’s said things to me—it’s what families do.”

  I stared out that dark rectangle. “I was afraid. A coward.”

  Cal snorted.

  I turned around, knocking his hand off my shoulder. “Why do you men snort?”

  “Coward? You?” He snorted again. “You attacked a man twice your size after he hit you.”

  I straightened my shoulders. “That was fear. He was threatening my grandfather.” Knocking Shane off the front porch had nothing to do with bravery and everything to do with fear for Grandpa’s safety.

  He shook his head. “Sam, you aren’t a coward. And don’t take all the blame for your fight. I’ve watched Gabe push you away. Tonight you pushed back. You are exactly the kind of woman Gabe needs.”

  I looked up at my ceiling. “You Pulizzis are a strange lot, you know that? I’m older than Gabe. I have teenagers! I don’t want babies. And I don’t want to get married. I’m not leaving my grandfather to live alone. And I’m not going to be bossed around by a stubborn, strong-willed man no matter how sexy he is!” Gabe’s mom liked me, and now his brother liked me, and oh hell—“Tell me I didn’t say that out loud.”

  Cal c
racked a grin that probably hurt his scabbed lip. “’Fraid so.”

  Great. Nothing like telling Gabe’s brother I find Gabe sexy. I wondered if the family collected all my embarrassing moments for the nights when there’s nothing on TV? Maybe that’s why they want Gabe to keep seeing me—my entertainment value. I pushed that away and said, “Why did you come to Gabe’s, Cal?” I knew Gabe wanted me to stay out of Cal’s problems, but he was already pissed at me.

  The humor in his expression died. “I thought Gabe would understand.” He turned away from me, looking toward my desk in the corner by the bathroom door. “Maybe he does. I don’t know. I knew that Gabe would stand with me though, no matter how much I screwed up.”

  I stared at Cal’s profile; it was hard and longing at the same time. “Do you love her? Your Melanie?”

  “Loved. As in the past.”

  “Then why did you go after her husband?” I was trying to understand.

  He walked to my desk and sat down in my folding chair. “Because I did love her once, and in a way, I felt like I drove her to that bastard by not marrying her when she wanted me to. But I wasn’t going after him to beat him up. I was going to call the cops and tell them where he was once I verified it.”

  I didn’t understand. I walked over and sat down on the corner of my desk. “So what happened?”

  Cal picked up one of my romance novels for which I had recently finished writing a critique, and he seemed to study the book cover. “He was with a couple firefighter buddies of his who were protecting him, two men who strongly suggested that I should mind my own business and let Dirk handle his wife.” Cal’s face darkened. “I told them that no one gets a free walk on putting a woman in the hospital, not even a fellow fireman.”

  I studied his face as he stared intently at the book cover. I knew he didn’t see the cover, but some internal struggle. Then I got it. “They jumped you, didn’t they? And the guys are Dirk’s witnesses that you attacked him.”

  He looked up at me with his dark eyes. “My dad was a firefighter.”

  Cripes. I reached over and put my hand over his holding the book. “I didn’t get the chance to meet your dad, but I’ve met your mom and I know Gabe. I bet your dad would be much more proud of the man you are than the career you chose.”

  Surprise softened his face. “Maybe.”

  “You’ve put off telling Gabe this because he’ll go after these other firefighters? Dig up stuff on them to support your story?” Jeopardizing his future as a firefighter. Oh sure, technically it shouldn’t happen. But we didn’t live in a perfect world.

  “Partly. And because as a cop, Gabe was part of a brotherhood too. He still has close ties to those guys.”

  Jeez, Cal was afraid Gabe wouldn’t understand. Quietly, I said, “Gabe was your brother long before he ever became a cop.”

  He nodded, accepting that as fact. “Thanks, Sam. I just need some time.”

  It was my turn to nod. “And I have to go find Gabe.”

  Cal checked his watch. “He should be heading over to the motel where Bo Kelly is staying. Gabe worked on a diagram of the murder scene, and he’s been running down as much information as he can find on Bo.”

  I frowned. “But Bo’s not at his motel, we’ve try calling . . . oh.” Gabe was going to get into his room and take a look around. I started putting some pieces together: Grandpa knowing that I’d had a fight with Gabe at the police station, and his sidestepping my question about staying in tonight. Gabe had talked to him, probably told him we’d fought, and now Grandpa and Gabe were working together. Grandpa had avoided my question about going out because he would go out if Gabe found Bo. “Gabe called Grandpa after our fight.”

  Cal nodded. “He told Barney he’d work on physically tracking down Bo. And he suggested Barney try getting into Bo’s bank accounts to see if he had any large withdrawals. Since Bo registered at the motel, if Barney could track down the credit card he used, that card might lead Barney to Bo’s bank.”

  I stood up off the desk. “I’m going to find Gabe.”

  “The Night Haven Motel.”

  I nodded. “Thanks. I kind of wish I had a brother like you.” I hoped he didn’t think I was being too sappy.

  Cal stood up and hugged me to him. “Now you do.” Then he turned and left the room.

  Damn.

  I changed into a black tank top with a built-in panel that doubled as a flimsy bra and traded in my turquoise shoes for tennies. If I was going to do some breaking and entering with Gabe—assuming Gabe was even speaking to me—I wanted to be dressed for it. I gathered up my stun gun and pepper spray. Then I said good-bye to the boys, who were fine with me leaving once they determined I’d be with Gabe. They were happy to hang out with Cal while Fletch and Grandpa worked on the computer.

  Breaking and entering into motel records and banks. I repressed a shudder and prayed Grandpa didn’t get caught.

  Ali met me at the door.

  “No Ali, you have to stay here.”

  She stared harder at the closed door and barked.

  “Take her, Sam,” Grandpa said.

  I shrugged and let her out. She ran for my car and jumped in as soon as I opened the door.

  Once Ali and I got on the road, I dug my cell phone out and dialed Rosy’s phone number.

  “Hello?” Her voice sounded tired.

  “Rosy, it’s Sam. Have you heard about Shane?”

  “The police have been here. Nikki’s down at the station now, talking to the detective.”

  I winced. “Oh. Rosy, I’m sorry but with Shane being murdered, I had to tell them . . .”

  “Sam, we know. Can you come by in the morning and we’ll talk then? We have to find out who killed Shane. To clear Nikki.”

  I looked over at Ali. She was alternating between sticking her nose out the two-inch crack in the window and watching me while I drove and talked. “You still want me to work for you?”

  “Yes. Tomorrow, okay?”

  “I’ll be there in the morning. Bye.” I hung up and put the phone in my purse. It was around eight o’clock, and the traffic was light. Ali wasn’t very talkative so I spent the next ten minutes thinking about Gabe and me, and Gabe and his brother. My nerves were strung tight enough to play a tune on by the time I pulled into the Night Haven Motel.

  I looked around. It was Wednesday night, and there were a dozen or so cars in the parking lot. I didn’t see Gabe’s black truck. Fletch’s truck was at my house. What had Bo driven? I know I saw it when I drove up to the house yesterday after picking Joel up from school. It had been a . . . Mustang. A green Mustang. I didn’t see one here. I slowly drove the length of the parking lot facing the rooms. Then I pulled into a parking space, readying to back out and turn around, when I saw Gabe’s big black truck pull into the motel.

  I stayed where I was, watching the truck and dealing with a killer case of nerves.

  Ali stood up on the seat and barked. She recognized the sound of Gabe’s truck.

  “Hush, Ali.”

  She sat down and whined. Gabe was her buddy.

  I put my hand on her regal head and said softly, “We’ll go see him, I promise. But you have to be quiet and stay with us. No running around.”

  Gabe drove by, then he turned around and pulled out.

  Ali whined again.

  “He’ll be back,” I assured her. Sure enough, a few minutes later, I saw him walking down the sidewalk. He’d parked his truck in another spot. I sighed. “He’s better at this than we are, girl.”

  She made a soft sound. Probably she was pointing out that I was the one who sucked at this, not her. I turned and looked at her. “We’re going to get out. You stay quiet.” Then I opened my door and stepped out. Ali followed me, then she ran over to Gabe. But she didn’t make a sound.

  I followed a little more slowly. I was pretty sure that he had spotted us already and that Cal had called him to let him know Ali and I were coming to meet him.

  Gabe said something to Ali, and she sat dow
n by his side. I could see him scratching her ears with his hand while he watched me. Cal should see what a big coward I am now, I thought. I forced myself to walk up to the sidewalk that ran in front of the doors, then down the length of three doors to Gabe.

  As soon as I got to him, he said, “Take Ali and walk around like you are looking for a room number while I handle this.” He tilted his head toward the door he stood by.

  I nodded. “Come on, Ali, we have to find the room.” I started walking.

  My well-trained dog fell into step beside me. She sniffed the ground and nosed a wadded-up piece of paper while I made a show of looking at each room number as we passed by. When we got down to the end, I turned around to head back and saw that Gabe had the door open. “Found it, Ali,” I said in what I hoped was a normal voice. Then I hurried toward Gabe.

  He handed me a pair of gloves and said, “Inside.”

  I passed by him, noticing that he already had gloves on, right before I caught a glimpse of his blank expression. God. What if he just wanted to tell me to get lost? What if Bo came in while he was telling me to get lost? I took a breath and looked around the room. King-size bed covered in a green bedspread. Two bedside tables. Two lamps bolted to the walls. There was a round table with two chairs to my right in front of the window that, thankfully, had the drapes pulled tight. Straight ahead was a mirrored closet, a sink and dressing area, and a door to a bathroom. On my left was a dresser with a TV on top and—

  Gabe.

  He stood a few feet to my left, watching me.

  I sucked in a breath. “Gabe, I should have—”

  “Later. Right now let’s see what we can find out about Bo Kelly.” He went to the dresser and started opening drawers.

  I stood there stunned while Ali trotted over to sniff around the dresser. Then I passed Gabe and headed to the bathroom. I found a shaving kit, deodorant, fresh towels, and everything tidy enough that I suspected the maid had been here. I found nothing unusual.