Side Effects

by VK Powell

  You didn’t take the hint.

  Do you know where your mother is?

  Chapter Twenty

  I feel like Phil and Harry. Three piss breaks, four cups of coffee, a box of doughnuts, and fuzzy teeth were all we accomplished last night.” Bex tried to stretch her legs, but the car seat didn’t go back far enough. “The only things we learned were Elliot Ramsey has a drop-dead gorgeous wife and drinks too much Scotch. Any other observations?”

  “Don’t forget his propensity for watching porn on his laptop. Yuck. I’m scarred for life.” Jordan cranked the car and started toward home. As she made the turn at the corner, her cell vibrated. She checked the readout. “Jesus. Bina just activated the silent alarm. She’s in trouble.” She floored the accelerator. “Call Neela.”

  Before Bex could dial the number, Jordan’s phone buzzed again. “Yeah?”

  “Jordan, Bina’s in trouble. Something’s wrong. Get home now.” Neela was yelling.

  “Neela? Slow down. Tell me what’s going on.”

  “I just told you. Something is terribly wrong. Bina called me Mrs. Scott. She sounded rattled. She’s trying to warn me. I don’t know—”

  “Neela, where are you?”

  “Who cares where I am. Take care of Bina. Hurry!”

  Jordan flipped on the blue lights and siren as Neela’s voice faded. “Jordan, it’s Phil. She’s with us. Somebody left a threatening note on her windshield implying her mother was in danger. We’re running emergency to the house. We’ll meet you there. ”

  “She just activated her silent alarm too, but don’t tell Neela.”

  Jordan tossed the phone to Bex. Blood pounded in her ears so loudly the siren faded into the background, and she narrowed her focus to the tapered tunnel she navigated through traffic. “Oh, hell, no. This is not happening.” Bex was quiet beside her except for the occasional “clear on the right” to let her know she could proceed through an intersection.

  She cut the siren a block from Neela’s house, jumped out, and ran. As her feet pounded the pavement, she’d never moved so slowly. Her mind was twenty feet ahead, but she felt like she was running in wet cement. A strange car was in the driveway, and she pointed for Bex to cover it. She ran straight toward the door and then through it.

  Feet first, she rammed the door and it came loose from the frame. At the end of the hallway near her bedroom, a man held Bina’s left arm, jerking and pulling to make her walk, but she resisted. Her face telegraphed the pain every forced movement caused. When Bina saw Jordan, she dropped limply to the floor and rolled away. Jordan didn’t stop running until she rammed the man in the chest with her shoulder and brought him down.

  As he fell backward gasping for breath, Jordan straddled him, pounding him with both fists. His head moved from side to side with each punch like a rag doll, but she didn’t stop. “You. Do. Not. Hurt. My. Family.” She punctuated every word with another strike, seeing only his hands on Bina and the anguish on her face.

  “Jordan! Stop!” Words from somewhere penetrated her rage. “Stop! You’ll kill him.” Bex was trying to pull her off the bloody man.

  “I don’t care. Let go of me.” She jerked loose and hit him again.

  “Jordan, darling, stop.” Neela’s voice was stressed, but still calming and very close. She sounded okay, but what about Bina? She pressed her knees into the man’s shoulders to keep him pinned to the floor and turned to look for Bina. “Bina is fine. You saved her. Stop now.”

  Neela put her hand on Jordan’s arm and urged her away. As soon as Jordan crawled off the intruder, Phil and Harry rolled the guy over, handcuffed him, and escorted him outside. She slid to where Bina sat huddled on the floor in Neela’s arms. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you? At all? Anywhere? Tell me? Let’s get her to the hospital and make sure.” Neela was checking Bina for injuries, asking similar questions.

  “Both of you stop. No hospital.” She slapped at Neela’s hands. “I am fine, but Jordan is hurt, once again.” She pointed to her left shoulder, stained with fresh blood.

  As the adrenaline drained from her, Jordan slumped against the wall. She shook all over. When she’d fought for herself as a teenager, she often felt losing the battle would’ve been a blessing. But seeing the terrified look on Bina’s face, she knew this was a fight she could not lose. Everything important in her life now had depended on it. She smiled in spite of the pain in her shoulder because Neela and Bina were finally safe.

  Neela pulled her into the huddle with Bina and wrapped an arm around both of them. “My family is okay. Thank you, my darling. Now, let’s get you to the hospital again.”

  Jordan was coming down from her adrenaline high and things started to register. The appreciation and love in Neela’s eyes was palpable. Bina rubbed her arm and constantly thanked her. Maybe she finally deserved the gratitude and caring looks these women gave her, not because she’d done something heroic, but because she would have given her life for either of them without question.

  Neela helped Bina to her feet and extended her hand to Jordan. “Let’s go.”

  “I can’t go back to the hospital. Heather and Doctor Newkirk will have me committed. This will be the fourth time they’ve had to patch me up.”

  “Guess that’s a chance we’ll have to take,” Neela said.

  “Can’t you just put a fresh bandage on? I’m not leaving the two of you until I’m certain you’re okay, and then I’ll go to the station and question this guy. He’s got some explaining to do, if he’s not in the hospital.” She looked to Bex for reassurance.

  “He’ll be fine, just a few cuts, nothing serious.”

  “I’ll be with you in a minute, Bex.” Jordan returned her attention to Bina. “Are you really okay? You don’t need to go to the hospital? Are you sure?”

  “I am absolutely fine. Stop worrying so much.”

  “Do you know how he got in the house?”

  “No idea. I had just gotten out of bed and was going into the kitchen. He was standing in the hallway. I heard no alarm or breaking glass.” Bina shrugged. “Sorry. I am not much help.”

  “You did exactly the right thing by activating your silent alarm, and when I came through the door, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect response. I’m very proud of you.” Jordan hugged her, and Neela helped her into the kitchen.

  Neela made chai tea for Bina and settled her at the table with her morning meds before she and Jordan went into the bathroom. Neela stripped the old bandage off her shoulder. “I’m against this. What if I miss something? You should have x-rays. What if you’ve injured something I can’t—”

  Jordan kissed Neela to calm her and because her concern was so heartwarming she couldn’t resist. So this was what it felt like to be part of a family, to have people care about you and your well-being. She was almost dizzy from the realization that this could be her life. “I’ll be fine.” She kissed her again, and Neela pressed her hard against the bathroom wall, as if she was suddenly unable to stand.

  “I could’ve lost you and Bina today. My God.” Jordan felt her lips tremble against hers. “I never want to feel that helpless again.” Neela fisted Jordan’s hair in both hands and held her close as her kiss deepened until Jordan felt she might collapse.

  “Nee—la. Can’t breathe.”

  Neela stepped back and rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand. “I could devour you right now. And before you say it, yes, part of what I’m feeling is the adrenaline, but I don’t care. I need you so much. I’m serious.” She took a few deep breaths before returning to the task of cleaning and redressing Jordan’s wound. Her eyes strayed to Jordan’s lips as she worked, and her concentration filled Jordan with heat.

  “If you don’t stop looking at me like that, I may never leave.”

  “That’s exactly what I want—you here with me until I’ve had my fill. And I’m thinking that could take years.”

  When she pressed the bandage in place and stepped back, Jordan kissed her lightly one last time and reached fo
r the door handle. “I’m sorry. You know I have to see this through, not just for you and Bina, but for myself as well. Rain check on the devouring?”

  “So, you’re leaving me hurting and horny like last time?”

  “Only temporarily, and Liz better not be here when I get back.”

  “No problem.”

  Just being in the same car with the man who had broken into Bina’s home and tried to kidnap her made Jordan angry all over again. She tapped her foot against the floorboard as she made a mental list of questions. When they pulled into the station, Sergeant Milton was standing outside with two detectives from the Crimes Against Persons Squad. She and Bex helped the handcuffed suspect out of the backseat and led him toward the front door.

  “Bishop, the CAP guys want to interview him,” Milton said. “And you’re not even supposed to be working. What the hell?”

  “This one goes down to your squad, boss. It’s our arrest. They can talk to him as soon as we’re finished. Bex and I have been on this case from the beginning. Take a number, guys.” She grinned as they escorted the suspect into an interview room. Milton’s chest puffed out a bit, and she could’ve sworn his molten face tried to form a smile. He was probably thinking about the publicity he’d garner when the story hit the papers.

  “Sit.” She pointed to a chair but the suspect stood. “Suit yourself. We’re getting a cup of coffee. Want anything?” He shook his head. “I’d like for you to think about something while we’re gone. You’ll be charged with at least two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, and one count of breaking and entering, kidnapping, and assault. Try to imagine how many years you’ll spend in prison. And then decide if you want to take all the heat or share the love with whoever’s paying you. Your choice.” She closed the door behind her, and she and Bex waited fifteen minutes before going back in.

  She slid her chair in front of the suspect and put a clean yellow notepad on the table. After advising him of his rights, she said, “Let’s start with the basics. What’s your name?”

  Apparently he’d thought about her earlier comments because sweat beaded his forehead. “Ralph Younts.” She gathered all the pertinent information about his date of birth, address, and criminal record and compared it to the printouts Bex had already pulled from his license.

  “Let’s cut to the chase. Who’re you working for?”

  “If I tell you, can I get a deal, time off my sentence?” He rubbed his hands together and scraped his balding head.

  “Depends on what you have to tell us and how convincing you are.”

  “I’m serious,” Younts said. “This guy has clout and could have me killed.”

  “It’s up to you,” Jordan said. “His hide or yours. Either way we’re getting our pound of flesh. But if I was in your shoes, I wouldn’t let some rich guy go free while I did time.”

  “The guy’s name is Elliot Ramsey.”

  Bingo. She tried to keep a straight face as she imagined clicking the cuffs on Ramsey’s wrists. “How do you know Mr. Ramsey?”

  “My brother drives for him sometimes. When he said he needed special help, my brother gave him my name.”

  “What kind of help?” Bex asked.

  “He wanted me to scare a couple of doctors who were part of some protest group. Write a few threatening letters, that sort of thing.”

  “And what else?” Jordan’s anger clawed just under her skin. He was too calm, too matter-of-fact about terrorizing the women she cared about. “Did you attack Doctor Branson?” He nodded. “And…?” She made a mental note to get a sample of his hair for comparison to the ones left on Branson’s body the night of the assault and a voice sample to compare to Neela’s threatening phone call.

  “When the woman didn’t take the hint, Ramsey paid me extra to take a shot at her.”

  “He paid you to kill her.” Jordan’s jaw hurt from clenching her teeth.

  “If I wanted her dead, she’d be fucking dead. I was just trying to make a point.” Jordan was on her feet and halfway across the table when Bex grabbed her by the waistband. Younts dodged her swinging fist. “You’ve got anger issues, detective.”

  “And you’ve got legal issues, asshole.” She sat down and clasped her hands in her lap, nodding for Bex to take over.

  “How did you get past the alarm system in the Sahjani house?” Bex asked.

  “You haven’t done your homework, detective. Ramsey owns the company.”

  Jordan mentally flipped through the list of Ramsey’s acquisitions Bex had compiled. “That’s bullshit. We would’ve found it.”

  “Only bought it a few days ago. You can guess why.” His smug grin indicated he thought he’d given them a piece of worthwhile information.

  “Elliot Ramsey is a very influential man. Why should we believe he’d be stupid enough to pay you to do his dirty work?” Bex tapped her pen on the table.

  “Because I have proof.”

  Bex’s pen stopped in mid-air. “What kind of proof?”

  “Audio. But that’s all you’re getting until I have a deal.” Younts scooted his chair back and folded his arms. “The only other thing I have to say is this, lawyer.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Neela checked her cell for the second time in five minutes. Two days had passed since Jordan had arrested the man who tried to kidnap Bina, and the only contact they’d had was by phone. As she and Liz packed up the lab equipment for the day, she lethargically changed clothes and thought about the lonely night ahead. Bina was spending the week with her friend, Mrs. Scott, in the Caribbean on a much-needed vacation, and she was waiting to hear from Jordan.

  Liz slipped her arm around her waist. “We’re going out to dinner. I won’t take no for an answer. We’re both police widows, and I’m tired of sitting around waiting for a phone call. Are you with me?”

  She nodded, not really in the mood to go out, but less willing to face the empty house alone. “Sure, why not? I just don’t understand what’s taking so long. Elliot Ramsey’s arrest has been in the headlines since yesterday.”

  “Bex told me they’re conducting all the interviews so it’s taking awhile. Haven’t you talked to Jordan at all?”

  “Several times, but it’s just not enough. Know what I mean?”

  “Totally. Nothing takes the place of that warm body beside you, does it?” She pulled her sweatshirt on and headed for the exit. “I’ll meet you at the Thai place on Westover Terrace at six thirty. And don’t be late. I feel like getting my drink on. I might even pick up a woman.”

  Neela shook her head. “Right. You’re so gone over Bex you can’t see another woman, much less remember how to pick her up.” The twinkle in Liz’s eye made Neela smile. “See you at six thirty.”

  The house was so lonely without Bina and Jordan. She went into Bina’s room and watched dust flurries drift in the last rays of evening sun. Her mother’s housecoat hung over the back of her favorite chair, and Neela thought about her most recent stem-cell-test failure. No matter how hard she worked, her efforts wouldn’t stop the progression of Bina’s severe rheumatoid arthritis. She wiped tears from her cheeks and vowed to make the remainder of her mother’s life special. She’d spent too much time working and not enough with Bina. Life was just too short to focus on anything but the present. She folded Bina’s faded housecoat, placed it on the foot of her bed, and then went to her bedroom to change for dinner.

  Blue followed alongside her, nudging her hand and looking at her with his pitiful blue eyes. “You are your mother in canine form,” she said, patting his thick white fur. As they entered the bedroom, he raised his head and sniffed the air like a bloodhound. “You smell her in this room more than I do, don’t you, boy?”

  She looked at her purposely unmade bed, and Jordan’s imprint on her side punctuated her absence. Grabbing the pillow, she inhaled Jordan’s unique fragrance, and the memory of it shot through her like shrapnel, ripping her defenses and stirring her blood. Almost
losing Jordan again had merely confirmed what she’d known since the beginning. She’d told Jordan she loved her, and that knowledge swelled in her like a living thing. Her nerves were raw, and her senses screamed to be saturated with her lover.

  Blue nudged her hand and she patted his head again. When she looked at the clock, she saw that she had only fifteen minutes to get across town. She changed quickly, fed Blue, and arrived at the restaurant just as Liz pulled into the lot.

  “Great timing.” Liz pulled her into a hug. “I have a feeling this is our lucky night.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Good food, a few drinks, some sexy conversation. Who could ask for anything more?”

  “My lover to share it with?” Liz opened the door, and the place erupted into cheers and applause. “What the—”

  “Your wish is my command.” Liz pointed to Jordan and Bex across the room, leaning against the bar. “Don’t be mad. They just finished work and I told them they had to be here. It was initially a gathering of your old work crowd.” Standing next to Jordan, Rosemary gave her a thumbs-up.

  “Did you do all this?”

  “I had a lot of help from your number one, Rosemary.”

  Her entire gang from the Health Department surrounded her like a mob. Everyone told his or her version of the shake-up Ramsey’s arrest had caused in the governor’s office.

  The mood was jubilant, but she kept track of Jordan, drawn by some invisible force. She looked exquisite wearing her signature black T-shirt, boots, and leather jacket. But tonight she sported a pair of skintight leather pants that Neela ached to peel off with agonizing slowness. When their eyes locked, Jordan licked her lips and raised her glass in a toast.

  Every time Neela tried to work her way to the bar, another coworker stopped her to talk. Everyone wanted to thank her for her courage and leadership through the years, to update her on their new positions with the department, on their raises, or about the new jobs they’d found. They’d followed her example and fought for themselves. Her worries about leaving her group had apparently been unnecessary.