Walk Through the Valley

by Debbie Viguié

  “Oh, they did far more than that,” the detective said, her voice grim.

  “What?”

  The detective turned the phone so that Cindy could see it. A picture of a skull with a sunflower between its teeth stared back at her.

  “They left her a message.”

  14

  “No way,” Cindy blurted out as she stared at the picture of the skull with the sunflower.

  “This means something to you?” Detective Sanders asked.

  “Yes. Lisa got a bunch of flower arrangements delivered to her in the hospital. I was reading the cards to her. There was one arrangement, sunflowers, that had a really morbid message about death on it and no sender name. She was so upset by it she had me stop looking at the arrangements and reading their cards to her.”

  “Do you think she knows who sent them?”

  “I don’t know what to think,” Cindy confessed.

  “Is it possible they were targeting her instead of your brother?”

  “I don’t know anything. Maybe. Or maybe one of his crazy fans wants her dead.”

  “How well do you know her?”

  “Not at all. We just met yesterday in the hospital for the first time. Kyle had told me a little bit about her a couple of months ago. I know she’s an interior designer. That’s about it really.”

  The other woman looked at her skeptically.

  “I told you, my brother and I aren’t as close as we could be,” Cindy snapped, feeling tired and frustrated and somewhat embarrassed that she didn’t know any more about his fiancée than that.

  “Well, she and I are just going to have to have a little chat about all this. I’ll call in a team to go over this place and see what we might have missed. Unfortunately I can’t spend more time doing it myself, but I only have so many hours in the day and Lisa isn’t going to be questioning herself.”

  “Shouldn’t you have a partner?”

  “Should. Don’t.”

  “Why?” Cindy asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

  “Because I shot and killed my last one. Makes it surprisingly hard to get a new one.”

  Cindy started to smile, thinking it was a joke. Then she took a good look at the detective’s face and realized she was completely serious.

  “Sorry,” Cindy muttered, unnerved by the revelation.

  “Wasn’t your fault.”

  She quickly changed the subject. She waved her hand to encompass the room. “What should I tell Lisa about all of this?”

  “Nothing. I’ll talk to her. Hopefully between the two of us we can clear some things up.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Nothing. You’ve already done too much. Go back to the hospital and be with your brother and your folks. I’m guessing you’ve already been in his room here at the hotel?”

  “Yes, nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Interesting. Like I said, head back to the hospital. I’ll be in touch if I need to ask you anything.”

  Cindy felt completely deflated. Just when she felt like they were starting to get somewhere and she was actively doing something to help her brother the rug had been pulled out from under her. Given what Detective Sanders had told Cindy about her previous partner, she had no intention of pushing the woman for anything more.

  “Bye,” the detective said pointedly.

  “Bye,” Cindy murmured as she turned and left the room. A couple minutes later she was in another taxi headed back to the hospital. She had very little to show for her trip except for the knowledge that it was possible Lisa could have been the intended target and the fact that she knew pretty much nothing about her soon to be sister-in-law. Both things bugged her, refusing to let her mind rest.

  When she finally made it back to the hospital she walked slowly into the observation room, miserable at the realization that there was nothing left she could do.

  Her dad nodded at her, but didn’t say anything. Cindy got the distinct impression that he didn’t want to discuss her errand with her mom in the room. Cindy settled down in one of the chairs to wait. She lamented the fact that her phone was back in the hotel room where she had left it at Jeremiah’s direction. It may be bugged, but she could at least have surfed the internet for a while, maybe done some research on Lisa. Without it, though, she was stuck in an information vacuum.

  She glanced at her parents and suddenly realized that maybe she could obtain some more information.

  “Dad,” she said softly.

  He turned away from the window where he was standing next to her mom and came to sit down next to Cindy.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I just realized that I know pretty much nothing about Lisa,” Cindy admitted, wincing slightly in using that name in front of her parents. “You’ve spent some time with her, what can you tell me?”

  “Well, she grew up here in Las Vegas. She went to school for design and has lived most of her adult life in different parts of California. She’s nice, generous, thoughtful.”

  “She ever been married before?”

  He shook his head. “Not that I’ve heard. I rather had the impression that she’s focused mostly on her career since graduating from college. The dedication has paid off, too. Kyle says she’s one of the most in demand designers in the nation.”

  “That’s impressive,” Cindy said, struggling with sudden, unexpected feelings of inadequacy. Her job wasn’t that glamorous and she certainly hadn’t had to work herself to the bone to make it to the top of her field. She forced herself to take a deep breath. Life wasn’t a competition, not in that way. It was about being true to yourself. Besides, she had made a lot of valuable contributions to society in her own way.

  “And what kind of work does she do?”

  “All kinds. Everything from residential to corporate. She does a lot of high-end work. You know, one of the home design magazines ran an article on her this month. You might want to read it.”

  “Really? Which one?”

  “I can’t remember off the top of my head, but she’s the cover story and it has her picture on the front. They might even have a copy in the gift shop here.”

  “You know, I think I’ll go see if they do,” Cindy said, eager for an excuse to escape the room of waiting. “Is there anything I can grab you?”

  Her father shook his head.

  Down in the hospital gift shop they had a number of books and magazines. As it turned out, the one she wanted was easy to spot because Lisa was indeed on the cover. She bought it and took it upstairs.

  Once she had reclaimed her seat she opened the magazine and found the article. It was written by a woman named Majesty Starr and seemed to be a Q and A with Lisa. Curious, Cindy began to read.

  Recently I sat down to chat up one of the hottest interior designers in the industry. Lisa Taggart got her start in her hometown of Las Vegas before moving to San Francisco and then finally on to Boston where she has designed for some of the most elite families in the country. She has since moved her business to Los Angeles where she caters to the rich and famous. Such A-listers as actor Jon Romeo have hired her to redo their homes.

  M: Lisa, thank you so much for agreeing to do this interview!

  L: No problem, Majesty. I love talking about design.

  M: And the design community loves talking about you! To what do you credit your success?

  L: Two things. First, I have a very strong sense of what I think looks good and doesn’t and I bring that to every design project I work on. Second, I listen to the client, really listen. Sometimes they ask for things that you just know aren’t going to work for a space. What’s important is to listen for the underlying reasons behind their choices. Is there nostalgia at play or does a certain color make them feel a certain way or are they trying to replicate a look they’ve seen elsewhere? Once you understand what their larger, emotional goals are, you can help them create that even if you don’t use the exact pieces or colors that they thought they wanted. At the end of the day the
client has to be happy with the space and so do I because it stands as a representation of me and my work. If I give them something they want that’s hideous other people are going to see that and they’re going to blame me for the choice even if it wasn’t mine. It might be my client’s home, but it’s my reputation which is why everyone needs to be happy with the outcome.

  M: Wow, it sounds like you put a lot of psychology into your design work.

  L: Yeah, I guess I do.

  M: So, if I were to ask you to give me avocado green linoleum in my kitchen...

  L: I’d find out what avocado green linoleum means to you and I’d find a different way to fulfill that need that still allowed your kitchen to be sleek and modern.

  M: I guess that’s the difference between a designer and a contractor. It’s a contractor’s job to give you exactly what you ask for.

  L: And it’s a designer’s job to give you exactly what you really need.

  M: Okay, forgetting for the moment about my avocado green linoleum question, what is the craziest thing a client has ever asked you for?

  L: I’ve been asked for some really crazy things. I had one client who wanted a life-size marble statue of himself in the middle of the living room. Another one asked me for a glow-in-the-dark room where everything, including the carpet, glowed. One client had an obsession with sunflowers and wanted the entire house done with sunflower print carpet. Only one of these three clients got exactly what they asked for, but all of them were happy with the results.

  M: Wow, I’m busy trying to picture all those things right now and they’re all a bit overwhelming. Okay, getting myself back on track. Do you just do cosmetic work or do you actually restructure houses as well?

  L: With the current obsession with open concept it seems like I’m always knocking down a wall somewhere or other. Honestly, clients ask me for a full range of services from just redoing the color palette of a single room to gutting an entire interior and rebuilding. Sometimes they want more rooms or extra space in the rooms they have. I’ve put in my share of panic rooms and safes as well.

  M: Given your clientele list? I can imagine you have. So, do you think I should put a panic room in my house?

  L: Unless you have something to hide or something others want badly I wouldn’t recommend it. Mostly those are just a waste of good space, no matter how well designed they are. Spend the time and square footage on a nice master suite upgrade instead.

  M: Good advice. Do you have a portfolio of work that potential clients can peruse either online or in an office?

  L: No, most of my clients value their privacy so I don’t make that kind of information available except in special circumstances. I do have pictures of all my work, but I don’t usually show them.

  M: They’re more of a personal scrapbook then? Like your greatest hits?

  L: Actually, they serve a far more practical purpose. I keep detailed files on each of my designs including sketches, swatches, and very detailed pictures. That way if a client comes to me needing something repaired, replaced, or replicated somewhere else I’ve got all the information I need right at my fingertips.

  M: Have you ever had to use those files?

  L: Absolutely. I used them for one client who was rebuilding after a fire. In that case they were a real life saver because the original furnishings were completely destroyed. Without my files we never could have recreated those rooms. I’ve had to dig up information on other client projects as well, but that was certainly one of the more memorable experiences. I was so glad I could help them rebuild and feel like they were getting their lives back.

  M: I’m sure they were incredibly grateful. Unfortunately we are out of time, but I am very grateful for the time you’ve spent with me. Thank you for letting us all have a glimpse of Lisa’s world where the sky is, I’m sure, a much better shade of blue than in most people’s.

  L: You’re very welcome! It’s always a pleasure to talk design.

  The article concluded with contact information for Lisa’s design office. It also included a humorous notation that if you had to ask how much her services were you likely couldn’t afford them.

  Overall, it was an interesting interview and Cindy herself couldn’t stop wondering about the client who had wanted the all glow-in-the-dark room. She couldn’t help but think about the church’s youth pastor, Dave. He’d probably love a room like that and so would the kids. The other thing that had struck her was the part about the client obsessed with sunflowers. Could that have anything to do with the bouquet or the picture left on Lisa’s phone?

  Detective Sanders had instructed her to just sit and wait. Maybe, though, she could do a little more research and see if she could get Lisa to open up about the sunflower client.

  Everything in her wanted to run to Lisa’s room and question her as soon as possible. She forced herself to sit still, though, and take deep breaths. For all she knew the detective was in there talking to Lisa right now and wouldn’t appreciate the intrusion. On the other hand, if the detective hadn’t gone by to talk to Lisa yet Lisa wouldn’t know about her room being ransacked and she would want to know why Cindy didn’t have her phone and jewelry with her.

  Cindy sat there warring with herself and her own indecision for a good half hour. She checked her watch and thought it might be time to call Jeremiah again and see how he was doing and give him the update from her end. She was getting hungry again, too.

  Deep down she knew that even though she had a half dozen excellent reasons for leaving the room, they were all just excuses because she really, really didn’t want to be there. She hated the silent waiting. It felt more like a death watch than anything else, and she refused to believe that her brother was going to die.

  The revelations from her father about her mother’s favoritism of Kyle just made things worse. The daughter that reminded her of the fact that she’d already lost one child was sitting in the room with her while she watched another child clinging to life. No wonder her mother wasn’t even looking at her. She’d probably feel better if Cindy left. Her dad wouldn’t, though, even if he had fallen back into a silent mood.

  Patience had never been one of Cindy’s virtues and now she felt every minute crawl by and it chafed her. Somewhere out there was the person who had done this to her brother, and they might go free. After seeing the sunflower on the phone and reading that article she was sure that Lisa must know something, or at least have her own suspicions. Surely she would want to get to the bottom of this as badly as Cindy did.

  She had just about made up her mind to head over to Lisa’s room when one of the nurses poked her head in.

  “Miss Preston? Cindy?”

  “Yes?” she asked, startled that the nurse was asking for her specifically and not one of her parents. Maybe Lisa had grown tired of waiting for her things and had sent the nurse to find Cindy.

  “You have a visitor out at the nurse’s station.”

  “Who is it?” she asked, getting to her feet. Maybe it was Detective Sanders. If so, she’d have to tell her about the article and what it had said about the client who loved sunflowers a little too much.

  “He didn’t give his name,” the nurse said.

  His name. It must be Martin. Maybe he was dropping by to see if she wanted to grab a meal.

  “Thank you,” Cindy said. “I’ll be right there.”

  The nurse left. Her dad nodded at her and she walked out into the hallway. She left the ICU area. The main nurses’ station for the floor wasn’t that far from Lisa’s room, so maybe she could at least look in and see if the detective was there talking to her. Hopefully she could do that without being seen.

  As she walked toward the nurses’ station she could see a man standing there with his back to her. He was wearing a tight black T-shirt stretched across broad shoulders. She looked around, wondering where Martin might have gone to. She didn’t see anyone else, though, who wasn’t a nurse. Could the man in the T-shirt be the one who wanted to speak to her? If so, who was he and
what did he want?

  She started walking faster, her curiosity trumping her caution. There were nurses bustling to and fro. Nothing could happen to her here without there being witnesses. Still, she tightened her clutch on her purse as she approached.

  She glanced in the direction of Lisa’s room, but couldn’t see in. Cindy slowed as she approached the man, expecting him to turn at any moment. Her heart began beating faster. She finally came to a stop a few feet away from him.

  “Is someone looking for me?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady so as not to betray any of the anxiety she was feeling. The man cocked his head and then turned around.

  She took a step backward in surprise as she realized that she recognized his face.

  15

  “Hank! What are you doing here?” Cindy asked, recognizing the assistant cameraman from the cattle drive they had taken with Kyle.

  “I drove down with Bunni and a couple other coworkers when we heard what happened to Kyle,” he said.

  She stepped forward and hugged him and he folded her in powerful arms.

  “Thank you,” she said, overcome with a sudden rush of emotions at seeing a familiar, friendly face.

  “It was the least we could do. Unfortunately, one of the other guys and I have to go. The boss needs us and it’s an emergency. Wish I could say more, but I can’t.”

  “That’s okay. I understand.”

  “Bunni’s staying though. I don’t think you could blast her out of here right now,” he said.

  Cindy nodded.

  “Anyway, I didn’t want to go until I’d had a chance to say hello. I’ve got about an hour. Any chance I can talk you into an early, early dinner?”

  “I’d like that,” she said with a smile.

  Every hour that he didn’t know exactly where Cindy was or how she was made Jeremiah a little crazier. To try and relieve his building anxiety he had thrown himself fully into the search for Lydia’s killer. After the police had not been able to turn up a camera or cell phone in Lydia’s car, they had gone over every square inch of the church looking for one, but to no avail. It was clear to Jeremiah that whoever had killed her had taken it as well.