A Taste of Sin

by Jennifer L. Jennings

  “It’s the least I can do for all your help with Emily’s case.”

  His face morphed into a pout. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I can’t stay for dinner. I just stopped by to give you a kiss and grab a few things. I’m leaving again. I’ll be in New York for five or six days.”

  “Really? What for?”

  “This client wants me to outfit his entire office building with new surveillance equipment. He’s a Fortune 500 geek, he’s loaded and, of course, he needs me today.”

  “It’s so last minute.”

  “Have to take the jobs when they come, right?” He popped a slice of pepper in his mouth “But I haven’t forgotten about our weekend getaway. Let’s make plans when I get back.”

  “I wanted to discuss something important with you, tonight.”

  He ran his fingers through my hair, tilted my head back, and planted a warm kiss on my lips. “I’ll call you when I get to my hotel room. You can tell me all about it then. I have to go.”

  “What about Emily? I told her you were going to remove the surveillance equipment tomorrow. She’s leaving to go stay with her parents.”

  “Good. She should’ve left days ago. You could remove the cameras from the smoke detectors yourself.”

  “I could?”

  “Piece of cake, Sarah. I’ll e-mail you the diagram.”

  “Fine, but I will not be held responsible for damaged goods.”

  “You can handle it.”

  Max swiped another pepper and chewed while gathering up his personal items. Within a minute he was blowing me kisses as he rushed out the door.

  I felt drained; physically and emotionally. I was really hoping to discuss the Gavin job with Max.

  Maybe it was better that I didn’t tell him.

  I thought about giving Linda a call. I could invite her over for dinner and we could talk about Emily and Paul, or talk about nothing at all. The fact that I still hadn’t heard from her had me worried. I decided not to push it.

  After dinner, I poured myself a glass of wine, then set up my laptop on the couch next to me. Since the surveillance was still up and running in Emily’s kitchen, I decided I might as well keep an eye on it. At six-thirty, I didn’t expect to see Paul in the kitchen. It would be another thirty minutes until he got home from spin class.

  Just as I put my feet up, Carter’s ring tone echoed through the living room.

  I answered the call.

  “Hey Carter, you got something for me?”

  Carter cleared his throat. “I have some information. Good and not so good. Which one you wanna hear first?”

  “How about the good stuff first.”

  “Well, I checked into Dr. Gregory Knowles. He’s squeaky clean. No complaints or malpractice suits. Glowing patient reviews. He’s well respected in his field.”

  “Okay, that’s encouraging.”

  Carter cleared his throat. “So, are you ready for the scoop on your landscaper friend? Hector’s real name is Julio Ramon Medina and he’s not a landscaper.”

  I swallowed hard. “Then what is he?”

  “A criminal. He’s been in jail twice in the past year and he’s currently on probation.”

  “For what?”

  “Drug dealing and assault.”

  I closed my eyes, shook my head. “Damn it, I knew something wasn’t right about that guy. Paul gave Emily a story about how he and Hector were doing a barter; landscape work for tax services.”

  “Well,” Carter said. “That seems highly improbable considering Hector has not once filed a tax return since he moved to the states six years ago.”

  The wheels began turning in my mind. “Let’s say Paul wants his wife gone but he doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. He takes eight hundred out of the bank account to give Hector as a down payment to poison his wife, then another installment once he gets the life insurance; but how did Paul and Hector meet in the first place?”

  “Maybe Hector put an ad in the paper: killer for hire.”

  I ignored Carter’s comment. “I’m so glad Emily is leaving that house. I’ll go over there first thing in the morning, take out the hidden cameras and drive Emily to the airport myself if Linda doesn’t.”

  “Anything else I can do?” Carter asked.

  “I guess not but thanks for all your help.”

  “No problem.”

  I poured myself another glass of wine and continued to keep an eye on the computer screen for any movement. I flipped through the TV channels and found a movie to watch. After a few minutes, my eyelids became so heavy I leaned back into a pillow and closed my eyes.

  I woke up from a startling sound coming from the TV.

  When I realized I had fallen asleep on the couch, I shot up to check the time.

  7:25 p.m.

  I had dozed off for forty-five minutes. Must have been the wine. I rubbed my eyes and looked over at the laptop. What was going on in Emily’s kitchen?

  There was some kind of commotion taking place but Emily and Paul were not among those people gathered. When I realized they were police officers, my stomach clenched.

  I rewound the footage and couldn’t believe my eyes.

  Around 7:06 p. m. Paul had entered the kitchen, wearing his gym attire. He opened the refrigerator, pulled out a bottled water and drank most of it in one slug. When he turned around, Hector was standing behind him. Then, just like in the movies, Hector began stabbing Paul in the chest: once, twice and a third time in rapid succession.

  I stood there in complete shock, unable to move a muscle as I watched Paul collapse to the floor, his hands clutching his bloodstained chest.

  A gut-wrenching realization took hold as Hector turned and walked slowly toward the hallway—the handle of the bloody knife still clasped in his hand.

  … and I just knew.

  He was going to find Emily.

  I grabbed my car keys, purse and the SD card from the laptop, then headed for the door.

  I sped along highway 202 west and my brain clicked in to overdrive. All I could see in my mind’s eye was Emily’s lifeless body, stabbed repeatedly, lying in a pool of blood.

  She was probably dead and it was all my fault.

  I told myself to calm down and think rationally. The police were already there. Paul could still be alive. Emily, too but, deep down, I knew.

  Fifteen minutes later, I was on Emily’s street. The flashing lights from several police cruisers and two ambulances lit up the night sky. Looky-loos had gathered in small groups on both ends of the block to observe the spectacle.

  I pulled up and parked on the street behind one of the cruisers and got out of the car.

  A uniformed officer stopped me before I made it to the front door.

  “Ma’am, this area is cordoned off. I’ll have to ask you to stay back.”

  I tried to see inside of the house. “Emily. Is she alive?”

  “Look, I’m sorry, but unless you’re a family member, I can’t give out any information at this time.”

  “I need to talk to the person in charge. I have important evidence pertaining to the crime that just took place here.”

  The officer jerked his head sideways. “Who are you?”

  “Sarah Woods. I’m sure your detectives will want to see the surveillance footage I have. The man with the knife … his real name is Julio Ramon Medina. Do you have him in custody?”

  “Just ... wait right here a minute.”

  I waited and watched for any glimpse. I could barely keep my head straight with all the flashing lights and commotion.

  Moments later, I watched as a pair of stretchers with body bags on them were wheeled out of the house.

  I almost fell to my knees as a middle-aged man with a badge on his hip approached me. “Ma’am,” he said, “I’m Detective James. Can I see some I.D. please?”

  “It’s in the car.”

  “How do you know the victims?”

  “The owner of this house, Emily Hodges, hired me to run surveillance on her husband. I
have footage of the crime.”

  He nodded slowly, as if processing that information. “What kind of surveillance?”

  “Look,” I said, growing more impatient by the second. “Did you catch the killer?”

  The detective turned his head to look over his shoulder. When he turned back, his jaw tightened. “When the medical examiner and first responders arrived, two people were pronounced dead. A third is en route to the hospital. She’s in critical condition.”

  I felt the blood rush from my head. “Wait. Are you saying Emily is still alive?”

  The detective gave a curt nod, then turned to talk to another officer. When he turned back, he said, “Follow me to the station. I have lots of questions and I’d like to take a look at that surveillance footage.”

  Chapter 20

  The detective wouldn’t tell me anything until he saw the investigation data and heard an explanation.

  I told him the whole story of why Emily hired me, not leaving out a single detail.

  The small room we occupied contained only a rectangular table and four uncomfortable metal chairs. I glanced at my watch and noticed we’d been sitting there for several hours. It was almost 9:30 p.m.

  “Look,” I said with a forced politeness. “I’ve told you everything I know. Can you please tell me what you know?”

  The detective leaned back in his chair, looked down at his notes, and said, “According to the video, this person you call Hector stabbed Paul Hodges in the chest three times, then went looking for the wife. Paul was in bad shape, but managed to get up, grab a knife and go after Hector. Now, according to what Emily Hodges told first responders, Hector entered her bedroom and stabbed her in the leg. She screamed and tried to get away. Next thing she knew, her husband burst into the bedroom with a knife, and stabbed Hector in the throat.”

  I paused to consider what he’d said. “So Paul saved her life even though he’d been stabbed three times?”

  “Paul’s stab wounds probably wouldn’t have been fatal if he’d stayed put and kept pressure on them. Unfortunately, Paul bled out by the time the paramedics got to him.”

  “So, is Emily going to be okay?” I asked.

  “She lost a lot of blood, too. I’ll call the hospital shortly. Maybe the ER doc can give me some information about her condition.” The detective referred to his notes again. “As far as this Hector, aka Julio Medinas goes, he must have arrived at the house on foot. My men are scouring the area to find his vehicle. You mentioned a red pickup truck?”

  “Look,” I said. “I’ll give you all the info I have on Hector but, I would definitely appreciate your keeping me in the loop on this. Emily is still my client and I want to help you figure this out.”

  The detective leaned back and rubbed his eyes. “Fine, but let me get this straight: you believe Paul hired Hector to poison his wife in order to cash in on her life insurance policy?”

  “Correct. But maybe Paul came to his senses and tried to call the whole thing off which, in turn, could have caused Hector to become enraged.”

  Detective James nodded. “I’ll speak with Emily again tomorrow if she’s able. Maybe she’ll remember something. Perhaps she overheard part of the conversation between the men. I have my men look into Paul’s cell phone contacts and credit card transactions. Past that, I’ll be contacting friends, family and colleagues to try and corroborate your theory. ”

  “By the way, Emily told me she was planning to go stay with her parents in Florida. I don’t have their number, but maybe you could look them up and let them know what happened. They’ll be worried if they don’t hear from her soon.”

  The detective stood up and hovered over me. “I have your contact information in case I have more questions. I’ll have my assistant make copies of the surveillance footage and any other notes or research you have.”

  I nodded and, with nothing more to add, followed him out of the room.

  Chapter 21

  I woke before seven, just as the sun’s rays flickered through my bedroom curtains. I hadn’t expected to sleep at all. I must have dozed off around midnight after I talked to Max.

  He’d said all the things I’d wanted to hear: I couldn’t have known Hector was violent, it wasn’t my fault Paul was dead and, I shouldn’t feel guilty about any of it.

  … but, deep down, I still felt responsible.

  I put on a pot of coffee and paced the kitchen, cell phone in hand, until I finally worked up the courage to call Linda.

  “Hello?”

  “Linda, it’s Sarah.”

  “Hey, I was thinking of calling you today,” she said, sounding a little groggy. “I noticed you called last night.”

  “Yes, I did. Um, Linda---”

  “Look Sarah, I feel badly about the other night. I hope you understand that I’m not mad at you for lying to me. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I’m certain Paul is innocent.”

  “Um, Linda?”

  “What?”

  “Something horrible happened last night. I don’t even know how to tell you.”

  “Sarah, you’re scaring me. What is it?”

  I bit down hard on my lower lip, searching for the right words. “Paul was murdered last night.”

  Total silence.

  “Linda? You there?”

  “I don’t think I heard you correctly.”

  “It’s true. I’m so, so sorry.”

  For a second, I heard nothing. I could only imagine she was in shock.

  “What happened?” she finally said.

  There was no way to candy-coat this one. “He was stabbed three times in the chest during an altercation. We have the murder on video, from the hidden cameras. I was at the police station last night for hours explaining why we were conducting surveillance on Paul.”

  “Who was this guy? Did they catch him? Is he in jail?”

  “No. He’s dead, too.”

  “Oh … my God. Emily …where is she?” Linda became frantic. “Is she okay?”

  “She was stabbed in the leg. She’s at Mercy Hospital.”

  “Is she going to be okay?”

  “I believe so,” I said.

  “Why did this happen?”

  “Linda, the police are conducting a thorough investigation. I’ve already told them everything I know.” I didn’t yet want to mention the possibility that Paul and Hector conspired to kill Emily.

  “I’m heading to the hospital right now,” she said. “Meet me there, okay?”

  “Sure, I’m on my way.”

  Chapter 22

  Linda was waiting for me in the lobby, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Her auburn hair was a mess, her make-up blotchy and her clothing disheveled. She looked up from her cell phone and gave me a faint smile. “Good news. Emily was taken out of the ICU last night.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “So, she’s going to be okay?”

  “I guess, at least it looks promising.”

  “Those are lovely,” I said, eying the pink blossoms in her hands. “I should probably stop inside the gift shop and get something, too.”

  “These can be from both of us.”

  I sensed she was in a hurry to see Emily, so I agreed. “What room is she in?”

  “Three-fifteen. We take the elevator up to the third floor and take a left.”

  We signed the visitor’s log at the nurse’s station then continued down the corridor to room 315.

  A familiar person stood by the closed door, typing on his cell phone. Detective James was wearing dark blue jeans and a zip up sweatshirt. His face was clean-shaven, but the bags under his eyes suggested he’d had a sleepless night.

  He looked up and smiled. “Morning ladies,” he said with a hushed voice.

  “Have you been in to see Emily?” I asked.

  “Yeah. We spoke briefly.”

  “How is she?” I asked.

  “Doctor says she’s good to go home today.” He smiled at Linda and extended a hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Detective Ron James.”
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  She took his hand. “Linda Barrett.”

  “Linda, I know you’re anxious to see Emily, but I was hoping to ask you a few questions.”

  Linda’s eyebrows lifted. “Oh? Why?”

  “I understand Paul was a close friend of yours.”

  “Yes, but ...”

  “And you were also his therapist, correct?”

  “That was years ago.”

  “Great. I look forward to talking with you. Can you please meet me down in the cafeteria after your visit?”

  Linda looked at me then back at him. “Um, okay.”

  The detective continued down the corridor towards the elevators.

  Linda turned to watch him walk away. “That man is rather pushy, isn’t he?”

  “He’s just doing his job,” I said.

  “Well, I hope he doesn’t expect me to cut my visit short.”

  “Oh, I’m sure he doesn’t.”

  I knocked lightly on the door, and heard a faint voice say “Come in.”

  Emily was sitting up in the bed, the tubes of an IV unit taped to her hand. Her hollowed cheeks and sallow skin had a translucent quality, as if her flesh was made of rice paper. A weak smile creased her face.

  Linda tossed the bouquet on the table and rushed over to the bed, throwing her arms around Emily. No words were spoken; only faint sobs and sniffles.

  I stood by the door and watched. My throat swelled as tears welled in my eyes.

  When Linda finally let go of Emily, they both looked up and beckoned me to join them.

  “I don’t even know what to say, Emily. I’m truly, truly sorry.”

  She took a moment to wipe her face and adjust her blankets. “I … I hope you don’t take any blame for what happened last night,” she said. “Detective James told me how worried you were. He … he said you’ve been a big help to their investigation.”

  “If you don’t want to talk about it, I’ll understand.”

  Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them, they were about to spill with fresh tears. “My … husband. He saved my life. Paul protected me from that … that monster.”