Taylor Made

by Alex Westmore

  “Admit it, Delta. You’re enjoying the chase. You’re having more fun than anything else you’ve done since your girlfriend left.”

  “My g—”

  Taylor smiled and held her hands up. “Don’t worry, I’m harmless.”

  “Funny, Interpol doesn’t think so.” Delta relaxed her grip on the gun and took another step. As she did, Taylor put one foot over the guardrail.

  “Interpol? You’re going to listen to a bunch of stuffy Europeans? They can’t find their butts with both hands. I’m disappointed in you, Delta. I thought you made up your own mind.”

  Delta stopped when she saw Taylor lean over the side. “Get off the rail.”

  “Sorry, sweets, but if you take one more step, over I go. I don’t plan on spending the rest of my life in a six-by-six-foot cell. So, unless you want to put my gorgeous pieces back together, stay right where you are.”

  Delta reached for her radio.

  Taylor leaned over the side even more. “Not that, either. Just me and you, or I’m airborne.”

  Nodding, Delta slowly removed her hand from her radio. “Okay, easy does it. We’re at a stalemate here. What do you propose we do about it?”

  “Do? There’s nothing to ‘do.’ I’m not going to let you arrest me, and you’re not going to let me go.”

  “But something has to give.”

  Taylor nodded. “And it won’t be me.”

  “But why? Why take the risk of being caught when it would be so much easier to live the rest of your days spending the money from the jewelry you’ve stolen.”

  “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Call me stupid.”

  “Oh, I’d like to call you, all right. Besides, it’s a long story.”

  “Condense it for me.”

  Taylor nodded, still hanging onto the guardrail. “It’s fun.”

  “Fun?”

  “Sure. If you read my Interpol file, you’ll know I have enough money, enough material things, enough comfort to last me five lifetimes. I have homes in four different countries on three different continents and women in every port. I have it all.”

  “Why not simply retire and walk away with your freedom?”

  “I tried that. Got incredibly bored. Then, I saw you on the boob tube. I started following your very impressive career, and then it hit me. I’d match wits with you and see if you were as good as they say you are.”

  Delta frowned. “The last person who matched wits with me fell off a building much like this one.”

  “Yes, but Zuckerman was half a bubble off. I’m not. At least, I don’t think I am.” Taylor smiled before looking down. “Well, that leap was just a little scary, wasn’t it?”

  Delta grinned, feeling her heart race inside her chest. “A little.”

  “It was your interview in Black and White that brought me out of retirement. I saw the fire in your eyes and the determination everyone talks about, and...well...here I am.”

  Delta looked around to see if there was some way to get her off the ledge without killing them both. “Yes, here we are.” Delta took half a step.

  “You don’t really want to see my lovely guts splattered all over the pavement, do you?”

  “My partner gets worried when he doesn’t hear from me.”

  Taylor checked her watch and then smiled. “A lady never overstays her welcome.” Grabbing the railing, Taylor leaned way over. “You’re good, Delta Stevens. Very good. And I am having the time of my life. But I cannot let you apprehend me. Ciao, Bella.” And with that, Taylor jumped over the side of the building.

  “No!” Delta cried, a flashback of Elson Zuckerman’s miserable death slicing in front of her mind’s eye. Delta ran to look over the edge. A thick piece of nylon rope dangled in the wind, and Taylor was nowhere in sight.

  “Carducci,” Delta said into the mike. “Cover the ground floor of the Hyatt.”

  “The hotel? Are you su—”

  “Just do it! And keep looking up. She’s rappelled down and disappeared around the ninth floor. Station someone at the elevators. She has to come down sooner or later.”

  “10-4.”

  Putting her revolver back, Delta pulled the rope up before heading back down the stairs. “How on earth did she get over and down before I reached the edge?” Delta muttered to herself as she took the steps three at a time with her long stride. At least going down was easier than going up.

  When Delta reached the ninth floor, she knew by all the commotion that her thief had landed here. In the hallway, eight people were standing and pointing and telling each other about the woman who had just run through their room. When the group saw Delta, their hum turned into a roar, like a group of school children all shouting out the right answer.

  “Which way did she go?” Delta shouted above the noise.

  “That way.” They said in unison, pointing down the hall. Sprinting the way they had indicated, Delta radioed to Tony to block all ground floor exits.

  At the end of the hall, a door into one of the suites was slightly ajar. Withdrawing her gun again, Delta gently pushed the door open and peered inside. “Give it up,” she yelled, turning lights on as she passed by light switches. The suite was still. Too still. Delta knew well the sensation of another heartbeat, another breath being taken in the same room. The air felt different, her nerves tingled, and her muscles tensed in that presence of ‘some other’. She was not experiencing those feelings now.

  And then...she saw it.

  For a second, she didn’t know what it was. When it registered, she could have kicked herself. “Carducci, move your men to the outside of the building. She’s gone down the side.”

  “Down?”

  “There’s a grappling hook hanging from the window. She’s gone down the side of the Hyatt. Has anyone seen anything?”

  “Not a damn thing. You want us to come up and help?”

  “No. Keep the ground secure. She can’t go anywhere without coming down.”

  “Affirmative. We will maintain your perimeter.”

  Leaving the hook and the rope on the window, Delta went back to the group of onlookers.

  “She was wearing black leather.”

  “He was short and fast, like a cat.”

  “I saw him first. He pushed right by me.”

  “We thought it was one of them punk rockers.”

  “He was a she.”

  As Delta waded through the overzealous crowd, one reached out and grabbed her arm.

  “Excuse me, Officer—”

  “I’ll get all of your statements in a minute,” Delta answered, pulling her arm back.

  “She handed this to me as she ran by and told me to give it to Officer Stevens. That is you, isn’t it?” The woman pointed to Delta’s name tag.

  Stopping dead, Delta took the envelope from the woman. Then, she walked to the elevator and waited for the door to close before seeing what was inside.

  Dearest Delta:

  I truly hope you’re having as much fun as I am. Pretty soon, I’ll be gone and we’ll just have the memories of a really great time. Don’t disappoint me, hero.

  Very truly yours, Taylor

  For the remainder of the elevator ride, Delta stared at the note handwritten in bold script on lavender stationery. So, Connie had been right all along; not that that surprised Delta. She had pegged Taylor as a bored woman finding adventure in challenging Delta’s police skills. It was as simple as that. Folding the note, Delta put it in her pocket when Tony called her over the radio.

  “This is 1-82, go.”

  “We’ve got nothing here. What’s your 20?”

  “I’m on my way down. Cut the perimeter loose, Carducci. She’s gone.” Clicking her mike off, Delta stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. Yes, Taylor was gone, but not for long. She’d be back. And next time, she wouldn’t get away.

  When Delta walked into the station, Connie practically met her at the door. “She stole a topaz, didn’t she?”

  Delta sighed and nodded. �
��Damn. I just finished the report and—”

  Connie grinned as she took Delta’s hand and pulled her over to the desk. “Remember the pattern I was looking for?”

  “You found it.”

  “In spades. And, I hate to admit, I’m a little embarrassed for not finding it sooner. Actually, it was so simple I almost overlooked it as a coincidence.”

  Delta plopped down in the chair next to Connie and waited. “Here,” Connie said, handing Delta a slip of paper. “Read this.”

  Delta took the slip and looked it over. “It’s the list of jewels Taylor’s stolen.”

  Connie’s eyes widened. “Taylor? You know her name?”

  Delta nodded, returning her attention to the list. “I’ll explain later.” Reviewing the jewelry on the list, Delta read aloud. “One diamond ring, one emerald ring, one lapis lazuli necklace, and now, add one topaz pin. I don’t see a pattern here.”

  “Neither did I. Not until I read the list of the five houses she hit while you were off.” Connie handed Delta a second slip. “Now, read these.”

  Delta looked at the paper. It contained the addresses of the five houses Taylor burgled when Delta was off duty. “So?”

  “Read the streets off to me.”

  “Dickens, Emerson, Lawrence, Tolstoy, Alcott. So?”

  “Look closer, Del. As a matter of fact, line them all up vertically.” Delta pulled out a pen and wrote:

  Dickens Emerson Lawrence Tolstoy Alcott

  “Now do you see?”

  Delta stared at the paper. “The first letters spell out my name!”

  Connie nodded. “Now, do the same with the jewels.”

  Delta quickly scribbled out:

  Diamond Emerald Lapis Topaz

  “My God, Connie, she’s practically drawing a map.”

  Folding her arms across her chest, Connie smiled proudly. “I was really bugged by the theft of the lapis. She had never stolen that type of jewel before, and it kept nagging at me until I wrote the list of what had been stolen.”

  “You’re brilliant.”

  “Not really. She helped. It wasn’t until I reviewed the five hits that I realized where the lapis fit in. That’s what kept bugging me all this time; why steal a lapis? When I figured it all out, I tried paging you, but you never answered.”

  Delta pulled her beeper out and looked at it. “My batteries need charging.”

  “Obviously, so do mine,” Connie pointed to her temple. “I can’t believe I almost got outsmarted by that little witch. It’s so simplistic, it’s almost insulting.”

  Delta grinned. “Don’t take it personally, Con. It isn’t you she’s trying to outsmart. She may not be brilliant in the clue-making department, but she’s quite adept at evading the law.” With that, Delta continued with her story of the night’s failed bust and showed Taylor’s note to Connie. “You were right, Con. I happen to be her new and favorite pastime.”

  “So I have partial redemption. Now, I want the full glory of catching her.”

  Delta nodded. “We will.”

  “Not if she keeps jumping off buildings. Geez, Del, need I remind you about Elson?”

  “I don’t know how she did it, but one second she was over the railing and the next second she was gone. It took me maybe three seconds to get to the edge, and all I saw was rope. She’s exceptionally good.”

  “And exceptionally bold. I didn’t think there was anyone alive who could fly in the face of authority as well as you.”

  “Fly. Yeah, well, that’s what she seems to do. One minute she’s there, the next, poof, gone.”

  “Well, her ‘poofing’ days are coming to an end. She’s left a pretty big trail through the woods, and we’re hot on it.”

  Delta quickly rose. “We are?”

  “Hell, yes. I’m sure the next hit will be for an amethyst.”

  “Why so sure?”

  A sly grin crept across Connie’s face. “It’s your birthstone. The lavender stationery is another one of her amateurish clues. It’s an amethyst, all right.”

  “Have you checked with Van Cleef & Arpels?”

  “Uh-huh. Oh, Christian told me he got you into Van Cleef & Arpels for an on-site lineup tomorrow. Not that it matters. I seriously doubt she’s employed there. I think Van Cleef & Arpels is a red herring.”

  “Judging by her sense of humor, you’re probably right. But it won’t hurt to check on it. Let’s take a peek tomorrow and see.”

  “We have some other work on our agenda, so we’ll have to make it a quick peek.”

  Delta sat back down. “What’s up?”

  “Alex called tonight.” Connie brought her hand to her mouth like she was holding a bottle. “She’s in a pretty bad way, Del.”

  “She’s drunk?”

  “Sounded that way to me. She’s probably passed out by now, but it wouldn’t hurt to drive by and see how she is.”

  “Care to join?”

  Connie shook her head. “No thanks. My woman is tucked warmly in bed, and that’s precisely where I’m going to be in less than an hour.”

  “Lucky you.”

  Connie grinned. “Ain’t I, though? Look, I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning around nine o’clock and we can check out Van Cleef & Arpels together.”

  “Good. There are a few other places I’d like to stop at while we’re out and about.”

  “Oh? Where?”

  “McCloud’s Pet Emporium. I’m going to buy Megan a macaw.”

  Alexandria had the front door of her beautiful Victorian home opened even before Delta could knock. Standing in the doorway, in plum-colored silk pajamas, Alexandria was holding a glass of white wine.

  “I knew you’d come,” Alexandria said, motioning for Delta to enter. As Delta brushed by her, she could smell the fruity scent of Alexandria’s wine breath.

  “You okay?” Delta asked, turning in time to see Alexandria’s eyes linger a moment too long on Delta’s rear end.

  “Depends on what your definition of ‘okay’ is, I suppose.” Alexandria took Delta’s jacket from her with one hand, while balancing her wine glass with the other. “The polls show that that demented moron has shot huge holes in my campaign hopes. He’s capitalized on the attack at every turn. He’s transformed an attempted murder into an advertisement for himself. He sickens me.” Alexandria hung up the coat and led Delta to the sunken living room.

  Sitting on the couch, Delta couldn’t help but stare at the impeccably decorated home. Above the white marble fireplace hung two tasteful Mapplethorpes, beneath which were four low, thick candles flickering against the white walls. The white leather furniture balanced masterfully with the looming mahogany bookshelves lined with hardbacks. A perfect fire crackled in the fireplace, casting dancing shadows on the oriental rug laying beneath the furniture.

  “What a room.”

  Alex laughed. “And I’d like to keep it, if you know what I’m saying.”

  Delta leaned her elbows on her knees. “I hear you, but I’m not sure I understand.”

  Sitting on the couch next to Delta, Alexandria sighed loudly. “What I mean, dear Delta, is that it doesn’t matter much if you catch the shooter or even if you find out who sent him, if I lose the election anyway. The polls—”

  “Don’t mean squat, Alex.”

  “Maybe not to you, but to many, they’re the gospel. My reelection is sinking, Delta, and I can’t seem to stop it.”

  “Well, first off, you don’t need any more of this.” Taking the wine glass from Alexandria, Delta walked into the white-tiled kitchen and set it in the sink. An empty wine bottle stood on the butcher block, sitting grandly in the middle of the gourmet kitchen. “Frankly, Alex,” she said, re-entering the room. “I’m surprised at you. This isn’t like you at all.”

  “Which part? The drinking or the quitting?”

  “Both. And you’re not quitting. I don’t bust my ass for quitters, Alex.”

  “He’s won, Delta. He’s instilled doubt in the minds of the voters; doubts I can’t assu
age.” The last word slurred as it rolled off her tongue. “My ad manager is trying to counter Wainwright’s attacks, but it may be too late.”

  “It’s never too late.”

  Alexandria leaned forward, her pajama top revealing the swell of her breasts. “Got any suspects?”

  “No.”

  “Right. Every day where we come up empty gives him momentum. And the thought of losing this election is killing me.” Suddenly, Alexandria’s eyes filled with tears. “I’ve given this office everything I have, and then some. Damn it, Delta, I’m a great lawyer.”

  Delta nodded. “Yes, you are. You’re one of the best.”

  “Yes, but how soon the fickle public forgets. And Wainwright—that shithead is trying to make me look like a helpless woman. Me! Alexandria Marquee Pendleton. God, I hate that man.”

  Delta sat next to Alexandria on the couch. “People will always doubt, Alex. But if you start doubting yourself, then you’re right. It’s over.”

  Alexandria looked down at her lap, her hands fidgeting without the wine glass to hold. “You don’t doubt me, do you?”

  Delta grinned. “Never.”

  “Do you ever doubt yourself?”

  “Sometimes. And when I do, Connie grabs me around the collar and yanks some sense into me.”

  Alexandria smiled. “I suppose that’s why I called you over here, huh? To yank my collar?”

  Delta shrugged, but said nothing.

  “You’re a good friend, Delta Stevens.” Setting her hand on Delta’s thigh, Alexandria’s smile changed—and with it, the atmosphere in the room changed as well. “Have you any idea how much your friendship means to me?”

  Swallowing back her trepidation, Delta took Alexandria’s hand from her leg and held it between both of hers. “I have a pretty good notion, yes. I’ve always known.”

  “Have you?” As Alexandria scooted closer, her perfume wafted over to Delta and mingled curiously with the scent from the wine. “But have you always known how deeply or just how much?”

  Alexandria’s last three words sounded more like jushowmush, and from that and the pinkish tint of Alexandria’s cheeks, Delta was certain that this strange conversation had been poured out of the bottle in the kitchen.