Whatever illegal activities Sal is into he’s made a lot of money. Two beautiful homes both built within the last few years and a brand-new luxury vehicle.
I follow Maggie as she heads to the front door. She knocks. We wait several moments. There’s no answer.
“You wouldn’t happen to have a key to the place?” I ask.
She bends down. Picks up the cast iron dolphin statue that’s standing next to the front entrance. Then removes a house key from underneath the statue.
She uses it to unlock the door.
“New Jersey State police,” I announce as the two of us enter. “I’m here to do a safety check on Mr. Sal Moreno.”
The interior of the beach house is quite spacious with an open floor plan that provides stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. I must admit that I feel a twinge of anger as I look around.
On a State Policeman’s salary, you’re lucky you can afford two weeks renting a motel room on the beach with views like these.
I guess crime really does pay.
“Do you smell something strange?” Maggie rubs her nose.
Now that she’s mentions it, there is an odd odor in the place.
She points down the hallway. “It’s coming from that direction.”
Maggie follows on my heels as I head towards the bedrooms. I place a hand on my holster and prepare to draw my weapon just in case.
As we get closer to the bathroom, the stench gets stronger. We both cover our noses.
“In here.” I open the door.
As we enter, my eyes start to water the smell is so strong.
“It smells like shit,” Maggie states the obvious. “Literally.”
I flip the toilet lid then quickly take a step back. “It is shit. The bowl is filled with it. And it’s been here a while. It’s ripe.” I quickly slam the lid shut.
As Maggie reaches for the handle to flush, I stop her. “That could be evidence.”
“Do you think Sal is dead?”
“I think we need to find out first before we flush.”
The two of us quickly exit the bathroom and hurry into the master bedroom.
“I can’t get that smell out of my nose.”
I reach into my pocket, remove a small can of Vicks® VapoRub, and hand it to her. “Rub this under your nose. It helps.”
I glance around the bedroom. It looks like a model home. The king-sized bed is perfectly made and pristine. As I poke around, I don’t see anything suspicious. It looks like an expensive vacation house that rarely gets used.
“Let’s check the guest bedrooms,” I suggest.
The guest bedrooms look ever more desolate than the master bedroom. The sparse furnishings look brand new and untouched.
“Should we try the kitchen?” Maggie asks.
The gourmet kitchen is a chef’s dream. It makes me feel like I’m on the set of one of those television cooking shows.
My first order of business is searching the trash. It’s usually a good place to find some clues.
As I rummage through his garbage, all I find is take-out containers from various chains. “Now we know why the kitchen is spotless. He only ate fast food.”
“Then why the extra freezer?” Maggie points to a freezer chest peeking out from the pantry.
We hurry over to the appliance. When I open the door, Maggie gasps.
A frozen body takes up the entire interior of the chest.
“I don’t think Sal made it to Florida,” I quip.
Maggie glares at me.
“Police humor.”
Chapter 11
MAGGIE
By the time Ben and I make it back to Sal’s mansion, the place is already a crime scene. We waited for the uniformed officers to arrive before we left Sal’s beach house, and then drove non-stop back to his main residence.
The two uniformed officers stationed at the front door of the McMansion allow me and Ben to enter.
As I follow Ben to the fireplace, we walk by two crime scene investigators taking photos and collecting evidence.
Ben points to a shriveled hand in a glass case on the mantel. “Do you know what that is?”
In unison, the two of us move in for a closer look.
“A Hand of Glory?” I guess.
“Do you have any idea why Sal had it?”
I shake my head. “I have no idea. I thought they were just a thing of legends.”
“The left hand of a man who has been hanged for murder. According to old European tradition, a Hand of Glory bestows upon its owner great power.”
“Sal was such a down-to-Earth guy. I didn’t think he believed in the supernatural.”
The two of us exchange a glance. I feel like there’s something that Ben is not telling me.
A uniformed officer approaches. “Detective. I think you should see this.”
Ben and I follow him down a long, ornately decorated hallway and into Sal’s formal library. My father-in-law never struck me as the type who liked to read. I always wondered why he kept so many books.
The huge room is lined with shelves of old books and manuscripts. The uniformed officer points to one of the shelves behind which is a secret compartment that has been opened.
“How did you find this?” Ben asks.
The uniformed officer shifts uncomfortably.
“Spit it out,” Ben tells him.
“I just happened to see a copy of Atlas Shrugged on the shelf. It looked like a first edition. Do you have any idea how much that’s worth? I just wanted to take a quick peek at it. When I removed the book from the self, the secret compartment popped open.
Ben and I move in to get a closer look inside.
“What do we have here?” He removes a pair of gloves from his jacket pocket and slips them on. Then removes a small glass container from the secret compartment.
He places it on a large antique table in the center of the room. Then takes a seat to inspect the contents of the box more closely.
I slide into the seat next to him and take a closer look at the contents of the box. I immediately recognize what’s inside. It’s the Seal Ring, one of the lost treasures of King Solomon. According to legend, Solomon was able to use the magical ring to command demons. The ring was given to Solomon as a gift from Heaven. It was half brass and half iron. With the brass part of the ring, he could command good spirits and with the iron part, his commanded evil spirits. The legend also states that Solomon received four jewels from four angels. These jewels were also set in the ring so that he could control the four elements.
Ben and I turn to face each other.
“What was Sal doing with this ring?” he asks.
“Do you think someone killed him to get it?”
Ben turns to face the uniformed officer. “I’ll handle this evidence myself. You can go.”
The uniformed officer nods before he turns and exits the library.
“We can’t allow this ring to fall into the wrong hands.” He carefully removes it from the glass case, places it into an evidence bag, then slips it into his pocket.
When Ben’s phone buzzes, he glances at the text message. “It’s the Medical Examiner. She has a cause of death. Let’s go.”
The Medical Examiner’s office has an awful smell that defies description. The closest I can get is a cross between a used diaper and hair perm chemicals. I use some of the vapor rub under my nose as we head into the autopsy area.
The Medical Examiner is a Rubenesque woman in her fifties. She greets us with all the charm of a tree sloth. Ben gives her a polite nod as we enter her domain.
“Mr. Salvatore Moreno died of natural causes. The man had a heart attack. There were no signs of foul play in his death. However, after he died, someone put his body on ice. I don’t know why. The last time I got a frozen corpse like this it was a Social Security scam. The family didn’t want the government to know their grandmother was dead because they still wanted to collect her monthly check. They got two years’ worth before a neighbor got suspicious and
the body was discovered in the family’s basement freezer.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Ben says. “We appreciate the information.”
“Now you just need to figure out why someone didn’t want anyone else to know he was dead,” I say.
“Let’s go.” He gestures towards the exit.
I don’t waste any time following Ben out of the building. When we’re finally outside, I take in a huge breath of fresh air. “Seeing a Medical Examiner’s office on a television detective show doesn’t prepare you for how terrible it smells.”
“You get used to it,” he says. “It’s still not as bad as the smell of burnt flesh.”
That remark hits me like a fast-moving train. I try to blink back the tears as they start to flow, but it’s like the floodgates have opened.
“I’m so sorry,” Ben says. “I wasn’t thinking when I said that.”
“It’s okay,” I mutter. But it’s clearly not. I break down into a sobbing mass in the middle of the Medical Examiner’s parking lot.
Before I realize what’s happening, Ben wraps his arms around me and pulls me tight. “I’m sorry,” he says in a whisper that tickles my neck.
All kinds of unexpected feelings rush through my body. I’m horrified thinking about my family burning in the Bookman College fire, but at the same time, I feel comforted in Ben’s embrace.
I’m still grieving the loss of my husband and daughter, but I also feel an overwhelming attraction to Ben that I can’t deny.
He’s so different than Nick was in nearly every way. Nick was a librarian. He was a brainy intellectual. Ben is smart, but in a completely different way. It’s more street smarts. Nick was extremely poised and polished. Ben is rough around the edges in the stereotypical way that a lot of cops are. Nick was the type of guy who could talk his way out of a bar fight. I think Ben could knock anyone out who ever tried to cross him. Probably with just one punch.
When I snivel, Ben pulls me tighter. So tight, I can feel the heat radiating from his chest.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
“I feel so alone,” I admit.
“So do I.”
When I look into his eyes, I’m surprised by how much pain I see. “Who did you lose?”
“Both of my parents are gone. It’s just me and my sister. She’s married, so I’m mostly on my own. Except for Burt.”
That piques my curiosity. “Who’s Burt?”
“My one-eyed cat.”
I can’t help but smile. “You have a one-eyed cat?”
He nods. “I do.”
“Can I meet him?”
The two of us stare at each other, frozen in time for what seems like an eternity.
It’s like there’s an invisible line that we both know we shouldn’t cross, and yet we’re both being pulled like magnets to cross it.
“Forget I mentioned it,” I say quickly.
As I take a step away from him, I wipe my tearstained cheeks and do my best to compose myself. “Thank you so much for… making sure I didn’t fall apart right here in the parking lot.”
“Of course. It comes with the job.”
“Do you take all the widows into your arms and comfort them?”
He clears his throat. “Just you.”
“That’s what I thought.”
When our eyes meet, the electricity between us is overwhelming. It was a really bad idea for him to pull me so close and hold me so tight. I liked it way too much.
“I’m not ready for anything… like…” I’m not even sure what is happening between us.
“I know. And I’m still on duty, so it’s not appropriate. I just couldn’t stand to see you so upset.”
“Thank you.”
He nods. “I should probably get you back to your grandmother’s house.”
“I don’t like it,” my grandmother says as I enter her living room.
“You don’t like what?”
She gestures towards my face. “What that young man is doing to you.”
I shake my head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Her eyes narrow. “You may be able to pull that con on your friends, but I can see right through it. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Benji has you all mixed up inside.”
I heave a sigh. “He’s not Benji anymore, Grandma. He’s not the kid I played with in Kindergarten. He’s a grown man. And he’s a police detective. I’m helping him with a case. It’s strictly professional.”
She laughs in my face. And not a snide little giggle either. It’s a big belly laugh. As if I’ve just said the funniest thing in the world. “If that’s all the two of you are doing with each other, I’ve got some swamp land in the Everglades to sell you.”
“It’s not like… whatever you think it’s like. We both have the same goal. To find out who started the fire that killed my family and eighteen other innocent people.”
“I don’t think that’s the only goal Benji has when it comes to you.”
“I really need to take a shower. I smell like the city morgue.” I head out of the room. “And stop calling him Benji.”
Just as I’m about to drift off to sleep I have a vision. This one is so clear it’s like I’m watching a movie. There’s a white lace mini dress, white stockings, white stiletto pumps, and a cheap white veil strewn across the floor of posh hotel room.
It’s looks like someone got married and this is their honeymoon.
Kiki, the receptionist from Moreno Industrial Supplies, slips into bed.
When she was hired, Nick told me that he thought Kiki was having a fling with his dad. He thought that Kiki would be his dad’s future ex-wife. Sal had a long history of failed marriages and the women kept getting younger.
When the man in bed with Kiki turns to face her, I’m surprised to see that it’s Nick’s half-brother, Lenny.
The two kiss and fall into each other’s arms.
Chapter 12
BEN
I’m in trouble. I’m falling for a witch and she doesn’t know I’m a witch hunter. Not only that, she’s a recent widow who hasn’t had nearly enough time to grieve the death of her husband. And she’s a vital part of the case I’m currently investigating.
Is there any way in which a relationship with Maggie Moreno doesn’t get me into serious trouble?
But I can’t stop thinking about her. The way she fit so perfectly in my arms. The light scent of coconut in her hair. And the twinkle in her dark eyes when she smiles. It’s the same smile that gave me butterflies in my stomach when I was a kid. It still does today.
The case, I tell myself. That’s the only thing that matters right now. I solve this case and my career takes off. It’s what I’ve been working for the last decade.
Burt is staring at me. The cat never purrs. I have no idea if that’s normal or not. But I know he wants to eat. I can see it in his hungry eyes.
I feed him then grab a Hot Pocket from the freezer. Frozen food is about as gourmet as I get lately. Just as I’m about open the microwave, my cellphone buzzes.
It’s Maggie. I quickly answer. “Is everything okay?”
“I think we need to do some digging into Kiki Roger’s background.”
“Do you know if she’s engaged to Lenny Moreno? I saw a diamond ring on her finger.”
“I think they got married.”
“I’ll look into it.” I hesitate for several moments. There’s a road I know I shouldn’t go down, but I feel like I can’t stop myself. “Should I pick you up tomorrow morning?”
“Nine o’clock. I’m still staying at my grandmother’s place.”
She ends the call before either of us have a chance to change our minds.
Looks like I’ll be eating my Hot Pocket in front of my computer while I’m digging up dirt on Kiki.
I’m awakened by a buzzing noise. I turn on the light as I reach for my cellphone on the nightstand. No calls. No texts. That’s odd.
Still in my sleep haze, it takes me a moment to rea
lize it’s my other phone that buzzed. That doesn’t happen very often.
I open the draw of my nightstand and pull out the phone that’s used for Benandanti business. It’s an alert. There’s a witch on the watchlist. That means that she hasn’t done enough to break our covenant, but there’s reason to believe that she might. When a witch makes the watchlist it means that all her moves will be closely monitored by the Benandanti.
As soon as I open the attachment, my heart sinks. It’s Maggie. Someone must have reported the two goons who got smoked at her house to the Benandanti Council. Even though it was self-defense, it’s obvious to anyone in the know that she used her magic against them.
Maggie making the watchlist is really bad news. That means she’ll be scrutinized by the Benandanti. She may not be able to protect herself if she’s can’t use her magic.
I realize there’s only one thing for me to do. I’m going to have to volunteer to be her watcher. But that also means I won’t be able to act on any of the feelings I’m having for her.
Not that I should be acting on them anyway.
“Absolutely not.” Carson Conner shakes his head vehemently. “You are not going to be Maggie’s watcher. That’s my job.”
“You’re not exactly a neutral party,” I remind him.
He glares at me. “And you are?”
The two of us decided to meet at a local coffee shop that caters to cops. Not only do they have excellent coffee that’s reasonably priced, they also serve pastries that are to die for. Carson and I are both indulging in their world-renowned crumb cake.
“Maggie and I are working on a case together. That means we’ll be seeing a lot of each other. I’ll be able to keep an eye on what she’s doing.”
His eyes narrow as he stares me down. The guy sure can be intimidating when he wants to be. “Promise me that you’re not going to cross any lines. You’re going to keep things one hundred percent professional between you and Maggie.”
“Like you’re a shining example of keeping things professional.” As soon as the words spill out of my mouth, I immediately regret them.
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