Roadkill

by Cheryl Bradshaw

  Victor ignored the comment, narrowed his eyes, and looked at Max. “Your business is turning to shit. First you kill Trevor over a stupid mistake, and now Jonas is dead.”

  “I don’t have to justify my actions to you, Victor.”

  “Trevor was my friend. He didn’t need to die.” Victor bolted out of the chair. “I’m outta here.”

  “Sit back down,” Max said.

  “I’m leaving, Max. Deal with it.”

  Adam and Mark stood.

  “Max told you to sit, Victor,” Adam said. “Show some respect.”

  “Fuck you, Adam. Fuck all of you.”

  Adam’s hand shot forward, pinning Victor against the wall. He wrapped it around Victor’s neck and squeezed. “You’re young and stupid, too stupid to realize a good thing when it’s right in front of you.”

  Gagging for breath, Victor grabbed hold of Adam’s hands, trying to peel Adam’s fingers off his neck. It was no use. Adam was a bigger man, and he’d had a lot more experience.

  “That’s enough,” Max said. “Thank you, Adam. I believe he’s learned his lesson.”

  Adam slowly released the pressure to Victor’s neck but kept him against the wall. “You listen to me, you little prick. You’ve compromised us all. We put our lives on the line to cover for you. If you don’t want to be a team player anymore, say the word.”

  Victor clutched his throat, still gagging.

  He glared at Max, and Max stared back, hoping the kid had enough smarts to choose his next words carefully.

  “I’m ... sorry,” Victor said. “It won’t happen again.”

  CHAPTER 45

  Max stood in the doorway of the bedroom he’d created for Nora and watched her sleep. Every once in a while, her breath turned rapid and she whimpered, like she was reliving the trauma of what had happened over and over again in her dreams. He didn’t feel guilt over most things, but it distressed him to see her like this, to know he was the one responsible for the trauma she was experiencing. He’d create a better life for her—a better life for both of them. Soon she’d forget the past, and then everything would be good again.

  Her eyes fluttered open. She looked over at him and started shaking.

  Max stepped into the room. “Hi, sweetie. It’s okay. You’re with me now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

  “The bad man,” she said. “The bad man hurt Mommy.”

  He walked over, sat on the bed, and stroked her hair. “The bad man is far away, and he’s never coming back. I won’t let anyone hurt you. You’re safe.”

  “I want my mommy and daddy.”

  “Did you know that sometimes little girls like you are so lucky they get to have more than one daddy?”

  She eyed him curiously.

  “When I used to go to the park with you and your mom, your mom said one day if she had to go away, she wanted me to be your daddy. She wanted me to take care of you.”

  “Why does Mommy have to go away?”

  There was no good answer to the question. “Your mother wants what’s best for you, and that’s why you’re here with me.”

  “Can I go home now?”

  “How about this? Tomorrow your aunt Sasha will take you anywhere you want to go. You can go to the park, or the movies, or the zoo. What would you like to do, honey?”

  “I want to see Mommy.”

  He sighed. He had thought he could talk to her, reason with her. He was wrong. It was too soon, and she was too young. He lacked patience, but patience was what Nora needed right now, and he had to find a way to give it to her.

  He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. “Let’s talk about it in the morning, okay? Now you need to sleep. Goodnight, sweetheart.”

  CHAPTER 46

  Ford hadn’t had feelings for a woman in years, but the more time he spent around Raine, the more her sassy personality and fearless determination grew on him. She was a beautiful woman. Intelligent. Classy. The kind of woman he didn’t see around too much anymore these days.

  He thought about how wrong it would be for him to act on his feelings now. He would wait until the case was solved and she’d had the proper time to grieve. He also wondered whether the feelings would be reciprocated. One day, he’d have answers to these questions. For now, they had to wait.

  The last time he’d been in a relationship was with Alisa, a woman he’d considered to be the love of his life. They had lived together for seven years when she developed breast cancer. By the time it was discovered, it had spread, and she died suddenly, four months later. Gone—just like that.

  After the funeral he’d taken time off work, bought a dozen pints of whiskey, and didn’t leave the house until every last one had been finished, three weeks later. Heading off to the liquor store to restock, he had passed Songbird Gardens, a place he’d frequently picnicked with Alisa. He pulled the car to the side of the road, knowing if Alisa could see him in that moment, disheveled and in desperate need of a shower, she would have been pained. The night before her death she made him promise to lead a full life, finding someone to share it with so he wouldn’t be alone. But seeing her go through what she had and then watching her slip away was too much. He decided even if he could learn to love again, he couldn’t bear the thought of something happening and losing a second woman in one lifetime. He had turned the car back around and headed back home, deciding to pour himself into his work, Sherlock, his golden retriever, and his family and friends.

  Thinking back on it now, he realized his heart had been closed for so long. Far too long. Something about Raine was like a bright, irresistible light, opening the windows of his closed soul. Maybe it was time to let the sun back in.

  CHAPTER 47

  Seth had officially become a missing person. After our unsuccessful search the night before, I returned to Seth’s house with Ford. He refused to leave me there alone, and had settled in on the couch while I sat in the bathtub, wondering how everything had spiraled out of control.

  A few minutes ago I’d called Anna. She was safe, and we both discussed our concern that whatever was happening wasn’t over. Ford and Whitaker felt the same way, and had asked Anna to stay at home, thinking it best to keep us in close proximity until everything settled down.

  Today was supposed to have been the day I worked out Juliette’s funeral arrangements with Seth, but until we knew where he was, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. If he didn’t show up soon, I’d have no choice.

  I dressed in another of Juliette’s shirts, wrapped my hair into a loose bun, and followed the scent of bacon to the kitchen. Ford glanced at me and extended an omelet in my direction.

  “I appreciate it,” I said. “I just don’t know if I can stomach it.”

  “I haven’t seen you eat anything.” He stabbed a fork into his own plate and tasted it. “Good stuff. Will you give it a try, at least? Even if it’s just a few bites.”

  I supposed I wouldn’t know what I was capable of digesting until I made an effort to eat something. So I did, and several bites later, I felt better. “Thank you for this.”

  He smiled.

  “I’d like to go somewhere.” I said. “And I know you want to hang around and keep an eye on things, but I don’t think you’ll want to go.”

  “Where?”

  “I have a relative I haven’t seen for a while, and I thought it would be nice to visit her today. She’s in a rest home.”

  He agreed to join me without hesitation, which surprised me, even though it shouldn’t have. Right now, I needed a connection to family, even if the connection came in the form of an aunt who didn’t recognize me anymore.

  CHAPTER 48

  Aunt Cora sat on a recliner chair. Dressed in a blue robe and matching slippers, she stared out the living-room window at two birds perched next to one another on the branch of a tree, singing. The television was on, airing an old episode of Murder, She Wrote, a show we had sometimes watched together when we were younger and I visited her house. A book was open on her lap but was facing th
e wrong way.

  I entered the room, and she looked over and smiled. She looked the same way I’d always remembered her, like she hadn’t aged a day since the last time we were together. She held my gaze, and neither of us spoke. I tried to muster a simple “hello” and found it hard to get the word out. It had been too long since I visited last. I felt guilty.

  “What’s the matter, sweetie?” she said. “Are you okay?”

  I shook my head.

  “Well, why not? What’s wrong?”

  Everything. Everything was wrong.

  “I’m sorry I haven’t been here to see you in such a long time, Aunt Cora.”

  Her attention shifted to Ford. “And who’s come to visit me today?”

  “Ma’am. I’m a friend of your niece. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She blushed, glanced at the upside-down page in her book, and then looked at me again. “I’m sorry. What did you just say?”

  “I’m Raine, your niece. Do you ... remember me?”

  Of course she didn’t. Still, I hesitated, thinking if she stared at me long enough, something inside her would spark her sense of recognition.

  “Raine. What a pretty name. It reminds me of the sky, but not on a day as beautiful as today.”

  We grabbed two chairs from the table and sat down next to her. I folded my hand inside hers. “Before I was born, you helped my mother decide what to name me. You liked Raine because it made you think of the day my mother told you she was pregnant with me, and the two of you sat on the porch during a thunderstorm.”

  She nodded. “Okay. If you say so, dear.”

  “Juliette is my sister. Remember Juliette? She visited you all the time. I bet she brought Nora with her too.”

  She stared out the window. “Did you bring a piece of pecan pie? I like pecan pie. I have one slice, one slice every day, just as long as it’s not two slices, because two slices gives me a tummy ache, but one is just right.”

  “I can go see what they have in the cafeteria if you want,” Ford offered.

  “Oh, no. The lady in the white pants brings it. What’s her name again? I think it starts with an H. Helen or Heather or Hattie or ...”

  Ford’s phone buzzed, and he stood. “I’m going to take this in the hall, give you two some time to catch up.”

  I patted her hand. “Aunt Cora, I need to talk to you about something, even if you don’t understand me.”

  “I hear you just fine. What is it?”

  “Juliette won’t be coming to visit you anymore.”

  “Sure she will. She comes on Thursday. What day is today?”

  “Aunt Cora, what I mean to say is, Juliette was in a car accident a few days ago, and she died. I’m sorry. I know how close you were.”

  “A car accident? Were Thomas and Laura there, too?”

  Thomas and Laura. My parents. She’d made a connection. “No, Aunt Cora. Thomas and Laura died a long time ago.”

  She cupped her hands over the sides of my face. “Everybody’s dead now? I can’t believe it. We were all eating dinner together last week.”

  I was shocked to see how much she’d digressed since I’d seen her last. I should have been here before now, visiting her, just like Juliette had done.

  “I’m still here,” I said. “And I’m going to see about moving you to a place closer to me.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Will it have TV?”

  “Of course it will.”

  We spoke about general things, the topic of our conversations often looping back to the beginning when she forgot what she was saying. It was difficult seeing her this way. I preferred remembering the woman she used to be—not the woman in front of me now.

  After some time passed, I kissed her on the cheek and stood. “I have to go now. I’ll visit soon, okay?”

  “Will you be taking me to the new place next time?”

  “I hope so.”

  I leaned in to give her a hug, and the book slid off her lap onto the floor. She leaned over to pick it up, and a necklace she wore beneath her robe dangled out. I stared at it, noticing it was similar in style to the bracelet I’d found in the pocket of Juliette’s dress.

  “Where did you get such a pretty necklace, Aunt Cora?”

  She tipped her head downward, trying to get a good look at it. “What is it?”

  “Here, I’ll show you.” I undid the clasp behind her neck and flattened the necklace on my hand. “Did Juliette give this to you?”

  She looked confused. “I don’t know.”

  I pulled out my phone, flipping through my photos until I found one of Juliette. I showed it to her. “This is Juliette. Did she give you the necklace?”

  She stared at Juliette’s photo. “She’s pretty, isn’t she? Pretty like you.”

  I sighed, knowing it was unreasonable for me to think she would be more lucid than she was. She didn’t have the capacity to answer my question. “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ll put your necklace back on you now.”

  “Oh, no. Don’t put it on. The pretty girl said I could borrow it. When she comes, I have to give it back. Then I get to borrow something else.”

  “What girl let you borrow it?”

  “The girl in the picture you showed me. I take it off every night before bedtime and put it in the box.”

  “What box?”

  She turned her head, pointing toward the bedroom.

  I walked to the bedroom. Aside from the bed, there was a single nightstand and dresser. I opened the top drawer of the dresser and spotted an elegant gold box in the corner. I pulled it out and lifted the lid. Written in pen on the underside of the lid it said: Juliette, Yours Always, Max.

  CHAPTER 49

  I closed the bedroom door and dialed Anna’s number. “How well do you know Max?”

  “Jonas’s boss?”

  “Yes.”

  “I chat with him sometimes at Jonas’s work parties. He’s a nice man. Why?”

  I took a moment to steady my voice. “I need to talk to him. Do you have his address?”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Anna, please. Give me the address.”

  “Raine, what did you find out?”

  “Maybe nothing. Maybe something. I don’t know yet. What’s he like?”

  “Wealthy. Sophisticated. Handsome. The kind of guy who makes a person feel nervous when they’re around him because he seems more intelligent than any of us ever will be.”

  He sounded like the opposite of Seth’s personality. If Juliette had been seeking something more in her life, Max’s charm and prestige could have lured her in. “I think Max knew Juliette.”

  “How would he?”

  “I don’t know. If you give me his address, I’ll find out.”

  “Hang on. I think I have it in my phone.”

  There was a brief pause. “Found it. He lives on 945 Riverbend.”

  “Is he single or married? Does he have kids?”

  “He’s not married, and I’ve never seen him with a woman, which I always found odd, since he’s so charming, and women always seemed to flock to him when I was around. I don’t believe he has any kids.”

  I ended the call feeling a sense of hope. Hope that Max was the key to everything.

  CHAPTER 50

  Max’s Italian-style villa was hidden from view, nestled behind several mature trees. The wrought-iron gate at the entrance should have been closed like all the others I passed on the street, but it was open. I drove in, following the driveway until I reached the house, the pit in my stomach an unwelcome reminder that if he had the answers, they might not be answers I wanted to hear.

  The front door was slightly ajar, and I couldn’t figure out why. Ford seemed to share my suspicions.

  “Stay here,” he said.

  I stepped out of the car. “No way. I’m coming with you.”

  “Raine, please. At least let me check things out first.”

  I slid back onto the seat but kept the door open, watching him slip inside the house.
Two minutes later, I decided I couldn’t just sit there waiting. I tucked my gun into my jeans and got out of the car. I stuck my head past the door and looked around. The air smelled like a combination of whiskey and men’s aftershave. Not seeing or hearing anyone, I stepped inside. The chime of the grandfather clock in the formal room gonged, sending an echo throughout the house. Then all was silent again.

  I walked through the main floor and ascended the stairs before entering the master bedroom at the end of the hall. It was dark and spotless, just like the rest of his home. Not a single item was out of place.

  Continuing my self-guided tour, I found three additional bedrooms on the second level. The first two were guestrooms. The door to the third room was closed. I turned the knob, and the door creaked open a few inches. I peeked inside, seeing an unmade bed and decorations that made me think it was a little girl’s room, which I found strange. Anna had said he didn’t have any kids.

  Was she wrong?

  My curiosity piqued, I pushed the door all the way open and gasped. On the floor was a woman, and she was dead.

  CHAPTER 51

  The dead woman was about twice my weight and looked to be around fifty years old. Her body was curved into itself, on its side, almost like she’d tried to shield herself from the bullet that took her life. The carpet was soaked in blood, the wall behind her sprayed in blood splatter. I leaned over her body, looking around until I located the bullet’s point of entry. I found it on the side of her head. I placed my fingers on her neck. Her body temperature had cooled, but not by much. She hadn’t been dead long.

  Who was this woman?

  What was she doing in a bedroom in Max’s home?

  Why had she been gunned down?

  Where was Max, and where was Ford?

  My eyes rested on a thin, pink headband poking out of the pocket of her pants. I lifted it out. My instincts had been right to come here. I’d seen the headband before. It was Nora’s.