Paddy smiled. “I admire your quick decision making, young lady. Why don’t you tell us more about yourself? I’m going to get another cup of coffee. Please feel free to begin. I’ll be right back. I can still hear you out there.”
Paddy slowly rose, looking at me to carry on the conversation, but asked, “Can I get you a cup—Mercedes, Scott?”
Mercedes responded, “Yes, please, black, no sugar, thanks.”
“I’ll get mine in a while; thanks Paddy,” I added. Paddy left the room. I moved my chair over, hoping to block the view of her legs. “So, what brings a beautiful person like you to this task team?”
Immediately, she repositioned herself to face me without much regard for Paddy returning.
“Let me start with, this is a dream assignment. I’m looking to improve on my learned skills, with actual murder investigation experience. I would hope the combination would increase the demand for my talent down the road. Finding the killers will allow me to sort out how I might have been on, or off, target.”
I watched her talk about this and her background leading up to Harvard. I noticed she used her hands to make points, her bright red nails flashing in front of my face. I later noticed that Paddy had returned and was watching us over his coffee cup.
“I was also on the cheer squad in high school, but I had to drop that for personal reasons, focusing on my school work to get into Harvard. I managed to get a limited scholarship, which helps some, but my dad is in real estate and paying my tuition.”
“The family helps with the business. I manage one of his real estate leases for him, since I go to school in the area. That really doesn’t take too much of my time and gives me some spending money.”
I realized she would be a good teammate, wondering what Lisa would think of her.
She interrupted my thoughts. “Do you work out? You look like you keep in good shape.”
“I only have enough time to do some isometrics, but thanks for asking. If anyone works out it must be you. Your handshake has some real emphasis to it. Do you?”
She laughed. “That’s my last name—Strong. Yes, I try to work out at the campus several times a week, but I’m impacted by classes and tutoring I’m doing. The tutoring ties up weekends.”
Paddy interrupted us. “I’ll be interested in your immediate reaction to the data we have on the killings. If you want to get started tomorrow morning, I would like to bring you up to speed on the details.”
“Great, I have some things to do this afternoon,” she said, adjusting her skirt. She looked like she was going to say something more, but just smiled.
Paddy nodded his head. “Tomorrow is just fine then. We’ll see you both when you can make it in the morning.”
I felt like she was reading my mind about her beauty and my thoughts about Lisa. I could feel my face flushing again.
She stood up, took a step in my direction, and offered her hand. It was warmer to the touch than I remembered, but there was even more emphasis on the pressure than the first time. I was also more prepared.
“Nice strong handshake there, Scott. I like strong men.” She moved to Paddy, doing the same. “Paddy, thanks for letting me join the team, then first thing tomorrow. Thank you both for your time today. I think I’m really going to enjoy this more than I ever imagined,” she said, looking at Paddy, then over her shoulder at me.
Now I felt like the deer in the headlights. She was out of the office in four easy strides. I watched her go down the stairs, red hair billowing behind her.
“Well, Scott, what do you think?”
“She seems like the total package to me.”
He smiled. “No, I was talking about your joining the team.”
Chapter 17
“Well, it’s about time you came in to see us. Where have you been keeping yourself, Mike?”
“Well, when the last task force ended, I went back to my precinct. However, we’re in operation again investigating the recent ‘Torso’ murders. How have you been, Maggie?”
“I’m very good, actually. I recently got engaged,” she said, smiling and waving her ring finger.
“Congratulations . . . very nice.”
“Mike, it’s good to see you . . . what can I get you?”
“I’ll have a draft. Bring two of them; I’m expecting someone.”
“Coming right up.”
It was early, so there were not many patrons in the small pub. He remembered all of the hours they used to spend here during the last task force. They would come to get away from the office, many times a discussion over a beer or two, the separation allowing them to see something they hadn’t recognized.
Now that Scott was going to be on the task force, he wanted to get updated on how Scott and Lisa had been. He remembered during the last task force, he’d spent many hours with Scott and was his mentor. They had many hours to talk about personal things. He even had Scott over for dinner at his house; his wife and kids enjoyed his company.
Although Scott was quite a bit younger, he hoped their friendship would continue long after the task force assignment. He was happy Paddy had consented to let Scott join the team. He hoped his conversation with Paddy had helped.
His thoughts were interrupted by Maggie flipping the coasters on the table from about six feet away. It was a tradition at the Harvard Pub, but it always surprised the first-time customers.
He acknowledged their arrival. “You haven’t lost your touch.”
“It would be interesting to see if the skill is something I could use later in life, but I really doubt it.” She placed two tall mugs on the coasters and added, “It looks like your friend has arrived.”
Mike looked over to see Scott headed his way. Mike noticed Maggie staying beside the table; he thought she was waiting to be introduced again to Scott.
“Hi, Mike.”
“Hello, Scott, I’m glad you could make it. You might remember Maggie; Maggie this is Scott Tucker.”
“Hello, Maggie. I do remember you. It’s nice to see you again.”
“Scott, oh, I remember you now . . . you’re attending Harvard.”
“Hopefully, this is my last year, but we’ll have to see.”
“Keep it up, and I hope to see you both again soon.” She was off to take care of other customers.
“Well, Scott, it’s good to be able to spend some time with you. We’ve got some catching up to do. Do you have any plans for the holidays?”
“Thanks for the invite. I think I need to talk to someone. As far as the holidays go, that’s a trick question. I’m supposed to be with Lisa at her parents’ house for Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas. Later, Christmas Day, I’m going to go to my parents’ in Maine. Lisa and I have tentative plans to go skiing over New Year’s, but that’s up in the air with the task force role.”
“Do I sense some reservation about going to Lisa’s?”
“Mike, you haven’t lost your touch.”
“Well, maybe we should start there . . . what’s up?”
“Mike, this might take some time and I don’t know where to start.”
“Take all the time you need. I think they’ve got enough beer to keep us going. Scott . . . if I can help at all, I would be happy to do it. You know that.” Mike noticed Scott’s expression change.
“I guess the best place to start is with my last call to Lisa. It ended with us having words.”
“Oh my, that doesn’t sound like the lovers I remember.”
“You’re right on target again. The other night I was supposed to call her, but because I told you guys that I knew the two murdered men, I was late calling her. I’ve since explained the situation as to why I called late, but now she’s worried that I could be one of the next victims.”
“You should have told me that you needed to make the call. I could have arranged for you to have a few minutes.”
“It’s never easy to call her dorm; if you can get through it takes a few minutes to get her to the phone. Besides, I felt uncomfortable ask
ing to make a call, and there never seemed to be a break in the questioning either. I just let it go, but I should have called her.”
Mike waved his arm, pushing the issue aside. “I want to get to what you knew about those guys, but right now I sense that things are not what they used to be with Lisa. Is there anything I can do?”
“Mike, I think her problem goes back to the Jimmy Ballou incident. You know how I found her and what Jimmy looked like he was doing with her. She has been real cool since then, and we haven’t been intimate since. We get close, but I can tell she’s not with the program. I just hold her tight and let the need pass.”
Maggie came to the table and interrupted their conversation. “Maggie, I think we need at least one refill. Thanks.”
Mike wanted to help him. “I believe you’re right in what she is feeling. In my opinion, she’s still having trauma over the ordeal. If you push her, she might say or do something that would shock you. She does need to get some help. Maybe Paddy could suggest someone to help her.”
“As far as New Year’s goes, you should get away with her and tell her what you believe is bothering her. The task force will survive without you. Don’t let that get in the way of your relationship. You need to help her realize she needs to get help.”
“Mike . . . thanks for taking the time to talk with me. I really don’t have anyone else to talk to. I know she’s fragile; if I bring it up, she might just explode. I know you’re right, and I’m going to have to discuss it with her.”
Maggie brought their refills. “Here’s to your help with the task team. Cheers.”
“I know you also want to talk about the murdered guys, Bob Sullivan, and the hockey league.”
Mike smiled, looking over his mug. “Before we go there, I want to know how your interview went, more importantly, what you thought of Mercedes.”
“Maggie, why don’t you bring us a large order of onion rings?”
She nodded and asked, “Do you want me to bring another refill with the onion rings, or are you guys okay?”
Mike answered, “Sure, we’re going to be here a while.”
“Mercedes is quite the package. I don’t remember ever meeting anyone like her. She’s uncomfortably attractive, has the longest legs I’ve ever seen, and totally took me by surprise when we shook hands. She has strong hands, like Killer Kowalski’s, and she knows it.”
“I know I can share this with you; she makes me feel very defensive. If we were playing hockey, she would be the one making the moves. I’m not comfortable with her at all, but I guess I will have to work on it. I felt like I wasn’t thinking correctly in her presence . . . and I think Paddy noticed it.”
Mike smiled. “I think if you spend more time with her you’ll get more comfortable. I’ll try to be sensitive to it and help if I can. She created a similar stir downstairs with the guys.”
“Mike, that reminds me. When I came in the front door for the meeting, Mercedes was already upstairs, and I caught Colleen with her skirt at mid-thigh. So, she’s had an impact on more that just the guys downstairs.”
Mike let out a loud laugh, and we both looked to see who had noticed. The timing was perfect with Maggie bringing our order.
“Sounds like you guys are having a good time over here.” She smiled and turned.
“Scott, what about these guys? What does your gut tell you?”
“First of all, the league consisted of almost a hundred guys. We would scrimmage late at night, but on Friday and Saturday nights the rink was packed for team games. There were guys on different teams who were a higher caliber than many of us. They were intimidating on the ice. They threw their weight around, and it forced the rest of us to keep our heads up. However, when someone would get a good check on them . . . the house would explode with cheers. These three guys—Paul Maloney, Tony Sangello, and Bob Sullivan—were all in that category.”
“That is a very interesting observation. You know we had no idea these guys played in the same hockey league until you brought it to our attention. It might not be any connection, but if Bob’s torso is found, it looks like it may be a key connection. Can you think of any other guys with the same caliber of play?”
“There were only a couple of others, but I wasn’t in that group. I just did my thing, but watched some of my teammates go out of their way to catch these guys in a hard check. Sometimes in practice sessions, guys would come to blows due to hard checking. In practice, we weren’t supposed to hit anyone, but there were no officials to dish out any punishment for the action.”
“To answer your question, Jason Johnston was one of those guys. We called him ‘Tippy’ since he had a very successful and unique move on the goalie. His close friends called him ‘JJ.’ He was a well-built black guy, and I remember no one ever picked a fight with him.”
Mike pulled out a copy of the article I had given him. “Scott, look at this picture and tell me if anyone else fits the style you mentioned.”
I looked at the familiar picture and studied the faces. “There were others, but now that I see the faces again, none that were the caliber of those four.”
“Scott, I lay you odds that Bob Sullivan does turn up a victim. What I can’t give you odds on is why they are being killed.”
Chapter 18
I really enjoyed talking with Mike. Although we had talked on the phone several times, seeing him in person at the pub was better than expected. His input was what I needed to hear, to validate my thoughts about Lisa’s behavior. The trick was how to bring it up without creating additional problems.
It was eight o’clock, a good time to reach her at the dorm.
I dialed her number, going through the usual routine to get her to the phone. There should be a better way, but it would only be a problem for a few more months.
Finally—“Hello.”
“Hi, Lisa. How are you?”
“Fine. I’m sorry about our last phone call . . . I guess the holidays have me on edge.”
“It’s okay. We can talk about it when we’re together. What plans do you want to make?”
“You’re still invited for Christmas Eve dinner at my parents’ house tomorrow night. Do you still want to come?”
“I’d love to. I’ve missed being with you.”
“Do you want to drive together or take two cars?”
“Well, I told my parents I would see them Christmas Day. So I need my car to get there. I could drive you, if you don’t need your car?”
“No, I better drive. I don’t know what plans my parents have, and they might not be able to drive me back. I’m also not sure if I’m staying any longer than that.”
“What about Christmas Day?”
“We’re supposed to have some snow, so why don’t you plan to stay overnight. We had talked about your staying overnight, and the snowstorm might make it hard to drive to Maine. However, that’s up to you.”
I could feel her mood changing. I needed to reinforce wanting to be with her. “Lisa, I would like to be with you on Christmas morning . . . . it’s a special time and . . . well . . . I want to be with you.”
“Scott, I’m sorry we have been . . . well . . . not our usual selves. I guess I get the feeling you want to be somewhere else.”
“Lisa, you are the most special person in my life. I want to spend my time with you.”
“I’ve been out of sorts lately, and I think it’s the change of routine. Not having classes every day has thrown me for a loop. Judy and I . . . well, we talked about how . . . well, I guess that can wait until I see you. It’s kind of hard to talk on this phone with people around.”
I almost thought she was going to give me the opportunity to talk to her about her behavior, but it would have to wait until we’re together.
“So, what time do you want me at your parents’?”
“If you get to my parents’ by seven thirty that will give us enough time to have a drink before dinner. By the way, what have you thought about New Year’s weekend? Judy asked if she should
still make the reservations.”
I wanted to talk with her about this tomorrow, but I had to let her know something. “I think I can get away, so why don’t you have her make the plans.”
There was background noise on the phone, and I wondered if she was still there. “Lisa?”
“Yes, I’m here. I was just thinking about what you said. It doesn’t seem like you are really interested in getting away. Why don’t we skip New Year’s and you can do your own thing. I’m sure you can find something to keep you busy over the holiday weekend.”
“Lisa, it’s not that at all. I talked with Mike about getting away, and he said I basically could go.”
“That’s nice . . . I’m glad you don’t need a note from me.”
“Lisa, please. This isn’t my girl talking. We need to talk about—”
She interrupted. “That’s the point, Scott, who is your girl?”
“Lisa, that’s not fair. You are—” I never had a chance to finish. All I heard was a click, followed by the dial tone.
Chapter 19
He was familiar with this routine, waiting on the couch for Dottie. There was less activity than usual in the reception area, since many students had already left for the winter break.
He noticed Dottie approaching, and she looked festive in her red sweater.
“JJ, how are you doing?”
“I’m doing okay; you look very nice.”
“Thank you. I thought if we are going shopping it would put me in the holiday spirit to wear red. Are you ready?”
“Let’s go; the cab is outside.”
Jeremy told the cab where to go, heard him grumble something about the downtown traffic, but flipped the flag, gunned it, and they were off.
“JJ, I just saw Lisa. She was on the phone, and I saw her hang it up . . . she must have been talking with Scott. Judy says she’s been acting strangely, but I guess I never saw it first hand. Every time I see her she’s in control. I wonder what has her upset. I’m more than curious as to whether Scott and Lisa will be still going skiing with us New Year’s.”
Serial Separation Page 6