Death Rub

by Ashantay Peters

  “Stay with me, Travis. Come on, open your eyes. Let me see you’re conscious.” The tissues soaked through in seconds. Holding the pressure with one hand, I struggled out of my hoodie and added the jersey compress.

  I heard my harsh breaths and whimpers and knew fear had taken over. Forcing a big breath, I concentrated on the emergency rather than my nerves.

  “Hey, guy, don’t screw with my special memory by dying.”

  Travis’s eyelashes fluttered. Before I knew whether he’d regained consciousness, I’d been moved aside by a pair of EMTs. Working with practiced speed, they had Travis on a gurney and out the door before I caught my breath.

  “Ms. Stewart?”

  I struggled to focus, finally sighting in on a GFPD patrolman standing above me with his hand out. Placing my bloodied paw in his, I stood on wobbly legs. He wrapped me in a blanket and helped me to a chair.

  Another set of EMTs crouched before me. I tried pushing them away. “No, check on Travis. He’s shot.” I choked on a breath. “Someone shot him. He may die.”

  One of the EMTs, a woman, put her hand on my shoulder. In a low, calming voice, she said, “Don’t worry, Ms. Stewart. Your friend should be at the hospital by now.”

  My hands were covered with blood. The activity around me seemed fuzzy, and I couldn’t stop shivering. I heard just bits and pieces of the conversations swirling around me.

  “Shock.”

  “One blanket’s not gonna be enough.”

  “Quick, hand me the afghan.”

  I felt warm arms around me then I was wrapped in the familiar scents and textures of my heavy cotton blanket and wool afghan. I struggled to push the afghan off me. “Grannie’s afghan. No blood.”

  The female technician put her mouth at my ear. “Don’t worry. We’ll make sure your afghan stays clean.”

  Those were the last words I heard until I woke up in a hospital bed.

  ****

  “She’s coming around,” Ginger said.

  “It’s about time.”

  I smiled when I recognized Katie’s gruff voice, the one she put on when she didn’t want people to know she cared. No one had let on her subterfuge never worked.

  “Hi.” My voice sounded weak and rusty. I cranked up my eyelids.

  “Hi yourself, Miss Shoot ’Em Up.”

  Ginger held a glass of water for me. After I sipped on a straw, I croaked out one word. “Travis?”

  “Stable.” Katie cleared her throat. “Doctor said he should recover fully.”

  “When can I go home?”

  My friends exchanged glances.

  Ginger answered. “Tonight, your doctor said. Unless you exhibit complications, but the only injuries they found were some deep cuts and assorted bruises.” She smoothed her hand over the blanket covering my arm.

  “We thought you might like to stay with me tonight.”

  Oh. That’s right. First work, then my house became a crime scene. Would I ever be rid of the yellow and black tape?

  “Unless you want to stay somewhere else.” Katie’s voice held a hint I couldn’t identify.

  “I don’t want to be a bother. I’ll get a motel room.”

  Ginger sniffed. “Not on our watch, you won’t.” She put her hand on my shoulder. “Sweetie, you can live in pajamas, but you shouldn’t get your bandages wet.

  “Bandages?” When I couldn’t wiggle my fingers, I pulled one hand out from under the covers. Gauzy material enclosed my hand.

  Katie nodded. “Splinters in both hands. Glass cuts on your knees. Bruised ribs. Doctor said you’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

  I shivered in remembrance until my ribs protested.

  “Don’t worry about your backdoor,” Katie added. “Jim sent someone over. It’s already fixed.”

  The destroyed back door didn’t worry me. How I’d feel living in the house did.

  A gray haired nurse entered. “Time to leave, ladies.”

  “Already?” Katie said. “We haven’t had our ten minutes yet.”

  “Don’t push me, sister. You’re lucky you got in at all.”

  “We’re family,” Katie answered.

  “Yeah, that’s what the blond haired cutie in the hall is claiming. He’s been crawling all over the nurse’s station, trying to get information.” She sniffed. “Not that those young things did anything but bat their eyelashes.”

  My heart lifted. “Cam?”

  The nurse pursed her lips. “That’s the name. Any relation?”

  “He’s my—” My what? “Um, could I see him?”

  “Only if these two get out of here. You don’t need a party, not if you want the doctor releasing you today.”

  My friends patted my arms and hustled out. After a quick vitals check, the nurse left.

  I watched the door, my pulse pounding in my ears. Cam cared. But given our last conversation, maybe he checked on me out of politeness. His words had hit my solar plexus and left me empty. I didn’t want to feel that emotionally barren ever again.

  Besides that, I wondered how he’d view the shooting I’d been in with Travis. And how I’d explain Travis’s presence in my home. Would Cam trust my explanation?

  Cam pushed through the door and stood just inside the entrance. “Hiya.” His uncertain expression tore at my heart.

  “Hiya.” I waved a sheathed paw in his direction.

  He moved closer and stood, shuffling his feet.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Our simultaneous apologies startled me. “You? You have nothing to apologize about. Me.” I caught my breath. “I’m the one in the wrong.” My bandaged hand hovered above his.

  He gently placed my hand on the bed. “I pressured you when you were already stressed.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But damn, Maggie. I could have lost you. That’s all I could think of when I saw that shit-head squeezing the life out of you.”

  Cam dropped his head. His shoulders shook for a moment.

  I raised my bed. “Cam.”

  He caught my gaze. His shiny eyes matched my own.

  “The doctor says I can go home tonight.”

  He nodded.

  “Ginger offered me a bed.”

  He looked like he wanted to protest then touched my cheek. “You’ll be safe there.”

  “I know, but I’d rather not bother her.” I cleared my throat. “I’d rather stay with you. That is, if you’ll have me.”

  He cocked his head. “What did you say?” Cam’s hand shot forward. He put two fingers over my mouth. “No, I heard you.” He inhaled through his nose. “Yes. Stay with me.”

  “Are you sure you want to take on an invalid? You’ve got work and—”

  “And I’ll take a few days off. No problem.” He kissed my forehead. “You know I want to take care of you forever, right?”

  His husky voice caused tears to form. “Yeah, I know.”

  “So can I get a kiss before that drill sergeant nurse returns and kicks me out?”

  I grinned. “What do you think?”

  He swooped in, stopping with his lips hovering over mine. “No pressure, but I love you.”

  My room door swept open and my nurse stood tall, checking her watch.

  His kiss was short but sweeter than any of Mona’s confections. He straightened.

  “See you later. Have the nurse call me. I’ll be in the waiting room down the hall.” Cam grinned. “After we get home, I’ll rent some chick flicks for you.”

  “Perfect.” I swallowed. “I think the action movies are on hold for a while.”

  He ran the backs of his fingers across my uninjured cheek. “I love you.”

  My vision swam as I smiled back. “I love you too.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The scents of Java the Hutt coffee and fresh baked cookies tempted my nose and stomach the next afternoon. Katie and Ginger had arrived at Cam’s door minutes ago. He’d tucked me in on the couch, grabbed his keys and said he’d be back later.

  They’d thoughtfully ordered iced
coffees so I could use a straw. My bandages had been changed early this morning, and the doc found no signs of infection. I’d be back to work in no time.

  “So how’s Cam?” Katie’s casual tone didn’t fool me. She wanted information.

  “He’s fine. Dirk?”

  “Satisfied.”

  Ginger leaned forward. “I don’t mean to interrupt this scintillating conversation, but inquiring minds need to know. Katie, what did you get out of Dirk?”

  I pointed at Katie. “Besides a love bite on your neck.”

  She slapped a hand to the very spot I’d noticed. “Damn him. I warned him to stop that high school crap.”

  Ginger and I laughed.

  “C’mon, out with it.” Ginger said it before I could, but that didn’t lessen my interest.

  Katie wiggled deeper into Cam’s recliner. “Okay, but before I tell you anything, I need your promise you’ll keep this information quiet.”

  Ginger and I raised our hands in what I’d recently learned comprised the Demonic Duo, now T-Cube secret gesture. “We promise.”

  I laughed with hitched breaths, wrapping my arm around my sore ribs. “So, how long do you think it’ll be before everyone in town knows what you’re about to tell us?”

  “I figure one hour, end of the day tops.”

  “Well, then,” Ginger said, “you’d better tell us fast. We don’t want to hear this stuff second-hand.”

  Katie rubbed her hands. “You got it.” She tapped her finger against her jaw. “Let’s see. Where should I start?”

  Ginger pursed her lips. “How about soon?”

  “Okay, okay, sheesh. It’s just that there’s a lot of information, and I don’t want to forget anything.”

  We looked at her. I knew Ginger’s expression echoed my disbelief.

  “Brad’s confessed to Clarice’s death. Says it was an accident. He denies killing Nicole.”

  “That aired on the morning news,” Ginger scoffed. “Tell us something we can’t get from television.”

  “Did he say how he got in my massage room?” The why I knew.

  Katie shook her head. “He’s lawyered up. No details forthcoming.” I knew she likely quoted Dirk. “He did say he slipped out the window and closed it behind him.

  “This next didn’t make the morning news.” Katie paused, making us wait a beat. “Brad said he paid Clarice as a consultant, filing phony invoices with his company.” She sipped her coffee. “What Dirk didn’t tell me, but Ginger figures, is that Brad used insider information and Clarice invested for him, getting a percentage of the profits.”

  Ginger picked up the story. “Rob told me he’d heard that the fight between BCI’s CEO and Brad had to do with under-reporting profits. They were working on a merger. The CEO recently announced an outside auditor had been hired.” She caught my eye. “Rob said that if Brad faked the financials or embezzled, he’d be in deep trouble.”

  “So that’s what caused his panic. Because his mom overheard him demanding his money from Clarice.”

  “And she planned a long trip to Europe, remember?” I tapped my teeth with my fingernail. “So did Clarice plan to make off with Brad’s money? Is that why he killed her?” I shook my head. “That doesn’t make sense, because then he’d never get his money back.”

  “You’re right.” Katie sipped her coffee. “Dirk didn’t say, but he mentioned that things often go wrong when people are desperate.” She rubbed her forehead with her finger. “I think the auditor will find that Brad siphoned company money. Even if he replaced the funds out of his own accounts later, an ace auditor will find a trail.”

  Ginger snapped her fingers. “You know, that makes sense. I’ll ask around, but I’ll bet Clarice began her consulting job about the same time that Brad and his boss started fighting. Rob said Brad had been personally credited with their move to becoming a big player in the industry. Brad’s the kind of guy who’d want something in return for the work he put into helping build BCI.”

  I sat forward. “Ginger is right. Brad wanted to make an impression at the reunion. To convince all of us that he wasn’t a loser. That’s why he dressed so well and bragged about his job.” I thought for a moment. “And he offered the reward for information not only to look generous but to move suspicion from himself.”

  Katie nodded. “And you’d be right. Give the lady another cookie.” She grabbed one for herself before holding the plate for me.

  I took a cookie and bit down. Chocolate chip. Recovery should always be so sweet. “What about Nicole’s business? Have they found the investors Travis mentioned?”

  “Actually, the feds have stepped in citing RICO. Apparently Travis, via Nicole, tangled with some people who have been under investigation for a long time. Dirk thinks they knew Travis had contacted the feds and sent a shooter.” Katie snorted. “Not to mention it’s common knowledge our mayor can’t be trusted to allow an unimpeded investigation. The State or the feds would have been called in sooner or later.”

  She wiped her fingers on a napkin. “Rumors flew that the mayor had a finger in Nicole’s subdivision business. Stories about zoning permits issued without environmental impact studies were making the rounds.”

  I thought back to the subdivision site. “That subdivision we were in abuts wetlands, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah, a creek runs through those acres. I remember my boss, Jim, commenting on that during one of our meetings.” Katie’s lips pursed. “The surrounding roads couldn’t support the additional traffic, either.”

  “Dirk thinks the feds will file kickback and fraud charges against the mayor once they find proof.”

  “Travis told me he planned on turning state’s evidence. Is he following through?”

  Katie and Ginger exchanged glances.

  “He’s already in a safe location. We won’t see him again.”

  We allowed that statement to die without further discussion. I wondered how long it’d take before for my last view of his bloody body faded. A long time, I reckoned.

  I knew I’d never believe in his innocence again. Human nature had provided me with a steep learning curve, and I wouldn’t doubt my hard-earned lessons, not even for old friends.

  I broke the silence. “That’s an awful lot of crime for Granville Falls. You’d think we had the Dixie Mafia working out of our downtown. And almost all the members came from our graduating class.”

  Katie choked on cookie crumbs. Ginger jumped to pat her on the back, but she held up her hand. “You got that right,” she gasped.

  “And what about the note written on my note pad?” I glanced between my friends. “I’m still not off the hook for Nicole’s murder, am I.”

  “Matt let something slip to me earlier today,” Ginger said.

  “Matt?” Katie’s eyebrows rose. “Does this mean you’re finally ready to give Rob the heave-ho he deserves?”

  Ginger’s lips tightened. “This is about Maggie, not me.”

  Katie’s smile told us she wouldn’t let Ginger off so easily, but she’d bide her time.

  “Brad admitted grabbing one of your note pads just in case he needed it.” Ginger covered my hand with hers. “I’m sorry, Maggie, but he said a good CFO always plans ahead.”

  My eyes widened. “He planned it? He meant to frame me?”

  “Actually, yes and no. He acknowledged writing Nicole the note but he says they’d met by accident earlier that day and had already settled their business. He claims he didn’t know Nicole kept the note.”

  I tried sitting then winced and reclined. “What a crock. Brad sent that note, kept the appointment, killed Nicole then ran. He’d planned it knowing the wait staff would be concentrated on serving. With only desserts in the walk-in, no one would discover the body until after he’d left.”

  “Took calculated nerve,” Katie said. “But Dirk will nail him, I guarantee.”

  Ginger squeezed my hand. “Brad’s lawyer is going for involuntary manslaughter with Clarice. He’s been telling the press he thinks Br
ad never meant to kill her.”

  “Does he think a jury will believe she slipped and fell on my massage table after Brad accidentally pushed her during an argument?”

  Ginger shrugged. “Who knows what story he’ll cook up? He’s got some time, and his lawyer will be spinning the story all through the trial.”

  “That’s why he’s not copping to Nicole,” Katie added. “Even if he’s convicted, involuntary manslaughter is a lesser charge than premeditated murder.” She grinned. “Too bad his nefarious plan won’t work, because you can place him at Nicole’s murder scene. Well, mostly there. In the same building. At the right time.”

  “Yes, it’s a good thing you remembered seeing Brad and Travis in the cocktail lounge,” Ginger said. “Matt told me the bartender has verified that Brad had a drink there right before Nicole’s body was discovered.”

  “Besides, other people than you have better motive for killing Nicole,” Katie explained holding up one finger. She added another finger. “Your means and opportunity are shaky or non-existent.” A third finger popped up. “Scene evidence finally came back proving you weren’t in that refrigerator. No footprints.” She grinned. “Well, mine were there but not yours.”

  “I spoke with Tom Jenkins earlier this morning,” Ginger said. “He’s already issued a press release. Everyone in town watching television news reports will know you are innocent of Nicole’s murder.”

  “Heck,” Katie sniffed. “They’ll know before then. Osmosis, I swear.” She sipped her coffee. “Your testimony, the written note, along with the footprints they’re working to isolate, will put Brad away for a long time. Plus, the fact that no knives were missing from the country club points to premeditation. And that’s only part of the story.”

  I blew a long breath, my chest feeling lighter than it had for days. Not only had I escaped a murder indictment, I’d come to terms with a past that had held me back. And kept my massage business, besides. Nicole would hate having helped me out. No matter where she’d ended up though, I knew the pain she’d put me through didn’t matter any longer.

  “Right before his shooting, Travis told me he’d have made sure I didn’t get convicted of Nicole’s murder.” I caught the gaze of my friends in turn. “Do you think Travis is capable of murder?” I knew what I thought, and I didn’t like the answer.