“You need help on this one?” he asked. His glance fell to Lacy and he frowned. Jason moved subtly between them, blocking his view of Lacy.
“I’m off today. Normally I would stick around, but I have an ironclad commitment.” He didn’t bring Lacy into it. There was already enough enmity between his girlfriend and his fellow detective.
“As long as it’s ironclad,” Arroyo said. He was being snide, but Jason wasn’t breaking any rules. Nothing in the book compelled him to stick around when he wasn’t on duty, as long a there was someone else to handle things. It was an unspoken rule that said the job came first. Jason got that, and usually he played along, but he refused to leave Lacy twisting in the wind when she was about to have surgery. He ignored Arroyo’s tone and gave him the rundown of events.
Arroyo’s ears perked up at the mention of Lacy. “Your girlfriend found him?”
“She did,” Jason said. He tried to keep his tone neutral, but at his side his fists clenched. Beyond finding the body, Lacy had nothing to do with this case. Jason intended to keep it that way. “She filled out a form. I’ll write up my own report later today and leave it in your box. If you need anything, I’ll have my cell. Otherwise, we have to go.” He held out his arm to Lacy. She strode up to him and slipped under it, keeping her eyes averted from Arroyo. Her meekness around the man was a relief, but also so out of character that he was concerned. What exactly had happened between them? If he didn’t know better, he might think Lacy was afraid. That was ridiculous, though. Arroyo was admittedly grumpy, but he was a cop. What was the worst he could do? Write her a few tickets?
He led Lacy to his car. They stopped by his house and switched cars. Now that he was no longer on duty, he needed his personal vehicle. Lacy was quiet as she stared out the window. He rested his hand on her knee, and she jumped before covering his hand with hers.
“So what happened?” he asked.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I went to work. I shredded a bunch of stuff, tossed it on the dumpster, and found the guy.” She shuddered. “Why would he sleep on the dumpster? That’s so sad. It seems like there would be so many other, better places.”
Jason didn’t comment. It was possible that the guy fell asleep on the dumpster and never woke up. A heart attack or stroke would have that effect, or maybe a drug or alcohol overdose. But the man had appeared young and healthy and there had been no signs of alcohol or drugs, as far as Jason could tell. They would run a tox screen on him for more information, of course. For now he would go along with Lacy’s theory of a natural death, but he had his doubts.
“What was the part about him following you?” he asked.
“He followed us to the restaurant.”
“How did you know? Did you confront him?” he asked.
“No, Michael saw and followed him. Then he came to the meeting and sat in the back,” she said.
“What meeting?”
“There was an emergency town council meeting,” she said.
“There was? I didn’t hear anything about that,” he said.
“It was all very last minute, apparently. People were upset about the protesters,” she said.
“As if that was your fault,” he fumed. If there was one thing that made him angry to the point of physical violence, it was the thought of anyone hurting Lacy. She smiled. He squeezed her knee. “I know it’s hard, but try to forget about this morning and focus on getting through your surgery with no stress.”
“I’ll try. I should probably warn you that medication sometimes has an odd effect on me, or so I’m told.”
He thought it was interesting that she made the announcement as they were on their way to the oral surgeon’s office almost an hour away and too late for him to back out. Not that he would have, but still. Some advanced warning and a chance to prepare himself might have been nice.
“Define odd effect,” he said.
“I don’t really know. I don’t feel different, but everyone says I act different. I guess you can tell me later.” She studied him with a worried frown, ever insecure about his reaction to her quirks. How long before she realized it was those quirks that kept him interested? He clasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. Her brow lost its furrow, but she clutched his hand more fervently than usual. Finding a body in her dumpster had been a shock, but perhaps her anxiety had more to do with the anesthetic she was about to receive. Going under was nobody’s favorite.
By the time they reached the doctor’s office, she was shaking slightly but forcing a brave smile. She reached for the door handle, but he tugged her back. “You’re going to do fine. And just think, being unconscious is that much less time you have to deal with your mom,” he said.
She laughed nervously. He kissed her once more and they walked inside hand in hand.
Jason stayed with Lacy during the final prep, and then it was time for him to go. He gave her a peck and peered into her mouth, saying a solemn goodbye to her wisdom teeth that made her laugh, however shakily. It was hard to leave her when she was so frightened and had already been through so much that day, but it had to be done. Once she was out of sight, he began to relax. Of course she would be okay. Why was he being such a mother hen? If he saw a guy acting like he was currently acting, he would call him out for being whipped.
In the waiting room, he read Sports Illustrated to pass the time. Since becoming a detective and dating Lacy, he had lost touch with many of his favorite players and teams. Now was the ideal time to catch up. He became so engrossed that the time flew and he could hardly believe it when a nurse poked her head through the door and called his name.
He dropped the magazine and did a double take when he realized half of the nurse’s head was dripping water. He tried not to stare as he stood and went forward.
“Lacy’s had an unexpected complication,” she said, and his heart stopped, along with his feet. He came to an abrupt halt in the hallway. “What sort of complication?” he heard himself croak. Was she conscious? Was she breathing? “Has an ambulance been called?”
“Oh no, it’s nothing like that,” the nurse quickly assured. She laid her hand on his arm and urged him onward with a hard tug. “It’s just that we had to use slightly more medication than normal because of the red hair, and I’m afraid it’s had an, um, odd effect. We need your help. You’ll see.” Her nails dug into his arm as she dragged him forward.
“Because of the red hair?” he echoed.
“Redheads don’t respond as well to anesthetic and need more of it. I don’t know why. The doctor can explain if you have questions. Anyway, she went through the procedure fine, but when she woke up…um…well…” she opened the door to a room marked “Recovery” and shoved him through, closing it hard behind him without escorting him inside. Jason didn’t at first see Lacy. What he saw was a very wet nurse with her hands up in surrender. After his eyes adjusted to the sight of the drenched dental assistant, they slowly drifted to Lacy, blockaded behind a chair with something in her hands. On closer inspection she was holding a squeeze trigger hose, probably used to rinse incisions. He was so surprised to see his normally gentle girlfriend wielding a weapon that he bypassed caution and blurted her name.
She jumped and rounded on him and now it was his turn to put his hands up. “Lacy, it’s me,” he said.
“Yayshon?” Her mouth was either swollen or stuffed with cotton. Possibly both.
“It’s me,” he said, but she didn’t put down the hose. Instead she clutched it tighter and drew a bead on his head.
“How do I know it’sh the weal you?” she asked.
“She’s been hallucinating,” the nurse explained, drawing a squirt from Lacy that she batted away with a wave of her hand.
“What if I told you something only the real me would know?” he asked and used her distraction with the nurse to draw a step closer.
She whirled to face him and focused the sprayer on his face again. “Wike what?”
“Like you tell people you want to go to England to see where Jane Au
sten lived, but the real reason is to eat Banoffee pie.”
Slowly, she lowered the weapon. Jason used the opportunity to lunge forward and disarm her. “They were twying to kiww me,” she said.
“No, sweetheart, they weren’t. They took out your wisdom teeth.”
“Dey stole my teef?” She shot a horrified glance at the soggy nurse and reached helplessly for the sprayer again.
Jason held it over her head. “You had surgery. They removed your wisdom teeth because they were pushing your other teeth. Remember? You had to wear your retainer every night. You hated that.”
Her eyes were vague and cloudy. “I don’t wemember.”
“Let’s go home,” he said. To the nurse he added, “Is she ready?”
“Take her,” the nurse said, dabbing at her ruined mascara.
As he escorted Lacy down the hallway, he had the same feeling he got when he trekked a particularly dangerous prisoner through the jail. Everyone came to a standstill and watched, hugging the wall, ready to either run away or spring into action. He counted seven women and one man who were drenched and dripping.
“You really went on a spree, didn’t you?” he whispered as they reached the outside. He was absurdly proud of her. Lacy squinted and shaded her eyes against the sun without answering. He tucked her in the car and slid behind the wheel.
“What did you do wif de udder one?” she asked.
“What other one?”
“Da udder Yayshon, da weal one,” she said. Her hand edged toward the door handle.
“I bashed him in the head and stuffed him in the trunk. And if you don’t do what I say, you’re next, so hand off the door.”
She dropped her hand and glared at him. They drove in silence for a few minutes. He hoped she was falling asleep, but no such luck. “I don’t fink I wike you,” she declared.
“Really? ‘Cause I fink you’re pretty cute.” He reached over to squeeze her knee but she slapped him, hard. “Ouch. Lacy, you hit me.”
“You’we not awowed to touch me. I have a boyfwend.”
“I am your boyfr…You know what? Never mind.” He pulled into the pharmacy and parked. “I’m going to pick up your prescription. Do not move from that spot.”
“I’m cold. I’m gonna fweeze.”
“I’ll leave the car running on the condition that you absolutely do not touch the keys or anything else. Got it?”
She nodded.
“Promise.”
“I pwomise.”
“This will only take a minute,” he said. He left the car and sprinted inside. The surgeon’s office had called in the prescription, so he only had to pick it up. It was ready and he was finished in record time, but he was still anxious as he jogged back outside. He needn’t have worried, though. Lacy sat in the car, resting her head on the window.
But when he pulled the handle of his door, it was locked. He knocked. “Lacy, unlock the door.”
She raised her head and stared at him.
“Unlock.” He pointed and knocked again. She shook her head.
“You’we not da weal Yayshon,” she called.
Rather than try to argue with her, he pulled a chocolate candy bar from the pharmacy bag and pressed it to the window. She unlocked the door. When he was inside the car, she reached for the bag but he held it away. “Oh, no you don’t. Not until we get some real food and water in you and you sleep some of the crazy away.”
“You wied! I fought dat was fo me.”
“It is for you but not yet. Be patient.” She reached for it again and he put his palm on her chest to shove her away. “For the love of all that is good, woman, don’t make me cuff you. Sit there, Elmer Fudd, and don’t say another word or else.”
She sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t wike you.”
“Yes, I think we’ve established that,” he said. “Stop talking before you undo your incisions.”
She was quiet for a long time while he navigated heavy traffic on the interstate. He hoped that meant she was either asleep or coming to her senses. When he reached their exit, he chanced a glance and found her head submerged in the pharmacy bag.
“Lacy! What did you do?” he asked, although the evidence was clear.
She jumped guiltily and the bag fell away, revealing a face covered in chocolate drool. “I don’t feew so good.” One of her arms pressed over her stomach. He dumped the medicine and chocolate wrapper and shoved the now-empty bag back into her hands. “Please try to make it in the bag. I just had this car detailed.”
She nodded dutifully and sat back, the bag pressed to her face like a muzzle. Fifteen minutes later when they arrived at her house, she was asleep. Jason crept to her side of the car and opened the door with no noise, hoping against hope that she didn’t wake up and try to shank him. But when she woke, she looked at him with recognition.
“Yayshon, is it over?”
“I hope so,” he said. He helped her from the car and put his arm around her for support. She leaned into him and blinked sleepily at the house.
“I’m home. Did I sweep dat whole time?”
“No, you were awake for part of it.”
“Did I do anyfing I’m going to wegwet if I see it on video?”
“There’s no video,” he evaded. She groaned. He helped her to bed, retrieved a warm cloth, and washed her face. “Lacy, there’s melted chocolate in your gauze. I’m going to have to change these. Now is a good time to rinse so you don’t get dry socket.” He pulled out the gauze, helped her sit up so she could rinse and spit, and gave her a pain pill before stuffing new gauze in her cheeks.
“Dis is disgusting. It’s too much. I’m sowwy,” she said. “I fought it would just be dwiving me.”
“This is nothing,” he assured her. “It’s like washing dishes, and you know how much I love that.”
“It’s too soon fo’ you to see me wike dis,” she lamented. She lay down and squinched her eyes closed.
“You changed my bandages after I was shot,” he reminded her.
“Dat’s diffewent,” she said.
“How so?”
“Because I got to wook at you naked. You get to see my teef. No one wants dat.”
“Once again your leaps of logic amaze me. Lie down and try to get some sleep.” His hand made a pass over her head and he took a step back. Her eyes popped open.
“You’re gonna weave me?”
“I want you to rest.”
“Pwease don’t go. I’m afwaid. What if da bad people come back? Someone twied to kill me today.”
He picked up the bottle of pain reliever he had given her and checked the dosage to make sure he hadn’t messed it up. He hadn’t. “When this is over, we need to have a serious talk with your doctor about medication.” He set the bottle down and looked uncertainly from her to the door. “Are we sure there’s no way your grandfather is going to show up early and catch me in here with you?”
“He’s wif Gwamma,” she assured him.
He shucked off his shoes and slid in beside her. She rested her head on his chest and gazed up at him, half adoringly, half deliriously. “I fink you’re spectacuwar.”
“I think if you don’t start using smaller words, you’re going to do permanent damage to that jaw.” He pressed his index finger to her lip. She tried to smile and to kiss it. He grabbed the washcloth from the nightstand and soaked up the drool.
“Did you know my wittle sister is having a baby?” she asked. Her eyes were glazing again. At least this time her psychosis appeared to be manifesting itself as affection and not paranoia.
“I did. You’re going to make an awesome aunt.”
“I’ve never been more jeawous of her in my wife,” she said, matter-of-factly. “I was supposed to be da one to get mawwied and have babies. I didn’t even fink she wanted dose fings.”
“You’ll get there,” he assured her.
“You’re so pwetty,” she said. She poked his cheek, narrowly missing his eye. “I bet you’d make pwetty babies.�
��
“Geez, is it suddenly and uncomfortably warm in here?” he asked, squirming .
She grasped his collar and sat up, so close to his face that her nose was flattened against his cheek. “Someday, will you have my babies?”
“I will give it serious consideration,” he said.
“You pwomise?”
“I promise,” he said.
She lay back down again.
“Lacy.”
“Mm.”
“Before you go to sleep, will you do one thing for me?”
“Hmm.”
“Will you say, ‘I’m hunting rabbit’?”
“I’m hunting wabbit,” she dutifully repeated.
“Thank you. Good night, varmint.” He kissed the top of her head, and she was out like a light.
Chapter 6
The phone buzzed, jarring him. Jason hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He jumped and reached for his phone, clunking Lacy’s head. It was pillowed on his chest, and she was drooling. He multitasked—glancing at his phone while reaching for a tissue to mop the puddle on his shirt.
“We need you.”
Three words from Arroyo, and his day off was over. Sounds from the kitchen indicated that someone was home and Lacy wouldn’t be alone. There was no need to stay, no reason except his own worry. What if Lacy woke up out of her head again? Would she be afraid? Angry? Would her family be able to contain her? It was a ridiculous notion; they had been taking care of her for twenty-six years. Why did he believe he did it better? Why did he believe he loved her more?
Still, he waited another moment, reluctant to go. He kissed the top of her head and eased from the bed, hoping he would find Mr. Middleton in the kitchen. Instead he found Lacy’s mom, humming distractedly as she unloaded silk flowers from a bag.
“Good morning,” he said, never sure of his footing with the woman. On the surface of things she seemed to like him, but Jason had the feeling that her words weren’t always genuine.
Wedding Day of Murder Page 5