by Mac Fortner
“I’ll bring the wine,” she said.
I leaned over and kissed her. We held it for a long time.
Chapter 53
I arrived at the Arlington Estate at one o’clock on the dot. The door was answered by Kailey. She was wearing black. That is, what there was of it.
“Hi Cam,” she said.
“Hi, Kailey. How are you?”
“I’m doing okay, but It’s kind of lonesome around here,” she said.
She looked at the chili stain on my shirt and smiled.
“You’ve been eating a chili dog. Haven’t you?”
“How did you know?” I said smiling and looking down at my shirt.
“Cause people don’t spill chili from a bowl, but it’s almost impossible to eat a chili dog without spilling it,” she said.
“You got me.”
“Give me your shirt,” she said, “I’ll get it out.”
“That’s okay Kailey. I’ll get a new one when I get home,” I said.
“I insist. Don’t be shy, I’ve seen you naked before,” she said and giggled.
I removed my jacket and laid it on the sofa. Then I removed my shirt and handed it to her.
“There that wasn’t so bad was it?” she said.
“No, it didn’t hurt at all.”
“Come with me to the laundry room,” she said. “I’ll get this right out.”
We walked to the laundry, which was on the second floor. She rubbed some spot remover on my shirt, started the machine and dropped it in. Then she took off her dress and dropped it in. She wore nothing beneath it.
“Kailey,” I said.
“Oh, don’t be such a fuddy-duddy. I’m lonesome.”
“We can’t do this,” I said.
“I can,” she said, “Is there something wrong with you?”
“No. I mean it isn’t right. Bill has only been gone for three days,” I said
She walked out of the room turning back to see if I was coming. She motioned for me to follow. I did.
Walking down the long hallway behind a naked Kailey was wrong, but it didn’t stop me.
She stopped and opened the door to her bedroom. I knew what I should do. I did it.
“No Kailey,” I said, “Not here, not now.”
She laughed.
“That sounds to me like you mean somewhere else, some other time,” she said.
“Yeah, maybe then,” I said. “Will you please put some clothes on and meet me back in the living room,” I said.
“If you insist,” she said.
I went back down to the living room and took a seat in a single chair. I didn’t want her sitting next to me on the sofa. While I was waiting for her, the maid walked through.
“Oh, I’m sorry sir. I didn’t know anyone was here,” she said.
I saw her look down at my bare chest.
“I spilled a chilidog on my shirt,” I said, “It’s in the laundry.”
“Okay sir, I’ll see to it,” she said and hurried out of the room.
Well, that was embarrassing. Kailey can sure get a guy into some fixes.
“I’m back,” she said, entering the room wearing a petite white dress. Not much to it but enough to cover her.
“Are we okay?” I said.
“I’m fine, but you look a little frazzled,” she said and giggled again.
Changing the subject, I said, “How long have you known that you were pregnant?”
“Five days now,” she said, “The doctor said I’m three weeks pregnant.”
“Congratulations,” I said. “Do you know what you’re going to do now?”
“I’ll get five million dollars, so I guess I can afford to find a place to live and raise my child,” she said.
“Yes, I suppose you will? What about family? Do you still have any?”
“None I could rely on. It’s just me. Unless you want to marry me,” she smiled.
“That’s very tempting, but I’m too old for you and I’m not ready,” I said.
“Will you stay around here?” I said.
“Maybe, will you?”
“No, I’m moving back to Key West. That’s where I belong.”
“Maybe I’ll move to Key West,” she said.
I just stared at her. She stared back.
“You know that someday you’ll be mine, don’t you?” she cooed.
The maid entered the room again carrying a shirt. It wasn’t mine.
“I thought you might want a shirt until yours is dry,” she said.
“He’s okay,” Kailey insisted.
“Yes ma'am,” she said and turned to leave.
“Excuse me, but I would be more comfortable with a shirt,” I said.
She looked at Kailey.
“Give him the shirt,” she said reluctantly.
She handed it to me and left the room.
I stood and put it on. Kailey looked straight at my crotch while I did so.
“Kailey, aren’t you sad that Bill is gone?” I said.
“No. I’m glad. He was an evil man,” she said seriously.
“But he’s the father of your baby,” I said.
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing,” she said.
I thought about that for a moment. Yeah, that might be a good thing. His baby might inherit a mass fortune, and his baby’s mother will control it.
Her change in attitude toward Bill wasn’t uncommon. I've seen it before. People sometimes get mad at someone close to them for dying.
“You might get this house and millions of dollars,” I said.
“I might?” she said and laughed. “Wouldn’t I be the cat’s meow?”
“Yes you would,” I said.
The cat’s meow. I haven’t heard that in a long time. Kailey is an old soul.
Chapter 54
Robin arrived at six-thirty with a bottle of Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon. The grill was heated to five hundred degrees, and the chicken was marinating.
I kissed her and took the wine. She was wearing another low cut dress that made it hard for me to keep my hands to myself. So I didn’t.
“Alright you,” Robin said smiling. “First things first. Open the wine and let it breathe.”
“Open your dress and let me breathe,” I said.
She laughed and walked out on the balcony. That incident with naked Kailey today left me a little more aroused than usual.
I stepped onto the balcony with two Wild Turkeys and handed her one.
“Thanks, I need this,” she said.
“Hard day?”
“Yes, it was.”
“The meeting?”
“Yes. We ran Bloodshot’s fingerprints, his name is Andrei Gusarov by the way; we spent the day matching them with murders. His prints turned up on three. We know he made at least twenty-five hits, but most of the time there were no prints.”
“He’s been a busy man,” I said.
“That he has, but no more, thanks to you,” she said.
“You’re welcome,” I said.
“How did it go with Kailey today?” Robin asked.
I took a drink of my Wild Turkey.
“That bad,” she said.
“Well, she’s glad he’s dead. She said he was an evil man.”
“Really?”
“Yep, and while we were talking, we realized her and Bill’s baby, might be inheriting a fortune. Close to two billion I think.”
“Oh my god. Now that’s a reason to have him killed,” Robin said.
“It sure would be, but I don’t think she even realized it.”
“She would have to split it with Alexis,” Robin said.
“Yeah, you’re right. That doesn’t leave much,” I said.
“Nah, only about a billion,” she said. “Jeez.”
“She said she would be “the cat’s meow.”
“Oh, brother.”
We finished our drinks. I put the chicken on the grill and poured us each wine.
“Superb,” I said, tasting the wi
ne.
“It should be, but we’re celebrating tonight. Bloodshot is all behind us,” Robin said and kissed me passionately.
We sat our wine down and continued our kiss.
“Wait,” she said.
“No,” I said.
“The chicken will burn.”
“Me too.”
We finally pulled apart. She took me by the shoulders and turned me and pushed me toward the grill.
I checked the chicken, turned them and closed the lid.
“We have two minutes,” I said
“Good,” she said, “Drink your wine.”
“I’m not thirsty,” I panted.
She laughed, “Drink. We’ll play after we eat.”
I drank and checked the chicken again. It was time.
“Soups on,” I said as I lay the chicken dish on the table.
Robin sat the salads down, and we dug in.
“Eat slower,” Robin said, “I don’t want you to choke to death. I’ll need you for what I have planned.”
We ate and talked. I took some deep breaths and managed to calm down a little.
Just as we finished our meal and were clearing the table Robin’s cell phone rang.
“Don’t you dare answer that,” I said.
She looked at it. It kept ringing like a car alarm that would never stop, but no one would pay any attention to.
“I have to,” she said.
“Oh no,” I said.
“Hello. You’re shitting me. Okay, I’ll be right there,” she said and hung up.
She looked at me apologetically.
“James Osborn was just murdered,” she said.
“You mean Brady,” I said.
“Whoever, I have to go. I’m sorry.”
“I knew it was too good to be true,” I said. “Would you at least get something else to wear out of the closet?”
“Good idea,” she said. “Wanna watch.”
“Hell yeah,” I said, with vigor.
While I watched her slowly undress and then slowly dress again, I couldn’t help but think about Brady getting killed. Who would want him dead now that Bill was dead?
“You mind if I go with you?” I said.
“Not at all. You’re the best agent we have,” she said.
I took my gun from the dresser drawer and hooked it to my belt. You never know.
When we arrived at Brady’s apartment, there were two police cars and two black SUV’s in front. There were also about fifty sightseer’s standing outside the crime scene tape.
Chief McNally was the first to see us. He motioned us to him.
“Good evening Chief,” I said. “What have you got?”
“Cam, Robin,” he said nodding to each of us. “Looks like someone capped James from close proximity.”
“You mean Brady,” I said, still not giving up my belief.
He sighed, “Whoever.”
“Brady,” I said.
“The shooter was in his apartment long enough to have a ginger ale with him before they popped him,” he said ignoring me.
“So it was someone he knew,” Robin said.
“Maybe, or maybe a hooker or a pizza delivery guy,” he said. “There was an unopened box on the table.”
“Have you checked his phone for a pizza order?” I said.
“Gosh, I wish we would have thought of that,” he said. “Of course we have. He didn’t order one.”
“So,” Robin said, “Someone shows up with a pizza to gain access, has a soda with him and kills him.”
“That’s what we think, but we didn’t get to complete our investigation because the damn Fed’s chased us out. Now they’re in there trampling over all the evidence.”
“Sorry about that,” Robin said. “You’re welcome to come in with me.”
“Thank you, but it’s probably too late,” McNally said.
“Let’s go take a look,” I said.
The three of us walked up to Brady’s apartment careful to step only on the side edges of the stairs.
When we entered, it looked like a bomb had gone off.
“What the fuck,” McNally said.
“Was there a fight in here?” I asked him.
“No, nothing was out of place when I left.”
Robin shouted, “Stop.”
The FBI men froze in their tracks. You could hear a pin drop.
“What the hell are you doing?” she said.
Agent Thompson stepped forward and said, “We’re searching for a possible murder weapon. We have already searched the apartment for clues and dusted the glasses for prints. They’ve been wiped clean.”
“Get out,” she said, “All of you, get out Now.”
We looked around the apartment, but couldn’t tell what might have been disturbed during the murder or by the Feds.
“Not much to go on,” McNally said.
Brady’s body was still lying on the sofa. He took one to the forehead.
I looked around again trying to remember what the apartment looked like the last time I was here. Then I noticed.
“Wait a minute,” I said, “The last time I was here, there were three paintings on that wall. I don’t know what they were, but they looked expensive to me.”
“Would you know them, if you saw them again?” Robin said.
“I think so.”
Robin took some pictures with her camera and said, “Let’s get out of here.”
“That’s not all,” I said, “Brady had a gun in his lap when I came in. Did they find it?”
“I don’t think so,” McNally said. “Surely someone would have told me.”
~***~
Agent Thompson made a call from his cell.
“It’s done,” he said. “They won’t find a thing.”
“Thank you,” the voice on the other end said, “Your money is in the box.”
Chapter 55
The funeral was as large as William Arlington’s life had been. There were politicians, business owners and a hand full of billionaires. Then there was Robin and me.
As soon as we arrived, we were instructed to get in line. We did, for an hour. Alexis and Chad greeted us at the casket. We gave our condolences quickly so as not to hold up the line. Next was Kailey. True to form, she kissed Robin and I both square on the lips.
She held my arm and asked if I would stay with her.
“I don’t know what to say to all these people,” she said. “Will you stay with me? Please.”
I looked at Robin.
“Stay with her Cam,” she said. “She needs you.”
I stood with Kailey while she had no problem handling the crowd. I repeated over and over again to the visitors, “I’m a friend of the family.”
After the burial, we went to the Arlington estate with Kailey, Alexis, Chad and about fifty guests. A grand buffet was laid out in the backyard, using the same tents that were erected for the party where Bill was killed.
It was a little eerie to me.
I had a chance to get Chad alone and told him about Brady being murdered.
“Yeah, I know,” he said, “I thought I was safe now, but it looks like Bill can reach out from the grave.”
“Seems that way,” I said.
We both drank.
“Another thing I’d like to talk to you about,” I said.
“Fire away.”
“Have you thought of the possibility that Kailey might get this house and half the inheritance? You know, the baby and all.”
“Yes, we’ve discussed that. Her baby is a rightful heir, and she should get it. That’s not a problem to us.”
“Glad you feel that way,” I said.
“Maybe,” Chad said, “You can live here with her.”
“You’re a funny guy,” I said. “Not me, I’m heading back to Key West.”
“I wish you would change your mind about that,” Chad said.
“This life just isn’t for me Chad. I really appreciate the break you gave me, and I’m sorry if I’m letti
ng you down.”
“It was my pleasure. Your stay here hasn’t exactly been uneventful. You know, it isn’t like this all the time. Now that this is over, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy life,” Chad said.
“That’s what I plan on doing, only in Key West.”
“Well then, I wish you all the best.”
“Thank you,” I said.
We drank again and watched the crowd.
“How do you think Kailey will be as a mother,” I said.
“Hard to tell. Sometimes she seems very mature, but when you’re around, she turns into a vixen.”
“I do that to women.”
“I noticed.”
“How about Alexis, is she going to be a mother anytime soon?” I said.
“I hope so. I’d like to have a family.”
“Yeah, me too, but I’m fifty-three now and no candidates to be a mother. I have Diane, though. I consider her my daughter.”
“Yes, and you’ve been a good father to her,” Chad said.
“Thanks.”
“Why do you think someone would kill Brady now?” I said.
“Where’d that come from?”
“I can’t get it off my mind. Now all of our suspects are dead, and there is no one to answer the question, why?”
“Maybe that’s why he’s dead. Someone wanted to silence him,” Chad said.
“Could be,” I said, “or maybe Bill wasn’t the only one who wanted him dead. Maybe whoever flushed him out in the first place wanted him dead. We need to find a motive. If Brady hired Bloodshot to kill Bill, he would have to have a good reason. He was living off the blackmail money.”
“You have been thinking about this,” Chad said.
“Yeah, a lot. There’s one thing for sure. Someone is still out there that’s played a significant role in the Bloodshot case.”
Robin and Alexis joined us at the edge of the party.
“What are the two of you talking about so seriously?” Alexis said.
“Women,” I said.
“Can’t live with ‘em, can ya’,” Robin said.
“Or without ‘em,” Chad said.
The gathering broke up around six o’clock. Everyone hugged Alexis and Kailey and told them if they needed anything, be sure to call.
“Thank you I will,” they said a thousand times.
When everyone had left the five of us stood together on the patio.