"I like you," said Lauren, her smile the most genuine I'd ever seen on her. "I like you too, Lexi. I'm glad you're going to help me."
"I didn't say I would," I pointed out as Lily wafted the check under my nose. I sighed. Since my salary was now between nothing and zero, and I did have grownup bills to pay, Lily was right. I had to earn money somehow and the fat check from Lauren would certainly come in very useful.
"What about if I tell you I think you were set up?" Lauren asked.
That snatched my attention. "What are you talking about?"
"I know you supposedly leaked the video, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't you."
"It wasn't!"
"I know you went to visit Amelia and one of the dancers."
"Yeah, I spoke with her earlier at the hotel and Don was there. I think Amelia still wants to get out of her contract."
Lauren’s next words surprised me. Instead of agreeing, she said, "It's not common knowledge, but Don and Katya had a thing going on. Did you know that?"
I sat upright. "No. Really?"
"Yeah, I saw him sneaking out of her room a couple of times during the tour and that was before he told everyone he was getting a divorce. He didn't know I saw him. I know Katya bought him some expensive stuff too. I think he might have leaked the video, not Amelia."
That conflicted with my theory that Amelia did it to get the band fired once and for all. "Why would he do that?"
"I don't know, but I don't trust him."
"Do you trust Amelia more?"
Lauren paused. "I'm not sure. I just know that Don doesn't seem all that cut up about Katya. If you were having a thing with someone, wouldn't you be at least a little bit upset that they died? And would you immediately find another dancer to get it on with?"
"He has an alibi," I reminded her.
"Yeah, I heard he was at the hospital."
"Say someone did set me up by releasing the video, why? What's the point?"
"Maybe you were getting too close to the truth. Everywhere you go, the truth just seems to follow you."
Lily snorted. "Yeah, and usually the national media, as well."
I gave her a sharp look before refocusing on Lauren. I had to admit she had my undivided attention. She was right about one thing: I was framed for leaking the video; and whether setting me up to take the fall was intentional or not, I was still without a job. In Lauren's favor, however, I truly didn't believe she killed Katya and now I knew her alibi confirmed that. Well, so long as Michael wasn't her secret hit man. "Okay, fine. I will try to clear your name, but I wish you would just tell me who Michael is and save me some time."
"There's one other thing," said Lauren. "You have to promise to leave Michael alone. He had nothing to do with any of this."
"I was starting to work on a theory that he was your hit man."
"I can tell you, one hundred percent, that Michael had nothing to do with Katya's death. Listen, the crew on this tour have more leaks than a rusty bucket. Shelley's secret got out, then Amelia's. It's only a matter of time before the press flip over Katya's sad death; especially after they realize she was nothing more than a fake; and now here’s this stupid video. I don't need the hassle." Lauren checked her watch and sighed, sliding off her stool. Her tea remained untouched on the bar. "I have to go. I'm meeting my lawyer back at the hotel."
"Your lawyer?" asked Lily before I could.
"Yeah. In case you didn't notice, the police and the FBI are both following me."
"They're following you?" I asked, playing dumb.
"Yeah, I saw you, which was cool because you’re working for us, but I saw them too. They all think I'm some kind of idiot bimbo who only notices people's shoes, and spends all day in hair and makeup; but I notice lots of stuff."
I thought about Katya and Don. "I'm getting the impression you do."
"So I saw an SUV with the FBI guys. I recognized one of them. And then there were two other guys in some beat-up Crown Victoria. What a cliché!" Lily and I made agreeable noises as Lauren continued. "I figure, if they're following me, I'm their number one suspect; so it's only a matter of time before they bring me in for questioning. Do you think talking to my lawyer will make them even more suspicious?"
"I think you're a smart cookie," said Lily. "And you should speak to your lawyer."
I gave a nod of agreement. "Me, too. Listen, if they arrest you, or ask you to go down to the station, call your lawyer first, then call me. Meantime, I'll see what I can do to get them to back off."
"You can do that?"
"Lexi can do anything," said Lily. "You won't regret hiring her."
"I hope not."
"Let me get a new plan together based on what you've told me," I added, standing up to shake her hand. I was suddenly feeling professional again, thanks to Lauren's faith in me, as well as Lily's support, and not least of all, the check I intended to deposit as fast as I could get to the bank.
"What are you going to do now?" asked Lily as we watched Lauren leave. She walked past a couple of photographers before climbing into the backseat of the blacked-out SUV that took her everywhere.
"Prove my client's case," I said, pushing my glass away. I came there to get drunk, but I had no time for cocktails now. I had a case to solve. So, it was the same case as before, but there would be a certain unique satisfaction in beating Solomon to the finish line.
"You just want to beat Solomon."
"And prove Lauren's innocent!"
"Since you think Amelia set you up, I kind of wish you could pin the murder on her."
"I'd try, if I weren't her alibi."
"She still tried to shaft you... or that other guy. What's his name?"
"Don, but why would he want to break up the band?" I paused, thinking about what Lauren said. Someone did set me up. Did Don have a reason for getting me away from the band and the case? We barely crossed paths, but as far as I knew, I was the only person who interviewed him. Had I gotten too close to something and not seen it? What Lauren told me about his relationships was interesting; Katya one moment, another girl the next. She was right in that he didn't appear cut up about Katya's death at all. "I need to look into the Don angle and find out what was going on there."
"About him screwing Katya?"
"I'd like to know if there's some truth to that. So far, I only have Lauren's word for it, and she's get a hell of a lot to lose. It helps her case, however, if suspicion falls on someone else."
"I've got another idea," said Lily.
"Does it involve me going to Solomon and telling him about this?"
"Duh. No. You're running your own agency now, and it's not like you even poached his client. Lauren tracked you down and approached you."
"Okay. What's the idea?"
"Lauren could be the real victim in all of this?"
"Katya's dead," I reminded her.
"Yeah, and everyone hated her, but does someone hate Lauren enough to want to see her in prison? Is there anyone who would benefit from getting rid of them both?"
~
I thought about Lily's words as I stepped through the doors of Montgomery General, but couldn't come up with any reason for Lauren being set up, other than because she was a convenient patsy. At the main reception desk, I asked for my sister-in-law, Alice, whom I knew was on shift. I'd just called my brother, Daniel, to confirm that when she didn't pick up her cell phone. The receptionist directed me towards the emergency room. As I walked through the sliding doors, I expected it to find the room bustling with bleeding wounds and people moaning in pain. Instead, there were a few bored-looking people and a little kid scooting a car around while making engine noises.
It didn't take me long to find Alice as she emerged into the waiting area, smiling in surprise as I waved.
"Are you hurt?" she asked.
"Not physically."
"Then you're probably in the wrong room. Do you need the mental unit?"
"Ha-ha. Actually, I need a favor. I'm investigating a case and a person
of interest was in the ER recently. I wonder if you saw him?"
"I'm taking my break. Come with me," said Alice, and I followed her out of the waiting room. As we navigated the corridors to the empty break room, I told her about Don, his injury, and why I needed to make sure he was in the ER as he reported.
"I was on shift that day, but I don't recall him. However, you know, people I treated this morning could walk by and I wouldn't recognize them. What I can do is take you to Herb in security. We have cameras in ER, thanks to the damn fools who think they can get violent and beat on the nurses."
"That happens?"
Alice shrugged. "Occasionally."
"I'd appreciate talking to Herb, but a video of my guy would be even better."
"Is this anything to do with that band? Did you see their video?"
I cringed. "Unfortunately."
"I haven't seen it, but I heard the nurses talking about it. It's crazy what fame does to a person. Those girls were so young when they hit it big, and look at them now. They're all screwed up and one of them was even murdered."
"I don't think Katya intended to get killed."
"Someone intended for her to be," Alice pointed out, albeit, unhelpfully. "Did your suspect, this guy, did he do it?"
"That's why I'm checking his alibi. I can't tell you anymore about it."
"I'm glad you can't. It's a nasty business." She paused at a door, knocked once, then opened it. "Herb? I've got someone to see you. Lexi, come in, meet Herb."
Herb was a short, portly man with a lovely smile and a thick sweep of pale brown hair and eyebrows to match. "Hi, Lexi," he said, looking up from his bank of screens.
"Lexi's my sister-in-law. She needs to look at some security tapes. Can you set her up?"
"It's not exactly hospital policy," started Herb, then stopped as he beamed at Alice. "But since it's you, sweet pea, I’ll do it." He pulled over the spare wheeled chair and waved me into it as Alice propped herself against the filing cabinet. "Whatcha looking for, Lexi?"
"I need to see a recording from the ER waiting room. Do you still have those tapes?" I asked, giving him the date and time.
"Sure, everything is backed up digitally to our servers here, and we only purge them once a month, so we still have them. Do you want to look over them now?"
"Some of it, yes, but I'd appreciate it if I could get a copy for evidence."
"So long as you don't say you got it from me."
"Not a word. My sources are protected like gold," I assured him.
Herb grinned and tapped a few keys. The screen in front of me went blank before a new image popped up. The date was in the bottom corner of the screen, along with a timestamp, the seconds running. "What time did you want to look at?"
"About an hour ahead."
"Okay, let's speed it along." Herb clicked a few more keys and the tape sped forward faster.
"Whoa! Stop and back up."
"You see your guy?" asked Alice.
"I think so. Yeah, that's him," I said as Don walked into the shot, wearing a navy, zip-up jacket and a red cap. He took off his cap and looked around, glancing up directly at the camera. He stood still for a couple of seconds, looking around like he was waiting for someone.
"He's cute," said Alice. "What exactly did he do?"
"Nothing, I hope."
"Look, there's me!" We watched Alice walking past Don and then out of shot. Don looked up at the camera again and Herb hit pause, freezing his picture.
"You really don't remember him?" I asked Alice.
"Nope."
"Okay, Herb, can you play it again?" We leaned in as Don stepped to the left, limping on one leg, turned around and sat down, leaving only his lower legs and feet in the shot. He stayed seated for the next few minutes, occasionally moving one foot or the other. "Can you run this at double-speed?" I asked.
"Sure."
We watched Don's legs doing nothing at a faster pace until I conceded defeat. "He was definitely there," I said.
"You know, I remember that was a really busy day," said Alice as I turned around. "I think there were a lot of patients waiting to be seen. It might have been the day when a minibus overturned. We had a whole bunch of kids with broken bones, and all kinds of scrapes and traumatic injuries."
Lucas already told me about that when he confirmed Don's visit, so I nodded. "That would explain why he said he was in the ER so long."
"I can check the charts from that day."
"I'd appreciate that. Do you know who the other nurses were on duty during that shift?"
"I can find out for certain. I doubt any of them will remember him though. Faces kind of run together in this job, but I'll get you their names anyway. We all switch to an earlier shift tomorrow so I'll ask everyone then."
"Do you want to go through anymore tapes?" asked Herb. "I don't recall any incident report from that day, so I don't think he got into any trouble here, if that's what you're looking for?"
"Oh no, I just needed to confirm he was definitely at the hospital." I sighed, disheartened that I verified Don's alibi. So much for his affair with Katya, which gave him a motive. Perhaps Lauren interpreted what she saw. Perhaps she just needed someone else to be guilty. "Can you transfer this onto a disk for me?"
"Sure," agreed Herb, tapping his keyboard again. He pulled a disk from a drawer under his desk, stuck it in a drive, and we waited.
I left with Herb smiling, and a disk in my hand. "I think he's sweet on you," I told Alice and she laughed.
"Herb? No. I helped his wife deliver twins in the parking lot last year. One of them was breech. He still thanks me for it every day."
"Aww. Thanks for this—" I held up the disk "—I'm really stuck on this case. I don't know what to do next."
"You'll figure it out," said Alice as someone yelled her name while running past. "You always do. Just believe in yourself. I better go see what that's all about." She was gone before I could say goodbye.
Stepping into the parking lot, I fastened my jacket and looked around for my car before realizing that I didn't have it. But I still needed to get home. After I checked my wallet for cash, I sighed, dialing the cab company and waiting in the cold for the car to arrive.
Chapter Sixteen
There was a lot to be said for working freelance. With Lauren's check safely deposited in the bank, I covered my body in my very best bird-print pajamas, and with a notepad in my lap, I felt free to pursue the case anyway I pleased. Unfortunately, I didn't get any further than setting the coffee machine on and slathering my toast with butter. Beside me, my phone lay silently on the couch. So far, I counted zero missed calls from Solomon, three from my mom, one from Maddox, and two text messages from Lily, asking me if I solved the case yet. I didn't answer any of them and I was still peeved that Solomon didn't attempt to make any contact. That gave me one very worrying thing to think about: were Solomon and I history?
Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I picked up the disk Herb gave me the day before. The images of Don, standing stationary, while other people moved around the ER kept playing through my mind all night. Something that I couldn't quite put my finger on bothered me. Getting up, I walked over to the DVD player and slid the disk inside before retreating to the kitchen to refresh my coffee. Returning to the couch, I grabbed the remote control and settled in for the dullest few hours of my life as I hit play.
Fast-forwarding to the moment Don stepped into shot, I studied him carefully. I watched him glance at the camera, standing solidly in view for a minute or two before taking a seat. It was almost as if he wanted to make sure he was seen, I thought, making note of it.
After he sat down, all I could see were the jeans on his legs and his sneakers. His feet occasionally moved, and sometimes, there was a hand on his leg. It was tempting to watch at double speed, but I had a feeling I was missing something, something crucial, so I watched even more closely.
Ten minutes after he sat down, there was a commotion and nurses jogged through the ER.
That had to be the bus crash Alice mentioned, the one that caused delays in the patients’ treatments that day. I continued watching Don's feet. At around the fifteen-minute mark, his feet moved out of shot, returning again less than a minute later. Then, for the next two hours, Don's feet shuffled occasionally until they popped out of shot once more, returning to view again a minute later. Finally, he got up, raising his hand and limping forwards. I watched him briefly halt, and turn his head towards the camera before running a hand through his hair. A nurse approached him, sliding his arm over her shoulders and helping him toward the swinging doors.
I clicked off the video and leaned back, still puzzled over what I'd seen.
My eyes brightened. It was so obvious! Why didn't I understand it before?
Jogging upstairs, I undressed quickly. I showered and blew dry my hair before dressing in tight jeans, a striped sweater, and heeled boots. I added the barest hint of makeup. I might have been a novice at freelance PI, but that didn't mean I had to dress like I was down-and-out, by wearing pajamas and feeling sorry for myself.
Before I left the house, I powered up my laptop and swapped the disk from the DVD player, putting it into the laptop's disk drive. I took a screenshot of Don's face as he looked up at the camera and sent it to my home printer. Minutes later, I flew out the door, armed with my photo and a surge of renewed enthusiasm.
I knew how the murder happened! I thought I knew why.
And I thought I knew who the killer was.
All I had to do now was prove it.
~
The hospital was as quiet as it was yesterday; and I had no problem finding Alice. She was standing at the information desk in her scrubs.
"Two visits in two days. I'm either lucky or a possible suspect," she laughed.
"Actually, I hoped I could show my suspect's photo to your colleagues, and see if anybody recognized him."
"Sure, go ahead, but like I said yesterday, all faces blend together after a while."
Alice took me around to her colleagues while it was quiet, and introduced me to her co-workers as her “cool, PI sister-in-law.” It warmed my heart that she thought I was cool; and I was glad word hadn't yet gotten around to her about my precarious job status. Cut it out, I told myself, as I produced the photo one more time. You are a professional. You have been employed to do a job and you're doing it. That makes you a PI and a damn good one.
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