Murder Al Dente

by Nancy Skopin

  She looked around the room, then shouted, “Hey, Murphy!”

  A tall, slender, red headed man in his twenties turned to her. “Yeah?”

  “Hunter here needs a ride.”

  “Where to?” he asked.

  “Alice’s Restaurant. It’s only about a mile away.”

  “No problem.”

  Murphy dropped me off at my car and was on his way back to the compound before I even had my key in the ignition. I started the engine and felt exhaustion hit me like a freight train. I guess the adrenaline had been holding me together. I glanced at my watch. It was after midnight. I knew I needed to get home. Bill thought I was doing a bar and dinner survey in Mountain View, but suddenly I wasn’t sure it was safe for me to drive down a winding road in the dark.

  I turned off the car, got out, and trudged through the rows of motorcycles to Alice’s, hoping they had decent coffee and wishing like hell I had a cigarette.

  CHAPTER 23

  By the time I made it home I was shaking from adrenaline withdrawal, an overdose of caffeine, and exhaustion. Bill was sound asleep, saving me the trouble of explaining where I’d been until almost 1:00 a.m. I figured he’d hear about my involvement in Sky’s rescue through the grapevine eventually, and I’d have to lie about why I didn’t tell him where I was going. No one knew Nina was alive except for me and, apparently, Melinda Tentrees. I wondered if the two of them were in touch, why, and for how long? That was worth looking into.

  At the moment, however, I was content to snuggle up with my lover and my dog and pretend everything would be okay in the morning.

  The bedside alarm went off at 7:00, and I hit the snooze button without opening my eyes. The aroma of coffee made me reconsider going back to sleep, but I was too tired to move. When the alarm sounded again at 7:10, I groaned, turned it off, and forced myself into a sitting position. Buddy was by my side in an instant, licking my face and wagging. My dog loves the smell of morning breath, the little weirdo.

  I struggled to my feet and shuffled into the head to empty my bladder and brush my teeth. A look in the mirror told me I’d fallen asleep without removing my make-up. Raccoon eyes. Lovely. I washed off the rings of mascara and applied eye cream and lip gloss before facing the world.

  Bill was at the galley counter reading the newspaper. He raised an eyebrow in my direction and turned the front page to face me. It was the photo I’d taken of Sky in the cage. I could only assume that Jan had decided to influence the potential jury pool by getting public opinion on her side in case the kidnappers didn’t want to accept a plea deal. It was clever, really, except leaking that photo to the media could damage her career. Now I had yet another detail to keep my mouth shut about.

  “This was your case, wasn’t it?” Bill asked.

  I nodded mutely and reached for my favorite coffee cup. It’s a heavy earthenware mug that says, “Work like a Captain, play like a Pirate,” with a picture of an anchor and crossed swords on the side. Once my cup was filled I planted myself at the galley counter and took the newspaper from Bill. The front-page story was brief, saying only that Sky Solomon, a four–year-old from Palo Alto who had been kidnapped on Tuesday the fifth, was rescued last night in the Woodside Hills. It described the compound and mentioned the fundamentalist organization to which the women who had taken Sky belonged. I finished my coffee and the story at the same time, and when I set the paper down on the table I noticed that Bill was staring at me with his inscrutable cop face.

  “You want more coffee?” I asked.

  “Sure.”

  I grabbed our empty cups and refilled them, adding milk to mine before returning to the table. I handed Bill his mug and sat down.

  “You were there, weren’t you? That’s why you got home so late.”

  “How do you know what time I got home? You were sound asleep.”

  “Stop avoiding the question. Were you there or weren’t you?”

  I sighed. I really hate lying to Bill. We even have a rule about it, but I couldn’t risk him finding out about Nina. Sometimes you just have to massage the truth a little.

  “Yes, I was there.” All he’d have to do is ask Halstaad to find that out.

  “Before the police got there?”

  “Yes.”

  “How did you know where she was being held?”

  “I’m an investigator. I put the clues together. They led me to a woman named Camilla Sutcliffe. I followed her when she got off work one day and she drove to the compound. Last night I scaled the fence and broke in through a garage door. I found Sky in a cage and four women sitting around a table reading Bible verses to her. I pulled my Glock, let Sky out of the cage, put the women in the cage, and called the Detective in charge of her case. End of story.”

  Bill sat perfectly still for a long time, little wisps of steam rising from his coffee. I could tell he didn’t believe I was telling him everything, but at least I hadn’t lied... much.

  I broke the tension by asking if Buddy had had his morning walk.

  “Yes. I walked him and fed him breakfast. What aren’t you telling me, Nikki?”

  This was going to be a sticking point. There was no way around it. Ironically, the first time I’d had a case involving Nina Jezek was also the only time Bill and I had ever split up. Nina had been a civilian employee of the RCPD back then, and I didn’t tell Bill she was a suspect in a murder I was investigating. He didn’t mind so much that I was investigating Nina, though he wasn’t happy about it. What really pissed him off is that I’d lied to him about it. That’s when we established the no secrets rule.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said. “I need to shower and get up to the office.”

  “Nikki. We’re not done talking about this.”

  I didn’t bother to respond. I just took my coffee into the head with me, turned on the shower, and stripped. I finished my coffee and climbed into the stall, letting the warm water wash away the feelings of guilt I always suffered when I kept anything from Bill. To buy time I shampooed and conditioned my hair, shaved my legs, and after toweling off, moisturized everything from my forehead to my toes. I ran my fingers through my hair to get the tangles out and scrunched in some gel. Rewrapping myself in the towel, I gathered up my sleep shirt and opened the door, hoping Bill had already gone to work.

  He wasn’t in the galley, so I set my mug in the sink, turned off the coffee maker, and went into the stateroom. Not there either. I tossed my tee-shirt and towel into the laundry basket and dressed in cargo shorts and a turquoise, short-sleeved shirt. I tied on my cross trainers and hooked Buddy’s leash to his collar.

  We walked around the marina grounds until I was sure Buddy had done all his business, then I took him back down to the docks and let him aboard Kirk’s boat so he could hang out with D’Artagnon while I went to the Palo Alto PD to sign my statement. I stopped in at the office briefly, just to check my voicemail messages, and found one from Robin at the yacht club.

  “I’ve copied that footage you asked for,” was all he said. “Call me back.”

  Short and sweet. At least he’d left a message, although why he hadn’t called my cell phone was a mystery to me. I called him back and he answered on the first ring.

  “The Club at Cooke’s, Robin speaking.”

  “Hey, Robin. It’s Nikki Hunter.”

  “Oh, hi! The PI, right?”

  “That’s me. Sorry I missed you yesterday. So you copied the surveillance video for me?”

  “Just between the hours you said were important.”

  “Did you see anyone down by the guest dock during that time window?”

  “The dock isn’t very well lit, but, yes, you can see someone.”

  “Excellent. I’ll stop by to pick it up as soon as I can. I have a couple of errands to run this morning. What time do you take your lunch break?”

  “Usually around one.”

  “I’m sure I can be there before that. Thank you, Robin.”

  “No problem.”
<
br />   What a sweet guy. I wondered if he’d notified Bill about the cameras on the deck yet. If not, maybe I could use that bit of information to get back into Bill’s good graces.

  I locked up the office again and drove to Palo Alto. The PAPD is located on Forest Avenue. I managed to find a vacant parking space on the street and climbed the steps to the glass fronted building. Before going inside, I took out my cell and called Jan Halstaad. I probably should have called her before making the drive. Luckily, she answered.

  “Halstaad.”

  “Hunter.”

  “Are you coming in today?”

  “I’m here now.”

  “Where here? Here here?”

  “Are you always this eloquent in the morning?”

  “Bite me.”

  “I’m outside the building. I don’t know where your office is.”

  “Are you at the front doors?”

  “Yep.”

  “Stay where you are. I’ll come to you.”

  A few minutes later Jan pushed through the doors. She had a cigarette in her mouth and a lighter in her hand. She lit the smoke, pocketed the lighter, and inhaled deeply before even saying hello. I envied her that first drag. I really miss the relief a good dose of nicotine gives me. After a second puff she held out the pack to me.

  “You want one?”

  They were Virginia Slims. Not my poison. I’d smoked American Spirit Organic cigarettes for years. It was how I rationalized my tobacco habit. Hey, they’re organic. No additives. Still, I was tempted.

  “No thanks,” I said. “I quit.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Which time?”

  She laughed. “We’ve got your statement transcribed. All you have to do is read it and sign it. I haven’t heard from Ms. Solomon this morning. Do you know where I can find her?”

  “She’s staying with a friend. There’s a good chance other members of the Pentecostal Family will come after Sky again.”

  “Why would you think that? I thought it was just crazy Cammie and a few cohorts.”

  Oops. I’d forgotten my own damn story. “You really know how to turn a phrase.” I said. “I didn’t tell you everything last night. Sky’s kind of special.”

  Jan sucked on her cigarette, stubbed it out in a standing ashtray, and said, “Let’s go inside.”

  I followed her down a couple of hallways and, eventually, into her office. She closed the door and pointed to a visitor’s chair. “Have a seat. What kind of special are we talking about?”

  How the hell was I going to answer that question without betraying Jea’s trust?

  “I’d need Jea’s permission to tell you what I know. Let’s just say that Sky’s birth fulfills a prophecy, and that makes her a target.”

  “Whoa. Now I’m really curious.”

  She handed me my statement and I read the whole thing. It had been transcribed verbatim, including interruptions from Jan as I’d told her how I’d rescued Sky. I signed and dated the document and returned it to her.

  “I’ll need to get a formal statement from Sky as well,” she said.

  “I’ll call Jea and remind her.”

  “Thanks. So you’re really gonna leave me hanging?”

  “Sorry. It’s not my story to tell.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Once I was outside the building I called Loretta’s home number rather than Jea’s cell. If Sky and Jea were sleeping in, I didn’t want to wake them.

  Loretta answered on the third ring.

  “Good morning, Nicoli.”

  “Hi, Loretta. Are Jea and Sky still with you?”

  There was a pause, I assumed while she was considering whether telling me they were still there would compromise their safety.

  “Yes,” she finally admitted.

  “Jeez, Loretta. I’m not the enemy. I’m the one who rescued that little girl, remember?”

  “Of course I remember, and thank you for that.”

  “No sweat. How’s Sky doing?”

  “She’s remarkably resilient. Exhausted, of course, as is Jea.”

  “I’d like to stop by and talk with them.”

  Loretta covered the mouth piece and I heard mumbling in the background, then Jea came on the line.

  “Hi, Nikki. I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for us.”

  “No thanks necessary. Did Loretta tell you I’d like to stop by?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is that okay with you?”

  “Yes, but I don’t want to interfere with Loretta’s business. Can you come around to the back of the house?”

  “Sure.”

  “What time will you be here?”

  I checked my watch. I needed to get that DVD from Robin.

  “Around eleven, if that’s okay with you.”

  “That’s fine. We’ll be in the backyard.”

  “Great. Oh, and Detective Halstaad asked me to remind you that she needs a formal statement from Sky.”

  “I’ll give her a call.”

  We disconnected, and I climbed into the Bimmer and sped all the way back to Redwood City. I’d been hoping to hear from Nina. I was convinced that Jea and Sky needed the kind of help only someone with her expertise could offer.

  I pulled into the Cooke’s Harbor parking lot at 10:15. Shut off the engine, and hoofed it up the steps to the yacht club. Robin was in his office, on the phone and typing on his laptop simultaneously. I knocked lightly on his open door and he pointed to his visitor’s chair. I planted myself in the comfy chair and looked around his office while he finished his call.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, after hanging up. He opened a drawer and withdrew a jewel case with a DVD in it. “I hope this helps. The focus is good but the light’s a bit dim.”

  “I’m sure it will help,” I said, and pulled five more twenties out of my wallet. Yes, I carry that much cash, and this is why.

  Robin accepted the money and tucked it into his pocket.

  “Have you notified Detective Anderson about those cameras yet?” I asked.

  “No. I guess I should probably make a copy for him too.”

  “That’s okay. He’s a friend of mine. I’ll just copy my disk for him.”

  “Really? You two know each other?”

  “I know a lot of cops,” I said, and smiled at the surprised look on Robin’s face. “Interfacing with law enforcement is part of my job.”

  “Oh. Of course it is. Duh.” He slapped himself on the forehead. Cute.

  “Thanks again, Robin. I’ll let you get back to work.”

  I rose to leave and Robin stood as well, walking with me to the door and then following me out into the club. “I don’t suppose you’d like to get a drink or a cup of coffee some time?”

  Sweet and cute, and at least ten years younger than I was.

  “I’m actually involved with someone,” I said. “But I appreciate the offer.”

  Robin blushed and nodded, and I stepped outside, hoping to spare him any further embarrassment. He really was a cute kid, but I was happy with Bill.

  When I arrived at Loretta’s house Nina still hadn’t called. I was early, so I parked on the street and called the number I’d saved on my cell when Nina had called me yesterday. I got a recording saying that number was no longer in service. God damn it, Nina!

  I called Melinda Tentrees, and when she picked up, I said, “It’s Nikki. I need another call from our mutual friend. The sooner the better. Will you let her know?”

  Melinda said, “As you wish,” and disconnected.

  You’d think the fact that I’d kept Nina’s secret this long would buy me some trust points, but if I were in her place, I suppose I’d be equally paranoid. She was, after all, wanted for murdering twenty-six sexual predators.

  I climbed out of my car and circled around to the back of Loretta’s cottage. I found Jea seated in a lawn chair and Sky sitting on the ground, stroking the grass as if it were a kitten. Her eyes were closed and, other than petting the blades of grass, she
was quite still. I wondered if I was interrupting the four-year-old’s meditation. I turned to Jea, who smiled and patted the chair next to her.

  I sat quietly for a moment. We needed to talk about their situation and Sky’s safety. I just wasn’t sure how to approach the subject of Nina.

  “Jea,” I began, “I have a friend who has perfected the art of disappearing. She’s a child safety advocate.” That was not stretching the truth about Nina. Not even a little bit. “She’s also the person who helped me get into that compound to rescue Sky last night.”

  I knew Jea was listening to me, but her focus remained on her daughter.

  “I’ve asked her to help you and Sky,” I continued. “I think that group is likely to come after her again.”

  Jea finally made eye contact with me and I was amazed at how calm she appeared to be. If I had a daughter and she’d been kidnapped, kept in a cage by religious fanatics, and finally rescued just last night, I think I’d either need a fifth of Scotch or a shitload of Valium.

  “I know,” she said. “You’re right. We’ll need help to become invisible. But I don’t have enough money to pay for new identities.”

  I had a substantial amount in savings and this was an emergency. I said, “Let me do this for you. I have some money put away, and it will give me peace of mind to know you two are safe.”

  A tear slid down Jea’s face as she reached for my hand. “You’re incredibly kind,” she whispered.

  “Um, no, I’m really not. I’m only thinking of myself. I’ll never get another good night’s sleep if you two aren’t protected from those lunatics.”

  My cell chose that moment to vibrate. I checked the screen and saw “caller unknown.” Had to be Nina.

  “Hunter Investigations,” I answered.

  “You alone?”

  Yep. It was Nina all right.

  “No. I’m with Jea and Sky. Can you help them? I’ll pay for whatever they need to get re-established somewhere safe with new identities.”

  “You’re talking about a disappearing act that will include not only new identities, but also changing their appearance completely, possibly removing finger prints if Jea’s ever been printed, and never contacting family or friends again. Are you sure Jea’s up to that?”