Murder After Midnight: Northwest Cozy Mystery Series

by Harman, Dianne

  Jake headed in the direction of the beach with Yukon, the wind rising, as the Chief told him DeeDee’s version of what happened after everyone had left the party.

  “She was rearranging the food in her car and saw someone running out from the back yard,” Dan relayed in a serious tone. He went on to tell Jake about the note DeeDee had found under her windshield wiper earlier that morning. “I’m concerned that the person who wrote it is the same person who murdered Dana Donnelly,” Dan said. “The person might try to do something to DeeDee if they think that she can identify him or her.”

  Jake didn’t need to hear him say it, since he was thinking the exact same thing himself. His heart was pounding as he strode across the sand, Yukon outpacing him. “Chief, thanks for letting me know about this. Would you please keep me posted on any developments? It’s just…I wouldn’t like anything bad to happen to DeeDee.”

  “No problem, Jake. I’ve got another call on the line, so I have to go, but I’ll let you know whatever I find out.”

  He felt the first heavy drops of rain splash on his head. “Chief, it’s good to know you’re looking out for her. I appreciate it. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Jake whistled for Yukon to follow him, and he turned back towards his house. The firewood needed covering, but that wasn’t what was worrying him. By the time he reached the house, every fiber in his body wanted to jump in his jeep and race over to DeeDee’s place to make sure she was safe. Instead, he forced himself to lift the crate and carry it over to the wood pile. Neatly stacking the freshly cut firewood, he spread a heavy black tarpaulin over the pile of wood, and headed through the patio doors just in time to escape the downpour.

  Inside, he stared at the phone for a long time. His attempts to push DeeDee out of his mind for the last few days had been completely erased as soon as Chief Hewson mentioned her name, and he found himself torn about what to do next. All he wanted to do was go and find her, and keep her out of harm’s way. How he could resist the temptation to take her in his arms and hold her again if he saw her, he’d never know. But DeeDee had made it very clear he was no longer welcome in her life. The blow to his pride was something he could overlook if he thought there was any chance of a reconciliation, but the way they’d left things, he wasn’t holding his breath.

  The phone rang again while he was looking at it, and this time his glasses were within reach. Seeing the familiar name on the screen, he took the call.

  “Hi, Roz,” he said, hoping the strain was not evident in his voice. “How’s the bride?”

  From the sound of things, Roz’s mood matched his own. “She was a lot better until she talked to her sister. Are you aware of what’s happened to DeeDee? I’m so worried.”

  “You’re not the only one.” Jake raked a hand through his hair. “Police Chief Hewson knew that DeeDee and I were involved, and I just got off the phone with him. He told me about the threat to DeeDee’s life.”

  “Jake, I’m freaking out over here.” Roz’s voice was breaking. “I know you and DeeDee had words, but most people who are seeing each other have differences of opinion at some point. I don’t know the details, but I’m the first one to admit my sister has a stubborn streak. She doesn’t like to apologize or say she was wrong about something, but this is really bigger than that. Is there anything at all you can do to help?”

  Jake’s chest tightened at Roz’s impassioned plea. “Roz, she made it perfectly clear to me that she and I are through, over, kaput. Even if I offered to help her, she wouldn’t accept it. You know that, don’t you?”

  “You’re probably right,” Roz conceded. “What are we going to do? Do you have any suggestions?”

  “I’ve been sitting here racking my brain thinking about how I can help, without her knowing I’m doing it,” Jake said. “If the killer thinks DeeDee can identify him or her, sooner or later that person is going to make a move.”

  “Oh, Jake.” Roz exhaled loudly. “Can I take it from that you still care for her?”

  Jake rubbed his unshaven chin. “Roz, I don’t just care for her, I love her with every ounce of my being. She hasn’t left my thoughts since I last saw her five days ago, no matter how hard I’ve tried to distract myself. If anyone so much as touches a hair on DeeDee’s head, believe me, they won’t live to regret it. As a matter of fact, I had something special to ask her on New Year’s Eve, but obviously, that didn’t happen.”

  “Oh, Jake, I’m so sorry. I wish I could help by talking some sense into her.”

  “I wish you could too, but some things just are what they are. The most important thing right now is that we keep her safe. Short of me standing guard outside her house, I don’t see how that’s going to happen. I have a feeling she might notice.”

  “I do have one idea,” Roz said, with some uncertainty. “But I’m not sure how she would take it. You know Clark is going to inherit a boatload of money in a few weeks, right? I was thinking maybe we should hire a bodyguard for DeeDee. The cost isn’t an issue. What would you think of that?”

  Jake shook his head. He reached down and stroked Yukon, who had left a trail of wet sandy paw prints on the living room floor. “I don’t think it would work. Your sister, as you know better than I do, is very private. A bodyguard would have to live in the house with her, and I just don’t see her agreeing to that, do you?”

  Roz sighed. “No, you’re right. I don’t.” She was quiet for a few moments before speaking up again. “Jake, I know you wrote Al De Duco about what happened to Clark and everything, after you discovered that Francesca was dead. Do you have his telephone number?”

  It was Jake’s turn to be quiet. The possibilities of what Roz was implying appealed to him. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, Roz?” he asked.

  “Yes.” Roz’s speech quickened. “If we can somehow get Al out here to Seattle, I think it would work. DeeDee really liked him. Plus, she’d let him stay in the house because she knows him.”

  “I think you could be on to something here,” Jake agreed. “I guess there’s no harm in asking him. He can only say no.”

  “You and I both know if he guarded Clark’s Uncle Vinny for forty years because of all the Mob stuff he was involved in, Al would be a natural to watch over DeeDee until the killer is caught.” Roz paused for a second. “Matter of fact, he could help you do that.”

  “Hey, wait a minute,” Jake said in protest. “I never said I was going to get involved.”

  “You didn’t need to, Jake, I just knew you would. Let me know what Al says. ”

  Roz ended the call, the faint tinkle of her laughter causing Jake to smile for the first time in days.

  CHAPTER 8

  Al De Duco lazed in a folding camping chair at the end of the wooden dock, and adjusted his hat to shield his eyes from the afternoon sun. His view of the turquoise crystal-clear water of the Caribbean Sea for miles ahead was broken only by a cruise ship on the horizon, heading toward the busy port of Georgetown, some distance farther up the coast. Al was alone except for Red, his handsome Doberman pinscher, who stood at attention behind him and circled Al’s chair once in a while.

  “Red, you gotta quit starin’ into the water over the edge like that,” Al said, smacking a fly that had landed on his leg with a loud slap. He flicked the mushy dead insect off his skin and turned to Red. “I tol’ ya, yer’ scarin’ the fish.”

  Al gave his fishing pole a hopeful tug for the umpteenth time that day, only to find the line was completely slack. “Maybe it needs more bait,” Al muttered, reeling in the line. Reaching down to a battered tobacco tin that lay by his feet, he opened it and reached inside, his beefy fingers grabbing several clams he’d previously removed from their shells. There was a squish as he pressed them onto the hook attached to the end of the line, and then he cast it back into the water.

  Red growled, and Al turned to see a local boy watching them from the far end of the dock. “C’mere kid,” he shouted to the child, and waved his arm for him to come forward. When th
e boy approached him, Al saw he wasn’t more than six or seven years old, with a smile that showed that several of his baby teeth were missing. He stopped a few feet away from Red, who was standing guard in front of Al.

  “Ya’ know how to fish, son?” Al asked him.

  “Sure,” the boy said, “but this isn’t a good place to fish. You need to come on my dad’s boat, then we can show you how to really catch fish.”

  “Might be a good idea,” Al said, considering the offer. “What’s the boat called?”

  “The Bob Marley, sir,” said the boy, taking a brave step closer.

  “Right,” Al said, with a laugh. “Are you sure fish are the only thing your old man carries on his boat?”

  “Maybe…maybe not,” the boy said with a shrug and a wink.

  “You’re a smart little guy,” Al said. “Tell ya’ what, when I’m ready to go fishin’ on yer’ boat, I’ll come and find ya’, how does that sound? For now, I like keepin’ my feet on solid ground.” He felt a tug on his fishing pole, and almost fell out of his seat with excitement. “Hang on, I think I got a big ‘un.”

  Al focused all his attention in reeling in the fish. He wasn’t going to lose it now, not after all the time he’d invested in getting it on the line. When a fish no bigger than his hand popped out of the water, Al swung it up and onto the dock. Al puffed up with pride. Standing, he dangled the fish in the air while snapping a selfie with his phone. When he was finished he released the fish back into the water.

  It was the boy’s turn to laugh. “Next time, maybe a blue marlin, mister. Is that your car over there?” He nodded his head in the direction of Al’s silver Ferrari California T convertible, which was parked near the end of the dock .

  Al grinned. “Yeah.” His phone started to ring, and the boy waved goodbye and sauntered back down the dock, where he stopped beside Al’s car and took a selfie of his own before wandering off. Al watched him with a smile before swiping the screen of his phone.

  “Yo,” Al said as he settled back into the chair, trying to decide whether he should cast his line out again, or pack it up for the day. He could come back again tomorrow, and all the days after that. After all, he was retired now, and he could do whatever he wanted to do.

  “Hi, Al, it’s Jake Rogers.”

  “Hey Jake. Howya’ doin’? Didn’t expect to be hearin’ from ya’ this soon. Must mean ya’ got a problem.”

  “Yeah, you could say that,” Jake began.

  “Guess ya’ better tell ol’ Al all about it.” Al hoped nothing had happened to Clark and Roz. He’d recently helped them out while Clark had been a suspect when Clark’s Uncle Vinny, Al’s former boss, had been murdered. “Everythin’ okay with the newlyweds? And how’s DeeDee?”

  “Roz and Clark are fine,” Jake assured Al. “But DeeDee and I aren’t seeing each other anymore. Long story short, this call is about her, though.”

  Al listened while Jake relayed the story of Dana’s murder, culminating with the note DeeDee had found on her windshield that morning. When Jake was done, Al sat quietly for a few moments before he spoke. From what little he knew of Jake and DeeDee, he liked them both. Jake was a straight-down-the-line type of man, and whatever had gone down with Jake and DeeDee, Al sensed the guy was still crazy about her. His boss Vinny had also had a thing for DeeDee before he died, and Al’s loyalty to Vinny was unwavering, even after his death. He knew Vinny would want him to do the right thing .

  “Sorry to hear all that. Don’t sound good for DeeDee. Sounds like ya’ don’t wanna ask, but ya’ need my help.”

  “I’m really worried about DeeDee’s safety,” Jake said. “Roz is the one who suggested I call you. I know DeeDee wouldn’t let me help her at the moment, even if she’d talk to me, which I rather doubt. Is there anything you can do, Al? I know it’s a lot to ask since you’ve just retired and started a new life, but I don’t know where else to turn.”

  “Don’t ya’ worry ‘bout that. Fishin’ all day long ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. Guy like me needs a bit of excitement in his life. What say I come back and help y’all sort this little problem out? Tell ya’ the truth, I’d be happy to do just that.”

  Al heard Jake exhale. “That would be awesome, Al, thank you. Thing is, I know you couldn’t make it here until tomorrow at the earliest, but hopefully the killer won’t make another move before you get here.”

  “Don’t bet on it,” Al said, his brain clicking into gear. “Way I see it, tomorrow’s too late. Lemme make a coupla’ calls, and I’ll get back to ya’.”

  Ending the call, he began to whistle as he packed up his fishing gear and folding chair. He carried them back to the car, where he was just able to squeeze everything into its tiny trunk. With Red riding shotgun, Al sped back toward his beachside villa, where he sprang into action. Adrenalin pumping through his veins, Al packed a small bag, made a few calls, and wrote a note for his housekeeper.

  Dear Marta,

  Take a few days off. Will you let the swimming teacher know I can’t make this week’s lesson?

  See you soon.

  Gone fishing,

  A l

  Al had mixed feelings about missing his swimming lesson. Part of him was glad to have an excuse to skip being in the water, which was just about the only thing in the world he feared. The other part of him knew at some point, he was going to have to face up to it once and for all. Then he could take a trip on The Bob Marley and catch a whopper. He vowed to himself to rectify the situation when he returned. Before then, it looked like he had work to do.

  Thirty minutes later, he pressed Jake’s number.

  “That was fast, Al,” Jake said. “What did you find out?”

  Al looked out the living room window, where Red was standing guard in the gated driveway. “Some things ya’ don’t need to know ‘bout. Let’s just say I still know some people, and one of ‘em is flyin’ me and Red to Seattle. The plane takes off in an hour. It’s a private jet, so I’ll be there tonight.”

  Al saw a town car pull up outside the gates. A chauffeur climbed out and pressed some buttons on the keypad. As the gates glided open and the car pulled in, Al lifted his bag and walked to the front door. “Here’s my schedule. I have someone pickin’ me up at the airport and someone else takin’ me by boat to Bainbridge Island. Another friend has arranged to drive me to DeeDee’s house when I get to the island. I’ll use her SUV while I’m there. Don’t know what’s ahead, but don’t want no one rememberin’ me from the ferry or a rental car. Never like to leave a trail.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that,” Jake said, “but you’re right. What can I do?”

  “Fer now, nothin’.” Al walked out of his house and closed the door behind him with a loud bang. Climbing into the car with Red, he nodded at the driver before continuing the conversation. “When I get to the island and have a chance to talk to DeeDee, you and I probably need to decide what needs to be done about her situation.”

  “Agreed,” Jake said. “But won’t DeeDee flip out when you arrive at her place? She’s not expecting you. ”

  “Don’tcha worry ‘bout that. I just called DeeDee and tol’ her a little bird said she had a problem, and I’d be stayin’ with her until the problem was gone. Course she said she didn’t need me, but I tol’ her Vinny sent me a message from above that I had to come, and that was that. She gave me her address. I’ll call ya’ tomorrow.”

  “I’m impressed, Al. I don’t know how I can ever repay you for this, but I want you to know how much it means to me, and to Roz.” The relief was clear in Jake’s voice. “I’d better call Roz now and let her know her sister will be in good hands in a few hours.”

  As the car drove away from Al’s place and the gates closed behind them, Al pressed a button on his mobile phone alerting his security company he was going out of town. Round-the-clock surveillance would ensure that only his authorized staff would gain entry while he was away.

  “Jake, these hands only missed once. That was the night Vinny was murdere
d, and trust me, they’ll never miss again.” Al was glad his sunglasses covered the tears that threatened to seep from his wrinkled eyes.

  “Al, that’s something I don’t doubt. I’ll call Roz and let her know you’re coming. Have a safe trip.”

  CHAPTER 9

  DeeDee kept peering around the curtains in anticipation of Al’s arrival. She’d left the garage door open like he’d instructed her to do, so that the person who drove him to her home could let him off in the garage without alerting anyone he was staying in her home. If someone approached the house, she wanted to see for herself that it was Al. The darker the night became, the more her anxiety increased.

  “DeeDee, you’re making me nervous standing there. Won’t you come and sit over here? I’ve made us some tea, and I found a carrot cake in the pantry.”

  DeeDee turned to where her friend, Cassie Roberts, had put a tray of refreshments on the low coffee table in the great room. The carrot cake she’d frosted the day before was calling to her, and she walked over to the sofa while Cassie poured the tea.

  “From what you’ve told me,” Cassie went on, handing her a cup, “Al is quite capable of getting here in one piece. In fact, I can’t wait to meet him. You’ve painted quite a colorful picture of him.”

  “Believe me, he’s really something,” DeeDee said, the sweet milky tea soothing her nerves. The sugar that Cassie had added to the drink wasn’t how she usually drank it, but her friend knew that in times of crisis, DeeDee needed a sugar hit. This was definitely one of those times .

  “Thanks for coming over today,” DeeDee said to Cassie. “If I’d been by myself the whole time, Balto and I would be climbing the walls by now. Roz offered, but she and Clark are just back from their honeymoon. Plus, she’s so hyperactive she would have made me even more jittery. Just being able to get out and take a walk on the beach with you and Balto was a big help.”

  Cassie gave DeeDee a reassuring smile. “I’d be here in a heartbeat, you know that. I’m so glad you asked. It gets lonely for me in that big house without Johnny. The kids stop by from time to time, but you know how it is. It’s just not the same.”