by Maria Pease
“We never should have done that.”
“Why?”
“It was impulsive. I shouldn’t have let you do anything like that. It was irresponsible of me.”
“Sam, you sound like Frank.”
“I guess I do, but what we did was really dangerous.”
“Just for the record, it was a total blast!”
I tried to hide the grin I felt coming on and looked out the window. As I thought about what we’d done, I realized that we may have saved that guy’s life. After all, those had been some big boys, and they’d clearly outnumbered him. If they’d all decided to get involved, I had no doubt they would’ve beaten him to death.
Trying to wrap my head around what had taken place, I replayed the day’s events in my mind. I still couldn’t reconcile that the text message guy had gone to Wally’s and had later met up with Chanel Pinkay in that parking lot. I wasn’t sure what the connection was, but it was becoming clear that there was, in fact, a connection.
Chapter 27
I arrived home in time to get a hot shower and wash the smell of that big buffoon off me before my dinner date with Jake, Cookie and Hector. I wasn’t sure where we’d be having dinner, so I decided to play it safe and pulled out my red dress and black pumps. As I put the finishing touches on my make-up and spritzed on some perfume, I tried to organize the information I had so far. There were so many bits and pieces, and none were forming a solid picture.
I put it out of my mind and poured a cold glass of Chardonnay, turned on James Taylor’s greatest hits and waited for Jake. I knew the best thing for me to do was to let it go for the night. I needed a break.
Jake arrived right on time, looking amazing in his black dress pants, white shirt, and jacket, and I was glad I dressed up. He opened the door and I took in his cologne.
“You look amazing,” he said, starting the engine.
“You look pretty good yourself.”
We drove down Margarita, turned right on Rancho California Road, and headed into wine country, pulling into the South Coast Winery parking lot. There was a chill in the air, and I was glad I’d grabbed my coat. As we walked up the path, Jake put his arm around my waist, holding me tight. The night was clear and crisp, the trees were lit with small white twinkle lights, and music played in the background.
The hostess informed us we were first in our party to arrive and pointed us to the wine bar to wait. Hector and Cookie arrived before we’d had an opportunity to order and we were taken to a booth near the window where we ordered wine and appetizers. The guys talked about old times and old cases as I half-listened. My mind drifted back to the casino and the image of Chanel Pinkay leaning into the window of that old Mustang. I was curious what she’d given him and wondered if it could be the reason he’d been beaten to a pulp.
“Sam,” Jake said, nudging me. “Have you decided?”
“What?” I realized they were all waiting for me to order. “Sorry. Can I have a minute?” I scanned the menu while the guys ordered, and by the time she came back around, I’d decided on the prime rib.
“Where are you tonight, Sam?” Cookie asked.
“I’m sorry. I’ve got two cases that I thought were unrelated but then witnessed an exchange between the players. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on.”
“Fill us in. Maybe a fresh perspective will help to shed some new light on the situation.”
I knew he was right, but I really needed some distance, and as I was about to say so, Jake chimed in.
“I think Sam needs to take a break from her cases, even if it’s only for a few hours.”
“Absolutely!” Cookie raised his glass. “To good friends, good food, and of course, good wine.”
The night turned out to be just what I needed. The dim lighting, background music, an amazing dinner, and interesting company was good for me. I was able to relax as I listened to the stories of their childhoods, growing up in their respective neighborhoods and how they’d chosen their careers. The conversation was light and fun and hearing all the stories was comforting.
I also discovered a few things I’d never known. Jake had been in ROTC in high school and had spiked the punch at his prom. Cookie had considered becoming a chef, and Hector had a secret life as a musician.
It was after 11:00 PM when we finished our last sip of wine and headed out. The cold breeze was a shock, and after a quick goodbye, Jake and I headed back to my place.
I don’t know if it was the relaxing conservation or the wine, but I was feeling pretty good. I gazed at Jake as he drove and noticed the sexy smile on his face. He moved his hand to my thigh, slowly and deliberately moving it between my legs and upward. His warm hand caressed my inner thigh and my heartbeat quickened. I closed my eyes in anticipation of what was to come, but quickly realized he’d stopped his hand just inches from the holy grail. I looked at him, but said nothing, as he seemed to be trying hard to focus on the road.
He parked in front of my house, jumped out and rushed toward my front door, stopping halfway up the walkway when he realized he’d forgotten me.
Smiling, I joined him and fumbled for the keys. Opening the door, we just about fell inside as we ripped each other’s clothes off before we’d even closed the door. Our intent was to go upstairs, but we never made it. Thank goodness for extra thick carpet padding.
I sat up, disoriented and feeling like my head might explode indicating I had had too much wine. Jake was asleep on my couch in his underwear, which is more than I had on. I went upstairs and headed for the shower, hoping it would help me to clear my head. I found the Advil and poured two into my hand, then added another. The way I was feeling, I knew I’d need it. I stepped into the hot shower, letting the water stream over my head. Although the sex had been amazing, I was regretting all the wine I’d consumed.
Standing under the water, my thoughts drifted through the events in my cases, like mini-flashbacks. I was unusually distant which wasn’t like me, but it gave me the opportunity to observe the events without emotion. As I watched, I noticed details I hadn’t recognized before and felt like a breakthrough was on the horizon. I needed to keep watching, but as that thought entered my mind, the picture blurred and then disappeared.
I turned off the water, thankful I was feeling a little better. A few cups of coffee and I’d be as good as new. I headed downstairs and found Jake standing in the kitchen in his dress pants, making breakfast as the coffee brewed.
“Good morning, handsome.” I moved to him, wrapping my arms around him as he scrambled the eggs.
“Good morning, beautiful. I hope you’re hungry.”
“I am. What are we having?” I poured two cups of coffee.
“Scrambled eggs, crisp bacon, hash browns and cinnamon toast.”
“Mmm, sounds delicious!”
“Not as delicious as you were last night.” He sent me a wink.
“Well, you were pretty amazing yourself.”
I handed Jake his coffee and took out plates and silverware. As I set the table, Jake brought over the platter. With every bite, I felt a bit better. By the time I’d finished my second cup of coffee, I was ready to start the day.
Jake grabbed a quick shower and headed out while I called the office to let Frank know I was going to check on a few things before heading in. I cleaned up the dishes then took out my notes, adding all the details I’d remembered. I packed my bag, snatched a water bottle from the fridge and headed to the Jeep. The engine roared and a light flashed, reminding me I needed to fill my tank.
The day was crisp, and I was glad I’d worn my new cream blazer with my jeans and boots. I pulled into the Mobile station on the corner of Ynez and Rancho California and as I pumped gas, watched little kids feed the ducks in the pond across the street. I couldn’t help laughing when one persistent duck followed a little boy as he ran up the hill to his mother, who had to pick him up.
I collected my receipt and turned to see a limo pull up on the other side. The back window went down and I instinctively looked i
nside. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Chanel Pinkay and the mystery man.
The driver got out and headed inside while my heart raced. A car pulled up behind me, and since there was no way I was leaving with that limo sitting there, I pretended to pump gas. When the driver came back, he handed a bag and two cups into the window.
I followed as the limo pulled out and dialed Frank. “I’m following Chanel Pinkay and the mystery man, I’ll keep you posted.” I hung up and focused on the sleek black car ahead of me.
The limo took a left onto Rancho California Road and headed into wine country, pulling into the Europa Village Winery. Chanel and the mystery man got out and went inside. Really? Wine tasting this early? The driver pulled away and parked while I pulled into a spot where I had a view of the limo and entrance. I dialed Alana and left a message.
Fifteen minutes had passed when they walked out, a case of wine in hand. The limo driver pulled up and put the box into the trunk. He opened the door for Chanel then headed down Rancho California Road to Cabrillo Road and disappeared behind the gate.
I pulled over and watched as Chanel exited the limo and moved inside the main house alone. I was about to leave when the gate opened, and the mystery man pulled up in a black Jaguar. He whizzed out and I trailed him as he made his way to the hospital.
He disappeared into a room at the end of the hall and I followed, watching out for hospital personnel. As I waited outside, a startled voice rang out. “Montgomery!”
My heart skipped a beat and my thoughts darted to Melody. Holy shit! The mystery man must be Montgomery!
When I heard a thump, I stepped back, and seconds later, the door swung open and he raced toward the exit. I watched him go, my head spinning. I inched to the door and peered inside. The man on the bed was swollen and covered in bandages, making him impossible to identify. His eyes were closed and I took the opportunity to take inventory of all his wounds.
I pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.
His breathing was shallow and he winced as he moved his hand to his face. One eye opened and fixed on me.
I smiled but said nothing.
He opened the other eye and tried to focus. “Who are you?” I recognized his accent Australian.
“I’m the one who called 911 at the Lake Elsinore Casino. What’s your name?”
“How did you find me? Why are you here?”
“I was worried about you. Those guys really did a number on your face.”
He closed his eyes and whispered, “Yeah.”
I heard footsteps moving towards us. I knew I had to get his name before I was evicted. “Please, just tell me your name.” I urged.
He opened an eye and looked at me. “Archie. Archie Magnall.”
A tall nurse in pink scrubs entered the room.
I jotted down his name.
“Time to go. My patient needs rest.”
Nodding, I got up and moved to the door, hesitating as I glanced back at him, wondering how he fit into all this.
Chapter 28
I made my way back to the Jeep trying to wrap my head around what I had seen. In a crazy turn of events, I’d just identified the mystery man as Montgomery and the text message guy as Archie Magnall. I wondered what their roles were in this mess and decided to get to the office to see what I could find out.
I strode through the door and went directly to my computer. I felt eyes on me and turned to see Frank staring at me. “Oh, hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“I was going to ask you the same thing. Are you going to fill me in?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course.”
“You were following the limo and …”
“Yeah, oh sorry. I followed the limo to the house on Cabrillo and Chanel and the mystery man got out. She went into the house and he got in the Jaguar, so I tailed him to the hospital. I followed him to a room and the patient called him Montgomery!”
“The mystery man is Montgomery?”
“I guess so, but that’s not even the best part. When Montgomery left– rather quickly, I might add– I went inside the room and guess who it was?”
“Geez, Sam. Get on with it!”
“Okay, okay. It was the text message guy! The one who’s been driving Heather Newman’s Mustang.”
“What?”
“I know! How crazy is that?”
“I think I’m out of the loop, Sam.”
I realized I hadn’t told Frank about following the text message guy to the casino, or that Alana and I had gotten carried away and had jumped on a couple of those big bruisers. Crap! “Where’s Alana?”
“Sam.”
“What? I haven’t heard from her. She could be in trouble.”
“She has some big project she’s working on. She’s going to check in later.”
I was thinking about how to explain it all so it wouldn’t sound so bad when I heard his tapping pen on the desk. I was relieved Alana wasn’t around so when I bent the truth a bit, she wouldn’t be offended.
“I’m waiting …”
“Okay. We followed the text message guy to the Lake Elsinore Casino and watched as Chanel Pinkay walked up to his car and gave him something through the window. She left and he got out of the car and headed toward the casino entrance when this gang of guys approached him and out of nowhere, started beating on him. I had Alana call 911 while I went to help.”
“I’m afraid to ask, but how exactly did you help?”
“Well … um … does it really matter, Frank?”
“Oh, shit, Sam! Am I going to have to explain all this to the Captain?”
“No! It was no big deal. The point is the guy in the hospital is the text message guy and I talked to him and got his name.”
“Wait. You talked to him?”
“All I could get was his name. The nurse made me leave before I could ask him any questions. I’m going back though.”
“Okay. So, what’s his name?”
“Archie Magnall. He’s Australian.”
“Let’s find out if Heather Newman’s dad recognizes the name.”
“I will. I was going to do a background check, too. I’d like to know what I’m dealing with.”
“Keep me posted. And Sam, try to stay out of trouble.”
I moved back to my desk, logged on to our database and entered his name. As I waited, I dialed Alana. “Hey, when are you coming in? I’ve got some important information.”
She explained she was just finishing up with her group and would head in within the hour, requesting I wait for her so she wouldn’t have to chase me down.
“Okay. I have some work to do here, anyway.”
When the search finished, I wondered why there were no results. To cover my bases, I checked another database and waited for those results. When our best data sources came up empty, I checked a third. I sat back in my chair and stared at the screen.
“Frank, I’m not coming up with anything.”
“Nothing?”
“Zero.”
“You said he’s Australian. Maybe he’s just not in our system.”
“Where should I look?”
“Give me a few minutes. Let me see what I can find out,” Frank said.
While Frank looked through some files, I went online to check out Facebook. I searched for Archie Magnall and again found nothing.
It wasn’t long before Alana rushed through the door, holding her stomach and breathing heavily. After a minute, she looked up. “Hey.”
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“Yeah. I just wanted to get here as fast as I could.”
“Did you run all the way from class?” Frank asked.
“There weren’t any spaces in the lot, so I parked by the trolley station. What did I miss?”
I filled Alana in on seeing Chanel Pinkay’s limo at the gas station and my visit to the hospital.
“You talked to the text message guy?”
“Ye
ah. I want to go back to see what else I can find out. He’s Australian and we haven’t been able to find anything on him in our system. He doesn’t look so good. I’d like to know why those guys targeted him if, in fact, that’s what happened. It certainly didn’t seem random to me.”
Alana was about to sit down when I grabbed my files and stashed them in my bag. One look at me and she started for the door.
“We’ll check in with you later, Frank.”
The hospital parking lot was full. I took that as a sign that visitors were allowed. We headed inside and moved down the hall to find the door closed. I put my ear up to the door and listened. It was quiet, so I slowly turned the knob and peeked inside.
Archie Magnall looked like he had when I’d left him.
I didn’t want to waste time, so I pushed the door open and we disappeared inside. We stood by the bed and watched as he slept.
His face looked even more swollen and bruised and the cuts on his lips looked deep. Small drops of blood oozed onto the pillow.
I reached over and gently touched Archie’s arm. He didn’t wake, so I took his hand and squeezed it. He still didn’t respond. I decided he must be on some strong medication, so I squeezed a bit harder.
He turned his head and attempted to open his eyes.
“Archie, can I talk to you?”
Alana looked at me like I’d lost my mind, but I didn’t care. I had to find out what the hell was going on and I was willing to do whatever necessary to get some answers. I gently slapped Archie’s face several times and again he opened his eyes. “Hey, are you awake?”
“Sam, I don’t think he’s in any shape to give us information.”
I knew she was right. I took a quick look around for any personal items. No luck. I snapped a few photos of him. “Okay. Let’s go.”
We were about to pull the door open when I heard voices outside. I looked at Alana and pointed to the bathroom. I pulled the curtain across to block off the view as footsteps moved into the room. I saw designer high heels step up to the bed.
“What the hell did those idiots do to him?” the female voice asked. “I specifically told them to give him a warning, not to beat him to a pulp.”