Bouquet of Lies

by Smith, Roberta

  “I told you. She’s asleep. I had to give her a sedative.”

  Nerves soured Lacey’s stomach. He’d given her a sedative. He was in such a position of power. He could give Darla anything he wanted and she couldn’t stop him. She turned her back and as she walked toward the stairs she heard Randy go out the back door.

  She rushed to Darla’s room and from the window saw Jake cleaning his bike. Randy exchanged words with him, then hopped into his car and sped off.

  Lacey looked at her sister and sat down on the bed.

  “Darla?”

  She didn’t stir.

  Lacey squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh, baby.” She sighed before she scooped her into her arms and scooted against the headboard. She kissed the top of Darla’s head. “I love you so much. How did Randy ever get you to stop believing that?” She kissed her again. “This is a nightmare. One big freakin’ scream fest and I can’t magically shake us awake.”

  She stroked Darla’s hair and was quiet for a moment.

  “Wake up, baby. Wake up. I need to talk to you.”

  Darla didn’t stir.

  “You were right from the very start. Mom’s alive. You saw her and you weren’t afraid to say so, but I was. See. You’re the brave one.” She hugged her tighter. “I should have backed you up. If I had, things would be different. But I didn’t and everything’s all screwed up.”

  Lacey’s eyes threatened tears. She wiped them. “You’re stuck with me. No matter who’s been saying what, I love you. We’re in this together. We’re sisters.” Lacey smiled. “Actually, more than sisters. But I won’t go into that.”

  She began to rock back and forth. “I know you’re asleep, but can you hear me, Darla? Remember when we made up our own song for when Edward was mean to us? For when we were upset?”

  Lacey began to sing. “Twinkle, twinkle, little star. Here is Lacey, here is Dar.” She pressed her cheek against Darla’s head. “Darla didn’t rhyme with star.” She allowed a sigh and sang again. “Up above the world so high. Watching children from the sky. Twinkle, twinkle, little star. Here we are. Here we are.”

  Lacey adjusted Darla so she could speak directly into her ear. “I don’t want you to worry. I know you have to do what Randy tells you and this time it’s all right. Do you hear me?”

  She hugged her, kissed her, and then got up from the bed. She stared at her sister lying placidly on the mattress. “Darla . . .”

  No. There was no explaining now. No relying on the subconscious. She had to make things clear when Darla was awake. She had to hope Darla would be lucid enough and give her the time.

  Meanwhile she needed to prepare. She didn’t know for certain when Randy would strike. Logically, it seemed it would be soon. With his accomplice out of the picture and Darla under his spell, he didn’t have a reason to wait. But just to make sure, she’d give him a nudge. He was so arrogant, it would never occur to him that she was on to him, but if he thought that she was, or he thought she was going to make trouble, he’d get moving. He’d knock her off as quickly as he could.

  First she would set up. Then she would call him.

  She eyed the room. It was orderly. Darla kept her paints and drawing materials in the closet. She located the case used for watercolors and sorted through the tubes of Winsor Newton pigments until she found what she wanted. She took a tube of Cadmium Red into the bathroom, grabbed a washcloth and set both on the sink.

  She returned to the bedroom, to the gun in the drawer. She checked for bullets inside. Still loaded . . .

  Lacey hurried downstairs. Everything was in order. At least as much as it could be. She still had to get through to Darla, but Darla was still asleep.

  She looked at the plate Randy had left on the table, put it in the sink, and then heard Kitty mew outside. She opened the door and hurriedly scooped up the cat.

  “Did you come to steady me?”

  She sat in a chair, placed the cat in her lap, and stroked it. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins, and she felt her heart beating too fast. This might be as calm as she was going to be. Time to set the ball in motion.

  She took out her cell phone and called Randy. He answered.

  “She’s still asleep!” Lacey complained. “What kind of drug did you give her?”

  “She’s fine.”

  “I tried to wake her.”

  “Why? She needs her rest.”

  “Where are you, anyway?”

  “None of your business.”

  She could tell he was in his car.

  “I bet I know.”

  “What?”

  “You think you’re so smart. You think I haven’t been paying attention to what you do?”

  He laughed. “If your life is so boring that you need to focus on mine, go right ahead.” He didn’t sound spooked. “Look, I have to go.”

  “I found something,” she blurted out.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I found something.”

  “You found what?”

  “We’ll talk about it.”

  There was a pause.

  “Just tell me what it is,” Randy said.

  “No. When you get back. When Darla’s awake.”

  “She won’t be awake for at least another hour. Maybe two.”

  “Fine. I have some errands to run. When should I expect you?” Lacey rubbed Kitty’s ear.

  “I have something I have to take care of and then I’ll be there.”

  “When?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Darla’s Reverend Irene called,” Lacey said, giving her nudge a jab.

  “She did?”

  Lacey could tell she’d thrown him for a loop.

  “Darla was asleep, so I talked to her.”

  “Why?”

  “She seems to know you.”

  “Now I know you’re lying. Or you’re imagining things.”

  “No. She knows you. She said as much.”

  There was an icy silence before Randy spoke again. “I doubt that. I’ve never met the woman.”

  “She has visions.”

  “Right. Then there’s your explanation.”

  “What do you think of the Reverend? You think she’s a charlatan?”

  “Yes. I do.”

  “She said she talked to you.”

  “She never talked to me.”

  “Charlatan.”

  “Lacey. Did you happen to tell her your mother is really alive?”

  Lacey smiled. “No. It didn’t occur to me. And she did most of the talking.”

  “What did she say exactly?”

  Lacey wasn’t sure how far to take this and decided she’d said enough. “Right now I have to go.” She cut Randy off.

  He called her back. She didn’t answer. She stroked the cat and smiled. “Bet he’s as nervous as I am now.”

  The cat mewed. She picked up the phone and called Dan and told him she thought Randy was on his way.

  Thirty-seven

  THE NAME ON the lease was Bonnie Malone. The name on the mailbox was Reverend Irene.

  Inside the apartment with his uncle and two deputies, Ames and Jackson, Dan wore latex gloves even though he wasn’t helping with the search. He was the boyfriend of the victim’s daughter. If anything incriminating was found, anything that ended up in court, his uncle didn’t want him to be the one to find it.

  “Lawyers love to blow smoke up jurors’ asses. You’d be the kindling they’d light a fire with,” his uncle grumbled.

  Dan’s cell phone rang just as Uncle Carrick opened another drawer in the desk he was searching. Lacey. Dan answered quickly.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, walking a few steps away from his uncle.

  “Of course,” Lacey responded. “Have you found anything?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “Well, he didn’t say where he was going, but if I were to place a bet, I’d bet Randy’s on his way.”

  “Is that the warning bell?” Uncle
Carrick looked up from the desk.

  Dan nodded. “Randy left the house. She thinks he’s coming here.”

  “Better move the squad car. Why don’t you do that?” Uncle Carrick went back to his search.

  Dan heard the directive, but his mind was on Lacey. He wanted to take the cell phone and hole up in some corner and find out how she was really doing and what she was up to. “So everything is fine there?”

  “Yes.”

  “I wish you’d tell me what you’re doing.”

  “I’m talking to you.”

  He sighed. She wasn’t going to share. “Lacey. Whatever you’re up to, please be careful.”

  “You be careful. He’s headed for your neck of the woods.”

  His uncle tossed a pile of IDs on the desk. “Well, lookie here.”

  Dan didn’t want to hang up. If he kept her on the line, it felt like he was keeping her safe. He wasn’t though, was he? Now they’d found evidence and he needed to move the car.

  “Lacey . . .” He wanted to tell her he loved her, but instead told her to be careful again and ended their conversation. He moved to his uncle at the desk.

  “Fifteen fake IDs,” his uncle said.

  Ames entered carrying something lumpy and flesh-colored. “There’re a lot of wigs in her bedroom closet. And clothes, all styles. This is my personal favorite.” He held up a fat suit and pressed it against his body. “Think it does anything for me?” He laughed.

  “Now that’s evidence,” Uncle Carrick said. “Take it. Hell, take all the clothes and the wigs.”

  “And the shoes,” Dan added. “Lacey said the Reverend Irene was tall.”

  “Shoes.” Ames nodded and went out.

  The detective spoke without looking at his nephew. “Probably be able to connect some of those outfits to other scams.”

  Jackson got to work dismantling the PC on top of the desk. “Let’s hope she was sloppy.”

  “Thought you were going to move the car.” Uncle Carrick glanced at Dan. Jackson tossed him the keys. Dan went out.

  The street was a quiet cul-de-sac with lots of shade trees and four other apartment buildings. Vehicles crowded the curb. The unmarked car his uncle drove wouldn’t attract Randy’s notice, but the black and white stuck out like a sore thumb. He drove it around the corner in the opposite direction from the busy boulevard Randy would be coming from.

  He hurried back, walking through the courtyard, past the pool. Her apartment was in the rear on the ground floor. The living room and kitchen faced the courtyard; her bedroom and another that served as an office faced the boulevard.

  He found his uncle at the kitchen table perusing papers in a manila folder. “We got her.” His uncle chuckled. “We got her.”

  Dan stepped closer. “What is that?”

  “Stark’s missing file. He may have been a maggot, but he was one hell of an investigator. Finding Crystal was a cakewalk compared to what else he dug up. That Edward. He was a piece of work.”

  “What?” Dan asked.

  “Are you ready for this? A few years back there was this hit and run the department never solved.”

  “Edward?”

  “Looks like it. That bastard ran down a woman in a crosswalk. Killed her. On purpose, witnesses said. Look at the victim’s picture.”

  Dan stared. The victim resembled Lacey and Darla’s mother. “You think he was trying to kill Crystal?”

  “Maybe she threatened to proceed with the divorce and Edward wigged out. We’ll never know. But this explains why Edward would pay Stark.”

  “How was it Maggot, or Stark rather, was able to solve it?”

  “He was working from the other direction. You know. Looking into Edward, he stumbled upon things Edward did and looked into why. Like, here. Edward sold a car around then. Stark checked into it. Talked to the buyer. Found out it was a great deal and that the car had just been painted. Stark asks himself, why? And why was Edward selling it and not Henry, the chauffeur? That would have been part of his job. See?”

  “Well. It’ll be nice for the victim’s family to know who did this. Guess his murder will be some kind of justice for them.”

  “Yeah. Small comfort.”

  Ames and Jackson entered the kitchen. “Are we done here?”

  “Not quite. Hopefully, Randy will show up soon.” Uncle Carrick looked at Ames, then Dan. “I should have thought of this earlier. You two switch clothes.”

  “You want me in uniform?” Dan said.

  “I want Ames in street clothes.”

  Five minutes after Dan and Ames exchanged outfits, the doorbell rang. Dan checked the peep hole and moved back to the kitchen. “That’s him.”

  Uncle Carrick motioned to his team and they moved deeper into the kitchen. The detective spoke softly. “Best scenario, he uses a key and walks in.”

  Randy rang the bell again.

  “He may not have a key,” Dan said.

  Randy knocked this time. Hard.

  “Ames. Go. Watch. If he walks away—”

  “I’ll open the door.” Ames walked over and looked out the peep hole. He swung the door open immediately. “Hello.” Ames said.

  Randy’s voice: “Ah, hi. I thought this was the Reverend Irene’s apartment.” He sounded unsure of himself.

  “It is. You been here before?”

  Dan smiled. It was a great leading question. But Randy didn’t bite.

  “No. I, um. Who are you?” Randy asked.

  “Who are you?” Ames replied.

  There was a pause.

  “She’s not here?” Randy said.

  “You just missed her. She should answer her cell phone. Unfortunately, I don’t know the number.”

  “Who are you again?” Randy asked.

  “I was a client, but ah. Well, you know how those things can go.”

  “A client. What’s your name?”

  “Kind’a nosey, aren’t you? Look, I’ll tell her you came by if you want to tell me your name.”

  “So she’ll be back.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Then give her a message for me.”

  “No problem.”

  “Tell her to stop hounding my wife.”

  “Damn,” whispered Uncle Carrick.

  “He’s quick,” Dan said softly.

  “Hounding?” Ames questioned.

  “Tell her to leave Darla alone from now on. And she doesn’t need to be talking to Darla’s sister either.”

  Dan and his uncle looked at each other.

  “Think you can do that?”

  Ames chuckled. “It’s a tall order.”

  “Then just to be sure, have her call me on my wife’s phone. I’ll answer. She has the number.”

  “And your name?”

  “Tell her to call Darla’s phone.”

  “I heard you the first time.”

  “Good.”

  Ames closed the door on Randy’s retreating footsteps. He moved to the kitchen. “Tried to get him to call her.”

  “You did good,” Uncle Carrick said. “He’s just slippery.”

  “Think he was warning her to stay away? And when did Lacey talk to her?” Dan said.

  “She might have just told him that. He sure wants to talk to her.” Uncle Carrick started in on the Tums. “He knows he’ll get to if she calls Darla’s number. And it still won’t connect her to him.”

  Dan nodded. “How did he know where she lived? I mean, if they aren’t in cahoots, how would he explain it?”

  “If we asked him, he’d just say Darla gave him directions.”

  “But Darla wouldn’t know. I mean. It’s unlikely. She’s pretty much housebound, according to Lacey. Unless she goes out with someone.”

  “Well, he’ll claim it, and get Darla to back him up.” Uncle Carrick popped a Tums.

  Dan sighed. “Now what?”

  “We’ll head back to the station and review what we’ve got.”

  Thirty-eight

  THE TENSION LACEY felt waiting for
the next shoe to drop grew unbearable. Darla was still asleep and Kitty had wanted out. She was alone in the big quiet house, unable to make the next move. She needed Darla to wake up so they could talk. But Randy had said she’d be asleep for another hour at least.

  Jake called. It was a welcome distraction. He needed to talk face to face after his night out in the cold. She hurried to the apartment above the garage.

  Normally Lacey would have made suggestive remarks when Jake answered the door without a shirt on, but she wasn’t feeling sassy. In silence, she watched him throw a tank top over his head and pull it down over his torso as he led the way into the kitchen. He grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand and twisted. She heard his back crack.

  “I don’t recommend sleeping over a tree root,” he said as he grabbed his right shoulder with his left hand and twisted in the opposite direction.

  Lacey spotted an open jar of salve on the table. She picked it up and took a look. “You should see a chiropractor.”

  “Yeah? That’s miracle cream you’ve got there. Says so on the label.”

  Lacey frowned. “It says snake oil.”

  “You should get your eyes checked.” He took it from her and screwed on the lid.

  Lacey didn’t crack a smile. “You’ve got a lot of knots, huh?”

  “Well. It’s just a back. Darla’s neck was on the line. She’s worth it.”

  Lacey sighed. “I know she’s worth it. I’m just . . .” She shook her head.

  “What’s the next step?” Jake asked.

  “What do you mean?” She tried to sound nonchalant.

  Jake eyeballed her. “Okay. I know that tone. There has to be a next step. You’re up to something.”

  She didn’t want to tell him what she was planning. There was nothing for him to do. It was up to her, and she didn’t want him to interfere.

  “You’ll know what I’m up to when the time’s right.”

  Jake rubbed the side of his face and his attitude shifted. “I don’t like this. I never used to have to worry about you.”

  “Well, don’t start now.”

  “It’s hard not to.” He snorted. “You know what that arrogant bastard said to me when he left? To get off his property. His property. What a joke.”

  “You tell him to go to hell?”