Quickly, I snapped my mouth shut and leaned to my right as if to whisper in Ellmann’s ear. I wanted to hide my face. If Dix saw me, I knew well from experience that he’d bolt.
Over the last week, I’d been busy cleaning up the messes from the Dillon case and my arrest. But I hadn’t forgotten about Dix. I just hadn’t worked out the best way to grab him yet, or had time to try.
“I see we walked into the one bar in town where your skip just had to be,” Ellmann said into my ear, having spotted Dix.
“Of all the gin joints, huh?”
He kissed my ear softly then lowered his mouth and kissed my neck. I could feel all the concern I had for Dix melting away. I sat back, breathing a little too fast. Ellmann smiled, amused.
“Do you two have to do that?” Vince griped.
Ignoring him, I turned in my seat and tried to pick out Dix. I saw him standing at the bar, eyeing a blonde a few seats down. She noticed him, but she didn’t seem overly interested. Dix either couldn’t pick up on that or he didn’t care. Then I had an idea.
“Where is our waitress?” Vince asked, still searching.
“You wanna tell us why we’re here?” Ellmann asked again.
I dug a pen out of my bag and scribbled a note on my napkin. meet me in the ladies room. two minutes. Then I waited. I decided to give it a few minutes before I improvised. But patience really isn’t my strong suit.
“I just wanted to talk to you,” Vince said. “That’s all.”
“When did you want to talk?” Ellmann asked.
Finally, the blonde said something to the girl next to her and climbed off her barstool.
“I’ll be back in a few,” I said.
I jumped up without waiting for acknowledgement.
I shoved my way through the crowd, keeping the blonde in sight. Then I saw I’d been right: she was headed to the bathroom. I let her go in ahead of me then waited a moment.
I strode in then dug my badge out of my bag along with fifty bucks. I also checked the bathroom for windows large enough for escape. There were none. There were two stalls, one of which was empty. I stood near the door, waiting for the blonde. When she flushed, I went to the sink and pretended to be fussing with my makeup.
“How would you like to make fifty bucks?” I asked when she got to the sink, looking at her in the mirror.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t swing that way.”
I rolled my eyes and showed her the badge.
“I’ll give you fifty bucks to deliver this note.”
I held it up. She dried her hands, looking between me and the napkin.
“Who gets the note?”
“The skinny kid at the bar who’s been smiling and nodding at you for the past fifteen minutes.”
She rolled her eyes then turned to study herself in the mirror.
“What a moron,” she said. “Can’t he take a hint?”
“Give him the note, make him think you came in here, and I’ll give you fifty bucks and a promise he won’t bother you again.”
“What’s he to you?”
“He’s five hundred bucks, a perfectly good pair of shoes, my favorite jeans, and a little payback.”
She finished with her face, putting her lipstick back in her bag.
“Whatever. I’ll do it.”
I handed her the note and the money.
“I could just walk out with the money,” she said.
“Did you see that guy I was sitting with?”
“The hunk? Hell yeah.”
“The hunk is a cop. He knows the plan. He’s prepared to arrest you for stealing, among other things, if you don’t play your part.”
Danielle and Desirae Dillon weren’t the only ones who’d learned to lie well from their past. I tried to only use my power for good, though.
“Geez, like a sting? Who the hell is that kid anyway?”
“He’s a pain in my ass, so I thank you for your help.”
She left, and I waited. I posted myself at the door, flashing my badge at anyone who refused to be kept out. I stood behind the door, out of sight for when Dix came in. My problem had been him running away. The bathroom door was equipped with a lock. Not only would I be between him and the door once he came in, but I would lock it. If he somehow managed to get past me, then he’d have to get the door open before I caught up to him. I liked my chances.
Five minutes later, the door eased open tentatively. Then there was a soft voice.
“Hello?”
I giggled my most girly giggle then said, “Hurry! Come on!” I thought I did a good job impersonating the blonde.
It worked.
Dix pushed the door open and slipped in. I moved in behind him and flipped the lock on the door. Hearing me behind him, he laughed and spun around, grinning. He froze when he saw me, looking almost sick when he finally figured out it had been a trap.
“I won’t go quietly,” he said defiantly.
“I respect that.”
Even if I found it annoying, I appreciated this trait in him, since it was one of my own.
I dropped my bag to the floor then peeled off my sweater. My scars were visible around the thin spaghetti straps of the dress. I saw Dix’s eyes widen as he took them in.
“What the hell happened to you?” His eyes flashed from the gunshot wound to the laceration just above it.
“Oh,” I said lightly, pointing to the wounds. “That was a bullet. Nine millimeter—went in, didn’t come out. This was a knife. A crazy woman tortured me in her kitchen. I just got the stitches out today.”
He was starting to look a little green.
“Oh!” I said, as if just remembering. I reached down and pulled up the dress to show my left thigh. “These were made by a box cutter. She poured lemon juice in them. I can’t tell you how much that hurt! And here’s where she stuck the skewer in. It goes all the way through, see? Oh, there’s another bullet wound over here,” I said, lifting up the other side of the dress. “It also goes through.”
He was swaying on his feet. I was pretty sure he was going to puke.
“Anyway, you’re welcome to put up a fight,” I said, straightening my dress and standing upright. “Any time you’re ready.”
He spun around and ran into one of the stalls. The sounds of retching echoed off the walls. I pulled the sweater back on then got the cuffs out of my bag. A few minutes later, after he’d rinsed his mouth and washed his face, he voluntarily clasped his hands behind his back and allowed me to put the cuffs on. I unlocked the door, and we left the bathroom. There was a line of women standing in the hallway. We got dirty looks from most of them as they rushed past us into the now open bathroom.
“What the hell were you doing?” someone snapped.
“Take it someplace else,” another threw out.
“Oh, you like it kinky, huh?” someone else said, spying the handcuffs. I was pretty sure there was a note of approval in her voice.
I smiled.
“Oh, you have no idea.”
__________
“What the hell is this?” Vince snapped when I returned to the table with Dix in tow. He looked to Ellmann as if he was permitting me to run amok like an insolent child.
“He doesn’t get to tell me what to do,” I said. “I don’t take orders. But you’re the only one who has a problem with that.”
“Now wait a min—” Vince started, raising an index finger at me.
I cut him off.
“We sat here for thirty minutes waiting for you to talk. You didn’t. Now I’m going to say a few things. First of all, I know you really love Susan. I get the impression you’re afraid of losing her and that’s why you’re here, not because you have any real remorse for what you did or said. For the record, you don’t deserve Susan. Also, I hope I can forgive you someday. Second, I’ll tell you right now, so long as your son will have me, I’m not going anywhere. So you better decide how you and I are going to get along. Finally, I regret every one of those things you know about m
e, and if I could change what happened, I would. In a heartbeat. Now, I have to take this kid to jail. I’ll be seeing you, Vince.”
Ellmann rose, put some cash on the table, then followed me out.
“You’re kind of scary, you know that?” Dix said as we walked back to the truck.
“And you’re quite the runner,” I said.
He beamed. “Regional track champion all four years of high school. I’ve thought about training for the Olympics.”
“You should. I think you have a real shot.”
Plus, it wouldn’t hurt him to be doing something productive with his life, something that might keep him out of trouble in the future.
“You think? Really?”
“Yeah, really. You should do it.”
“Yeah,” he said, puffing his chest out a little bit. “Yeah, maybe I will.”
“Say, Cory, maybe it’s none of my business, but I’m curious why you were sneaking into the ladies room to meet someone when you have a girlfriend.”
He sighed and hung his head.
“She broke up with me. After you came to her apartment, she freaked out. She said her dad had been right about me all along.”
“Was he?”
“No! Not even close. No, I just did one stupid thing, on a dare, and it got out of control. It was a mistake, and I regret it. I’m not what he says.”
“Then you need to get her back,” I said. “Go show her what kind of guy you really are.”
“Think so?”
“She stood up to her dad for you for a long time. She wants to be right about you. Show her that she is.”
Dix seemed in pretty high spirits when we dropped him off at the jail. And I was ecstatic when I finally had my body receipt. Had there been anyone in the office, I would have driven straight there.
26
One week later, I was standing on the balcony of our room in Malibu, leaning against the railing, looking out at the beach. The sun was setting, burning orange and red in the sky just above the waterline. A light breeze pulled at the palm trees and my dress.
The wedding had been three days ago; Susan and Vince were so excited they were like giddy teenagers. No expense spared, it had gone off without a hitch. And in the end, Ellmann was glad he’d come.
Things were still tense between him and his father, and Vince still wasn’t really speaking to me, but he did appear to be making an effort. He seemed to have realized Susan was dead serious about leaving him if he continued behaving as he had been, and no matter what he felt about me, he truly loved Susan. I learned some time ago the road to forgiveness is a long one—something Ellmann and Vince now appreciate, too—but we are all doing our best.
I will admit, my motivations for this trip were selfish. I was not so much interested in the wedding as I was in taking Ellmann up on his offer of a vacation. Our relationship had started under stressful circumstances, and we’d had plenty of stress since then. It was nice to spend time together, just the two of us, and relax.
After the bride and groom were off on their honeymoon and the guests had all gone home, Ellmann and I remained. We’d been snorkeling and scuba diving and boating. One day, we’d lain on lounge chairs under umbrellas all day. Today, we’d rented bikes and ridden up and down the beach.
Tonight, we had dinner reservations at a place Ellmann had been talking about since we’d arrived. Tomorrow, we’d take a drive and visit the town he grew up in, see some of his old friends. We were supposed to fly home in two days, but I wasn’t in any hurry.
I leaned on my elbows, watching the busyness of the beach below: people in the water, people walking or riding by, people spread out over the sand for miles in both directions. Overall, I thought it was a great place—a lot like a paradise. There were lots of rich people, and I could do without them, but it wasn’t too bad.
I felt like I was being watched and turned to see Ellmann leaning against the doorjamb of the open balcony door. His perpetual tan was deeper after only a few days in the sun, and it was even more noticeable tonight against the white of his shirt. He was smiling, and I wondered how long he’d been standing there. I also wondered what was going on with him. Ever since we’d arrived, there had been moments when I’d find him simply looking at me, watching me. He clearly had something on his mind.
“How long have you been there?” I asked, turning to face him.
He shrugged and stood up from the jamb, walking out onto the balcony with me.
“A few minutes.”
“You’ve been doing that a lot lately.”
“Have I?”
I nodded. “Yeah. So what’s going on with you?”
He smiled.
“I was just thinking,” he said. “There’s something I’d like to tell you.”
“Okay, sure.”
He gently touched my cheek then lowered his head and kissed me.
When he straightened up, my brain was spinning. I worked to get it focused again as he started talking.
“I’ve been waiting, but I can’t wait anymore. I almost told you when I found you at Lyle’s house, when I saw you were alive. But I thought it might be too soon and was worried you’d think I was just saying it because you almost died.”
“Geez, Ellmann, what is it?” I asked, laughing.
This whole confession setup was strange, and I wondered if I should worry. I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Zoe, I’m in love with you.”
I’m pretty sure my mouth dropped open.
“Sorry,” I said, my mouth suddenly dry. “What?”
“I love you, Zoe.”
Uh oh.
About the Author
Catherine Nelson is a Colorado native. Fort Collins is home to her, and a perfect setting for her novels. To learn more about her and her books, visit her website at www.CatherineNelsonBooks.com or follow her on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/CatherineNelsonBooks.
Catherine Nelson - Zoe Grey 02 - The Trouble with Theft Page 30