Death on the Sound

by Wayne Saunders

  Chapter 7

  I called Tom at the office, and found out he’d gone as far as he could go. I wished him a good weekend and told him I’d call on Sunday to see how his new lifestyle was going. I caught the bus home, and quickly scanned the movie section looking for a good one for my date with Mandy tonight. I checked the theaters on Capital Hill since a large majority of gays hang out and live there. You’re less likely to get the fish eye stare.

  After my paper perusal, I madly showered, and dressed while in between feeding Felix not paying one bit of attention to his tales of woe from his tough day, napping on the couch. I did my cursory check in the mirror. I turned to check my butt since Felix has many places he likes to nap during the day. I walked out to start my car, which is new, but barely has any miles. It only gets driven on the weekends. It started up, and I listened to the rumbling pipes of the V-8 Mustang. I pulled out and headed for the University District and to Mandy’s place. Friday in Seattle is “The” worst time to be on the road. Everyone throws out LA as being bad for driving, but Seattle can’t be too far behind. As I gained altitude climbing up the hill from Lake Union, I could see the bumper to bumper crowd that was parked on I-5. I altered my route and took the back way. I twisted and turned my way through the crowded streets.

  I pulled up at five fifty and walked up the sidewalk to the tiny bungalow that Mandy had been renting for the past six months. I rang the bell and waited. I heard her inside moving toward the door. It opened to a head peeking around the edge of the opened door.

  “Sorry Abby, I’m not quite ready come on in.”

  Once inside, with the door closed, I noticed Mandy in her bra and panties. Her flat tummy aligned with the top of her bikini briefs. She had makeup on, so that was good.

  “Sorry, I just got off work an hour ago. We had a real busy afternoon. Have a seat I won’t be long.”

  I noticed that Mandy wasn’t looking me in the eye, but she was glancing at me in a guilty sort of way. I sat and thumbed through a Sunset magazine wondering what was up. It wouldn’t be long before I found out. She came back out of her bedroom, and with only slacks on but still no top.

  “Mandy, if you don’t get a move on we’ll miss the movie. Is there something wrong?”

  She slowly walked toward me, and I knew whatever it was wasn’t going to be good. She looked like she was about to break down and cry.

  “Mandy what’s going on?”

  “Abby, my mom called me when I got home this afternoon, and she and dad want me to come home. They’ll pay for two years of college so I can have a better chance at finding a career. I can’t pass this up Abby. I’ll work through next week, and leave next weekend. Do you still want to go out with me?”

  I took her hand and slowly pulled her to me and hugged her.

  “Of course I do, but let’s change the plan a bit. Let’s skip the movie, and we’ll go to a nice restaurant for our last date, how’s that?”

  She pulled back from me with the smile that had first attracted me to her.

  “I’d better get dressed then. It won’t take me long.”

  I admit only slightly to taking advantage of the situation. I didn’t release her hand but pulled her to me again, and gave her a long sensual kiss. I was making progress, she was kissing back.

  “If you keep doing that, I’ll never get dressed. Now control yourself and wait here,” she said.

  In ten minutes, she returned, looking her gorgeous self. I’d called Sorvino’s while Mandy was getting dressed, and talked to the owner about getting a table for dinner. It was the kind of place that required two or three weeks notice to get a table for two; the food is that good. I’d helped find his daughter last year when she was kidnapped by some Chinese hoodlum wannabe’s trying to start a protection racket. They both ended up dead after Tom and I corralled them in the warehouse district. I had no trouble getting a reservation set up.

  Mandy and I had a wonderful dinner, in a dark corner of Sorvino’s. It was quite the prelude to the finale to our evening. We teased each other under the table, and was caught a couple of times by the waiter, who, I’m sure, had seen it all before and just ignored us.

  “I’m glad you’re not mad Abby. I know we were just getting started and I really like you, but I have to do this.”

  I took her hand not caring that the chubby Republican at the next table was sneering at me and kissed it.

  “Mandy, I’m happy for you. We’ll both find other girlfriends or boyfriends to replace each other, but we’ll still be friends. I always wondered about how you got to where you are now, but I’m glad your parents are giving you a hand up.”

  We finished our meal, and I drove Mandy home. I wasn’t sure about my next step since we were no longer an item. I walked her to her door, and we stood hugging and kissing on her dark porch.

  “Can you stay Abby?”

  The next step had been taken.

  “I’m all yours Mandy.”

  We made love several times before we both drifted off to sleep at three in the morning. We got a slow start to our Saturday morning, but after making love, and me fixing breakfast, we were finally at her front door again saying goodbye.

  “You have my address and phone number, and I have yours. You’d better write, or I’m calling the L.A. Police to come and get you.’

  “I promise to write, I might even call occasionally just to hear your voice. I’ll miss you Abby. You’ve started me down a path I didn’t think I would take.”

  A final hug and a final kiss and I was driving myself home on a late Saturday morning in April.

  Chapter 8

  I spent the rest of Saturday doing laundry, which I just love and also, cleaning house, which I love even better. For you, Martha Stewart types, I’m being facetious. I know it has to be done, but I wish I could afford to have someone else handle it.

  It was a sunny day, and the crack weather teams at the major stations were predicting another day like today on Sunday. It was even getting into the low sixties. We Northwesterner’s were too smart to fall for that. We might have sun for two days, but in April, when the temperature gets to sixty it means we have a large storm coming from the South Pacific that’s pushing warm temperatures ahead of it. We all may have webs growing between our fingers from all rain, but we do know our storms.

  At seven, my phone rang and caused Felix to even raise his lazy head to see what was up. I should have had my camera, it was a Kodak moment.

  “Abby, it’s Maya; I was calling to see if you were busy tomorrow. I thought we could go shopping, and then maybe lunch.”

  I thought about the sun I’d be missing inside the mall and made an alternate suggestion.

  “How about a walk along Green Lake and get some sun and then go to lunch?”

  “I like that better. I’ll drive. How about I pick you up at ten out by your security gate since I don’t know the code?”

  “Ten it is. See you then.”

  I was surprised to have heard form Maya so soon. She was noted for being kind of a loner at times, but maybe it was just shyness. I had a date with the beautiful Maya; all was right with the world.

  Felix wandered across my face at seven forty five Sunday morning, reminding me that he’d been on patrol all night, and needed his breakfast. I rolled over and tried to ignore him but was further harassed by a cold nose poking my ear and a loud purring sound. I rolled my head over, and got a head butt for good measure. How can you resist a head butt on Sunday morning? I got up and fed Felix and retrieved the Sunday paper from my doorstep. The sun was indeed out, and it was shining brightly on my side deck. I didn’t bother to put a robe on. I had my sleeping shorts and T-shirt top. With my steaming coffee mug and the Sunday paper, I camped out on my deck, and let the morning sun keep me warm. At nine, I went inside and debated between long pants or shorts. I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for shorts in April, a daunting maneuver by anyone’s standards in Seattle.

  I waved to my sleeping guard cat as I walked out my
front door heading for my front gate. As usual, I was totally ignored. With Mandy coming and going in my life and now Maya becoming more a part of it, I reviewed the state of my life. I’m not quite sure how I became a bi-sexual. I had normal parents who loved me, and tried to teach me all the right things growing up. I had dates in high school, but in my senior year I had my first experience with another girl, and liked it too. I’m pretty open about who I am and who I like, but being gay is not totally accepted, so caution is still the watchword for us. I will have to say that I’ve had more dates with women than men.

  I was only on the street for ten minutes when a beamer convertible pulled up to the curb. I would have never guessed Maya for a beamer kind of girl. She waved as she pulled up, and I hopped in, and luckily was quick with the seat belt as she roared off down the street going way over the thirty five mile an hour speed limit. I noticed that she’d opted for shorts too, and her slim dark legs looked very inviting as the morning sun highlighted them under the dash. Her bright multi-colored blouse was a perfect match for her dark skin. I was caught staring as she turned to speak.

  “Good morning Abby, it‘s a beautiful day. I’m glad you suggested getting out in the sun.”

  I told her about my morning, and was met with a mock angry look and a “You rat” comment.

  At the warp speed we were traveling, it wasn’t long before Maya was parking her car. She put up her top, and we started off down the several mile long sidewalk bordering the lake. We weren’t the only ones out that morning. I think half of Seattle was out strolling in the Sunday sun.

  We spent the morning talking about the things reacquainted friends talk about. Her shyness at work was not apparent with me now, which buoyed my hopes. We’d walked three slow miles, and finally we decided to sit for awhile, and watch people. It’s almost as good as a movie sometimes.

  Maya sat close as we took our seats on the bench. We sat silent for a moment.

  “I’m glad you called Maya. I enjoyed our dinner last week.”

  I casually moved my arm to the back of the bench, but left it on the metal rail at the top. I was sort of testing the waters; I watched her for any reaction.

  “I enjoyed it too Abby. To be honest, I was hoping we’d eventually link up.”

  Maya looked at me in kind of a sidelong glance as I dropped my arm onto her shoulder. I felt the warmth of her along the bottom of my arm as the sun took care of the top. Maya slid the last inch or two closer to me. We were now definitely side by side. She turned her head to look at me, and smiled as I gently squeezed her shoulder. We sat for twenty minutes, continuing our conversation, and then started our walk back. She told me she was born in the Marianas, but her parents moved to Jakarta, and that’s where she spent most of her young life. She talked about school and her studies growing up. She never mentioned her childhood and friends. I decided to let that one go for the moment. We were about halfway back to the car, when I felt her hand grasp mine. I looked over at her, and she was smiling at me with an impish grin.

  “I hope you don’t mind. I liked holding your hand when we came home in the taxi.”

  “You’re just fine. I like holding yours too.”

  We held hands the rest of the way back to the car. We exchanged glances between conversation snip-its. We were sort of testing the other, I think. It’s all part of starting a new relationship.

  We got back to the car, and I suggested we go to Duck Island Ale house for lunch. It’s a bit expensive, but it sits on the lake. We got there a one thirty after the main lunch crowd had left. We were the second wave. I got us a table near the water, and we ordered two cold beers and watched the gleaming water of Green Lake.

  The lunch was filling, and we even opted for a second glass of beer. I glanced around us and saw couples of men and women. There was only one male couple that I could tell was gay. I wondered what people thought about Maya and me. So far, we were just two women having lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I turned my head back to finish my circle around the seating area to Maya. She’d been watching the ducks paddling by below us; a mother and six young ones. Our gazes met again, and we sat for an instant smiling at each other over our empty beer mugs.

  At three thirty, Maya was driving us back.

  “Maya, you’re welcome to come in for awhile if you like. You can meet Felix, and see my houseboat.”

  “I’d like that Abby. I’ve wondered what it’s like living on a houseboat.”

  I gave Maya the code for my gate; we parked, and started down the ramp to my house. I took Maya’s hand as we walked. The other houseboats were rocking gently with the waves from the lake.

  I was enjoying our hand holding as we walked to Abby’s house. I looked around at all the beautiful homes, and was jealous that I had only my small condo on the hill. My day with Abby had been all I’d hoped it would be. When she’d put her arm around me, I could have sat like that all day. It was good to be near her.

  Inside, I had to wake Felix so Maya could see that he hadn’t died while I was away. As Maya, scratched his neck, he came alive, and decided it might be near dinner time. I took her on a tour of my home, and we ended up in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine; beer and wine, a great combination. We moved to my deck, and caught the remaining rays of the sun as we continued our conversation. Maya finally opened up.

  “Abby, I like you, and I’d like to spend more time with you. I noticed you when we first met, and kind of got a crush on you. What’s important is that my crush has grown to a definite interest in getting together.”

  She stopped talking, and sipped her wine, a nervous maneuver to break the seriousness of the moment, and what she’d just said to me. I looked at her, smiled and leaned over and kissed her. Her lips were all that I’d imagined, and I held the kiss for as long as the moment would allow. I pulled back only a few inches as my hand stroked her soft cheek.

  “Maya, I can’t seem to get enough of you. You’re a beautiful woman, and I can’t keep my eyes off of you every time I see you at work, and I have to admit I dream about you since our dinner date. I think we should continue down the road we started on today. ”

  Her response was another kiss as her hand slipped smoothly under the front of my blouse. I have no idea how the button was undone, but who cared right now. We adjourned inside, and finished our day in bed, watching the sunset through my picture window.

  After Maya left at eight, I called Tom to see how he was doing with his diet.

  “Just checking in Tom, how’s it going this weekend? Are you behaving yourself?”

  “I hate this crap Abby, it really cramps my style. I haven’t had one bad thing all weekend, and I’m going crazy. I even exercised for two hours just to kill some time.”

  “Keep up the good work Tom. You’ve got to change your habits or Mother Nature will send you to early retirement, if you get my drift?”

  “Yeah, I got it Abby.”

  There was a long pause, and I wasn’t sure what would come next.

  “Abby?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks for checking on me. I know you don’t have to do this, but I do appreciate your concern.”

  “That’s what partners are for.”

  I went to bed dreaming of Maya. She had been delicious as we both had our desert for the day.

  Chapter 9

  Monday started off with a call to the florist. I sent roses with a card that said an admirer. We didn’t need to start more rumors. I checked into the office and got Tom, and we headed for Tawnee’s club. I knew it was early in the day, but I hoped after being on vacation she might come in early. After Tom and I gave an update to the captain on our dead body case, we drove downtown. On the way, we decided Tawnee might be more receptive if Tom was not there. I dropped him off at Towne and Country, and let him do his thing there while I talked with Tawnee.

  I entered the dark club that was starting to feel like my second home. The bouncer wasn’t there yet, so I walked up the bartender and asked for Tawnee. He pointed to a bl
ack beaded curtain on the far wall. I’d seen the other girls using it when they were coming on and leaving the stage. I pushed the curtain aside and walked down the dimly lit hall to the dressing room door, appropriately marked “D Room”. They must have saved a lot not having to spell out the word dressing. There was a single bulb halfway down that was lighting the narrow hallway.

  I walked into an almost deserted room, and saw a medium height blonde sitting at a makeup table. I announced myself as I approached.

  “Are you Tawnee?” I asked.

  “You must be the detective that talked to Charlie. Yeah, you got me. She left me a note about what you’re after. I almost fainted when I read it. I haven’t thought about Sharon for a lot of years. What can I do to help?”

  “Were you two close?” I asked noticing the twenty or thirty lipstick colors on her dressing table. I didn’t think stripping required that much makeup.

  “We were as close as you can get. We lived together for a year just three blocks from here, during what turned out to be the last year of her life.”

  “Did Sharon have any regular men that she went out with? Charlie talked about a limo that used to show up to get her after work. Do you know anything about that?”

  The eyes changed from interest to avoidance in only a few seconds. She was glancing to the side, not wanting to make eye contact.

  “Tawnee, do you remember the limo?” I asked again more firmly.

  She started to fidget with her makeup jars and liner. Not applying it but just moving it around on the table in front of her.

  “Yeah, I do, but I don’t know if I should say anything. It could get me killed.”

  “Was her boyfriend in the mob or what?”

  “He was, but nobody could really prove it.”

  Tawnee looked around the room. We were the only ones in it. She turned to me, and leaned closer to whisper her answer.

  “It was Jack Tugliosi. He was the chief counsel for Gino Canutillo.”