DOWN COLDER: A Hallie James Mystery (The Hallie James Mysteries Book 3)

by DK Herman

  "Sure," Ben said.

  "Go ahead," I said, putting my empty plate into the dishwasher. "I'm tired. See you in the morning."

  I ran up to my rooms and sat on my bed. Putting my face into my hands, I drummed my feet on the floor. It didn't matter that he's ten years younger than me. I have feelings for Ben. I couldn't lie to myself anymore. He's become my best friend, and I love him!

  People tease me about Ben having feelings for me. Did he? I could have lost him today, so I had to find out. I touched my mouth where his lips had touched mine, and even my fingertips tingled. I made up my mind and headed for my bathroom.

  I drew warm water in my tub, stripped, and climbed in. I washed the chlorine off my body and grabbed a disposal razor. Carefully, I made sure my legs and underarms weren't stubbly. I got out of the tub, brushed my teeth, and washed my face before applying light makeup.

  Next, I spritzed myself with lilac body spray before pulling a silky, black, spaghetti strap nightie over my head. Then barefoot, I left my rooms. Ben's room was a few feet down the hall. I listened for a moment, then I tapped on the door.

  The crack under the door showed a lamp had snapped on, and Ben's voice called out, "yeah."

  Slowly, I opened the door and stepped into the room. Neither of us said a word as I sat next to him on the bed. He sat up, the top sheet sliding down his bare chest, and he put his arms around me.

  I licked his bulging tanned, bicep. The warm skin tasted better than cake. I lifted my head, and our eyes locked again before his lips covered mine. We kissed sweetly, then with more intensity, as a blazing fire grew inside both of us.

  Suddenly, he pulled back. "Are you sure?"

  Standing, I slowly peeled my nighty over my head. I watched his golden eyes glow as he took in every bare inch of me. "Yep, are you sure?"

  He tossed the sheet to the bottom of the bed, and I discovered that he slept naked. And it definitely looked like he was sure too.

  His entire body looked better than I imagined. Every muscle he possesses (and there are plenty) were visible underneath lightly-furred, tan skin. He rolled onto his side, facing me and patted the bed. "Come here, Hallie, and I'll show you how sure I am."

  Without any hesitation, I did.

  I woke up in Ben's arms. I gazed at his sleeping form. The man is edible. I turned my head and made little circles in his chest hair with my finger.

  Ben stirred and stretched. "What time is it?"

  "After six," I answered. "Let's go take a bath."

  Ben laughed. "In your bathtub, the one the size of Lake Erie?"

  " Yep," I said, getting up. I picked up my nightie and wrapped it around me. "Nobody will be in this wing, especially this early in the morning."

  "Let's go." Ben grabbed his pants and followed me back to my rooms.

  Buddy and Princess were sleeping on my bed. They saw Ben enter the room with me. They wagged their tails twice and rolled over before going back to sleep.

  I drew warm water in my tub, adding a large splash of my bubble bath.

  "It smells like you," Ben said and climbed into the water.

  I got in and sat between his legs. With my back against his chest, I twisted my head back for a kiss. "Did I tell you that you taste better than cake?"

  He chuckled and hugged me tight. "Don’t tell Liv, but I'd rather nibble on you too."

  "Now, I still like cake," I said, turning around to face him in the tub.

  "Absolutely," Ben agreed. He picked up my foot and rubbed it before kissing my ankle.

  "Is all of me better than cake?" I giggled.

  "Let me check again," Ben said and disappeared under the bubbles.

  CHAPTER NINE

  "You smell like flowers," George said to Ben

  We sat at the breakfast table enjoying french toast and sausage with my family.

  He sniffed again. "You smell like Hallie. Did you use her soap?"

  Ben giggled through his nose for a second until I elbowed him in the ribs. "Yeah, she let me use her tub."

  Everybody stopped eating. Aunt Jeannie, Karl, and Liv had huge smiles on their faces. Gram whispered something quietly into George's ear.

  "Really?" George whispered back with a grin. "Good for them!"

  "OK," I said. "It's announcement time." I took a deep breath. " Ben and I are dating."

  My family broke out in applause and good wishes.

  I blushed, and Ben took my hand. We talked about going public with our new relationship after our bath this morning. We wouldn't make out in front of everybody at the office, but we weren't going to lie to anyone either. My family's approval made Ben smile. It was great to know everyone liked him.

  "Thanks, everybody," Ben said. "But I think we'd better get to work."

  "How's the case going with the missing little girl?" Aunt Jeannie asked.

  "Hopefully, she'll be home Thursday." I downed the rest of my coffee. "Ready?" I asked Ben.

  He nodded. "See you all later."

  "Have a good day," everybody called after us.

  We walked hand in hand to the Denali.

  "Give me a kiss that will last a while," I said.

  Ben gave me a kiss that made me weak in the knees.

  "Now we're in professional mode," I said and climbed into my car.

  Ben climbed into the passenger seat "And professional mode means no kiss and cuddle?"

  "Yep, but there is lunch break," I said with a smile. I started my car, and my cell rang. I glanced at the caller ID. "Andy already this morning." I hit the answer button. "Yeah, Andy."

  "Where are you?" Andy asked. His voice sounded excited.

  "Ben and I are just leaving my house."

  "Before you go to your agency, drive up to Darcy's club," Andy said. "You're not going to believe this, but Darcy's dead."

  I repeated his words to Ben, and we both sat open-mouthed for a moment.

  "How?" I breathed.

  "Murdered and tossed into the dumpster," Andy replied. "The cleaning lady found her this morning."

  "We'll be right there!"

  Stunned, I drove to Darcy's Delights. The lot was full of police vehicles, including a state police van and the coroner's wagon.

  "If anybody belonged in a dumpster..." Ben said, getting out of the car.

  I nodded and we walked to the rear of the building. Passing an open door a few feet from a battered, green dumpster, I heard Andy call my name.

  "Don't come in," Andy said from just inside the door. "The lab boys aren't done yet. This was Darcy's office." He pointed at the desk and chair near the door. "We think she was first attacked sitting at the desk."

  "Attacked with what?" I asked. The room was like the rest of the building, it only looked good in bad lighting.

  "The coroner thinks she was hit over the head with the same thing that put Amanda Detweiler in a coma. But the killer didn't take the chance of leaving Darcy alive." Andy pointed out a pillow lying on the floor. "He used that as a silencer and shot her in the heart."

  "How'd he find it," Ben mumbled.

  Andy smiled at the comment. "Next, he dragged the body to the dumpster and tossed her in." He came outside and pointed to the drag marks in the gravel.

  I began examining what looked like blood smears on the outside of the dumpster, when a face popped up from inside.

  "Hey, Hallie," Phil Stewart said. "How's it going?"

  I clutched my chest and laughed. "You scared the bejeesus out of me, Phil. We're doing OK, but whatcha doing in the dumpster?"

  "Looking for evidence," he replied. "We just rolled Darcy to the meat wagon, and I got volunteered to go dumpster diving. It's not too bad. The place didn't serve food, so it’s mostly paper and stuff. But she should've recycled these beer bottles and cans."

  Ben watched Phil wade around in the dumpster with an amused expression.

  "Where's Charlie?" I asked Andy.

  "He's at the station with Chief Woods." Andy looked around to make sure there weren't any looky-loos nearby. "Old Char
lie claims he was in the bar until closing. He said Darcy always kept the office door locked, and she usually drank in there. I did see beer bottles everywhere in her office. And Charlie also said that sometimes she would pass out on the office couch. So when he knocked, and she didn’t answer, he went back to her place and went to bed. That's where Chief Woods and Mike found him this morning after the cleaning lady called 911."

  "Who's the cleaning lady?" I asked.

  "Allison Reedy, she's forty-two, divorced, and lives alone in Potter's Trailer Court," Andy read from his notebook. "She's inside at the bar."

  "Can we talk to her?"

  "Sure, just go in the front." Andy walked back to supervise the men in Darcy's office.

  By day, the bar looked even more seedy, and it felt lifeless. It reeked of skunky beer and stale cigarette smoke with undertones of sweat and urine. The interior was better lit than it was the night Gabi and I were here. The bright lights showed various stains on the maroon carpeting and nicks and scratches in the woodwork. It's definitely an after dark kind of place.

  A woman sat alone at the bar. She wore a kerchief over brown hair that was beginning to gray, and she wore jeans and a tee shirt that had seen better days. I didn't blame her, I wouldn't wear anything good to clean this dive either.

  As Ben and I approached her, she lifted a Collins glass that was half full of a caramel colored liquid and took a big gulp.

  Allison?" I said and sat next to her. "I'm Hallie James, and this is Ben Gordon. We're working with the police. Would you tell us what happened?"

  She sighed, and I smelled whisky on her breath. "I was here by seven and got started cleaning. It must have been a slow night because the mess wasn't too bad." She picked at a callous on her thumb.

  "Take your time," I said gently.

  "When I was gathering the trash, I found out the office door was locked." She took another sip of whisky.

  "Is that unusual?" Ben asked.

  "It happens," she said with a shrug. "When its locked, it means the queen bee is crashed out on the couch. It made me mad this morning because I wanted to get done. I've got two other places to clean after this, so I opened the door with my key. The room was empty."

  Allison sipped her whiskey and lit a cigarette. "Sorry, but I need one."

  Ben got her an ashtray from a stack at the other end of the bar.

  "Thanks," she said. She lit up and sucked the smoke deep into her lungs. “I dumped the office trash into a big bag and noticed the office door to the outside wasn't shut. I could see daylight between the door and the jam."

  "Has that ever happened?" I asked.

  "No." Allison shook her head. "But I just thought Darcy was bagged again and left it that way. So I used that door to take the trash to the dumpster. That's where I found her." Allison grimaced and tossed back the rest of her drink. "I peeled back the dumpster lid, and there she lay on her back, staring up at me."

  Allison walked around the bar and refilled her glass. "I'm not going to be able to work today, and my boss is going to be pissed."

  "Who's your boss?" I asked.

  Allison came back around the bar and sat down again. "Gail Kubicki of Kubicki Cleaning." She lifted her glass in a mock salute.

  Ben raised his eyebrows. "Does your boss ever clean here?"

  "My boss doesn't do anything if she can help it." Allison lit another cigarette and blew the smoke out her nose. "She's been here a couple times when I got appendicitis. And once when I went to Massachusetts to see my sister."

  "She has keys too?" I asked.

  "She gave me this set " Allison jingled two keys on a Snoopy keychain. "But she never asked to use them, so she must have her own."

  "Did you find anything unusual while you were cleaning this morning?" I asked. I made a mental note to chat with Gail about her involvement with Darcy.

  "Just the usual," Allison said and slurped her whiskey. "But last week there was a couple of empty boxes of kid's allergy medicine. There's never any kids here."

  I exchanged a look with Ben. "Where did you find them?"

  "In the back room," Allison pointed towards the door that Taylor had led Gabi and me into.

  "The stripper's dressing room?" I asked.

  "I dunno," Allison said. "I've never been here when the strippers are, I just clean up after them." The alcohol was leaving its mark. "If I had boobs, that's what I'd do." She looked down at her small bosom. "What's wrong with you two? If you'd grown bigger than mosquito bites, I wouldn't have to work like a dog."

  Ben's face turned red and he walked outside. I could still hear his laughter through the door. "Where do you live, Allison? I can take you home." Besides skipping work, she definitely should not drive.

  "Just down the road. Don't worry, I can walk home." She pushed away from the bar, slid off the stool, and landed on her hands and knees. "Whoops! The damn stools in this place are slippery little devils."

  I did a face palm and helped Allison to her feet. She staggered a few steps and fell again. This time she landed at Andy's feet. I hadn't heard him enter the bar from the office door.

  "What happened?" Andy bent and helped her up.

  I held up the almost empty glass. "I think she needs a ride home."

  "Did she tell you anything interesting?"

  "She works for Gail Kubicki, and last week she found empty boxes from children's allergy medicine."

  "Where?" Andy caught Allison as her legs gave out again.

  "The dressing room."

  "Damn. I came in here to tell you that we found a .38 revolver in Darcy's desk drawer," Andy said while holding Allison upright. She was passing out on her feet.

  "Could you tell if it had been fired recently?" I walked over and helped him with Allison.

  "It needs to be cleaned, but I'm not sure when it was last fired. I'm sending it to the lab. They'll tell us for sure."

  "She should go to the hospital," I said, looking at Allison. "I don't know how much whiskey she drank, and she passed out very quickly."

  Andy nodded and picked Allison up. "I'll have Phil Stewart run her to the ER. You and Ben can join Mike at Darcy's home."

  I nodded and held the front door so he could get outside with the unconscious Allison.

  "What happened?" Ben asked and ran over to help. He'd been waiting by my car, watching the traffic go by on the highway.

  "She passed out," I said.

  "That was fast," Ben opened the door to a squad car and helped Andy get Allison inside. They laid her on her side and propped her in place with rolled up ponchos.

  "Tell Mike, I'll be down in an hour or so." Andy shut the car door, and he and Ben did a fist bump.

  "See ya there," I said.

  Ben and I climbed into my Denali and made our way to Darcy's.

  We parked and went up the short walk. The front door was ajar, so I pushed it open a few more inches.

  "What do you want?" Taylor snapped at us from the living room.

  "We're with the police, Taylor," I said, giving her back a bitchy glare. I led Ben inside.

  "Yeah, thanks for blowing off your mouth to the cops." She turned to walk away.

  "Hey, just can the attitude," I said. "I didn't tell anybody, anything about you that they didn't need to know. There's a little girl out there somewhere, who wants to go home to her mother. You remember her mother, your best friend?"

  "Patty and I sat in the cop shop for hours yesterday," Taylor said in a softer tone. She crossed her arms over her chest, and her eyes dropped to the floor.

  "And somebody put a bullet through my windshield... while we were in it," Ben said.

  "It wasn't me or Patty. Honest," Taylor insisted. "We didn't leave the library until the cops made us go with them."

  "What about Patty's .38, the one that she never reported stolen?" I asked.

  She shrugged. I told her to tell the cops, but they scare her. You know, she's had bad experiences with them."

  I nodded. "When did it go missing?"

 
"Last Tuesday, somebody took it out of her purse, Taylor said.

  I doubt she has a carry permit, but I didn't mention it. "Where was she before she noticed it was missing?"

  "It was in her purse before we went to class." Taylor leaned forward over a chair back. "We came back here for lunch, and then we went to the library. When we left there to go for supper, she noticed it was gone."

  And a .38 revolver shows up in Darcy's desk drawer. There's a good chance it belongs to Patty.

  Did your mother have a habit of taking your things?" I asked.

  Taylor snorted and rolled her eyes. "She broke my piggy bank when I was seven for cigarette money. If she saw something she wanted, she took it."

  "That's really bad," I said. "But I'm sorry you lost your mother."

  "I'm not," Taylor said. "I just don't know where I'm going to live. I might have to drop out of school and get another job."

  "She didn't have insurance?" I said.

  "Knowing her, probably not." Taylor sighed. "Darcy didn't give much thought to the future or anybody besides herself."

  "There you are," Mike Krause said from the stairs. "Andy called and told me you were on your way."

  "Yeah, he said he'd be here in about an hour," Ben said.

  "Well, he already missed the party," Mike said wryly. "The State Police are taking everything."

  "What do you mean?" Ben said.

  "We found child porn upstairs," Mike said with disgust. "On DVDs, on a laptop, and piles of magazines, they're all full of child porn."

  "Charlie's stash," Ben said. "The sick son of a bitch."

  "It's all going to the state police lab." Mike shook his head. "They'll be able to prove it's his, by the DNA on the magazines."

  I gagged a little when that sunk in.

  "Is Charlie under arrest?" I watched various officers carry boxes and bags out the front door.

  "He will be," Mike said. "But that case isn't ours anymore."

  "What if he has Lexi somewhere?" I felt sick thinking about her alone, maybe underground, with no food or water.

  "With everything we found, he's looking at fifty years in prison." Mike shrugged apologetically. "They think Charlie might tell us where she is, in exchange for a few years off his sentence. Besides, we don't know if he does have her."