by J. S. Peck
“Absolutely.”
Let’s go into my office, okay?”
“Sounds good to me.”
After I had settled into one of the two club chairs facing my desk, Brian turned to me with a stern look. “I know that you are hiding something from me, Rosie. I need to know everything now! No fooling around!”
“I promise to share what I have, but first I need to know who you really are. You have people answering to you and you don’t seem like your average news reporter. What’s really going on?”
Although I had some idea of what it was, I wanted to hear it from Brian, himself. He hesitated obviously wondering if he should blow his cover. He simply looked at me, saying nothing for a minute or so. Then, he must have decided he could trust me. He sat down hard in the soft arm chair, leaned forward and pushed his hand through his auburn curls.
“If we’re working together, I can see you need to know more. What I tell you is in strict confidence, of course. I’m doing undercover work because we believe this group connected with the Purple Passion Lounge is somehow involved with drugs in a big way and we’re getting ready to split it wide open. We have been following them for more than a year. We know that something huge is going down soon. Yes, we’re interested in finding the killers of Melissa and Sally, something I know you want. I want it, too. But our first priority is the drug bust. That has to come first. Do you understand?”
“Who do you work for?’ I asked as curiosity built. “Who is the, we?”
“It’s a long story.” He sighed. “It’s hard to explain,” he said procrastinating. “And somewhat hard to believe.” After a long pause, he continued. “After my sister died, I was contacted by a man who’d read in the news what’d happened. He had a similar story with his own sister and that hadn’t ended well for her either. He wanted to make up for his sister’s attacker getting away scot free by helping me do whatever needed to be done to bring my sister’s attacker to justice. Most importantly, he was willing to pay me whatever amount of money it took for me to do so. Before too long, I was successful in helping to put away my sister’s attacker for a very long time.”
Now I knew for sure who the person in my vision was. His sister. Maybe Mike would be able to tell me more.
“Strangely, I’ve never met this man in person and, in fact, don’t know who he is. However, he was so impressed with what I’d done, he wanted me to continue working for him every now and then to help solve different cases of interest to him. He has a lot of power and seems to have endless amounts of money so he’s able to pull some strings along the way. In fact, he’s the one who arranged for my getting the job at the station.”
“Wow. That’s unbelievable!”
“It is because of him I’ve also been able to set me up my own investigative business in Boston. Just so you know, Mike is my business partner. There are others on staff besides the two of us.”
“I’m not sure I fully understand. So what exactly is this guy’s interest in the drug bust?”
Brian looked a little sheepish. “I don’t really know and I don’t ask. As long as everything is on the up and up, that’s all that matters to me.”
“It sounds a little bit like you’re his Robin Hood for hire…” I mumbled.
Brian chuckled with pleasure. “I guess,” is all he said. “Do you understand why it’s so important for me to bring the drug bust to a close? Even though I think you should opt out of everything, I know you won’t. Are you okay working with us on that?”
“Yes, for sure. I believe it’s all tied together with Melissa and Sally’s situation, anyhow, don’t you?
He nodded in agreement. I would see to it that Melissa and Sally wouldn’t be forgotten. As I sat there taking it all in, I recalled a saying my grandmother used. “Everything in its own time.” Yes, there was a lot to be said for that. However, as a shiver of premonition overwhelmed me that something big indeed was coming to a head very soon, I snapped at Brian, “You couldn’t have filled me in on this sooner?”
“Would it have made a difference?”
“Maybe,” I responded. Who else knew? I asked, “Does your boss know about you and what you do?”
“No, and we don’t want him to. He seems far too interested in squashing any new info concerning the murders or anything to do with all the drugs so readily available. He has refused my doing any news reporting or exposing it in any way.”
Ruminating, I said, “It seems odd that he hasn’t caught on that you aren’t a real reporter, especially when he sees you on television.”
“And sees something besides how handsome I am?” he asked in jest.
“Well, each time I’ve seen you on TV, you don’t seem to have a lot to say. It’s usually very hurried without much meat to it.”
Instead of being offended, Brian rolled his eyes and laughed out loud. “To be honest, my boss thinks I am the worst reporter he has ever had! As well as the biggest pain in the ass what with me hounding him about the murders and drugs. That’s why he’s been giving me all the little non-happenings around town – all that reporting that no one else wants to do – which actually has turned out to be a blessing. It gives me time to do my own investigating.”
“Hmm. Well, that’s good then, isn’t it?
Brian nodded his head in agreement and looked at me expectantly. “Well? Now it’s your turn, Rosie.”
“Are you good at solving puzzles?”
“Not too bad. Why?”
“I have something to show you.”
Brian’s eyes widened. “What is it?”
“Wait right here. I’ll be right back.”
Earlier, I had removed Melissa’s package from my special hiding place and grabbed the mysterious notes from the bag and took them into my office to make copies. I then placed the copies into my hiding place as a backup should I need them. I had debated whether to remove the money from the envelope before giving it to Brian. I decided I would and placed Melissa’s full envelope in my sock drawer to wait for Brian to arrive.
As I hurried downstairs after grabbing the package, my heart beat a mile a minute. I could feel my face flush with excitement and nervousness. I handed him the package and watched his face as he opened the envelope and saw the money. He poked further and pulled out the envelope that had been written for Melissa’s mother. The notes must have gotten stuck again for I couldn’t see them in his hand or lap. As I went to say something to him, he peeked inside the envelope and pulled out the notes. He was pissed. “What the fuck? What are these? Where did these come from?”
I stood there saying nothing, not knowing where to begin.
“God dammit, Rosie, you’ve certainly been holding out on me – on all of us, really. Tell me about everything right now!” he demanded with fury.
“Okay,” I answered stiffly, feeling a bit guilty that I hadn’t trusted him from the beginning. “Well, I suggest that you start by reading the notes from Melissa to me.”
I caught him up on everything but what had happened to Sophia at PUP. My life and perhaps his as well would be in greater danger should that be leaked out and Sophia’s boss found out.
“Let’s go over this again. I have to know every little detail, understand? No more holding out on me!”
I hated to be in the wrong and I was getting angry. What had I really known about Brian before getting into all of this with me? “Just a minute! Back up, Mr. B. B.!”
At hearing his initials spit out, he blushed, looking uncomfortable. “Don’t call me that name again, hear?” he demanded through gritted teeth.
“I will if I have to get your attention, Mister Cowboy! YOU need to be reminded that I met you just a few days ago so how was I to know you could be trusted with all of this?”
I was furious with Brian. He rose from his chair with his arms crossed in front of him glaring. He was obviously angry with me as well. We were at a st
andstill. There was a current of electricity between us that was undeniable and it took my breath away. I knew he could feel it too. He started to reach his hand out to me but instead of letting him pull me into his arms, I took in several deep breaths. I stepped back and announced, “I’m going to get a cup of coffee. Would you like one, too?”
He was confused and upset, and didn’t respond right away. We both were tired and cranky. He sat back down and replied stiffly, “That would be nice. Thank you very much.”
When I returned, I sat across from him and asked, “Do you think Melissa was dealing drugs as well?”
“Probably, don’t you?”
“No, I don’t. I can’t explain why I feel that way but I believe she’s innocent of that. It doesn’t make sense that she’d be heavily involved in dealing drugs and big money and then suddenly become a simple PUP driver. Especially since she wasn’t using drugs herself.”
“Not everyone who deals drugs is a user, you know.”
“True. But it doesn’t add up for Melissa.”
“Maybe she was transporting the drugs. Who knows? What about Sam? Look at what happened to him. Maybe he’s part of it. You said he was the one who inspected the cars. He could’ve made a spot for the drugs to hide, couldn’t he?”
“I suppose,” I responded with no conviction in my voice.
“By the way, we have secured Melissa’s car and nothing seems out of line there so maybe Sam is clear as well. Speaking of him, let’s check with the hospital and find out if he’s awake enough to talk to us.”
“There’s no point.” I responded with sadness. “It’s too late.”
“How do you know?” he responded with some irritation. “I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“I just do.” I said weakly.
At that moment, the phone rang for Brian. He listened and looked at me in a funny way. “Okay, then. Thanks for the call.”
“You’re right, Rosie. Sam died early this morning.”
We spent most of the day reviewing what we knew and discussed what we didn’t know. We marked a few items on the white board. “Did you ever interview the old lady who heard something the night that Sally was killed?” I asked.
“Yeah. She only heard scuffling sounds. She never saw anyone that night. She identified Tony, though, as someone who came to Sally’s condo off and on. But that’s not unusual since they were family and in the Purple Passion business together.”
“What about Melissa’s boss? Anything new on him?”
“That’s where you are going to come in handy by working at the Purple Passion Lounge. We’re relying on you to give us as much information as you SAFELY can. No taking chances for you, Rosie, do you understand?”
I nodded, yes, and looked away. I would do whatever was necessary to put the drug dealers behind bars, safe or not.
“I have several men scheduled to take turns as customers at the Purple Passion Lounge when you’re working there. Please let me know your schedule as soon as you can, okay? Are you sure you are going to be okay working there? Do you still want to go through with all this?”
“Absolutely. I don’t know why you keep asking me! How many times do I have to tell you that you can count on me? I’m in this to the end,” I snapped.
“Okay, okay. You don’t have to bite my head off!”
“Then stop asking me!”
After a minute or two, I leaned toward Brian and said, “Sorry. I’m just a little on edge.”
“So are we all. What time do you go into work Monday for training?”
“I have to be there by 10 o’clock.”
Brian nodded his head. “Okay, then. I’ll have each of the men who’ll be there undercover as a guest ask you if your name is Linda. That way you will know who they are, okay?”
Brian looked at his watch and stirred to get up. “Mike should be back anytime soon.”
As he stood there staring at me, I could see dark circles under his eyes. I knew he was worried and probably had not been sleeping much lately. As he stood, so did Sweet Pea, who had been laying at his feet. She stared at him with her tail wagging, pleading for him to pay attention to her. Honestly, I had to admire Sweet Pea for she was straight forward in letting anyone know her desires. No games for her. There was something to be said for that…
CHAPTER 21
Mike Williams was in his late 30s, maybe even early 40s, tall and handsome – and at 6’2” a bit taller and broader than Brian. He had a full head of black hair, intense dark brown eyes and tanned skin looking like the outdoorsman he was. Although he and Brian were completely opposite in coloring, they had a similar air about them. They were sure in their ways, causing others to look to them for leadership. It was obvious they wouldn’t take guff from anyone. A very comforting thought.
Mike settled in as if he were used to living here. However, I was still on edge by having a stranger in the house. It’d taken me a bit to relax around him being there. Probably more so because I wasn’t use to sharing my space with anyone since Jeff died.
I looked around my house from a different perspective, from what might be Mike’s viewpoint. I was pleased at how comfy the entire house seemed. This, in spite of some of the original valuable art work and antiques my parents had collected from around the world. The nice thing for anyone entering, they could sense right away it’d be more than okay to take off your shoes and curl up on the couch to relax. Especially because of the way I had utilized and mixed some of their treasures into my own unique way of designing.
At supper time, I poured myself a glass of wine. I offered a beer to Mike, who refused it, saying he was on the job. I turned on the news to see if anything new had happened. There was a small blurb about Sam whose death was stated as a robbery. Both Mike and I knew that wasn’t true. “God, Mike. It’s amazing what gets on the news that isn’t true at all and no one to call them on it. It’s scary.”
“You have no idea, doll!”
“What do you think, Mike? Are we going to be able to catch these guys in the act and get them busted for dealing drugs?”
“Oh, we’ll get them, alright…”
There really wasn’t anything else of any significance on the news. So I switched it off and put on soft music. I’d wondered whether Mike would tell me more about Brian’s heartbreak. By now, knowing the woman who’d broken his heart was his sister, I asked, “Was Brian’s sister younger than him?”
“He told you about that?” he asked, somewhat surprised.
“Well, not everything. What actually happened?”
“She was younger than Brian. She attended one of the large colleges in Boston. In her second year there, she was attacked, raped, beaten very badly, and nearly died. When she tried to bring charges against her attacker, she was ridiculed because ‘she must have encouraged him’ in some way. Others accused her of wanting revenge for something she had allowed to happen. The shame and accusations that others tossed her way were endless.”
“Oh, my God!”
“The man who raped and beat her literally destroyed her. She was never the same. She became afraid of everything, hiding herself in her condo from the outside world. She lost reality of things around her. The rapist had taken away every ounce of her joy for living, and nine months later she overdosed and died.”
“How every sad,” I said with a heaviness in my heart. “Did you know her?”
“At the time, I was the policeman who found her. That’s how I met Brian.”
“I didn’t know you used to be a policeman!”
“A detective, really.”
We both were quiet, lost in our thoughts. I got up and went into the kitchen to organize something for us to eat. I made grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, a real comfort food for me.
Afterwards, Mike helped me clean up. Then I headed up the stairs to read in bed. Mike would be sleeping
in the guest room farthest from me so I could have more privacy. He’d also take over the couch at times when he became restless.
The following day we each did our own thing in the morning on our separate computers. I looked at my Tarot cards sitting on my desk and ignored them. I didn’t want to know what might happen, especially if the Death card came up again.
Later, Mike and I went to the grocery store together and each put into the cart what we liked to eat. Mike liked red meat, something I didn’t eat too often. I filled the cart with vegetables and fruit. In the frozen food section, we’d both grabbed for the same coconut gelato and ended up buying four of them. I knew we gave the appearance of a happy couple for we found ourselves laughing at our situation while others looked on with approval. I wondered if it would have been the same if it were Brian rather than Mike.
Later, I grilled the steaks outside with some asparagus and we enjoyed our dinner together, sitting on the patio. I had a nice glass of Pinot Noir while Mike refused any alcohol, stating once again he was on the job. His statement brought me back to the reality of what was really going on.
On the last night before my starting at the Purple Passion Lounge, we watched the movie, “Vegas Vacation.” We both roared over the antics of Chevy Chase and his reaction to Wayne Newton’s attraction to his wife. It was such fun to laugh like that again. I was grateful that Brian had insisted Mike would be here to protect me. I was getting comfortable at having him around, making me less tense. After the movie, I checked my watch and rose from the couch. I gathered Sweet Pea, who was nestled against Mike, and headed upstairs.
I immediately fell into a deep sleep without dreams until 5:30 when Sweet Pea woke me up with kisses on my cheek. I felt disoriented until I remembered today was my first day at the Purple Passion Lounge. I sat straight up in bed. As I reviewed all the happenings leading to this day, my head began to whirl. I laid back in bed and closed my eyes and began to meditate.