Disrobed for Death

by Sylvia Rochester

  “Unless a threat is imminent, we don’t have that kind of money or man power available. It doesn’t happen like it does in the movies. But there’s nothing to stop her from hiring private security.”

  “I’ll pass that on to her. Tonight, her brothers are going to sit watch outside Jack’s door. She can talk with them and see what they think about hiring someone. If he were my brother, I’d do it, no matter the cost.”

  “So, how are you holding up without any sleep?”

  “I’m not. I’m about to crater.”

  “That’s exactly what you should do. Get a hot bath and snuggle up with your pillow. Oh, one more thing. Make sure you lock your doors.”

  “I’m way ahead of you on that. Gary might be gone, but I can’t get that creep out of my mind, and now we have an unknown suspect to worry about. If someone does break in, I hope I hear them. I’m so exhausted, I’m not sure I would.”

  Susan hung up and made her way to the bedroom. “Move over, Marmalade. The bath can wait till morning.”

  To her surprise, Susan woke at daybreak feeling fully revived. Better yet, her muscles no longer ached. “Guess my energy syringe is on full again,” she said to Marmalade, who arched his back, then did his morning stretch routine.

  After a quick shower, Susan wasted no time dressing and applying makeup. She wanted to get to the hospital early in hopes of having a few minutes with Jack before more of his family and Wesley arrived. It wasn’t her intention to have an I-told-you-so moment. She just wanted to let him know she was glad he wasn’t killed. If anything, she wanted to apologize for not catching and stopping the person.

  Since the seven-to-eleven shift change was underway at the hospital, Susan lucked out and found a parking place close to the main entrance. The weather was on the cold side, but the sky was a bright blue. After the miserable weather the previous night, sunshine was most welcomed.

  The smell of hospital food and clanking of trays reminded her that she only had a cup of coffee this morning. Maybe she’d grab something from the cafeteria before she left. To her surprise, Ramona was standing in the doorway when she arrived at Jack’s room.

  “I thought your brothers were staying the night?”

  “They did. I came on about four o’clock so they could get ready to go to work. I didn’t expect to see you this early.”

  “I was anxious to see how he was doing before I headed for the boutique.”

  “He’s awake and coherent. Thank the Lord he doesn’t seem to have any side effects.”

  Susan peeked into the room. Jack raised his hand and gave her a slight wave.

  “You probably could use some coffee by now,” Susan said to Ramona. “Would it be okay if I sat with Jack for a while?”

  Ramona gave her a knowing look. “I think you two could use some time together.”

  Susan pulled a couple of dollars from her purse and handed them to Ramona. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, would you mind bringing me a biscuit with sausage?”

  “I’d be glad to.”

  Jack smiled at Susan as she crossed the room and settled in the chair nearest his bed. “Guess I should have believed you.”

  “I don’t blame you. If someone had told me that story, I probably wouldn’t have believed them either. Let’s be glad it turned out like it did. I was pretty sure I had identified the would-be murderer, but things changed, and for a while, I believed I had foiled their plot. Obviously, I was wrong. Someone else wants you dead.

  “I had help from a detective friend who agreed to watch your apartment. He didn’t know it but A. K. and I were also running our own surveillance. Despite out best efforts, someone got past us and nearly killed you. As of now, we have no idea who this person is. My friend, Wesley Grissom, and the police department are doing all they can to find out the identity of this person.”

  “You mean law enforcement believed your story?”

  “Oh, no, only Wesley knows about my experience. Maybe it’s best you not mention it either. They might lock us all up.”

  Jack chuckled.

  “The sheriff’s office thought Wesley was staking out the complex in hopes of catching a burglar. Then he said he got a tip from his confidential informant that someone planned to kill you, so he kept an eye on your apartment. He thought everything was okay until he couldn’t get anyone to answer the door in the morning.”

  “And to think I was oblivious to everything.”

  “Like I said, A. K. and I couldn’t stand waiting for Wesley to call, so we slipped in ahead of him and parked behind a dumpster. We wanted to be right there if something happened. Wesley was not happy to see us the next morning.”

  “A. K. was with you?”

  Susan could tell the question was rhetorical, and Jack continued. “Hard to believe none of you saw anything?”

  “It wasn’t because we weren’t trying. We kept our eyes peeled on everyone coming and going. But it was raining, and lots of people were milling about on their way to a party next door to you. You didn’t hear the loud music?”

  “After a 36-hour shift, the walls could have fallen in, and I wouldn’t have known it. But let’s get back to you. So, what you’ve been trying to tell me was real? You really met me at our wake? What was it like?”

  Susan told him everything from her arrival at the funeral home to when she woke up in the hospital.

  “That’s spooky,” he said. “I wonder if that’s how it’s really going to be when we do die.”

  “Only one way to know for sure, and I’m not ready to give it a try…at least, not yet.”

  “So where do we go from here?”

  “Now it’s up to Wesley and the sheriff’s department. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, he can. Wesley’s coming to see you this morning. Anything you can remember, however trivial might help.”

  Susan turned at the sound of high heels tapping against the floor. Ramona appeared, holding a small bag and a cup of coffee. Her shoulder purse swung with each step. “Well, did you two finally get on the same page?”

  “We most certainly did,” Jack said, “even though it took a bullet raking my scalp to get through to me.”

  “Here’s your biscuit, Susan, and I figured you could use some coffee to wash it down.”

  “Thanks.” Susan wasted no time eating her breakfast.

  “How does your wound feel today?” Ramona asked.

  “Like someone parted my hair with a finger of fire. It might look bad, but it’s not deep and should heal fast.”

  “You’re going to have visitors today, so you might want to freshen up. Susan and I will step into the hall and give you some privacy. If you need any help, just holler.”

  Susan finished her biscuit and was dabbing her mouth with a napkin when she spied Wesley coming down the hall. His long strides and broad shoulders set him apart from the orderlies on the floor. When he got closer, Susan noticed he was wearing a shoulder mike and ear plug.

  “My detective friend has arrived,” she said to Ramona, who looked down the hall.

  “Wesley Grissom, I know him,” she said.

  “I didn’t expect to see you here so soon,” Wesley said to Susan.

  Ramona answered before Susan could say anything. “Hi, Wesley. It’s good to see you. I’m glad Susan came. Jack can’t deny Susan’s story any more, and he’s grateful for her persistence as well as your help. I know you have questions for him, and I’m sure he’ll do everything he can to help you.” Ramona knocked on the door. “You decent, Jack?”

  “Yes, come in.”

  Jack and Wesley shook hands.

  “Susan told me everything. Thanks for all your help. I’m sorry to have kept you up all night,” Jack said.

  “I wish I could have prevented that,” Wesley pointed to the red streak on the top of Jack’s head, the one left by the bullet. “I know you told the officer you didn’t remember anything, but sometimes things will come back to you in pieces. I want you to remember going home after your shift and walking into
your apartment. Close your eyes. Picture it. “What do you smell? Maybe perfume, after shave, or how about tobacco?”

  Jack wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

  “Did anyone have access to your apartment that day?”

  “Only the cleaning lady, Vera. I remember everything was spotless, and yes, I did smell something—the lemon furniture polish and cinnamon air spray she always uses.

  “Think hard. Do you remember anything about the person who shot you?”

  “No. I was sound asleep and heard something. I woke, but it was dark. I got a glimpse of someone, but only a glimpse, a shadowy figure all in black. I guess Susan’s story was in the back of my mind. I lunged and knocked the person off balance as the gun fired. Guess her warning saved my life.”

  “Was the person tall, short, thin, fat?”

  “Short with a slim build.”

  Wesley glanced at Susan. “I thought you said Vera was watching the house next door.”

  “She was, and she didn’t say anything about cleaning Jack’s apartment. But since Gary was long gone, there really wasn’t any reason for her to keep an eye on his place. Maybe she decided to get on with some of her cleaning jobs. She knew the doctor was at the hospital and wouldn’t be home till late.”

  “Maybe she noticed something out of the ordinary,” Wesley said. “I’d like to talk with her, find out when she arrived and more importantly, when she left.”

  “You don’t suspect Vera, do you?” Ramona said. “I can’t believe she would be capable of such a thing.”

  “I can’t rule out anyone,” Wesley said. “Any reason she might hold a grudge against the doctor?”

  “No…uh…wait, no, it can’t be. Not after ten years!” Ramona said.

  “What after ten years?” Wesley asked.

  “I operated on her husband for an aneurysm,” Jack said. “From all indications, the surgery was a success. Then the day he was released from the hospital, he dropped dead. It was a shock to all of us. She took his death hard but never said anything to make me think she blamed me. And she never sued me or the hospital.”

  “Doesn’t make sense she’d wait this long to seek revenge, but stranger things have happened,” Susan said. “Maybe her love for her late husband was stronger than we could have imagined. She sure had me fooled. I was convinced she’d found happiness with someone else. Instead, maybe what she found was an accomplice.”

  “Are you talking about Herman?” Wesley asked. “How well do you know him?”

  “Even less than I know about Vera,” Susan said.

  “And how do you know he was really following Gary? I can’t rule him out, either.”

  “He does seem to know the kind of people who could have supplied the gun, either for him or for Vera. Oh, I just thought of something. Maybe Vera got a gun the day she went to New Orleans to visit her sister, the day she had the accident on the Interstate.”

  “Wait a minute,” Ramona said. “Vera doesn’t have a sister. She did have a daughter, though. She was a teenager when her father died. I understand she left home soon after that.”

  “Vera never mentioned her to me,” Jack said.

  “I don’t think mother and daughter had a very good relationship,” Ramona said. “I never met the daughter, but she has to be in her twenties by now.”

  “What was her name?” Wesley asked.

  “Brandy.”

  “And the father’s?”

  “David Barksdale.”

  Wesley wrote down the names. “Maybe the New Orleans Police Department has something on the daughter. Somehow or other she might be a piece of this puzzle. I’ll contact headquarters to request the information.” Wesley stepped into the hall. When he returned, he said, “If New Orleans has anything on her, I should hear something shortly.”

  “Susan?” Herman’s big frame swallowed up the doorway. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but could I have a word with you and Wesley?

  The two excused themselves and stepped into the hall.

  “Something’s not right with Vera,” Herman said. “Ever since she went to New Orleans to see her sister, she’s been acting strange. Last night, for no reason, she broke off our relationship. I don’t understand what happened. She’s not the same person.”

  “How long have you known Vera?” Wesley asked.

  “Several months, but it seems I’ve known her all my life. I really love her.”

  Susan placed a hand on Herman’s arm. “Vera doesn’t have a sister.”

  “What?”

  “Ramona just told us she had a daughter. Wesley is trying to find out more information about her.”

  “Why would Vera lie to me?”

  “Like you said, she’s not herself,” Wesley said. “Do you know if she had a gun?”

  Herman shook his head. “I never saw one and never had any reason to ask.”

  “I think it’s time I pay Vera Barksdale a visit,” Wesley said.

  “Mind if I come along?” Herman said. “There’s something else you should see.”

  “Well you’re not leaving me behind,” Susan said. “I’ll follow in my car.”

  Wesley agreed. “I have a feeling I couldn’t stop either of you if I wanted to. Just don’t interfere. When I locate Vera, it just might take a woman’s touch to get through to her, or she might just want to talk with Herman.”

  “Standing by the door, I couldn’t help but overhear,” Ramona said. “You will call and let us know if you find out anything, won’t you?”

  Wesley nodded.

  When they exited the hospital, they ran into A. K. who was coming down the walkway.

  “How is he?” she asked.

  “Much better, and I’m sure he’ll be pleased to see you,” Susan said with a wink.

  “Where are y’all going?”

  “No time to talk,” she said as Wesley tugged on her arm. “I’ll fill you in later.”

  Chapter 19

  Wesley, Herman, and Susan arrived at Vera’s a few minutes later, each in their own vehicle.

  “Vera’s car’s gone,” Herman said.

  “That doesn’t mean she’s not in here,” Wesley said. “Her car could be out back. Before we go snooping around and get ourselves shot, let’s make sure.”

  Herman knocked. “Open up, Vera, it’s me.”

  No one answered. He knocked again, and then they looked in the windows. No one saw anyone. Herman took out his key and opened the door. “Please, don’t let us find her body.”

  Susan cringed at the thought of Vera committing suicide.

  “You two wait right here until I check it out,” Wesley said. He drew his gun and stepped inside. A few moments later, he called to them. “It’s okay.”

  Susan was relieved that Vera wasn’t lying in a pool of blood.

  “You wouldn’t happen to know where she might keep a weapon, would you,” Wesley asked Herman.

  “Your guess is as good as mine,” Herman said.

  “Then this might take a while.”

  Wesley searched every possible hiding place and turned up nothing.

  “I need to show you something out back,” Herman said. Once out the door, he pointed to tire tracks left deep in the mud after the rain. The trail led to the garage and a muddy Harley. “I sure as hell didn’t take the bike out last night. But Vera…? I can’t bring myself to believe she would shoot the doctor.”

  “It doesn’t look good,” Wesley said.

  “A motorcycle! Yes, I remember hearing a deep rumbling the night of the stakeout,” Susan said. “I was concentrating on people and cars. It never crossed my mind to look for a motorcycle.”

  “I remember seeing someone leave on a bike,” Wesley said, “but the rider looked like a kid, so I just blew it off.”

  “Vera might be tiny, but she’s more than capable of handling a bike in any weather. And with me watching Clarissa’s place, there was no one here to question her whereabouts. Boy, did she play me.”

  Wesley rechecked the drawers in a hutch.
“I sure would like to know if she’s still armed. If she’s smart, she would have ditched it by now, unless she has other plans. It’s obvious she isn’t thinking straight. What kind of car does she drive?”

  Herman spoke up. “A gray, 2007 Nissan Altima.”

  “Oh, guys!” Susan said. “Do you think she’d go after Jack again, finish what she started? I’m sure by now the news has spread. We have to warn the hospital, get an officer out there.”

  “You sure you didn’t go to the academy?” Wesley asked. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do, and request they issue a BOLO.”

  He hit his mike and talked to headquarters.

  Herman paced the back and forth. “I can’t believe it. How could I have been so blind?”

  “Looks like Vera fooled everyone,” Susan said. “Let’s hope we can stop her before she does any more harm, to Jack or to herself.”

  “Okay, headquarters issued a BOLO,” Wesley said, “and an officer has been dispatched to the hospital.”

  “I’ll let Ramona know one’s on his way,” Susan said. When Ramona answered, Susan explained the situation. “Is A. K. still there? Good. I’ll keep you all posted.”

  “This isn’t New York,” Wesley said, “More than likely someone will spot Vera or her car before long.”

  “Not necessarily. We don’t know when she left. She could be several states over by now,” Susan said.

  Wesley walked into the kitchen. “I don’t think so. The coffee pot’s still warm. I’m guessing she hasn’t been gone too long.”

  “I can’t see where she took anything,” Herman said. “Her closet is still full of clothes and so is her chest of drawers. That really worries me.”

  Wesley looked out the window and drummed his fingers on the counter. “Where could she have gone?”

  Susan could tell Wesley was thinking out loud. Neither she nor Herman offered an answer.

  “Well, I’m not one to sit and wait,” Wesley said. “Police and state troopers will cover the highways and Interstate, but they can’t cover all the back roads. She might be looking for a secluded spot.” He made eye contact with Herman. “Suicide is a possibility.”