Love 'Em or Leave 'Em Dead

  As I helped her to the Explorer, Ryan and Martha Gill approached us on the sidewalk.

  “Saw you fall,” Martha said. “Are you okay?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Patrice said.

  “So, you beat us here?” Ryan said.

  “I’m responsible for the girl. I thought they might know where they were,” she said.

  “Did they?” Ryan asked.

  “They claimed they didn’t,” Patrice said as she shrugged off my supporting hand and hobbled the few remaining steps to the Explorer. I used the remote to unlock the door.

  Ryan said, “Why wouldn’t she wait for us?”

  “She’s pretty worried.”

  “Where are you headed next?”

  “Back to Logan.”

  “Zach Whitman said you searched Grady’s room without a search warrant. I told him you were operating under ours.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “We can’t screw this up. Not that I believe Grady would shoot his girlfriend and her mother.”

  “No, it’s unlikely,” I said.

  Gill said, “Do you know his parents are serving fifteen years on a drug conviction? Their drug of choice was cocaine. Orton’s father, Lloyd, on the other hand, has never had so much as a speeding ticket.”

  Ryan said, “We have some things to discuss. Stay put at Logan until we get there.”

  “You got it.”

  When I got back in the car, Patrice said, “My ankle really hurts.”

  “Want to find a clinic?”

  “It’s just a sprain. They can’t do anything anyway. Let’s go to Sonya’s, so I can ice it.” After a few blocks, she said, “I slipped because the bottom of my boot was wet from the dog pee.”

  “Probably.”

  She then said, “You’re better with people than I am.”

  “If you want cooperation, folks have to feel respected.”

  She nodded. “I just get so disgusted with denial and ignorance. Grady didn’t bring his friends over because he was ashamed of them, not his parents.”

  “You don’t know that. By the way, Ryan’s pissed we didn’t wait for them.”

  “Too bad. My goddaughter’s missing, and some psycho killer may have her. What if she’s been kidnapped and a ransom’s demanded? I don’t know if I can get access to that kind of money easily. Maybe we should call the FBI.”

  “Calm it the hell down, Patrice.”

  She blinked at me and didn’t say any more.

  RUSSELL BENNETT’S RENTAL WAS sitting in the driveway of the Logan house. Patrice handed me the house key, and I acted as her human crutch as she hobbled up the steps and all the way to the living room, where Russell was sitting reading and sipping tea. I helped Patrice get situated on the sofa and propped her swollen foot onto a silk pillow. She grimaced in pain.

  Sarah entered. “What happened to you?”

  “I slipped. Is Zabrina back?”

  “Unfortunately, no.”

  “Do you have an ice pack?” I asked.

  Sarah hustled off.

  “Have you heard anything at all?” Russell asked.

  “We’ve just spoken to his grandparents, who raised him, and they don’t know where he is either.”

  “They could be lying,” Patrice said.

  “I don’t think so,” I said.

  “Whatever.”

  Sarah brought in a cold pack and placed it on Patrice’s ankle. “Do you want something for the pain? I have some left from when I had my wisdom teeth pulled.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Patrice said, managing a small smile.

  I thought better of reminding her taking someone else’s medication was illegal and stupid because she very well knew it. Sarah came back with a glass of water and two white pills. “I’ll go find the crutches Justine used when she sprained her ankle last summer.”

  Patrice swallowed the pills down and asked me to fix her a drink.

  “Alcohol with someone else’s pain meds?” I asked.

  “Oh, just do it.”

  Russell rushed to his feet. “I’ll get it. What would you like, Patrice?”

  “Scotch.”

  “You want something, deputy?” he asked.

  “No, thanks. It’s eleven o’clock, and I need to drive back to Prairie Falls this afternoon.”

  “How can you leave?” Patrice asked.

  “This is my week with my kids.”

  “Wouldn’t Shannon take them?”

  “Patrice . . .”

  “Fine.”

  Sarah came back with a pair of crutches. I adjusted them to fit Patrice.

  “Will you be joining us for dinner, Deputy Sheehan?”

  “No, but thanks.”

  “I’m making a rib roast.”

  “Sounds tempting, but I have to get back home.”

  This whole scene felt off to me. A girl was missing and her father and godmother were sipping beverages and a grand meal was being prepared.

  When I heard the front door open, I scrambled to the foyer. Zabrina and Grady brushed past me and headed for the stairs, Gap shopping bags in their hands.

  “Stop. I think you better stop and say hello to your father and Patrice,” I said. “No one knew where you were, and we couldn’t contact you by phone because you weren’t carrying yours.”

  Zabrina turned, looked at me, and rolled her eyes. Russell rushed to his daughter.

  “Thank God you’re okay,” he said.

  “I’m fine. Dad, this is my boyfriend, Grady.”

  When they entered the living room, Patrice hollered, “Where the hell have you been?”

  Zabrina burst into tears. Russell wrapped his arms around his daughter. “It’s okay, sweetheart. When you weren’t here, we thought you had been abducted.”

  “Abducted?”

  Patrice’s face was beet red. “Yes, abducted!”

  “Stop screaming at her. She’s pregnant!” Grady yelled back.

  Boom.

  21

  NO ONE SPOKE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. Zabrina’s face was locked in shock since Grady announced her uterine passenger. Embarrassed for everyone, I averted my attention to the fireplace, the popping and spitting of the burning logs and mesmerizing flames licking upward.

  Patrice broke the spell. “You didn’t have sex education in school? You weren’t aware condoms would prevent pregnancy?”

  Zabrina stepped away from Grady, as she whispered, “This was our secret, remember?”

  As Grady pulled her in close, her body tightened. “Sorry, sweetheart, I didn’t like you being yelled at.”

  One would expect him to look sheepish or scared like most kids in his predicament would be, but he was standing tall and proud. This was a story from which movies were made: Handsome, poor fella falls in love with and knocks up a pretty, rich girl.

  Patrice lifted a hand. “Maybe you’re just late with all the stress you’re experiencing,” she said.

  Grady said, “She used one of those tests.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Patrice asked, her voice sharp, accusing.

  “Why are you so mad at me?” Zabrina fired back. “Because your mother can’t be,” Patrice said.

  Whoa. Once again, the room fell silent.

  Zabrina’s face pinched up, and I prepared myself for the caterwauling. Russell found his way back to his chair, while Grady engulfed Zabrina in his arms as she bawled. When the wailing subsided, Grady said, “What made you think she’d been abducted?”

  I said, “We found my partner knocked out cold on Zabrina’s bathroom floor.”

  “What? How did that happen?” Zabrina said.

  “We assumed it had something to do with the fact you were missing. You left your cell phone, which only substantiated our theory.”

  Zabrina scowled. “I just forgot it. God, Aunt Patrice, you need to chill out.”

  “Chill out? Did you hear what Cal said? We thought you’d been abducted. We almost had a damn BOLO put out on your cars.”

  “E
xplain how Deputy Frank got knocked out,” I said.

  “How would I know?” Zabrina said. “She was fine when we left.”

  “Where was she when you last saw her?”

  “In my room. No one was here to help me take a bath, so she did. Then Grady showed up and we left.”

  “Is she okay?” Grady asked.

  “Not really. She’s in the hospital with a concussion,” I said.

  “She can’t remember a thing, so we were hoping you knew what happened,” Patrice said.

  Oh, shit. Double shit. Telling them Tamika was suffering from amnesia was beyond stupid.

  Grady said, “That’s terrible.”

  “Sarah, may I speak with you?” I said as I pointed to the hallway. Once away from the others, I asked, “Where are Tamika’s things?”

  “Downstairs in the guest room.”

  I followed her to the lowest level, past a laundry room and a workout room. Tamika’s purse and suitcase were on the floor near a small bureau. I searched through her things and found no firearm.

  “What’re you looking for?” she said.

  “Tamika’s firearm, a Smith & Wesson. Did you see it?”

  “No.”

  As we exited the room, I pointed to a closed door at the end of the hall.

  “What’s in there?”

  “Erica and John’s suite.”

  “Are they home yet?”

  “No.”

  “You’re sure.”

  “Positive. Their car isn’t here.”

  She knocked on the door and shouted their names. When no one answered, she said, “Should I get the master key and open it?”

  “No, I’m going upstairs to check Zabrina’s room.”

  THE BED WAS MADE, the towels were picked up from the bathroom floor.

  “Did you clean up in here?”

  “Yes, I do light cleaning on Erica’s days off,” Sarah said.

  “Where did you go this morning after I left?”

  “I ran errands.”

  “Was Russell still here?”

  “Yes, he and Zabrina were upstairs.”

  “And Tamika?”

  “She was making calls at the dining room table. I’m sorry, I thought she had everything under control, so I took my time running errands. I even shopped for a new dress for the funeral. I didn’t know all this was going on.”

  “How would you? Wonder what Sonya would think about Zabrina’s pregnancy.”

  She gasped. “Zabrina’s pregnant?”

  “Yes.”

  She sunk to a kitchen chair, her hands at her temples. “What next?”

  I sat across from her. “The girl has a large safety net.”

  She nodded. “Yes, but still, I worry. She’s like a lost lamb without her family.” She took a deep breath.

  “What was Zabrina’s relationship with Sonya and Justine like?”

  She raised her brows. “Justine was a pushover as far as Zabrina was concerned. I get it; she was her only child, but Mrs. Donovan worried Zabrina was ill-equipped to enter the real world. She wanted her go to boarding school, but Justine nixed that idea. Then Mrs. Donovan pushed for her to get away from home and go to an eastern college, but that didn’t pan out.”

  “Who told you all this?”

  “No one. I overheard all of it.” She gave me a sly smile. “We service employees are invisible, you know.” She touched my arm. “I do wish you’d stay for dinner.”

  “Unfortunately, I must get home to my twenty-month-old twins.”

  Her hand retracted, and her eyes lost their part of the smile. “Oh.” She rose and said, “I better start lunch.”

  “Sure, I’ll get out of your hair.”

  I should have used the twins to fend off Martha Gill.

  When Detectives Ryan and Gill arrived, I met them at the door to tell them the kids were back. They listened to what I had to say, then Ryan said, “Why doesn’t this surprise me?”

  “I can guess.”

  I showed them to the living room, then leaned against the wall to listen to Zabrina retell how Tamika helped her with her bath and how she was perfectly fine when she left.

  I said, “See, I have a problem with your story, Zabrina. Deputy Frank’s job was to guard you—she wouldn’t have let you leave without her.”

  That got everyone’s attention.

  Patrice nodded. “I agree.”

  Zabrina jutted her chin out. “Could it be she trusted me? Which is more than I can say for you, Patrice.”

  Patrice leaned forward and jabbed a finger at Zabrina. “It’s not about trusting you. Do you recall you were shot right outside your own house in your own driveway?” She redirected her jab toward the window.

  “How could I forget?” Zabrina screamed. “My mother died in my arms!”

  The room grew silent.

  After an uncomfortable few seconds, I said, “Zabrina, we’re concerned with why your grandmother was killed, why you and your mother were shot, and if the person or persons who did that will come back for you.”

  “You don’t have to try and scare me anymore than I already am.”

  “Okay, but where have you been all this time?”

  Grady said, “Zabrina needed a dress for the funeral.”

  Patrice jerked her head toward Zabrina. “I would have helped you buy a dress.”

  “I didn’t want your help.”

  Patrice exhaled and looked away.

  “You looked for a dress for hours? The stores probably weren’t even open when you left,” I said.

  “We went out for breakfast at Five Watt Coffee on Nicollet before we went to the mall,” Grady said.

  “What’s it to you guys anyway where we went?” Zabrina said.

  Detective Ryan scratched his head and said, “Well, I think I’ve heard enough.” Ryan and Gill stood. “Young lady, I suggest you keep Sheriff Clinton informed of your plans. You worried a lot of people.”

  Zabrina looked up at him with a pouty face. “I apologize, sir . . . to you too, Auntie Patrice. I shouldn’t have assumed your deputy would tell you where we were.”

  Patrice’s face softened. “Oh, come here.”

  I didn’t get why everyone pandered to her. Grieving or not, she was a snot. I followed the detectives out to their unmarked Buick parked next to Zabrina’s red Miata convertible.

  Martha crossed her arms. “Did you not consider she went somewhere with her boyfriend before you pushed the panic button?”

  “We had an officer down and Zabrina’s cell phone had been left behind. Deputy Frank’s firearm’s still missing, by the way. Does your department know anything about that?”

  “They would’ve indicated it in their report if they found it, but I’ll check,” Ryan said.

  Gill walked to the passenger side, “The kids may be right. She could have slipped in the bathroom after they left.”

  “My boss mentioned to the kids Tamika has amnesia—they could say anything they wanted at that point.”

  “You think they assaulted your partner?” Gill asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said.

  “Well, we need to spend our time on real crimes,” she hissed, and got in the car.

  “Tamika wouldn’t have let Zabrina go out without her,” I said to Ryan.

  “Do you think the kids hit her with something just because they wanted to go shopping by themselves?”

  “Sounds far-fetched, I admit, but where’s my partner’s firearm?”

  “Sheriff Clinton said the door was unlocked when you got back. Is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then perhaps the kids forgot to lock the door when they left, and someone came in and knocked her out and stole her gun.”

  “And how likely is that?”

  He laughed. “Maybe one of the employees took it. I should think since your sheriff seems to be the current head of household she could authorize a thorough search.”

  “Yes.”

  “When are you going back home?”


  “This afternoon.”

  He came to shake my hand. “We’ll be in touch, Cal. Good working with you.” He lowered his voice to say, “Don’t mind Martha. I think she has a thing for you.”

  I shook my head. Yeah, Martha was a woman I wouldn’t get involved with—too moody.

  WHEN I REENTERED THE LIVING ROOM, the tension in the room was palpable.

  “It’s not your decision, Patrice,” Russell said.

  “Nor yours,” she answered.

  “What’s going on?” I asked. I figured I was already far enough into the personal business of this family I could get away with asking.

  “We want to get married. Patrice disagrees,” Grady said.

  “They’re legal adults,” Russell said.

  “Teenage marriages are doomed for failure, Russell, and you know it.”

  I had other concerns. “Grady, where’s your car?”

  “In the repair shop. Zabrina followed me over, and we dropped it off before we went shopping.” “Bad muffler?” I asked.

  “No, brakes.”

  “How could you drive with one hand?” Patrice asked Zabrina.

  “Perfectly fine.” The girl had worn a perpetual snarl since she returned.

  “Seems strange neither of you had your phones,” I said.

  Grady said, “Oh . . .um . . . I didn’t mean to leave mine. I guess I was in a hurry to pick up Zabrina.”

  “Does Zabrina know about your parents, Grady?” Patrice asked.

  A deep rosy hue crept up his neck and on to his cheeks. He turned to Zabrina and took her hands in his. “Patrice wants you to know I was raised by my grandparents because my parents are in prison for selling drugs.”

  “So, you didn’t know?” Patrice said.

  Defiance set in Zabrina’s face as she turned to Patrice. “I don’t see why that’s important. Grady’s obviously not like his parents.” “Grady, might I have a private word?” I said.

  Patrice tossed me a curious look. He followed me into the foyer and down the hallway. I ducked into the office opposite the kitchen.

  “Am I in trouble?” he asked.

  “Yes and no. Besides knocking up Zabrina, you took off with her without telling anyone.”

  “We just wanted to get away from Patrice. She butts in all of Zabrina’s business.”

  The kid had a point, but I knew Tamika simply wouldn’t let Zabrina go off without her.