Tired of her head spinning, Lia pulled on sweats and grabbed her keys. The soft jingle had Chewy and Honey beating her to the door. "You guys don't miss a trick, do you? Up for some pre-dawn prowling?" She snapped leashes to their collars. "Shall we walk this time? It's only a mile-and-a-half, what do you think?"
Lia learned to appreciate baker's hours years ago when an outdoor mural had her working in the pre-dawn dark so she could project her design on the wall. Her friends were horrified, convinced her body would turn up months later in Mill Creek. But Lia loved how quiet the world was at 4:00 a.m. Inside at 4:00 a.m., your brain would be in over-drive. The world outside was silent at 4:00 a.m. You never realized how noisy houses were until you went outside in the dead of night. The quiet calmed her mind. Outside was peace. No pain, no drama, and she could let everything go.
Lia hit her stride. Not a power walk, but quick and steady through the darkness. She watched her shadow change direction and shape as she passed under street lights. The rhythmic motion eased her. Honey and Chewy trotted obediently beside her. Her head started to clear and she began to relax. This is the ticket. One and a half miles to the park, let the dogs run around a bit, back home, fry up some potatoes and eggs. It's Sunday, no need to plug the phone in. Play some Mozart. Do the crossword. Don't think. Go back to bed. Yes.
She turned down Westwood Northern Boulevard, jogging down the hill for the last half-mile. Honey and Chewy barked happily. "Shush!" she admonished, laughing as the last of the tension poured out.
She slowed to a walk as she turned into the parking lot. She was looking forward to sitting on a table, looking up at the sky and watching the stars until the rising sun blinked them out. Then she saw the dark hulk at the far end. The familiar silhouette had her grinding her teeth. What was Luthor doing here? He couldn't have known she was coming this early, could he? Or had he been parked outside her apartment and seen her leave? Was he stalking her? But surely she would have heard him. She would have heard his muffler, anyway.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Damn. Her mental cussing became a litany as she angrily strode towards the car. Then she thought better and turned towards the utility road leading up to the entrance corral. For whatever reason, Luthor had not gotten out of his car. She didn't want to be freaking out in the parking lot, upsetting the dogs so close to the street.
So she climbed the hill, passed through the fenced corral, and released Honey and Chewy. She pulled a rag out of her pocket and wiped the dew from a spot on her favorite table top and clambered up. She sat facing the parking lot, no longer thinking about stars or sunrise. The car was still. Surely he'd heard the dogs barking? Maybe he'd passed out drunk. Maybe he just came so he could sit there and snub her. Like how would she ever know she was being snubbed if she couldn't see him doing it.
The minutes passed. Honey and Chewy whuffed softly as they made their nocturnal investigations. False dawn appeared over the ridge. Shit. The litany began again, tired now. Shit. Shit. Shit. Damn. She couldn't put it off any longer. Her brief spell of serenity was broken and beyond repair. Trudging back down the hill, she wondered what she could possibly say to Luthor that she hadn't already said.
By the time she hit the parking lot, she was pissed. Was he going to spoil her favorite place for her now? Were they going to have to divvy it up, take different shifts, different quadrants, different friends? If they did that would he respect it and leave her be? Somehow she doubted it.
"Luthor!" His name was a sharp retort in the darkness, like a pistol shot. "What the hell are you doing? Why can't you just give me some space?"
The Corolla remained silent. Was he in the car at all? Had she been fuming for nothing? Maybe he drove it here last night and it broke down. Or was he passed out? He didn't normally drink alone, but he might have made an exception.
She neared the passenger side and spied a dark form leaning back in the driver's seat. Damn. Looks like Door Number Two. She wrenched the door open and the absence of alcohol fumes hit her the same time the overhead light did.
~ ~ ~
Lia huddled on the picnic table. In the telepathic way of all dogs, Honey and Chewy sensed her distress and had her sandwiched between them. Radios crackled in the distance. Yellow tape fluttered as police set up a perimeter.
Jim handed her a cup of coffee and she cradled it between her palms, leached warmth into skin chilled by horror. It was Jim who found her at daybreak, hugging the dogs, rocking in shock, Jim who called District Five, and Jim who sent Anna for coffee at the closest UDF.
She looked at him, pleading. She had a stray thought, that his compassionate face belonged on a religious icon. Something Italian, from one of the Catholic sects that embraced poverty. He could have been a Franciscan monk. Maybe Saint Francis himself.
"Lia, you're not responsible. It was his choice. And it was his choice to do it where you might find him. He knew you're often first up here in the morning. I'm sorry it happened, but that was wrong of him. It was hateful to put you through this."
Tears started to seep out of Lia's eyes. Anna leaned over and wrapped an arm around her. "I'm so sorry, Sweetie, it shouldn't have happened. Not like this."
Lia took a sip of coffee. "Hazelnut. You knew to get hazelnut creamer for me." Her mouth quirked sadly.
"Of course," Anna responded kindly.
"What do you mean I can't come in?" The strident voice drifted up from the parking lot. "I have to come in. Those are my friends!"
Lia looked towards the police barrier and groaned.
"I'm sure Catherine is worried about you," Jim said.
"Hush," Anna snapped. "Maybe somewhere in her tiny little heart she's thinking about Lia, but that won't stop her from making this all about her. She's already well on her way."
"Now, Anna, that's uncalled for," Jim responded.
"Stop it!"
The guilty pair looked at Lia, taken aback by her outburst.
"I can't take the bickering," she pleaded.
"We're sorry, Lia," Anna responded. "We won't do it anymore. Looks like the police are taking care of Catherine for you." They watched as Catherine's Lexus turned around and pulled out. A lone figure worked its way up the access road and through the corral, approaching their table.
"No uniform," Jim observed. "Must be a detective."
He was tall, maybe 6'2." Lean, with an easy stride. Longish, dark hair. A pleasant face with slightly droopy eyes. Like Paul McCartney. Puppy dog eyes that might turn into Basset Hound eyes in old age, though Sir Paul wasn't looking too shabby these days. His golf shirt and khaki slacks reminded Lia she was still in her sweats. And very shortly, the heat was going to turn on like flipping a switch.
"Hi. You found the body?" The inquiry was soft, as if he was afraid of startling her.
Lia nodded dumbly as she stared at the ground, having a sudden flash of Michael Douglas gently coaxing Kathleen Turner out from under a bus in a Central American jungle. What was that film? Something about a stone?
"Lia Anderson, is it?"
Another mute nod.
"We had to send your friend away. I hope that doesn't upset you."
Lia's mouth quirked, a sign of life. His calm tone steadied her. She took a deep breath and shook her head, still looking down. "It's alright. Are you a detective? Jim said you must be a detective."
"Yes, Detective Dourson. Peter Dourson."
"Detective, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, go ahead."
"How long will I be stuck here?"
"We're not sure at this point. Is there somewhere you have to be?"
"No, but this is strange, you know?"
"I know. We need to ask you some questions. We've been waiting for the Victim Advocate to show up."
"It's okay, we don't need to wait. I've got Jim and Anna."
"Are you sure? Do you have someone to be with you when you leave here?"
"I can take her home, Detective. I'll look after her." Anna brushed a strand of hair out of Lia's face. "She won't be alone."
"All right then. Jim and Anna. You would be Jim McDonald? You called this in?"
"Yep. This is Anna Lawrence. She got here right after I did."
"And what time was that?"
"Around six."
Dourson raised his eyebrows.
"All the dogs know is that it's daylight. They could care less about what time it is."
Dourson smiled at that. "Is that everyday?"
"Pretty much."
Dourson turned to Lia, "You were here before that. When did you get here?"
"O-dark-thirty? I don't know. I left the house a little after four and we walked up here."
"Who was with you?"
"Just the dogs, Honey and Chewy."
"That's pretty early."
"I couldn't sleep."
"How long does it take you to walk up here?"
"Twenty, twenty-five minutes."
"So does four-thirty sound about right?"
"I guess, I don't know. I misplaced my cell. I don't wear a watch."
"So what happened when you got here?"
"I saw the car and I was pissed."
"Pissed? How come?"
"Didn't they tell you?"
"Tell me what? What am I missing?"
"Officer," Anna interjected. "Detective, he was her boyfriend. She broke up with him yesterday."
"I'm sorry."
Lia's tears started again. "I'm sorry, too. So sorry."
Dourson was gentle. "Lia, are you okay to do this?"
"I don't want to wait."
"Okay, tell me what happened after you got here. Take your time."
"I was pissed." Lia restarted her story and haltingly recounted events up to the time she threw open the car door.
"What did you see?"
"Blood, all over. The back window, the seat. He was just laying there in it with his mouth open."
"This is really important. Did you touch anything?"
"No, no. The passenger side door handle, that's it."
"Why the passenger side door?"
"It was closest."
"Detective Dourson surveyed the trio. "Did anyone else touch anything?"
"I looked in because she was just staring and wouldn't say anything," Jim volunteered, "I didn't touch the car."
"How about you, Anna?"
"I didn't go near the car."
Dourson turned back to Lia. "Tell me about the breakup. Was this your idea?"
Lia dully cited the hours of phone calls and recriminations laced with wheedling, begging and vicious profanity. No, she couldn't remember exactly what he said. The verbal barrage flooded her, leaving behind a vile tone, but no quotes. She did recall he'd called her "Angel" in one sentence, and used the "C" word in the next.
"That's why I couldn't sleep, it was so nasty. I couldn't get it out of my head." She looked up at him then, finally, her jade eyes glistening and her lashes damp. "Was it suicide, Detective?"
Dourson paused for a moment, struck by mossy eyes that reminded him of cool green walks in Kentucky hollers. They were complimented by a soft, vulnerable mouth and those slightly aloof cheekbones. He noticed a slight dent in her chin, as if someone had pressed their thumb in it and left their imprint. Her hair was bound up in a clip. Spiraling tendrils escaped, emphasizing her long neck and reinforcing her fragility. He mentally shook his head and focussed on her question. "It's early to say."
"I'm sure you're not allowed to say, anyway."
"That, too, but really, it's too early to know for sure."
"I was so angry. I wanted him gone, but I didn't want that."
"I know."
"Do you?" she pleaded.
"Yeah, I think so," he said, as his heart broke for her.
Dourson collected contact information for Lia, Jim and Anna, and for Luthor's parents. Anna led Lia out to her SUV while Jim followed along with the dogs. Dourson picked up Lia's abandoned coffee. It was still almost full. He smelled hazelnut. He dumped it in the trash.
~ ~ ~
She remembered most the explosion of blood, the mess, and the blow-back speckling her clothes and skin. There would be plenty of time to burn her clothes, and the neighbors would just assume she was grilling out. She'd encourage that impression by dumping on Liquid Smoke. The police might never ask questions, not if they bought the suicide scenario she created.
She'd disliked doing it this way. Luthor had no convenient health issues to exploit, nor did he care for outdoor activities that could be manipulated into accidents. He had only one obvious weakness, and that was his dependence on Lia.
She pondered the cell phone in her hand. It had been so easy to lift from Lia's tote. Easier still to lure Luthor with a text message. But what to do with it? Return it to Lia? Destroy it? It would be easiest to destroy it and Lia would probably figure she'd lost it. It wouldn't be too difficult to return, just drop it behind the driver's seat of her Volvo. The windows were always open for the dogs. But she'd have to remove those final text messages, and if the police came asking questions, possession of the phone would cause Lia problems.
If she got the phone back, Lia would feel compelled to access all of Luthor's messages from last night. She could still do it without the phone, but would she bother? Too bad there was no way for her to find out what was on voicemail without it being flagged that it had been accessed. Luthor's messages shouldn't be incriminating. How could they be? Checking messages would tip Lia off that someone else had her phone, and that wouldn't be good at all.
It had taken more time to dig Luthor's phone out of his jacket and pull off those last texts than it had to kill him. It had been delicate going, putting it back. She'd felt horribly exposed even though trees blocked the view of the parking lot from the street. But she couldn't have Luthor's phone missing. That would be a tip-off. And if police ruled it suicide, they wouldn't bother to pull the phone records, would they?
Such a nasty job, all the way around. She disliked guns, disliked blood, and disliked loose ends. She looked at the loose end in her palm and smiled with sudden inspiration. Insurance. She'd leave the messages and hang onto it for now. Just in case.
Chapter 2
Monday, May 9
Lia woke up late the next day. Or rather, Chewy and Honey woke her up, tag teaming her with kisses and bright yips, as if being happy could get her out of bed. Two nights of no sleep, then she spent yesterday either comatose or crying. Anna had hung out in the next room, checking in occasionally to bring her some tea or food. She remembered a grilled cheese sandwich she couldn't eat. She remembered a confused Chewy snuffling her tears as if to figure out what they were.
It was 8:00. The morning shift at the dog park would be in full swing. No matter how she was feeling, Honey and Chewy still needed to go run.
The Mount Airy Dog Park has two fenced areas, the smaller designated for small dogs. Few people used it because it had little shade and most of the small dogs liked chasing the big dogs on the other side. But it was a good place to go if you wanted to be alone.
Lia perched on the table nearest the fence, the only one with shade. She considered the group next door. Since the park had been closed yesterday morning, she figured everyone was peppering Anna and Jim with questions about the shooting. Terry Dunn, a robust reincarnation of Teddy Roosevelt, drew a line in the air with his finger. He appeared to be calculating the trajectory of the bullet while Marie Woo and Nadine Moyers watched.
Marie was a petite, feisty, first-generation Asian-American whose feathery, jet-black hair was accented with an eye-popping forelock in ever-changing hues. She had her head canted so that this month's magenta bangs flopped, the way they always did when she was getting ready to challenge Terry. Her unmarked skin had an ageless look, and Marie refused to enlighten anyone on that point. In contrast to her firecracker personality, Marie's face was inscrutable. The only indication of her feelings was the degree of tilt to her head. Right now, the tilt was slight and her chin was down. Her interest was academic, not personal.
> Nadine was a sporty grandmother with sprightly blue eyes and snowy, boy-cut hair. Nadine could often be spotted power-walking back and forth across the park with her arms pumping determinedly and Rufus trotting dutifully behind. She had paused in this morning's trek to nowhere to catch the gossip. She touched Jim's arm with one hand, the other going to her mouth in a gesture of horror.
Catherine, wearing a fuchsia faux-silk jogging outfit, fussed with her Pomeranians. She looked up, glaring daggers at Nadine.
Funny, Lia thought, I can't hear a word they're saying and I still know exactly what's going on.
Anna and CarGo detached from the group, followed by a tall man Lia didn't know. As she approached, Anna waved, "Lia! Look who showed up! It's Detective Peter! Look who he brought with him!"
Lia squinted and sure enough, she recognized the rangy figure. She looked lower and spotted Viola dancing around CarGo in a vain attempt to get the mastiff to play.
"Detective Peter, is it?"
"Lia, you know we can't be formal here, and he's off duty now. I'm so glad you're up. I was going to check in on you when we were done here."
"So, Detective Peter, what brings you out here?" Lia asked
"Viola's staying with me for now. I thought she would like to play with her friends. She's been a bit anxious."
"How did you wind up with her?"
"Luthor's parents were less than enthusiastic about stepping up for her. I figured I could look after her until we found someone to take her."
"Yeah, the old man's allergic. So he says."
"I thought there might be a friend somewhere who would want her if I hung onto her for a few days. Otherwise, it was the shelter. So I'm letting folks know she needs a home."
"Thank you for taking her in. I don't know if I'm up to taking on another dog. I'll have to think about it."
A Shot in the Bark (A Dog Park Mystery) Page 2