by B. L Wilson
“Well, I hate when you call me ‘Drummond,’ so that makes us even, Sergeant.”
Liz started to ask if it did make them even, but she decided not to pursue it further. “Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh, just come back to the table with me, Lizzie.”
They headed back to Johnny Flint’s table and found him leaning back in his chair, smoking a fat Cuban cigar. He was entertaining his friends with more of his exploits with women. All the men at the table were in various stages of drunkenness when they returned. Liz hoped none of the men was driving to his next destination, wherever that was. What a shame it would be to learn how several of the town’s upstanding young men were in the hospital or in jail for drunk driving. She sighed as she watched Johnny’s friends leaving the club thirty minutes later, weaving and stumbling. She considered calling the sheriff’s office to warn them, but decided against it. She was in enough trouble associating with the enemy who was now her lover. She grinned at her thoughts as she watched Susan glare at John Flint. Susan hadn’t said a word to him since their return from the restrooms.
“Aw, Suzie Q. Don’t be mad at me,” Johnny remarked, noting her quiet anger as he puffed on another cigar. He set it down to slug down another shot of bourbon from the portable bar cart. He studied her for a moment, then turned to Liz. “She’s pretty pissed at me, Lizzie. I wanted to show her off to my friends today. When she’s feeling less pissed, let’s do this again. Okay?”
Liz studied Johnny Flint just as he was studying her. He wasn’t as drunk as he wanted her to believe. “I’ll leave the apologies for you to make, Johnny. I think now might be the time for us to leave.”
Johnny glanced at Susan, who had folded her arms across her chest in seething fury. “Okay, Suzie Q, you win. I’m sorry. Let me walk you to the valet.” He rose and offered a hand to help Susan rise from the table. She chose to ignore his help. He bowed and offered a hand to Liz, who chuckled and then waved him away. “Okay, you two, so don’t take my hand, but I’m gonna walk you two ladies out of the club like my daddy raised me to do.”
He allowed Liz and Susan to walk ahead of him to the valet at the club’s front sidewalk without incident. Once they reached the valet, he decided to hug and kiss Liz on the lips as they waited for Susan’s car. She simply smiled and kissed his cheek as she evaded his embrace. He saved his most outrageous behavior for Susan. He grabbed her before she could twist away, pressed himself into her pelvis, and rubbed into her as he tried to French kiss her.
When he turned slightly, Liz could see he had an erection. Watching his uncouth behavior, Liz wanted to leap to Susan’s defense and slug him. Before she could take action, Johnny suddenly backed away from Susan and rubbed his lower lip gingerly. She frowned in confusion until she saw blood on his fingertips. Susan bit him! She would have laughed aloud if the woman in question wasn’t Susan and she hadn’t seen something she didn’t expect.
For a moment, the twinkling sky blue eyes that glared at Susan changed to blue ice and then, just as suddenly, Johnny Flint grinned. His eyes softened. He looked as innocent as a newborn. He spat out blood from the small gash on his lower lip, then held up two fingers. “That’s strike two, Suzie Q. Three strikes and you’re out, Baby. That’s all right, Suzie. Everybody’s entitled to say no twice.” He laughed, but the laughter didn’t reach his eyes. He walked back inside the club, whistling.
Johnny Flint stopped at the large tinted picture window that faced the valet area and watched the two women leave. One of these days, Suzie Q would come to the same conclusion he had. She’d realize nobody loved her the way he did. When that day arrived, he planned to welcome her like a long lost lover. She needed what he had to offer. He wouldn’t even make her beg before he gave her what she needed. He’d even be willing to include her new good-looking girlfriend in the mix if that was what she wanted. As for the new girlfriend, she was a little too smart for her own good, but he could take care of that too. She’d enjoy being in bed with him as much as Susan would. He could feel as much when he touched her today under the table at lunch.
Meanwhile, Liz was angry enough to spit. She marched over to the valet’s parking area and snatched the keys from the surprised parking attendant without offering a tip. She slid into the driver’s seat of Susan’s sports car and then flung open the passenger seat. “Get in! We’re getting out of here, now!” she ordered. She raced down the long road to the highway, taking the curves as fast as she could. She changed gears like a professional driver until she reached a small isolated state park. She drove into the parking lot and then made the tires squeal to a stop. She took out the rage she felt, pounding on the steering wheel with her fists, and then she shoved the door open.
“Damn it to hell! He’s a goddamn pervert!” she shouted as she climbed out and then slammed the car door shut, making the windows rattle. She marched back and forth in a rage in front of the car, slapping a fist into her palm. “If he touches you again, Susan, I’ll bust him for assault after I kick the living shit out of him! Shit, I knew I shouldn’t have come with you!” She rubbed the back of her neck when she suddenly realized what she said. She strode over to the passenger side and squatted down to gaze into frightened hazel eyes. “I’m so sorry, Susan. Did he hurt you?” Liz asked softly as she stroked Susan’s cheek. “It’s okay, Love. It’s okay.”
“I’m not frightened by Johnny, Lizzie. It’s you who scares me,” Susan said quietly, staring at her. “I didn’t know you could get that angry.”
“Neither did I.” Liz exhaled and then scratched her head as she stood up. “What do you think I should do?”
“Nothing! I don’t want you to do anything. He’s a good friend, Lizzie. He may act as a drunken uncouth fool, but he’s my friend. Understand?”
Liz sighed, then rubbed her tense neck. “Okay, I’m not gonna touch him. How do you feel about dogs?”
“What?” Susan frowned, then caught on to Liz’s question. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about bringing that big thing I saw in your backyard to my house?”
“Yeah, I was. Dad brought him back to my house, figuring I’d be spending the night at my place tonight.” She paused to study Susan. “I was hoping that we could… I mean, that I could…I mean, I’d like to stay with you tonight if that’s all right with you. Skipper may not be much to look at, but he’s a good bloodhound. I’d like to take him with me to the site tomorrow to see if he could sniff anything out. I thought I’d give him the scent from the notes if there is anything left on it.”
Susan’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, you thought that, did you, Sarge? It’d be nice if you asked me what I thought.”
Liz frowned, thinking about what she said. Susan was right. She had left her out of the decision. She made a mental note not to do it again. “Ingrams returned the notes to me today. He said his friend at the lab couldn’t find anything but a strand of hair. They couldn’t match it with anybody on file so far.”
Susan shrugged. “Are you sure you still want to do this, Lizzie? It hasn’t been that long since the explosion.”
Liz stared at her, then nodded slowly. “Yes, I want to do it.” A sad, faraway look came into her eyes. “I have to for Danny’s sake.” she whispered. “I owe him that much.”
“Okay, Lizzie.” Susan stroked her arm, hoping to comfort her. “If you bring that big-headed monster with us, he has to stay outside in the yard. There’s no bringing him into the house, okay? What does he eat anyway?”
Liz shrugged. “Skipper eats mainly dog food. I try not to feed him table scraps, only bones. Would you mind if we picked him up?”
Susan sighed heavily as she ran a hand over the driver’s seat. “This is an expensive car with imported leather seats, Lizzie.” She noticed the disappointed look in Liz’s eyes. “Is Skipper housebroken?”
“Yeah, about as much as I am. I didn’t pee on your floor, did I?”
“Ha, ha, that’s so funny, Lizzie.” Susan studied Liz for a moment to see if she was serious. She was. “Okay, let’s go get
your Skipper.”
An hour later, two women and one dog with a large head drove down the highway heading for the Drummond estate.
“Lizzie, does he have to breathe down my neck like that?” Susan complained, frowning at the bigheaded monster in her rearview mirror.
“I’ll fix it.” Liz realized Skipper decided he liked Susan, which was why he plopped down directly behind her seat and then leaned a heavy head on her shoulder. She pulled the car onto the shoulder and took the dog outside the car. She knelt down and talked softly to the dog, then petted his head. They got back in the car. Skipper lay down on the backseat. He stared at Susan with big, sad, soulful eyes until she relented and allowed him to lean on her shoulder again.
Liz watched Susan out of the corner of her eye as she reached behind to pet Skipper and smiled. “He kinda grows on you, doesn’t he? When I first saw him, he wasn’t much to look at. Somebody left him on the side of the road. It looked like they tried to starve him to death. He was all skin and bones. I could see his ribs poking out. I’ve never had a dog before. With my dad’s help, I’m learning how to care for him. In the city, dogs were a luxury we couldn’t afford. After I grew up, I couldn’t see having a dog all cooped up in an apartment, so I never bothered with one. When I saw Skipper lying there on the side of the road, half dead, something in his eyes just drew me to him.” She reached over to pet his head. “I got me a bigheaded old hound dog I share with my father. Right, Boy?”
Skipper licked her hand.
Liz smiled at Susan’s annoyed face. “If he messes up your car, I’ll pay for it.”
Susan thought, On your salary, you’d be lucky to wash my car, let alone pay to repair the damages if that monster messes up my car. “There are a million other ways to pay for things besides cash money, Lizzie. There’s stuff like sweat-equity and bartering. Perhaps finishing those swimming lessons we started.”
Liz groaned. “You still want to swim?”
Susan nodded vigorously. “Yes. You saw how frightened I was to put my face underwater for anything longer than a minute.”
Liz sighed. “If you want more lessons when this business is over, I’ll teach you for free.” She frowned, then tapped her lip. “I can’t do that without getting in trouble with my boss. I’ll have to charge you something. And I know what I want.” When they stopped at the next stoplight, dark eyes appraised Susan from the African twists in her hair to the hint of honey-brown thigh peeking through the expensive sundress she wore. She studied Susan’s face again. “Yes, I see what I want.”
“Which is?”
“You’ll know soon enough, Love.”
Skipper decided to pick that moment to make his presence known. He howled at the fading sun.
“Yikes!” Susan exclaimed, clamping her hands over her ears. “Your dog’s got some lungs on him. My ears are vibrating, Lizzie! Tell him to shut up, please.”
“Easy, Skipper. Take it easy, Boy. Hush.” Liz patted his head. He lay back down on the floor until they turned down Susan’s driveway. She parked the car in the back.
Jake strolled over, leaned inside the car, and petted the dog. “I see you’ve meet Skipper.”
Susan frowned. “He’s an interesting dog, to say the least.”
“Why’d you bring him here, Liz?” Jake asked, afraid to hear what her answer would be. He knew how his sister thought. He could guess the reason for the bloodhound’s presence. He just needed to confirm his suspicions.
“He’s a good watchdog, Jake.” Liz avoided Jake’s eyes.
“And?”
“And what, Jake?”
“He’s also a bloodhound, Lizzie.” Jake stared at his sister, noting how she avoided his gaze. “You weren’t thinking about using him on this one, were you?” He sighed when Liz didn’t answer. “Susan, could you excuse us for a minute?”
“Come, Skipper.” Liz patted her thigh. The dog leaped out of the car and followed the Gilmores as they strolled over the spacious lawn.
Susan glanced through the windshield as Jake spoke to Liz. When she answered him, whatever she said made Jake angry. He glared at Liz, then started to pace back and forth. He muttered something, stroked his chin, and then frowned. Liz stood her ground, folded her arms across her chest, and returned his glare. They glared at each other for a while, then Jake shook his head, threw up his hands and marched back to his car.
Liz stomped back to Susan’s car with the dog in tow. She glared at Jake’s retreating backside. “Sit, Skipper.”
The dog looked up at Liz and then sat down. He tilted his head, watching his mistress alternately pace and then stop.
“Damn it, I’m fine! I can take care of myself. I’m not crippled and I am not a child!”
Still in the passenger seat, Susan cleared her throat.
Liz looked up from her tirade. “Christ, another country heard from! What now?”
“You don’t have to be rude, Elizabeth Gilmore! Jake is just concerned, as we all are about you. We don’t want you to rush into things too fast. Slow it down a bit. The doctor said rest and no police work for three weeks.”
“I know my body better than they do. I’ll be fine. We just need to find Skipper a place to spend the night.”
Susan studied Liz Gilmore’s face without comment. What a stubborn woman she was. It was best not to argue with Liz when her face had that I’m-doing-it-anyway look. Arguing with her would only make matters worse. She’d talk to Jake about it later. Maybe they could find a way to slow her down. “How about putting him by the pool deck or the back lawn?”
“The back lawn is better. There’s less chance the chlorine fumes will bother him. Do you have any old blankets I can use as a pallet for him?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to see.” Ten minutes later, Susan came back with several blankets.
“Are you sure these are okay? They look like camping stuff.”
“They’re my father’s. He used to go fishing, but he hasn’t done that in years. He claims he doesn’t have the time.”
Liz nodded. “Just give me one blanket.” She sighed. “He might surprise you and start going fishing again, considering what’s happened. What kind of fishing did he do?”
“I think I remember seeing catfish and grouper, bass sometimes. I used to go with him when I was kid.” Susan frowned. “I never liked to bait the hook with those wiggling worms, but I didn’t mind helping him clean the fish. Now Becky does that or she would if my father went fishing.” She eyed the tall cop. “Don’t tell me you fish?”
Liz grinned as she folded the blanket. “I’ve been known to cast a fly a time or two. I’ll be back in a minute, Love. I just want to put Skipper to bed for the night.”
Susan watched Liz walk Skipper further into the rear yard, spread the blanket under an awning, and then she squatted down to talk with him. He tilted his head as though he understood whatever Liz was saying. He lay down with his large head on his paws. Susan followed Liz’s progress to the front yard to speak with Jake. The siblings punctuated their discussion with plenty of arm waving and finger pointing. Just when she thought it might turn violent, Jake suddenly pulled his sister into a hug, which she reluctantly returned. They separated. Liz walked back to the house while Jake went to his car.
Susan noticed right away that Liz moved a lot slower and her face looked drawn. She seemed exhausted as well. It was too soon for her to up and around. She shouldn’t have invited Liz to meet Johnny today. The woman didn’t know how to conserve her strength. Susan rubbed her temples. She’d just have to slow that strong engine down even if she had to sit on Liz to do it. She was all set to lecture Liz when she surprised her.
Liz sighed wearily. “I’m a little tired, Susan. Would you mind if I skipped the whirlpool tonight?”
“I could give you a massage if you like.”
“No, that’s not necessary.” Liz smiled at her. “Would you stay with me tonight?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
Liz frowned. She hated to admit how
tired she was, but she was almost ready to collapse. “Is it okay if we don’t do anything? I need rest more than loving.” Dark eyes glowed as they stared at Susan.
Susan nodded. “Give me a minute to lock up and I’ll be back.” She went to check on her father, reset the alarm, and locked the house for the night. She found Liz undressed and in the bed waiting for her. She and Liz fell asleep in each other’s arms.
CHAPTER TEN…Scene of the crime
Unlike the past week of clear, cooler-than-normal summer days, the next morning was cloudy. The air was thick with humidity. The hot, sultry summer weather glued clothing to Liz’s skin every time she moved. She didn’t have to move more than a little finger to feel miserable, she mused as she pulled her sleeveless T-shirt away from her skin for the fifth time. The simple act of putting on her clothes left her dripping with perspiration. Skipper wasn’t enjoying the day either. His large soulful eyes looked sadder than normal today. She wondered if he realized what she needed from him. Hell, Skipper was fine. She was the one who was nervous today. She was afraid of the images she’d remember once she walked through the site. Until now, they’d only been in her dreams but after today, who knew what was going to happen?
She and Susan agreed that Susan should drive to the site so Liz would be free to jot down things as she remembered them. Susan drove slowly to the entrance of the site where Danny had waved Liz down three weeks ago and parked. She thrust hands in latex gloves and took the notes out of the bags, then let Skipper sniff them.
Skipper was off with his nose to the ground. He slowly made his way over to the charred remnants of the trailer. Yellow police tape that looked like it was melting in the suddenly appearing morning sun sealed off the area. He stopped behind the trailer and waited for his mistress.
“What did you find, Skipper, huh, Boy? Sit, Skip.” Liz hiked over to where he waited.
The big dog sat at attention on his hind legs, waiting for further instructions from his mistress. He bent down to sniff at the scarred earth again.