Dirty Little Secrets (Romantic Mystery) Book 1 in the J.J. Graves Series

by Hart, Liliana

  And then the service was over, and Fiona Murphy was lowered into the cold ground in a mahogany box lined with satin. Red roses were thrown into the open grave, and snow flurries dotted the fresh dirt with white. A sad end for any life.

  There was still someone out there who was responsible for putting Fiona in that grave, and it was our job to find him. Somewhere, in the secret life Fiona led, laid the key to bringing her justice.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Phyllis and her husband cleared out quickly, with barely a goodbye between them, and the rest of the mourners took the hint and went back to minding their own business.

  Dickey and Vaughn waited for me and Jack at the end of the ceremony. I had to stay until the bitter end and make sure there was no funny business before Fiona was buried. I didn’t want any stolen bodies on my watch.

  It was always weird seeing Dickey and Vaughn standing so close together. They were a study in light and dark, complete opposites in every way, but still friends despite it all. Dickey was tall and golden, perpetual tennis tan and capped teeth. Blue eyes that I knew for a fact he enhanced by bright blue contacts and muscles he got honest by swimming every morning in the indoor pool he’d had installed when he and Candy had first married.

  Vaughn was as dark as Dickey was light. Swarthy skin that had been passed down from some Mediterranean ancestor and black hair that he wore in a long pony-tail. His goatee was always trimmed and neat and his eyes were black as pitch. He was just my height and wore diamond studs in both ears. Vaughn was just as in shape, if not better, than Jack or Dickey because he enjoyed rowing. He’d even had a shot at the Olympics a few years ago, but had turned it down because he’d said it had become too commercialized.

  I thought it was interesting that Jack had more money than both of the other men combined, but he always managed to dress without having to make the latest fashion statement. That’s probably why the two of us got along so well. Jack had money but chose not to flaunt it, and I had very little and just didn’t care about making any kind of statement at all.

  I usually didn’t feel so self-conscious when Eddie was around because he was going soft around the middle, and I didn’t have to pretend like I was using the gym membership they’d bought me for my last birthday. Only four men would buy a woman something as insulting as a gym membership for a special occasion.

  “I’ve got to get back to the store,” Vaughn said, leaning in to give me a kiss on the cheek goodbye. “I’ve got a couple coming to pick up a few things I bought for them at auction. But I so wish I could go to the bank with you guys. It sounds like a real adventure.” Vaughn always managed to make everything sound like a grand adventure. It was just part of his makeup.

  “I’ll make sure to give you the play-by-play later,” I promised.

  “Good. I also want to hear about the writer. I didn’t think you’d ever get over that four-year drought. Though next time you should probably tone down the smile for the funeral.”

  Jack and Dickey burst out laughing and my face flamed. “If you’re going to make fun of me I won’t give you any details. And he took me to Dante’s too,” I said. Vaughn gasped in jealousy, and Jack and Dickey both oohed and ahhed appreciatively.

  We said goodbye to Vaughn and turned towards our own vehicles.

  “I’m not really supposed to open the bank on Sundays, but I can make an exception for this. It’s not like I have anything better to do,” Dickey said forlornly.

  “Uh, oh,” I said. “Trouble in paradise?” Jack nudged me in the ribs in a subtle reminder to mind my own business, but I’d never been one to hold anything back.

  “You could say that. Vanessa wants to have a baby.”

  Vanessa Hart was Dickey’s secretary. NOT his wife. So I could understand why Dickey might be depressed about the situation. I was glad I wasn’t in his shoes.

  Jack broke his own rule and butted in. “So what are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I’d leave Candy in a heartbeat, but she’d skin me in the divorce. She doesn’t care about Vanessa so much as long as she gets to be the “wife.” I’ve always loved Vanessa, but this is getting out of control.”

  “You’re just now realizing this?” I asked.

  “I’ve thought about breaking it off with Vanessa and finding someone new. Someone who has less demands and just wants sex, but I don’t know if I can go through with it. The stress is really starting to get to me.”

  “Maybe you need a vacation,” Jack suggested. Dickey really was looking frazzled and strung out.

  “You’re probably right. It’s just that Candy would probably want to come with me. I just despise that woman. What in the world was I thinking when I married her?”

  He’d probably been thinking he’d gotten her pregnant because that’s what she’d told him, but it had turned out to be a false alarm. No one had ever accused Dickey of being the sharpest knife in the drawer.

  “Sometimes when she starts bitching at me, I just want to grab her by the throat and start squeezing until her little nagging head pops right off.”

  “Whoa, buddy. Seriously. Take a vacation,” Jack said. “I’ve got enough murders on my hands right now without having to arrest you too.”

  “Sorry,” he said. “Let’s head over to the bank. Being in the graveyard is depressing me more than I already was. Until now, I was pretty sure I’d already hit my lowest point. I think I’ll try the new woman angle. It couldn’t hurt.”

  Yeah, but it couldn’t help either, I thought.

  The drive was quiet to the bank. We followed closely behind Dickey’s black Audi a block over to the parking lot of First National Bank. “Do you really think Dickey would hurt Candy?” I asked Jack.

  “I sure as hell hope not,” he said. “Even though I could understand the temptation. But he’s got to get a grip before he has a heart-attack or something. Juggling two women is hell on earth. That’s why I stick with one at a time and never stick long.”

  I snorted out a laugh and got out of the car. Dickey was already unlocking the doors and keying in the alarm codes while Jack got his crime scene kit out of the trunk. It was nothing big, just a paper sack filled with surgical gloves and plastic baggies, all sizes, to put evidence in.

  The bank was silent as a tomb, and our steps echoed along the marbled floors. It smelled faintly of Pine Sol, and the desks were all polished and neat. Ferns hung from the ceiling and ficus trees sat in the corners. It was a cozy space. And Dickey had done a good job with it despite his hectic love life.

  “Can you find out when Fiona was here last?” Jack asked Dickey.

  “I can tell you that without looking it up,” he said. “She was here just as Vanessa and I opened the doors Thursday morning. Eight o’clock on the dot. She went straight back to the safe deposit boxes. Mrs. Mueller pulled in right behind her, so I was busy dealing with her in my office. The only time Mrs. Mueller comes in is when she has a complaint, so I didn’t see Fiona leave.”

  The room that housed the safe deposit boxes was the complete opposite of the front of the bank. It was cold and sterile. Long metal tables sat in rows and the boxes sat stacked on top of each other numbered from one to whatever.

  “What’s the number on the key?” Dickey asked.

  “201,” Jack said. The box was on an isle right at mid-level. “Let’s see what we’ve got.”

  The anticipation in the room was thick. Jack upended the box and all that floated out was a loose sheet of paper and a couple of thick brown envelopes. Everyone’s disappointment was palpable.

  “Bummer,” I said. “I was hoping for stolen diamonds or random sex tapes.”

  “I was thinking maybe a severed hand or some other body part. I saw that in a movie once,” Dickey said when Jack and I both gave him the eww, gross look.

  “Why don’t I just see what it says before the two of you come up with any more ideas,” Jack said. He held up the loose sheet and I could just barely make out the words written in an elegant cursive script. J
ack read the letter out loud.

  Dear George,

  I’m so sorry to have to leave you this way. I know you won’t understand. That’s why I couldn’t tell you. You’ve done the best you can by me, but in the end it just wasn’t enough.

  I’ve found somebody new. Someone who can give me what I need without my having to tell him. I’m not faulting you, George. You must know this. I do love you, in my own way. And I’ll never forget you.

  I’m going to visit my sister for a couple of weeks and file for divorce. She’s been missing me, and I figure I can appease her and get the divorce pushed through at the same time. You know how she’s always disapproved of you.

  I do have a surprise for you, George. I thought long and hard about what I could give you that you could remember me by. We grew up together and shared a marriage, so you’ll always have those memories, but look in the envelope. I know you’ve been wanting to open a second shop over in Nottingham. Just think, you’ll finally be a chain.

  I’ll miss you, my love. I hope you know I speak the truth, but my heart is telling me to take a different path.

  Love Always,

  Fiona

  P.S. Could you mail the second envelope for me? I want to be out of town before it reaches its destination.

  “Poor George,” I said.

  “Are you kidding me?” Dickey said. “This is George Murphy we’re talking about isn’t it? George the Terrible?”

  “Yeah, I know,” I said, coming back to my senses. “It’s just that letter almost made him seem human there for a second.”

  Jack let out a low whistle that got both our attentions. “That’s a hell of a going away present.”

  The first envelope was filled with money. “How much do you think is in there?” I asked.

  “I’d say close to a quarter of a million just by looking. Maybe more,” he said. “And you’re never going to guess who the second envelope is addressed to.”

  “Who?” I asked.

  “Dr. Henry Hides. 622 Covington Lane. Nottingham, Virginia.”

  “What? But I thought she’d be running away with Dr. Hides after everything we found out yesterday and him lying to us.”

  “Obviously not. Remember he was as surprised as we were that she was leaving town. I don’t think he faked that reaction.”

  “Yeah, but now we don’t have any clue as to who she was meeting.”

  “If she was earning this kind of money doing what we think she was doing, then she’s got to have a record book somewhere.”

  “Why, it’s not like she was paying taxes,” I said.

  “What do you think she was doing to make that kind of money?” Dickey asked, curiously.

  “Nothing,” Jack and I both said at the same time.

  “Okay, shutting up,” Dickey said, putting his hands up and backing up a few steps.

  “She’d want to keep a log. Contact numbers, addresses, that sort of thing.”

  “They didn’t find anything like that at her house,” I said.

  “No, but maybe she hid it somewhere else. We can assume by the letter that Fiona planned to leave the key with George before she left.”

  “Or maybe mail it to him,” I added. “He said they were fighting when she left, or he was fighting in any case. Maybe she just forgot to give it to him.”

  “No, you’re probably right about mailing it to him. She’d want to be on her way, have some distance to the uproar she was causing in a place like Bloody Mary.”

  “Well, be that as it may, all we can do is wait for this mysterious little black book to show up, and then we can see if our murderer’s name is inside.”

  “If only it were that easy,” Jack said. “Or maybe George knew Fiona planned to leave him and really did kill her.

  “I hadn’t thought about that,” I said.

  “That’s why they pay me the big bucks,” Jack said. “Let’s get out of here. I have to get these logged into evidence, and then I need to get home. I’d like to get some sleep tonight. I’m running on empty.”

  I thought about home too and knew what waited for me there. Sleep was the last thing I wanted.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I groaned when I heard the phone ring.

  “Christ, can’t a person sleep in around this place?” Brody asked next to me.

  “It’s your own fault,” I said, grasping for the phone. “I’m used to going to bed earlier.” I fumbled around the nightstand, bypassing a Kleenex box, torn condom packages, someone’s underwear and a ballpoint pen before I felt the cordless phone.

  “Dr. Graves,” I said. My voice was still husky with sleep and I closed my eyes and lay back down with the phone pressed to my ear.

  “Wake up, sunshine,” Jack said. “We’ve got another body.”

  That bit of information woke me up in a hurry. I sat straight up in bed and looked over at the glowing green numbers on my alarm clock. I was surprised to see it was after nine o’clock. I never slept that late. Must have been the company I kept.

  “Where at?” I asked.

  “The Hanover Hotel, fifth floor. Crime scene’s just starting so you have time for a shower and a cup of coffee.”

  “I guess this eliminates George,” I said.

  “Yeah, that and the fact that I got a phone call from the lab in Richmond. The DNA’s not a match, and neither is the mud Mooney pulled off the tire.”

  “Shit.”

  “I concur. George has already been released to go home. It looks like I went above and beyond the call of duty for nothing. Get here as soon as you can, Jaye. It’s bad.”

  “I’ll be there in thirty,” I said, disconnecting. I hadn’t asked who the victim was. I didn’t want to know until I had to.

  “What is it?” Brody asked.

  “We’ve got another body. I’ve got to grab a shower and take my coffee to go,” I said as I got out of bed. “I’m sorry I keep having to leave you here by yourself.”

  “It’s no big deal. I’m a big boy. And besides I’ve got plenty of work to keep me busy. Actually, if it’s not too much of a problem I’d like to go to the crime scene with you. It might help me get a better picture if I can see first hand what I’m writing about. A couple of books ago I tagged along with a friend of mine who’s the ME in Baltimore. Don’t worry, I know how to stay out of the way at a crime scene.”

  “If you’ve observed the ME in Baltimore then I’m sure you’re not going to be getting any extra knowledge from me.”

  “Not technical knowledge. But in Baltimore there were dozens of bodies going through the morgue a day. This is Bloody Mary, and only you can show me what it’s like in a close knit community. I want to know what everyone’s reaction is, from the policemen working the scene to whatever stranger found the body, because more likely than not, everyone is going to know the victim.”

  “I’d have to clear it with Jack first.”

  “You do that, and I’ll get the coffee. We’ll convene in the shower. How do you feel about multitasking?” he asked. He look he gave me was enough to get my blood moving and make funny things happen to my insides.

  “I’m feeling very warm towards multitasking,” I said.

  Twenty-nine minutes later, after we’d multitasked the hell out of each other, we were on our way to the fifth floor of the Hanover Hotel. The sun was up and melting the snow by the time we’d left my house, and the winter chill was already ebbing away. With any luck we wouldn’t have a heavy snow again until the end of January or February.

  Brody and I had both thrown on clothes as quickly as possible because I was sure we’d be late, and then Jack would have the right to make fun of me for an indiscriminate amount of time. I checked my reflection in the mirrored wall of the elevator just to make sure all my buttons were done up correctly.

  “You can’t hide it. Everybody’s going to know,” Brody said, smirking. “You wear passion across your entire face. And you’ve got beard burn on your neck. Should’ve worn the turtleneck like I said.”

 
“Great. Just great. I thought you were just trying to tell me how to dress.” I pulled my collar up as high as it would go and wished I’d at least brought a scarf. I’d been lucky to remember my medical bag. “Be nice to Jack,” I reminded Brody.

  “Jack’s jealous,” he said. “He’s not used to anyone getting to spend time with you but him.”

  This was true, but I felt disloyal saying so, so I kept my mouth shut. “He’s just worried about me,” I said instead. “He doesn’t want me to get my heart broken.”

  “And what do you think?” Brody asked. “Do you think I’ll break your heart?”

  “I think it’s a strong possibility you could,” I said, not making eye contact.

  Brody took my chin with his fingers and turned my face to look at him. And when he kissed me I felt all the passion we’d shared the past two nights. “I can honestly say that I’ve never felt for another woman what I feel for you. Is that enough for now? We’ve only known each other four days.”

  “It’s enough,” I said, giving him a quick hug before the doors opened. Actually it was more than I’d expected. I knew when I’d met Brody that he and Jack had more than just sarcasm and good looks in common. And it would be completely my fault if my heart was broken, because I should have known better than to get involved in the first place.

  The elevator dinged to a stop and the doors opened slowly. Floyd Parker stood directly in front of me with his camera in front of his face. The flash was blinding.

  “I knew it had to be you,” Floyd said, camera still clicking. He was built like a linebacker, and he blocked my way as I tried to get off the elevator. His middle had thickened over the years so the red polo he wore couldn’t quite stay tucked into his khakis, but his overpowering height was still the same. “Running a little late, aren’t you, Doc? Did you get lost?” He eyed the beard burn on my neck and his eyes narrowed in speculation.

  “Get out of the way, Floyd,” I said, swatting his camera out of my face as the flash went off again. “You’ll contaminate the crime scene, and you’d better hope Jack doesn’t catch you up here.”