Blue Goodness (Michael Kaplan Mysteries)

by David W. Cowles

  “Your wife must be deficient in many areas, Michael, for you to have been so promiscuous.”

  Soozie’s voice had dropped to an earthy whisper, each word or syllable one beat of an insistent, pulsating rhythm, like the distant pounding of drums in a jungle of erotic expectations. It was soothing, but at the same time strangely disturbing.

  Michael had to strain to hear what Soozie was saying. Her eyes were still fixed on his; his had dropped to her full, luscious lips, parted occasionally by the tip of her tongue. His eyelids felt as heavy as garage doors, and when he could no longer hold them open, her voice seemed to be at once far, far away and coming from inside his own head, as if the thoughts were his own. He could feel the heat emanating from her body and realized she was no longer sitting up, but was now lying next to him. Her warmth was both comforting and enervating. He must not fall asleep, he must get up and leave, but he could not muster up the energy. A few minutes more and he would surely be on his way.

  “I’m a chameleon, Michael. I can be anything and everything you want me to be. You would never need any other woman.” The incantation was mesmerizing, and in his state of semiconsciousness her statements came across as epiphanies.

  “I can dress appropriately for any occasion. I can converse on most any subject. I can cook better gourmet meals than you can get in any restaurant. I’m a good housekeeper. I make a substantial living; so if you wanted to take a couple of years off of work to write the Great American Novel, I’d be able to support you.

  “I play golf and tennis. I love boating, fishing, and hunting. Whatever you want to do, even skydiving or bungee jumping, I’ll do it with you. You’ll need no one else. Ever.”

  Soozie’s lips were at Michael’s ear, and her tongue probed deeply. Her voice became sultry and seductive. When the serpent spoke to Eve it could not have been with more libidinousness.

  “I’ll fulfill every sexual fantasy you’ve ever dreamed of, no matter how kinky. And if you ever run out of ideas, I’ll introduce you to some of mine.”

  Her hands drifted through his hair, then trailed teasingly down his face. When a finger brushed against his lips and pressed for entry, he opened his mouth to admit it and gently sucked. Michael realized Soozie was a strong predatory figure and he was being seduced, but he no longer cared. He had already made love to Soozie once. What difference would it make if they had sex one more time? he rationalized.

  “Are you completely relaxed, Michael?” Soozie asked softly. He nodded his head in agreement. She covered his body with hers. Even though both of them were fully clothed, he could feel her flesh meld into his. Desire was raging within his soul and there was a demanding pulsation in his groin. His lips found hers and his tongue explored the warm, moist recesses of her mouth. He felt himself falling into the omnipotent swirl of a vortex, a Maelstrom from which he did not want to recover.

  Soozie reached inside Michael’s trousers and stimulated him. “Do you want to make love to me, Michael?” Her voice was barely audible. He nodded. The seduction was complete.

  “Tell me you love me,” she ordered presumptively, her fingers tightening their hold on his manhood.

  “I love you, Soozie,” Michael intoned obediently. He knew the words came from his throat, but they seemed foreign, as though they were spoken by a stranger.

  “Don’t move, Michael,” Soozie instructed. She rolled off of him and sat up. He remained motionless, as his love goddess had commanded. He would do anything she requested. He waited with anticipation for her next order.

  “I want you to raise your right arm,” she told him. When he did, Soozie gloated. She was satisfied she had been successful.

  “There’s something you must do before we make love again. Do you know what it is?” she asked. He shook his head. His eyes were still closed and his arm was still extended into the air.

  “You must tell your wife you’re in love with someone else and ask her for a divorce. You will do it tomorrow. Do you understand?” Soozie had become a martinet; her voice brimmed with authority. Michael nodded his head.

  “After you do that, you may have me. You may put your arm down now.” He complied with her instructions.

  “In a minute, I’ll turn the television sound back on. When you hear the television, you will open your eyes and wake up, feeling refreshed. You will remember everything I told you, but it will be as if all the thoughts are your own ideas, not mine. Do you understand?”

  Again, Michael nodded his head. She reached for the remote control. A news broadcast was just ending. He stretched and yawned. “I’m sorry, Soozie. I guess I dozed off for a few minutes.”

  Soozie smiled inwardly. “That’s okay, Michael. You must have needed the rest. I just watched television and let you sleep. Did you have pleasant dreams?” she asked cryptically.

  Michael looked baffled. “Uh, yeah, I guess I did.”

  “Do you want to tell me about them?” she teased mockingly.

  The events of the past hour raced through Michael’s head like a videotape played on fast forward. “No. I don’t think that’s such a good idea. Not now, anyway. I’d better be going.”

  “You’re welcome to stay the night, Michael,” she suggested.

  “I appreciate the offer, but I really have to go,” he reiterated.

  “Okay. I’ll get your coat,” Soozie purred, without further argument. She helped Michael to his feet. “Don’t forget to take the tape of Stein and Hogg with you,” she reminded him.

  Strangely, when they reached the front door, Soozie shook his hand. He had expected she would give him a good night kiss, and was more than a little disappointed when she didn’t.

  KIMBERLY WAS SITTING in her dining room working on a crossword puzzle when Michael entered the house. As he had expected, an empty coffee mug and an ashtray full of cigarette butts were on the table. She was wearing a pink see-through nightie, one of many in her collection.

  “How was your date with Soozie?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Do you know what time it is, Michael?”

  He looked at his watch. “It’s five after one,” he replied casually.

  “I know it’s five after one! That’s my point, dammit. What took you so long? Did you fuck her again, Michael?” she asked angrily.

  Michael was flabbergasted by Kimberly’s sudden outburst. “No, of course not. How can you say such a thing, Kim? Soozie was a perfect lady all evening.” He started to add, “We never even kissed,” but something deep inside told him they had.

  “What proof did Soozie come up with about Gunther Hogg dumping the animals in the mine shaft?” she asked nonchalantly.

  “It turns out Soozie used to be Gunther Hogg’s girlfriend; she had a key to his clinic. After it was dark, we drove out there, let ourselves in, and made photocopies of Hogg’s ledger cards. He definitely charged the pet owners for burial of their animals at Fairlawn Pet Cemetery. We’ll follow through on that tomorrow.

  “Now, here’s a surprise. Soozie had a videotape of Gunther Hogg talking with Oscar Stein—Stein is Hogg’s attorney. Apparently it was made with a hidden camera in Stein’s office. Hogg came right out and said he was planning to murder Stewart Lamb.”

  Kimberly looked up at Michael. Her turquoise eyes were bleary, as if she had been crying. “Did Soozie say how she got the video?” she asked indifferently.

  “No. She wouldn’t tell me,” he replied. “Do you want to see it now?”

  Kimberly emptied the ashtray into the trash compactor and took her coffee mug to the sink. “No. I’ll watch it another time. I’m going to bed now. I’m very tired.” She entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her.

  Michael took a quick shower, brushed his teeth, and climbed into bed. A feeling of malaise suddenly came over him. He felt like he was ready to jump out of his skin. He lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. He tried to sort out the day’s events, but his thoughts kept returning to the three women now in his life.

  Something very unusu
al had happened with Soozie, but he wasn’t quite sure what it was. Everything that went on in her apartment seemed distant and blurred and foggy.

  Then, Kimberly had acted so strangely when he came in. She was not her usual ebullient self. Not at all. She didn’t even kiss him good night, their one concession to intimacy. Uncharacteristically, she acted very cold, as if he had done something monumental to offend her.

  Finally, there was an urgent message he was compelled to give to Myra tomorrow, but at the moment he couldn’t remember what it was.

  Twenty-Six

  KIMBERLY WAS OBVIOUSLY UPSET. For the first time since Michael had been staying at her house, she did not make breakfast. Only coffee. And Kimberly spoke to Michael mainly in grunts and monosyllables. Michael thought she might be suffering from PMS. “Are you feeling okay this morning?” he asked innocently, stirring his coffee.

  “I’m fine.” She lit a cigarette and blew the smoke in his direction. Michael, a nonsmoker, waved the billowing cloud away.

  “You don’t act like you’re feeling fine,” he persisted. “Is there something wrong?”

  She took another deep drag on her cigarette and glared at him before replying. “What could possibly be wrong?” Kimberly knew that Michael detested having one question answered with another.

  “I don’t know. You don’t seem to be yourself today. Was there something I did—”

  She cut him off. The words flowed all at once. There was pith in her voice. “What did you do, Michael? Perhaps you should ask yourself that question.” Still another long drag on her cigarette.

  His eyes opened wide in surprise. “I didn’t do anything—”

  “Well, maybe that’s the problem, then,” she snapped.

  Michael didn’t want to let go until the matter was settled. “If it’s about not having dinner with you last night—”

  “Damn it, Michael, I said there wasn’t anything wrong. So, drop it, will you? Change the subject, please.” She went to the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

  “Okay,” he agreed huffily. “I’m going to drive out to Fairlawn Pet Cemetery this morning. Do you want to come with me?”

  “No. Why don’t you take Soozie. You seem to prefer her company these days.”

  Realization set in. So, that was it. She was angry with him because he had been with Soozie last night. But that was strictly business. It puzzled Michael why Kimberly would be so possessive. She wasn’t his wife. She wasn’t even his girlfriend, and she knew it. He’d made that perfectly clear. Besides, Soozie wasn’t his lover, either, and Kimberly knew that also.

  Michael’s memory of the night before had been locked up, as if in a vault. At the mention of Soozie, the steel door cracked open slightly and a few disturbing fragments of comprehension tumbled out. Did those events actually occur, or were they merely the recollection of vivid Technicolor dreams? He wasn’t sure.

  I love you, Soozie. He could hear himself saying the words. He could feel her lying on top of him, his arms around her, their lips pressing together, their tongues entwined. He could see her emerald eyes, glowing green laser beams into his. He could smell her faint aroma of citrus and spice. Nutmeg, perhaps. With it all came a burning desire to ravish her. But that’s where it ended. They definitely did not have sex. Even in his dreams. That, he would have remembered clearly.

  Michael was becoming annoyed with Kimberly’s foul mood. Maybe I should take Soozie, he started to say impetuously, and then had second thoughts. What he uttered was little better.

  “You’ve no right to be jealous, Kimberly. You know I care about you, and I feel you care about me, but we’re not lovers and we don’t own each other.”

  “You love me like a sister, right?” Kimberly queried sarcastically. “Isn’t that what you told me the other day?”

  “That’s right. Something like that,” he acknowledged curtly.

  “Screw you, Michael. I’m tired of always playing second fiddle. Now, apparently, I’m coming in third. I know you’re married, but I can’t help loving you. And not like a brother, either. You know that. I’ve never made it a secret that I want to have a sexual relationship with you. Yet you always turn me down.

  “For over a week, you’ve been living in my house because Myra kicked you out. I thought by now we’d be sleeping together. How do you think I feel, lying in bed by myself every night, wanting you, knowing we’re alone and you’re right there in the next room, and all you do is keep reminding me how much you love your wife?” she asked despairingly. “What harm would it do if we had sex? No one would ever know except you and me.”

  Kimberly did not give Michael a chance to answer, but continued on with her tirade. “I’d told myself I’d wait for you forever, if need be. I wouldn’t want to be responsible for breaking up your marriage; you’d always resent me for it if I did. Merely being your lover would satisfy me for now. I thought if your marriage fell apart on its own—as it seems likely it will—I would be there for you, ready to give you solace. But that was before you met Soozie.”

  Her hands were on her hips. “If you love Myra so damn much, why do you fuck Soozie?”

  Michael stood up, his face red. Michael rarely raised his voice, but he was incensed. “Damn it, Kimberly, I haven’t had sex with Soozie—other than that one time, and I told you all about that!”

  “I’d like to believe you, but I can’t,” Kimberly cried out, her eyes welling up with tears. “Go look in the mirror, Michael. You have hickeys on your neck again.”

  “YOU LOOK LIKE HELL, Gunther,” Oscar Stein told the man in his office. What happened to you?”

  Gunther Hogg’s face and arms sported numerous bandages. “I had an accident at the clinic. My kennel attendant was mopping the floors. I didn’t see a puddle of soapy water and slipped when I ran to answer the phone.

  “As I started to fall, I reached for the animal cages for support. The cages are heavy galvanized steel and stacked almost to the ceiling. I should have bolted them together and to the wall, but never got around to doing the job. When I grabbed at one, they all came down on top of me like a pile of building blocks. I was stabbed by some sharp metal protrusions. It’s a good thing my helper was there. If I’d been in the clinic alone, I might have bled to death by the time I could work my way out from under the cages.”

  “From the looks of all of the bandages, you must have bled like a stuck pig,” Stein guffawed at his simile. “You’ll have to be more careful in the future. I don’t want to lose a good client.

  “Since the accident occurred at your own clinic, I know you didn’t come to see me about a personal injury case. Why are you here this morning?”

  “I brought you the deed to my house,” Hogg informed him. “It’s endorsed over to you, as you requested.” He handed Stein the legal document.

  Stein looked at the deed, seemed satisfied, and placed it in the top right-hand drawer of his desk. “Good,” he nodded. “I didn’t think you’d be able to get it so quickly. I take it you and your wife have worked things out satisfactorily?”

  Hogg avoided looking Stein directly in the eyes. “Sorta. Patricia’s leaving town, so she didn’t have any more use for the house anyway. I gave her five grand for the furniture and a promissory note for her half of the equity. She wasn’t too happy about that—she wanted me to pay her off in full—but when I convinced her I didn’t have any more cash available, she decided to accept the paper.”

  “I guess she thought the note was better than nothing,” Stein commented dryly.

  Hogg used his sleeve to wipe beads of sweat from his forehead. “There’s something else you should know,” he muttered.

  “And what’s that?” queried Stein.

  Hogg continued to look away from Stein as he spoke. “There was an article in yesterday’s Las Vegas Times. About some animal carcasses thrown down a mine shaft.”

  “I read the article. What about it?”

  “I did it. It was cheaper than taking the animals to the dump.”<
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  Stein realized instantly why Hogg had disposed of the animals in the mine. “What you’re telling me is you charged the owners for burial, but kept the money for yourself instead of turning it over to a pet cemetery. Is that it?” He had underestimated Hogg. The veterinarian had as much larceny in his heart as any of Stein’s other clients—the thieves, the pimps, the drug dealers, the underworld figures. Only Hogg’s methods were different.

  “Yes, that’s it,” Hogg admitted.