White Offerings

by Roberts, Ann

  Molly nodded. “He could, but I don’t think he knows anything else.”

  “That doesn’t always matter. Since I’ve started this investigation, I’ve learned that Carnotti doesn’t take chances. Anyone who gets in his way winds up dead.” They sat in silence watching the three large fish swim in circles around the tiny pond. “You did great work,” Rasp said.

  Molly shrugged. “Yeah, but we lost Carnotti.”

  “Not necessarily. Something might eventually come out of that file you got from Sandra Payton.”

  “Maybe.” She glanced at Rasp, realizing the woman was watching her. “So do you go back to D.C. now?”

  “For now, but I’ll be back if something turns up.”

  Molly held her gaze but didn’t know what to say. If it was a different situation, and if neither of them was involved, she was sure she would be asking Rasp to stay a little longer in Phoenix. But she was involved, and she loved Ari. And Ari trusted her. The moment dissolved when Andre burst through the door, still holding his cell phone out.

  “What’s wrong?” Molly asked.

  “Rusty’s dead. Guard found him swinging from a pipe in his cell. Hung himself with a belt.”

  “Don’t they take away their belts?” Rasp asked.

  Andre nodded. “Yeah, they do. Somehow he got one.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Friday, October 20th

  4:00 PM

  The sun stretched downward, and Teri felt the relief of a cool breeze by four o’clock. Although the Phoenix temperatures were still in the high eighties, nights were coming sooner, and she welcomed the break from the heat, particularly when she was outside laying pipe or up on a roof slapping down tar. The only time she didn’t mind was when she was doing landscaping or working at her aunt’s shop. She didn’t seem to notice the sweat dripping down her back when she was planting or watering, even in the middle of July. The explanation was easy. Construction was her job, but horticulture was her passion. She loved flowers and plants, and someday she would save enough money to go to school and get her degree, not that Aunt Delores thought she needed one. She’d worked in greenhouses most of her life, and Aunt Delores had won several prizes at different flower shows because of Teri’s knowledge and passion.

  She transferred the three-gallon rosebushes from the wagon to the wooden palette where they would sit until they were purchased. She smiled proudly. She’d grown them herself, and while she didn’t like roses as much as orchids, she had to admit the Escapades were beautiful. Their rich purple petals would surely attract buyers.

  She finished unloading the roses and headed back to the greenhouse. She wanted to check on her prized possession and prepare it for travel. She planned to give it to Ari for her birthday that night, and she hoped that Ari would have the same appreciation for it that she did. She heard the chime of her cell phone indicating a text message was waiting. She pulled her phone from her pocket and smiled at the message—I need another orchid.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Friday, October 20th

  6:20 PM

  When his cell phone rang, he was just pulling up to his house at 6815 Moon Avenue. The theme from The Godfather filled the car, announcing the caller, Vince Carnotti.

  “Hello, Vince.”

  “Are things under control?” Carnotti asked, suspending a civil greeting.

  “Everything’s fine. It all worked out, although we lost John.”

  “John became a liability. He and that teenager had to be eliminated.”

  “That’s true.”

  “What about you? Can I count on you?”

  “Of course. I can’t believe you feel you need to ask. We’ve worked together for years, and I don’t think I’ve ever given you a reason to doubt my loyalty. Arizona’s always been easy, hasn’t it?”

  “I know, I know. I’m not suggesting you’re slacking, but it’s getting tighter. More questions are being asked. Those two dykes, Nelson and Rasp, they came very close to the truth this time.”

  “Trust me. You don’t have anything to worry about. I’ve got a plan.”

  Carnotti sighed. “I do trust you, but it’s my neck—”

  “Don’t worry. Rasp is out of here, and I’ll make sure Molly Nelson never bothers us again.”

  There was silence on Carnotti’s end, and he knew Vince was weighing his loyalty, his ability to deliver.

  “All right. Have a pleasant weekend.”

  The line went dead and he pocketed the phone, his hands shaking slightly. He gathered up the groceries from the passenger seat and trudged to the house. When his gaze landed on the large iron house numbers, he smiled, thinking of Molly Nelson and Connie Rasp spending hours listing the numeric possibilities on their white boards, surfing the Internet for clues to the paper that Itchy had left.

  The little weasel had thought he was so smart writing down the address, not bothering to include a street name for added protection. If it was randomly discovered, no one would realize what it was with only the numbers. And Itchy didn’t need to write down the street name since it was easy to remember—his last name.

  But Itchy was gone, fortunately before he ruined everything, before he told his secret—before he revealed the mole. Itchy’s attempted blackmail scheme was ill-fated, and while he admired Itchy’s boldness, he knew there was no way Itchy would have ever reaped more than the few hundred dollars he’d been given to shut up. Itchy got greedy and wanted more, threatening to reveal the mole, him. That was his mistake.

  He shifted the bag of groceries on his knee to get the key in the lock, recognizing that although Nelson had not figured it out, Carnotti was right. She had come close—too close. She needed to be neutralized, and he really did have a plan. It would take months to unfold, but in the end, Molly Nelson wouldn’t be an issue anymore. There was no way that she would jeopardize everything he had worked for, everything he had earned—the expensive home at the base of Mummy Mountain, his wife’s Mercedes, and the Cayman Island bank account that would eventually supplement his retirement as a civil servant. As a cop, he’d realized early on that he could never live on a basic salary, but he relished power and the way his badge opened doors and presented opportunities. Soon, his years of climbing up the ladder would pay off.

  He’d fed Nelson and Rasp the trail of crumbs they’d followed, all the way to John Rondo’s door. He regretted Rusty’s death. That kid was sharp, and it was unfortunate he couldn’t have been protected. He was smarter than John ever had been.

  As he set the groceries on the counter, he took a deep breath. He’d escaped a bullet. He nodded in resolve. It was time to put the plan in motion for Molly Nelson. A twinge of guilt hit him, but it was gone in a second. It was always hard to bring down a cop, but this was all about self-preservation and survival.

  And he would survive.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Friday, October 20th

  7:55 PM

  The day had blown by with appointments and paperwork, and Ari had little time to think of anything except her job. She was floored when the Fergusons showed up at her office unannounced, asking to preview more houses, but she was elated when they actually found one they wanted to write an offer on. When Ari asked Rochelle what had happened, she smiled and mentioned the power of feminine wiles. Ari had hardly thought of the stalker, and Biz had been close by all day after Molly had a half-hour discussion with her on the phone. Jane was safely cloistered inside Hideaway preparing her party with the help of one of Biz’s associates—a rather large man named Biff.

  Her anxiety grew as the workday ended, and by the time Molly picked her up for the party, her nerves were raw, and she was convinced that the stalker would make some sort of show in front of Jane at Hideaway. Biz assured her that she would be watching in the shadows, but Ari was only half comforted since she didn’t know for sure that Biz wasn’t a suspect herself. Her gut told her that Biz was not the stalker, so she let her suspicions slowly evaporate. She needed Biz’s help, and the only alte
rnative was to involve Molly—an option that was clearly a last resort.

  She greeted Molly at the door with a quick kiss and a long look up and down the detective’s body. Molly wore a Western shirt, tight jeans and cowboy boots. “I see you have your lariat. Where’s your hat?” Ari teased.

  “Out in the truck. I’m supposed to be Annie Oakley.” Molly held out a box for her. “And this is for you.”

  “What is it? Is this my present?”

  Molly offered a sly grin. “Sort of. It’s a present for me. It’s from Jane. And you’re to put it on for me right now.”

  She took the package to the dining room table. A quick glance at the contents told her what she needed to know. While Molly would spend the evening as Annie Oakley, she would be dressed as Wonder Woman.

  “Oh, my God. Honey, I can’t wear this!” Ari held up the red boots in one hand and the tiny red, white and blue outfit in the other. She frowned at the sight of Molly’s open mouth. “You’re a big help.”

  “Baby, I am not going to get in trouble with Jane over this. And frankly, it’s every lesbian’s fantasy to have her girlfriend dress up as Wonder Woman.”

  Realizing she would never win this argument, she excused herself for a few minutes to the bedroom and emerged wearing very little. She watched Molly’s gaze probe her body and was pleased to see it settle on her red and gold breastplate. “Well, how do I look?”

  Molly sauntered up to her and placed the lariat over her head. She cinched the loop around her waist and pulled them together. “I’m bringin’ you in.” She buried her tongue in Ari’s mouth, eliciting little sighs of pleasure from her.

  Ari pulled away and cupped Molly’s face in her hands. “I’ll make you a deal. We skip the party and you can have Wonder Woman all to yourself. I’ll even let you tie me up with my golden lasso, and you can ask me anything you want. I won’t be able to lie.”

  They looked down at the coil of rope attached to Ari’s waistband, and Molly swallowed hard, clearly tempted. “You know how much I hate parties, and you know how much I love being alone with you, but I’ve been threatened with death by Jane, and Brian has said I’ll be disowned from my family if I don’t get you to that party. So we need to go right now before I change my mind.”

  Molly pulled her lariat back over Ari’s head and walked to the door. She held up a long coat for Ari, who slipped it on over the costume.

  “I can’t believe Jane got you to dress up.”

  Molly shook her head. “Jane didn’t get me to do anything. I picked this outfit and told her it was nonnegotiable. She had a much different costume in mind.”

  “Oh, really, what was that?”

  “Xena.”

  Ari could hear the blaring music from outside Hideaway. Molly took her hand and led her through a darkened hallway. A hatcheck girl took her coat and directed them to follow the glow-in-the-dark female symbols on the ground. They rounded a corner and a blinking arch announced, “Girl Power” in colorful lights. Through the arch they found a living tribute to herstory. Posters of famous women hung from the ceiling. Ari easily recognized Shirley Chisholm, Rosa Parks and Indira Gandhi. Large cutouts surrounded the tables, including Marilyn Monroe, Olive Oyl, Maude and Batgirl. A waitress dressed as Rosie the Riveter sashayed past them carrying a tray of cosmopolitans.

  “Jane has really outdone herself,” Ari yelled over the music, a Madonna dance mix.

  “It’s all for you, baby,” Molly said, kissing her on the cheek. “Hey, there’s Brian and Lynne.”

  Dressed as Cleopatra and Marc Antony, they waved and made their way through the crowd. Lynne threw her arms around Ari and gave her a big hug. They were still exchanging greetings when the music stopped and the lights went down.

  “What’s happening?” Ari asked, panicked, suddenly thinking of the stalker.

  “I think Jane found out you’re here,” Molly whispered.

  A fanfare of trumpets broke the silence and Jane’s voice boomed throughout the room. “Ladies and gentlemen, our guest of honor has arrived. Please welcome Ari ‘Wonder Woman’ Adams!” The crowd roared and a spotlight blinded Ari. Jane appeared dressed in a leopard skin thong bikini and escorted both her and Molly to the DJ stand, a replica of a ’50s jukebox.

  “Do you love my outfit?” Jane asked.

  “Who are you supposed to be?”

  “Jane, of course!”

  Ari rolled her eyes and followed Jane’s instructions to stand in front of the crowd. Jane held up her hands for silence and shook her breasts, which only made the guests cheer louder.

  Eventually the noise fell to a drunken murmur and she shouted into the microphone, “Okay, now, before I ask Ari to make a speech, I need to present her with a gift from her father.” Jane’s whole face smiled, and Ari felt herself blanch. Ever the actress, Jane jumped off the dais and headed to a corner of the bar, the spotlight following her the whole way. A blue velvet curtain hid the gift from view, and Ari watched her grab the red cord that extended from the ceiling. “Ari, your dad told me to tell you that he debated long and hard about what to get you, and he thought this was something you could really use.”

  “Oh, God,” she whispered to Molly.

  “Get ready for anything,” Molly replied.

  “Here is your present!” A drum roll echoed throughout the room and Jane yanked the cord. When the curtain fell to the ground, Ari couldn’t believe what she saw—a motorcycle.

  The crowd laughed and cheered while she stood frozen, too stunned to say or do anything. It was obviously very expensive, that much she could guess. The beautiful chrome glistened against the harsh spotlight, and she admired the sleek black paint. She felt Molly’s arms wrap around her middle.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded slightly, her eyes still focused on the machine and Jane, who had mounted the motorcycle and was playing to the crowd. “What am I going to do with that?”

  “I don’t care if it ever leaves your house, so long as you let me buy you a leather biker’s outfit.”

  “Very funny.”

  Jane ran back across the room and thrust the microphone in Ari’s direction. “Okay, Ari. It’s time for you to say a few words. What would you like to say to your adoring public?”

  The crowd chanted her name and she cleared her throat. “I just want to thank Jane for this amazing party, and I thank all of you for coming. Please have a wonderful time.” She quickly handed the microphone back to Jane. “I hate talking in public,” she murmured into Molly’s ear.

  “Trust me, baby. No one will remember a word you said. They were all too busy staring at your costume.”

  Ari turned to escape the dais, but Jane grabbed her arm. “Not so fast, my fabulous best friend.” She waved at the crowd again and pointed to the bar area. “Okay, now before we all get too sloshed to appreciate a true work of art, I would like everyone to turn their attention to the magnificent cake coming toward us!”

  Ari’s heart skipped a beat as she watched a chef push a cart across the room, dreading to see what pornographic image Jane had captured in sugar and frosting. Ari was instantly relieved to see that the cake appeared to be flat and rectangular and didn’t resemble any part of the female anatomy. When the cake pulled up in front of her, she saw it was covered in computerized images of her—fishing with her father, drinking with Jane and kissing Molly. She choked up when she studied the picture in the middle: her mother, standing outside the Orpheum Theater on the day they saw Annie.

  “Do you like it?” Jane asked tentatively.

  Ari threw her arms around her best friend and kissed her. “I love you. You know that, right?”

  “Yeah, honey. I know.”

  “Where did you get some of these pictures?”

  Jane smiled, tears in her eyes. “Your dad sent them to me.” Ari couldn’t speak, suddenly overwhelmed by conflicting emotions. “Just go have a good time, okay?”

  She nodded. Molly guided her to a group that included Lorraine, Lupe, Andre and Teri. They
all said hello, and Andre tapped Molly on the shoulder.

  “Mol, do you know Lupe, Lorraine’s daughter?”

  Ari noticed Andre wore a huge grin on his face, and Molly chuckled in response. There was clearly an inside joke that she didn’t understand, and judging from everyone else’s reactions, they didn’t either. Even Lorraine smiled pleasantly as Andre wrapped his arm around Lupe’s waist. They were definitely becoming friendly.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Lupe,” Molly said.

  “C’mon, sugar, let’s dance.” Andre and Lupe headed toward the dance floor, but Andre turned around and shouted to Molly, “I’m a big fan of McGurkee’s hoagies!” He joined Lupe in a bump-and-grind dance that Ari doubted Lorraine would enjoy watching.

  “What was that about?” Ari asked.

  Molly sighed. “Nothing. Why don’t I grab us some drinks?” She pecked Ari on the cheek and disappeared toward the bar, leaving her with the group.

  “You look amazing, chica,” Lorraine said, kissing her on the cheek. She was dressed as Mae West, complete with a huge blond wig and push-up bra. Her chest was practically falling out of her skintight evening gown. She twirled around for Ari to see. “What do you think? I’ll bet we’d get more clients in these outfits.”

  Everyone laughed and Ari blushed. She turned to Teri, who greeted her with a pleasant smile. She wore a pair of mechanic’s overalls and a baseball cap. “Hi, Teri. I’m glad you could make it.”

  Teri leaned toward her and whispered in her ear under the music. “Thanks for letting me come. I know we just met, but after everything Jane’s said about you, I feel like we know each other really well.”

  Ari nodded and stepped away, unsure of Teri’s meaning. She wandered to another table, talking to the guests. She was amazed at the turnout and didn’t realize how many friends she really had. Of course some clients had come, but many of the guests were women she’d known for years throughout the community. They offered their hugs and some commented on her costume, but a few made bold come-ons that she was glad Molly did not hear. She glanced around and found Jane dancing on one of the tables with a tall Latina. Her anxiety lowered at the sight. As long as Jane was up there, Biz could keep an eye on both of them—wherever she was.