“Who will take care of Jazz?” I twisted my arms, the ropes pulled tighter.
“You better not give up.” Fab tipped her chair to the floor, landing on her side. “Oww,” she hissed.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“I’m thinking I can drag my butt over to this steel-beamed column. See if I can work these zip ties on the sharp corners.” She worked her core muscles and thighs and dragged herself, a little at a time, slow going.
“There’s a reason to work out.”
“Some strength training and a few less ice cream bars, and maybe, just maybe, one day you could kick my butt.” Fab gritted her teeth.
“I’m not giving up, but if the worst happens, I’m going to bait Bruno into killing me. I don’t want to drown.” I struggled not to let the fear consume me. “You’ve been the best friend ever.”
“After seventh grade I swore I’d never have another best friend, until I met you, and you were so pushy-insistent,” Fab huffed.
“What was your best friend’s name that turned you off the idea?” I asked.
“Danielle. I invited our little group of four over for a pool party. Mother caught us sunning in chaise lounges, smoking and drinking. Furious didn’t quite cover the look on Mother’s face. Dani jumped up, telling Mother I planned everything, and never let them know my dastardly plans until they arrived. She said the three of them were lambs led personally to the slaughter by me. Dani begged Mother, the other two chimed in. Word might get out and humiliate their families. They were drawn in by the ‘it’ girl, they just wanted to be friends.”
“Truth is, we planned it together. One girl brought the smokes, I supplied Father’s expensive brandy. Mother grabbed me by my ponytail, about yanking my hair out of my head, slapped my face so hard my head ricocheted, and then ordered everyone to leave and never speak of the incident again.”
“Dani played Mother and smiled at me as she left. I never had another best friend and relinquished my title of popular girl, never to be the ‘it’ girl again. I’d bet my life you’d have never done that to anyone.”
“Dani never apologized, nothing?” I asked.
“Even better, she spread it all over school how Mother humiliated me in front of my friends. At first no one believed her, but then she started pointing out the bruise on my cheek left by Mother’s ring.”
“She was jealous of you. Dani needed a good ass kicking, but I don’t suppose you ever got that satisfaction?” I pointed upward. “Shhh. Someone’s trying to get the window open.” The small glass panel was expertly popped out.
“Don’t say a word until we find out who in the hell it is,” Fab whispered. “You don’t recognize the voice, don’t say anything.”
CHAPTER 40
I whispered back, “No human can crawl through that window and there’s no door to the outside.” I looked over every square inch while Chrissy had her eyes on Fab, telling her what a piece Gabriel was, as though Fab didn’t know.
A flashlight swept around the basement, first landing on Fab lying sideways on the floor. It continued to scan, passed me by, and backed up. Creole poked his head in the window. “What the hell are you two doing down here? Is Fab dead?”
“No, she’d wave but her hands are cuffed. Get us out of here. Your lover is crazy.”
“We’ve got enough for a warrant now. Be patient.” Creole disappeared.
“He gets us out of here and I’ll be nice to him,” Fab said.
“First thing when we get out of here, we go to Aventura Mall, get drunk, and go shopping.”
“We’ll take your mother as our designated driver,” Fab said.
The alarm system went off in the house. “I thought the alarm system was silent.” The noise made me want to cover my ears. Rope burns and hearing loss.
“Zach’s company installed it, so you know it’s state of the art.” Fab continued to wiggle on the floor. “My guess is that Zach is close by. Having worked with him, I know he has someone in the office that monitors the accounts twenty-four hours a day. Crap, two people to be nice to.”
“Does this mean we’re not going to die?” I asked.
“I’ll feel more confident when we get out of here.”
Two forceful thuds to the door at the top of the stairs and it flew open, slamming off the wall. Creole and Zach filled the doorway, each shoving the other down the stairs. Harder waved from the doorway.
Zach cut through the rope that bound my legs and arms and hugged me. I groaned. My arms ached from being tied so tight and at a bad angle. Creole picked up the chair Fab laid tied to, sitting it upright. He pulled an evil looking tool from the back of his belt and cut off her cuffs. He examined her wrists. “You’ll live.”
Zach pushed me away. “What the hell are you doing down here?” he yelled.
I opened my mouth and screamed in his face like a two-year-old. “I suppose you think it’s my fault that I was tasered and chloroformed?” I started to cry.
“It’s hard on her when she thinks she’s going to die.” Fab covered her face taking a deep breath.
I buried my head on Zach’s shoulder and made loud sniffing noises. All I wanted to do was go home. I sneaked a peek at Fab, winked, smiled, and made several more sniffing sounds. It was the best I could do for a pretend cry.
Fab walked over and put her arm around me. “Come on.” She led me to the steps. “Well-played,” she whispered. “I’m impressed.”
* * *
“I don’t know how you worked this out, but we both owe you,” I told Harder from the back seat of his unmarked patrol car, Fab next to me.
“This is my case. Creole works for me and Lazarro is a nobody. They looked like they wanted to strangle you both. Who am I kidding? I loved sticking it to those two assholes, riding in like the white knight. Never had that pleasure, kind of liked it.” Harder snorted.
“Where’s the widow Chrissy and her lackey, greasy Bruno? Was she a suspect at all?” Fab asked.
“Being photographed at Miami jail. Neither has consented to a chat and we offered water in paper cups. Chrissy told Bruno to keep his mouth shut and called her high-price lawyers. Our first suspect is always the spouse, but we crossed her off the list when her alibi checked out. It wasn’t until this past week when the lab reviewed the tapes and found one had been tampered with.”
“Did you find the Hummer?” The last thing I wanted to do was negotiate another ride from Brick. I’d force myself to go to a real dealership.
“It’s being swept for evidence as to your kidnapping. I’ll tell the boys to tow it over to Famosa’s when they’re finished. Request Ernie in the body shop, he’ll have your front end looking like new, he’s an artist,” Harder said.
“Would you hold off on transporting the Hummer? I may never get it back, even though I have signed docs that show I did a straight up deal. I screwed Brick and haven’t had the pleasure of telling him I quit yet.”
“What did Brick do now?” Harder demanded. He and Brick were longtime friends, not to mention, Brick’s brother Casio worked for the Miami P.D.
I told him about the eviction notices for the seniors. “Wendy from Mercy House got them a pro bono attorney and I junked the notices.”
“What an asshole,” Harder snapped. “Why not relocate them? They have certain rights in regards to relocation, why not look like the big man and get a puff piece in the paper on why he deserved that stupid man of the year award.”
“The problem is that rent isn’t cheap. Finding a place to relocate them is frustrating; the rundown buildings are filled up.”
“Don’t tell him I told you this,” Harder said, looking in the rearview mirror. “Threaten him with bad publicity and he’ll come up with a win-win solution, like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“Helping old people now,” Fab grunted. “Guess I’ll have to change my opinion of you. Where are you taking us?”
“To my office. You’ll give a signed statement, and be out the door. You both will agree to make
yourselves available for further questioning and no jerking me around.” Harder glared at Fab.
Fab gave me her devil smile. That’s exactly what she planned to do.
I shook my finger at her and said, “Don’t worry I’ll give you my word for the both of us.”
“No offense, Miss Merceau, but Madison’s word keeps you from sitting in a holding cell until I’m satisfied you’ve given me every last detail, and that could take days.” Harder pulled into an assigned space not far from the door. Trunk lids open, a handful of officers pulled out bulletproof vests, a shift change in progress. It gave me a shiver, reminding me that to protect and serve was a dangerous job.
* * *
“You are so lucky I don’t have my gun. I’d force you out of this truck and make you walk!” I yelled at my brother Brad, hoisting myself into his testosterone truck. It annoyed me greatly that Fab didn’t need the cheater bar.
Liam covered his face and laughed.
“You’re a terrible example for a kid––threatening violence,” Brad said.
I had called Brad from Harder’s cell phone. “Hummer has to be towed; can you give me and Fab a ride home?”
“Where are you?”
I remembered he had plans with Mother, Julie, and Liam. “Don’t tell anyone. I’m at Miami Police headquarters. I’ll meet you in front.”
“Madison and her girlfriend got arrested,” Brad announced, and I heard Mother shriek in the background.
“I did not get arrested,” I argued. “And I’m going to hurt you, bad. I’m calling someone else.”
“No you won’t,” Brad growled. “I’ll be right over.”
I reached over the driver’s seat and cuffed Brad in the back of the head.
“Ow, damn it, we’re not ten years old,” Brad yelled. “I got here as fast as I could since I had to get directions. I’ve never been to the jail before for any reason.”
“Brad told G that you said you hadn’t been arrested,” Liam said, his face full of excitement.
“Let me guess, Mother has you calling her G because she’s out of like with Grandmother. Next time, try out Granny,” I rolled my eyes.
Everyone laughed.
“You have no purse, no phone,” Brad said as he flipped me his. “Call Mother. This ought to be good.”
I tossed the phone to Fab.
“I’m not calling her.” Fab handed Liam the phone as if it burned her hand.
“Liam, you call and make something up.” I winked at him.
“Next time you have a problem, Liam, think about what those two would do,” Brad said, and pointed to the back seat, “and do the opposite. Or call me.”
I flicked Fab’s hand when she started to raise her middle finger. I put my head down and covered my face. I should feel terrible telling Liam to call. There were three adults in the car and not one of us willing to step up with the news.
Fab put her arm around me. “This is low,” Fab whispered.
Liam waved off the phone, he had his own and Mother on speed dial. “We’re on our way back to The Cove,” he said when she answered. “They haven’t told us yet.” He paused and twisted in his seat. “I think Madison’s crying,” he said in a stage whisper. “Love you back.” Liam ended the call.
“We’ve had a bad day,” Fab announced. “We both got kidnapped at separate times, tied up, were about to be dumped in the Gulf, and got rescued. Happy now?”
“I love your stories,” Liam knuckle bumped Fab over the back seat.
Brad groaned. “I guess I’m going to tell you I love you every time I see you, just in case.”
“I love you, too,” This time, real tears filled my eyes.
CHAPTER 41
I walked into the kitchen where Didier had Fab’s back pressed hard against his bare chest, one arm holding her tightly. He sucked on her neck while cooking up one of his egg creations. They were the picture of hotness, he in a pair of shorts, Fab clad in one of his dress shirts.
“I’m hungry,” I said before I poured myself a glass of orange juice and sat at the island.
“Mon cher,” Didier winked. “The two of you almost dying is unacceptable and will not happen again.” He shook his finger. His words were gentle, but his eyes snapped with anger.
My eyes filled with tears. I looked down and took a deep breath; I would not cry.
Didier came around the counter with Fab, pulling me off my stool and into a three-way hug. “I love you both.” He kissed my cheek and kissed Fab hard on her mouth. He lifted my chin to meet his eyes. “Where is that boyfriend of yours?”
“He’s angry with me right now, very angry,” I whispered.
The timer went off. Didier put eggs and fresh raspberries on three plates. We were going to enjoy breakfast in the kitchen.
“We’re alive, now that’s a happy ending,” I said. “And neither of us ended up in the hospital.”
Didier looped his arm around Fab’s neck, squeezing her, and she leaned into him. He pressed a forkful of egg to her lips. “Open up.”
Watching this intimate scene play out in front of me made me needy for a hard hug from Zach. I jumped off my stool. “What are you wearing to Mother’s party?” I asked Fab.
“We’re not going.” Fab crossed her arms, glaring at me.
“Does Mother know?”
“I’ll call her later,” Fab huffed.
Didier worked on a knot in Fab’s hair with his fingers. “You will not.” He stared at her. “She’s wearing my favorite black dress and stilettos.”
To my surprise, Fab didn’t argue. I’d never seen her look so content. Didier held on to her the entire time I’d been in the kitchen.
“I’ll see you later. I’m going to Jake’s and then I’ll be back for a nap.” I picked up my keys and phone and left. I looked in the kitchen window and Fab and Didier were locked together in a kiss. My guess, they wouldn’t make it out of the house until tonight.
* * *
I waved to Phil. I already hated the day she’d graduate from law school and I’d have to find a new bartender. The perfect employee didn’t happen twice in a row.
Phil motioned to the deck. “I told him you were on your way.”
Zach waved to me from his table in the corner. His face a grim hard line, not a hint of a welcoming smile. I didn’t think I could take another lecture on my shortcomings without bursting into tears. Phil handed me a bottle of water and I shuffled in his direction. If only he could get mad, yell, and get over it. Not Zach Lazarro, he kept it inside.
He stood and held a chair out for me. “You look good for someone who has had yet another brush with death.”
I sat down. It surprised me that he slid back into his chair without so much as a kiss on my cheek.
“I left you a message,” I said. “Mother is having a party tonight.”
He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back. “I’m not going to be able to make it. I’ve got something rather important that needs my attention tonight.”
Something important? What? I realized he never really shared anything. “You stopped by to see me?”
His blue eyes darkened. “I think we need a break. I finally get the message. All the times I’ve asked you to move in, the answer is no. And now, it might be too late.”
Too late for what?
“You want to see other people?” I pinched my thigh hard and held on tight. I didn’t care about a bruise, stopping the tears from rolling down my face was my only thought. “That’s it, no warning, just good-bye?”
“I want to come home at the end of the day, enjoy a quiet dinner without one damned interruption, and watch a movie. Not to a girlfriend running around ‘helping’ the riff-raff or having to share the remote with a half-dressed Frenchman.”
“When do you have time for that?” I tried to smile.
“Maybe I’d make it a priority if I knew you’d be there when I got home. Your life is chaotic. You’re a Fab in the making. I’ve had that kind of relationship and I’m not repe
ating that mistake. Do you see this relationship as having longevity? I don’t. I want a family and kids, do you want that? I liked the woman I fell in love with, where did she go?”
Kids! That scared me down to my toes.
“If I agree to get rid of my best friend, sell The Cottages, and be a stay-at-home girlfriend, we can get back together and you’ll be happy?”
He sighed and downed the last of his coffee. “Time apart will be good for us. I need to take the time to sort out some personal issues. I know I don’t want a woman who sleeps with a Glock.”
Knowing full well it was bad luck to toast to water, I held up my bottle in salute. “To friends.” My heart broke at his painful words. I needed to get out of here with my dignity intact and go home and crawl into bed. The last couple of days had been the worst.
Zach stood up, looking me in the face. “I hope if you were ever in trouble, you’d call me. If you need Slice for anything, call him, he’ll never tell you no.”
I shook my head yes, afraid to speak. He never one time touched me. I looked away as I heard his footsteps move toward the front door. I finally let the tears go that had been threatening to roll down my face.
* * *
My alarm woke me up from a sound sleep. I felt like crap, my muscles sore, and I had a slamming headache from too much crying. I had snuck back into my house quietly, Fab and Didier in her room, the ribbon on the knob. I peeled off all my clothes and climbed under the cool sheets, turning off my phone and sobbing myself to sleep.
I dragged myself off the bed and into my closet. How many times had I told myself not to wait until the last minute to decide what to wear? I couldn’t compete with stilettos, but I could wear something barely covering my ass with a smaller heel and not look dumpy.
I jerked a dozen dresses off the closet rod before deciding on a short black dress with a plunging neckline that tied around my neck, and was backless, with a full skirt that hit mid-thigh. I picked up a pair of alligator looking slides and a handful of jewelry and tossed everything onto the bed. I headed for the shower to let the jets of cool water beat on me. I used special relaxing body wash, rubbing it onto my neck and shoulders, and stood under the waterfall until the stress washed away.
Murder in Paradise (Paradise Series) Page 24