"Larry, I'm fine. Do you need anything?" I didn't give him time to answer. I had noticed Flash's absence. "Where's my cat?" As if on cue, Flash appeared at the laundry-room door and walked over to sniff my new socks. "Come here, my little baby," I called to Flash. "Come sit with Mommy."
Flash jumped on the couch and rubbed against me, purring. She sniffed the boots. "Those are the evil boots that gave Mommy a booboo, and now Mommy can't wear her shoes to go see Kyle. Poor little Kyle."
Larry watched the whole scene without a word.
The truth hit me. How was I going to visit my son if I couldn't wear shoes? Would I be allowed in with open-toed footwear? I couldn't remember the jail dress code regarding shoes. Damn! Flash jumped off the couch and went straight up the stairs to my bedroom. So much for socializing.
"Lella, do you have any other outside doors beside the entry door?"
"The patio door, but no key there, it slides. Are you still concerned about Ruby and my old key?"
He smiled at me. "Comes with the job." That half-devil-half-angel smile lingered on his lips and gave me pleasant goose bumps. "Have you considered installing a security system?"
"Not really. I've always felt safe here."
"You don't even have a peephole on the door."
"Can we talk about something else? Like, Ruby, Kyle, the safety deposit box…"
"Let me look at you. Is that the costume you wore at the mission? You went there after all, didn't you? That's my girl." Larry sat next to me and I remembered the phone. I pulled out the parts and the battery and handed them to him.
"These are the pieces of your cell phone?"
I nodded. "Can it be fixed?"
"That's why you weren't answering." He pulled me closer and began to reassemble the phone with his arm around my waist.
"I dropped it while chasing Ruby. If not for the boots and the train, I could have caught her or the blonde who stole my hat. I think Ruby is both people. That doesn't sound right, but you know what I mean."
"Tell me about the hat."
"You don't believe me, do you? Neither did Florian, I could tell. I can show you pictures. I wear the hat every year for Swallow's Day. It's sort of my signature. But the box was empty this time. My hat was gone, along with the wig stand I kept it on."
I felt the arm around my waist tense. Something I said must have hit a nerve.
"You kept your hat on a wig stand?"
"Upstairs, in a huge box. The box was in the linen closet. But when I got it, only the pins were left."
"I think you're onto something." He said it in a hushed voice, talking to himself? "And you think Ruby wore a blond wig?"
"No, I never mentioned a wig. I said she was a blonde."
He handed me the phone.
"Oh, thanks. Is it working?"
"Looks like it. How close did you get to this hat thief?"
I couldn't tell if he was trying to get information or just making conversation.
"She outran me from the very beginning, that's because of my poor feet. I only saw her face for a few seconds, from a distance. But those red lips, ah, that's so Ruby."
"Lella, why would she steal your hat, then come parading it around the mission?"
"I don't know, I've been asking myself the same thing. Maybe she wanted to make sure I was there working." I had not thought of that before. "We were together when I bought the hat. She's done crazier stuff than taking a hat since her accident. What am I saying? Ruby likes to take chances. Maybe she needs the adrenaline rush. It got worse the last year or so. It's like she forgets and she goes backward."
"Backward?"
"Yeah, one time she withdrew a lot of money from her own account. And she made a big production of telling me Tom, her husband, didn't know about the account. Then insisted she had no recollection of it and had no idea where she stashed the money. Or when she went looking for me at my old house, months after I had moved out. The doctor assured her it would get better, that it was a matter of time. I don't know. I'm tired of talking about Ruby. I need to find a way to get to see Kyle."
He sat next to me, quiet, his arm still around my waist. The arm was still there, but the mood not so much. Larry's body was there, his mind wasn't.
"Can I get you something? Water, coffee, soda, wine?"
He moved a little away from me. "No, thanks. I'm fine. Yes, I know it's your house and all. But I'm here, at your service." His voice came from a faraway place. He looked through me, not at me. "Sweetie, do you mind if I make a couple of phone calls?" He already held his cell in his hand.
"Sure, go ahead." I started to get up. My foot felt pretty good, all things considered. "I'll go upstairs and change my clothes while you do that."
He didn't answer. I could hear him hitting the numbers on his mobile. I began climbing the stairs. It had to be something I said, I knew it. I remembered how I felt when I discovered that Ruby substituted the keys. My sense of elation. Larry exhibited the same symptoms.
Flash, sprawled on the bed, watched with an expression of pure cat boredom while I removed my skirt and examined the damage. Nothing ripped, but even so, the hard landing left noticeable marks. I would try to clean it with a hard brush. I had undressed down to my red silk camisole and my undies when I noticed the flickering on the answering machine. There was a message. "Hello, Mrs. York, it's Audrey, your neighbor. I know I—asked you to keep an eye on my place while I'm in Parker, and I just wanted to say, well, don't be alarmed if you see people, I mean, movers. Things have changed since I arrived, and I need to stay here in Parker indefinitely. I would appreciate if you could say hello to Kyle for me. Maybe you could keep me posted if anything new comes up and thank you for all your help. Goodbye." What?
Before my brain could process Audrey's monologue, the house phone rang. Kyle?
"Hi, Lella, It's—" Bonnie? Calling on a Sunday evening? Oh my God. Something must have happened to Kyle.
"Is Kyle okay?" I blurted out before she could finish her sentence.
"Kyle is fine. I just left him. We had to work on the details for tomorrow. We'll be in court in the morning. I suggest you get there no later than 9:30 a.m.. Actually, I insist you be there. We need to show he has family and friends' support, ties to the community, people who care. Carolyn, his agent, promised to come."
"I'll be there. I'll be there, even if I have to come barefooted. What's happening? The cops found Ruby?"
"Barefoot? I don't understand." No comment regarding Ruby.
"Nothing, a stupid joke. Tell me about Kyle." I heard Larry coming up the stairs.
"There is a good chance Kyle will be able to go home. Even without locating Ruby. He will be monitored and confined between home and work. We got lucky. He was cleared of the arson charge—"
"The what? Arson? My son was accused of setting fire—to what?"
"Calm down, Lella, that part is over. With new evidence of Mrs. Russell being alive and bent on mischief, we don't even have to post bond."
Calm down, Lella? She spoke of my son's jail and life as if it were a routine business. What was wrong with her?
"Anyway, got to run. I'll see you tomorrow, and maybe we'll get a chance to do lunch with Kyle and Carolyn before Kyle gets shipped to his condo." What was she saying? His condo? Why? "Good night. Say hello to Larry." She hung up.
I was dumbfounded. What did Carolyn have to do with Kyle's release? Was there a reason Kyle couldn't stay with me? If he was going to be house bound he would need someone to take care of him. How did Bonnie know Larry was here? I felt like I was being stared at. I turned around, and there was Larry, standing by the bedroom door, looking at me.
"That was Bonnie," I informed him.
He walked over and slid his finger under the shoulder strap of my cami. I didn't expect that at all and instead of responding, I froze. Larry kept his finger there and tilted his head to meet my eyes. I don't know what he read because I felt so overpowered by contrasting emotions. He was getting a taste of my feelings in thirty-one flavo
rs. He let go of me when his cell chimed.
"Hi, Steve, thanks for calling back so fast. Yes, that's right. So it was a blond wig Milena Forrester wore. It's just a suspicion. I think you should talk to Bob. Yup, he got my desk after I left." I sensed a sort of sadness in Larry's voice. Did he miss his job? "Yes, you're right, with Florian. Let me get you his cell number. What's there to lose? Just curious, did Forrester have a driver's license? You see where I'm going with this. My cell, it's best. Yup, you got that straight." He hung up and now his eyes had a new glow, a newly found passion, and unfortunately, I didn't think it had anything to do with my red cami.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
I watched him breathe. In the shy light of dawn, Larry's face looked relaxed and passion free. What a captivating impostor he would make, I knew. I practiced with him the excesses of desire. He was the first man ever to lie in this bed of mine, this custom-built with a view of the ocean. The view was the last thing on my mind. I had to get to court before 9:30 a.m., and Monday morning traffic would be a killer. Should I get ready before waking him? Or endure more of his funny questions about my magnifying makeup mirror and my multiple jars of age-defying potions and lotions? I got out of bed and went to make coffee. I owed him that for all the perks I enjoyed at his place.
One thing I learned from our hours of twilight bonding, he really did miss his job and considered going back. He also explained about Kyle and the arson charge. Mrs. Snoopy had called to report that Kyle's Porsche was parked at the Russells' house the night of the fire. By then Kyle didn't have the car. Ruby had already made the switch. I didn't say much but was willing to bet that Ruby set fire to the house. At this point I didn't even believe the story of her brain injury. No, she was plain evil from birth and good at manipulating people.
I fed Flash, put the coffee on and went to shower in the guest bathroom. When I got back to my bedroom with two mugs of coffee, I found Larry sitting up, enjoying the reflections from the shimmering ocean and scratching Flash's belly. Oh my God, what a sight! Add all that to Kyle's release, and this could possibly be one of the best days of my single life.
By 8:30 a.m. we locked my door with the new key and headed for the garage. We crossed paths with a man carrying a wooden post and a sign. It was a real estate sign, FOR LEASE. I grabbed Larry's arm, forcing him to slow his pace. I wanted to see where the sign would be posted. The man stopped in front of Audrey's place. I remembered her message. Movers would be showing up, and she wasn't coming back. My day went off the charts.
I wore open-toed sandals with low heels. My pants covered most of the footwear, so unless I stood up and limped, no one would notice my problem. The swelling had gone down, and I felt okay. We approached the ramp to the 5 North, chatting about Bonnie and Kyle. The traffic was light, but we knew it wouldn't last; once we hit Irvine the lanes would get crowded and slow. At least we wouldn't have to change freeways.
I looked at Larry. "Are you coming to court, or are you waiting outside?"
"It depends. I'm hoping to hear from Bob. I had my friend Steve call him about Aunt Millie and your old friend the hat snatcher."
I smacked his knee, and he laughed.
"What about it?" I asked.
"I have this theory. What if Ruby is going around pretending to be Milena Forrester, a.k.a. Aunt Millie?"
"Why? They look alike?"
"I doubt it, but picture this, same wig, dark glasses—who knows? She may be using Aunt Millie's ID to get around incognito."
"The ID of a dead person?"
"Lella, you know she's dead because I told you. I know because Steve told me. But the world outside of Parker doesn't know about Aunt Millie or Milena Forrester, and unless someone digs deeper, it's possible her death isn't even showing up in some police databases yet." He looked at me, and I shook my head. "Shake your head all you want, I think it's brilliant. I suggested they get the media to run with the story, showing the photos of both women. How about that?"
I nodded. "The way Ruby looked when I chased her, if not for the hat I wouldn't have given her a second glance. You may be right. I can't wait to see Kyle. I'm so excited. Do you think he'll be wearing his own clothes?"
"Women. How can you think about what he'll be wearing? And frankly, what does it matter?"
I was happy. He could tease me all he wanted. "I'm not sure I'll recognize Carolyn. It's been a long time."
"I'm sure she'll recognize you." He put his finger under my chin. "Who can forget this face?"
"Keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel." Still smiling at his compliment.
We were approaching the loop where the 405 and the 5 split, where it was typical to see a car with a confused driver zigzagging in and out of lanes like the tail of a kite in a hurricane. Today, the confused driver of a tan SUV swerved into our lane. Larry yanked the steering wheel to the right, without braking. We missed the SUV by inches and ended up in the emergency lane. The Ford truck behind us wasn't so lucky. It T-boned the SUV, sending it fishtailing against a two-door white car in the next lane. Metal to metal and crashing glass. All cars came to a stop in a squealing of brakes and an acrid cloud of smoke. It was over in minutes, yet from my passenger seat it felt like forever. Thank God our airbags didn't deploy. They did in the truck. I could see the airbags, but not the driver or any passenger.
Larry checked on me. "You okay?"
I nodded, shaky and searching for my voice.
"You're sure?" He sounded cool and in control, already dialing for help.
"Yes," I managed to whisper.
"Stay here. Don't leave the car. You may get hit by some onlooker. I'll go see if I can help."
I had no intention of leaving the car. At the moment of the near accident, I anchored my feet against the floor with all my strength, more as instinct than wise decision.
My left foot was killing me thanks to the open-toed sandals and the pressure I put on the toe. More vehicles pulled into the emergency lane. Curious witnesses began to pour onto the freeway. I looked at my watch. People may be injured, even dying, and I was concerned about getting to court on time, yet I couldn't feel bad about my train of thought. Kyle's wellbeing meant everything to me.
The Ford truck seemed to gather most of the attention. The first to respond was a motorcycle CHP. He parked his bike behind the Mercedes and didn't seem to notice me sitting inside. I watched him reach to his holster then talk into his phone. Checking in? He walked toward the truck, where the small crowd assembled. Larry stepped away to meet the highway patrolman. They spoke a few words and then went back to the Ford. Why all that commotion around the truck? Soon the rest of the emergency vehicles announced their arrival in an impromptu parade of lights and sounds.
It was 9:20 a.m., and I assumed Kyle was seated in court by now. Did I bring my mobile phone? Yes, thank God. There wasn't much for me to do from my premium seating except wait for Larry to come back with an update. The "telecopter" from KTLA5 circled the sky, more red robin than buzzard with that racy paint job and flashy lettering. The traffic was now getting channeled into the car-pool lane and, of course, every vehicle slowed down to ogle. I watched Larry shake hands with a paramedic—looked like the two of them knew each other— then Larry walked back to the car.
"I am so sorry." He sat in the driver's seat and rolled down the window. "I know how important it is for you to be there with Kyle. Unfortunately we need to stay put until one of the officers takes the report and the whole scene has been mapped out. It may take hours."
"It's okay. It couldn't be avoided." It wasn't okay. I fought the urge to scream my frustration for everyone to hear.
"If I knew which judge they are seeing I could get a message to Bonnie, but I don't know, and there are no phones in court."
"Really, Larry. It's okay," I lied. "By the way, why is everybody gathering around the truck? What's going on?"
He shook his head. "It's a very young couple. The woman is eight months pregnant. She's just a kid herself. A little thing, like you." H
e smiled at me, stroked my knee. "The airbag hit her hard, and she may be going into early labor. She's being shipped to the hospital, and the paramedics are treating the old man in the white car." We watched the ambulance lights go on, and the vehicle began to move. "We were lucky, and so was the son of a bitch who caused all this mess. It never fails that the culprit walks away unscathed." I saw the motorcycle cop coming in our direction.
"Here we go." Larry got out of the car.
The sun shone high in the sky by the time we started to move. My watch said 11:30 a.m. Kyle's fate was probably sealed, and I had no idea what happened, nor did I know why Larry looked so broody.
"Larry, is something bothering you?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. It's that Ruby. Slippery bitch, isn't she? I'm beginning to take this personally. She's playing games with you and therefore with me. I will find her."
"Can I help? I'm twice as fed up as you are. I thought she'd be hiding at Kyle's place, but instead she just dumped the Porsche there. Maybe the three of us can sit and explore possible hiding places."
"The three of us?"
"Yes, Kyle, you…"
His cell phone went off . "Oh, hi. Really?" He turned to look at me. "Don't know. Let me ask her. Lella, do you have your cell?" I nodded. "Bonnie says your son has been trying to get in touch with you, but you're not answering."
I searched my handbag and pulled out the phone. I pushed button after button, but it showed no sign of life. "I forgot to charge it." I sighed.
Larry held his cell by his ear. "Her phone isn't working. Wait, I'll put her on. She can talk to him." He handed me the phone.
I heard some background noises, cars going by, then Kyle's voice. "Mom?"
"Kyle, oh my God! How are you? Are you free? I'm so sorry I wasn't there, oh, Kyle—"
"It's okay, Mom, I heard about the accident. It's okay. I'm out. Carolyn is here. I'm going to have to wear one of those ankle monitors—Mom, where are you? Will I see you before we go?"
"Where are you going? We are on our way there."
Murder Under the Italian Moon Page 16