“A special time for you.” He wondered if she could feel his eyes on her body whenever she looked away.
She went on with the dinner preparations. “I was running on adrenaline, and couldn’t have been happier. An hour later, the cameras were gone and the crowd thinned. Tony Hackett, his campaign manager, came over as I hunted for my other shoe. He said Mayor Towson wanted to meet me. Tony obviously enjoyed saying ‘The Mayor.’ I told him no way. I was a mess. I needed to freshen up, which was impossible there. Tony said just come on the mayor is waiting. I asked if the mayor was thanking all the block workers. No, he was alone and asking for me by name.” In time, she finished in the kitchen and they moved to the dining table.
He refilled the wine glasses and she proposed a toast to “new relationships.” Ray was all in favor of new relationships—could she mean them?
“I had never formally met him, and I never dreamed he knew I existed. So, there I was in my bare feet carrying one shoe and following Tony to some room in the back. He introduced me to the great man. When Al noticed I wasn’t wearing any shoes, he reached down and slipped off both of his own shoes. Wasn’t that sweet? I’m standing there sweating, straggly hair hanging down, looking like a barefooted third-world refugee, and he takes off his shoes.”
“Very classy. What did he want?” His eyes wandered around her hair and her warm blue eyes. He decided that he liked her a lot.
“Two weeks earlier, our precinct captain had failed to show up for a get-out-the-vote canvass. We volunteers started to disperse so I stood up and told them we could do it without a leader. I fumbled through it.”
“Actually, you became the leader.”
“Somehow, Al heard about it and wanted to thank me. He offered me a job at City Hall. He was mayor for eight years and I was his administrative assistant. Started selling real estate part time.”
“You must have been pretty close to him. I heard about the disposition of his estate.”
“A complete surprise. His attorney called me to his office. He said Al had changed his will recently, and left me those Chinese dishes and that rare Chinese trader’s catalog that he told you about. I wouldn’t know what to do with them. I’ll give them to charity unless you want them. You’re the only person I know that understands what they are. I know you’ll appreciate them.”
“That’s far too generous. I could never accept them. And you must be very careful about disposing of those items. You’d be making a big mistake by giving them to charity. Promise me you’ll not take any action until you talk with an appraiser. I’ve a friend at Sotheby’s in New York.”
“I’m sure they’re very nice, but I’ve no use for them. She reached across and closed her hand over his. “You want coffee now or shall we stick with the wine?”
“I had coffee in jail. Let’s stick with the wine.”
She stood by the sink while he cleared the sorbet dishes from the table and handed them to her. She turned and gave him a quick, light kiss on the lips. “You know, you’re very nice, Ray. I’m certain that you’re innocent, and I hope everything works out for you.”
He wondered what would happen if he just pulled her to him and kissed those lips hard. What he actually did was mutter, “Thanks.”
They moved with their wine glasses to the couch and sat side by side.
He was aware that an unexpected degree of closeness with Tammy had begun. Although he had no particular expectation, he did know that he wanted to spend more time with this woman. He had detected a value and an attraction to her that went beyond her physical beauty.
He would need to move carefully. Let things progress naturally. If a friendship developed out of this then it would be worth it. He hoped the evening had gone pleasantly for her. He would wait a day or so. Not appear too anxious. Then ask her out to dinner. Would she accept? That would be the mighty test of whether she wanted to see him again. He didn’t dare dream of what might happen after that.
Then he noticed Tammy had moved closer to him on the couch.
She reached over and rested her hand on his thigh, and said, “Now just because I made you dinner, I don’t want you to feel obligated to sleep with me.”
Chapter 34
When Ray nervously phoned Loraine Dellin the next day, he was surprised she didn’t hang up. In fact, she agreed to meet with him provided it was at some public place. He wanted some answers about why she had trapped him—he didn’t know why she agreed.
They met in the parking lot of the public library. She backed into a parking space but didn’t get out, sat there with the window down and the engine running. Ray leaned at the window. “There’s a bench over there, we could sit and talk.”
She didn’t budge. “This is fine, under the circumstances.”
“Yes, the circumstances being you’re ready to speed out of here as soon as I try to reach in there and grab you by the throat.”
“Is that what we’re going to talk about, retaliation? Just don’t make any sudden moves. I’m not joking about that.”
“What, you have that little Smithy Wesson next to you there in the car? Little risky carrying around the murder weapon, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t murder anyone but I know who did. That’s why I agreed to meet you. I wanted to tell you. I figure I owe you that much.”
“You owe me plenty, and I know you’re not here to help me. Okay, let’s have it, if you didn’t do it, who did?”
“Norma Martin. Did you know Martin is a Hispanic name? She’s actually Cuban.”
“Cuban-American, and runs a Cuban café. Some secret.”
“Don’t you get it? Everyone knew Al was having an affair, well she’s the one. He thought he could handle being involved with her. But she had him all sexed up so the whole tribe could rob him blind. You sleep with one of them and the entire family climbs into bed with you. That’s the way they operate.”
“Where are you getting this nonsense?”
“Al was into some big Tampa real estate deal with her not knowing her family was setting him up. The deal went bad and he broke off with her. The family was afraid he’d reveal their secrets, so she killed him. She was actually seen leaving his apartment the day of the murder.”
“Loraine, you’re mixing up pieces of several different rumors. Who’s your source on all this?”
“I can’t tell you who. You might be wearing a wire.”
“Me? No, are you? Don’t forget which of us is the suspect. You’re the one flitting around uncharged. You’re the one causing all the trouble and for some reason the police are afraid to come after you.”
“Prominent citizen trumps irrelevant stranger every time.”
“You were quite the actress putting on that oversexed and helpless routine at the motel.”
She relaxed, unhooked her seatbelt, leaned back, and smiled, “You went for it. Show a man some skin and his brains slide down into his pants.” She changed to a slow, mocking voice, “Isn’t my little bikini just the cutest thing you’ve ever saw? You do like to look at me, don’t you?” Then back to normal, “Thank God I had to wear it only once. You’re a regular Boy Scout aren’t you, running around like that?”
“Pretty dumb of me, huh, trying to help a bunch of strangers.”
“You and one other guy at the party were the type I was looking for, horny and gullible. I was working both of you. I figured one of you would catch fire.”
“What fun! And I was the winning stooge. The loser is happily going on with his life somewhere.”
She looked directly at him. “You didn’t seem to mind.”
“No, I didn’t at the time, but I paid an incredibly high price for that piece of sex, wasn’t worth five seconds of my freedom.”
“You surprised me when you turned me down at the motel. The bikini was to get you going, and when I took it all off, you were supposed to go all stupid. I overestimated your horniness. I expected I’d have to screw you again to keep you properly motivated. You know, make you think there would be regular
sex if you kept doing what I wanted. But you didn’t require it, thank God. You just charged off like Don Quixote to right the wrongs of the world.”
“You must have known when Towson would be murdered, and you got me to his place at the proper time. I was the stranger with only some cockamamie explanation for being there. It was supposed to appear that in my delusional mind I was in a love triangle.”
“He was such a sick pup, your Honor. He imagined that with Senator Towson out of the way he’d have me all to himself.”
“Sex is merely a weapon for you, isn’t it?”
“I’m over seventy. No man is going to do anything for me without some manner of sex.”
He believed that was the first honest statement of her feelings he had heard from her. “That’s not true,” he said. “You’re just afraid to find out.”
“I’m getting what I want my way.”
“You tried to get my fingerprints on that gun box in the motel room, didn’t you? How did that box end up in Tammy’s closet?”
“Now, wasn’t I clever? I caught Barner going through some things in my bedroom when he was there exterminating months ago. I told him to never come back. When I failed to get your prints on the box, I called him. I bluffed him saying I knew he’d been pilfering things from customer’s homes. He begged me not to turn him in. It would ruin his business. I told him I needed a favor. Such an ignorant man.”
“You blackmailed him into leaving that small shopping bag in Tammy’s closet when he serviced her place the next time. Naturally she would look through it and get her prints on the gun box.”
“Yes, apparently he found time in between smelling her panties.”
“Why did you bring Tammy into it anyway?”
“Two reasons, the first is strategic. If you’d just gone to see Towson and left, no one would know you’d been there. I couldn’t count on you leaving fingerprints. I couldn’t even count on him letting you in. My plan needed Tammy. I knew you’d find her and tell her you’d gone to Towson’s. Then she’d give evidence you were at the crime scene.”
“And the other reason?”
“Embarrassment, the date-rape thing. I wanted to link her forever with Barner, start people talking about a sex scandal, dream girl carrying on with the repulsive town creep. The rumor would ruin her. No brains or breeding yet she sailed through life because Al wanted to keep her magical boobs within reach.”
“They were lovers?”
“Of course they were lovers. He’s a man isn’t he? She turned him against me with all her jiggling around.”
“You just admitted you planned to murder him.”
“I admit I was thinking about it. Norma Martin saved me the trouble.”
“That’s too wild. You’re telling me you planned this whole scheme but Norma Martin conveniently came by that afternoon and shot him for you?.”
“Lucky me.” She shrugged. “And the town won’t be laughing at me anymore. They were saying the Mensa babe wasn’t smart enough to hold her man. He had millions and they thought I would end up with only a piddling monthly alimony. They thought the good life was over for me. Did you see the faces on the town bitches at the party when I left with you? Half hated me, half were cheering me on. And all knew they would be home in bed with their snoring pot-bellied old man while I was merrily getting laid by the eager young guy.”
“This isn’t just about jealousy and revenge. You’re hurting for money and you stand to gain big bucks out of his death. Furthermore, I’m going to prove you did it.”
She was definitely annoyed at that. Ray jumped back as she pulled away.
A fascinating confirmation of his suspicions and he needed to hear it to clear his mind. But it wasn’t recorded so it would do no good toward her prosecution. He’d give Sandy the details. She wanted everyone together that night to discuss all that was known.
And Sandy has a proclamation—says she’s figured out the killer’s identity.
Chapter 35
“Just give me the rest of my money and I’ll get out of here.” Sonny Barner felt awkward sitting on the white-cushioned porch chair across the table from the woman. Sitting like socializing, he thought. Like the dumb bitch actually wanted him in her house one second longer than necessary. Why have him sit anyway? Couldn’t she see his dirty coveralls?
“Stink kinda bad today, Mrs. Dellin. You know, the chemicals.” Why talking nice to her anyway, like she cares what shit he gets into.
“You smell to high heaven and you’ve been drinking.”
“Had to crawl around under some guy’s house to treat scorpions. Got special stuff that I use. Dumb guy said he’d been throwing old boards into his crawlspace for years. Said you never know when you might need a piece of lumber. Okay by me if he wants to breed scorpions under his house and then pay me to kill them.” Barner thought that was sort of funny, but she didn’t even smile. When she hands him the money she can go fuck herself.
“Did you carry any of them in here, in your cuffs, in your shoes?”
Should tell her tough shit if he did. Hold off until the cash is in his hand. Feeling good about things. Stopped on the way over here and had a couple shots and beer. Anybody would need something under his belt to face this woman. Would really celebrate later. Stop at Discount and buy a case of Daniels. Can buy it by the case now. Go home spread that pretty green paper all over the floor: twenties, fifties, lots of hundreds. Flip them up in the air if I want.
“The money—Mrs. Dellin.” Should call her by her first name, she can’t stop him. Call her Loraine like she’s nothing special, see how that grabs her. Loraine, I’m sitting on your white fucking cushion, Loraine. What’s she gonna do, tell him to bring the senator back to life? She’s the one has to play nice now.
“I’ve got your money. Do you have my gun?”
He put his palms on his cheeks, pretending to act surprised. “The gun?”
“Don’t play with me, Sonny. You know the deal. I want that gun back. No gun, no money.”
He knew what she’s thinking, knows that gun ties her in. Maybe he’ll just keep it for insurance. Let her worry about the gun turning up someday and then needing to give him more money or else explain it to the police. Physical stuff like a gun is good, not a bunch of words. Just keep that little .38 she bought, the one out of the gun box she had him plant in Tammy’s closet. Hold it over her head. Who’s the dumb one now, rich bitch? Get on your knees and beg. Get more money out of her. She’s getting millions anyway. Feeling good now.
She said, “You know that gun must be destroyed.”
“Maybe I got rid of it already.”
“Not good enough. I want to see it destroyed. If you don’t have that gun, buster, you just blew ten thousand dollars. I don’t know what you think you’re pulling, but you better consider whether it’s worth ten thousand.”
She was serious. He frowned. Okay. He reached in his pocket and came out with the gun pointed directly at her head.
“Idiot!” She reached across with both hands and grabbed the gun, pointed the muzzle away and pulled it from his hand. She flipped open the cylinder. “Chamber’s empty, where are the bullet casings, Sonny? I gave you the gun with five bullets and told you to leave the spent casings in the cylinder.”
“Forgot that part, thought I was supposed to throw them away.”
“You know those little casings can carry fingerprints? Did you think of that? I wiped each cartridge before I loaded the gun. Where are they? Are you sure they won’t be found?”
“Look lady, I took them out. I didn’t set them down on the floor in the middle of his apartment.” Stupid woman.
“How many did you fire?”
“Couple.”
“Police said he was killed with one shot.”
“Maybe it was only one.”
“How could you not know? Not advanced math. You started with five. How many did you use on Al and how many were left?”
Talking to him like he’s some child. He’ll get even with
the smartass bitch. “Well, guess I was nervous, you know confused. Don’t remember.”
“What did he do when you pointed the gun at him?”
“Don’t want to talk about details, okay? He’s dead ain’t he?” She wanted the senator dead. So he’s dead. Why doesn’t she just shut up? “What, you writing a book?”
“You’re right, it’s done. We each got what we wanted.” She pushed her chair back and stood. She put the gun in the pocket of her short terrycloth robe. “Okay, Sonny, celebration time. What’ll you have?”
“My money.”
“No problem, my friend. Now we’re square.”
He watched her get up and walk across the porch to the kitchen. She opened a cabinet and took out a bottle of Chivas, pinched two small glasses in her fingers and brought them back to the table. He looked at the bottle and up at her. Without a word, she walked back into the kitchen, opened the freezer, and removed a Ziploc bag. Carried it back and set it in front of him.
“Ten thousand in that bag.” She poured two drinks. “Drink up, Sonny. It’s your big payday.”
He pulled the bag close to him and took his drink in one large gulp. First time he’d ever seen her smile, she was grinning like a little girl.
“Count it out. Life is good.” She refilled his glass.
He didn’t know if there was some fancy way to count out ten thousand dollars. He wiped his hands on his pants and pulled his chair up closer. They were all hundreds. He slowly counted to ten and stopped. That would be one thousand. He moved those bills to the side and counted to ten again. He made ten piles. Was that right? Yeah, that seemed right. He took a deep breath and leaned back in the patio chair.
He reached over and emptied his glass. Easy money, he said to himself. He put the bills back in the bag and stuffed it deep into his coverall pocket. “Yeah, life is good.”
She walked back over behind the kitchen counter. She slipped the revolver out of her pocket and held it out of sight below the counter. “What did you do with the first ten thousand, Sonny?” She opened the counter drawer. The bullets were there at the front. She plugged them into the chamber and quietly snapped it shut. “You didn’t buy a new truck or something useless such as that.” She put the gun back in her pocket. She came back to the table and topped off his drink.
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