by Jaye Diane
“You look beautiful,” Lincoln complimented when she walked into the living room.
“Thanks,” She said, feeling suddenly shy. “Let’s get out of here. I want to talk to these cops. They’d better have a damn good reason for not arresting Marley.”
He walked over and kissed both her hands, making her pulse skitter. She smiled stiffly, hating her reaction to him, and abruptly turned to go get her coat.
He was glad that he’d invited himself along to the police station with her. Of course they hadn’t requested his presence but he’d be damned if he’d let her go there alone, even with security tailing her.
The police station was small and cramped. The place buzzed with activity. From time to time, officers walked by with a suspect in cuffs or carrying paperwork. Phones rung and the lights repeatedly flickered.
She looked very small sitting in a chair across from Armstrong’s desk, like a puppy who’d just been kicked, and he wanted nothing more than to cradle her close to him.
“What do you mean it wasn’t Marley?” She demanded, her tone acidic but her eyes frightened.
“He’s not the one who left that box.” Detective Armstrong said slowly. “He got married yesterday and he and his wife left the country on a flight last night.”
“He probably left the box before he left on his flight,” Emerald suggested in a steely tone. “Did you ever consider that?”
“Actually, we did,” The younger detective, Hanson, said dryly. “But security and the maintenance crew who works nights said that there was nothing on your desk last night. And that blood looked very fresh.”
Emerald looked queasy.
“The blood was fresh,” Armstrong agreed. “The blood was from a dog. So were the hairs.”
“He murdered a dog?” Emerald exclaimed before she could catch herself.
Everyone in the busy police station looked their way before going back to their own business.
“It looks that way,” Armstrong said seriously. “But we’re not so sure it was Marley, unless he has a partner.”
“It was him,” Emerald said, “He probably got his little wife to help him.”
“Neither Evan Marley nor Larissa Banks was anywhere on the security footage.” Hanson, standing near Armstrong’s desk, crossed his arms. “The only people who entered the building prior to your arrival this morning are all employees.”
“What?” Emerald gasped. “That doesn’t make sense. No, it has to be Marley. I’ve been getting these texts and notes for a year now.”
“Have you considered that all of these incidents may not be related?” Hanson asked.
“What?” Emerald said again, looking confused and more than a little scared.
“So who entered the building?” Linc demanded. “Somebody had to look suspicious when they entered. They had a box of blood for Chrissakes.”
“Forty-two people entered the building before you arrived. Unfortunately there aren’t any cameras trained on the receptionist desks, just on the island that surrounds the desks and on the lobby itself.” Armstrong folded his hands on his own desk as he spoke. “We were able to eliminate most of the people. They carried briefcases, small purses or nothing at all. And those who carried something were seen on the elevator cam still holding whatever they came in with. But we still have nine people who could have done it, who actually walked into the area where your desk is.”
“So who are the people?” Emerald asked harshly.
“We can’t tell you just yet,” Armstrong replied. “We’re still investigating. When we find out something concrete, you’ll be the first to know.”
Emerald balled her hands up in obvious frustration.
“Maybe it was Marley who was stalking you,” Hanson said skeptically. “But we have no evidence of that. Now someone who knew you were being stalked by Marley is trying to take over because they want to get some revenge of their own.”
Emerald was shaking her head.
Linc didn’t know who would do such a thing. As far as he knew, Emerald was friendly and got along with everyone except that asshole who used to be her boss.
“We’re having the box checked for prints but they haven’t gotten back to us on that yet,” Hanson lowered his voice. “You need to think long and hard about this. Who else has something against you? A grudge that they might want to settle?”
“There’s nobody!” She snapped. “Marley’s the only one. I told you. He was mad I wouldn’t give him the time of day. He was sexually harassing me. He’s trying to get back at me for not giving him a chance.”
“Well he’s married now, so I think he’s moved on,” Hanson said sarcastically.
Linc glared at the other man, not liking his attitude.
“That’s why he married her,” Emerald snarled. “So that he’d look like he’s moved on. I don’t know how he got the box in. But it was him. Now do you’re fucking jobs and arrest him before he does something else!”
“Ms. Felton, please calm down,” Armstrong said when Hanson snapped into an upright position. “We’re doing the best we can.”
“Why would anybody at 50G want to do something like this?” Emerald asked, her voice lower. “That doesn’t make any sense. It was going on for months before I even met any of them.”
The two detectives stared at each other silently.
“My P.I. said that none of the neighbors had seen anything,” Linc said, trying to keep calm for Emerald’s sake. “Did you have any luck?”
“Nobody’s seen him around,” Hanson answered woodenly. “We’re checking out CCTV from nearby traffic cams but it’s a long shot. What’s the name of your P.I.?”
“Does it matter?” Linc asked, clenching his teeth in aggravation.
“No.” Hanson smiled without humor.
Linc just didn’t like the guy. At least the older detective was slightly nicer.
Emerald had completely stopped talking by the time they left the station. When they were both seated in his car, he turned to look at her.
“How are you feeling?” He asked. He was so mad that he wanted to beat the shit out of somebody. He knew she had to be as furious as he was. Or worse.
“I just don’t understand all this.” Her voice was so low and frail that he almost didn’t recognize it. “Who could it be if it’s not him?”
“Whoever it is will slip up and make a mistake and when they do, the cops will catch them.”
“And if it’s Marley? And he’s just that good at covering his tracks? That means they’ll probably never arrest him because they think it’s not him.”
“They’re going to get him,” Linc said with a confidence that he didn’t feel. “It’s only a matter of time.”
She nodded her head, giving him a small smile, and he started the car. Now they had a party to get to. He hoped that they’d be able to enjoy the party at all under these miserable circumstances.
Neither of them spoke and he turned the radio on, keeping the volume at a good level so that he wouldn’t annoy her but loud enough that they were distracted by the music. His jaw set rigidly, he drove towards the Phillips house, hoping that although it had been a bad day, it would at least be a decent night.
Chapter Eleven
Emerald’s face ached from keeping her phony smile in place. The party had been in full swing when they’d arrived and they’d been enveloped into a series of hugs and drawn into various conversations. Other than Robyn’s and Devin’s families, Lincoln’s family was also there.
Emerald had a feeling that they’d been invited for her sake but she had no proof. Over the years, the Phillips New Year’s celebration was usually small and intimate. The year before had been one of the few big New Year’s parties that they’d had, and Marjorie Phillips had thrown that together at the last minute as an excuse to get Devin and Robyn together.
Lincoln had been on a cruise with his parents so he hadn’t been at the party. He’d been around for New Year’s from time to time but his parents had never been. To see them
there now was definitely suspicious but Emerald didn’t know whose idea it was and she had bigger things to worry about other than who had invited them or why they’d been invited.
Marjorie, along with Devin’s mom Angelica, owned their own restaurant and several of their employees were at the party along with other people who worked for Quintin Phillips at his auto shop. All in all, the house was packed and loud. The music was loud and the food and drinks flowed. And Emerald wanted nothing more than to go home to her own bed and burrow under the blankets.
She found herself hiding in one of the upstairs bathrooms of the large Phillips home. She loved how huge the place was. She was as comfortable with Robyn’s family as she could possibly be with anyone’s parents. But it definitely made it easy to accept their overnight invitations because their house was so big. It felt cozy yet private at the same time. The last few times she’d stayed, she hadn’t even had an invitation. But Robyn had been there too.
Marjorie, a beautiful blonde who could’ve been a model, had been as close to a surrogate mother as Emerald had ever had. From the first time that Robyn had brought Emerald home from school with her, Marjorie had been very sweet and motherly. She’d helped Emerald get a scholarship to the same high school that Robyn and Grace had attended. She’d often bought Emerald and Robyn matching outfits to wear or sent Emerald home with leftovers. Sometimes that had been the only way she and her dad had been able to eat at home.
Emerald would be eternally grateful to Robyn and her family for the various things they had done for her over the years. Even Robyn’s dad, Quintin, had done so much. Emerald had looked up to him more than she did her own father.
“Emerald.” It was Grace. “Are you in here?”
“Yeah.” She’d wondered who would be the first to find her. She opened the door and let Grace into the bathroom.
Grace looked super sexy in a white sleeveless sweetheart-neck pleated dress. She had on very high heels that made her look several inches taller than her actual petite height. Her long, jet black hair hung in smooth waves and Emerald admired how effortless Grace made it seem to be beautiful.
“What are you doing in here?” Grace asked, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.
“Thinking.”
“About?”
“The cops said that it wasn’t Marley who left that package for me this morning.”
“But who else could it be? Why don’t they think it’s him?”
As quickly as she could, Emerald explained everything that the cops had said, from Hanson’s theory that all the incidents weren’t related to the fact that Marley had married and left the country.
She was still talking about how convenient it was for him to leave the day before she discovered something gruesome at work when there was another knock on the door.
“Who is it?” Emerald called.
“Quintin.”
Grace stood up and opened the door then smiled sheepishly at Robyn’s father.
Quintin Phillips was tall and handsome, as dark skinned as her own father, but with a much gentler smile. He’d always been so approachable and easy to talk to for as long as she’d known him, not that she ever told him anything too personal. But there’d been a few times that he’d really been there for her.
“I thought I heard voices. What are you girls doing in here?”
“We’re just talking,” Emerald replied from her spot on the closed toilet seat. “It’s way too loud downstairs to have a conversation.”
“A few people were looking for you both. Don’t hide for too long.”
“We’re not hiding,” Grace said with a small laugh. “But we’ll come down soon.”
“They’re just bringing out dessert,” He said with a wink. “I know that both of you love chocolate mousse. We ordered it with you in mind.”
Emerald hadn’t been able to eat a single thing since she and Lincoln had arrived a couple of hours before. Quintin and Marjorie had hired a team of caterers and the food had looked delicious but Emerald just didn’t have an appetite.
After Quintin had gone, Grace sat back on the edge of the bathtub.
“So what happens now?”
“I don’t know. Those detectives said that they’ll be contacting me soon with any information they get.”
“I hope they get some evidence soon. This just can’t go on. We’re so worried about you.”
“I know,” Emerald whispered regretfully. This was why she’d originally tried to keep the entire situation to herself. She hadn’t wanted her friends to worry. And of course she’d hoped that the loser would get a life and leave her alone.
The bathroom door swung open and Robyn walked in, baby monitor in hand.
“My father told me you two were in here. Are you okay?” Robyn sat on the small area rug that was on the floor, uncaring that she might ruin her pretty lilac dress.
“I’m fine,” Emerald said. “No. I take that back. I’m not. But I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
“Devin and I were just down the hall with the baby. He told me that Linc told him what the detectives said. I’m sorry, honey.” Robyn reached over and patted Emerald’s leg.
“I am too.” Emerald knew her eyes were filling with tears and she was glad that she hadn’t bothered with makeup. “I keep hoping that this bullshit will be over but it just keeps going on and on. And now they don’t even think Marley is a suspect. I’m starting to feel hopeless.”
“It can’t possibly go on forever,” Robyn said firmly.
“She’s right,” Grace agreed. “He’s going to get caught very soon.”
“But how? They don’t even think it’s him.”
“They have to check lots of theories,” Grace said, standing and checking her reflection. “I’m betting that they still suspect him but they have to find a way to connect him to that thing you received at work today.”
Emerald used toilet tissue to wipe at the tears that managed to escape. She wished her friends’ optimism would rub off on her. She couldn’t see how any of this was going to have a happy ending. She now felt like she was just marking time until the next crazy incident. She just prayed that she’d be prepared because she knew that the next time would be much more serious.
“Damn, I need a drink,” Grace mumbled. “It’s way too serious in here.”
Robyn shook her head but she had a small smile on her face.
“You need a drink too,” Grace said to Emerald, “Then when you get home you can screw Linc’s brains out and you both will feel much better.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t need a drink in order to screw,” Robyn said with mock seriousness and they all laughed.
“I sure don’t,” Emerald agreed, still laughing.
“I think you need the drink more than Emmy does, don’t you Grace?” Robyn asked. “That’s how you screwed Ryan the first time.”
“Shut up,” Grace said in a singsong voice.
“And he keeps calling you because he’s desperate for more!”
“What!” Emerald yelled. “He’s been calling?”
“Yeah,” Grace replied crossly. “Robyn gave him my number.”
“Well you said he’s the best you ever had so why wouldn’t I give him your number?”
“Wow, what else have you two been hiding?” Emerald smirked at them both.
“Nothing!” Grace said loudly, rolling her eyes.
“So it’s settled then,” Robyn said, “You both are going to leave this bathroom, go have a nice tall drink, then go home and…take care of business.”
“You’re not fooling me, Mrs. Jamison,” Emerald said, grinning at Robyn, “We know you’re the one who’s going to get the most nookie of us all!”
“Oh, no!” Grace complained. “I do not need to hear about my brother’s sex life!”
“Too bad! They’re the ones with the mirror over their bed!” Emerald laughed again, her mood improving.
“A mirror?” Grace gasped. “Robyn, you little freak!”
Robyn
actually blushed, sending Emerald into another fit of giggles. It felt wonderful to have fun with her friends, even for just a moment. Her spirits were already being lifted.
They teased each other for a few more minutes before walking out of the bathroom. Emerald didn’t really want to go back to the party but at least she felt better able to face the party crowd.
“Emerald?”
She turned to find herself face to face with Lincoln’s sister, Allison. Allison was very pretty, with long brown hair and the same brown eyes as Lincoln. She was tall, around the same height as her brother. In her black off the shoulder gown, she looked slim and sleek enough to be on a runway.
“Hi, Allison.” Emerald placed the glass of wine she hadn’t been drinking onto the table next to where she stood. “How are you?”
The party went on around them, everyone laughing, talking and dancing to music.
“I’m great,” Allison said, flashing a bright smile. “I hardly get out anymore so it feels good to just relax and, yes, drink.”
They shared a laugh although Emerald was in no mood to laugh. With less than a half hour until the ball dropped, she just wanted to leave.
“How are the girls?” She asked politely, remembering that Allison had cute twin girls.
“They’re wonderful,” Allison replied, “So smart but also little terrors at times. They’re in first grade now.”
Emerald recalled that Allison had married her high school sweetheart straight out of high school. The concept of settling down so young was both romantic and daunting. But Lincoln always said that his sister was happily married and Audrey had mentioned it too.
“I don’t want to put you on the spot,” Allison said, lowering her voice. With the music playing, Emerald had to strain to hear her. “But how is everything between you and my brother?”
Emerald raised her eyebrows in surprise. Lincoln’s family was starting to seem even nosier than Robyn’s and Devin’s families.