I didn't blame her.
Mrs. R rolled her eyes so far back all I could see was white. "Albert says… he says he thinks he saw Chicken Dance Elmo fifteen percent off at Toy Town with the purchase of a Power Ranger action figure of equal or lesser value."
"Really, fifteen percent?" Molly asked.
Mrs. R opened her eyes. "Give or take. Albert's usually correct within ten percent."
"To Toy Town!" Molly gave the battle cry.
Mom let out a squeak of excitement and hugged her doll.
"Elmo thinks you are a valid human being."
I think my ovaries just shriveled up and died.
* * *
By the time Mom finally dropped me back off at home and I was climbing the steps to my studio, we'd been to every toy store in the greater Los Angeles area, looking for a monster in a chicken suit. At the last one, a tiny little place in the Valley with bars on the windows, Molly finally found one doll left. For three hundred dollars. I almost choked when Molly gladly forked it over. Didn't she know how many pairs of pumps three hundred dollars could buy?
Since there was no way my budget (let alone my conscience – see shoe reference above) could allow me to spend that kind of money on a stuffed monster, I finally bought Connor a pair of baby Nike's. After, that is, making sure they didn't have any hazardous laces, elastic bands, buttons, zippers, or were made in a third world country.
I stretched my neck from side to side, working out the kinks, as I trudged up the stairs. The slight hum of traffic two blocks away on Venice the only backdrop to the blissful silence. I made a mental note to wait a few years (decades) before having any little monsters of my own, nursing a whopper of a toy store induced headache as I pulled my keys out.
I did an audible yawn and was about to slip my key in the lock when the toe of my ballet flats came up against something. I looked down at the top step.
Then froze.
Another package. A plain brown box, the top taped neatly down, just like the last. Instinctively I reached into my purse for my canister of pepper spray. Not there. Damn! I’d left it in San Francisco. Instead I looked over both shoulders and down the street as if the punk who’d left it here might still be watching, waiting for me to find the remains of another unfortunate victim of speeding on the PCH.
I weighed my options. I could just leave it there. Pretend I hadn't seen it. I could chuck it in the dumpster behind the building.
But as morbid as it seemed, I was curious.
Gingerly, I reached down and pulled the tape off.
Grooooooooss!
My stomach churned as I stared down at his present. He’d escalated to dead birds tonight. A pigeon with a bent wing and tire treads through his mid section. Only this time, there was a note sitting on top of the mangled carcass. With visions of bird flu dancing in my head, I reached inside my purse and pulled out an old Taco Bell napkin, draping it over my hand as I held my nose and picked up the paper.
Then I really felt my stomach lurch, white dots dancing before my eyes as I scanned the page.
I should have killed you when I had the chance.
Chapter Eight
My gaze whipped wildly from side to side as if I expected the boogey man to jump out of my neighbor's agapanthus bushes. I kicked the box of road kill aside, fingers fumbling with my keys as I tried to fit them in the lock. I was shaking so badly it took me two tries before I realized I was trying to unlock my front door with my Jeep keys. Finally I got the right one in, but by this time I was in serious panic mode.
I was a fashion designer. I drew little bows and sparklies on toddler shoes. Who would want me dead? How did they know where I lived? Had he been following me? What did he mean, “when he had the chance?” Was he watching me right now, waiting for another one? I pictured that poor little birdie with tire treads across his mid section and felt faint.
I quickly shut and locked the door behind me, making sure my metal security chain was fastened. Only in the face of a crazed killer with big-ass tires, the chain looked awfully small and pathetic. I grabbed a chair and stuffed it under the doorknob for good measure. Then, I grabbed my hairdryer and, wielding it like a club, searched the rest of my apartment for any signs of bad guys. Luckily, the only thing I found lurking in the shadows were some dust bunnies that spoke of my less than stellar skills as a housekeeper.
Once I was sure I was alone, I reached into my purse and pulled out my cell. My hands were still shaking as I dialed Ramirez's number. Three rings into it I was starting to work into a panic again that maybe he wasn’t there, maybe the bad guy would come back, maim me, kill me and stuff me in a cardboard box, all because Ramirez was still too pissed off at me to pick up my call.
“Ramirez, here.”
I did an audible sigh of relief. “Oh thank God. I got a bird. A pigeon. I think. Or maybe a sparrow. I'm not sure. But it had tire tracks! Just like the squirrel.”
I think I heard him sigh on the other end. “Okay, what’s going on this time, Maddie?”
The way he said “this time” was like a mother showing up for the bazillionth time at the principal's office. Was I that predictable?
I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, lest I become a caricature of myself.
“I got a death threat at my apartment.”
This got his attention. “From who? Is he there now? Are you okay?”
“Yes. No. I mean, I’m fine.” Sort of.
“What happened?”
As I told him about the road kill presents I'd been getting, and the last one with its menacing message, I could feel Ramirez tensing on the other end. “Look, I’m going to send a patrol car over to watch your place tonight.”
Which should have made me feel better. Only, I realized as he said it that I’d been kind of hoping he would come over. The fact that he was sending a patrol car instead spoke volumes to the fact we were so not to the “ups” yet.
“A patrol car?”
He must have heard the disappointment in my voice. “Look, Maddie, I've got the captain and the DA breathing down my neck 24/7. I can’t deal with this right now, too.”
I felt a lump form in my throat. He thought I was something that had to be dealt with. Ouch.
“Right. Fine. I understand.”
“The patrol car will keep an eye on you.”
“I said it was fine.”
Ramirez did a deep sigh into the phone. “You're not doing that girly thing where you say it’s fine but really you’re pissed off, are you?”
“No!” Yes!
He paused again. “Okay, I'll be right over.”
"You know what, don’t bother. I’m fine by myself.”
Another deep sigh. “Jesus, Maddie, don’t do this to me right now.”
“To you? I’m sorry, I thought I was the one who just got a death threat via bird guts!”
“So let me come over.”
“I said I’m fine! What, you think I can’t take care of myself? You think I need you? I don’t need you. I’m fine!” Never mind that I was wielding a hair dryer as a weapon. There was no way I was going to let Ramirez think I wanted him here when he so obviously didn't want to be here.
I slammed the phone down in its cradle. Then picked it up and slammed it down a couple of more times for good measure.
I stared at the kitchen chair barring my door. The truth was, I was so not fine. I was still shaking (though part of that could be anger at this point) and the thought of spending the night alone barred up in my apartment, wondering if some maniac was lurking just outside the window with more animal carcasses, left my insides whimpering like a five year old.
I picked up my cell and called Dana at the Actor's Duplex. Unfortunately, I was informed by Daisy Duke that she'd just watched three episodes of Magnolia Lane and, thanks to Chad's shirtless scenes, headed off to the nearest SA meeting. I left a message for Dana to come over once her inner beast had been tamed.
I hung up, sudden silence permeating my tiny studio. I flipped
on the TV to distract myself, watching images of the Sunset Studios fill the Entertainment Tonight screen. The hot topic of the day was that the police now suspected someone on the studio lot was the killer. Mary Hart even speculated that it could be another member of the cast. I watched as images of Blake, Ricky and Margo flitted across the screen. Last but not least was Deveroux Strong. They'd captured an image of Deveroux coming out of a trendy boutique in Hollywood wearing tight leather pants and a form fitting turtleneck. He was carrying a large pink shopping bag and standing just a little too close to his “personal bodyguard.” Felix was right. It was no national secret that this guy was gay.
The next image to grace the screen was Mia's face in a montage of shots: outside her Bel Air home, in Versace at the Emmys, on vacation in the Bahamas. I wondered again if she'd really been the target. Veronika's secret pregnancy put a whole new twist on things. Maybe the killer had taken advantage of the press surrounding Mia's letters as an easy scapegoat. Despite what the police thought, it would have been an easy thing for anyone to walk into wardrobe and help themselves to a pair of pantyhose. Hell, Margo was in and out of there with costume jewelry at least fifteen times a day.
The real question was, who was the father of Veronika's baby? I thought back to the conversation I'd had with Ricky earlier. He'd admitted to going out with her, maybe he was the father? Maybe the pretty-but-duller-than-a-pair-of-Keds act he had going on was just that, an act. I made a mental note to ask Ricky tomorrow just how serious things had been between him and Veronika.
I was still going down my list of available baby-daddies on the Magnolia Lane set when a knock sounded at my door.
I let out a little squeak and picked up my discarded hair dryer in a white knuckle grip. "Who is it?" I called, half expecting the person on the other side to answer, "The Big Bad Wolf, open up so I can eat you."
"It's me, Maddie," Dana called. "I got your message to come over."
I quickly scooted the guard chair out of the way and undid the chain, letting Dana in. "Ohmigod, I'm so happy to see you. You will not believe the night I've had."
"I might," she said. Then gestured behind her. "What's with the cop car?"
I peeked around her to see a patrol car parked across the street. Never in my life have I been so glad a man didn't listen to me.
"Long story. Come on in and I'll tell you."
While we watched the E! special Hollywood report on Veronika's death, I filled Dana in on my conversation with Ricky, my run-in with Felix, my road kill stalker, and last but not least, my conversation with Ramirez.
"I think he hates me."
Dana shook her head. "Your boyfriend does not hate you."
"I'm not even sure he's my boyfriend. I'm not even sure he can say the word 'boyfriend.'"
"He's just under a lot of stress."
Right. Because of me.
I gulped down a big lump of guilt.
"So, who do you think is threatening you?" Dana asked. "Do you think it has anything to do with Veronika's death?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. I can't see how."
"Well, have you pissed anybody off lately?"
I picked up the remote and started flipping through channels. “Besides Ramirez?"
She gave me a look.
"No, I haven't. I mean, unless you count how grouchy Tot Trots was when I turned in the Dora the Explorer light-up sandals two week late."
Dana got up and crossed the room to the kitchen, rummaging in my cupboards. "Well, one thing's for sure."
"What's that?"
"Ricky is on the top of our list of suspects." She paused. "Too bad. He's so totally hot. You know, I think he looked at me today. I mean, he was talking to Nurse Nan, but I think he kinda looked past her at me for a second.”
"That's right, what happened on the set while I was gone? Who's the father of Ashley's baby?" I asked, leaning forward.
"Argh!" Dana threw her hands up. "You would not believe it. We never got the scene finished. Mia refused to come out of her trailer until Margo apologized. And Margo refused to apologize until Mia apologized for calling her an old cow. And then Stienman got so mad he said they both owed him an apology. Then you showed up, and we all went home. Maybe tomorrow." She paused, holding up a box of Cap’n Crunch. "Maddie, do you have any idea how bad this stuff is for you? It’s like eating pure sugar. Please tell me you don’t eat this stuff for breakfast.”
I ignored her, surfing through the cable channels. I passed through Animal Planet (where a guy was poking a “beauty of a snake” with a stick), Lifetime (where Valerie Bertinelli’s husband was leading a double life with a secret second wife), and VH1 (airing a mud wrestling match between two overweight has-been celebs). I paused when I hit Spike. Usually I only stopped on this channel to watch those hot guys on the CSI reruns. But this time, my clicker went still for a whole new reason.
“Lonely tonight? Need a little company? My girls are always ready to play.”
“Oh brother.”
“What?” Dana popped her head out of the kitchen.
I gestured to the TV where "Sexy Jasmine," wearing a black lace teddy, was strutting seductively across the screen.
"Hey isn't that-"
"Yep."
“I thought I saw her on a billboard down on Pico. Wow, she’s on TV now, too?”
“Come visit my website. We're open twenty-four hours a day and we’re always having fun." Then her web address flashed across the screen as she pouted and said, "You know you want to watch.”
“Do guys really go for this stuff?” I asked.
Dana shrugged. “There’s this guy at SA, Gary, he’s totally addicted to internet porn. He loves those live web cams. Says the girls do anything he asks them to.”
“Creepy.”
“Want to know what’s even creepier?”
“What?”
“How much sugar is in these crackers. Maddie, you really should take better care of yourself."
* * *
I was standing on the edge of a cliff, a sheer drop off the side, with water rushing beneath me. And the water was rising. I had to get across. I was starting to freak. Then I spotted him. On the other side of the cliff. It was Ramirez. He was silhouetted against the sky like some cowboy hero. I waved, trying to get his attention. But he didn’t move. Just stood there. I called out his name, screaming at the top of my lungs as the water rose higher and higher. My feet were soaked now, the water covering my ankles. But still, Ramirez didn’t move to help me.
Then, out of nowhere this giant squirrel rose up from the water. He had huge teeth and sharp claws and a big tire tread across his middle. In the distance I could hear the roar of an engine.
“You’re next,” the squirrel told me. Then pointed over my shoulders. I turned around just in time to see a huge, monster truck. Heading straight for me.
I screamed, calling out Ramirez's name again, and started running. But somehow my legs just wouldn’t move. It was like they were stuck in molasses. It was getting closer and closer, the roar of the engine echoing through my head.
* * *
I sat up in bed, sweat pouring down my back. My eyes flew around my apartment as if expecting a giant rodent to appear out of nowhere.
No squirrels. No monster trucks.
Just the sound of my phone ringing.
"Make it stop," Dana mumbled from the futon beside me, a little puddle of drool forming at the side of her mouth.
I fumbled for the receiver, finally finding it beneath a crumpled Macy's bag, and croaked out a, "Hello?"
"Maddie? Um, hi, it's Dusty."
"Dusty?"
"Yeah, sorry to call so early."
I rolled over and looked at the clock. 6:15. No wonder my voice sounded like I’d swallowed Kermit the Frog. "No, it's fine. What's going on?"
"I, uh," she paused, stammering. "I-I'm not going to be able to make it in again today."
"Why?" I sat up in bed. "What's going on? Dusty are you okay?"
"Uh huh. Yeah. F
ine. Look, I just wanted to let you know. So, if Stienman's looking for me, just tell him, uh, just tell him I'm taking another personal day."
"Okay. But, Dusty-"
But I realized she'd already hung up.
"Who was that?" Dana asked, rolling over.
"Dusty. She's not coming in again today." I stared at the receiver. Dusty had sounded odd. Nervous. I wondered what was going on. Had finding Veronika really hit her that hard?
"Holy crap, is that the time?" Dana rolled over, pointing to my alarm clock.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I've got a seven o'clock call time today."
I did a stretch and yawn, still trying to shake the strange dream and the odd note in Dusty's voice from my head. "You hit the shower, I'll make the coffee."
After dressing in a pair of jeans, cork-heeled wedges, and a pink, sleeveless blouse, I threw my hair into a quick French twist and Dana and I were on the 101, heading toward Hollywood.
The traffic gods were with us and it only took a record twenty minutes before we were pulling into the garage behind the Sunset Studios. As with yesterday, there was a string of PA's, extras and assistants lined up at the security checkpoint.
Dana and I took our place behind an extra lugging a suitcase and wardrobe bag. Two beats later an out-of-breath Kylie came jogging up behind us.
"Oh, wowzers, can you believe this line?" she panted.
What was hard to believe was that anyone over the age of twelve used the word “wozers.” Though, looking at Kylie, it was kind of hard to believe she was over the age of twelve. She was like Britney Spears (pre K-Fed), Jessica Simpson (post Newlyweds) and Nicole Richie (pre-eating disorder) all rolled into one. Perky little ski jump nose, fresh pink cheeks, round, sort of vacant blue eyes, and blonde hair cut in a flirty layered look. This morning her locks were pulled back in a messy chic ponytail and she wore Uggs with pink sweats that read “Juicy” on the butt.
High Heels Mysteries Boxed Set (Books 1-5) Page 62