An Officer and a Gentle Woman

by Doreen Owens Malek

  “I have said what I came to say. Please feel free to call on me if you need anything,” Hannah Green concluded, rising. “I can always be reached at the number Alicia gave you. Leave your name.”

  He didn’t move, his gaze locked with hers.

  “My granddaughter is a very pretty girl, isn’t she, Detective?” the old lady said slyly, and then walked quietly out the door.

  Chapter 3

  “You mean that Daddy is not coming back?” Joey said, tears sounding in his voice before they appeared in his eyes.

  Alicia had promised herself that she would be strong, but the sight of Joey crying over the father who hadn’t even known his own son was on a Little League team almost broke her heart. She enfolded her son in her arms and looked over his shoulder at Claire, who was three years older than her brother and had guessed a lot more about her parents’ marriage. She looked stonily back at Alicia. Claire had her father’s eyes.

  “Come here, honey,” Alicia said.

  The girl obeyed silently, sitting next to her mother on the sofa, her shoulders stiffening when Alicia put her hand on her arm.

  “Claire,” Alicia began, but the girl shook her head and looked away from her.

  Joey pulled back and stared at his sister. “Won’t you miss Daddy?” he asked, sniffling.

  “No,” Claire said. “He didn’t even care about us. I’m glad he’s...gone.”

  Joey broke into fresh sobs as Alicia said quietly, “You mustn’t talk that way about your father.”

  “Why not?” Claire said, shrugging off Alicia’s touch and standing again. “It’s the truth.” The girl bolted from the room, and Alicia heard her footsteps as she ran up the carpeted staircase to the second floor.

  “But what about this summer?” Joey wailed, misery on his tear-streaked face. “Daddy was going to take us on a camping trip in the mountains....”

  Alicia hugged him again, her own eyes filling. The way Joe continually promised the boy things and then disappointed him was one of the cruelest aspects of her late husband’s character. He must have thought there would always be time in the future to fix at least some of the damage. But now, of course, his time had run out forever.

  “We’ll go camping, Joey, just as you planned,” she said softly, kissing the top of her son’s head, wondering how she was going to handle him, and his sister, during the rest of the nightmare they were about to live.

  At present the children knew only that their father had been killed; before long they would also know that their mother had been accused of his murder. Once they began to watch television and interact with the rest of the world, Alicia would have to deal with the worst part of the problem: explaining to them that she did not shoot their father when everybody else thought she had.

  “The chemistry set just arrived for Joey,” Maizie announced from the doorway, favoring Alicia with a significant look. “It’s in the kitchen.”

  “Oh, Joey, your science kit is here,” Alicia said, feigning an enthusiasm she didn’t feel “Why don’t you go with Maizie and take a look at it?”

  The boy obeyed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and looking at his mother once uncertainly before he left the living room. When he was gone Maizie said to Alicia, “It was delivered to the back door by messenger.”

  “Don’t look at me that way,” Alicia said to Maizie. “I admit I took the coward’s way out and ordered it this morning. I want to keep Joey occupied.”

  “Oh, he’ll be occupied,” Maizie said darkly. “I just hope he doesn’t blow up the house.”

  “It’s a kiddie set It’s perfectly safe, the concoctions just fizz and turn colors. The salesman said so,” Alicia replied.

  “Hmmph,” Maizie said, indicating what she thought of the representations of salesmen.

  “Keep an eye on him, will you?” Alicia said to Maizie. “Dealing with Claire will be enough for the moment.”

  Maizie nodded and then turned her head when the doorbell sounded.

  “Oh, no,” Alicia moaned. “I can’t bear the thought of anymore reporters.”

  “The extra security people Mr. Landau hired will keep the reporters out,” Maizie said.

  “Are they still here? I fired Landau.”

  “He paid them for a month,” Maizie said archly as she walked into the hall.

  “You mean I paid them for a month,” Alicia mumbled, aware that she would receive the bill from the dismissed lawyer. She sighed and ran her hand through her hair distractedly as Maizie answered the door and then returned with a visitor.

  “Detective Lafferty to see you, Mrs. Walker,” Maizie said, raising her eyebrows behind the policeman’s back as she folded her hands and waited for direction.

  “Thank you, Maizie,” Alicia said. “Detective, how nice to see you once more. You’re becoming a regular visitor. Would you like some coffee, or anything else?”

  Lafferty shook his head. “No, thanks.”

  Alicia nodded at Maizie, who left. Slowly.

  The policeman stood looking at Alicia, and she felt her face grow warm under his scrutiny as she remembered their last encounter. The sense that she could easily make a fool of herself with this man returned with a sharp stab of fear, and she deliberately hardened her gaze.

  Lafferty was wearing jeans with boat shoes and a navy V-neck sweater. The effect was to make him look younger, almost college age, an impression enhanced by the clarity of his gray-blue eyes looking back at her.

  “I take it this is not an official visit, Detective,” Alicia said, gesturing for him to sit when she sat herself.

  “No.” He waited for her to settle back in her chair, then sat on the edge of the brocade sofa gingerly, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

  Alicia waited politely.

  Lafferty cleared his throat. “I had a visit from your grandmother,” he said bluntly. “Actually, I had a visit and then a phone conversation with her. She talked with me in person and then called me again from her car a few minutes later.”

  Alicia stared at him for a moment, then closed her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally said.

  Lafferty said nothing.

  “Did she...threaten you?” Alicia asked faintly.

  “No, no, she’s not that—” He stopped.

  “Stupid?” Alicia suggested.

  He met her eyes, then looked away.

  “Did you report her visit to your superiors?”

  He paused, then shook his head.

  “Why not?” Ahcia asked, watching him.

  “I thought it would be better to handle it without an official record,” he said.

  Alicia understood. He didn’t want to come right out and say as much, but he was doing her a favor. Yet he could have accomplished his mission over the telephone; why had he come to her house in person to say this?

  Was it possible he wanted to see her again, without his caustic partner? Meeting his candid gaze, Alicia could almost believe it.

  Then she realized that she was being idiotic and sighed. Conducting adolescent fantasies about the policeman who had arrested her was not the way to solve the worst problem she had ever encountered in her life. She was accused of murder, and this detective was, in effect, her enemy. It would be a lot wiser to treat the man as the adversary he certainly was.

  “Thank you,” Alicia said abruptly, snapping out of her reverie when she realized that Lafferty was staring at her.

  He cleared his throat.

  “I think I should warn you, Mrs. Walker, that if the old lady runs around town trying to intimidate the investigating officers on your case it is really not going to help you.”

  Alicia nodded. “I understand that.” She bit her lip. “Detective, I beg you to believe me. I did not send her to see you.”

  “I believe you,” Lafferty said flatly.

  Alicia looked at him quickly.

  “She told me she was acting on her own and she’s... pretty convincing,” he added.

  “She is
that,” Ahcia replied, sighing.

  He smiled slightly, and Alicia found herself smiling along with him.

  “I can see that she’s a great person to have in your corner, but any help she wants to give you is best administered privately,” Lafferty said. “Moral support is okay, but the police have a tendency to resent—”

  “Interfering old broads with tons of money?” Alicia suggested.

  “You could put it that way,” he replied dryly.

  “Did she give you a bad time?” Alicia asked, almost wincing.

  “No. She talked about you mostly, and your past with Joe Walker.”

  “I wish she hadn’t done that,” Alicia said in a low tone. “Anything else I should know? Did she tell you about the time I played a camel in my fourth-grade Christmas pageant?”

  “She said that you can be your own worst enemy, using sarcasm to keep people at a distance and avoid being hurt.”

  “I seem to be proving her point, don’t I?” Alicia murmured, avoiding his direct gaze.

  “She also described you as a failed romantic.”

  “Then she definitely said too much,” Alicia answered, flushing deeply.

  “She was right. A brittle attitude won’t help your defense. It will alienate the media first, and then of course a jury when you come to trial.”

  “Thanks for the tip, Detective. I’ll bear it in mind.”

  “She also let me know that she had done a background check on me. She had all the details on my life, my undergrad degree and my Master’s in criminology from John Jay College. In her estimation I am not the, uh, typical policeman.”

  Alicia groaned. “Did she put a private detective on you?”

  “She may have. She thinks your fate is in my hands, which in her mind produced an obligation on her part to find out about me.”

  Alicia shook her head wordlessly.

  “I told her that in placing your fate in the hands of Harry Landau, she couldn’t have made a more unfortunate choice, because the common perception is that anyone who hires him is guilty. And Landau himself thinks you are.”

  Alicia almost choked. “I can just imagine what Hannah said to that,” she observed.

  “Actually she seemed pleased to have finally gotten a reaction out of me.”

  “Yes, she would be.”

  Lafferty met her eyes directly. “Your grandmother is under the impression that I gave you special treatment.”

  “I never told her that,” Alicia interjected quickly, vowing to throttle Hannah at the earliest opportunity.

  Lafferty nodded. “I explained to her that I had merely followed procedure and hadn’t exceeded my authority. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that I think you are innocent.”

  Alicia felt an icy finger trace her spine. Was he telling her that he thought she was guilty? For reasons she didn’t understand she found that idea more alarming than the prospect of ten more conversations with the odious Harry Landau.

  “I hope she didn’t ask you to tamper with evidence,” Alicia whispered, barely able to look at Lafferty now, imagining the worst. This policeman probably thought that she and her grandmother were both criminals.

  “No. She said she wanted me to look beyond the obvious to find the real killer.”

  “And?”

  “I told her that once the criminal investigation is over it’s out of my hands entirely. She asked me to keep the investigation open, and I told her that is not my decision. The prosecuting attorney is satisfied that he already has located the guilty party.”

  Alicia didn’t reply. If Lafferty agreed with the DA there was nothing else to say.

  “Woods is not looking for anybody else,” Lafferty added, as if to clarify. “He thinks you killed your husband.”

  And do you think so, too, Detective Lafferty? Alicia wondered, wishing she could ask him aloud.

  Lafferty waited.

  “I understand,” Alicia said smoothly a moment later, trying to keep her misery out of her voice. “And I appreciate your candor about my grandmother’s actions. I’m sure you know she was trying to help me but she can be a trifle...overbearing.”

  He nodded.

  “Thank you for coming here on your own time to tell me about it,” Alicia said, rising.

  “You’re welcome,” he responded, and, taking her cue, stood up to go.

  Alicia extended her hand to him and he took it. Her small fingers were lost in his large, calloused ones and as before, a physical connection with Lafferty made Alicia feel small and feminine. She wanted to reach up and put her arms around his neck, bury her face on his capacious chest and let him take her troubles on his broad shoulders. She wanted to feel his hands in her hair, his breath against her cheek, his lips against her mouth. She looked into his eyes and wanted to take him upstairs and ask him to make love to her.

  But that, of course, was not possible.

  “Mrs. Walker, are you all right?” he asked, his hand still gripping hers.

  At that moment Maizie entered the room with a tray.

  They both turned and looked at her inquiringly.

  “I thought I’d bring the coffee, anyway,” she said brightly, striding past Alicia and setting the tray on a table.

  Lafferty looked at Alicia, who had no recourse but to say, “Won’t you have a cup, Detective?”

  Lafferty looked trapped but sat down again.

  Alicia shot Maizie a meaningful, exasperated glance. The housekeeper ignored her, gliding from the room with a smug expression on her face.

  Alicia poured coffee into two cups and then handed Lafferty one of them.

  “Cream or sugar?” she asked.

  Lafferty shook his head, taking a careful sip. “Black is fine for me.”

  Alicia sat facing her guest, her hands cradling her cup.

  “What are you going to do about a lawyer?” Lafferty asked, eyeing Alicia measuringly.

  “You mean now that I’ve fired the fairgrounds huckster?” Alicia retorted.

  He didn’t smile. “Yes.”

  “I’m interviewing several over the next couple of days,” Alicia said. “I suppose I’ll find somebody.”

  “No doubt.” He set his cup in its saucer.

  “What does that mean?” Alicia asked crisply.

  He glanced at her sharply, then shrugged. “Just that I agree with you.”

  “You agree that I have the cash to command the attention of a legion of lawyers?” Alicia suggested.

  He said nothing, merely watched her, nonplussed.

  Alicia sat forward to put her cup back on the table, her face flaming once again.

  “Please forgive me for snapping at you,” she said. “You’ve been nothing but kind, and my manners have deserted me.”

  Lafferty stood. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard a lot worse in this job.”

  Alicia looked down, then up at him again. “Thank you.” She paused and then added, “Why did you ask about my lawyer?”

  He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. “I just wanted to make sure you were looking at some other people,” he said mildly.

  “Some excellent people, supposedly.” Ahcia paused and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m afraid I don’t know very much about criminal lawyers. I never thought I would need one.” She tried to smile but failed. When she felt her lower lip begin to tremble, she bit it, hard, turning her head to hide her struggle for control.

  Lafferty rattled his keys and coughed. “I’ll be off, then,” he said, striding past her as Alicia stood and turned to follow him into the hall.

  “I’ll walk you out,” Alicia called.

  “That’s not necessary, Mrs. Walker,” Lafferty said quickly, and when he stopped to turn and face her, Alicia, right on his heels, crashed into him.

  They were very close for several seconds as he steadied her, holding her forearms with his big hands. Alicia looked up into his deep blue eyes and saw a longing there that mirrored her own.

  He wants me, too! Alicia thought. The ide
a flashed like lightning through her consciousness.

  As if he could read her mind, Lafferty released her and stepped back.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “Don’t apologize. I can’t seem to stand on my own two feet these days, as you must have noticed.” Alicia took a deep breath and looked back at him.

  The hunger she had seen in his face a moment before had vanished.

  She must have imagined it Alicia tried not to let this disappointing knowledge show in her face as she gathered her resources and moved toward the hall.

  “I appreciate your letting me know about this incident with my grandmother privately,” Alicia said, and she heard the quaver in her own voice.

  “I thought it would be easier this way,” Lafferty said shortly. “I didn’t want your grandmother to be cited for interfering with the judicial process.”

  “Hannah has yet to realize that even a person with a great deal of money can’t control everything,” Alicia said resignedly. “She’s over eighty and still trying to do that.”

  “I’d say that the delusion of control is pretty common among the wealthy people I’ve seen,” Lafferty replied, not looking at her and edging toward the door.

  Alicia realized he anticipated that she was going to cry and was trying to get away from her before the tears started to fall.

  “Thank you for stopping by,” she said faintly.

  “It was no trouble. Goodbye,” he said, already in the front hall. She heard his footsteps and then the sound of the door closing behind him.

  Alicia put her head in her hands and allowed herself to give way to despairing thoughts for a few minutes. When she looked up again Maizie was standing in front of her.

  “What?” Alicia said wearily.

  “Is he gone?” Maizie asked.

  “Yes. How is Joey?”

  “Probably setting fire to the kitchen,” Maizie replied equably. “That detective didn’t stay very long.”

  “Despite your best efforts to prolong his visit,” Alicia suggested wryly.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Maizie replied, bending down to pick up the tray.

  “Oh, please, don’t give me that innocent look. The man said he didn’t want any refreshments and five minutes later you brought them anyway. It wasn’t a party, Maizie. He was here to tell me that my grandmother is acting up, as usual.”