by Cindy Bell
“Yes. I can grieve and move forward, as I'm sure everyone will tell me to, or I can figure out who did this,” Bekki climbed out of the car and Sammy followed her up the walkway to Bekki's house.
“Bekki, have you ever considered that maybe grieving and moving forward would be the right thing to do?” Sammy asked as gently as she could. She knew her friend could get easily fixated. Bekki took the keys from Sammy's hand and unlocked her front door. She paused with one foot over the threshold and looked back at Sammy.
“I have just one thing to ask you Sammy,” Bekki said as she met her best friend's eyes. “What if it was me? Could you just grieve and move on?”
Sammy frowned as the words sunk in. She was not someone who would give up that easily.
“No,” she finally sighed. “So I'll make the coffee,” she suggested as she moved past Bekki into the house.
“Sammy, you really don't have to stay,” Bekki offered honestly as she set down her purse and sat down at the kitchen table.
“I know I don't have to,” Sammy replied tersely.”But if you are going to spend the whole night looking into this, then I'm going to look into it with you.”
Bekki was actually relieved to have Sammy with her. She wasn't sure if she would be able to stay focused if she was all alone with the memory of finding Jasmine. While Sammy settled in the living room, Bekki poured them both a glass of wine and then joined her. Each time she felt a wave of sadness rise up through her, she pushed it back down. There would be time to grieve later.
“Who did this?” Bekki asked the moment she sat on the couch beside Sammy. “I just can't understand why anyone would hurt Jasmine.”
“Well, New York City can be pretty tough,” Sammy pointed out with a slight frown. “Did she have any enemies? Anyone she crossed in business or personally?”
“No,” Bekki shook her head slowly. “That's the thing, Jasmine never took anything too seriously. She even stayed good friends with her exes. She was a naturally enthusiastic and friendly person. I never saw her exchange bad words with anyone,” Bekki frowned as she took a sip of her wine. “Honestly, I didn't know her that well. I don't even know if she has family I should be contacting.”
“The police will take care of that, I'm sure,” Sammy said gently and gave Bekki's hand a light squeeze. “Are you sure this can't wait until tomorrow, Bekki? You look like you could use some sleep.”
“No,” Bekki said firmly. “I need to do this while everything is fresh in my mind,” she closed her eyes for a moment and visualized the motel room she had found Jasmine in.
“It was as if someone was looking for something,” Bekki said quietly.
“Looking for what?” Sammy asked in a whisper. “Money? Jewelry?”
“No,” Bekki replied slowly as an image of Jasmine's hands flashed in her mind. “She still had her rings and bracelet. Her purse was on the dresser,” she murmured.
“I still think this is too hard for you now, maybe this is one that…”
“The police should handle,” Nick finished from the entrance of the living room. Bekki wasn't surprised that he had let himself in as they had moved far past knocking on doors in their relationship, and they had even exchanged keys in case of emergency. Bekki braced herself for an argument. She knew that Nick meant well, but she was determined to figure out what happened to Jasmine. Before she could protest she felt his hands on her shoulders. He reached over the back of the couch to lightly massage them.
“Of course, everyone handles things differently,” he said softly. “I'm so sorry for your loss, Bekki.”
Bekki nodded and reached up to wrap her fingers around his left wrist.
“I'm glad you're here,” she said quietly. She truly was, Nick's mere presence provided her comfort.
“I'll let you two talk,” Sammy said as she smiled sadly at Bekki. “Don't worry about the salon, I'll open it up in the morning, okay?” she met her friend's eyes.
“Thanks Sammy,” Bekki said and managed a slight smile. Nick walked around to the front of the couch and sat down beside her. He continued to lightly stroke her shoulders and arms until he began to feel her relax beneath his touch. Only then did he begin to speak, and when he did, his words had a bit more sternness behind them than she expected.
“I know that you care about what happened to your friend,” Nick began his tone understanding, but still firm. “I know that you are a very brave and determined person, but please Bekki…”
Bekki began to sit forward on the couch, but Nick gently guided her back against the cushions so that he could look into her eyes. “Just listen to me,” he pleaded as he held her gaze. “I've asked you to trust me, Bekki, do you?” he searched her gaze intently.
Bekki frowned, but she nodded slightly. “Of course, I do.”
“Then I'm asking you to listen to me, and to take this seriously,” he held her gaze as alarm grew within Bekki's. She had never seen Nick behave with such determination. He had warned her of danger in the past, but this time it felt different, more intense and urgent.
“I'm listening,” she replied openly, her heart beating a little faster.
“One of the first things we did was to review the security cameras at the motel. There's one camera that documents the entrance and exit of the parking lot. We ran the plate of a car that came and left during the time of the murder, and now we're pretty sure we have a strong suspect in the case,” he explained carefully.
“Oh, that's great,” Bekki said with relief. “So it shouldn't be long until the killer is in custody?” she asked hopefully.
“Well, it's a little more complicated than that,” Nick frowned and met her eyes once more. “The suspect, Randy, is a known criminal, and not your common street thug, but a career criminal.”
“Career criminal?” Bekki gasped as she shook her head. “What would a career criminal want with Jasmine?”
“Well,” Nick hesitated as he glanced away from her. “Did she have a history of any illegal behavior? Any shady characters she used to hang out with? Any drug use?” he asked as casually as he could.
“Of course not, Nick,” Bekki scowled, and then took a breath. “I mean, in all the time that I knew her I never saw her with or heard about her being friends with anyone dodgy or have anything stronger than alcohol.”
“Okay,” he nodded as he folded his hands loosely in his lap. “Maybe she might have been involved with him, romantically?” he suggested.
“I don't think so,” Bekki shook her head firmly. “Jasmine was always very picky about the men she dated. She had pretty high standards,” Bekki frowned as she stared hard at the coffee table in front of the couch. “It's strange.”
“To be honest we have no other evidence linking this person to the crime as of yet,” Nick explained. “We can't arrest him based solely on the fact that his car was in the motel parking lot around the time of the murder. So, as of now, whoever killed Jasmine is still on the loose,” he waited until she looked up at him again and then spoke firmly. “This man and the people he's associated with are dangerous people, Bekki. They're trained killers in many cases, and won't hesitate to hurt or kill anyone who gets in their way. This is something I need to know that you are staying out of, okay?” he asked hopefully.
Bekki sighed as she sat back against the couch. The last thing she wanted to do was stay out of it. She couldn't understand how a serious criminal would be associated with Jasmine, and she was determined to find out who was truly behind the crime, but the level of concern in Nick's eyes was not something she was taking lightly either.
“Okay,” she finally agreed and managed a light smile on her lips. “But only if you promise to be careful too, okay?” she leaned forward and offered him a soft kiss before resting her forehead against his. “A gun and a badge doesn't make you that much safer than me you know,” she warned him.
“I know,” he murmured in return. “I've seen your moves,” he smiled a little as they shared the intimacy of whispering so close to one another.
“I just can't focus on my own safety if I'm worrying about yours.”
“I understand,” Bekki nodded as she pulled away from him and stood up from the couch. “I can't believe this has happened.” She collected the wine glasses she and Sammy had emptied.
“I'll sleep on the couch,” Nick announced as Bekki walked into the kitchen with the glasses.
“What?” Bekki called out over her shoulder. In the next moment she felt his arms around her waist.
“I'll stay here tonight,” he stated, rather than offering. Bekki knew if she told him to leave he would, but she didn't want him to. “I’ll sleep on the couch so you can have your space,” he added. Bekki smiled as she glanced at him. The commitment level of their relationship had been tenuous at first because of the hurt that Bekki had experienced in the past, but that hesitancy was beginning to fade.
Chapter Three
Early the next morning Bekki heard Nick getting ready to head into work. She climbed out of bed and met him with a sleepy yawn in the kitchen.
“Do you want me to make you something?” she offered as she watched him holster his gun.
“No, I'm running late,” Nick said and leaned over to kiss her softly on the cheek. Bekki stole a quick hug and as Nick pulled away and headed for the front door, he suddenly froze.
“Wow,” he whispered and glanced back at her.
“Wow, what?” Bekki asked with a raised eyebrow.
Nick smiled a little as he met her eyes. “I could really get used to this.”
Bekki narrowed her eyes a little and shook her head. “No breakfast and a lumpy couch?” she asked.
Nick held her gaze a moment longer. “Getting to kiss you goodbye in the morning,” he replied.
His words hung between them and Bekki couldn't help the sudden quickening of her heartbeat. She parted her lips to say something, but he spoke before she could.
“Be careful today, okay?” he said as he walked towards the door. “If you notice anything suspicious at all you're going to call me, right?”
“Right,” Bekki nodded slowly. When he pulled the door closed behind him she sank down into a chair at the kitchen table. His words hadn't frightened her, in fact, she was feeling the same way when she walked out into the kitchen and found him there. Was it possible that she was ready for more of a commitment than she realized?
She forced herself back to her feet and went into her bedroom to dress. Even though Sammy had promised to open the salon, Bekki didn't want to be alone. She decided that she would pick up some breakfast for Sammy and her and spend the day at the salon after all, even if all she could do was answer the phone.
***
Bekki decided to walk so she could clear her head. She stopped off at Angela's bakery for some bagels and coffee to take to the salon. It was a quaint little place with a few tables and chairs on the sidewalk for outside seating. Angela was always friendly and the food was delicious.
“Morning, Angela,” Bekki said as she walked inside. Angela looked up at her reluctantly.
“Morning, Bekki. I was so sorry to hear about your friend,” she said quickly. In the small town of Harroway news traveled very fast, so Bekki was not surprised that Angela knew about the murder, or the fact that Jasmine had been her friend.
“Thanks Angela,” Bekki nodded a little. “It was quite a shock.”
“I bet,” Angela agreed as she began putting together Bekki's usual order. “Did you meet up with your friends yet?”
“My friends?” Bekki asked curiously.
“Yes, the ones from the city. I assumed they came to comfort you,” she shrugged mildly, but Bekki could sense something else beneath her words.
“Who were they?” Bekki asked with urgency.
“Two men, both of them tall and muscular,” Angela laughed a little and then lowered her voice. “Honestly Bekki they were a little scary. Maybe it's just because I'm not used to city folk, but they had tattoos, and they talked very sweetly, asking about you and how they could find you, but something just didn't seem genuine about them.”
“Really,” Bekki said as calmly as she could. “Did you tell them where to find me?” Bekki asked hesitantly.
“Well, not your home address of course,” Angela said quickly. “But I told them that you run the salon.”
Bekki's first thought was Sammy. She was at the salon all by herself, what if the men had gone there to question her? Why were these strangers looking for her now? She accepted the bagels and coffee from Angela and paid her.
“Thanks Angela,” she said quickly. “If you see those men again, give Nick a call, okay?” she met the woman's eyes intently.
“Okay,” Angela nodded nervously. Bekki left the bakery in a hurry and walked quickly towards the salon. As she walked she carefully balanced the coffee and the bagels and she dialed Sammy's cell phone. When she didn't pick up, Bekki's heart skipped a beat. She dialed the salon phone, and was greeted by several drawn out rings.
“Hello?” Sammy's voice finally gasped into the phone.
“Sammy, are you okay?” Bekki asked urgently as she approached the salon. From the outside everything appeared to be just fine.
“Of course I am,” Sammy laughed. “I just went diving for the phone. I heard you ringing my cell phone but it was in the back with my purse, so I went to grab it, and then this line started ringing. Are you okay? Are you at home?”
“No, I'm not,” Bekki said with a small smile as she walked into the salon and hung up her phone.
“Oh, I guess not,” Sammy giggled into the phone and then realized that it was pretty absurd to still be talking into it. She hung up the phone and walked over to Bekki.
“What are you doing here? I told you I'd open up,” she reminded her as Bekki handed her a cup of hot coffee.
“I know,” Bekki frowned as she glanced suspiciously around the salon. “I didn’t want to stay at home and things are a little more complicated than I expected. Nick said their prime suspect is a career criminal, and when I stopped for breakfast this morning, Angela said two men from New York had been in there asking about me.”
“Are you sure?” Sammy scrunched up her nose. “Would Angela really know if someone was from New York?”
“She seemed certain that they were from the city,” Bekki nodded as she snapped the blinds open on the front window of the salon. “I just want to make sure we're being extra cautious. No matter how it happened, it seems Jasmine had gotten herself caught up in a very dangerous situation.”
“Maybe we should just close up for the day?” Sammy suggested with a frown.
“No,” Bekki said firmly as she walked over to the reception desk to check the list of scheduled appointments for the day. “I'm not going to be bullied.”
Sammy parted her lips as if she might say something more, but she recognized the determined look on Bekki's face. Not even when they were in high school could she talk Bekki out of anything once she had that look on her face. It was the same look she had when she decided to move to New York.
“Okay,” Sammy assented and began to get the chairs prepared for the first customers of the day. Bekki's mind was focused on the impossible connection between Jasmine and these criminals. Had she changed that much since the last time Bekki had seen her? It was possible. But why would they kill her? If she owed them money, she wouldn't be able to pay it if she was dead.
“No it's not about money,” Bekki murmured under her breath. “Nothing was taken.” Bekki was interrupted by the ring of the bell over the door and turned to find two tall, muscular, tattooed, scary looking men standing in the doorway.
“Good morning,” she said with more confidence than she felt. “What can I do for you today?”
“We are looking for Bekki, the owner,” one replied gruffly.
“That’s me,” she said with a smile but her heartbeat quickened. She could see Sammy looking very nervous in the corner.
“A friend of ours, Jasmine, said she left samples here and we need them,” he said with
cold eyes.
“No, sorry,” Bekki replied trying to stay calm. “She didn’t give me any. She was going to give me some but she was killed before she could.”
“Do you know where they are?” he glared at her. He obviously already knew that she had been killed.
“No,” she said, trying to smile.
“Fine,” he said. “But you better not be lying to me.” And then the two men turned around and left the salon.
Bekki and Sammy looked at each other with shock in their eyes and then they sighed with relief. Bekki pulled down the blinds and locked the door.
“Why would they want Jasmine’s supplies?” Sammy asked, still in shock.
“No idea,” Bekki sighed. “But we better tell Nick they were here.” Bekki called Nick and he answered after a few rings.
“Hey,” Nick said cheerfully.
“Two men just came to the salon looking for Jasmine’s samples,” Bekki said quickly.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“Yes, we’re fine,” she said with relief in her voice. “They didn’t hurt or threaten us. But, they were actually still quite menacing.”
“What did they look like,” Nick questioned.
“They were both tall, very muscular and had lots of tattoos,” Bekki replied.
“Okay, that sounds like they may be Randy’s guys,” he said. “I will see if we can get them in for questioning. What did they say?”
“They just asked for Jasmine’s samples and when I said that I didn’t have any they left,” Bekki explained casually. “They weren’t shocked when I mentioned that she was murdered so they must have already known.”
“I think you should lock up for the day.” Nick said as Bekki looked at Sammy who was still shaking. She wasn’t sure if she could even hold a scissors and they only had a few clients booked in. Sammy could be clumsy at the best of times.
“Ok, we’ll close, but just for today,” Bekki said, and Sammy smiled with relief.
“Do you want me to send an officer to lock up with you?” he asked.
“No, don’t worry. I’ll just call the clients and then Sammy can stay at my place,” Bekki said with a smile while Sammy nodded in agreement. “Besides, it’s better if you have the man power looking for these guys.”