by Ava Mallory
I figured that most of that information would be public record and I probably wouldn't have to beg too much, but stranger things have happened and it wouldn't surprise me, if I'd been blocked from accessing any information about him or anyone else in town.
Since I had the night off and sleep wasn't even a remote possibility, I thought it was as good a time as any to begin my research. What does an almost completely computer illiterate woman do when they need to research something, they ask someone to do it for them, of course.
I dialed the number after taking a moment to look at her photo on my phone.
“Hi, Mom.” Diana answered her phone on the first ring.
“How's it going?” I asked, not wanting to be rude and dive right in to what I needed her to do for me. That would come next.
“Fine. Hey, did Ruby tell you about Barney?” With all the commotion, I'd forgotten all about Barney. Poor guy! He was an old dog I'd acquired from a nursing home, I'd worked at in Nebraska. He was old, lazy and just as cute as a button. The purebred Pug was so quiet, I often forgot he was around, unless he was hungry or someone knocked on my door, which was often, back in Lake Villa where I lived.
“No, what happened to him?” I felt like a bad pet parent.
“Uncle Hank's mom isn't doing well and he might have to go to New York to see her. Aunt Ruby wants to go with him, but she wasn't sure what she was going to do about Barney.”
This was the first trip I'd taken since Barney came to live with me. Ruby and Hank loved dogs and volunteered to keep him for me, so I wouldn't have to board him, but now I felt terrible for leaving him with them in the first place.
“Shoot. Can you call around and see if I can board him someplace?” I asked.
“No, I can keep him.” Diana answered. I didn't know how she was going to accomplish that because she was a full-time student and had a full-time job as an account manager for a rental car company.
“What about work and your classes?” I asked.
“Mom, Spring break starts Friday and I can take a few days off. It's no big deal. How much trouble can Barney be?” Diana loved dogs, but it had been years since she'd lived with a dog. My ex-husband was allergic to pet dander, so it wasn't exactly an ideal experience for anyone involved. Eventually, the marriage fizzled and the dog got sick and had to be put down. That was like losing a family member. I just couldn't put my daughter or myself through that again, so we never brought another dog into the home.
“Maybe, we can go hang with you for a couple of days and duck and dodge from the police and the media.” She laughed, knowing full-well that the last thing I'd want is to have her mixed up in a murder investigation.
“You are no fun.” She teased. “Seriously, Mom, we can hang out with you and just do nothing. Don't you want to see your only child?” She always knew exactly what to say to get her way, but I couldn't be angry about it because she was the world's best daughter. She never gave me more headaches than absolutely necessary for a young girl with growing pains and she never once snuck out of the house, opting instead to play the 'I'm going to spend the night at this girlfriend's house or that girlfriend's house'.
“Okay, but I'm afraid I'm not going to be much fun. The schedule they gave me is hideous and I'm kind of under investigation right now.” I braced myself for her response. I'd tried to fill her in on the details along the way, but hadn't yet had a chance to mention the incident from earlier this morning.
“They're investigating you? I thought Aunt Ruby said that once they saw the footage, this would all blow over. What happened now? No, don't tell me. I'm going to go get Barney and we'll see you in a few hours. Text me the address.” She hung up before I had a chance to say anything else.
I looked around. There was no evidence that a dog had ever lived here.
“Great! Now, I'm going to get kicked out for having a dog here.” I said out loud.
I immediately picked my phone back up and dialed Ruby's number.
“Hey, honey. How's it going?” She answered.
After I filled her in on the details and waited for Hank to calm her down, I told her that Diana would be picking up the dog and to keep me informed about Hank's mother.
Hank, just like Ruby, was one of my dearest friends. He was the ying to my yang, so to speak. You see, Ruby and I had a tendency to be irrational and quick to react. Hank, being a level-headed psychiatrist, would work his magic on us and get us to stop and think or, more often than not, would help us to analyze how things had gone so horribly wrong. Most times, the answer was because we'd jumped the gun and reacted instead of doing something to be proactive.
“Mercy, don't let things get out of control.” Ruby warned me.
“Sometimes, I just can't help it.” I was trying to make a joke, but it wasn't funny to either of us.
I didn't want to add to her worries. She and Hank already had enough to worry about. I tried to be serious. “I'll be okay. I didn't do anything wrong. I was going to turn him in, if they would have given me another minute or so, they'd all be singing another song right now.”
“I hear you, but anyway, just stay safe and try to stay out of their way.” She said.
“Their way?” I asked. “Who are you talking about? The police?”
“Everyone.” Ruby answered. She wasn't her usual cheerful self, so things must not have been going well for Hank's mom.
“Send Hank and Mama Sylvie my love. Be safe.” I hung up, wishing I could be there with them. They had been right by my side for all of my ups and downs in life.
After I'd lost both my grandparents and my parents, Ruby and Hank were my rocks. They went so far as to cook for me around the clock and took Diana for weekends to give me time alone.
I'd lost my parents shortly after James and I had separated. They'd died in a car accident while on a trip across country.
My grandparents died within six months of each other less than a year later. In the span of about nine months, I'd lost almost all of my blood relatives. Hank and Ruby, although already my dear friends, gave me the strength to go on.
*
“I should have become a private investigator. This stuff is fun.” Diana held Barney in her lap as we sat outside of a local eatery, waiting to see the woman who may be able to answer some of my questions for me.
“What if she doesn't look the same any more?” I asked, looking at the photo on Diana's tablet.
“She couldn't have changed that much. If anything she'll look a lot better than that picture. You know what happens after you get divorced.” Diana answered like I had any idea what she was talking about.
I ran my hands through my hair. “No, what happens? You get stuck with all the bills and you don't have to watch martial arts movies anymore?”
She laughed. I loved to hear her laugh. It always brightened my day. I hated to admit it, but she was right about coming down to visit me. I felt better already, just having her here. I don't know what I'd ever do without her.
“Well, someone I know, ahem, went on this big makeover binge. She dyed her hair, started wearing makeup again, started exercising. You know, all the stuff women do to make their ex jealous.” She winked at me.
I crossed my arms in front of me. “I have no idea what you're talking about. One Zumba class does not equate to trying to make your father jealous.”
We both started giggling, until Barney decided to wake up from the fourth nap, he'd taken since they'd arrived only three hours earlier.
“What's wrong?” I looked up at the restaurant. Employees were walking out. Each dressed exactly like the one before them, in skimpy outfits that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
“Whoa! What kind of restaurant is this?” Diana asked. “When did Italian restaurants add stripper poles?”
I shook my head. Only my kid would say something like that.
“Okay, which one is she?” I asked, squinting at the women across the street from us.
“Her profile says she's five feet ten inches tall, so give or
take an exaggeration or two, I'd put her at about five feet eight inches in heels.” Diana knew this stuff better than I did. Although she kept telling me that she'd never join a dating site, the way she navigated around this one, told a different story.
“Are you seeing anyone?” I asked out of curiosity.
“Mom, can you focus, please?” She answered, blushing.
Oh, so she is. Note to self: Research that later.
“There she is. Wow, she looks young!” Diana exclaimed. “Let's go talk to her!”
I grabbed the back of her shirt before she jumped out of the car. “Wait! We don't even know what we're going to say to her, do we? I mean, she did just lose the father of her children. We have to be gentle.”
Diana untangled my fingers from her shirt. “No, we don't.” She jumped out of the car and ran across the street, calling out Mike's ex-wife's name.
“Brandi? Brandi! Can I talk to you for a minute?” Diana had no fear. I, on the other hand, was having heart palpitations.
Brandi looked at her, squinting.
Ha! She's as blind as I am.
I don't care what anyone says. She may have legs for miles and the tiniest waist I'd ever seen on anything bigger than a certain unnamed blonde bimbo doll, but the eyes never lied. She had the eyes of a woman her age and, I had to admit, that made me feel good about myself.
I grabbed Barney and went out after Diana, trying my best to not look like a deer in headlights. Diana had it all under control. She and Brandi were already exchanging compliments on each others shoes.
Wonderful. Now, we're all old friends. How did you solve the case, Mercy? Oh, over shoes and a lip gloss.
Diana turned to me. “Brandi, this is my mom, Mercy.”
“Hi!” I offered as Barney fought to get out of my arms.
“What a cute little dog! What's his name?” Brandi asked. She didn't look at all like a woman in mourning. I found it odd that she was working, but figured like most people she needed the money.
“This is Barney.” I said, putting Barney down on the ground. I hadn't thought to grab his leash, but I wasn't too worried that he'd suddenly get a burst of energy and take off on me.
“He's so little. My kids just love dogs, but they still haven't figured out how to make themselves take the dog out on a walk or feed him. Heck, I still have trouble getting them to wake up for school and they are practically adults now.” Brandi smiled at us again.
Diana jumped right into why we were there. “We are so sorry for your loss. We just have a few questions for you about your...”
“My jerk of an ex-husband?” Brandi sighed, moving away from the other waitresses nearby. “For me, it's not a huge loss. I don't mean to be rude, but he was no saint and throwing him out didn't change any of that. I'm sad for my kids. He was their father, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm just thankful that I won't have to put up with his nonsense anymore. I mean really. We've been divorced since my kids were toddlers and now they're teenagers and suddenly he gives a crap about me and what I do. I don't think so.” Brandi didn't mince words.
Diana took that as an invitation to ask more questions. Brandi didn't stop her. She never bothered to ask us who we were or why we were concerned about him or her. I found that to be incredibly odd, but Diana just kept pressing forward.
“Do you know if he had any problems with anyone? Did he have enemies that you know of?” Diana scared me. She was actually pretty good at asking questions. I was impressed.
“No one liked him, except Lou, of course, but Lou is just as much of a loser as he is. Those two were like twins. They could read each others thoughts and finish each others sentences. It was weird, but they had been in the academy together and worked in the same precinct back in Chicago.” Brandi explained.
“Why did you guys move here?” I asked, trying my shot at interrogation for a change.
“We didn't. I did. I'd always heard about this town being a hideaway for the wealthy and I thought I'd get a foot in the door and maybe make my dream of being a personal assistant to a star come true.” She answered.
Dream big, why don't you, I thought. Diana must have been thinking the same thing, because she shook her head slightly for a second after Brandi answered.
“Anyway, when I threw Mike out, I packed up my kids and moved. I got this job right away and things were good for years.” Brandi said, pulling a cigarette out from behind her ear. “Do you mind if I smoke?”
I was about to protest, but Diana answered her before I could start my lecture on the dangers of smoking.
“Go ahead. You probably need a smoke right now.” Diana said.
Who was this child? What did she know about smoking?
“Did it get bad at some point?” I asked.
Brandi blew smoke out of her mouth as she spoke. “Sure did and fast too. One day, I'm just living my life, dating this great guy. He had a good job and lived here in town, then, all of a sudden, we're walking out of this little dive bar and there's Mike is standing outside by the car. I wanted to kill him.”
Diana and I cringed at her words. Could she have killed him? Were we face-to-face with a murderer?
“He just showed up?” Diana asked.
“Sure did. To make it worse, he never left. I spent half my life running from that man and it didn't matter where I went, he found me. Word of advice, don't marry a cop, ladies.” She grabbed her bleached blonde hair and pulled it back into a high ponytail.
I didn't know Mike, but if I had to choose a type for him, she would be the poster child.
Diana and I had discussed everything we'd like to ask, but at this point, neither of us knew what to say. She'd given us more information than I'd anticipated.
Brandi was feeling particularly chatty or maybe that was just her nature, but she kept talking. “He bought a house two blocks from my old townhouse. His partner in crime moved to town a few months later and buys every business in town, including this place. After a while, I just gave up. There was no sense running anymore. I had a job. It paid well. I just had a new boss. Good thing, he's lazy as all get out, because I only see him on payday. His wife runs the businesses. Well, technically, she's not his wife either, but you know how that goes. Sometimes they are together. Other times they are throwing the other one out.”
“Lou's married?” I didn't hide my surprise very well.
“Like I said, they are sort of married. I think she divorced him, but they still kind of live together off and on.” Brandi spoke like I understood that nonsense. I could never... I mean, never live with my ex-husband again. Not that he was mean or anything. I just liked having my space and he was comfortable living his life. We attended some family functions together and spoke to each other all the time, but living together again was completely out of the question.
Brandi checked her watch, suddenly remembering she was supposed to pick one of her kids up. “Did you get all you needed? I have to go pick my daughter up from her boyfriend's house.”
I looked at Diana. She agreed.
“Yes, thanks for your time.” I said. “And, again, sorry for your loss.”
She grinned and walked away, leaving us standing with our mouths gaping open. What did we get ourselves into?
Suddenly, she turned around and said, “Oh, the lady with the Chow Chow. They had beef.”
I had no idea what she was talking about. Beef?
Diana cleared her throat. “Phoebe the Chow Chow?”
Brandi nodded, lighting another cigarette. “Yeah, her name is Alma Dresda. I don't know what was going on with them, but she sure did hang out around him a lot. I think he was just trying to make me jealous, but, baby, look at me. She's a good fifty pounds heavier than me and about ten inches shorter, so not a threat.”
“Interesting people in this town, Mom.” Diana quipped.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” I answered, bending down to lift my sleeping dog off the sidewalk.
*
“Well, at least, she got out there and dated. You
can't fault her for that.” Diana poured milk into her cereal.
“I didn't need to date. I had you and that's all that mattered.” I answered, waiting for my much-needed morning coffee to brew.
“Speaking of what you need, have you called Sheriff Wagner back yet?” She grinned at me.
In the three months since I'd seen Charlie Wagner, he and I had spoken a couple of times a week. In my opinion, it was no big deal, but everyone else around me saw it as something far bigger than it was.
I gave her the same speech I'd given her dozens of times over the last few months. “We worked together for one day. That's it. Remember, he thought I was a suspect to begin with, so I can't very well date him. How would that look? Besides, we live one thousand miles apart.”