Naked Truth

by Jamie K. Schmidt

  “Don’t be such an American,” he said in a low Russian accent.

  Yeah, the mirrored shades and the sexy fake accent were doing it for her. Against her better judgment, Pam was charmed, and her toes curled a bit when he pressed the glass in her hand. They toasted each other, and she took a deep swallow.

  “Here, you’d better eat something.” He snagged a tray of crudities and fed her a carrot stick.

  “Thanks,” she said after she was done chewing. “About my report...”

  “The bald-headed man is named Vadim Fomin. He was in police custody at the time of Nikolai’s death.”

  Pam sighed, and her knees wobbled a bit. “I thought the worst when I heard baseball bats were involved.”

  “Forensics thinks it was two people who went after Nikolai.”

  “Do Gregor and Piotr have alibis?”

  “Yes, but we’re working on seeing how airtight they are.”

  “What I wanted to talk to you about was the man who helped me. His name is—”

  “Ralph Brooks. Yeah, we know.”

  “I’m afraid that Gregor and Piotr will find him and kill him. He hurt them badly. Not to mention what this Vadim could do to him. What does Vadim do for a living?”

  “Steals, murders, rapes,” Drake said. “I don’t have any proof, but that’s what his street rep is.”

  “I thought he worked for Oksana.”

  “Not officially. It’s not like he files tax forms. But yeah, your old boyfriend’s mother has been known to throw him a job now and then. You mentioned in your report that they said they were under her orders to kidnap you. Oksana and her boys are denying everything.”

  Pam drank. “Oksana said as much.”

  “What?” Drake said.

  Pam looked at her glass. This stuff seemed more potent than normal vodka, but it was smooth. “Oksana came to see me at the hospital yesterday.”

  “She did?”

  “She said that she didn’t know why these men were claiming they work for her, because they don’t. She looked around my office, booked a Reiki appointment, and left.”

  “What did she do to the feng shui of the room?”

  “Do you even know what that means?” Pam tilted her head at him.

  “Just a Wikipedia definition.”

  “Doesn’t anyone do their own research anymore?”

  Drake took a long swallow of vodka and stuffed a cracker topped with caviar in his mouth. He shrugged and muttered something that sounded like, “I don’t know.”

  “Anyway, I diffused some cypress essential oil, and that purified the space.”

  He snickered. “I don’t believe in that mystic crap.”

  She blinked at him.

  “Did the room get a little colder to you?” he said with a nervous laugh. “No offense. Look, I did do some research. On you, mostly. With your smarts and degrees, you could be at a high-priced hospital pulling down major bucks. Or being a private counselor to Madame Fifi or something.”

  “I don’t want to help the Madame Fifis of the world. There are plenty of people who can help them.” Pam traced the rim of her glass with her finger. When she looked up at him, she saw her own reflection in his sunglasses. She looked a little red in the face and disheveled. Putting the glass of vodka down, Pam folded her hands primly in front of her. “Why aren’t you one of Oksana’s thugs? You certainly grew up with them.”

  “Actually, Piotr and Gregor are a lot younger than me.”

  “You know what I mean,” Pam said.

  “If you haven’t noticed, I’m not Russian.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  “It was for most of my childhood. I know most kids at some point wish they were adopted. It was my favorite fantasy. My parents were a horror show. My father drank himself into a stupor before deciding to go for a swim in Harding Harbor. Nikolai took me under his wing. I would have done anything for him.”

  “What happened?”

  Drake finished his vodka and poured some more. He tried to top off her glass, but she held her hand over it and shook her head.

  “Lightweight.”

  “I have to drive home. You can collapse here.”

  “You can collapse here with me.”

  Pam nibbled on a cracker to give her something to do. That was a tempting offer, even if it was most likely the vodka talking. She just had to make sure the alcohol wouldn’t also answer him. “So you would have done anything for Nikolai. What did he ask you to do that you couldn’t do?”

  Drake shook his head. “It wasn’t like that. Just the opposite. After Dad’s death, and a good few years before, my mom’s oblivion of choice was crack. It was more important to her than anything.”

  “Oh, Drake.” She put her hand on his arm. Blinked at the familiar curve of muscle. She was sure she’d never touched him like that before. Why did she suddenly want to step closer? Must be the vodka. She let go and stepped away from him. The room tilted, and this time, he grabbed her arm. “I’m so sorry. That’s awful.”

  “Steady,” he murmured into her ear. She shivered from the soft play of air against her ear. “What a train wreck, right? That was my life. Mom eventually OD’d. I wanted to kill the dealer. Nikolai wouldn’t let me.”

  “Did Nikolai have someone do it for you?”

  Drake twisted a grin. “Is that what he told you?”

  “He didn’t cop to murder or anything like that when he talked to me.” Pam laughed nervously. “Why is everyone so sure that after sixty years of keeping his mouth shut, Nikolai suddenly decided to confess everything to me?”

  “Blame The Sopranos.”

  Pam shook her head. “He was a nice man with arthritis.”

  “Did he go to you for psychological therapy or just the Reiki?”

  “The lines get muddled sometimes. I know he’s dead and it might not matter to him anymore, but our sessions were private. I’ll keep his secrets.”

  “Will you die for them?”

  “They weren’t worth dying for—or killing for either.”

  “Just make sure Oksana knows that,” Drake said. “Vadim and her boys are planning to sue you for assault.”

  “Me?” Pam changed her mind and took another large sip of vodka. “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I guess they didn’t know Ralph’s name. Do you think you can get him to testify to what really happened?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Why should he get involved? The less these goons know about him, the better. Besides, I can contact my lawyer and claim self-defense. They have criminal records, or at least criminal backgrounds. I’m not worried.”

  “You should be,” he said. “I don’t think they were planning on having this go to trial. They might use this as leverage to get you to drop the charges, or worse, beat you up in an alley.”

  “They have no reason to hurt me. Oksana and I settled it. She was worried Nikolai was spilling Russian Cold War secrets or something.”

  “Was he?”

  Pam eyed her drink. How was her glass empty? “He reminisced. He wasn’t always a law-abiding citizen, as I’m sure you’re aware. I would imagine the statute of limitations has passed on some of the petty crimes. It wouldn’t do any good to air them now. Oksana agreed.”

  “Was that all?”

  She bit her lip. “Do you think Nikolai was killed because they thought he was talking to me?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not buying the ‘gang members looking to score drug money’ angle that the newscasters are trying to shove down our throats. If that were the case, they would have broken in when he was with you or here. No, they planned it so they could talk to him.”

  “That’s all I can think of. Part of me thinks there’s this grand conspiracy that Oksana is willing to kill for, but the less dramatic part thinks it’s just Oksana letting her guilty conscience get to her in her old age.”

  Drake gasped mockingly. “Meow. I noticed there was a little friction between the two of you.”

  �
�She and I have a love-hate relationship. As long as I stay away from Stefan, she loves me. If Stefan and I start dating, she hates me.”

  “I don’t get it. You’re beautiful, accomplished, smart...” Drake trailed off.

  “No, please go on, Detective. It’s not often that handsome men compliment me.” Pam checked the swoon that would have brushed her chest against his.

  “Well, now that we’ve gotten it out of the way that we think each other is sexy, are you seeing someone?”

  Ralphie flashed in front of her eyes. Then settled into Drake’s features. He was still wearing the damn sunglasses. She couldn’t even get a guy to stay around after one kiss. Pam shook her head. “Nope. You?”

  Drake copied her gesture. “I wasn’t planning on picking up a chick at my godfather’s funeral, but it’s looking pretty good.”

  Pam clinked glasses with him. “Good luck with that.”

  “Think I’ll need it?”

  “Not if you keep pouring this stuff. Seriously, it’s wonderful.”

  “It should be, at what they charge for it,” Drake said, looking at the label. “So you and Stefan aren’t looking to rekindle your high school love affair?”

  “He’s a state away. New York to Connecticut might not be that far away for a real long-distance relationship, but our schedules don’t gel. It’s too complicated.”

  “I like complicated. A cop’s life is complicated. “

  “My life was pretty easy until recently. My hours got changed around. Some thugs tried to kidnap me. My boss was arrested for selling drugs. I’m just hoping everything will settle down.”

  “They say bad things come in threes,” Drake said, slurring his words a bit.

  “Do you think Oksana was involved in Nikolai’s death?”

  “I don’t have any proof, but the timing is coincidental,” Drake said. “What do your meditations say? Isn’t that what you do in Reiki? You meditate.”

  “You think I’ve had time to meditate lately?”

  “It’s like sleeping during the day, right?”

  “Some people do relax enough to take a nap. Why is that a bad thing?” she asked when he snorted.

  “It’s not. Hell, I could use a nap right now. Want to join me?”

  “You’re obnoxious when you’re drunk,” she told him.

  “Actually, I’m always this way.” He smiled again, and she saw herself smiling goofily back in his shades.

  “Take off those stupid glasses.”

  “Make me.”

  “This conversation is degenerating to the kindergarten level.”

  “I blame the naps,” he said. “Okay, I’ll get serious.” Drake took a deep breath and concentrated on enunciating his words. “Just tell me one thing. Was my godfather involved with drugs?”

  Pam shook her head. “No.”

  “No, you won’t tell me, or no, he’s clean?”

  “He didn’t take drugs.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “He wouldn’t take any over-the-counter medicine for his arthritis. I can’t see him using, or selling for that matter. His aura was very clean.” She glared at him, catching him in mid-smirk. “Usually, drugs appear as shadows and toxins in the system. I didn’t detect any.”

  “Did you detect any shadows and toxins in Dr. Mastandrea’s aura?”

  “He was never on my table.”

  “And now he’s never going to be. How did a little thing like you get a drop on him with the mop?” Drake cocked his head at her.

  “That wasn’t me. That was Ralphie.”

  “He’s a handy guy to have around,” Drake said.

  “I wouldn’t know. I can’t find him.” Pam nibbled on her lower lip. Stopped when she saw Drake’s eyes narrow on the movement. “I never got to thank him. I’m worried about him.”

  “Don’t waste your worries. People like that have a survival streak a mile wide.”

  “People like what?” Pam said.

  “Take it easy.” Drake held up his hands in surrender. “I only meant that Ralphie can take care of himself.”

  “I hope so,” Pam said.

  “Let’s have a drink for good ole Ralphie.” Drake topped off both their glasses.

  “He is a very brave man,” Pam said, clinking glasses.

  “He’s something, all right.”

  In the silence that followed, Pam willed her eyes not to close. It was warm and comforting in the kitchen, and Drake, for all his bluster, was good company. The tension that had been coiled up at the base of her spine started to relax. She leaned against the counter and looked at Drake. He had laugh lines already at the corners of his eyes. But he also looked like a man bracing for a fight. The grief, which was still etched on his face, only made his jawline more determined. She looked down at his hand that dwarfed the glass he was holding.

  “Hey,” he said, causing her to look back up at him. “Thank you for easing Nikolai’s pain.”

  “He was a good patient and sharp as a tack.”

  Drake nodded. “Too sharp. I think he got involved in something over his head.”

  “If you were looking for a vice, my vote would be gambling or women.”

  “Really?” Drake drawled. “You could see that in his aura?”

  “No, I could see that in his personality. He was a card. I’m going to miss him. To Nikolai,” she said and clinked his glass again. She took a big swallow and put the glass down, grimacing at the jolt of alcohol.

  “I’d better check the meat,” he said. After taking the roasts out of the oven, he checked their inner temperature with a meat thermometer.

  “A few more minutes,” he said and put them back in.

  “About Ralphie?” She saw the muscles on his back tense, his shoulders tightening, as if expecting a blow.

  “What about him?” He didn’t turn back to her as he stared at the stove.

  “I need to see him again.”

  “Why?” Drake shot out. “He can take care of himself.”

  Pam wrung her hands. “He shouldn’t have to be on the street.”

  “There are a lot of people on the street, honey, who don’t deserve it.”

  “Can you find him or not?” she snapped.

  He looked up, bewildered at her outburst. “We’ve got him covered.”

  “How?”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does to me.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  Pam blinked. She couldn’t very well tell Drake that she was hunting for Ralphie because she wanted to kiss him again. She’d look like a lovesick teenager. She settled for, “Because he’s innocent.”

  Drake snorted. “He’s a bum. In fact, some people are lighting them on fire just for giggles.”

  “What?” Pam pressed her hand to her heart. “That’s sick,” she said.

  “It sure is. There are a lot of sick things going on in our little corner of the world.”

  “You can’t let that happen to Ralphie.” Pam reached for her purse. “Where are these murders taking place?”

  “Whoa,” Drake said, prying the purse out of her hands. “You’re not driving. What’s your interest in this guy anyway?”

  Pam blew out a breath. “I like him. All right? He saved my life. I want to get to know him.”

  Drake crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. She was distracted by his long legs and lean silhouette. When her gaze made it back to his face, he was grinning at her. Yeah, he’d caught her giving him the once-over. She grabbed her glass, and gulped down some more vodka.

  “This stuff is lethal. I can’t feel my tongue anymore.”

  “So you and Ralphie, huh?”

  “Not really,” Pam said grumpily. “He took off like his ass was on fire after one kiss.”

  “Good,” Drake said, uncoiling from his position and walking toward her with intent.

  “What do you mean, good?” Pam said. “He didn’t have to leave. If he didn’t want to be at the hospital, there’s a janitor position open
at the library. I pulled some strings, and if Ralphie wants the job, it’s his. It’s the overnight shift, so he might be able to sleep during the day somewhere safe until he gets back on his feet.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “Because I could.” She finished her drink and set the glass down, this time sliding it far away from her before she could be tempted to drink some more. “And if he wasn’t interested in me, then he wouldn’t have to worry about seeing me every day at the hospital.”

  Drake moved in closer to her. She felt flushed from the alcohol, the kitchen, or maybe the heat coming off his body. Pam felt like she was surfing the floor on a nice gentle wave. She stifled a giggle. Oh no, I’m drunk as a skunk.

  “You’re sweet,” he said, tucking a strand of black hair over her ear.

  “I’m pathetic,” she said, putting her hand on his hip.

  “You are if you’re going to pine for Ralphie.”

  “I get it. He’s just not into me.” Pam tried to roll her eyes and almost passed out.

  Drake grabbed her and held her tight against him.

  “Take off your glasses if you’re going to kiss me,” she said.

  “I wasn’t planning on kissing you.” He leaned down.

  “Why the hell not?”

  And then she kissed him. It could’ve been the vodka or the heat between them. Or maybe it was just that kind of week. She didn’t usually go around kissing policemen, even if they looked damned fine in their uniforms. Apparently, she saved that for janitors in closets. But she had been run down by thieves, and he’d lost his godfather, so she was willing to chalk the kiss up as stress relief. Pam guessed these things had to happen a lot at wakes. What she hadn’t counted on was liking it so much.

  The first, quick touch of her lips to his made tingles spark along her nerve endings. Drake moaned, deepening the kiss. As their tongues danced, she clung to his shoulders like they were a rock in a dangerous tide. Her fingers slowly caressed the corded muscles of his neck as his mouth left hers to trail hot kisses down her neck.

  It was like someone threw gasoline on an open fire. She kissed up to his ear, while her fingers untucked the ponytail. When his teeth grazed the sweet spot at the juncture of her neck, she gasped and stood on her tiptoes to give him better access. His mouth was hot when it came back to hers, and she lost herself in the raging burn of desire.