Illusive Witness

by S. Y. Thompson

  Her positive mood restored, Ruth took a cab home. She wasn’t due to get the Jaguar out of the shop for another week. It also took longer to get home without her own vehicle since the cabbie insisted on choosing the most crowded streets. She could have driven her Escalade, but found it difficult to navigate on the crowded city streets and without a driver, the limo was out of the question. The taxi was easier.

  Finally home, Ruth paid the cab driver and sent him away. She took a moment to look around for any unexpected company, but Marshal Blake was nowhere in sight. Apparently, Emma had finally realized she was wasting her time hanging around Ruth’s home. She ignored the brief surge of disappointment.

  Relieved that she didn’t have to entertain the wayward marshal, Ruth let herself into the house. Her priority was a nice, hot, soaking bath.

  EXCITEMENT HUMMED THROUGH her veins as Ruth prepared to leave the house. She felt perfumed and pampered, ready to see and hold Jordan in her arms. She carried a leather satchel with a change of clothes and the necessary toiletries for an overnight stay. Another cab waited for her in the circular drive. Ruth piled into the car and gave the driver her destination. The cabbie grunted and mashed the accelerator to the floor. Unlike the previous driver who had chosen a slow, deliberate pace, this one seemed intent on impressing her with his speed.

  Ruth strapped in and held on to the door handle. After a few close calls with other traffic, the cab squealed to a halt outside Jordan’s brownstone. Ruth climbed out of the car on shaking legs, thrilled to have made the trip in one piece.

  “Thanks a lot,” Ruth said somewhat sarcastically.

  The driver didn’t comment, nor did he offer Ruth any change for the bills she handed him. He merely grunted and squealed away from the curb. Ruth instinctively jumped backward onto the curb to keep from having her toes run over. She took a moment to settle her nerves before heading up the steps.

  Ruth shook off the feeling of having experienced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride and pushed the call button on the front of the building. Jordan responded immediately, buzzing her into the secured structure. Only after entering the lobby did Ruth realize she’d been so shaken by the cab ride that she had neglected to check out the area where Jordan lived. Ruth had never been to Jordan’s apartment before, obtaining the directions for the first time during the phone conversation at the country club.

  Somewhat belatedly, Ruth scoped out the ground floor. The main lobby contained only a single desk, a chair and a row of security monitors. A uniformed security guard occupied the chair and offered her a friendly wave. Ruth appreciated the setup as well as the Italian marble floors and the large waterfall that occupied one corner.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  Ruth started slightly but covered it by replying that she was looking for Jordan Pierce’s apartment. She gave him the apartment number as well, unsure if he would know the building occupants by name.

  “Down at the end of the hall to your right. My name’s Dave if you need anything.”

  “Thanks.”

  The brownstone was top notch by any standards, but didn’t really seem to fit Jordan’s personality. To Ruth, it seemed that Jordan should have something that would provide a bit more privacy. Then again she did have her home on Ghost Island. The apartment was merely a place to hang her hat during the workweek.

  Ruth pushed away the unpleasant memories that surfaced at the thought of Ghost Island and started down the corridor Dave had indicated. She quickly located Jordan’s apartment and had just raised her hand to knock when the door flew open unexpectedly. Jordan’s excitement upon seeing her was contagious and Ruth smiled back. She suddenly found herself swallowed in a huge hug. The familiar scent of Jordan’s perfume surrounded her and Ruth wondered why she’d been holding back.

  “I’m so happy you’re here,” Jordan whispered into her ear. She moved back so she could see Ruth. “Part of me worried that you would change your mind.”

  Ruth could have sworn that she saw tears glistening in Jordan’s eyes. “It never occurred to me,” she lied.

  Jordan nodded and finally noticed the bag Ruth carried. She didn’t comment, but her smile widened as she stepped back.

  “Why don’t you come inside? I think we’ve given the neighbors enough gossip material for now.”

  “What are you talking about? There’s no one around.”

  “That’s all right. I’m sure Dave will be thrilled to tell everyone he knows.”

  Ruth turned to see what Jordan was looking at. Dave was watching them with unabashed delight. He waved at them, showing no sign of remorse. Ruth almost rolled her eyes. She’d been hiding at home for days to avoid spying eyes and in less than thirty minutes Ruth found herself right back under the microscope.

  “Yeah, good idea. Let’s go inside.”

  Jordan took her bag and ushered Ruth inside, closing the door behind them. She dropped it on the floor beside the door and Ruth looked around the apartment. Ruth knew Jordan had good taste, but she was astonished by the richly appointed dwelling. The Italian marble from the lobby continued into the foyer of Jordan’s apartment. A large crystal chandelier glistened overhead and from the glints of gold, Ruth figured it probably cost her entire year’s income. Leather furnishings in the living room framed an Aqueon fireplace. Ruth had researched this type of freestanding fireplace for her own home and knew they ran around fifty thousand dollars.

  “This place is amazing.”

  “Thank you.” Jordan settled on the black leather sofa and patted the place beside her. “Come sit with me.”

  Without thinking, Ruth did as she was bade, but her attention remained on the accommodations. Finally, she turned to Jordan with stunned expression. “How can you afford this? I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to be so blunt, but this place must cost you a fortune.”

  Jordan grinned. “I’m very good at what I do. You should know since you were one of my patients.”

  “Well, okay. I can’t argue with that.”

  “I’ll give you the grand tour later, but right now I’d really like to catch up. I’ve missed you.”

  Ruth flushed in pleased embarrassment. She squeezed Jordan’s hand. “I’ve missed you, too.”

  “Are you feeling better now?”

  Jordan sounded unsure, as though she expected the worst. Her timidity made Ruth feel even worse. “Yes, honey, I feel much better. I just needed some time off. I’m sorry if I made you think I don’t want to spend time with you.”

  “It’s not that,” Jordan assured her. “I’ve just been so worried. It’s not every day you see U.S. Marshals show up at the hospital to interview your girlfriend.”

  “Girlfriend, huh? I kind of like the sound of that.”

  Jordan raised their clasped hands and gently kissed Ruth’s knuckles. The smoldering look in her eyes caused a shiver to race down Ruth’s spine. “Me too. Now before I get sidetracked, I want to hear all about what you’ve been up to. Did you get everything worked out with the car?”

  “Yes, in fact the mechanic promised to have someone deliver the Jaguar to me by the end of the week.”

  “They’re going to actually drive the car out to your house for you? How come I don’t get that kind of service?”

  “Well, I did promise them a bonus,” Ruth admitted. She thought about the cab ride over and said, “I can’t wait to get my car back. I miss my car.”

  “Ah, bribery. Works every time. Still, I guess that means the frame wasn’t bent or anything.”

  “Right, surprising considering how badly dented it was from that maniac driver.”

  “At least he turned himself in,” Jordan pointed out. “You never did tell me what the marshals wanted at the hospital.”

  Ruth hesitated, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable. She realized it was only normal that Jordan would ask, but wasn’t sure she wanted to discuss the issue. Rather than just blow Jordan off altogether, she said, “They just wanted the whole story on Henry, that’s all.”

  “Oh really?�
� She laughed in a teasing way. “Because from where I sat, it looked like the lady Fed had her eye on you.”

  “No,” Ruth sputtered, thinking again about the kiss she had shared with Emma. “It wasn’t that at all. They really were just asking about Henry.”

  “And that took twenty minutes?” Suddenly, Jordan didn’t seem quite so amused. “Ruth...don’t you trust me? I know you went through a lot with Henry. He was your friend and you thought you really knew him. It’s only natural that you’d be a little paranoid, but I’m not Henry. I want you to be able to confide in me.”

  Shamed at her behavior by a few simple words, Ruth looked away. Jordan had a point. She still couldn’t meet Jordan’s eyes, but she broke down and told her everything from the belief that Henry was involved with the mob to the fact that Blake wanted to put Ruth into protective custody. She finished up by telling Jordan that she had refused the offer of protection.

  “Why would you refuse? If they’re concerned for your safety, shouldn’t you go along with them? These guys are the professionals.”

  “It’s pointless, Jordan. I mean, yeah, I’ve had some odd dreams since the incident with Henry, but I don’t have any real memories of that time on the cliff.”

  “What do you mean by odd dreams?”

  Ruth shrugged. “I guess they’re more impressions, really. I keep getting flashes of someone up on the escarpment with Karl. I don’t even know if it was a man or woman, but they were dressed in camouflage. That’s all.”

  “You said the Feds think Carlotti is after you because he believes Karl told you about this guy...what was his name?”

  “I don’t know his name. No one ever told me. I only know that Karl operated on someone who turned state’s evidence against the Carlotti family. Apparently, these mobsters killed Karl after he wouldn’t give them information on where to find him.”

  Jordan released Ruth’s hand and scooted toward the edge of the sofa. “Are you sure Karl never said anything about this guy. Think, Ruth. You could be in real trouble here.”

  “Oh not you too. Karl never brought it up. It had nothing to do with me. I think I would have remembered if my best friend told me he’d operated on an informant for the mob.”

  “Fine.” Jordan held her hands up in surrender. “But you did see someone up on the cliff. You just said so yourself.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t really remember any details. Just that there was someone up there.”

  “You don’t remember now,” Jordan pointed out. “That doesn’t mean you won’t recall something else later.”

  That caught Ruth off guard. She hadn’t really considered that she might later remember a detail that would put her life in jeopardy. She didn’t know what to say. Fortunately, her stomach rumbled and interrupted the conversation. Jordan smiled at her and headed for the phone.

  “What do you like on your pizza?”

  “Normally, I like pepperoni and onions, but I think we should skip the onions this time.”

  “Good idea. How about we substitute mushrooms for the onions?”

  Ruth agreed and Jordan made the call. While Jordan was on the phone, Ruth took the opportunity to relax. The discussion about Carlotti had her all keyed up again, just when she was beginning to unwind. She was determined not to talk about the mobster again. When Jordan returned to her side, it seemed she had also decided to drop the unpleasant discussion.

  “So what are you going to do for the rest of the week? You know, I just realized that we’ve never really talked about what you do with your free time,” Jordan admitted. “I know you’re a professional golfer, but that’s all.”

  “That’s about all there is to know. In fact, now that things have settled down a little, I plan to get back into a routine. I’ve got Dinah Shore coming up in a few months and I need to get out on the course.”

  “Like you were today? What does that entail...getting to the country club at the crack of dawn?”

  “Not quite.” Ruth laughed at the image of swinging a club at a little white ball while it was still dark. “I do try to get there around seven or eight. I can get in eighteen holes, have lunch and relax for a while and then start all over.”

  “Yikes, that sounds like overkill.”

  “You know the old adage, practice makes perfect.”

  Her comment sounded a little flat to her own ears as Ruth realized all the questions were making her uncomfortable. It felt like Jordan had been asking them since she walked through the door.

  “Just do me a favor and take it easy, okay? There is such a thing as overdoing things and I am still your doctor. I’d hate to see you have a relapse.”

  “I don’t really think that’ll be a problem. I’m enjoying the exercise. It feels like so long since I’ve done anything.”

  Jordan merely nodded and then said, “Speaking of doctors, you haven’t heard anything from Fuller have you? After the hospital fired him, he seems to have dropped off the face of the planet.”

  “What’s up with all the questions? You sound like Emma...uh, I mean Marshal Blake.”

  “Emma, huh?” The teasing glint was back in Jordan’s eyes. “Have you seen her since leaving the hospital?”

  Damn it, Ruth had walked right into that. “She came by the house to ask a few more questions. It was no big deal.”

  “I think I’m getting a little jealous.”

  “Don’t be.” Ruth turned toward Jordan, pulling her knee up on the sofa. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I guess I am being somewhat paranoid after everything that’s happened.”

  Jordan reached up and ran her finger along Ruth’s jawline, causing goose bumps to break out in her wake. “I promise not to ask any more questions. Let’s just watch a movie together and enjoy the pizza. Later, we can catch up by enjoying each other.”

  “Um, now that’s something I can get behind.”

  Ruth closed the distance between them and gently kissed Jordan. Things were heating up nicely by the time the delivery boy arrived. Jordan left her side long enough to pay for the pizza. Then the box landed on the dining room table and stayed there for the rest of the night. They never did eat dinner or even start the movie, but Ruth did get a nice tour of Jordan’s bedroom.

  “NOW ISN’T A good time.”

  Ruth slowly opened her eyes to the darkness of Jordan’s bedroom. Jordan’s sleepy voice had awakened her. At first Ruth felt confused, but then she realized Jordan was speaking on the phone. That wasn’t really surprising. Jordan was a physician. She probably received calls in the middle of the night on a regular basis.

  Not quite awake, Ruth snuggled back into the pillow. She sought the oblivion of sleep once more, mildly curious about why it wasn’t a good time for Jordan. Ruth couldn’t imagine a right occasion when it was the middle of the night.

  “Yes, I have company. It is and no...nothing yet.”

  Jordan hesitated and even in Ruth’s relaxed stated, she thought Jordan seemed tense. That alone chased the cobwebs away. Ruth kept her eyes closed but listened intently.

  “Now isn’t the time,” Jordan snapped, attempting to keep her voice low. Ruth had never heard her use such a tone before. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  A beep indicated that Jordan had terminated the connection. Ruth felt her moving and seconds later an arm encircled her waist. Warm air brushed the back of her neck as Jordan spooned her.

  “Who was that?” Ruth kept the question soft, as though barely awake.

  “Shh, don’t worry about it. One of the doctors at the hospital has insomnia and thinks three in the morning is a good time to compare patient test results. Go back to sleep.”

  “Hmm, too late. I’m already awake.” Ruth turned over and gently bit Jordan’s chin. Fingertips trailed up over her hip.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  Ruth smiled. “Why don’t you guess?” She prevented Jordan from doing so by kissing her.

  Chapter Thirteen

  TIME PASSED QUICKLY and before she knew it, the week w
as almost over. On Friday afternoon, Ruth sat in the country club’s lounge soaking up the air conditioning and sipping an iced tea. Ruth placed the glass on the table and reached down to rub her aching thigh. Perhaps Jordan had a point when she cautioned Ruth not to overdo it. Two rounds of golf after several months away from the course might be too much. Ruth thought all the exercise had even started to affect her dreams.

  They were getting more and more vivid. Last night she’d actually dreamed that Jordan was up on the mountain with her and Karl. Other than attributing the dreams solely to over-exertion, Ruth took it as a sign that she really missed Jordan. She hadn’t seen her since they’d awakened together on Tuesday morning. Ruth hoped Jordan wasn’t working too hard and that she’d get a chance to see her this weekend. She toyed with the idea of inviting Jordan to spend the weekend with her at the manor house.

  Ruth’s thigh throbbed again and she glanced down at the appendage with a frown. Despite the very real possibility that she was overdoing things, Ruth refused to concede defeat. She was convinced she could push through the pain and come out stronger on the other side. It was like losing weight. There was always a plateau.

  Convinced despite the weak logic, Ruth swallowed the last of her drink and tossed some bills on the table. She left enough to cover her lunch along with a generous tip and then vacated the club. Squinting in the bright sunshine, Ruth scanned the immediate area. It was a new habit inspired by recent events and Emma Blake’s wild mobster theories. She was happy to see her car sitting right where it should be.

  The mechanic had returned the car a few days ago. She had driven it to the golf course each day since. So far, no one had planted a car bomb on it lending credence to her own theory that Blake was a little melodramatic.

  A reflection caught her eye and Ruth checked out the black Town Car sitting at the far end of the parking lot. She noticed that it sat empty, as usual. Ruth had been coming to the Sands Country Club for years. She recognized all of the vehicles belonging to the regular patrons and had never seen the Lincoln before this week. The Town Car sat in the same space every morning before Ruth arrived and was still in place when she left. The car didn’t seem abandoned, but she hadn’t seen anyone near the vehicle at any time.