by W L Knightly
The dress she wanted was still on sale, but the only color they had was green, and she hated the way it made her look. “Dammit.” She scrolled down to a different one and then remembered the pair of pumps she wanted for the gala dress. Even though she had already gotten a pair, these would be so much better.
“To buy or not to buy? They are cheaper.” She mumbled as if she were holding an entire conversation with herself. In her head she was, but then her cell phone rang, and she glanced around before she answered it.
“Hello,” she said.
“This is Perry. I’m calling about your home’s lease. It’s time to renew. You should have received a letter. It also explained the increase in your rent.”
A quick figure in her head and she realized she barely had enough to scrape by for the week if she paid it today. She tried to play dumb, hoping to buy some time. “Increase? I didn’t get a letter about an increase.”
“If you got a reminder about the lease, you got the letter about the increase. I doublechecked and so did Susan. You are the last one of my renters who owes us.”
It was time to turn on her charms, but unfortunately, they usually didn’t work on Perry. He was so whipped by his wife Susan, she told him when it was okay to take a piss.
“Perry, I want to renew. It just sneaked up on me. Could I pay the old amount for now? Then I’ll pay the difference in a few days?” She didn’t hear a response. “I’ve been good about getting the cops to patrol the neighborhood. I add extra security just by being there. You don’t have to worry about property damage, either.”
“This latest one you’re with, is he a cop?”
“Well, I’m not really supposed to say, but you could say that.” She rolled her eyes and turned on her sweet tone. “Please, Perry. You know I’m good for it. Just a little extension?” She would need the money from Kyle so she could pay the rest of her rent and get the things she needed. So much for those pumps. And she could kiss the dress goodbye in any color.
Perry gave a growling sound that he only made when they were on the phone. “I will give you a couple of days. Get one of your fancy cop boyfriends to float you a little money. I’m sure they know you’re worth it.”
She smiled, feeling a sense of relief. “I sure will. Thanks, Perry. You’re the best.”
“Tell my wife that. She doesn’t think so, and especially when I confess that I gave you an extra day.”
“You won’t regret it, Perry.” They ended their call, and she looked up at the clock. She had a little time before she could take a lunch but wondered if the chief would let her off a bit early. There were others around who covered for her, but they preferred a smiling face at her desk until noon.
She got up from her desk and headed to Milner’s office. “Chief?”
She knocked, and the chief came to her door with her yogurt spoon in her hand and sweat glistening on her forehead. “What do you need, Dannie?”
“Hey, could I get out of here a little early? My landlord just called, harassing me about the lease. It’s up today, and I forgot to pay it. I just need to get it to him by noon.”
“I’m sure it’s fine,” she said before taking another bite. “Have we been slow?”
They had been for the past half hour. “Yes, all morning.”
“Sure. I have a meeting at noon. Then I’m taking a late lunch, so I won’t be here when you get back.” She closed the door, and Dannie smiled.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, knowing now she had all the time in the world. If she was a little late, it wouldn’t matter. Milner would never know the difference.
She got on her phone as she walked back down to her desk to fetch her purse. Then she took out her keys and headed to her car as it rang for Kyle.
“What, Dannie?” he answered. “I’m kind of busy.”
“How are you?” she asked with a sarcastic tone. “I’m leaving work, and I have to pay my rent. I thought I might drop by.”
“I’m busy writing, I don’t have a lot of time because I’m brainstorming and working toward a deadline.”
“Well, I need to get some of the money your publisher’s promised. I’ve been patient, but I’ve already given you information. Hell, I even slept with the rookie again just to get you more information, and I had promised myself I wouldn’t do that again after the first time. He’s very clingy, and he doesn’t know the meaning of discretion. People are beginning to believe he’s banging me.”
“Well, he is banging you, isn’t he?”
She started her car and drove out of the parking lot, knowing her space wouldn’t be there when she got back. “That hasn’t happened but a couple of times, and only to help. I just need an advance.”
“I thought I gave you some of the money already. What happened to it?” His tone was growing increasingly harsh, and she hated it when he got like that. He was such a brat, even worse than she was.
“There are things to buy for the gala. And I have to look my best for you.” She wasn’t going to show up in cheap attire, looking like the skank of the week on his arm to end up in some stupid tabloid.
“Jesus, Dannie. You and that fucking gala. I wish I hadn’t even bothered asking if I knew you were going to go into hock to go.”
“I wouldn’t be going into hock if you’d pay me what you promised.” She wasn’t going to let him back out on her now. “We’ve already gotten the dress and the jewelry and shoes, and I bought a little something special to wear under it just for you. So, I’d be sweet to me.”
Kyle growled. “I’m trying. It’s just this is hard work, and you have no idea the pressure I’m under.”
“Let me bring you something.”
“I’m good, really.”
“Stop being so stubborn.” She pulled into a little burger stand and drove to their window. Their buns were made with sweet-roll dough, baked fresh every morning. “I’m at Curly’s. What do you want?” She didn’t like them fighting and hated that she might lose the one relationship she’d had with a man of wealth who could give her the lifestyle she wanted most.
“Dammit, you don’t have to buy me anything,” he snapped.
“I’ll drop it off, Kyle. It’s not a bother.” She placed an order for a burger and a large order of fries, and then after she paid, she headed toward the Rockford, much to his chagrin.
She went up the elevator, and then when she got to his room, she was excited to see what his day was like, working on the book. Then she knocked.
Kyle came to the door, his handsome face healing and his bruised ribs looking a pale yellow with an ugly brown.
“You’re looking much better,” she told him.
“Thanks. You really didn’t have to do this.”
Dannie looked around the room. There was no computer or typewriter anywhere. She wanted to ask him to see it but didn’t want to hear another one of his stupid excuses. “I know you’re working hard, and it’s really no bother. I can’t stay. I have to get to the landlord. My lease is up.”
“Are you going to renew it?”
“Yes, I mean, I had hoped we’d be in a better place, but I don’t know. I guess it’s silly.”
“You should renew it. Who knows? I might need a place to stay while my place is ready. You know, if I decide to stay here with you.”
“I’d like that.” She hadn’t thought about the two of them crashing at her house. “You know, it’s not anything fancy.”
“I’m good with that. Wherever you are.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll try to get you some money by the end of the day.” He went to his wallet and pulled out a twenty. “Here, take this for lunch, and I’ll see you later. I need to get back to work.”
Dannie smiled, but she felt for the first time that he must be lying to her about the writing. But then he shook his phone as if that was what he used, and she nodded, even though she didn’t understand what he meant. “Okay, I’ll see you.”
As she walked out, she wondered if he could have been out on the balcony, so she walked to her car
and looked up at his room. She found him watching her. She waved, but suddenly, something didn’t feel right.
She had never seen him with so much as a notebook, unless he kept it hidden, but when he was supposed to be working and there wasn’t anything to speak to it, it made her suspicious.
She headed across town and took care of her business.
On the way back to her office, she stopped and got a deli wrap, but she still couldn’t get it out of her head. As she parked, she glanced over at the courthouse, where she’d first met him. She had to give Kyle a chance to get some of her money and hoped that he’d have at least some of it by the end of the day as promised.
She went to her desk and was surprised when Jake stopped by. “Hey,” she said. “I took an early lunch. Is Milner looking for me?”
“Not that I know of. Why? Did you stay out too long? Take an early and extended?” Jake gave her an amused grin. He was one to talk about extended lunches.
“Actually, I didn’t. But I probably should have.” She took out her deli wrap and unfolded the foil covering.
“I was going to ask about your friend. Did you say that happened on Trade?”
Dannie hated being put on the spot, but she knew she had to deter Jake. “Did I say friend? It was actually a friend of a friend, and I don’t really remember now, but maybe.”
“Oh, I was just going to say. You should probably urge them to make a report.” Jake looked a bit disappointed.
“I’ll tell my friend to tell their friend. I wish I knew them. I’d ask them myself.”
Jake nodded. “Okay, then. Well, that’s all I wanted. You have a good afternoon.” As he walked away, he glanced back over his shoulder, and she watched him the whole way until Lang showed up at her desk a moment later.
“Don’t tell me you’re after Thomas now.”
“No, you fool. You know I’m not after anyone.” She gave him a hard look, and he backed away from the counter with his hands up.
When he turned to leave, she realized he was the best person to confide in. He wouldn’t think her questions were important enough to blab if they weren’t about sex. “Can I ask you something?”
Lang spun around. “Only if you promise not to chew my head off when I answer.”
“Don’t be that way, handsome.” She softened her voice and batted her lashes his way. “It’s just, I’ve had a hard day. And I needed to know something. I have this friend who has been telling me some strange shit.”
“I don’t know a lot about this place or strange shit.” He chuckled.
She let out a breath but managed to keep smiling. “Do you know anything about publishers? There is a friend of mine who has been offered a lot of money from one if she could provide sensitive information. She’s been trying to get me to tell her things about our cases.”
“You could get in a lot of trouble with that, you know? I’d tell the girl to fuck off. You don’t need that kind of trouble.”
“I know, but it’s just that she’s been promised this money through a writer. But the writer isn’t giving her the money. Do you think he’s keeping it for himself?”
“Probably. But if she’s expecting pay, that would mean she’s telling him something. Make sure you’re not in the middle, girl. You don’t want to lose your job. Milner is already all over everyone around here for sharing shit. Tell her you’re not allowed to talk about that.” He gave her a narrowed look. “Didn’t you say you were seeing a writer? That’s not who you’re talking about, is it?”
“No.” She gave him a dirty look. “My boyfriend’s family is wealthy.”
“Oh, the senator’s son, right?”
“How’d you know that?”
“You told me about it when we hooked up, remember? You said he’s taking you to an important event. Some kind of ball.”
She paled. She probably shouldn’t have told him that.
“How about I come over later, and we talk about it?” He gave her a pointed look. “You know, I might need a little incentive to keep this kind of shit between us.”
She rolled her eyes. “We can if you want. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
“See you later, then.” He walked away, and she rolled up her wrap and tossed it in the trash.
Chapter 16
Kendra
“Thanks for everything,” said Kendra as her mother-in-law, Deborah, hugged her goodbye. “The service was beautiful.”
Tate’s father didn’t say anything as he went out to the car, and Kendra tried not to be offended. The man was simply taking the loss of his son too hard.
Tate’s mother gave her an apologetic look. “If you need anything, dear, you call me.” Debs, as she had called her since she married her son, wiped a stray tear, and then walked out to her cab.
Kendra couldn’t believe that in one morning, it was all over and that Tate was now divided. Half of him was in a small lapis urn that she would keep on her dresser until she healed, and the other half was in a gold one his mother insisted on picking up for their part of the ashes.
She watched them drive away, and as soon as they did, she slammed the door and turned around to her lonely home, where the smell of roses and the crowds of flowers were more than she knew what to do with. With there being a cremation, there wasn’t a cemetery to leave them behind at, and now, she had the task of watching them die or figuring something out.
Her phone went off, and when she looked down at it, there was another text from that dreadful man, Tim. She dialed the number he had given her the night before when he’d called to tell her all about her husband’s affair.
“Look, I told you that I don’t want to talk about it,” she said when he answered her call.
There was a long breath on the other end of the phone. “I don’t really care if you do or not. I’ve lost him too, and I don’t get a big house or a fat life-insurance check, so you’re going to help ease my pain.”
“What do you want?” She couldn’t believe he was going to bribe her.”
“I want the gold watch he used to wear, for starters.”
“His father took the watch to be cleaned. I can’t pick it up from the jewelers for at least a month. He had to have it specially cleaned from all the blood that was on it. How about I tell the cops that you want that watch? I’m sure they wouldn’t mind knowing.”
“How about I tell the cops that you had this done to him?”
She laughed. “You tell them that all you want. They already know better. And I’ll do what it takes to prove it. How do I know you didn’t do this?”
“Because I loved him.” He broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
“And yet, now you’re threatening his widow?”
“I’m his widow too. We were going to be together as soon as you had your baby. He was going to put it all on the line and tell the world about us.”
“Yeah, I’m sure he was.” She didn’t believe it for a moment.
“I want something of his.”
“Let me guess, something of value so you can pawn it?”
“I don’t do drugs, and I would never.”
She almost believed him. His sobs were more than convincing. “Give me a good reason why I should.”
“Because he told me you cheated on him too. And you know what a good person he was. He was good. He only cheated because you couldn’t give him what I could. But he loved you too much to leave you without first giving you a child.”
“A lot of good that did. Now I don’t have him or a baby. Can you give me a baby, Tim?”
“I would. If that’s what you want for his watch. He told me he was going to give it to me. He said the clasp had been pinching him. It was too—”
“Too tight for him,” she said, sinking into the nearest chair. Suddenly, she realized this young man really knew Tate. “How would you like to come over and help me go through the rest of his things? I have some clothes you might want, and if we get to know one another, maybe we could make a deal.”
All sh
e’d ever wanted was a baby. Maybe it didn’t even matter who the father was.
“I’d like that. I miss the smell of him. He always smelled so good. I never knew the name of the cologne. He said it was French.”
“It is. I think I have a spare bottle. You can come tomorrow. How about noon?”
“That’s perfect. Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry for your loss, Kendra.”
“I’m sorry for yours too.” She hung up the phone and let out a long breath. She had felt like she was going to suffocate while holding it together, but she had been determined not to break down in front of anyone else.
She stood up and went to the nearest flower arrangement, a large cross-shaped arrangement that had the prettiest yellow roses she’d seen, and removed the ribbon. Then she walked over to the window, where a large bouquet sat in front of it, and removed the silk flowers and their little foam block. Then she took it and filled it before going back to put the yellow roses in it one by one.
There were enough flowers to make several more arrangements, and soon, she was able to toss a few of the easels aside, as well as the large foam pieces they were stuck in.
Once she had two vases filled, there was a knock at her door. She prepared herself to tell whoever it was to go away, but when she opened the door to see the two detectives, her heart sank. They had news. But whether it was good or bad, remained to be seen.
“Detectives, won’t you come in?”
“Thank you,” said Detective Thomas with a sincere look in his eyes. “We hate to bother you so soon after the funeral, but some things have come to our attention, and I think it’s best if we don’t wait.”
She turned toward Jo. “Won’t you please have a seat? I’m afraid I’m exhausted. I’ve been working with the flowers. I should have told the funeral home to recycle a few of these. Maybe I’ll learn to dry flowers.” She shrugged and then found her way to the chair next to the sofa, where the two of them sat. “What can I do for you?”
“During our investigation at the golf course, we found out some disturbing news about your husband. Now, what I’m about to tell you might come as a shock, but—”