“So your friend Avery died a week ago, and Brittany last night?”
“Yes.”
I sat back and studied her. Two friends had died within the span of a week, and she was making coffee and chatting with me about it as if it were no big deal. She was either cold as a corpse or she had completely disassociated herself from the emotion of the recent tragedies.
“And you want to go shop for a dress for Avery’s funeral because you don’t have something on hand that will work.”
“Stop it.” She whirled around and jabbed a finger at me. “I can hear it in your tone; you think I’m a bitch. But I’m not. If I stay around here, all I’ll do is think about Avery and Brittany. They meant the world to me, but that doesn’t mean I have to blather like an idiot. I’ll leave that for the funerals. So don’t you dare judge me.”
I held up a hand. “Okay, we’ll go shopping.”
“I’m glad you agree.” She slammed a cup of coffee in front of me, sloshing hot liquid on the table. “I’m going to go finish getting ready. We’ll leave in half an hour.” She stalked out of the kitchen, cursing under her breath.
So she dealt with grief through anger…and shopping. And she was right, who was I to judge? I picked up the cup and took a sip. Not bad. I thought about all Stephanie had told me. In all this insanity, she’d given me an idea.
I took the cup to the couch, sat down and called Cal.
“How’s the detective business?” he answered.
“Not as easy as you’d think,” I said, giving him the rundown like I’d done a few hours ago for Forrest McMahon. “And it’s getting more serious. Stephanie has another friend who committed suicide a week ago.”
“Wow, poor kid.”
“Poor kid, my ass. Now she wants to go shopping.”
“Shopping?” He was incredulous. “Grief takes all forms.”
“You’re not kidding. And since I now have to go out with her, I need a favor from you.”
He hesitated. “I don’t like your favors.”
I laughed. “I want you to follow us.”
“What?” The trepidation in his voice zinged through the phone. Cal wasn’t particularly interested in adventure. He rarely ventured from his house, and did most of his shopping over the Internet, including groceries. He said he hated being put in danger, but I’d managed to corral him into helping me quite a bit. I secretly thought he was starting to like it, although he’d never admit it.
“I need you to follow us,” I repeated. “Watch our back.”
“And why would I be doing that?”
“In case we get into trouble. And you might be able to spot whoever it is that’s following us. Ironically, I got the idea from Stephanie. Smoke them out. We’re going out, and we know this guy’ll probably be following us, so we set a trap and then we catch him.”
“Just because someone says ‘smoke them out’, doesn’t mean you have to do it.”
“Huh?”
“Reed, this isn’t a good idea.”
I tapped the coffee table. “Maybe not, but she’s going out, so I’ve got to turn this thing in my favor. Come on, the fresh air will do you good.”
“It’s fifteen degrees outside,” he growled.
“Stephanie lives at the Glass House Denver,” I said. “Park on Bassett Street and I’ll call you once we leave the parking garage. We’ll be in a red BMW.” I rattled off the license plate number. “She’s getting ready now. Can you be outside in about an hour? I can stall her until then.”
He mumbled something under his breath about having a job already.
“What?”
“Fine, I’ll be there.” He hung up without another word.
I chuckled again, then thought about what I had proposed. I’d be fine, right? I gulped down the rest of my coffee and then went into the spare bedroom to get ready.
Chapter Thirteen
As I drove out of the Glass House parking garage in the BMW, I spotted Cal’s beat-up Honda Civic parked down the street. It was gloomy, with gray clouds hanging low. The type of day to stay indoors and watch football. If only…
“Where to?” I asked.
“Calypso St. Barth’s,” Stephanie said. “It’s in Cherry Creek.”
Cherry Creek was where the moneyed people shopped, so it didn’t surprise me that this was where Stephanie was headed. I drove slowly so that Cal could keep up. He was a genius when it came to electronics, but I wasn’t entirely sure that he’d be able to successfully tail me, or anyone else, either. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket, autodialed his number, and told him where we were headed.
“Who were you telling?” Stephanie asked.
“A friend of mine,” I said. “He’s going to help keep you safe.”
She snorted. “Some bodyguard you are.”
The feelings I’d had at Denny’s, about her being defenseless and vulnerable, evaporated. As Elton John said, the bitch is back.
“Whatever it takes,” I said. I was tempted to tell her that the idea of Cal following us came from her, but decided not to. I’d doubt she’d appreciate the irony.
We turned down Platte Street and I looked for Cal’s Honda behind me. A few blocks later, when I still didn’t see it, I called him again.
“Where are you?”
“I’m hanging back a little,” he said. “I’ve got to give a tail room to get in behind you.”
I was impressed. “Do you see anyone?” I asked.
“Negativo.”
I hung up and sighed.
“Some help,” Stephanie said.
“I wouldn’t have to do this if you would stay home.”
“I told you, I need a new dress.”
I shook my head.
“I can’t stay cooped up for-ever.”
I reached down and turned up the volume on the radio. Stephanie harrumphed at me, then made it obvious she was putting her back to me as she gazed out the window. I kept my eyes on the mirrors and tried to enjoy the 80’s music, and in a few minutes I pulled into a parking lot at the mall. And I still hadn’t seen either a tail or Cal.
“Finally.” Stephanie practically threw herself out of the car.
“Hold on,” I said, hurrying to catch up to her.
She had no choice but to wait for me at the corner until the light changed, and then we crossed 1st Avenue. She stomped to Calypso St. Barth’s door and opened it with a flourish. I strolled in after her, pausing to look out the window. Still nobody. Had our tail given up? Had Cal as well? I knew he didn’t want to do this, but surely he’d call. I turned around. Stephanie was by a rack of clothes, yanking out a dress, holding it up to herself, then putting it back. A sales clerk was murmuring with each selection.
“What about this one?” Stephanie held up a black sleeveless dress as I approached.
I nodded approvingly. I couldn’t help myself. It was gorgeous and I was sure she’d look great in it. Even at a funeral.
“Did you see that?” she said to the sales clerk. “That look in his eye? I’ve got to try this one on.”
And so it went for almost an hour. She tried on several dresses, came out and modeled them, then returned to the dressing room with something different. I admit, I enjoyed seeing her in the first dress. And the second. By the third I was bored. By the end, I could not have cared less. I’m a guy. All I knew was she looked hot in all of them. It didn’t matter which one she picked.
“Can we go now?” I finally asked. “They all look good.”
“Just like a man,” she said as she took yet another dress off the rack.
My cell phone rang and I moved away to answer it.
“I’ve got him,” Cal said without any preamble.
My muscles tightened. “Where?”
“Right now he’s outside the store.”
“Really?” I said a little too loudly. The sales clerk glanced at me and I turned away.
“Yeah, some guy in a heavy coat and a baseball cap pulled down low. I can’t see his face.”
; “And he’s looking inside right now?”
“I think so.”
I edged past racks of clothes toward the door.
“Oops, now he’s backing away,” Cal said.
Dang, he must’ve seen me. “That’s because I was trying to get a look at him,” I said. I backed up and stood behind a display of sweaters.
“He’s going back to his car.”
“When did you spot him?” I asked.
“Once we hit Speer Boulevard. He stayed back quite a few cars. I don’t know how he was able to keep up with you.”
“What kind of car?”
“A Toyota, but I don’t know the model. It’s a four-door and it looks new.”
“And you’re sure it was following us?”
“Pretty sure. We’ll know once you leave.”
“Can you get the license plate number?”
“I can’t see it from here, but I’ll try.”
I heard Stephanie behind me, telling the sales clerk which dress she was going to buy.
“We’ll be out in a few minutes,” I said. “She’s paying for a dress now. This is what you do. Follow the Toyota and get the license plate. I’ll call you once I get on the road and I know you’re on him. Then I’ll turn down a side street, pull a U-turn and head right back at him. We’ll pin him in.”
“That’s your plan?”
“Yeah.”
“And what if he tries to shoot us?”
I paused. “Duck and run.”
“Brilliant.”
“If he wanted to shoot us, he’d have done it by now.”
Cal laughed nervously. “I hope you’re right.”
“Me, too. Where are you parked?”
“I’m across 1st in the parking lot, down at the end near University. The Toyota’s a row over from me.”
“We’re on the other side of the lot,” I said. “Watch for us.”
I hung up and a few minutes later, Stephanie and I and her new black funeral dress emerged from the store.
Chapter Fourteen
“Stay close to me,” I said as we walked across 1st Avenue.
“Why?” She glanced around. “Is someone out there?”
“Just get in the car.”
She made a production of carefully hanging the dress she’d bought in the back seat, then got in. I drove out onto 1st, at the opposite exit from where Cal was parked. Sure enough, a Toyota dropped in behind us.
“Pretty obvious,” I said under my breath.
“Huh?” Stephanie twisted around in her seat, staring through the back window. “Which one is it?”
“The Toyota,” I said. “Can you see the license plate?”
“I can’t make it out.”
“What does the driver look like?”
“He’s got a hoodie on and sunglasses.” A nervous edge laced her voice.
“That’s it?” What happened to the baseball cap?
“What more do you want?” she snapped. “He looks like the Unabomber, okay? Why don’t you lose him?”
I shook my head. “Cal’s back there. We’re going to try and trap the guy. Then we find out who it is and stop him.”
“That’s the plan?”
“Yes.”
“Just remember you’re in my car.”
I gripped the wheel harder. “Let’s get this started.”
I sped up, zipping between a Lexus and an SUV. Behind me, the Toyota kept pace. I took a hard right onto Clayton, a left on 2nd, and the right on Josephine, headed north. The car stayed with me. I pulled out my cell phone and called Cal.
“Are you back there?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’m on Speer. How far up ahead are you?”
“You’re on what?”
“Speer,” Cal said.
“I’m on Josephine. We drove right by you and turned north, and I’ve got the Toyota keeping pace with me.”
“Wait, then…Reed, who’s following you?”
I gulped. “The real tail,” I said. “I think you made a mistake.”
“I don’t get it,” he said. “That guy sure looked like he was following you. And right after you left the store, he drove off and I followed him. I couldn’t see the BMW, but I assumed you were up there. Reed, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, eyeing the rearview mirror. The Toyota was still behind me. “I’ve got to lose this guy.”
“What do you want me to do?” he asked.
My mind raced. “I don’t know. I’ll call you back in a minute.”
I hung up and stared out the windshield. Stephanie’s eyes bore into me.
“I can’t believe my father hired you,” she said.
“Right now, I’m all you’ve got,” I muttered. I glanced in the mirror. The Toyota was closing in. “And you better hope I’m good.”
“What do you…” her voice faltered as she looked out the back window. “What’s he doing?”
I suddenly turned a corner. Tires squealed as we flew east down 6th Avenue. I glanced back again. The Toyota had lost a bit of ground.
“Ah!” Stephanie yelled.
I looked forward, just in time to see a truck pull out in front of us. I jerked the wheel and we just missed it. A horn honked as we flew past. I took another right and hit the gas, but the Toyota stayed with us.
“Reed, are you crazy?”
I cursed, taking another quick right. I dodged another car, barely missing parked cars on the narrow street, received another chorus of horns honking, then almost hit a man crossing in front of us. He ducked between two parked cars and flipped me the bird. I couldn’t keep this up or someone was going to get killed. And it wouldn’t be our tail.
I turned right again on 4th Avenue and checked the mirror. Our tail was right there.
“Let’s try this,” I muttered.
“What?” Stephanie had her hands on the dashboard, staring straight ahead.
“I’m going to let him go by us,” I said.
“H –”
Her ‘How’ was cut short as I slammed on the brakes. It was a good thing she was bracing herself because we both slammed forward. The BMW skidded on the pavement and the Toyota came barreling down on us. At the last second, I jerked the wheel and we skidded to the left. The Toyota shot past us, stopping twenty feet up ahead. My hands shook and I heard Stephanie shouting at me.
“Are you crazy?”
“Maybe,” I said through gritted teeth. Behind me, someone laid on their horn. I hit the gas and pulled up behind the Toyota.
“What are you doing? He might shoot us!” Had she been talking to Cal? But the car peeled out, tires screeching. And now I was on him.
He raced down the street and made a hard right, peeling rubber. I kept with him. He took a left and zoomed on. At the next intersection a cyclist started to cross. The Toyota sped through, and the cyclist had to turn hard, right into my path. I hit the brakes. The cyclist pedaled across the intersection, and again I got the finger. Once he was safely out of the way, I hit the gas and continued after the Toyota. It turned up ahead and disappeared. I followed and we shot ahead, then whipped around the corner. I hoped I hadn’t lost the car.
“There it is!” Stephanie pointed.
The Toyota was sitting at the curb in front of a park. Someone in jeans and a gray hoodie had jumped out and was running through a playground.
I pulled to the curb and hopped out, and began running after him. The icy air sliced into my lungs and I gasped for breath. By the time I got to the playground, Hoodie was crossing a grass field. Just past that, he leaped up a chain link fence and dropped down on the other side. I ran as fast as I could, but by the time I made it to the fence, he was across the street, sprinting hard.
I stopped at the fence and rubbed a stitch in my side. I hesitated, suddenly realizing I couldn’t leave Stephanie. I shouted obscenities at the sky, then turned around and jogged back to the car. She rolled down the window as I approached. “What the hell happened? Why didn’t you follow him?” she asked in rapid su
ccession.
“I couldn’t leave you,” I said, still gathering my breath.
“You lost him? Are you kidding me?” The anger was back, but beneath it, her face was as gray as the clouds above us.
“Stay there,” I ordered her. I walked over to the Toyota and tried the door. It was locked. I studied the inside but didn’t see anything noteworthy. It looked clean. Too clean. Probably a rental. I went around to the back and memorized the license plate number, then returned to the BMW.
“Now what?” she asked as I got in.
“Let’s go back to your place,” I said. “And this time, can we stay there? Or do you want to give that guy another crack at you?”
She shook her head. I let out a sigh as I turned the key in the ignition. Maybe she was finally taking this seriously.
“So what happened next?” Cal asked.
We were sitting in Stephanie’s living room. Once I’d lost the guy, I’d called Cal and had him meet us at the condo.
“I drove around the neighborhood looking for him, and then I parked down the street from the car and watched to see if he would come back,” I said. “But then the Spoiled Queen said she was sick of sitting there and she threw a fit, so we came back here.”
“I’m really sorry about the mix-up,” he said.
“I know.” I got up and started pacing. “If nothing else, this convinced Stephanie that it’s not good to traipse all over town. She’s agreed to stay here until the funeral tomorrow, and even after that. But who knows how long that’ll last.”
“Yeah, she’s not the nicest gal, is she?” Stephanie hadn’t been too kind to Cal when she’d met him a few minutes earlier. It was like she could see ‘Geek’ painted on him, and she immediately looked down her nose at him.
“Can you check that license plate number?” I asked, getting back to the problem at hand. “I’d bet money it’s a rental, but let’s make sure.” I gave him the license plate number.
“Check.” Most people would take notes, but Cal just gazed at me and waited. And he wouldn’t forget a thing I said. “But I’d bet Hoodie rented it under a false name.”
“You’re probably right,” I said. “But let’s check anyway. Next, I want everything you can find on Forrest McMahon.”
Reed Ferguson Mystery series Box Set 2 Page 21