Picture Me Dead

by Heather Graham

  She hadn’t run, though. She had done the sketches, and they were good. She was good, and she should have been pleased by what she had accomplished. But as she drove away from the morgue—desperate for a shower and fresh clothing before picking up Karen and Jan—she grew angry with herself for not feeling a greater sense of achievement. The hell with him.

  It hurt to feel that after last night. No. That had been nothing more than a moment’s insanity, almost like coming up for a gulp of air after being under water too long. He certainly felt nothing toward her. It was almost as if he still disliked her.

  She pulled into the parking lot, grateful that her own space was available, still so deep in thought that she hardly noticed her surroundings.

  “Hey, Ashley, congratulations!”

  Startled, she looked up. She’d seen the single man seated at one of the outside tables—before. Probably in his mid-thirties, he had a stocky build, dark hair and a pleasant, squarish face. She was sure he could see her mind working as she tried to remember just how she knew him. He’d been in before, of course. But she’d also seen him with Dilessio, she realized. He was Jake’s partner.

  “Thanks,” she told him.

  She walked over to the table. He grinned. “I’m Martin Moore, by way of an official introduction.”

  She grinned. “Nice to meet you—officially. Actually, I think I remember you from here, as well. Jack Black and water on Saturday nights, right?”

  He leaned back, amused. “Good memory. I’m not here all that often. Guess I’ll be around more now, with Jake having a slip here.”

  “Great.” She tried to keep her smile in place.

  “Lord, has my pain in the ass partner been around here already?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No…it’s just that…”

  “I heard you sketched our Jane Doe this afternoon. Good work, I hear. Everyone has high hopes that someone out there will identify her once the likeness appears in the papers.”

  “News travels quickly,” she said.

  “Oh, not that quickly.” As she arched a brow, he told her, “I’m here to meet Jake. He told me. I would have been there, but I ate something yesterday that did my stomach in.”

  “I’m sorry. Hope your dinner went down okay.”

  “It did. You have a sweet—and rather attractive—mother hen in there. She recommended bread, broth and a grilled chicken breast. I’m feeling better already.”

  “Sharon Dupre,” Ashley told him. “Nick’s girlfriend. She makes wonderful cookies, too.”

  “It’s a great place. I can see why it’s always been so popular. Comfortable atmosphere, near the water and a lot of your uncle’s laid-back personality.”

  “I’ve always liked it.”

  “That’s good to hear. A lot of young people…they can’t wait to move on. Have their own place, you know.”

  Ashley shrugged. “My parents have been dead since I was very young. I’ve had a wing of the place to myself since I was ten. Nick and I get along great. I was never a trouble-prone teenager, and he was never a down-your-throat guardian. I love where I live.”

  “You like the water, too, huh?”

  “Love it.”

  “Old Jake couldn’t be dragged away from it,” Marty said. Then he laughed. “You sure he hasn’t been a pain?”

  “No. All right, a little bit—but just to me.”

  Marty grew serious for a moment, studying her. “He may be trying to help Nick with the guardian bit.”

  “Why me? It’s not like I’m the only woman in law enforcement.”

  Marty shrugged with rueful knowledge, forming his words carefully. “Before me, Jake had a woman partner, did you know?”

  “I had no idea.”

  “She was a good cop.”

  “And…?”

  “She died.”

  “Oh, God! How?”

  “Her car went into a canal. It was almost five years ago. Right after a series of three really nasty homicides.”

  Ashley nodded. “I heard about the case when Murray asked me to come down to the morgue today.”

  Marty nodded. “Jake never believed Nancy Lassiter went into that canal on her own. He was sure she knew something about the murders and was killed because of it. She died of a blunt trauma to the head, which was consistent with the way she would have been thrown against the windshield. She wasn’t wearing her seat belt.”

  “I’m so sorry. That’s terrible.”

  Marty hesitated. He winced, then said, “Maybe I shouldn’t be telling you this, because we just met. But there’s obviously some tension between you and Jake. You live here, and you’ll probably wind up working a lot with him, so I’ll dish up some past history. Nancy Lassiter was married. Her husband comes around here now and then, too. There was a lot of friction in the marriage, and Brian—Nancy’s husband—was certain she was sleeping with Jake. They were close. Jake never gets on a soapbox about the past, but…I guess lots of people in the department thought their relationship was a little too close. Anyway, despite all evidence to the contrary, Jake will never accept the fact that Nancy killed herself. He feels a lot of guilt over it for not forcing her to share the information she’d found and she got herself killed because of it. Anyway, the point I’m making here is, you’re Nick’s niece. Maybe he’s afraid you’ll get into trouble, too, because you’re so determined to prove yourself.”

  She shook her head. “He ought to be pleased, then. I’ve taken a step back. I’m going right into civilian employ. I won’t become a cop for a long time, not until I’ve worked a while, then go back into the academy and finish up.”

  “Did he know what you were doing today?”

  “I didn’t know what I was doing today—until I was on the way to the morgue.”

  “Don’t worry. It will all shake out.”

  “Yes, I’m sure it will. And it’s a huge force. I’m sure there are lots of cops out there who have to work together and aren’t always so terribly fond of each other.”

  “Sure. And hey, I haven’t seen the drawings yet, but I hear that they’re beyond good. I’ll get to see them soon, though. I’m meeting Jake here in—” He glanced at his watch. “—about five minutes.”

  “Good. I hope you’re happy when you see them. I’m going to run. I have to shower and pick up some friends to go visit another friend in the hospital.”

  “The kid who was hit on the highway?”

  “Yes. You know about it?”

  “I dropped Jake off at the hospital the other night. I hear you think there’s something fishy about the accident.”

  “I do.”

  “Well, be careful, then.”

  She smiled. She decided she liked Marty a lot. He didn’t try to give the same-old, same-old speech about drugs.

  “See you, then. And thanks.”

  She waved and hurried off, crossing the terrace, hopping the rail and hurrying across the grass to her dockside door. She glanced at her own watch, then stripped down, throwing things helter-skelter as she headed for the shower. Once the hot water was pouring down over her, she found herself just standing still, savoring the warmth that seeped into her body. It had been a long day. A triumph, some would say. Except, on a professional level, she knew she was going to have to find a way to stop seeing the image of the dead woman lying on the gurney. This was something she had chosen, something she wanted to do, and she couldn’t let this haunt her.

  She just felt…fractured inside. Attracted to someone with the kind of almost ridiculous passion and urgency she hadn’t felt since…ever. It was akin to a high school crush, but she wasn’t in school. She’d been crazy if she’d thought she could indulge her senses in one night and walk away unscathed. Insane. She’d been drawn to him ever since they’d had the run-in with the coffee.

  She forced herself to turn the water off, towel dry furiously and get dressed. She decided to go through the restaurant quickly and let Nick know she was home, that she was leaving, and that she had a million th
ings to tell him about her day, but not until later.

  As she walked through the restaurant, she saw that Katie, a long-time server and more or less assistant manager was behind the bar. She waved to Ashley, looking relieved to see her. “Hey, can you help on the floor?”

  “Oh, Katie,” she said with dismay. She liked the woman a lot. Of Irish descent, she had dark eyes, dark hair and beautiful creamy skin. She had a gift for laughter—and for getting things done. Somewhere around forty, she had lost her husband, a firefighter, over ten years ago, and raised a family of five on her own by working for Nick. Her children, once they had become teenagers, had come in now and then to bus tables. “Katie, I’m sorry, but I really can’t. I’m picking people up to go to the hospital. I have a friend—”

  “I know, I know, that’s where Nick and Sharon have gone,” Katie said with a sigh. “There was no one here—no one at all—and I told them that if they felt like going down to see your friend’s folks, they should do it. And now, it’s getting busy.”

  Sandy was sitting at the bar. “Keep your apron on, Katie. I’ll get the food out.”

  “Sandy, you’re a customer,” Katie said firmly.

  “I’m not a customer—I’m a fixture,” he said with a grin. “Get out of here, Ashley. And mind you, I expect payment for this.”

  “Of course.”

  “I don’t mean money. I want to hear about your new career.”

  She looked at him, startled.

  “Nick has cops for customers, remember?” he said, grinning.

  She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll pay you off big-time. I’ll talk your ears off,” she assured him. Katie gave her a wave. She left then, choosing to go through the office and the house to the parking lot, rather than risk seeing Jake Dilessio out on the terrace with his partner.

  Karen was outside waiting for her when she got to her friend’s house.

  “I know, I’m late.”

  “Just by a few minutes,” Karen said. “Not late at all for normal people, but since you’ve got such a talent for being on time…”

  “I think I’m beginning to fall off on that punctuality thing,” Ashley murmured.

  “Hey, you have the right. What a week, huh? I called the hospital a little while ago. They won’t give much information over the phone, but it seems Stu is holding his own, anyway.”

  “Yes, he’s hanging in there.”

  “So tell me, did you get some rest and relaxation this afternoon?” Karen demanded.

  “No. I went on my first assignment.”

  “You’re kidding!”

  “No. Let’s get Jan, and then I’ll tell you all about it.”

  They had to beep a few times; then Jan came running out to the car, apologizing, telling them that she’d been on the phone, pretending she was her own publicity agent, trying to get a promotion together for a concert. They all laughed when she treated them to her “publicity agent voice.” Then Karen told her that Ashley had already had her first assignment, and Ashley explained how she’d spent her afternoon.

  “Ugh!” Jan announced from the back.

  “What do you mean, ugh?” Karen demanded. “Yesterday she was a nobody. Today she’s a working forensic artist.”

  “The artist part is great,” Jan said. “But will you get to sketch live people?”

  “Sure. Witnesses will tell me about someone they saw at a crime scene and I’ll sketch them. This was…they couldn’t put a photo of the woman in the paper, not the way she looked.”

  They talked about Ashley’s job for a few minutes more, then Jan said, “They won’t actually let us in to see Stu, will they?”

  “I got in the other night. The Fresias told the hospital staff I was a relative.”

  “Think, he can have another couple of cousins?” Karen asked.

  “Maybe. Hey, you know what, though? I went to tell Nick I was headed down here, and Katie told me Nick and Sharon were already on their way.”

  “To the hospital?” Jan said.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll bet Sharon is bringing a truckload of food,” Karen said.

  “Maybe.”

  “She doesn’t even know the Fresias. Of course, Nick does. Remember all the school fairs he worked with Nathan Fresia? They were the only two fathers willing to go in the dunk tank. Okay, Nick was an uncle, but you know what I mean,” Jan said.

  “Sharon tries really hard to be like…” Karen began.

  “Like what?” Ashley glanced over to the passenger seat to meet Karen’s eyes.

  “Like a stepmother, I guess. I mean, she goes out of her way to…to be around. Part of the family.”

  Ashley shrugged. “She doesn’t need to impress me. I’m twenty-five, all grown up.”

  “But you’re everything to Nick,” Jan put in.

  “And,” Karen said, “she’s running for local office.”

  Ashley laughed. “You think she makes us cookies and visits people in the hospital to get a political wedge in?”

  “Who knows?” Karen said.

  “Well, who cares?” Jan said. “They’re darn good cookies.”

  “She wouldn’t need to butter up the Fresias,” Ashley said, still amused. “They’re not even in the same district.”

  “True,” Karen agreed. “Okay, maybe she has no ulterior motive at all. Time will tell.”

  “Hey, by the way, you two are invited out with me and a few fellow academy friends Friday night.”

  “Ex-academy friends,” Karen reminded her. “What’s the occasion?”

  “We’re celebrating my new job.”

  “Great!”

  “Oh, yeah,” Jan agreed dryly. “Now she gets to draw corpses. Ugh.”

  “Jan, remember, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

  “Yeah, and it’s too bad she isn’t sketching trash.”

  “Who knows? She may get to sketch trash one day.”

  Ashley groaned and pulled into the parking garage, frowning. “Hey, you know what happened the other night?” she said, then went on to tell them about the person who had stalked her.

  “Great. Now she tells us,” Karen said.

  “Ashley, they were scrubs? It was probably someone who worked at the hospital, just in a hurry to get their car,” Jan said.

  “Jan, I went through that with the cops,” Ashley said.

  Jan shrugged, and Ashley shook her head. Her own friend was thinking like all the others. “Jan, I know when I’m being chased.”

  “Then Karen is right—great,” she said sarcastically. “We’re parking in the same garage, right?”

  “I’m sure if someone was stalking people in the garage then, they’ve moved on by now. Especially since Ashley called the police. Hey, did you hear anything back?”

  “Not yet, and I’m afraid I didn’t pursue it.”

  She parked the car and they all got out. The three of them looked around uneasily.

  “We’re close to the elevator,” Ashley said. “And there are three of us.”

  “And she’s almost a cop,” Karen said.

  “Not anymore,” Jan protested. “Ashley, did you bring your gun?”

  “Actually…no. I’m supposed to turn my gun and badge in. I’m a civilian employee now.”

  “It’s all right. It’s not like we’re alone,” Jan said, indicating a large party heading toward the elevator. They were equipped with flowers, packages and a large balloon that announced “It’s a Boy!”

  Smiling, everyone crowded into the elevator together. In a few minutes they were walking down the hall to the ICU waiting room. When they walked in, they saw that Lucy was there with Nick and Sharon. All three looked up, stood and came forward to greet them. Karen and Jan gave Lucy Fresia their warmest hugs, and Lucy thanked them all for being such good friends.

  “I can’t believe the support we’ve received,” Lucy said. “Nick has been great. And Sharon. A new friend, but a kind one. We get to have shrimp for dinner tonight, and home-baked cookies.”
>
  “Her cookies are the best,” Ashley said, grinning at Sharon, who smiled in return.

  “I pay her to say that,” Sharon teased.

  “Is that your dinner in the bag over there?” Ashley asked. “Where’s Nathan? You two should go eat while it’s hot.”

  “I’ll just go get him, Ashley, now that you’re here. I can’t help but feel that Stuart knows when his friends are with him.” She glanced at Karen and Jan. She shrugged. “They’ll know I’m lying, but we’ll just say Stu has a few more relatives. Excuse me, and I’ll talk to the nurse. Nick, Sharon, will you join us in the cafeteria?”

  “Lucy, I’d love to stay,” Nick said. “I should get back to the bar, though.”

  “Yes, we should get going,” Sharon agreed.

  Nick gave Ashley and the girls a quick peck on the cheek. Jan nudged Ashley and whispered, “I was hoping he’d be around to walk us back to the car.”

  Karen nudged Jan. “It’s all right. Ashley may not have her gun, but I have mace in my purse.”

  “What’s the whispering about?” Sharon asked. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, it’s fine,” Ashley lied quickly. She didn’t want to say anything to either of them about what had happened the other night. “I have to admit, I’m glad you’re heading back. Katie seemed to be in a bit of a bind, and I felt guilty leaving her.”

  “I’ve got to get more help,” Nick murmured.

  “Sandy was pitching in.”

  “Sandy?” Nick said.

  “Hey, he probably knows what everyone in that place drinks better than we do,” Sharon assured him. “All right, girls, drive carefully, okay?”

  Lucy reappeared with Nathan, who greeted them all warmly, his pleasure at seeing his son’s friends apparent. At his urging, Nick and Sharon agreed to join him and Lucy in the cafeteria for a few minutes, even though Nick looked a little impatient. Ashley wished that she hadn’t spoken.

  “Girls, only two at a time, but they’ve let me give them the relative story,” Lucy advised them. “And we won’t be gone long,” she said a little anxiously.

  “We’ll be here when you get back,” Jan said.

  The older couples left, and Ashley said, “You two go on in. I got to see him yesterday.”

  Karen nodded, and she and Jan started down the hall. Ashley looked around, saw a magazine, picked it up and took a seat.