A Dozen Deadly Roses (22 page)
Jade stirred and opened her eyes. Her gaze settled on Mac and she smiled.
“Hey partner, how are you feeling?” he asked.
“Much better,” she replied. She looked better, too. Her face had regained some of its color. Her dark hair was pulled back into a smooth ponytail. “I’m only allowed soft food. I’m trying to get them to give me a real meal.”
“That’s a good sign.”
“Where’s Donnie? Is he all right?”
“He’s fine,” Mac assured her. “Last I heard he and Mona went to see the white tigers displayed at one of the hotels. Now, he’s badgering her for a stuffed version.”
“I need to get out of here and take care of my son.”
Just then there was a light tap on the door and Detective Crandall pushed the door and peered through the crack.
“Officer Donovan, are you ready to continue?” Crandall asked, as he and his partner, along with Captain Kincaid entered the room.
Jade frowned at the commotion and sighed. “I’ve told you everything I know about the flowers, the stalker, and the poisoning. I don’t know what else you could possibly ask me.” “Well, how ‘bout this,” Crandall asked. “Would either of you like to explain how Callie Lasko wound up dead in Mac Stryker’s bed?”
Jade’s gaze swept to Mac’s face. His features registered disbelief. His eyes found hers and she wondered if she wore the same shocked expression.
“What do you mean she was found dead in my bed? What the hell was she doing there?”
Detective Crandall gave a smug grin. “We were hoping you could tell us. But before you do, why don’t we go down the hall where we interviewed you before?” He glanced at Jade. “I’m sure Officer Donovan won’t mind the chance to collect her thoughts.” The detective turned to Captain Kincaid. “Would you mind keeping Officer Donovan company for a little while?”
The captain pulled up a chair and sat down. “Not at all.”
Jade watched with incredulity as Mac was led from the room.
She was alone with the captain. A wave of apprehension washed over her. Things were moving too fast. She needed to think, but because she was so weak, her mind wasn’t sharp. She felt around in the sheet and found the remote control to summon the nurse. Holding the device with her finger over the button she felt foolish, but it was all the protection she had. If the captain were the one terrorizing her, he wouldn’t try anything here, would he?
“How long have you known about this?” she asked. She watched him consider how much he should tell her.
“I was notified just before I left L.A. That’s what took me so long to get here. I responded to the crime scene to see it with my own eyes.”
“How was she killed?”
Captain Kincaid shook his head. “I don’t think I should say anything more.”
“Why not?” Jade demanded. “Surely you don’t think Mac had anything to do with this.”
The captain shrugged, but said nothing.
The tempo of her heart rate monitor quickened to a rapid pace. “That’s ridiculous,” she said, fuming. “I was with him the whole time.” Then understanding crept into her mind. “You think I might have killed her, don’t you? Or worse yet, we did it together.” She crossed her arms across her chest and forced herself to close her eyes and breathe deeply. The hurried beats coming from the warning system sounded dangerously fast.
Captain Kincaid looked at her worriedly. “You need to relax and calm down.” He got up and paced the room. “What I believe happened to Callie Lasko makes no difference. The investigation will tell the story.” He turned to her and moved to the side of the bed. “But you must admit, it seems like any woman connected to Mac Stryker winds up dead – or almost dead. First his wife, then Lasko, and now you.” He came to stand by the side of her bed.
“What possible reason would Mac have to kill Callie Lasko,” she spat out.
“How about he gave her a verbal smack-down in Roll Call the other day. And did you know she was alleging misconduct against you two? She said you were having an affair. It’s no secret she didn’t like you.”
Jade narrowed her eyes at her captain, furious at his ugly thoughts. It was obvious the captain thought Mac was guilty. He probably believed she was too. And given the events of the past week, both Jade and Mac did look like they might have motive – weak as it was. They were both in trouble. Jade needed to go on the offensive.
“Did I tell you a couple of weeks ago I took a trip to San Francisco for a friend’s wedding? Did I tell you we went to The Queen Elizabeth, a club with female impersonators?”
The captain’s face went white beneath his bronzed, golf course-obtained tan.
Good. She had his attention, and there was no question she was in control of this conversation. “There was one performer who really caught my eye. Kendra the Naughty Kop. You know, there was something so familiar about Kendra. And some of the moves she made with her baton were straight out of the LAPD academy. I think I even managed to get a couple of pictures on my cell phone.”
“What do you want?” he asked quietly. He cleared his throat. “There wasn’t any evidence to support Lasko’s allegations of misconduct, so you have nothing to fear from me there. I can’t change the murder investigation.”
Jade looked at a broken man. If word of his proclivities leaked out, he’d be the laughing stock of the department. A cross-dressing former SWAT leader in the LAPD would spread through the law enforcement community like a Santa Ana wind-driven fire.
“How can you possibly think Mac or I killed Callie Lasko?” she asked.
“Come on, Jade. Lasko was found in Mac’s bed!”
“Well, you’ve got some skeletons in your closet. Maybe Callie found out your dirty little secret and was threatening you. Maybe you killed her. Maybe you’re the one who’s stalking me.”
“Jade, this is crazy. I’m not stalking you. What good would that do me?”
“Maybe you saw me at the Queen Elizabeth. Maybe you thought by leaving the dead roses you could intimidate me into not revealing your penchant for women’s clothes.” His face turned red. Jade wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment or anger.
“Jade, I didn’t see you that night. I’d have nothing to gain from trying to scare you. In fact, by frightening you, it could bring my, um…hobby out in the open. I’d have no guarantee you wouldn’t go above my head to report me.”
She considered what he’d said. His tone was even and he didn’t appear to be angry. And he was right. There was nothing for him to gain by sending her the boxes of flowers.
“I don’t think either of us killed Lasko,” he continued. “I don’t like thinking Mac did, but maybe he’s not right after his family’s murder. Maybe he snapped or something.”
“If you really believe that, I think you should to leave,” she said flatly. “I need my rest and I don’t have anything else to say to you, Detective Crandall, or anybody else who winds up wandering into my room.” She flung herself to her side, dismissing him.
“And what about San Francisco?”
“At this point, I have no reason to say anything.”
“Thank you,” he said softly.
Jade heard the door open and relaxed. The captain had gone.
Her father’s brogue filled the room. “I’m sorry, captain. I didn’t know anyone was in here. I brought a surprise to my lassie.”
“Mama?” Donnie called out shyly.
Jade turned over, surprised to see her boss hadn’t left, but Angus, Donnie and Mona were walking through the door. Struggling to a sitting position she smiled and motioned Donnie to come to her.
“You’ll have to come to me, honey. I’ve got this fancy machine hooked to my body.”
Donnie’s eyes were wide with apprehension. She could see him taking in the monitor hooked to her with its numerous wires, display of multi-colored lines synchronized with the strange beeps coming from the apparatus. She smiled at him again. “It’s all right. This gizmo tells the doctors what’s going on in mommy’s body. It doesn’t hurt.”
With her reassurances, her son ran to the side of the bed. “I’ve missed you Mama. When do you get to leave here?”
Mona looked at Jade and the captain. “Angus and I just spoke with the doctor. He says he’d like you to stay another full day. They want to be sure the toxins are completely out of your body and you can tolerate solid food again.”
Jade pulled her face away from her son’s embrace. “Well then, they’d better start giving me some,” she said, pointedly.
The captain excused himself, advising Jade he wanted to check on Mac and Detective Crandall. He said he’d be back in a few minutes. They shared a knowing look before he exited the room.
Not wanting her father or Mona to worry, Jade didn’t share the news of Callie Lasko’s body being discovered in Mac’s bed. Instead, she asked them to recount what they’d been doing to keep busy.
Donnie told of his adventures to see white tigers, his visit to a pyramid, a castle and circus tent where he saw men and women fly on a trapeze.
While they visited, Mac returned along with Detective Crandall and Crandall’s partner.“Mr. Stryker!” Donnie ran over to Mac and threw his arms around him. Tears filled Jade’s eyes. Feeling the detective watching her, she rubbed the moisture from her eyes, and then looked at Mac. His expression was grim, but he rubbed the top of Donnie’s head.
“Folks,” Crandall interjected, “I need to talk to Jade alone for a little while.”
Angus frowned. “We just got here. Can’t you talk to her tomorrow, lad?”
“I’m afraid not, sir. I would if I could.”
As much as Jade hated Crandall’s presence, she believed he did hate to kick her family out.
Mona put a slender arm around her fiancé. “Come on Angus. Tomorrow we’ll spend lots of time with Jade.”
The scowl on her father’s face didn’t budge but he allowed himself to be led to the door. “Come on, Donnie, we’ll go back to the hotel. Mona and I will take you to the hot tub.”
Now Donnie’s face creased with displeasure. “I’m tired of the hotel. I wanna stay here with my Mama.” Slow tears slid down his cheeks.
Before Jade could say anything, Mac bent down to the little boy’s level. “Hey Champ, how about this? Your Grandpa and Mona go back to the hotel, and you and I go ride the roller coaster we saw when we drove into town. After that we can get some ice cream. How does that sound?” Mac looked over at Jade to get her approval.
She nodded her head, again fighting back her tears. Before she knew it, everyone but the detectives had cleared out of her room with promises to come back the next day.
Detective Crandall turned to a fresh page in his yellow legal tablet while his partner set up the audio recorder. After Crandall stated the date, time and location of the interview he got down to business and read her Miranda rights.
Jade interrupted him. “I know my rights.”
“Well, humor me,” he said. “You know you have to be Mirandized before I can question you.” After Jade waived her rights, agreeing to talk to him, he began.
“I find it interesting that you had no qualms about letting your son go off with Stryker alone. Do you really think that’s prudent when a female co-worker was found dead in his bed this morning?”
“Detective, you’re off your rocker if you think Mac would hurt Donnie.”
The detective leaned closer. “What makes you so sure?”
“Because I know. Mac has been wonderful with Donnie.”
Crandall leaned back in his chair. “Okay, as long as you’re comfortable sending your defenseless son off with an alcoholic who, no doubt, has mental issues. I guess there’s no need for me to worry. Let’s move on. Officer Donovan, what was your relationship with Lieutenant Callie Lasko?”
Jade struggled with her impulse to punch Crandall in the face, but instead decided to ignore his rudeness and answer his question. “Lasko was one of my supervisors at work.”
“How did you get along?”
Jade thought for a few seconds on how to answer and decided honesty was the best. “I didn’t like her.”
“Why not?”
“I have no respect for people on this job who do minimal amount of time on the streets, then snag some inside job where they’re able to study to promote. After they make sergeant or above, they come back and tell the working cops how to do their job. In reality, they have no clue how to be a good cop. Callie Lasko was one of those people.”
Detective Crandall nodded his head. “I see. When was the last time you saw her?”
Jade reviewed the last week in her mind. “She came to my apartment along with another unit when I called to report someone in an SUV had almost run over me.”
“And how did that interaction go?”
Jade remembered the lieutenant’s words. “She said if she found out Mac and I were seeing each other socially she’d have my badge.”
Crandall scribbled some notes. “And as we’ve learned from investigating your poisoning, you
were
having an affair with Officer Stryker.”
Jade clenched her jaw. “No, that’s incorrect. We’ve been investigating who might be stalking me. We have not been having an affair.”
The detective’s gaze hardened. “So the last thing Callie Lasko said to you was she’d have you fired if you were seeing your probationary officer socially. And you were, in fact, seeing Mac Stryker socially.”
Jade began to chew the inside of her lip. “Well, yes. I guess you could say that.”
“Now, let’s move to the morning you, Stryker and Donnie left for Vegas. I already know you and your son were living with Stryker. Did you ever go into Stryker’s bedroom that morning?”
“No, I’ve never been in Mac’s bedroom. Donnie and I sleep in the guest room.”
“Do you know if Stryker had any guests over the night before?”
“No, I’m sure he didn’t. If you’re trying to imply Callie Lasko came over that night and Mac killed her you’re way off base.”
Crandall looked at her with interest. “And how do you know that? Do you know who killed Callie Lasko?”
“No, I don’t.” Jade was starting to get mad. “It’s just silly to think Mac snuck Callie into his house, to kill her right beneath my nose.”
“Yes, I guess being a cop and all that would make you look rather stupid.”