Closet Confidential (30 page)

“I was on routine patrol about two o’clock when I got a text to meet Pepper behind the storage units out in the old industrial park. Remember we all used to make out there?”

“Speak for yourself. And you didn’t think that was strange?”

“I thought maybe . . . I don’t know what I thought, but you know Pepper, when she wants something, she gets it. I went.”

“Where did the text message say Little Nick would be?”

Nick goggled at me. “It didn’t.”

“You don’t think that Pepper would have mentioned that?”

“I guess so. But my mind wasn’t on him at the time. I don’t ever have to worry about Little Nick. Pepper does that.”

I decided not to comment on that. “Did you call her?”

“No. I drove out to the industrial park.”

“All on official time?”

He shrugged and grinned sheepishly. “It was a quiet day.”

“You must have called in something.”

“Don’t get mad at me, Charley. I was having trouble concentrating.”

“Because you were afraid of something or someone?”

“Pepper sounded like she was in the mood.”

“Huh. So, okay, so while you were unconscious in the industrial park, someone must have tricked your wife into going to Bakker Beach, then driven your squad car out there, attacked Pepper, and left her to die. And guess who was set up for that?”

“But Charley—”

“Listen. You have to give yourself up, and you absolutely have to tell the police who and what you are afraid of. Obviously you have a good reason to be afraid. And it’s not just you. Think of your family.”

“I told you, I don’t know.”

From downstairs I heard the sound of a door splintering.

I whispered, “Aren’t the police supposed to call out a warning before they kick the door in?”

Nick said, “You have to make sure nobody kills Pepper. You’re the only one I trust.”

“What?”

There was no answer from Nick as he flung open the window and vanished through it, scrambling over the porch roof to God knows where, leaving me to face whoever was thundering up the stairs. This time it was too late to hide in the closet.

As much as I’d been avoiding Connor Tierney, I was sure glad to see him and his pounding feet this time. I had an emotional wave of relief, which was understandable but not convenient. A large part of that relief was because none of the officers had shot Nick Monahan. He was just lucky they hadn’t known which room we were in and had checked out the downstairs before thundering up.

“Don’t think these are tears,” I said to Tierney. “I’m suffering from spring allergies.”

“Who asked?” Tierney said. He had led the charge up the stairs, a couple of armed uniformed officers following behind, weapons drawn. He also switched on the lights and took a hard look out the open window through which Nick had apparently catapulted.

Tierney turned back from the open window and said, “Who went out there? Was that Nick?”

I opened my mouth but no sound came out. But I knew I had to tell him the truth. “Yes.”

“Where did he go?”

“I have no idea.”

Tierney shot me a poisonous look. “Did you arrange to meet him here?”

“What? Of course not.”

“It sure looks that way. You made sure the officer on guard didn’t see you. You didn’t turn the lights on. Why was that?”

“I didn’t want a hassle about being here, if you must know. Pepper asked me to get her a few things.”

“She didn’t have her keys. I was dropping them off tomorrow.”

I decided to brazen it out. I didn’t want to be hauled into the cop shop. It had been a bad enough day. “That’s a long time to wait for a toothbrush.”

“Where’s the toothbrush?”

“What?”

“You said you were getting Pepper’s toothbrush.”

“Haven’t had a chance to get anything yet. There was someone in the house, remember? I didn’t know it was Nick when I heard him come up the stairs, so I hid in this closet. But I’d better get her stuff now.”

As I headed to Pepper’s room, Tierney followed. “Are you sure you don’t know where Nick went?”

“I wish I did,” I said. That was true, too. But at least I could tell Pepper he was alive and pass on the bizarre story of the message to meet him. I had to tell Tierney, too. I relayed Nick’s tale about being tricked into going to the storage area in the industrial park and knocked out and having his squad car stolen.

The young officer popped his head into the room at that moment. From the look on his face, neither he nor Tierney was buying Nick’s version of what had happened. They exchanged glances, and I felt like a dope. If Tierney hadn’t been there, I would have asked the young cop his opinion of Nick’s possible guilt, but I didn’t want to do that with those icy blue eyes watching.

I said, “I’m passing it along, but for the record, I don’t find it any harder to believe than the theory that Nick would attack Pepper.” I located a small rolling suitcase in Pepper’s closet and picked out toothpaste and other basics from her en suite. I couldn’t tell who owned which toothbrush, so I decided to buy a fresh one for Pepper. I rustled up a pretty nightgown and a change of clothing, including underwear. I assumed she wouldn’t be able to shampoo, and I tried to find hair products that would help. I took my time picking out a flattering outfit. I figured Pepper would be coming home soon and it might cheer her up to have her clothing ready to go. I added a photo of Little Nick to the lot. I tried not to think about where Nick would be in that little family.

Tierney watched me as I worked. I tried to ignore him as I moved on to Little Nick’s bedroom. The room was better furnished than most people’s living rooms, with bird’s-eye maple crib, dresser, and changing table as well as a matching rocking chair with a cushioned seat. I got my bearings and gathered up a few extra items I thought Jack might need until Pepper got out of the hospital. Of course, while I can pick out what a woman would want in the hospital, I wasn’t so sure I got all the right stuff for Little Nick. I took a package of diapers and some little outfits. I stepped over to the crib and picked up the blanket and a giraffe and a blue cow. They must have been favorites to get the prime crib real estate.

Tierney said, “I can tell when you’re lying. Your eyes move the wrong way.”

Another thing to worry about, the way my eyes moved. Lucky for me I was telling the truth. I couldn’t even guess where Nick had gone. I slumped on the rocking chair and blurted out, “Fine, arrest me. Ruin my night. I don’t know where Nick is. Let me take this stuff to Pepper first.”

Tierney glanced behind him, but his uniforms had headed off to search the foundation shrubs and backyard for Nick before fanning out into the neighborhood. “It doesn’t look good for me, either, you know, to be dating someone who gets arrested.”

I said peevishly, “It was only one date. You didn’t call me back, remember?”

“I had a good reason, which you know, and there was almost a second date, although fate seems to be conspiring against it.” Tierney sighed, then said, “So where has he been?”

“Didn’t get that far. He never said. He is totally stressed out. He said not to let anyone kill Pepper.”

“Why would anyone want to kill Pepper?”

“Let me remind you that someone did try to kill Pepper. I was about to explore that idea with him and was trying to get him to turn himself in. I was making progress until you kicked in the door and came thundering up the stairs and he went flying out the window.”

“Where did he—?”

“I have no idea. That is true, so stop badgering me.”

“He didn’t give any clue?”

“Well, I can tell you that wherever he’s been, they didn’t have a shower. I think he wanted to come home and get showered and change into some clean clothes. He sure didn’t smell great.”

“Did he get any clean clothing?”

I looked around and didn’t see articles of clothing lying around. “He picked out some clothing, but I couldn’t make out what.”

Tierney said, “Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it? You should try cooperating with the authorities more often.”

“If you weren’t so difficult, maybe I would. The main thing is that he couldn’t have attacked Pepper if he was knocked out behind the storage units.”

Tierney laughed a bit longer than was absolutely necessary. “I can’t believe you fell for that one.”

“I believe him.”

“Who could have known that was a special place for them? Who would have known his number? Who would have—”

“Are you kidding? Nick has such a big mouth. I think every one of my friends knew about that spot. We all knew about Bakker Beach, too. We all grew up together here in Woodbridge. There aren’t many well-kept secret make-out spots among teenagers.”

“Maybe one of your friends
was
involved.”

“You can forget that idea. By the way, if you guys hadn’t splintered the door, Nick wouldn’t have jumped out the window and I might have found out something useful. I can’t believe that you think—”

“Stop saying that.”

“What?”

“That we splintered the door.”

“Well, you did. You didn’t yell a warning, either.”

“We didn’t.”

“But I distinctly heard that back door being broken down.”

Tierney shrugged. “We heard that, too, and that’s why we rushed the house. I took the back, and I can tell you that door had already been kicked open.”

“But I used keys and I locked it behind me. Nick must have had an extra set. Most people do. Anyway, he was already upstairs with me, and we both heard the door being kicked in. I thought it took you long enough to get upstairs.”

Tierney stared at me, apparently not quite ready to accept this latest revelation.

I said, “But that means there was someone else in the house. Someone who was following Nick perhaps. Or me. It could be the person who attacked Pepper.”

“I doubt that was the case.”

I said, “Well, I realize you think Nick attacked her, but I don’t. Plus I know what I heard here. And if that intruder didn’t go out the back or the front door, then he might still be here. That’s the person who’s after Nick and who injured Pepper.”

He glowered at me and left the room to call out to the uniformed officers. I could hear him instructing them where to look. I thought I heard him say, “Humor her,” but I could have been wrong. I was glad he’d left the room, because I hadn’t given up on the idea that, like all of us, Nick would have some secret in his closet. And I’d had an idea of a good place for Nick to stash something. I stuck my hands into the pockets of his spare uniform and came up with a small rectangle of paper, thickly folded. I slipped it into my own pocket and went to find Tierney again. I’d already decided I’d fill him in if it proved relevant to the investigation, but not if it turned out to be some kind of confession or private note to Pepper.

Call me sentimental.

When I bumped into Tierney, he announced that the search showed no one hiding in the house. I said, “Tell me, how did you know I was here?” I didn’t mention that I’d been careful to dodge the squad car out front on my second visit.

“We got a call.”

“Really? From whom?”

“Apparently someone called 911 and said there was a break-in. Must have been a neighbor. Of course, we had a uniform keeping an eye, and he figured Nick must have gotten into the house. And look at that, we nabbed you instead.”

“Just lucky,” I said. “So no idea exactly who called 911?”

“I don’t have any idea, but if I did, guess what?”

“Well, only a minute or two elapsed between the splintering of the back door and your arrival. So it couldn’t have been that 911 call.”

“Charlotte, let me make this clear. You are not a detective. I am. You should stop looking for clues and perpetrators and let us do our job without interfering. Do you understand that? I hope so, because I mean it.”