Double Down (7 page)

I had to admit it was a funny story. I brought her up to date on all the things I had learned about Monica. She wanted to talk about my meeting with Detective Stuff Muffin as she called him, but I had to leave. I’d promised Mom I wouldn’t be late for dinner.

***

I pulled up to Mom’s house and parked on the street. I hadn’t grown up in this house. After Dad died five years ago of cancer, Mom sold that house and bought this smaller one that was easier for her to take care of on her own. At fifty-three, she’s still a beautiful woman. Although not a slim as she used to be, her clothes always draped her curves beautifully. She managed to dress in style without looking inappropriate for a woman her age. She kept at bay the few strands of gray that dared invade her dark hair with a monthly trip to the beauty parlor. I kept expecting that one day she would date again. She said she had the perfect marriage. She doesn’t believe that can happen twice in one lifetime, so what would be the point. While I would never tell her, I’m thrilled. I don’t want to see her with anyone else. She stayed active with her own catering company and her pursuit of a suitable husband for me, and father for the grandchildren she should already have.

My brother Eddie, away at college for the last five years, only came home during the summer. A typical male, he didn’t write, only occasionally emailed, and even less frequently phoned. I usually got all my information about him from Mom, who called him regularly. In spite of that, we remained a close-knit family.

When Eddie answered the door, we hugged. I took after my father’s blond blue-eyed Scandinavian side; Eddie looked more like my French mother with dark curly hair and brown eyes. Growing up people rarely took us for brother and sister. I still think of him as my little kid brother, so I am always surprised when I see him and realize he’s a grown man. This time was no different. I stepped back to take a good look. He’d not only gotten taller, but had put on muscle. I wondered if he started working out. Before I could ask, Mom came in wiping her hands on an apron so she could hug me. I expected her to be worried about me. Instead, she had a big smile on her face and a twinkle in her eye. Not good, something was up.

Eddie took my hand and led me into the kitchen. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”

Chapter Five

One of the most stunning women I’d ever seen sat at the kitchen table. Model thin with straight black hair, she had cheekbones to die for, perfectly shaped bow lips and enormous brown doe eyes. When she stood up, Eddie put his arm around her waist and introduced her.

“
Val, this is Myra, my fiancée,” he said with a Cheshire cat grin.

I was in shock. What did this exquisite creature want with my baby brother? I looked at my mother. She looked dreamy, no doubt picturing herself bouncing a beautiful grandchild on her knee. I’d get no help there. I couldn’t imagine what this woman wanted with my brother, but I wouldn’t allow her to hurt him. Gearing up in full protector mode, I watched her snuggle in closer to him, closing what little space there had been between them. Then she looked at him with adoration. Whoa, I sheathed the claws and tried for some perspective. I guess he was good looking, for a brother. He had good prospects, if he actually managed to finish his degree in engineering. Maybe she was for real.

She stepped forward to give me a hug. Eddie, knowing that I’m not a big on hugging people I don’t know, gave me a be-nice-or-I’ll-hurt-you look. I hugged her back, pasted a smile on my face, and cooed over her miniscule diamond ring like a good big sister. I was
so
going to grill her over dinner.

Mom made Eddie’s favorite pot roast. Myra offered to help me set the table while Mom took the rolls out of the oven. I gave her some credit for that. Eddie just trailed along behind us like a lovesick puppy. They sat so close together while holding hands that I couldn’t see how either of them to managed to eat.

Once we all had full plates, I leaned in to start the third degree. “So, where are you from? How did you meet?” I asked with a fake smile on my face.

“
We met at college. We took the same Math class last semester. I’m hopeless at Math. If he hadn’t helped me, I know I never would have passed.” She gave him a simpering smile and I waited for her to bat her eyelashes.

Eddie beamed. “Myra has a minor in psychology. She’s working on a degree in Literature.”

Mom reached over and patted her hand. “Myra’s the oldest of six children. She’s studying to be an elementary school teacher.”

Myra practically cooed. “I just love children, so innocent and sweet.”

I was beginning to gag. Through an act of sheer will power, I managed not to roll my eyes. So far, the woman had no visible flaws I could exploit. Still I hadn’t admitted defeat.

Mom, probably sensing the need to let the girl off the hook, went for the zinger. “So, Val, tell us about the murdered girl in your office, and why you needed me to give you an alibi.”

I tried to gloss over the whole thing by saying she was a new employee who transferred from St. Louis to get away from her abusive husband. He was the one who probably killed her, nothing to do with me.

Mom wasn’t buying it. She wanted every detail. Myra was smart enough to realize if she kept asking questions, she could keep the focus off herself.

In the end, I told them everything. “So, there you have it. I hired a major manipulator who was also a thief and a prostitute. I guess it was only a matter of time before someone decided to kill her.”

Mom patted my hand, “You only transferred her at the request of your bosses. Didn’t you say she worked for five years in St. Louis and her record was clean? Surely, she was doing the same things there. Why didn’t they notice what kind of a person she was?”

This was why I kept coming home, unconditional love, and the belief that nothing was ever my fault. Still she made an excellent point. “The detective told me that the burglary happened before she began working for them, so she was already a thief. She must have honed her skills there for her to be able to do so much damage here in just two months. I think I’m going to have to talk to Dee again.”

Eddie looked worried now. He leaned over the table and frowned at me. “You need to be careful. Leave this to the police. You go poking around, and the person who wanted her dead may come after you.”

Mom echoed the sentiment. I nodded, letting them think they’d convinced me. I knew I couldn’t let it alone. I finally managed to divert the conversation away from me, by asking about their plans for the wedding.

Myra answered. “We haven’t set a date yet, probably around the end of June after graduation. Did Ed tell you that he’s already gotten a job offer with a large engineering firm in Phoenix?” She looked so proud of him that I awarded her another couple of points.

Mom was thrilled to learn that they would only be five hours away.

Eddie and I offered to do the dishes, leaving Mom and Myra discussing wedding possibilities. Obviously, Eddie wasn’t convinced my head nodding indicated capitulation, because the minute we hit the kitchen he started, “I mean it Val. You’ve got to leave this to the police.”

“
You’re right,” I agreed, getting out containers to store the leftovers.

“
But you have no intention of doing that, do you?” he said, turning me to face him so I had to look him in the eyes.

I evaded the question with, “I didn’t say that.”

“
Oh, please, I can read you like a book. You think growing up I didn’t watch the way you manipulated Mom and Dad. You never argued with them, just let them think you agreed and then went right out and did exactly what you wanted. What I never figured out is why you never got caught.”

I turned away and began rinsing the dishes. “I never got caught because I never did anything stupid or dangerous. All my rebellions were well thought out. I considered all the possible outcomes, just as I plan to do now. You’re right. I do not intend to leave this entirely to the police. However, I only intend to talk to people that I know won’t talk to the police, and I’ll pass that information along immediately. I won’t know anything the police don’t know, so there won’t be any reason to try and keep me quiet.”

“
I still don’t like it.” He might not have let it go, but Myra and Mom came in just then. I guess five minutes of separation was all their romance could handle. Either that or she needed an escape from Mom’s helpful suggestions.

Overall, it was a very pleasant evening. I decided I didn’t hate Myra. After two or three decades, I might even be able to carry on a conversation with her without wanted to puke, providing she continued to make Eddie happy. After we’d done the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, I said my goodbyes. I had to work on Saturday and they were leaving early Sunday to go back to school. Driving home, I thought how ironic it was that Eddie would be providing the grandchildren instead of me.

When I got to my house, the lights were on. I never leave any lights on. The hair on the back of my neck stood out. Instead of pulling into the garage, I parked in the driveway and called 911, staying in the car with the doors locked. I’m not stupid and I don’t take chances. When the black and white arrived, I stayed on the porch while the police officer went in to make sure it was safe.

He came out holstering his gun. “There’s no one there now, but there is a lot of damage. Let’s go in. You can tell me if anything is missing.”

When I walked through the front door, I felt like someone had stabbed me in the chest. All the couch and loveseat cushions were in the middle of the floor, slashed on both sides with a big X. Someone had turned over the end tables, and smashed the lamps. The entertainment center stood away from the wall, but the TV, stereo and DVR were still there. The kitchen looked worse, but at least there was no real damage. The cupboards all stood open. Someone had dumped all my dry goods onto the floor. They’d taken out all the drawers and upended the contents on top of the mess. Empty drawers teetered on the top of the pile and in the sink. A trail of flour, spices, and cereal crumbs led to the back door to the patio, which stood open. I stepped over the mess and went in the bathroom. All the things in the medicine cabinet were in the sink, and the tank cover lay on its side on the floor. I couldn’t bring myself to look in the bedrooms.

I told the cop, “I don’t see anything missing. I don’t have any valuable jewelry and I don’t keep money in the house so there would be nothing to steal in the bedrooms.” I just wanted to escape. He made some notes. I needed fresh air so I ran for the front door and right into Delgado. Sobbing and gasping, I instinctively threw my arms around his waist and held on.

He held me, patting my back and murmuring in my ear until I calmed down.

In spite of my distress, I couldn’t help but notice how wonderful he smelled, and how good his arms felt wrapped around me like a warm cocoon. If I could just stay there forever, everything would be all right.

When I stopped sobbing, with his arm still wrapped around me, he dug in his pocket for a handkerchief and gently wiped my eyes. He looked deep in my eyes and said, “Damn, I was afraid this would happen.”

If he had slapped me or drenched me with cold water, he couldn’t have brought me to my senses any more effectively. Embarrassed I pushed away from him and said, “I’m sorry for that. I’m fine now.”

He started to say something, but before he could, his phone rang.

When he reached for it, I turned away and ran down the steps. I dug my phone out of my purse, and called Charlene, briefly describing the situation and asking her to come get me. Not able to bear going back inside, I went and sat in my car to wait.

Delgado slipped inside the house for a moment, and then came out and squatted down beside the open car door. “Are you sure you’re all right?” His voice soft and kind, I could see the sympathy in his eyes.

Not trusting my voice, I just nodded.

Using that same soothing tone I was sure he used with all hysterical women, he said, “Do you have any idea what they were looking for?”

I squeaked out, “No.” I fought for control. I would not cry again. It was just a house. No one was hurt. After a moment I asked, “This wasn’t random vandalism was it?”

He shook his head. “No. Someone was definitely looking for something. Have you received any strange letters or packages in the last few days?”

The question took me by surprise. The mail slot was in the front door. I thought back to the mess just inside. All the mail delivered that day had been ripped open and left on the floor. Amongst all the other mess, I hadn’t really noticed until he brought it to my attention. “Just the regular bills and magazines, nothing unusual, why?”

“
Just a thought. Who knew you wouldn’t be home tonight?”

“
Everyone at the office. My brother is in from out of town. It wasn’t a secret that I was going to my Mom’s for dinner.”

I couldn’t see really his face in the dark, but I thought he smiled. Then his voice took on an edge. “You can’t stay here tonight.” It was a command.

I don’t like being told what to do. I bristled. “It’s my house. I can do any damned thing I want.”

He took a breath, but before he could say anything, I shivered. He reached out to me.

I pulled away. The last thing I wanted was his sympathy. I wanted to crawl into his arms and feel safe and protected. Those few minutes in his arms made me realize I wanted a whole lot more from him than sympathy. The very thing he didn’t want. I tried to pluck up enough courage to show him I didn’t need or want him. Except no matter how much I wanted to, I just couldn’t go back inside.