Nursing a Grudge is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) (15 page)

I thought about the gun in the drawer and shiver went up my spine. “Ramon, are you sure you want to work for Miles? He has a ruthless reputation and I saw—”

“Kate, I’m sure he had nothing to do with that man’s death—”

“How do you know that? Do you know one of Mile’s employees fell to his death in Yosemite? Another hiking accident.”

Ramon frowned. “I think if a man like Miles wants anyone out of his business he just has to wave around the cash. I don’t think he’d start causing a bunch of hiking accidents. That’s too—”

“I saw a gun in the office,” I blurted out.

Ramon shrugged. “Lots of places have a gun around. You need to be able to defend against a customer gone postal.”

“Really?”

“Sure.” He stuck his key into the engine and started the car. “So, UC?”

“Yeah.”

Suddenly I was feeling sulky. Maybe Ramon was right. Miles intentionally trying to kill people via hiking accidents did seem absurd. After all, Galigani had slipped and broken his ankle without anyone plotting against him.

Ramon backed out of the parking spot and headed toward UC. As we turned onto Geary Street and I glanced at the Land’s End parking lot, my breath caught.

Behind the wheel of a green Prius was skull cap man. He was even wearing the same hat. I immediately ducked into my seat and kept my eyes on the passenger side mirror.

“What’s going on?” Ramon asked, alarm in his voice.

“That car! Behind you. Can you read the license plate?” I asked.

Ramon glanced in the rearview mirror. “No. My vision is good, but he’s too far away. Let me slow down…”

He pressed on the brakes and suddenly called out a series of numbers and letters. I repeated them to myself as I tapped them into the notes feature on my phone. “I got you!” I said excitedly.

“Got who? Who is that guy?” Ramon asked.

“I don’t know for sure yet, but now I’ll be able to track him. Is he following us?”

Ramon nodded. “I don’t know. Let’s see.”

Ramon got into the left turn lane to get onto Lincoln Way. After a moment he said, “Well, so far it looks like he is.”

“We need to lose him now. Can you lose him?” I asked.

Ramon smiled. “First you want him to get close, now you want him gone. Typical woman.”

From my crunched position, I twisted and punched him in the thigh.

“Ouch!” Ramon said, rubbing at his leg. “Okay, okay, hold on. I’ll get rid of him.”

“Get to Sunset Boulevard. We’ll lose with him with all those lights.”

Ramon nodded. “My thoughts exactly.”

I glanced at the phone in my hand. I turned it off.

Could skull cap man be tracking me through my phone like V.D. had?

Goose bumps appeared on my arms.

Why would skull cap man be tracking
me
?

<><><>

Ramon dropped me off at UC, then took off. He was going home to try a few new recipes and I secretly envied the hostess, who I guessed sooner or later would end up at Ramon’s sampling a few things.

I stopped at the front desk of the hospital and inquired about Galigani and also Paula. I knew she’d still be here with her brand new baby, Chloe. So it was a good time to kill two birds with one stone. Ah, one of my specialties. Multi-tasking.

The front desk gave me Galigani’s room number, but when I got there Mom was standing in the doorway and wouldn’t let me in.

“Mom! Hi,” I said, getting close to kiss her checks.

“Well, you have some nerve showing up here,” Mom scolded.

I frowned. “What are you talking about it? It’s not my fault—”

“Yes it is.”

“He fell. I didn’t push him.”

“You made a heart patient hike up a mountain!”

“I didn’t make him. He wanted to go…well, maybe he wasn’t crazy about hiking, but it’s hardly a mountain. It’s a trail—”

Mom waved a hand in my face, cutting me off. “He’s asleep now. They’re going to need to do surgery and probably put a pin in to set the ankle.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, fending off a headache. “I’m so sorry.”

Mom tsked. “I’d just signed him up at Arthur Murray Dance Studio!”

I squinted at her. “You’re upset because now he won’t be able to be your dance partner?”

Mom looked offended. “Well, yes! But that’s not the only reason. Can you imagine how much pain Albert’s in? Poor, poor dear!”

“Okay, well, tell him I stopped by. Oh, and let him know his car is still in the parking lot at Land’s End.” I left out the part about breaking Galigani’s key. After all, there’s only so much scolding a girl can take.

Mom frowned. “How did you get here?”

“I got a ride with Ramon.” I looked down the hospital corridor. “Well, if you’re not going to let me in, then I’ll go see Paula and the baby.”

Mom perked up. “Is she here?”

I nodded. “15
^th
floor.”

She patted my arm. “All right dear, go see Paula. Tell her I’ll be up later.”

As I turned to walk away I had the evil thought that if Mom was to be busy playing nurse maid to Galigani that probably meant she wouldn’t be auditioning for V.D.’s play.

I smiled all the way to the 15
^th
floor.

<><><>

Paula’s baby, Chloe, was the cutest thing I’d laid eyes on since I’d left Laurie at home several hours ago. Chloe was wrapped tight in a pink and yellow striped blanket with a small patch of dark hair on the top of her head. She smelled like a mixture of baby powder and roses. I inhaled her scent as Paula ranted about the nurses.

“Honestly, I don’t know why they won’t discharge me. This isn’t my first rodeo,” she said.

“You just had the baby! You should be here at least 48 hours and anyway, try and enjoy the help,” I said.

“I don’t need their help. I have you,” she smiled, but I nearly choked.

She laughed. “Don’t worry, I don’t really think you’re all that much help.”

“Hey,” I said. “I’m
some
help.”

“Barely,” she said. “Now tell me what’s going on with your investigation.”

I brought her up to speed with the morning’s events: Melanie being sure that Perry had been meeting someone at Land’s End, her being tailed by skull cap man, meeting Melanie’s beau, and Galigani’s fall.

After commiserating with me about Galigani and promising to visit him on the 3
^rd
floor, she asked. “Who do you think Perry could have been meeting?”

“I don’t know and I feel awkward about asking Jill, because, you know,” I shrugged, “what if he was meeting another woman?”

Paula closed her eyes and lay back on the hospital bed. For a moment I thought she was going to doze off, but suddenly her eyes flew open. “Have you talked to any of Perry’s guy friends? Do you think you can ask one of them who he was meeting? They might know if he was two-timing Jill, right?”

Chapter Sixteen

Mom was kind enough to drop me off at home, but the ride did not come lecture-free.

When she pulled into my driveway, I was ready to bolt.

Mom unfastened her seatbelt. “Oh, stop acting like you want to get rid of me. You know I’m going to pop upstairs and see my grandbaby.”

We got out of her car and headed up the staircase. There was a brown package on my front stoop. I bent to pick it up and examine it. Smiling, I ripped it open. “My lock pick set and dust kit.”

Mom laughed. “Lock pick set? Are you going to break into your own house?”

“Now that’s not a bad idea. I could try it out and get some practice.”

Suddenly Jim flung open the front door. “Hey! I thought I heard voices. I’m on high alert since that wild goose chase!”

The smell of pepperoni pizza wafted through my living room. “Did you order pizza?” I asked, stepping into my front room.

“No offense, honey, but I’d starve if I waited around for you to cook.”

Mom immediately found Laurie snoozing in her crib and brought her to the living room. She cradled her, still asleep, and rocked her back and forth. She simply stared at her and she listened to Jim and me.

“So, David and I left Melanie at home. She said she’d call us if she spotted skull cap man hovering on her corner or anything.” Jim placed a slice of pizza on a plate and handed it to me. “And anyway, she said her boyfriend was coming over later tonight.”

I made a face. “Yeah, some boyfriend. Galigani and I talked to him today. He has a black eye, and Jill said Melanie struggles with a history of abusive guys.”

Jim frowned. “How does his having a black eye equal being abusive?”

I explained my idea about Perry and Sam fighting, then said, “He claims he got the black eye at work.”

Jim shrugged and served himself a piece of pizza. “I guess anything is possible. Does that other P.I. know anything?”

“The handsome playwright?” Mom chirped. “The auditions are tomorrow at 10 a.m. Now that poor Albert is laid up at the hospital—”

“What?” Jim asked.

I filled him on Galigani’s fall while Mom tsked at me.

Jim was wise to continue eating pizza and not comment on Galigani’s broken ankle.

“Well, like I said,” Mom continued, “now that Albert is in the hospital, I think I should audition for that play. It’ll give me something to do.”

“What about Hank?” I asked. Hank was my Mom’s other gentlemen friend that took her out to dinner and dancing quite regularly.

Mom glanced at her watch. “Oh!” she said. “I have to get home and get ready. We’re trying out the new restaurant down the street from my house. The specialty is fresh crab and garlic noodles.”

Jim took a huge bite out of his pizza and said with a mouthful, “Sounds good!”

Mom handed me Laurie.

Suddenly, I had an idea.

“Mom, about the audition. Can you text me tomorrow when you’re there?”

She squinted at me. “I thought you didn’t approve?”

I leaned in to her and whispered. “I had an idea about where I can try my new lock pick set out.”

“What?” Jim asked.

I walked Mom to my front door and said conspiratorially, “Vicente will be at his own auditions, right?”

Mom nodded enthusiastically. “Oh yes. You should spy on him. Like he’s doing to you!”

“Who’s spying on you?” Jim asked. “Skull cap guy?”

I didn’t think Jim would approve of my plan, so I said. “Yes. I got his license plate. I have to call McNearny and see if he can run it.”

Mom walked out the door and said over her shoulder. “It’s a plan!”

Jim called out, “If you’re making plans for tomorrow, I have a meeting downtown. I can’t watch Laurie.”

Shoot! If Mom was my decoy and Jim was going downtown, I’d have to get Kenny to babysit.

“No problem,” I said.

Jim, seemingly satisfied, helped himself to another piece of pizza. I left him in the living room with what remained of the pizza and took Laurie back to the nursery/office. With all the shuffling about, she’d woken up and become fussy. I nursed her then put her in the Baby Bjorn carrier. I paced around as I dialed Galigani’s old partner, McNearny, and left a message about skull cap’s license; maybe SFPD could track him down. Then I made arrangements with Kenny to babysit and then called Melanie.

She picked up on the first ring.

I asked her for a list of Perry’s friends.

“Well, if you want to talk to his best buddy, try Dustin Jasper. They’ve been friends for”—she stopped suddenly and became quiet. “I guess I should say they
were
friends, but I’m not used to the past tense yet.” She sniffled. “My brother was the only family I had left. Our dad died when we were kids and my mom passed a few years ago of cancer.”

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

She gave me Dustin’s number, then a call buzzed through for her.

“Kate, I gotta go,” Her voice sounded decidedly more chipper and she said, “That’s my boyfriend on the other line.”

“Wait!” I said, but she’d already hung up.

I’d wanted to ask her about Sam, although I wasn’t sure how to finesse it. I had to figure out if he was the cause of her bumps and bruises, but if he was, she wouldn’t have sounded so elated with his call, right?

I made a note in my book. I’d check in on her tomorrow and have a heart to heart. Next, I called Dustin and made arrangements to meet with him in the morning. Then, I researched the victim from the Yosemite hiking accident. His name was Rick Link. He’d been the manager at
Tartare
. I found an obituary online and a surviving relative, Henrietta Link, his mother. After a little digging, I had an out-of-state phone number for her and dialed on a whim.

The voice of an older woman said, “Hello?”

I explained who I was and asked if she could tell me anything about Rick Link.

Henrietta turned out to be full of Rick stories and happy to share them with me. Rick as captain of the football team, Rick as Prom King, Rick moving to California and competing in the Escape from Alcatraz race. We chatted for about fifteen minutes before I asked about his death. Silence filled the air like a lead balloon. Laurie broke the silence by offering up a small coo.

“Oh, you have a baby?” Henrietta asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“Then you can imagine,” she said.

“No,” I whispered.

“No!” She said immediately. “You shouldn’t have to. No mother—” Her voice broke off and she choked back a sob.

“I’m so sorry,” I said. “My friend’s boyfriend had a hiking accident the other day.” I continued to give her the information I knew about Brent Miles’ restaurants and his being brought in for questioning by SFPD.

“Rick’s death at Yosemite was an accident,” she insisted. “He went swimming in the Emerald Pool.” Henrietta’s voice got high-pitched and she sounded in complete agony. “The park investigators all agreed. It was an accident.”

“I understand,” I said, rubbing Laurie’s back through the Baby Bjorn. She’d fallen asleep and her breath warmed my neck, but it was little consolation. I felt terrible for wrenching at Henrietta’s memories.

“You can ask the girl who went camping with him,” she said.

“There was a witness?”

“No,” Henrietta said. “A girl went camping with him, but she didn’t go on the hike.”

“Do you remember her name?” I asked.

“Uh…” She hesitated. “Oh, my memory is great for some things, but not names. I’m sure I have it written down somewhere. She had blonde hair. I remember thinking it looked like a little helmet, or a halo or something. Sweet girl.”