Nursing a Grudge is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) (5 page)

She buried her face into my neck and I smoothed down her hair. After a moment I prodded her back to the bay window. There was a new tissue box next to the seat and I placed it between us.

She tucked her bare feet under her and wrestled the first tissue out of the box, managing to free a clump of them together. She tried to shove the clump back into the box, making a noise that was a cross between a growl and whimper in her throat.

I took the tissues out of her hand and sat with her. We sat in silence for a while until she cried her way through the balance of tissues in my hand. When she reached the final one, I asked. “What happened to you earlier?”

She blinked at me. “What do you mean?”

“Last time we spoke, you got cut off. I left you a few messages and I waited around for you at the hospital.”

“You were at the hospital?”

I nodded. “Paula was in labor. Well, false labor.”

The news caused another jag of crying.

After a moment, Jill said, “I’m happy for her, really. Another baby. I wonder if I’ll ever have one.”

I patted her back, letting the awkward moment settle between us.

“When I got there they told me he was DOA.” She was hit by another bout of tears. “I didn’t even get to say good-bye.”

I sat silently holding her hand for a bit.

“His sister, Melanie, got there when I did. We left the hospital pretty quickly, and she’s coming over here,” Jill glanced down the street. “We need to get drunk.” She picked up her martini glass. “Lemon drop martini. Want one?”

I shook my head. “I’m glad you’re safe. I was worried about you.”

Jill frowned. “Why?”

“The creepy guy seemed to be following you and then when you called, it sounded like you screamed—”

“Oh. I think…I think…” She looked confused and scratched at her forehead. “I twisted my ankle on the curb when I got to the hospital. I must have dropped my phone. I’m sorry Kate. I don’t know.” She paused and glanced around the room. “I don’t even know where my phone is right now. It’s been powering itself off. I have to take it in for repair.”

She spotted her purse across the room, propped on a chaise with silk flowers embroidered on it. Jill’s apartment was as dainty as she was, decorated in whites and pinks. Behind the chaise was a floor lamp topped with a delicate lace shade. She padded over to her purse, fished out her phone and turned it on.

My own phone buzzed in my pocket.

I read a text from Galigani.

M
ONITORING POLICE SCANNER
— B
URGLARY AT
123 F
RANKLIN
.

T
HAT
’
S THE VICTIM
’
S PLACE
. C
OPS ON THE WAY
. M
EET ME
?

I heard a gasp from Jill. I looked up and saw her reading her screen.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Melanie left me a message. She stopped at Perry’s to get his cat. Someone was there and beat her up.”

Chapter Five

“Let’s go,” I said. “My car’s on the corner.”

Jill slipped on a pair of red flats, which were next to the window seat. She glanced at her dowdy sweats. “I can’t go like this!”

I looked myself over and cringed at the chipotle stain that had seeped into my t-shirt. “I’m in jeans. It’s fine,” I said, deciding not to call much attention to my sloppiness.

“Give me a minute,” she said crossing the room and disappearing down the hall. From her bedroom she called, “Do you want a fresh shirt?”

So my sloppiness had not gone unnoticed.

“That’d be great,” I called back.

Sighing, I pulled out my phone and messaged Galigani. I told him about Melanie and that we were on our way. Then I messaged Jim and waited for Jill.

After a few minutes, Jill returned in tan slacks and a red blouse that matched her Wizard of Oz shoes. Her face was freshly scrubbed, make-up reapplied, and hair coiffed.

“I’m ready,” she said, handing me a clean t-shirt. Printed on the front of the shirt was a logo for Escape from Alcatraz, a 1.5-mile swim that took place every year in San Francisco.

“Wow! Did you do the Escape from Alcatraz?”

She snorted. “God, no. A friend did it.”

I nodded. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, Kate. You don’t have to go with me. I’m fine. I’m sure you need to go home to the baby.”

I waved off her concern. “I left Jim a message. He’s fine watching her.”

Jill walked to her front door, her hand poised on the knob. “No, really. I’ll deal with Melanie on my own. You go home.”

I shook my head. “I haven’t had a chance to tell you yet. A few months back, I started my own P.I. business. My mentor, Galigani, is meeting us at Perry’s place.”

Jill’s face paled. “What?”

“We think you’re on Brent Miles’ hit list.”

<><><>

I drove to Franklin Street, while Jill sat quietly in the passenger seat. She offered a few directions when I complained about no left turns, but other than that she remained silent.

On Franklin, the parking wasn’t nearly as tight as I feared and I managed to nab a spot in front. Galigani’s car was nowhere in sight, and I also noted the absence of police cruisers.

Had we missed everyone?

Jill hastily climbed out of my car and hurried up the walk to Perry’s front door. Before we reached it, the door swung open and a short brunette holding an ice pack to her face appeared.

“Melanie!” Jill screamed as she rushed toward the woman. “Are you all right?”

Melanie lowered the ice pack, revealing a bruised eye. With her free hand, she gingerly touched her lip, which was swollen and cut.

Jill gasped. “Your face, my God!”

“Does it look as bad as it feels?” Melanie asked.

“Yes! You poor thing,” Jill said.

Melanie stepped aside and let Jill and me into the apartment. “I called the cops but they haven’t got here yet.”

She looked me up and down.

Jill said, “This is my friend Kate. She was over when you called and she gave me a ride.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said.

Melanie nodded. “Thank you. I’m still in shock. I feel like Perry’s going to walk through the door at any minute.”

She wandered toward the brown leather couch and motioned for us to take a seat, but we all remained standing. The apartment was tidy, with a masculine décor. Burgundy
rug, brown lazy boy chair and matching mahogany side tables all screamed out “bachelor” and seemed directly incongruent to Jill’s taste.

“What happened?” Jill prompted.

Melanie looked around the room, a lost expression on her poor, battered face. “I came to pick up Whiskers, you know? Where is he now?”

Jill shrugged. “He’s probably hiding. Go on.”

“I unlocked the door and came in, there was a rustling sound from the bedroom, I called out. I actually called out ‘Perry.’ Can you believe it?” She shook her head and gripped the couch. “Like it was him, in his bedroom. Like it was him that was going to come down the hallway, yelling at me for interrupting him or laughing or…”

She stopped herself short and sniffled.

I reached into my shoulder bag and searched for a hankie. I came up with a spit-up rag and decided not to hand it over; instead, I surveyed the room for a box of tissues.

“They’re here,” Melanie said.

“Who?” Jill asked.

Melanie jutted her chin toward the windows. “The cops. Finally. Took them forever.”

Jill switched her weight from one red Dorothy shoe to the other. She looked as if she were about to speak, but instead moved toward the front door.

A lanky officer stood on the stoop.

“Got a call about an interrupted robbery,” he said, matter-of-factly.

Jill motioned for him to come in. He surveyed the three us, eyes landing on Melanie. He grunted and took out a notebook.

I took out a notebook of my own. The officer, whose name tag read “Ross,” raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled. He said nothing to me and turned to Melanie.

“Tell me what happened,” Ross said.

I heard a car backfire and looked out the window to see Galigani searching for a spot to drop his rusty old car.

Melanie tentatively touched her split lip. “I came over to pick up my brother’s cat. He was…”

“He had a hiking accident this morning,” Jill said. “We’ve only just come from the hospital.”

“So who lives here?” Ross asked.

“My brother,” Melanie said. “Only…only now…” She teared up and her shoulders began to shake.

Jill put a hand to Melanie’s shoulder. “Perry lived alone,” she said to the officer. “We dated, but he lived here and I live in Russian Hill, Melanie lives across town, and Kate, well, she’s just here for moral support. She didn’t know Perry at all.”

The officer frowned, but made a note. “Uh-huh. I’ll need full names and relationships in a sec.”

Galigani appeared in the open doorway. “Ross. How are you?”

The officer looked across the room and seemed surprised to see Galigani. “Oh, Albert. What are you doing here?” He glanced at Jill, Melanie and me as if expecting an explanation from us. Melanie and Jill looked equally confused.

“Galigani’s my partner,” I said.

“Partner?” Melanie asked.

“We’re private investigators,” I replied.

Galigani crossed the room toward Ross and touched his arm. “Perry Welgan is at the M.E.’s office. We may be looking at homicide.”

“What?” Jill and Melanie said in unison.

Galigani glared at me and I cringed. I hadn’t exactly mentioned the Medical Examiner’s office to Jill yet, only that I thought she might be in danger.

“My brother had a hiking accident,” Melanie said, her face looking more swollen than before. “What does his accident…what does it have to do with…homicide?”

Jill shook her head. “No, no. It’s wasn’t a homicide. He fell.”

Melanie sank into couch. “Are you saying someone may have killed Perry?”

“Nobody killed Perry. Who would do that? He was liked by everyone. It was a horrible, tragic accident,” Jill said.

Galigani bowed his head. “I’m sorry to upset you ladies. I spoke out of turn. Of course, the M.E. won’t know anything for several weeks.”

Ross nodded solemnly and turned to Melanie. “What can you tell me about the break-in, Miss?”

Melanie wrung her hands. “I came over to get the cat and there was a man here, in the back. Someone I’ve never seen before. He hit me in the face and knocked me down. Then he ran out.”

While Melanie spoke, Galigani wandered over to the front door and examined the lock.

“Can you describe the man?” Ross asked.

Melanie shrugged. “It happened fast. All I really know is that he was tall.”

“How tall?” Ross asked. “I’m 6'4". Was he my height?”

Melanie stood up and compared her height with Ross’. “No. Not that tall.” She pointed to Galigani. “But taller than him.”

“Everybody is taller than me,” Galigani grunted.

Melanie laughed, then yelped. “Ouch. Don’t make me laugh, it hurts my lip.”

Galigani tilted his head in a sympathetic manner. “Sorry.”

Ross asked, “Was the man Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American—?”

“He was white, his hair was sort of dark, but not very dark, and a bit curly…oh I don’t know. I was so shocked, I guess his hair could have been any color.”

After a moment Galigani asked, “Did you have a key to the apartment? Was the door locked?”

Melanie frowned. “I have a key. I used it, but now that you mention it, I don’t think the door was bolted.”

Ross glanced around the room at the windows. “Any sign of forced entry?”

Melanie shook her head. “I don’t know. There aren’t any broken windows if that’s what you mean.”

“Does this place have a back door?” Ross asked.

“No,” Jill said.

“Was Perry in the habit of locking his front door?” I asked.

“Of course!” Melanie said. “I mean, this isn’t the worst neighborhood in the city, but it is San Francisco. You have to lock your doors! Anyway, he would have locked it because of Whiskers. Where is he anyway?”

Jill tapped nervously against one of the side table. “Well, it’s terrible luck, isn’t it? First Perry’s…awful accident…” Her eyes filled with tears and she blinked them away. “Now poor Melanie gets battered. We can just thank God that she isn’t seriously hurt.”

Galigani studied Melanie a moment. “Did your brother share anything disturbing with you, like strange phone calls, or maybe he thought he was being followed…”

“No,” Melanie said. “Not to me, anyway.” She looked at Jill expectantly.

Jill wiped at her eyes and shook her head. “No.”

“So you were the only one getting calls?” Galigani asked.

“Calls?” Ross asked.

Jill turned toward me, but before she could answer, Ross asked, “Who were the calls from?”

Jill shrugged helplessly. “I think they were from Brent Miles. One was for sure. A sort of threatening call where he asked me to recant a bad review I gave his restaurant,
Philosophie
.

Ross made a note in his book as if the information meant nothing to him, but Melanie took a sharp inhale of breath.

“Oh my God. He threatened you? What did he say?” she asked.

Jill waved her hands frantically as if she thought we were all on the wrong track. “No, no. I mean, he threatened my future as a critic, not my life.”

Melanie looked dumbstruck.

Galigani and I exchanged a look.

Then after a moment Melanie pointed to Jill and said the thing I’d feared she say. “My brother is dead is because of you.”

Chapter Six

“Whoa,” Galigani said. “We’re moving way too fast here. We’re still trying to figure things out. We need to—”

Melanie began to sob loudly. “I'm sorry, Jill, I didn’t mean to blame you.”

Jill clutched at Melanie’s hands and pulled her into an embrace. “No, no. Don’t apologize. I get it.”

“I didn’t know you were in danger!” Melanie said.

“No, no. I’m not,” Jill said. “Please don’t worry.”

Galigani exchanged a concerned glance with me.

Ross said. “I’m going to take a look around the premises. We may need to cordon off the area.”

Galigani nodded.