Scared Stiff (25 page)
“I’ve heard that hypnosis can be very therapeutic. How does he do it? Does he dangle a watch or something, like you see on TV?”
“No. Though he does have a wall clock that ticks rather loudly” she adds, managing a quick smile. She prods her muffin but still doesn’t eat any of it. “He has me sit back on this big comfy couch he has and gives me a cup of warm herbal tea to help me relax. Then he just lets me talk.”
“About what?”
“My life, I guess. He asks me what I like about it, what I don’t, what I feel about people, things, myself. And then at some point he takes over the talking.”
“What does he say?”
“He calls it ego building. You know, telling me I’m a bright, intelligent, attractive woman and that I have the power to be whatever I want. That kind of crap.”
“Crap?”
She shrugs. “In some ways it does make me feel better about myself when I leave there. But when I play it all back in my head it just seems so . . . I don’t know . . . fake. Like a cheap come-on or something, you know?”
I do, and I can’t help but think that Carla’s discomfort with Nelson somewhat mirrors my own, though apparently it hasn’t been enough to make her stop seeing him.
My cell phone rings, and after glancing at the caller ID and seeing that it’s Izzy, I apologize to Carla and explain that I need to take the call. She nods, and politely excuses herself from the room.
“Hey, Izzy, what’s up?”
“Can you get back here to the office?” he asks. “I just called Hurley and told him about Arnie’s find. He’s on his way here and plans to call the various family members in to give them the news. I thought you might want to be in on it.”
“Heck, yeah,” I say, relishing the thought. “I wouldn’t miss that for all the money in the world.”
I hang up and Carla’s timely reappearance makes me suspect she was eavesdropping despite her apparent attempt to give me some privacy.
“Do you have to go?” she asks.
“I do. But maybe we can get together again sometime and chat some more.”
“I’d like that,” she says, giving me a feeble smile.
I grab the last of my muffin and proffer it toward her. “These are phenomenal,” I tell her.
“Thanks. Why don’t you take a couple with you? I have more than enough,” She lets out a self-deprecating laugh. “I still bake as if I have a whole family living here.”
There is something painfully sad in the way she says this, and I almost walk over and hug her. But my gut tells me it would be the wrong thing to do, so I hold back and take the muffins instead. Carla shows me to the door and I thank her for letting me stop by. As I turn to step off the porch she calls me back.
“Mattie?”
“Yes?”
“What’s the real reason you’re so interested in Dr. Nelson?”
Busted.
“It’s part of a routine investigation,” I say vaguely, but Carla isn’t about to let me off that easily.
“What kind of investigation?”
“He used to date Shannon Tolliver. That makes him a person of interest in her case.” It’s the truth, though not the whole truth. Still, I’m hoping it will suffice.
Carla weighs what I’ve told her for a few seconds, scrutinizing my face. I try to keep my expression placid but Carla is savvier than I gave her credit for.
“There’s more to it than that,” she says. It’s not a question.
“Maybe.”
She leans against the door frame and looks up at the sky. “There’s something about him that bothers me.”
“What?”
“I don’t know exactly. I can’t put my finger on one specific thing. On the surface he seems professional, affable, and kind. But . . .” I want to grab her and shake her to make her spit it out. But I manage to restrain myself. “Something just feels wrong,” she says finally. “Every time I leave there I feel . . .” She hesitates and then shrugs. “I feel wrong. I can’t explain it any better than that.”
She doesn’t need to. “I think I understand what you’re trying to tell me, Carla. To be honest, there’s something about him that rings wrong with me, too.”
“I have another appointment with him tomorrow. Will you let me know if you turn up anything?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks, Mattie.”
“Thank you,” I say in return. “You’ve been a big help to me.”
With that, Carla turns and goes back inside. As I climb into the hearse and start it up, I have a strong feeling that she’s watching me leave. And oddly, I also have the feeling that neither of our lives will ever be the same again.
Chapter 36
I
head back to the office, anticipating the upcoming meeting with the Heinrich and Conklin families. Even more exciting is the knowledge that Hurley will be there. As I pull into the parking lot, I see Aaron Heinrich pulling in at the same time. He hails me as I get out of my car.
head back to the office, anticipating the upcoming meeting with the Heinrich and Conklin families. Even more exciting is the knowledge that Hurley will be there. As I pull into the parking lot, I see Aaron Heinrich pulling in at the same time. He hails me as I get out of my car.
“Hello, Aaron.”
He is positively beaming as he approaches. “I take it we’ve been called here because your office finally has some answers for us,” he says, falling into step beside me.
“Yes, we do.”
“That’s great news.”
“How can you be so sure? You don’t know the outcome yet.”
He smiles at me and dismisses my question with a wave of his hand. “I don’t really care about the money all that much.”
“Really?” I say, my skepticism obvious.
“Yes, really. Unlike my siblings, I’ve managed to put away most of my money rather than squander it. I’ll be okay no matter what happens.”
“Then why are you glad to hear we have an answer?”
“Well, for one thing, it will put an end to all this bickering.” He opens the door to the office and holds it for me, his smile broadening. “But even better,” he adds as I walk inside, “is the fact that once your investigation is done, you no longer have a reason to avoid having dinner with me.”
“I see,” I say, feeling myself start to blush. Cass is on duty; at least I assume the long-haired, hippy-looking girl behind the desk is her. Standing beside her is Hurley, who starts to smile but then quickly scowls when he sees Aaron and I walk in together.
“What about this coming Saturday?” Aaron says as we approach the desk. “Are you free? Because I’d love to take you to this fabulous restaurant I know in Green Bay.”
Hurley’s scowl deepens and my wicked side takes over. “Let me think on that, Aaron,” I say, smiling sweetly at him. “I’ll let you know before you leave today, okay?”
“Great!” He claps his hands like a little kid, a gesture I find somehow charming.
Cass walks over to us and says, “Mr. Heinrich, if you’ll follow me I’ll take you to the conference room. The rest of your family as well as your stepsiblings are already there.”
I hand my muffins over to Cass, and as she leads Aaron out of the reception area, Hurley walks over to me wearing an expression that looks like thunderclouds. “You aren’t seriously going to go out on a date with that yahoo, are you?” he grumbles.
I shrug and smile. “I don’t know yet. He’s handsome, charming, and seems to be the only member of his family with any brains or common sense. So why not?”
“Handsome?” Hurley scoffs. “You find that coiffed playboy look appealing?”
“I find many looks appealing,” I tell him. I turn to head for the conference room but before I can take a second step, Hurley grabs my arm and pulls me back.
“Don’t do it,” he says.
“Are you kidding? I wouldn’t miss this denouement for anything. I can’t wait to see those spoiled brats get their comeuppance.”
“I don’t mean that,” Hurley says, looking nervous. He still has a hold on one of my arms and he grabs the other one and turns me to face him. “I mean the other thing. You can’t . . . I mean, you shouldn’t . . . damn it!” He blows out a breath of exasperation. “I don’t want you going on a date with Aaron Heinrich,” he finally spits out.
His hold on me is firm but not tight and I briefly consider shaking his grip loose. But I like him touching me too much to do so. So I issue a verbal challenge instead. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t.”
Hurley pulls me closer and wraps a hand around the back of my head. Then he launches a full-frontal lip assault. Our mouths collide in a deliciously sensual lock and then his second hand is at the small of my back, pulling me into him. As his tongue starts a gentle probe, I feel the hot, throbbing parts of him against my own. My nipples jump to attention and I cop a cheap feel by rubbing my chest ever so slightly over his.
And then I hear an “Ahem” behind us.
Suddenly all that wonderful heat is gone as Hurley breaks his lip-lock and steps back, away from me. The action leaves me breathless, longing, slightly befuddled, and a tad pissed off. I look to Hurley for an answer and see that his eyes are no longer focused on me, but rather behind me. I turn and find Izzy standing there wearing a smirk nearly as wide as he is tall.
“I’d offer the two of you a private room,” Izzy says. “But I’m afraid the best I can come up with on such short notice is the morgue fridge. And not only are those tables kind of uncomfortable, I’m afraid the two of you would thaw out all the bodies.”
“Sorry,” Hurley mumbles, adjusting his pants in a vain attempt to hide the conspicuous bulge that has sprung up.
“No need to apologize,” Izzy says, still grinning from ear to ear. “But we are about to get started in the other room so if you want to attend, you might want to get yourselves together and head that way.”
“Be right there,” Hurley says.
Izzy turns and leaves the room. I look back at Hurley, expecting him to appear embarrassed or chagrined, but instead he’s wearing a smirk.
“So, was my reason good enough for you?” he says.
“Huh?”
“Did I persuade you?”
“Persuade me?” My mind can’t seem to wrap itself around what he’s asking because it’s still muddled up in a haze of glorious sensations and raging hormones.
Hurley shakes his head at me. “How quickly they forget,” he says. “You asked me to give you one good reason why you shouldn’t date Aaron Heinrich. So I’m asking you, was my reason good enough?”
“Oh. That.”
“Yes, that.”
I lick my lips, relishing the lingering taste of him there. “Yeah,” I say, giving him a silly-assed grin. “I’d say you made your, um, point”—I shoot a salacious glance toward his crotch—“exceedingly well. Now you better find a way to make it go away or Easton Heinrich might think you’re coming on to him.”
“Want to help me?”
Oh, boy.
Suddenly the Heinrich/Conklin fiasco doesn’t seem so interesting. But before I can answer, the main door to the office opens and two cops stroll in: Junior Feller and Larry Johnson.
Suddenly the Heinrich/Conklin fiasco doesn’t seem so interesting. But before I can answer, the main door to the office opens and two cops stroll in: Junior Feller and Larry Johnson.
At first I think the presence of the cops means the families in the other room must have gotten out of hand already, but the relaxed manner of Junior and Larry as they stroll into the room suggests otherwise.
“Hey, Steve,” Larry says, acknowledging him with a nod. He looks at me and his voice warms up several degrees as he says, “Good to see you again, Mattie.”
Hurley doesn’t miss the subtle change in Larry’s tone, but even if he did, the puppy-dog eyes Larry has every time he looks at me is a dead giveaway.
“What are you guys doing here?” Hurley asks, his tone gruff.
Junior says, “Izzy called us and wanted us to stand by. He said he’s got some news to deliver to that nutcase family that went bonkers at the hospital the other day and he wanted some backup on hand just in case.”
“Probably a smart idea,” I say.
Hurley puffs out his chest a bit and says, “I think I can handle things on my own.”
Apparently I’m not the only one whose hormones got a workout during that kiss. Clearly Hurley has more testosterone than brains at the moment. Not only do the Heinriches and Conklins have him clearly outnumbered, they’re also nuttier than squirrel shit. After working in the ER for a number of years, I can vouch for the added strength insanity imbues in people.
As soon as Hurley throws down his awkward gauntlet, a deafening silence fills the room. Larry, who is known for his painful bluntness and lack of verbal filters, remains thankfully quiet and continues to just stand there making moon eyes at me.
Junior, who is a bit more tactful, finally breaks the silence and says, “Oh, I’m sure you can, Steve. But to be honest, we want to be in on whatever’s going down. One of those crazy-assed Heinrich women nailed me in the cojones the other day during that melee at the hospital. And from what Izzy told us, the Heinriches aren’t going to be very happy with what he has to tell them. So personally, I’d like to be here. I can’t wait to see their hopes get crushed into tiny little pieces.”
Yikes!
I make a mental note to never do anything that will piss Junior off.
I make a mental note to never do anything that will piss Junior off.
Hurley ponders Junior’s request for a moment, and then says, “Okay, after you.” He gestures toward the door to the back part of the office and Junior and Larry head that way. I fall in behind them with Hurley bringing up the rear. As soon as the two cops are through the door, I pause, turn over my shoulder, and whisper to Hurley.
“Is it safe to let you walk behind me?”
He grins and arches his left eyebrow at me. “Absolutely not.”
Ride ’em, cowboy!
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