Arouse Suspicion (18 page)

Nick shrugged. "Maybe they thought that without Paddy, we couldn't make a case."

Danni stood and raked her fingers through her hair. "And so by killing him, they eliminated their biggest threat. But obviously someone saw your story notes, and they're not certain what you know. However, they are worried enough to ransack your apartment and break into my truck to find them."

"And try to kill us," Nick added.

"So who besides Dad might've seen your notes?"

Nick threw up his arms. "Nobody. I was always careful about that."

Frustration vibrated through his words, and Danni knew he needed something else to focus on. "Let's sort out what we have." She held up one finger. "First, we have Matt Arbor arrested for trying to fence a stolen laptop computer, which just happened to come from a stolen car. Then we have Dad, who asked Beth to represent Matt, who initially didn't seem very worried about the charge. But after Dad died, he told Beth he wanted to deal."

"So, did he know who killed Paddy?" Nick interjected. "Is that why he was killed?"

"If our theory is right, yes on both counts." Danni added a second finger. "Second, we have Dad's message to you the night he was killed. He obviously suspected he was in danger. What had he found out? How did someone get close enough to him to stage his suicide?"

"It had to be someone he knew but didn't suspect was involved."

Danni nodded. "Good point. Mrs. Countryman saw a car at Dad's place the night he died. Probably the same car that followed us and that was here last night."

"The car we're assuming is Paul's," Nick said grimly.

"But here's where the fly in the ointment comes in. The person in that car had lighter-colored hair. Gilsen has dark hair."

"Maybe Mrs. Countryman's eyes weren't working too well."

"Or it could've been an accomplice."

Nick grimaced. "The person who knew Paddy well enough to get close to him." He paused. "Sam Richmond has gray hair. Levin's is light brown. Both would pass for 'lighter-colored' hair."

Although on one level she'd known Sam and Alex were viable suspects, Nick's comment settled like a ball of lead in her stomach. "I know. Do you know where Gilsen works?"

"He told me once, but I can't remember."

"We'll have to stop by the center and see if your friend Marge has that information."

"How about some brunch first?" Nick suggested.

Now that Nick had reminded her, she was hungry. It'd been a long night. "We'll stop someplace on the way."

Danni helped Nick gather up his book notes and put them into a folder, which Danni tucked into the backpack. She also tossed the answering machine in the bag. What they had couldn't be called evidence, but someone apparently thought it was and had killed her dad because of it.

Leaving Danni's truck with its broken window in the driveway, they took Nick's SUV. As Nick pulled onto the main street, Danni's cell phone rang.

"Hawkins," she answered crisply.

"Danni, thank heavens you're all right," Cathy said, relief evident in her voice.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Beth heard from a friend of hers on the force that somebody shot at you last night."

Danni rolled her eyes heavenward. Did the whole city know? "Someone broke into my truck. Gus woke us up."

There was a long pause.

"Gus? Isn't that hottie Nick's dog?"

Danni grinned and glanced at Nick, who shot her a quizzical look. "Yes, Gus is hottie Nick's dog."

Nick mouthed,
Cathy?

Danni nodded and fought the urge to laugh at his exasperated expression.

"So, are you going to tell me what Gus and Nick were doing at your place?" Cathy asked, her innuendo crystal clear.

"It was Dad's place, and we were all sleeping."
At least at the time of the shooting.
"How're things at the office?"

"Quiet, but I have two messages for you. One's from a potential client. He'd like you to track down his fiancee who ran away with his engagement ring. He'll pay you a finder's fee of two thousand dollars in addition to your normal charge."

Two weeks ago Danni would've jumped at the chance to bring in some extra income, but she wasn't about to drop her dad's case, especially when they were getting close. "Call him back and tell him I'm too busy. What's the other message?"

"It's from Sergeant Rodgers. He wants you to call him at 555-7302 as soon as possible."

"Did he say what it was about?"

"No. I tried to find out, but he wouldn't even give me a hint."

"Okay, thanks, Cathy. I'll call him right away." She folded her phone and looked at Nick. "Sergeant Rodgers left a message at the office for me to call him."

"Any idea what it's about?" Nick asked, splitting his attention between the road and Danni.

"None." Curious and worried, Danni punched in the numbers Cathy had given her.

The phone rang once before Sarge's bellow answered. "Sergeant Rodgers."

"Sarge, it's Danni Hawkins. I just got your message."

"It's about damned time," the crusty sergeant swore. "You know a kid named Marsel Malone?"

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"Found your business card on him. He's at Memorial. Hit-and-run. Broken bones and a severe concussion."

Danni sucked in a sharp breath and pressed her free hand to her forehead. "Any witnesses?"

Sarge snorted. "Nobody sees anything in that part of town."

She was aware of Nick casting her concerned glances, but she remained focused on the conversation. "Any description of the car?"

"Dark green Taurus. It was found abandoned five blocks from the scene. Big dent in the hood with Malone's blood. No prints. Owner reported it stolen at six this morning.

"Dammit." Danni squeezed her eyes shut. "Thanks for the information, Sarge."

"Find out what the hell's going on." The sergeant hung up.

"What happened?" Nick demanded as he parked in the center's nearly abandoned lot.

Danni told him about Marsel's "accident."

"They must've figured another suicide would be too much of a coincidence." Nick's eyes flashed with anger.

"I want to swing by Memorial and see him after we talk to Marge." Danni propped her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. "Damn it! How many more people are going to be hurt or killed before we find out what's going on?"

"We're doing the best we can, Danni." Nick said quietly. A hand settled on her shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. "Come on. Let's see what Marge has for us."

Chapter Seventeen

Nick glanced at the piece of paper in Danni's hands, then through the rain-spattered windshield at the high-rise office building. "Do we have a suite number or company name?"

"This was all Marge had besides Gilsen's work number, and his voice mail picked up when I tried calling." She sighed. "Maybe we should drive around and see if we can spot his car."

As Nick drove, he surveyed the downtown area filled with cars and pedestrians. "He probably parks in a parking garage, and it would take all day to search them. It'd be easier to drop by the center tonight and see if he's there."

"We're supposed to be at Sam's place for dinner this evening." Her voice was laden with impatience. "I suppose we can stop at the center after dinner. But right now, since we're close to the hospital, let's check on Marsel."

Nick's stomach growled, reminding him that their plan to have brunch before going to the center to talk to Marge had fallen by the wayside. "Let's grab something to eat first."

"Sure, why not? We're not accomplishing anything here anyway." Her sour tone vibrated with frustration.

Nick reached over and squeezed her knee. "Hey, we'll figure it out. It's just going to take more time."

"Yeah, well, I never was very good with that patience thing."

He arched an eyebrow in feigned astonishment. "Really?" His attempt to coax a small smile from Danni succeeded.

"I got it from Dad. He was the same way," she admitted.

Nick recalled several times when Paddy's patience seemed in short supply and chuckled. "You're right. But I never saw him lose his temper."

Danni sobered and stared out the windshield. "I did. Once."

He sensed her melancholy and gently prodded her. "When?"

She didn't speak for a minute, and Nick was certain she wouldn't answer him, that the pain was too deep to share. He empathized only too well.

Nick turned into a fast-food drive-in and parked beneath a large metal canopy beside a menu and intercom. After getting Danni's selections, he pressed the call-in button and placed their order. Not long afterward, a teenage girl brought out their drinks and passed them through Danni's open window.

"Your order will be up in a few minutes," the carhop said with an oft-used, too-bright smile.

Nick sipped his slushie drink, while Danni drank her diet soda.

"I was six years old," Danni said quietly as they waited for their food.

It took a moment for Nick to figure out she was referring to his earlier question about her father's temper. "What happened?"

She plucked at her straw. "From what I remember, Mom wasn't a candidate for the Mrs. Brady award. She wanted me to be quiet in the house during the day, and at night she was gone more than she was home, so it was pretty common for Dad to put me to bed. He used to tell me she was at a meeting or playing cards with her friends. I don't know if he was lying to protect me or if he really believed it.

"One evening after dinner, they got in a big fight. Dad ordered me to my room, so I went upstairs but stayed at the top of the steps where I could hear everything. They didn't know I was there." Danni paused to take a sip of her soda.

Nick could imagine little dark-haired Danni, already willful enough to disobey her father.

"They were yelling and saying words that would've gotten me in trouble if I'd have said them," she continued, a wry note in her tone. "After a while there was this other sound—I recognized it because I'd heard it before when Mom punished me for being too loud. Dad hit her." Danni twirled her straw around and around between her fingertips. "That's when Mom left. I never saw her again."

Nick's heart ached, and he reached over to clasp her hand. It was a poor substitute for what he really wanted to do, but bucket seats weren't conducive to embraces. "I'm sorry, Danni."

She shrugged but kept her face cast downward. "It was a long time ago." She sniffed once and raised her head, revealing glistening eyes. "I'm sure it wasn't bad compared to what you had to put up with."

Abruptly, all the memories he'd buried rose from their graves to haunt him.

"My parents didn't fight much," Nick began before he even consciously decided to confide his whole sordid past. "At least not when I was younger. I used to come home from school only to be kicked out because my mother was 'working.' My dad was usually drunk, but not so drunk that he didn't forget to take the money for services rendered." Years-old resentment thickened Nick's voice. "Those were the 'good old days.' Later, when I was a teenager, after Mom lost her looks, and business was harder to come by, they used to fight." He laughed, a sharp, humorless sound. "By that time I was bigger than Dad, or he probably would've had
me
turning tricks."

Danni didn't appear shocked. During her time as a cop, she'd most likely seen worse. "I'm sorry, for all the good that does now," she said softly.

Nick gazed out his side window to lay the memories to rest once more and regain his composure. When he'd gone to Danni to get her help in discovering who killed Paddy, he never expected to spill his guts to her. Of course, he hadn't expected to sleep with her either, and he'd done that and more. If the case were progressing as quickly as their attraction to one another, it would've been solved by now.

The perky carhop brought out their tray and hung it on Nick's window. After he paid for the meal, she retreated, leaving Danni and Nick to eat.

He passed Danni's two plain burgers to her, as well as the small fries she'd ordered. Then he unwrapped his burger with the works and, even though his hunger had fled, he forced himself to eat it all.

Glancing at Danni, he noticed she only nibbled her food. More than likely she, too, hadn't enjoyed the trip down memory lane. That, coupled with the increasingly complex maze surrounding Paddy's and Matt's deaths, had pretty much ruined their appetites.

Fifteen minutes later, the carhop returned for the tray, which held half of one of Danni's burgers and most of her fries. Danni stowed the other untouched burger on the floor between the two front seats.

"Snack for later?" Nick asked, hoping to lighten the mood.

"I'm hoping we run into Southpaw," she replied.

Nick had forgotten about the former baseball player. Although he didn't have Danni's faith in the crazy homeless man, there were few other leads to follow.

Ten minutes later, Nick parked in the Memorial Hospital visitors' lot. He turned up the collar of his brown leather jacket against the drizzle as he waited for Danni to join him at the back of the Jeep. She had slung her backpack over a shoulder, not wanting to risk leaving his story notes and the answering machine in the vehicle.

Warily, he glanced around the dreary surroundings, half-expecting to spot a light-colored sedan, but he didn't see anything suspicious. He didn't chide himself for his paranoia this time.

They entered through a pair of automatic doors and stopped at the information desk. The grandmotherly woman working there gave them Marsel's room number, and Danni and Nick boarded an elevator to ride to the fourth floor.

"Even if he has regained consciousness, they may not let us talk to him," Nick said.

Stubbornness glittered in her eyes. "If he's awake, we'll talk to him."

Nick shrugged, recognizing an immoveable force when he encountered one. Besides, he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't push the injured boy too hard.

The door to Marsel's room was open. The boy was hooked up to a monitor and had an IV in his left hand. His right leg was encased in a cast, and there was a purplish lump on his right temple.

A woman sat in the chair beside his bed, her back to them.

Danni knocked softly on the door as she and Nick entered.

The heavyset woman came to her feet and faced them. Fear filled her dark eyes. "Who're you?"

"I'm Danni Hawkins, and this is Nick Sirocco," Danni said.

The woman's shoulders slumped with relief. "Marsel's talked about you," she said, looking at Nick.

"I volunteer at the center," he said. "Are you Marsel's mother?"

"Olivia Malone," she introduced herself.

Nick shook her hand. "Nice to meet you, Ms. Malone."

"Call me Olivia," she said, shaking Danni's hand.

"How's he doing?" Nick asked.

Olivia looked at her son, and her brow furrowed in worry. "As well as can be expected. Three broken ribs, broken leg, bruises all over his body, and a bad concussion."

"We were sorry to hear about his accident," Danni said. "Do the police have any leads as to who did this?"

Olivia shook her head and said bitterly, "Not a one." She tucked the sheet around Marsel's still body.

Nick glanced at Danni, asking her mutely what she wanted to do now.

"Was Marsel into anything illegal?" Danni asked his mother.

"No way," she replied with conviction.

"How can you be so certain?"

Olivia glared at Danni. "He promised me he'd stay out of trouble and get himself a basketball scholarship. He was going to get out of the neighborhood and do something with his life." She looked at Nick. "That's why he was at the center all the time. He was practicing."

"He was at the center whenever I was there," Nick said to Danni.

"Marsel's a good boy," Olivia said with a mixture of pride and defensiveness. Her expression grew cloudy. "And now, because of some careless driver, he probably won't get that scholarship."

"What did the doctor say about his injuries?" Nick asked.

"He'll heal, but he's going to need some kind of therapy for his leg. By the time he's back to normal, his chance for that scholarship will be gone." Olivia dashed a hand across her eyes.

No one spoke as they gazed at Marsel's ashen complexion.

"Did Marsel ever talk about a boy named Matt?" Danni asked, breaking the silence.

Olivia nodded. "He used to have a friend named Matt, but he killed himself a few nights ago. Marsel was pretty upset about it." She tilted her head, remembering something. "The day after Matt's death, I walked to the corner store to pick up some milk. I heard Marsel arguing with another boy—I think his name was Gary—in the alley. They were talking about Matt."

"What were they arguing about?" Danni asked.

"I only caught a few words here and there, but I got the impression Marsel thought Gary might've been able to help Matt."

"Did you hear any other names?" Danni asked.

Olivia lowered herself to the chair beside the bed and laid her hand on her son's arm. "Yes. A Gilcrest or Gilyard, something like that."

Danni squatted down beside the chair so her gaze was even with Olivia's. "Could it have been Gilsen?"

The woman thought for a moment, then nodded. "It might've been."

A nurse dressed in a colorful uniform entered the room. "Would you all mind stepping out into the hallway? I need to assess the patient."

"When does the doctor expect him to regain consciousness?" Olivia asked the RN.

The nurse, whose name tag read Kera, replied, "The doctor is hoping he'll come out of the coma in the next thirty-six hours. But even if he does wake up in the next day or so, there's a strong possibility he won't remember much leading up to the accident."

Olivia nodded in resignation. "Thank you."

Nick helped the woman from the chair and guided her out of the room, with Danni following. They walked down the hall to the small corner waiting room near the elevators.

"Is there anyone who can sit with you?" Nick asked Olivia.

"My sister's coming after she gets off work."

"Is there anything you need?" Danni asked.

"Just for Marsel to wake up," Olivia replied, a quaver in her voice.

Danni touched her forearm, then dug a business card out of her backpack and handed it to her. "Call us if you need anything, or if Marsel's condition changes."

Olivia tucked the card in her shirt pocket, then clasped Nick's hand in her right hand and Danni's in her left. "Thank you. Both of you."

"You're welcome," Danni said.

"When Marsel wakes up, tell him we'll stop by to see him," Nick said.

"I will," Olivia promised.

Nick and Danni left the woman alone in the waiting area and rode down to the main floor. The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out to see Karen Crandle, in uniform, walking toward them.

"Hello, Karen," Nick said.

The slender, blond cop glanced up, startled. "Hi. What're you doing here?"

"We came to see Marsel."

"That's where I'm headed. Sarge wanted us to stop by to see if he woke up yet. I'm supposed to get his statement."

"He's still unconscious," Nick said.

"Is anybody with him?"

"His mother."

Karen nodded, her expression pinched. "I've seen Marsel at the center. He's a good kid."

"Yeah, he is," Nick said.

The cop glanced at the elevators. "I think I'll go up and introduce myself to his mother. Maybe she knows something."

"Where's your new partner?" Danni asked.

Karen rolled her eyes. "He wanted some coffee. He said I could handle Marsel alone. Knowing him, he bought half a dozen donuts to go with his coffee."

"Kinda takes the stereotype seriously, huh?" Danni said.

"Tell me about it. But at least I don't have to put up with him too much longer—less than a day." Karen brightened.

"Are you coming to Hennessy's tonight?"

With everything that had happened, Nick had totally forgotten about the get-together. "We're going to Sam Richmond's for dinner."

"What's going on at Hennessy's?" Danni asked.

"Farewell party," Karen answered. "Two weeks ago I put in my notice. I got a lateral transfer to Denver. My sister, her husband, and kids live there, so I thought it'd be nice to be close to family." She paused. "The party starts at four-thirty. Why don't you stop by before you go to dinner?"

"We'll try to do that," Nick said. "When do you leave for Denver?"

"Two days." She glanced at the watch on her slim wrist. "I have to get going." An elevator dinged open, and Karen stepped into it. "I expect to see you both at Hennessy's later."