The Brass Ring (30 page)

"It’s okay," Jamie cut her off, fully understanding her concerns. "You see, the reason she sounds so much like CC is because . . . she is CC."

"Are you insane!" Becky shouted loud enough to be heard over the din of the busy restaurant.

Jamie slid down in her wooden chair as everyone stared at them. "Hear me out," she pleaded quietly as the waiter delivered their lunch. "I think we need another round," she suggested and the waiter nodded. "Make hers a double," she said, taunting her old friend.

"She walked out on you," Becky flared after the waiter scurried off. "And getting me drunk won’t change that."

"No amount of alcohol will change what happened," Jamie confirmed as she began to rub her temples. Her head was pounding violently. "You remember back then when I didn’t hear from her?" Becky nodded in agreement. "You defended her. You told me that there was no mistaking the way she looked at me."

"Yeah," Becky responded suspiciously. "I was shocked that she turned out to be a jerk. And I could have kicked myself for defending her."

"You were right," Jamie blurted out. "She had a real good reason for not calling me back."

"What? Alien abduction?" Becky snorted indignantly. Jamie laughed at the comment as she recalled her own reaction when CC finally told her the truth. The waiter delivered another round of cocktails as Jamie stifled her laughter.

"Okay, brace yourself; this is going to take some time," Jamie cautioned her friend who looked as if she wanted to beat CC within an inch of her life. "It all started the morning she left my dorm room . . ."

A couple of hours later the two women were sitting in Dunkin’ Donuts, working on their second cup of coffee in an effort to combat the tequila. "Wow," Becky muttered for the hundredth time. "So her sister confirmed all of this?" she inquired in amazement.

"Yes." Jamie nodded her confirmation. "It’s all true. Not that I believed her at first."

"How could you?" Becky supported her. "Frank hears a lot of things down at the paper about all the tip offs and FBI corruption involving Whitey. It doesn’t surprise me that a snitch would panic by being pulled over. You must have freaked when you saw her again."

"At first I thought it was some cruel twist of fate that we ran into one another again," Jamie explained as she recalled how badly she had treated CC. "And when I found out I was living next door to her, I was convinced that I’d been very bad in a past life. Now I just think it was meant to be."

"Wow." Becky glanced at her watch and grimaced. "It’s late. Frank is probably pulling out what’s left of his hair by now. I bet the kids are driving him up the wall."

"Your little ones are angels," Jamie protested.

"They’re not so little anymore." Becky sighed. "But since you’re coming over for dinner very soon," she threatened, "you can find out for yourself."

"I promise," Jamie vowed. "Walk me to the T station."

"No car?" Becky asked curiously.

"CC has it for the day," Jamie explained. "She’s working a difficult case and had to go into work today. You know that girl they found in the park in Allston?"

"Oh, that poor thing," Becky sympathized as they stepped out into the warm sunlight. "Frank’s sister walks by that park every day. "

"The girl was one of my residents," Jamie explained sadly. "She was really sweet and full of life. The whole thing is unbelievable. CC has been really overprotective since it happened."

"Good," Becky said firmly.

"Between the murder and a would-be Romeo following me around at work, she’s been on edge," Jamie confessed sadly.

They walked to the train station and exchanged their goodbyes. "Be careful," Becky cautioned her before she descended the staircase for the red line train. As Jamie rode the train, she was unaware that her lover was frantically trying to reach her on her cell phone. Since the doctor was underground the urgent call wasn’t being received.

After several transfers she got off at the green line station near her home. The beeping of her phone startled her as she stepped off the train. She noted that the sun was setting and she briefly wondered if she should hail a cab instead of walking the three blocks to her house. Between fumbling for her telephone and searching for a taxi, she never noticed the black BMW sitting at the corner.

CHAPTER FORTY

A
FTER MAX HAD managed to calm her fears somewhat and get CC back into a professional mode, she felt more focused. Still it didn’t quiet her heart that was still pounding furiously. CC called the station and tracked Wayne down just as the poor bugger was trying to leave for the day. She turned on the charm, knowing that it would take relatively little to convince Wayne to do what she wanted. Quickly the quiet little man was agreeing to contact the hospital to find out what Ellen Murdock did there and when she was scheduled to work again.

Once she’d completed the call, CC poured herself into Jamie’s car. She griped the entire time about the lack of room in the little Honda, and for the first time that day she smiled, knowing that this time tomorrow she would be in her new SUV. She flipped open the small notepad she always carried with her and looked up Ellen Murdock’s address. The one reassurance she had to keep her from going completely ballistic was that she knew Jamie was with Stevie. She was nestled safely away from any danger since there was absolutely no way that the unstable Dr. Fisher could know that she was there.

CC parked the Honda in front of the nondescript apartment building. The four-story brick structure looked like so many complexes that littered the city, built solely to house the state’s growing population. She checked the buzzers for Ellen’s apartment number. She found the woman’s name and shook her head, knowing how dangerous it was for a woman to list her full name; it informed any passerby that she was a woman living alone.

CC tried the glass entrance door, knowing that quite often it would be unlocked because of a broken lock or simple negligence. This time the front door was locked. She pressed the buzzer for Ellen’s apartment, which was located on the top floor. Then she waited. After what seemed like an eternity, she rang the buzzer once again. She rolled her neck and shoulders in a futile attempt to alleviate the tension that was growing with each passing second.

CC glanced at her watch and scowled. She pressed the small rectangular black button once again, this time leaving her finger firmly pressed against the button. She allowed the buzzer to ring until the tip of her finger ached in protest. Still no one responded. "Okay, she’s not home," she griped as her cell phone chirped.

CC snatched the small blue phone from its holder on her belt. "Calloway," she barked into the tiny device. She heard a small gasp emanate from the caller.

"Uhm . . . Detective," Wayne stammered as CC’s shoulder blades pinched tensely.

"Yes, Wayne," she droned in response as she began to grind her teeth.

"I found that information you wanted." Wayne’s voice was trembling nervously as he spoke.

"Okay," she said slowly, not wanting to frighten the little man any further.

"Ellen Murdock is a pediatric nurse," he said, his voice still trembling as he spoke. "She’s been on vacation since she got off work the night Sandra Bernstein disappeared. She was due back today only . . .."

"Only what," she snapped as her chest began to constrict.

"She failed to show up for her shift," Wayne blurted out quickly.

"Shit," she blurted out. "Wayne, I need you to send a CSU crew to Ellen Murdock’s address. Call me when they’re on their way in case I don’t need them," she commanded him firmly, knowing in her heart that she would need the Crime Scene Unit. He agreed and she ended the call. She dialed Max immediately and gave him the address, telling him to get his fat butt there as soon as possible. She offered no explanation before she hung up on him.

She pressed the buzzer for the manager’s apartment, praying that he would be home on Sunday. "What?" came the hostile response through the tiny speaker.

"Police," she answered firmly.

"Right," the voice scoffed before disconnecting.

CC emitted a feral growl before pressing the buzzer once again. "Knock it off!" the voice barked before disconnecting. CC pressed the buzzer, holding it firmly in place, knowing that she was disturbing the obnoxious individual on the other end.

"Look, it’s Sunday . . .!" the voice shouted angrily.

"And it’s still the police!" she shouted in response. "I need to get into one of your tenants’ apartments now!" She had considered threatening to shoot her way in but thought better of it at the last moment.

"Really?" the voice squeaked.

"Yes, really!" she fumed. "Now get up here and let me in."

The box disconnected and she was about to press the buzzer once again when a scraggly man approached the front door. She rolled her eyes at the man’s appearance as she noted that he hadn’t bothered to zip up his fly. "Why do they do that?" she muttered as she held up her badge. He gave her a wary look and examined the badge carefully before opening the door. "Its about time," she grumbled. "4H," she instructed him as Max pulled up to the curb.

"That’s Miss Murdock’s apartment," he responded in bewilderment as Max hustled to join her. Unfortunately, with Max’s large build, it took him awhile to reach her.

"I know," she said as Max stopped beside her huffing and puffing. "This is my partner," she added with a nod to the winded man next her. The apartment manager simply nodded as he headed towards the staircase.

"Elevator?" Max gasped. The scraggly man simply shook his head in response.

"Fourth floor," she informed her wheezing partner. Max simply groaned as they began to ascend the staircase.

"I can’t imagine that Miss Murdock would be in any trouble," the manager babbled as they climbed the stairs.

"Let’s hope not," CC muttered softly.

"She’s been away," the manager continued. "I was going to check on the place tomorrow. She must have forgotten to take her trash out before she left; the neighbors have been complaining about the smell."

Max and CC froze for a moment and stared at each other. "I already have CSU on the way," she explained softly as they continued to climb the stairs.

"Let’s hope we’re wrong," Max said, trying to reassure her. CC nodded in agreement although the constant gnawing in her stomach reminded her that she was right.

As they approached the door to Ellen Murdock’s apartment, an all-too-familiar stench assaulted their senses. CC and Max knew what they would find inside. "Open it," she informed the manager who seemed unaware of what was happening. He complied with her request. "Stay here," she instructed him solemnly as he blinked in confusion.

Max pulled some rubber gloves from his pocket and handed her a pair. She gave him a questioning glance as she put them on. "I had a feeling," he explained grimly as he snapped on his own pair of gloves.

CC turned the doorknob slowly as the apartment manager cleared his throat. "Are you sure you can do this?" he questioned them.

"Yes." She sighed, knowing that the occupant was no longer in a position to complain. She opened the door and the foul stench engulfed them.

"What is that?" the manager groaned in disgust.

"Stay here," CC repeated as she and Max carefully stepped into the apartment.

"Why don’t you open a window?" the man suggested as CC spun around and glared at him.

"I said stay in the hallway," she chastised him.

His mouth opened to protest when his face went suddenly pale. He clasped a hand over his mouth as his body started to convulse. CC and Max followed the direction of his eyes and found what they’d feared. "Max, could you secure the scene while I take Mr. . . . " She blinked, realizing she didn’t know the man’s name. "Him," she finally grunted, "outside to wait for CSU to show up."

Max grimaced as she grabbed the man by the elbow and escorted him out of the apartment. She knew it gave Max the creeps being left alone at the crime scene. But she had no choice. She wanted to ensure that she was never alone at the scene just in case her suspicions were correct. She ushered the manager downstairs and watched as the man emptied the contents of his stomach into an azalea bush. Once he was calm she took his statement.

She discovered that his name was Ronnie Dunhill and he hadn’t seen Ellen Murdock since a few days before her vacation was due to start. Her car was parked in the back and had been there since the night before she was scheduled to leave on vacation. She asked if he thought that was odd. He didn’t since he was certain that she would have taken the train wherever she was going. The crime scene unit arrived and CC accompanied them to the crime scene.

Her first glance at Ellen Murdock’s body was eerily familiar. "Just toss her in the park and she could be our last victim," Max noted dryly.

"Yeah," CC confirmed as she fought a wave of nausea. She wished they could open a window but she knew it would attract flies that would disturb the corpse. "Check everything," CC informed the technicians. "Her car is out back. I want that checked as well.

"Nothing on the answering machine," Max noted.

"Everyone expected her to be out of town," CC explained as she carefully examined the room. The sweat was pouring off her brow. "I’ll be right back," she offered as she dashed out into the hallway. "I never saw her react like that," one of the techs commented.

CC quickly grabbed her cell phone and dialed her home. "Stevie, let me talk to Jamie," she barked at her sister.

"Uhm . . . she’s not here," Stevie responded timidly.

"What do you mean she’s not there?" CC demanded in a blind panic.

"She’s out with a friend," Stevie explained quickly.

"I told you to keep an eye on her," CC fumed.

"I know. I just took Emma to the park while she was asleep," Stevie defended herself. "By the time I got back she was gone. She left a note saying that she was meeting a friend for lunch. What the hell is going on, Caitlin?"

"I’m not . . ." CC’s voice trembled. "Look, when she gets back, make her stay put. Do you understand?"