Till Death Do Us Bark (27 page)

Arlene shook her head. “That might have been interesting, seeing as Adrianne’s been into kickboxing for the past year.”

“Did ya hear? Did ya hear?”
Rudy snapped out.
“She could’a learned one of them fancy kicks and slammed Kent in the chest.”

Ellie again cupped Rudy’s muzzle. He was right, but she couldn’t think about it now. “I’m more angry about my dog than I am about the Ms. Big Ass comment,” she admitted. So what if she wasn’t a size 6 anymore? She’d checked her bottom before buying her new swimsuit and there were no ripples or orange peel skin that came with the cellulite so many women complained about. “But she was definitely rude.”

“That’s Adrianne for you. She’s always thought the world revolved around her and everyone else was second best.” Viv grinned. “And stop internalizing. Your ass is fabulous. Just ask Sam.” She smirked. “Or Agent Double O Seven.”

Arlene’s expression slipped into solemn mode. “Ignore Adrianne. That’s what I plan to do. Everything she says is mean-spirited. Viv’s right, by the way. You do have a great ass.”

Before Ellie could speak, Rosa began clearing the table. Arlene stood and so did Viv. “Come on, let’s go inside and have a glass of wine. Arlene will break out the good stuff. We can get mellow and figure out how to get back at Adrianne.”

Ellie’s phone began to vibrate, so she shook her head. “I’ll catch up with you later. I think Sam is looking for me, and it’s time we talked.” She pulled her phone from her pocket and saw the signal for another voice mail message. “He’s left a bunch of messages, so I guess I’d better respond.”

 

Before phoning Sam, Ellie ran her hands over her boy. She’d checked Rudy for bruises or sprains, and he was fine, but he was also rabid mad. Adrianne had taken him by surprise, and he wanted revenge. Ellie had calmed him down, but he was still pacing the terrace and complaining in short woofs and gruffs.

Sam had to have free time to be so insistent about calling her, and that wasn’t the norm in his line of work. He was usually at a crime scene, in the station questioning a suspect, on surveillance duty, or filling out the reams of paperwork needed to close a case. Anything was possible, and she found that way of working challenging, tiring, and defeating.

The few times she’d been on the hunt for a killer, it was only because she was helping a friend. She was not on the NYPD payroll, nor did she ever plan to be. She valued her friends and felt she could never have enough, which was all the reason she needed to lend a hand when they were in trouble.

The thought of being a New York City detective made her skin crawl. She’d heard about some of the crime scenes Sam had worked, and his description was enough to make her stomach turn. She never wanted to walk through pools of blood, see shattered bodies, or try to figure out why some maniac had butchered a wife, child, or friend.

And she could never carry a gun or harm anyone in the course of seeking a killer.

“You about ready to go in?”
asked Rudy from underneath the table.
“I smell a storm comin’ on.”

“You’re just tired because you’ve spent a lot of energy nursing a grudge. I plan to stay out here and give Sam another try, but I can open the door and you can go up.”

She inhaled deeply and caught the scent of ozone, a sure sign of dangerous weather. Staring into the sky, she saw a mass of churning clouds obscuring the moon. It seemed as if Rudy was on a roll, his instincts about the storm, about Adrianne, about the whole murder business.

“You know, I think you’re right about that storm, but I bet we have another hour or so before we need to worry. You can still go up and find Viv and Mr. T, if you want. They’ll give you a cuddle while you wait for me.”

“I wouldn’t leave you here alone for all the Dingo bones in the world,”
he said, putting his nose on the edge of her sandal.
“We’re a matched pair, remember?”

“Okay, just give me a minute to try Sam one more time. He might be—”

“Who are you talking to, Miss Ellie?” asked Rosa, slipping through the kitchen door. “Is getting dark and the weather people say we will get a big storm. You should be inside.”

“I’m just trying to make sense of Adrianne and what she did to her sister, for one thing. Then there’s finding Dr. Kent’s killer to save your son. I’m afraid I haven’t gotten very far with that problem.”

The housekeeper took a seat at the table. “Ah,
sí
, I was afraid of that. The
policía
, they have evidence and motive, correct? And that is all they need to bring my Tomas to trial.”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Ellie forced herself to chat, even though she was exhausted. “I wanted to ask you about something you said earlier, when you talked about a
manda.
”

“Ah,
sí
, the
manda.
” Rosa nodded. “It is special, something we do to ensure what you call a happy ending to a challenge or a battle.”

“And you said it was like a
juri
—”

“Jur-a-men-to,”
Rudy muttered.

“Juramento.”
Ellie corrected herself. “Sorry, but my Spanish is almost nonexistent.”

“I understand, so I will explain, yes?”

“Please do. I need all the assistance I can get if I’m going to free your son.”

“Ah, but my Julio, he has already gone to the highest giver of help. The one who can do the impossible for her believers. The
Virgen.
”

Though she pronounced the word as “veer-hen,” Ellie knew whom she meant. “The Blessed Mother?”

“Sí, sí
. A
juramento
is a promise to a saint when one of my people wants to stop drinking. A
manda
is like that, but it can be for anything.”

“So Julio made a
manda
to the Holy Virgin.”

“Sí.
When our boy is freed, he and Tomas promise to go home to Mexico City, where they will crawl on their knees to the Altar del Perdón in the Catedral Metropolitana in gratitude.”

“Wow, that’s some promise,” said Ellie, clasping her hands together on the table.

“Told ya so,”
Rudy gruffed.

“But it will be well worth the trip, if our Tomas is proven innocent. And we will owe you a year’s worth of prayers in thanks, as well.”

“That’s fine with me. I don’t think you can ever have too many prayers,” Ellie said, trying to hide the emotion welling in her throat. “I’d appreciate that.”

“It will be the least we can do for someone who is so willing to save our boy.” Rosa stood. “Can I get you anything before I retire? Hot tea or some lemonade?”

“A cup of Earl Grey would be nice. Thank you.”

Rosa left, and Ellie used the time to dial Sam, who answered on the first ring.

“Hey, babe. How are things?”

She leaned back in her chair. She hated lying to anyone, especially Sam. “Fine . . . just great. . . . How about you?”

“What’s wrong?” he asked after a full five seconds.

“Wrong? What makes you think something’s wrong?” Ellie swallowed. “Everything is wonderful.”

“Aha. So why do I think you’re lying?”

“I’m not. Though I did have some problems with that pricey sunscreen Viv talked me into buying. My tan isn’t exactly what I was hoping for.”

“Sorry to hear it. But you knew it would be tough to tan with your fair skin and red hair. Maybe next time you want some color I’ll be there to put on the sunscreen. Besides, having a suntan is no big deal.”

“I was just hoping. How are you?”

“I grabbed a crappy case the other day, so I’ve been busy, but Vince is on call so I have a break. Since we’re in a storm situation, I thought maybe I’d drive to Montauk early tomorrow morning and spend a day with you, seeing as you’d probably be housebound.”

Eeek!
“What? No!” She sucked air into her lungs. “I mean, this isn’t a good time. There’s been a death, so we’re holding a memorial service and—”

“A death? Who died?”

Ellie slumped in her seat. Sam sounded suspicious. Too suspicious. “A—a—friend—of the family. No one important.”

“You’re going to a memorial service for no one important?”

“Well, they weren’t important to me, but they were to the McCreadys so I’m tagging along,” she said, proud of the half-truth. “In support of Viv, of course.”

“Too bad, because I only have tomorrow. After that, Vince is taking a day off. It’s raining buckets here right now, but word is the storm is moving your way. Damn near a hurricane when it started out, but it’s quieted down some. You be careful tomorrow, you hear?”

“I hear.” She heaved a sigh of relief. “I miss you, Sam.”

“I miss you, too. Just take it easy. You deserve a break. Maybe next year, we can go somewhere together. Then I’d be the one to help you into and out of that new swimsuit.”

Her insides warmed. Sam had already given her a hand getting out of her Karla Colletto after she’d modeled it for him at home. They had their issues, like all couples, but intimacy had never been one of them. “We could rent a house for a month, if I found a walker friend to take all the dogs.”
Or a decent assistant.
“I’ll work on it.”

“Just make sure it’s a place I can afford on my own. I could get a week, but if you wanted to stay longer I’d commute the rest of the time.”

Since they’d started living together, Sam had insisted they do the extra stuff on his NYPD salary, and not what she earned as a dog walker, and she tried to accommodate him. They didn’t talk money often, but the fact that her mother was well off and she was mentioned in the judge’s will was a sore spot. He wasn’t happy that she made more walking dogs than he did as a cop, and though he never complained out loud, she knew it bothered him.

But there was no way he could afford a month’s rental “out east.” “I’ll look around and see what I can find.”

“You do that, and give me a call when this memorial thing is over. I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. See you soon.”

Rudy growled as she snapped the phone closed; he raced to the top of the stairs.
“Heads up, Triple E. I smell trouble.”

“Storm trouble or people trouble?” she asked, turning around in her chair.

Instead of answering, he growled a louder warning.

The wind picked up just then and a tingle rippled down Ellie’s spine. Jim Bond’s head appeared, followed by his tall, muscular body. Tonight’s attire, a pale blue golf shirt and black slacks, was trim and dress casual, as usual. He stopped on the top step and glared at Rudy, but he showed progress by not reaching for his weapon.

“If you want Arlene, I’m afraid you’re too late. She’s already gone to bed,” she said, glad to see that Rudy was holding his temper.

Jim’s lips drew into a line. “Is there a secret code or some special word I need to know so your dog will let me pass?”

“Yeah. It’s ‘I surrender.’ Then you toss your bazooka over the terrace.”
Rudy gave another growl, this one more menacing.
“Got it, dickhead?”

Ellie smothered a smile. “Enough, Rudy. Let the man walk by.”

Rosa came out, took one look at the DEA agent, set down Ellie’s tea, spoon, and napkin, and raised a finger. “I be back.”

Jim sauntered to the table and commandeered a chair. “You keep telling me your dog is friendly, but I’ve yet to see it.”

“He is nice, but he’s also protective. If he thinks someone is going to hurt me, he’s on top of it.”

“Just what you need, living in the big city like you do.”

She inhaled another draft of ozone-filled air, dunked her tea bag a few times, and wrapped it around the spoon. “Like I said, Arlene’s already gone. You really should make an appointment instead of showing up unannounced this late in the evening. Especially with bad weather on the way.”

Rosa brought the agent the same drink setup she’d given Ellie, waved a good-bye, and shuffled into the house. Ellie sipped her drink while Jim fiddled with his tea. She wasn’t about to speak. He’d come here without an invitation. She could wait him out all night if she had to.

“Glad to know you’re aware of the storm. This end of Long Island is supposed to get hit with the remnants of the latest hurricane,” he told her. “It won’t be crippling, but they are expecting a lot of wind and rain.”

“Sam already called to warn me, but I could tell by the eerie atmosphere something big is brewing out there. With all that’s been going on, weather is the last thing I’ve been worried about.”

“Your face looks better,” he said, raising a hand toward her forehead. “The swelling is down and the bruise is clearing up. Does it still hurt?”

“Only when I laugh,” she answered with a frown. “Now tell me what you want and make it quick. I’m finishing this tea and calling it a night.”

“So you heard from your boyfriend the cop,” he said, smiling.

“We hung up a couple of minutes ago.” She took a long swallow of her tea. “Now tell me, Special Agent Bond, why are you here?”