A Novel Murder (15 page)

“No, and this is to keep me awake today.”
He picked up the container and took a swig. “I couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about some beautiful babe who planted a kiss on me that made me want more.”

She gasped.
“Tony!” Shock surged through her like a bolt of lightning. She looked over one shoulder than the other. “You promised....”

“Did I mention any names?”
He smiled in his smug sort of way. “You asked why I couldn’t sleep and I told you. Calm down, you’re like Miss Muffet who just saw the spider.”

Michelle sat at her desk, put her purse in the bottom drawer and slammed it shut.

“My, aren’t we cranky today. Maybe you need some caffeine. Care to share?”

She pierced him with an icy stare.
“Why wouldn’t I be cranky? Because of you, I actually stole something from my best friend. I can’t believe I’ve stooped so low.”

“So, you got a picture?”

“Yes, it’s in my purse. Naomi left the room and I turned into a common shoplifter. I can’t believe you put me in this position.”

“Whoa, calm down.
You got what we needed without a hitch, I’m sure you can get the snapshot back and she’ll be none the wiser...right after we show it to Bernie.”

Shell took a deep breath.
“No,
you
show it to Bernie. I’ve done my part, and if I have to deal with that obnoxious little twerp again, I just might have to punch him.”

Tony laughed.
“I’d love to see that, but I don’t need my partner in jail on assault charges. You stay here...as a matter of fact, I still have a lot of numbers I haven’t called, trying to find Cara’s friend. He pulled out his top drawer and slid a lined yellow pad of scribbled digits across the expanse of their desks. Have fun.” He grabbed his jacket and strode out the door.

Michelle stared at the numbers and moaned.
There must be over a hundred he hadn’t yet called. Was it worth the time and effort? What were the chances and old friend could tell them anything about Cara’s current life? She slid the pad back across to his desk. Calling people all day with hopes of finding the right one would be her last resort. Maybe she’d go to Kitty Katz again and talk with the owner. She still hadn’t ruled him out as a suspect.

On the way to the strip joint, Michelle decided a visit with Mr. Costanzo would be a lost cause. She had no idea what she’d ask him that she hadn’t already asked everyone else. Instead, she decided to drop by the library and see Naomi and find out how Paul’s home going had gone...and to assuage her guilt over being a common thief ...even if her motive kept her from telling her best friend the truth.

Michelle parked in the library lot and went inside. The musty smell of old books greeted her at the door.
Air conditioning iced the air. The huge building was nearly empty except for a few stragglers using computers in the far corner. Approaching the counter, Michelle noticed someone other than Nay.

“May I help you,” The mousy little woman pushed her glasses higher on the bridge of her nose and spoke in a mere whisper.

“I’m looking for Naomi Parker.” Michelle matched the woman’s tone.

“She didn’t show up for work today.
I’ve called her home number several times, but there’s no answer.” She leaned forward. “Quite frankly, I’m concerned. This is not at all like Naomi. She hasn’t missed one day of work, other than scheduling every Wednesday afternoon off a few months ago, but why she didn’t call is rather puzzling.”

Michelle’s heart seized.
The Naomi she knew would never fail to show up unless she was sick, and Nay never got sick. Why was she taking Wednesdays off? She’d never mentioned the change in her schedule. Without another word, Shell nodded and spun on her heel. Something was wrong. She felt it in her gut.

Although she drove an unmarked service vehicle, Shell did have emergency lights
and considered using them, but instead, weaving in and out of traffic, she broke the speed limits to get to Nay’s apartment. Pulling into the lot, she noticed only Naomi’s car in one of the two spots assigned to her. Paul’s red Toyota was gone. Michelle didn’t know whether to be upset or relieved. Without him, she could speak freely, but hadn’t he just come home? Why would he be gone so soon?

She hurried to the elevator, already hyperventilating with worry about Naomi...so much she didn’t take notice of the ride to the third floor.
She hurried down the hallway and rapped on Naomi’s door. The door edged open at her touch. Michelle wedged her face between the door and the jamb. “Naomi, are you home?”

No answer.

Michelle’s heart pounded. Of course Nay was home. She’d never leave her apartment unlocked, let alone the door ajar. Without another thought, Michelle rushed inside, calling her friend’s name. A broken lamp, an overturned end table, along with a coffee table littered with six empty beer cans and a drained wine bottle caught her eye. “Naomi,” she continued calling, heading for the bedroom. Panic tightened her chest.

The room was empty, the bed unmade and blankets askew.
God, where was Naomi? Michelle turned to leave, but spied a hand extending from the far side of the bed. She rushed over. Naomi, on the floor, her face ashen and breathing shallow, held an empty pill bottle in her hand. “Oh, Nay, what have you done.” Tears spilled down Michelle’s cheeks as she read
Valium
on the label along with the recommended dosage of one every six hours as needed.

Gathering her wits, Michelle called 911 and requested an ambulance.
Though time seemed to stand still, only minutes passed before she heard the siren coming closer. She met the paramedics at the door and pointed the way to where Naomi lay. “Please help her. She’s my best friend.”

Unable to leave her vehicle and ride along with in the rescue vehicle, Michelle gathered up a few things Naomi might need: her purse, her keys, a hair brush, then watched the ambulance leave, red lights flashing.
She hurried to her car, her hackles raised at what Paul had undoubtedly caused. Tony’s assumption was ringing more true by the moment. His inability to commit to Naomi and his careless attitude certainly fit the bill for the murderer, and now he’d driven another woman to the brink of death.

There was nothing Michelle could do at the hospital except pace, so she headed for the station to check in with her partner. She’d get to her best friend’s side as soon as the doctors had time to assess her condition.

* * *

Michelle hustled into the squad room, her forehead creased and her eyes red.
Tony bolted to his feet. “What happened, Meesh? Are you all right?”

As if they were alone in the world, the fears she claimed about their superiors suspecting an attraction between them didn’t seem important. She fell into his arms, clinging to him like a baby panda does its mom.
“Oh, Tony,” she sobbed against his neck. He gathered her closer in a comforting hug, enjoying the guilty pleasure.

“What happened?”

“It’s Nay.
I found her on the floor of her apartment. She apparently took an overdose of tranquilizers. It’s Paul, I tell you. He drove her to it or put a gun to her head and made her take the pills. We’ve got to find the bastard.”

Tony held her at arm’s length. “It’s not him...at least in the Austin case. Bernie said he wasn’t sure about the actual description other than what he gave us, but he was adamant he’d never seen the man in the picture.”

At the news, Meesh collapsed back into his arms and cried harder, her tears dampening his collar. He held her tighter. “Don’t worry, we’ll find him and make him pay for what he did to Naomi. How is she, by the way?”

Michelle
pushed out of his embrace and knuckled her eyes. “I don’t know. I wanted to give the doctors a chance to tend her without getting in the way, so I have to get to General Hospital. Will you drive me? I’m a wreck.”

“Of course, let me sign us both out.”

He returned to her side, draped his arm around her shoulders and walked her out to his car. Her body trembled and she leaned into him.

They made the short ride to the hospital in silence. Tony pulled into the emergency room
roundabout where she got out. “I’ll park and meet you inside.” Just as her happiness was contagious, he suffered through her pain. He liked being her hero, and having her come to him for support. As much as he didn’t want to admit it quite yet, he was sure he’d fallen in love with her.

Tenseness caused pain in Michelle’s neck and shoulders. She approached the nurse’s station on wobbly legs and bolstered herself against the counter. “I...I’m here about Naomi Parker. She was brought in by ambulance a short time ago.”

The dark-haired woman behind the desk shuffled through some papers and produced
a paper. “I’m so sorry about...your sister is it? I’ll need you to sign this insurance claim, please.”

Shell nodded, her hand trembling as she signed the form.
What did the woman mean, she was so sorry?”

Michelle pushed the form back across the counter.
“When can I see Naomi? Is she okay? She’s okay, isn’t she?” Fear gripped Michelle’s heart like an icy hand.

In a business like
manner, the nurse gestured toward an empty waiting area. “If you’ll have a seat over there,” she offered no words of assurance, “a doctor will be out to speak with you shortly.”

Tony came rushing through the automatic double doors, his hair askew from the breezy outdoors.
He patted it down with his fingers and turned his curious stare on Michelle. “Is your friend all right? What’d they say?” Michelle let her purse and Nay’s drop to the floor and leaned into Tony’s arms. “I don’t know. They won’t tell me anything, but I don’t have a very good feeling about this.” She curled an arm around his neck and began crying again.

Tony held her away from him
. “Let me see what I can do.” He marched to the counter while Michelle cocked her ear in that direction while blotting tears on her sleeve.

He flashed his badge and mumbled something about a police investigation, then the nurse disappeared through the double doors behind her that prohibited entrance to anyone without permission.

He returned to Michelle, picked up the purses and handed them to her.
“Here, have a seat. I’m pretty sure someone is going to tell us something pronto.”

Michelle sat, searching for a tissue in her
pocketbook, but couldn’t find one. Tony handed her his cloth handkerchief. “Here use this.” He began pacing.

Still clutching two bags with one arm, Michelle used her free hand to blot tears.
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Tony, please stop. You’re wearing a trench in the carpet and making me nervous.”

He sat next to her and she leaned her head on his shoulder.
“What if she’s not okay, Tony? Have I failed my friend? I didn’t even know she had tranquilizers...or that she took every Wednesday afternoon off.”

Tony ran a massaging hand down her long hair.
“You didn’t fail anyone. Chances are she’s going to be fine, and then you can ask her all the things you need to know.”

Michelle watched the minutes clicking away, and after two hours passed, she shot to her feet.
“This is ridiculous. The least they could do is talk to us...give us an encouraging word or something.”

Pulling her back into her seat, Tony rose.
“Sit tight, I’ll go check again.”

Again, Tony approached the nurse, and this time with a raised voice.
Michelle heard almost every word he said, and some of it wasn’t too polite. He pointed to Michelle and muttered something about his girlfriend and a nervous breakdown. The nurse picked up the phone and dialed.

He returned to Michelle’s side and sat, resting his elbows on his knees and twiddling his thumbs. Finally he turned to her.
“I need to step outside and make a call. Will you be all right?”

“I’m fine right now, but don’t take long.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

Even through all her sadness, watching him as he walked out the door warmed her in the way a rescued pup might feel.
God, she never wanted to be without him, and right now she needed him more than ever. Reality dragged her concern back to her best friend. Nay would laugh if Michelle shared such mushy feelings...or make one of her famous wisecracks. Oh, how Shell longed to hear Nay’s voice, no matter what she said. Patience, Michelle reminded herself. It wouldn’t be long now and they could all laugh about this unexpected turn of events. Naomi was going to be just fine. She had to be.

By the time Tony came back inside, a somber looking Asian man in a white coat appeared through the double doors. The nurse directed him toward where Michelle and Tony sat, and Michelle swallowed hard.
She stood next to Tony, squeezing his hand.

“I’m Doctor Nguyen.”
The man spoke in halted English and offered his hand.

“Tony Rizzetti.” He accepted the man’s palm, then gestured to her. This is Mee...Michelle Wallace.”