Read The Veiled Cage (Lady Lawyer Series Romantic Suspense Novels Book 1) Online
Authors: Rita Johansen
“I’
ve noted your request. It took Jimmy a year to get his. Maybe yo
u’
ll have better luck.
I’
ll put it right up there with an espresso maker for the office, requested b
y
—”
“
Colin
.”
Kottke zipped his leather jacket
.“I’
m off.
I’
ll leave the electronics with you for when you find our new e-whiz
.
”
Ruby sighed
.“
Wish me luck
.
”
“
Yo
u’
ll need it. Flick was the best
.
”
“
Le
t’
s hope yo
u’
re wrong
.
”
Kottke laughed as he strolled out the garage door, leaving Ruby in silence.
She stood in the corner of the dining room, surveying the scene, imagining what it had looked like hours before. Table set, the smell of food cooking. Grabbing Susa
n’
s phone, Ruby propped it on the counter and saw Susan, smiling in a blue dress and sparkling shoes, holding a blue-and-white vase spilling over with flowers. She visualized what happened next. Susan rushing to set everything right for her husband. Jerry ramping into rage.
Ruby left the phone on the counter and moved to the wall damage. An elbow, a wris
t—
she wondered which part of Susa
n’
s petite frame had left the noticeable dent. An elbow, she decided, as she reenacted Susa
n’
s fall.
What did Susan feel?
Fear, she decided. It would have risen in Susa
n’
s throat and pumped her heart almost to bursting. Pushing herself up with her right hand, Ruby clutched her left as she ran, following Susa
n’
s path through the living room and out the front door, where she stopped and stood. Ruby noted the short sprint to Deanna Connell
y’
s. It was after midnight then, as now. The moon softly lit the path. Clumsy with terror, Susan had made it to her neighbo
r’
s steps. Sh
e’
d placed her faith in Deanna. If only she made it to the neighbo
r’
s, Jerald would
n’
t hurt her.
But Deann
a’
s front step was not home base; Susan was
n’
t safe.
H
e’
d followed he
r—
calm while she was terrified. Enjoying himself, Ruby figured. Enjoying his effect on her. She reentered the hous
e—
not a home. Susa
n’
s cage, in ways she had
n’
t even known. H
e’
d watched her moves even when he was away. Tracked her like prey.
Ruby walked upstairs to the second floor. She scanned a guest bedroom, decorated in sage and neutrals. Immaculate. Rarely used, she figured, and not by any visitors of Susan.
The next room held office furniture. After finding no memo cubes, no electronics, she wondered if it was ever used, or if, like the rest of the house, it was kept for appearances.
After moving on to the master bedroom, Ruby stepped into the walk-in closet and noted the tidiness. Susa
n’
s doing, Ruby figured. She photographed the empty slot among Susa
n’
s heels. Jeral
d’
s shoes sat in tidy rows in multiple
s—
not a single pair in a particular brand and style, but an array of colors in each. Someone liked his appearance very much, Ruby assessed. She photographed the set of loafers missing a triplet, and flipped through brand
s—
Boss, Armani, Ferrero. He spared no expense for himself.
His wif
e’
s wardrobe was a different story. Ruby recognized Koreanna and Peony from low-end fashion outlets. Toward the back she found nicer clothes, worn with age.
Your life was
n’
t always like this
, Ruby thought.
You once wore beautiful dresses and danced. You thought yo
u’
d married a prince. How long did the honeymoon last? Was it over before it even began?
She left the closet and took in the sleek
dé
co
r—
silver and black with splashes of red. H
e’
d marked his turf. Ruby suspected that Susan had to please him wherever she was in his domain, including the maste
r’
s bedroom. His needs and desires were paramount; hers meant nothing, and were too insignificant for him to notice.
Ruby knelt beside the bed and located a violet box. Inside, delicate remains rested on tissue paper. Though broken, Susan had tucked it away.
She took care of what was hers.
Yo
u’
re one of us now
, Ruby thought.
W
e’
re going to take care of you.
Ruby repacked the remnants, closed the house, and stood on the driveway for one last look at the residence. She hoped, when this was over, Susan would have a home.
Chapter 12
Ruby set a violet box on the counter
.“
Is this one-of-a-kind, Alfred, or could you work your magic and obtain another
?
”
He put on his spectacles and inspection gloves before examining a shard
.“
A wonderful creation made by human hands, meticulously painted and well-preserved until it met its unfortunate fate. What kind of mind allows violence against such beauty
?
”
“
Is
n’
t that the million-dollar question
?
”
“
What do you mean, my dear
?
”
“
The man who shattered this piece did the same to a beautiful woman. He twisted loyalty and love to ensnare her. On the outside, sh
e’
s still beautiful. I suspect, though, that inside she looks quite similar to this
.
”
He set down his spectacles and pinched the bridge of his nose
.“
Yes, for all of societ
y’
s advancements, we have not eradicated violence within homes, nor stamped out crime from the streets
.
”
“
I know what to do for this woma
n’
s case. But I do
n’
t know how to put her back together
.
”
“That you want to do so will make a difference. Perhaps you are
n’
t the only one that can help your client. Many believe in your work, Ruby. You need only ask
.
”
“I’
m glad you think so, because I need your keen ability to track down anything. Her husband targeted this piece for what it represente
d—
that connection to her past, her loved ones. He worked on severing those connections, on isolating her. And now sh
e’
s sitting in a jail cell facing a life sentence on Mardov
a—
the ultimate isolation. Interesting, is
n’
t it
?
”
“
Where is her husband
?
”
“
They tell me that h
e’
s on a slab in the morgue, and she put him there
.
”
“
Ah, yes, Jerald Combes. Quite unfortunate. It made the morning news. He was one of my best clients. I saw him yesterday morning, unexpectedly
.
”
Ruby jerked up her head
.“
Mind if I record this
?
”
“
Of course not, my dear
.
”
“
PSC, record on. Interview of Alfred Whitehorn. Alfred, you stated that Jerald Combes was in your shop yesterda
y—
Friday, the ninth of May. Correct
?
”
“
Yes
.
”
“
What time
?
”
“I’
d finished my morning routine. A tad past nine,
I’
d say
.
”
“
What brought him in
?
”
“
He was here to pick up a piece of jewelry for a friend. Business acquaintance, more like
.
”
“
Wh
o’
s his buddy-slash-business contact
?
”
“
Anthony Priestley
.
”
“
Did he say why Priestley was
n’
t picking up his own jewelry
?
”
“
No, he said he wa
s‘
doing him a large
.’
I remember the language because it was most unlike Jerald
.
”
“
Anything beside his jargon strike you as odd
?
”
“
He seemed flustered. Jerald has made many purchases, and yet he started off before signing for the item
.
”
“
What has he purchased
?
”
“
Kitchen-related antiques and collectibles
.
”
Ruby tapped her PSC and held it up
.“
Her
e’
s a photo of the cleaning supplies found at his residence
.
”
Alfred adjusted his spectacles
.“
Yes, I procured these pieces for Jerald. He was a very loyal client
.
”
“
Yo
u’
re his sole supplier
?
”
“
His antiques-and-collectibles acquirer. You make me sound like a common peddler
.”
He sniffed and whisked a white handkerchief from his pocket to clean his spectacles.
“I’
m sorry, Alfred. I have the utmost respect for you and your business. Ther
e’
s no acquirer-client privilege. Mind if I see his file
?
”
“
Certainly
.
”
“
Did he say why he bought these items
?
”
“
They were for his wif
e’
s collection. I suppose she kept them as conversation pieces, and to remind herself of the wonders of the modern kitchen
.
”
“
No, Alfred. She used them. Jerry bought them for her to make sure she did
n’
t take any shortcuts in serving him
.
”
“
Tha
t’
s preposterous. I had no idea he did anything of the sort
.
”
Ruby laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder
.“I’
m sure you did
n’
t, Alfred. Jerry had many people fooled
.
”
“
I do not consider myself a fool. One moment, please
.”
Alfred disappeared in back, and returned a few minutes later with a bound black book. He set it in front of Ruby
.“
It contains anything one would ever want to know about homemaking antiques and collectibles. And I will transfer a copy of Jeral
d’
s file to you
.
”
“
May I have Anthony Priestle
y’
s as well
?
”
“
Yes, indeed
.
”
“
Thanks, Alfred. Did Jerry sell anything to you
?
”
“
Only once, perhaps six months ago. He had antique farm equipment
.
”
“
Did you think it was unusual for a chemist to have farm equipment
?
”
“
Yes. I inquired, and he said it was on land he had inherited
.
”
“
Did you notice anything unusual about his appearance yesterday
?
”
“
He had on a yellow-gold garnet rin
g—
right hand, ring finger
.
”
“
Did Jerald not wear jewelry
?
”
“
He di
d—
always in good taste, and new. But I recognized this particular piece from elsewhere. It had a distinguished desig
n—
a golden lion overlaid the stone. Anthony wears one that I dare say is identical. I would have to study them to confirm
.
”
“
Anything else
?
”
“
He was in a frightful hurr
y—
no time for coffee, no interest in perusing the latest shipment. Jerald had requested first pick. I imagined his wife had quite the collection. I never dream
t
—”
Ruby anticipated his train of thought
.“
Do
n’
t beat yourself up, Alfred. All we can do is help Susan
.
”
“
That poor woman. I
t’
s intolerable what h
e’
s done to her. If he were still with us,
I’
d have a mind to tell that wanker to sod off
.
”
“
I could
n’
t agree more. Did he buy anything else recently
?
”
“
Yes, he purchased a large table, also wooden, custom-built by a very well-known craftsman for a mortician in Connecticut at the turn of the last century. A bit ghastly, but an undeniably rich history to the piece. I like to think those prepared on it for their final resting place received the proper respects
.
”
“
Tha
t’
s gruesome, and not a cleaning supply. Strike you as odd
?
”
“
Yes, but sometimes clients deviate from their usual collections
.
”
“
Did he say h
e’
d moved into morgue paraphernalia
?
”
“
No, but he was rather vague on his reason for the purchase. I figured h
e’
d find a place for it in his lab
.
”
“
His state-of-the-art lab at Tycon Industries? No way would Tycon allow something bathed in blood over a century old into their facilities. Sanitary wood is an oxymoron
.
”
“
No, not Tycon. His personal lab
.
”
“
Tell me more about Jeral
d’
s personal lab
.
”
“
It was the reason for unloading the farm equipmen
t—
to make room for his private lab, where he could do the experiments that would take his industry by storm. Come to think of it, h
e’
s usually verbose about his experiments. Yesterday he was very close-lipped about them
.
”
“
Le
t’
s walk this through. He comes in to pick up jewelry. The jewelry is for whom
?
”
“
For Elizabeth Priestle
y—
Anthon
y’
s mother
.
”
“
Any other details? Anything unusual about how he moved, what he said, how he said it
?
”
“
He nearly had a casualty on his way ou
t—
a hat rack from the gilded age. I pretended not to notice, but you know me, my dear
.
”
“
Little escapes your attention
.
”
“
He called me Freddy
.
”
“
Freddy? You do
n’
t strike me as a Freddy
.
”
“I’
m typically not, but Anthony calls me Freddy. I presumed it was a slip. Maybe Anthony told him to see Freddy, and it stuck. Interesting, is
n’
t it
?
”
“
Yes,
I’
m finding it all fascinating
.”
Ruby leaned across the counter and gave Alfred a sound kiss on his whiskered cheek
.“
Thank you, thank you, and thank you
.”
Ruby scooped up the book and her PSC.
“
Anything else
?
”