You Belong to Me (22 page)

She laughed, unperturbed. ‘Me neither, but I thought it was worth a try. I’m Susie.’

‘Ted,’ he said, and it was probably closer to the truth than the name she’d given. Ted was the name on his driver’s license and credit cards. Ted Gamble was the name he’d paid Nicki Fields a hell of a lot of money to create.

‘I’m here for a convention,’ she said and he laughed.

Any man knew that was code for
I wanna get laid
. ‘I’m not,’ he said.

She looked at him, her mouth curving in a feline smile. ‘You play hard to get.’

‘That’s because I’m not interested in sex-for-hire.’

She blinked, having the good sense to play insulted. ‘Me neither.’ She rose abruptly, her eyes filling with tears. He had to give her props. The girl could kind of act. ‘You know, you’re a real jerk. This wasn’t easy for me, coming onto you.’

He leaned back in his chair, aware that several people were watching and that made him nervous. ‘Sit down,’ he said calmly and she did. From the corner of his eye he could see the other diners going back to their meals and he began to relax again.
Don’t worry
, he thought.
It’s not like any of them were looking at me anyway, not with those tits practically falling out of her sweater
. ‘Now tell me what this is really about.’

Her lower lip trembled. ‘My boyfriend cheated on me. In our bed.’

‘Then he’s scum,’ he said mildly. ‘So this is payback?’

She nodded defiantly. ‘Yes. I saw you and you looked good. I’m going to do this, but it doesn’t have to be you. I don’t want it to be you anymore.’ She blinked, sending two big tears down her cheeks. God, she was really good.

If she was half as good at sex as she was at lying, it might be worthwhile. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I didn’t mean to insult you. But are you sure you want to do this?’

She nodded again, a little less resolutely. ‘Yes. He did it with my best friend. I want him to know he can’t get away with it.’

‘So you’ll have sex with a stranger to pay him back?’

‘Absolutely.’

‘Wouldn’t it be better to have sex with
his
best friend?’

She bit her lip. ‘His best friend is a disgusting troll. You’re not.’

His lips twitched. ‘High praise. I think I might blush.’

She laughed, again at ease. ‘So what’ll it be? You scratch my back, I’ll scratch your . . .’ She let her eyes drift down to his crotch, which had very understandably come to attention as soon as she’d jiggled her tits in his face.

He considered it. It would be a just reward for a hard day’s labor, and he did have a few hours to kill. ‘Just don’t draw blood,’ he said. He pushed his empty plate away and threw enough bills on the table to pay for his dinner. ‘I can’t stand the sight of blood.’

He walked her to his car, his eyes on her very visible breasts. ‘It’s not too late to change your—’ Then he groaned when she slid her body against his, kissing him open-mouthed and hot. She had his fly unzipped and his cock in her hand before he could think and then he couldn’t think at all when she dropped to her knees, taking him into her mouth. All the way down like Sandy had never done.

Oh my God
. His eyes rolled back in his head.

Then sanity returned. He yanked her up by her hair, plundering her mouth with his. ‘Are you crazy? You can’t do that here.’

‘Then find a place where I can. Where to?’ she murmured against his lips.

Alarms went off in his mind but he ignored them. Today he’d killed without mercy. Tonight he’d take what he wanted. And if she crossed him, he’d just kill her too.

‘The closest hotel,’ he said, trying to get control, but her hand was inside his pants again, stroking him.

‘Okay,’ she said breathlessly. ‘Will you drive?’

‘Get in,’ he growled, pushing her to the seat. ‘Let’s do this.’

Chapter Ten

Monday, May 3, 7.15 P.M.

T
he Bennetts were in the middle of dinner when JD knocked on the front door. It smelled like pot roast and reminded him that he hadn’t eaten in a very long time.

Mr Bennett answered the door, surprise on his face. ‘Lucy? Come in.’

Obviously they hadn’t been warned by either of the ex-wives, JD thought.

‘It’s been so long since we’ve seen you,’ Bennett went on, taking Lucy’s arm. ‘Who is this you’ve brought to meet us? I assume you’ve come to give us good news?’

‘Mr B, wait.’ She looked inside the house uncertainly. ‘Is Mrs B here?’

Bennett nodded, his smile disappearing. ‘Lucy, what’s wrong? Who is this man?’

‘This is Detective Fitzpatrick. He’s from Baltimore.’ She took the old man’s hand in hers, drew a deep breath. ‘He’s a homicide detective. I’m so sorry. Russ is dead.’

The old man’s face drained of color and he stumbled back. ‘No.’

‘I’m so sorry,’ Lucy said again. ‘Can we come in?’

Bennett stared at her for a moment, numb. ‘Of course,’ he mumbled.

Lucy helped him to a sofa and looked up at JD. ‘Stay here. I’ll be right back.’

‘Jason?’ a woman called from the kitchen. ‘Who’s there?’

Lucy squared her shoulders. ‘It’s me, Mrs B. Lucy Trask.’ She disappeared into the kitchen, where for a few moments there were happy sounds.

Then silence. Lucy reappeared, supporting a tiny woman who leaned heavily against her, her face a disturbing gray. ‘Get her a glass of water,’ Lucy said. ‘Quick.’

JD complied and when he got back to the living room, Lucy was kneeling next to the sofa, shaking a pill from an amber prescription bottle. She placed the pill under the elder Mrs Bennett’s tongue and began taking her pulse. She glanced up at Mr Bennett. ‘Is she still seeing Dr Jameson?’

‘Yes,’ Bennett whispered.

Holding Mrs Bennett’s hand, Lucy made a call on her cell phone. ‘Dr Jameson’s on his way,’ she said. ‘I should have had him meet us here. Her pulse is leveling out, thank God. Mrs B, talk to me.’

Mrs Bennett turned dull eyes on Lucy’s face. ‘My Russell . . . dead? How?’

Lucy took Mr Bennett’s hand, so that she held onto both. ‘He was murdered.’

Mr Bennett collapsed back against the sofa, his face as gray as his wife’s. ‘How?’

Lucy hesitated. ‘He was beaten. I’m so sorry.’

Mrs Bennett gasped. ‘Beaten? My Russell? Was he robbed?’

Lucy looked up over her shoulder at JD, wordlessly asking for help.
A little late for that
, JD thought. He hadn’t expected her to do the notification herself, just to observe while he did it.
I should have been a lot clearer
. Lesson learned.

‘No, ma’am,’ JD said calmly. ‘It appears to be a crime of rage. Perhaps revenge.’

The Bennetts looked lost. ‘Revenge?’ Mrs Bennett whispered. ‘But why?’

‘That’s what we need to understand,’ Lucy said with quiet urgency. ‘You talked with him often. Did he mention anyone who might have threatened him?’

Mr Bennett closed his eyes. ‘No.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Lucy said softly. ‘I’ll call Renee for you.’

‘Who’s Renee?’ JD asked.

‘Their daughter. She lives in Oxford, not too far from here.’

‘Good gracious.’ A large woman pushed through the front door without knocking. ‘What’s going on?’ she gasped dramatically. ‘Lucy Trask, what are
you
doing here?’

Lucy rose slowly and immediately the mood changed. Lucy’s hands clenched into fists and red spread across her cheeks. The woman eyed Lucy shrewdly and JD realized that the gasp had been for theatrics only. She’d known Lucy was here.

For a moment Lucy and the woman stood staring at one another and the tension in the room grew. ‘Mrs Westcott,’ Lucy said formally. ‘This really isn’t a good time.’

‘That I can see for myself. What is going on, Hildy? What has she done to you?’ Mrs Westcott roughly pushed Lucy aside and sat next to Mrs Bennett. ‘You’re as gray as old flannel. Did you take your pill?’

‘Yes, she did,’ Lucy said between her teeth. ‘You need to leave.’

Westcott glared. ‘You have no rights here. I don’t care how many initials you have after your name.’ She turned to Mrs Bennett, her mouth drooping. ‘What’s happened?’

Mrs Bennett began to cry. ‘It’s Russell. He’s dead. Murdered.’

Westcott blinked. ‘
Well
.’ She gathered the frail Mrs Bennett to her very ample bosom and patted her back. ‘You poor dear. It was his hard living, Hildy. It was bound to catch up to him.’ This made Mrs Bennett sob harder and Mr Bennett look like he wanted to bodily throw the woman out.

JD considered doing it for him, but then the woman began to talk.

‘A shame it is, just a shame. I wonder who’ll be next.’

‘Next?’ JD asked and Mrs Westcott looked up coolly.

‘And you are?’

‘Detective Fitzpatrick, Baltimore Homicide. And you are?’

‘Myrna Westcott.
I
live next door.
I
chair the neighborhood watch.
I
make sure
undesirables
don’t hurt my neighbors.’ She gave Lucy the evil eye as she said this.

Lucy seemed to grow taller, her spine even more rigid, and for a moment JD thought she might strike the woman. But Lucy turned on her heel to walk away. ‘Bitch,’ she muttered under her breath, shocking JD into an open-mouthed stare.

‘I heard that,’ Westcott declared loudly. ‘Your mother would be so ashamed.’

‘Which would be nothing new,’ Lucy said through clenched teeth. It had been as if a cork had popped as she stood, practically vibrating. Then she drew a breath and turned back to Mr Bennett. ‘I’m sorry. I’m going into the kitchen to call Renee. I’ll be back.’

Feeling like a spectator on a soap opera set, JD pulled his wits together. ‘What do you mean, who’s next?’ he asked politely. He crouched, pressing his fingers to Mrs Bennett’s wrist. Her pulse was weak but steady, so she hadn’t yet been smothered by Westcott’s bosom. He looked up to find Westcott studying him with venom.

‘Are you with Lucy Trask?’ She said Lucy’s name like she’d say
Hitler
.

Yes
, he wanted to snap, but did not. ‘I’m a detective, ma’am,’ he said blandly. ‘I’m here because someone’s dead that should not be. What did you mean, who’s next?’

‘Just that these things come in threes. Everyone knows that.’

‘Dr Bennett was the second one to meet with harm?’ JD asked.

‘Oh yes,’ Westcott said with glee at being able to share juicy news. ‘Two months ago Malcolm Edwards and his wife went out for a sail and,’ she leaned closer to JD, bringing the still sobbing Mrs Bennett with her, ‘
never came back
.’

From the corner of his eye JD noticed that Mr Bennett had gone still as stone.

‘Who was Malcolm Edwards?’ JD asked and Westcott shrugged.

‘A boy who grew up in the neighborhood. Bought himself a fancy yacht and took up a fast life that was the death of him, just like Russell.’

Mr Bennett swallowed. ‘He had cancer, Myrna. It’s not the same.’

‘He was
lost
at
sea
,’ Westcott sniffed. ‘Then Russell is taken from us.’ She patted Mrs Bennett’s back. ‘Don’t you worry, Hildy. I’m here.’

Lucy came back into the room, her composure regained. ‘Renee’s on her way.’

‘Thank you, Lucy,’ Mr Bennett said faintly. He stood, and for a moment JD thought he’d fall down. But he didn’t, surprising JD by taking Lucy’s arm and escorting her to the door. ‘I appreciate you coming all this way, Lucy,’ he said quietly. ‘But Mrs Bennett isn’t well. Perhaps you and the detective should go now and let her rest.’

Over her shoulder Westcott gave Lucy a triumphant glare, while Lucy stared at Bennett, her eyes filled with stunned hurt. ‘I can stay. For as long as you need me.’

A car pulled up outside. ‘That’s Dr Jameson. He can make sure Hildy gets the proper care. Thank you for coming, Lucy dear. Thank you, Detective.’

For a moment JD debated saying he was going to stay, but decided against it. He gave Bennett his card. ‘Thank you, sir. This news will take a while to sink in. You’ll have questions and may remember something later that might be of value to our investigation. Please feel free to call. Come, Dr Trask. I’ll take you home.’

Westcott sniffed loudly. ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say.’

JD wanted to tell the old biddy to shut her damn mouth, but he was watching Lucy who was searching Bennett’s face with near desperation. She closed her eyes briefly and squared her shoulders, reaching up to give the old man a hug he did not return. ‘This has been a shock. You know my cell. Call me and I’ll come. You know that.’

‘I know. I’ll call you soon.’ And with that he shut the door in their faces.

Lucy walked to the street, her hurt palpable. JD opened the car door for her, then frowned, the hackles on the back of his neck rising. He turned, scanning the street to find the source of his unease. In the house next door to the Bennetts’, a pair of eyes stared through the blinds in the living room window.

‘Lucy, someone’s watching you.’

‘Someone’s always watching you here,’ she said bitterly. ‘Let’s go.’

Monday, May 3, 7.15 P.M.

‘I’d like a room,’ he said, Susie in tow.

The guy behind the hotel desk looked up. ‘How long will you be staying with us?’

‘Maybe a night. I’ll pay cash.’

‘You have to use your credit card, sir. The system won’t let me dispense a key card without a credit card on file.’

‘I’ll pay for the room in advance.’ He peeled two hundred dollars from his money roll and threw it on the counter.

‘I’m sorry, sir, I have to have a credit card for damages, the minibar. I’m sorry.’

‘You and me both.’ He had credit cards in his wallet, but they belonged to his victims and wouldn’t match his ID. He did have a card issued to Ted Gamble, the identity Nicki had developed for him, but he didn’t want to use it. He didn’t want anyone to know he’d been here as Gamble. When the killings were done, he would pop up in a different part of the world altogether.

Susie sidled up beside him. ‘What’s wrong, baby?’ She leaned up on her toes so that she could whisper in his ear. ‘I’m hungry for more of what I tasted outside. Hurry.’