2 A Dyed Blonde and a Dead Body (5 page)

"I'll be there right over," he assured her. "Are you safe now?"

"I don't know," Bekki admitted fearfully.

"Can you get up?" he asked. She could tell that he was running out of his house. "Can you walk to the door?"

"I think so," Bekki whispered. She carefully got to her feet. She had to hold on to the wall to keep from losing her balance as her head swam with the effects of the blow to it.

"Lock the door," he told her sternly. "Do not answer it for anyone but me."

Bekki turned the lock and leaned her forehead against the front door. Each breath she took was laced with a new throb of her head.

"I'm almost there," he promised her. She could see him crossing the distance between their houses through the small front window. The sight of him running towards her was such a relief that she felt a few tears slip past. She was not normally afraid. She had trained in martial arts when she decided to move to the city, to make sure that she could protect herself. But she had not expected someone to be waiting for her in her home, or to strike her from behind. Nick reached the door and she hurried to unlock it. He pushed the door open and pulled her into his arms for a quick hug. He looked deep into her eyes.

“What happened?”

“I don't know,” she shook her head slowly. “I came home and I called you, and then someone hit me from behind, really hard. But that was around seven, I just woke up now,” she frowned.

“Stay right here,” he told her firmly as he led her to the couch. “I'm sure whoever it was is long gone, but I'm going to check the house.”

Bekki nodded and watched as he skillfully drew his gun and stealthily made his way through the rooms of the house. When he was satisfied that there was no one else present, he walked back into the living room, holstering his gun. He pulled out his cell phone and began dialing.

“Who are you calling?” Bekki asked, still feeling groggy.

“I'm calling for a team to come out here and dust for prints, take your statement, and get you to a hospital. Do you know what they took?” he replied putting the phone to his ear and locking eyes with her. There was a deep strain to his expression that Bekki couldn't quite understand.

“No don't do that,” she said firmly. “I know who did this. I don't want the police here. They only took one thing.”

“Bekki you were attacked, someone broke into your home,” Nick pointed out and stepped closer to her. “At the very least you need to be evaluated for a concussion.”

“I'm not going to the hospital,” Bekki said sternly. “And I'm not giving anyone my statement, other than you, if you're ready to listen this time.”

His lips drew into a regretful grimace at her words and she suddenly realized just how guilty he felt.

“I'm sorry,” he said swiftly as he crouched down in front of her and laid his hands on her knees. “When you didn't show up for dinner, I was a little upset,” he mumbled. “Okay, maybe I was very upset,” he corrected when Bekki studied him with disbelief. “So I didn't take your calls right away. When I came home I saw your car in the driveway, so I decided to speak with you face to face. But when I knocked and you didn't answer…” his voice tightened around his words. “I just thought you were upset with me, or sleeping, I never imagined that you were hurt,” his eyes misted with tears as they met hers. “I swear Bekki I had no idea.”

“I know you didn't,” she assured him, touched that it bothered him so deeply. “It's okay.”

“No it isn't,” he said firmly. “I should have been here to protect you. I should have listened to you about Lydia. Obviously you're on to something.”

“I am,” she nodded confidently. “But I still don't have any proof. I found the notepad that the suicide note was written on in this woman Julie's motel room.”

“What were you doing in her motel room?” Nick questioned, his eyes narrowing.

“Well she came into the salon, and she was missing one of the backs of her earrings, a silver one, like the one I saw at the bakery. Then she told me she was from Chicago, just like Lydia. I just couldn't shake the possibility that she had something to do with Lydia's death.”

Nick rocked back on his heels slightly as he nodded. “That was the name you were saying when I came into the salon.”

“Yes,” Bekki admitted and lowered her eyes slightly. “I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I thought I'd do a little more digging myself. Then I found out that she was a very wealthy woman, married to one of the wealthiest men in Chicago.”

“I see,” Nick said quietly, offering her no hint of what he thought about her running her own investigation despite him insisting she stay out of it.

“So I decided to just take a little peek in her motel room,” Bekki cringed as she spoke the words.

“She invited you in?” Nick asked, meeting her eyes again.

“Not exactly,” Bekki replied, not wanting to lie.

“So how did you get in?” he demanded, his tone becoming a little sterner.

“Does that really matter right now?” Bekki shot back. “I found the notepad, and I knew it had to be the same one. I was going to give it to you, but when I closed the salon I noticed that Morris was escorting this woman's husband into the bakery. Morris called him Lydia's son. Then I was certain that Julie had to be involved. I mean, that was the connection between Lydia and Julie.”

Nick ran his palms lightly along Bekki's knees as he pondered her words. She could tell that he was not exactly pleased that she had broken into Julie's motel room, but he was piecing the evidence together in his mind.

“So you're saying she was in the bakery, she had the notepad the suicide note came from, and she had a family connection to Lydia,” he said calmly.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Bekki said with some excitement, feeling as if Nick was finally catching on.

“Bekki,” he sighed as he stared up at her. “That still doesn't mean Julie killed her.”

“What are you talking about?” Bekki demanded. “With all that proof…”

“It's not proof,” Nick said firmly. “All you've explained is the reason why Julie was in town was to visit her mother-in-law.  She might have let Lydia borrow her notepad or some paper from it, and the back of her earring might have fallen off while she was at the bakery. In fact, Julie's visit might be even more of a reason why Lydia killed herself. Maybe there was some family dispute. Maybe Julie gave her some bad news.”

Bekki stared at Nick, her eyes wide, her heart beating so slowly that she was certain she might pass out again. She wanted to argue every point he made, but they actually did make sense.

“But she lied to me, she said she was in town for shopping…” Bekki began to say.

“People lie, Bekki,” he said quietly and gave one of her knees a light squeeze. “Just like if I asked you, did you break into Julie's motel room and steal from her, I expect you wouldn't tell me the whole truth.”

Bekki froze beneath his scrutiny. The way he described it made her feel as if she was the criminal. Nick held her gaze as he continued, his dark green eyes hardening. “Maybe Julie didn't want to tell you that she had come to town to confront her mother-in-law, or deliver some bad news. So it was easier for her to just say that she was in town for some shopping.”

Bekki felt all of her certainty beginning to fade away. Was it possible that she had jumped to several wrong conclusions? Was it possible that Lydia had killed herself after all?

“But then, why would someone attack me?” Bekki pointed out. “Obviously I didn't imagine that,” she pointed out sharply.

“Bekki I'm not saying that you imagined it,” he insisted, his expression softening. “Listen, the most important thing right now is to make sure that you're okay. If you don't want to make a police report, that's up to you, but I am going to call my friend who is a paramedic and he is going to look you over, understand?” he asked pointedly.

Bekki nodded a little, still reeling with confusion. While Nick placed the call to his friend, Bekki kept hashing over what she had been certain was proof. She was beginning to realize that Nick's job was a lot harder than it looked. Within a few minutes his friend arrived.

“This is Paul,” Nick introduced him casually. “Paul this is…” Nick hesitated for a second as if he wasn't sure how to introduce Bekki.

“I'm Bekki,” she interjected and offered him a tight smile. “And I'm fine.”

“Let's see that bump, hmm?” Paul asked. He looked as if he was in his forties and had a gentle demeanor about him. She leaned forward slightly and swept her dark hair aside so that he could see the back of her neck. Paul offered a low whistle.

“That's some bump,” he said quietly and glanced at Nick. “How did this happen?”

“She was hit from behind,” Nick explained.

“Must have been with something pretty heavy,” Paul clucked his tongue. “Luckily it doesn't look like it did any internal damage. But she should have an MRI to rule it out,” he shone a small penlight in Bekki's eyes and watched their reaction. “Honestly, she should get checked out at the hospital to be certain, but it looks like she handled the blow well. Alternating heat and ice over the next few hours should bring the bump down,” he frowned as he turned back to Bekki. “I'm sorry this happened to you.”

“Me too,” Bekki winced as she rubbed at the back of her neck.

“Thanks Paul,” Nick said as his friend packed up his medical kit. “I'll get her to the hospital right away.”

“You'll do no such thing,” Bekki insisted as she shifted her head from side to side. “I'm fine Nick. I'll just ice it.”

Nick pursed his lips and looked back at Paul. “You have anything in that kit for stubbornness?”

Paul laughed and shook his head. “I wouldn't recommend her being alone tonight, just in case the pain gets worse or she experiences dizziness or weakness.”

'Oh don't worry, she won't be alone,” Nick assured him as he walked Paul to the door. Once his friend was gone Nick walked back into the living room. He stared hard at Bekki who was hunched over on the couch.

“What am I going to do with you?” he asked with a half smile.

“Nurse me back to health I hope,” she smiled sweetly in return.

“Gladly,” he replied. “Just rest a moment, I'll get some ice from the kitchen.”

Bekki nodded and listened as he rummaged through the freezer. He returned with a carefully wrapped ice pack. When he sat down on the couch beside her, she scooted closer to him. She rested her head lightly on his shoulder. When his lips grazed her forehead in a subtle kiss she felt her body begin to relax. His presence was such a comfort to her, even if he didn't agree with her theories. He leaned back against the couch, and laid a pillow in his lap.

"Just rest," he encouraged her and guided her head down to the pillow. He grabbed the ice pack from the table beside the couch and rested it gingerly against the area above her neck where she had been struck.

"Are you upset with me still?" she asked in a whisper as she peeked up at him.

"About what?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"Me standing you up for dinner," she replied.

"No," he shook his head and drew a heavy breath. "I was just disappointed. I was looking forward to having some time to talk with you."

As his fingers trailed down through her hair she was amazed by how comfortable she was snuggled up to him. It seemed as if it didn't matter if they agreed with one another, or even if they got along. All that mattered was that they were close to one another.

"I'm here now," she said quietly.

"Now's not the time," he said sternly and frowned as he studied her eyes intently.

"So it wasn't going to be a good talk?" she asked curiously, her heart sinking.

Nick sighed and smiled faintly as he watched her expression shift. "Sometimes I think you missed your calling, you're a great interrogator."

"Thanks," Bekki said with a smile.

"I just think there's some things, we should discuss," he explained cryptically.

"Like what?" she wondered, her breath caught in her chest.

"Like, the past, and maybe the future," he said carefully.

"You mean when we were kids?" Bekki laughed dismissively.

He curved a hand lightly along her cheek, and stroked his thumb across her cheekbone.

"Was that really all it was to you?" he asked in a whisper. "Just kid stuff?"

Bekki's heart began thumping loudly. She knew she should be thinking about Lydia, figuring out the truth. But with the questions Nick was asking she couldn't focus on anything but the desire she felt within her.

"Isn't that what it was?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean," she paused a moment, swallowed thickly, and then boldly met his gaze. "You didn't even say goodbye, Nick."

His eyes widened at her words and his face grew slightly pale. "Is that what you thought all this time?"

"It's what happened," Bekki pointed out as she narrowed her eyes. "One minute we were, together…"

"In love," he corrected his eyes heavy on hers.

"The next minute you were gone," she said with determination, not letting his claim of love distract her. It was just a high school romance, she tried to scream at herself within her mind.

"I was gone because my Grandfather died," Nick explained. "It happened so suddenly that my parents just took off, hoping to get to the hospital before he passed. They stayed long enough for the funeral, and then I stayed behind with my uncle and some of my cousins to help my grandmother straighten out and fix up the house."

"You could have called," she pointed out with a frown.

"I did call," he said quickly. "I called a dozen times, but you never answered."

Bekki cringed as she remembered dropping her phone in a friend's pool and having to get a new number. Nick didn't have his own phone, and she had no way of contacting him, or even knowing where he was. "I thought you were angry with me," he explained. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me. So I wrote you a letter. I told you how I felt, how much I cared about you, and that if I did something to upset you I was sorry. I asked if you felt the same way, and that if you didn't it was okay, I wouldn't bring it up again. But you never wrote me back," he studied her, a shadow of hurt darkening his eyes.