Death on the Sound (5 page)

    
I spent the rest of Saturday doing laundry,
which I just love and also, cleaning house, which I love even better. For you,
Martha Stewart types, I’m being facetious.
 
I know it has to be done, but I wish I could afford to have someone else
handle it.

It
was a sunny day, and the crack weather teams at the major stations were
predicting another day like today on Sunday. It was even getting into the low
sixties. We Northwesterner’s were too smart to fall for that. We might have sun
for two days, but in April, when the temperature gets to sixty it means we have
a large storm coming from the South Pacific that’s pushing warm temperatures
ahead of it. We all may have webs growing between our fingers from all rain,
but we do know our storms.

    
At seven, my phone rang and caused Felix to
even raise his lazy head to see what was up. I should have had my camera, it
was a Kodak moment.

    
“Abby, it’s Maya; I was calling to see if
you were busy tomorrow. I thought we could go shopping, and then maybe lunch.”

I
thought about the sun I’d be missing inside the mall and made an alternate
suggestion.

    
“How about a walk along Green Lake and get
some sun and then go to lunch?”

    
“I like that better. I’ll drive. How about
I pick you up at ten out by your security gate since I don’t know the code?”

    
“Ten it is. See you then.”

I
was surprised to have heard form Maya so soon. She was noted for being kind of
a loner at times, but maybe it was just shyness. I had a date with the
beautiful Maya; all was right with the world.

    
Felix wandered across my face at seven
forty five Sunday morning, reminding me that he’d been on patrol all night, and
needed his breakfast. I rolled over and tried to ignore him but was further
harassed by a cold nose poking my ear and a loud purring sound. I rolled my
head over, and got a head butt for good measure. How can you resist a head butt
on Sunday morning? I got up and fed Felix and retrieved the Sunday paper from
my doorstep. The sun was indeed out, and it was shining brightly on my side
deck. I didn’t bother to put a robe on. I had my sleeping shorts and T-shirt
top. With my steaming coffee mug and the Sunday paper, I camped out on my deck,
and let the morning sun keep me warm. At nine, I went inside and debated
between long pants or shorts. I decided to throw caution to the wind and go for
shorts in April, a daunting maneuver by anyone’s standards in Seattle.

    
I waved to my sleeping guard cat as I walked
out my front door heading for my front gate. As usual, I was totally ignored.
With Mandy coming and going in my life and now Maya becoming more a part of it,
I reviewed the state of my life. I’m not quite sure how I became a bi-sexual. I
had normal parents who loved me, and tried to teach me all the right things
growing up. I had dates in high school, but in my senior year I had my first
experience with another girl, and liked it too. I’m pretty open about who I am
and who I like, but being gay is not totally accepted, so caution is still the
watchword for us. I will have to say that I’ve had more dates with women than
men.

    
I was only on the street for ten minutes
when a beamer convertible pulled up to the curb. I would have never guessed Maya
for a beamer kind of girl. She waved as she pulled up, and I hopped in, and
luckily was quick with the seat belt as she roared off down the street going
way over the thirty five mile an hour speed limit. I noticed that she’d opted
for shorts too, and her slim dark legs looked very inviting as the morning sun
highlighted them under the dash. Her bright multi-colored blouse was a perfect
match for her dark skin. I was caught staring as she turned to speak.

    
“Good morning Abby, it‘s a beautiful day.
I’m glad you suggested getting out in the sun.”

I
told her about my morning, and was met with a mock angry look and a “You rat”
comment.

At
the warp speed we were traveling, it wasn’t long before Maya was parking her
car. She put up her top, and we started off down the several mile long sidewalk
bordering the lake. We weren’t the only ones out that morning. I think half of
Seattle was out strolling in the Sunday sun.

    
We spent the morning talking about the things
reacquainted friends talk about. Her shyness at work was not apparent with me
now, which buoyed my hopes. We’d walked three slow miles, and finally we
decided to sit for awhile, and watch people. It’s almost as good as a movie
sometimes.

Maya
sat close as we took our seats on the bench. We sat silent for a moment.

    
“I’m glad you called Maya. I enjoyed our
dinner last week.”

I
casually moved my arm to the back of the bench, but left it on the metal rail
at the top. I was sort of testing the waters; I watched her for any reaction.

    
“I enjoyed it too Abby. To be honest, I was
hoping we’d eventually link up.”

Maya
looked at me in kind of a sidelong glance as I dropped my arm onto her
shoulder. I felt the warmth of her along the bottom of my arm as the sun took
care of the top.
 
Maya slid the last inch
or two closer to me. We were now definitely side by side. She turned her head
to look at me, and smiled as I gently squeezed her shoulder. We sat for twenty
minutes, continuing our conversation, and then started our walk back. She told
me she was born in the Marianas, but her parents moved to Jakarta, and that’s
where she spent most of her young life. She talked about school and her studies
growing up. She never mentioned her childhood and friends. I decided to let
that one go for the moment. We were about halfway back to the car, when I felt
her hand grasp mine. I looked over at her, and she was smiling at me with an
impish grin.

    
“I hope you don’t mind. I liked holding
your hand when we came home in the taxi.”

    
“You’re just fine. I like holding yours
too.”

We
held hands the rest of the way back to the car. We exchanged glances between
conversation snip-its. We were sort of testing the other, I think. It’s all
part of starting a new relationship.

We got back to the car, and I suggested we go to Duck
Island Ale house for lunch. It’s a bit expensive, but it sits on the lake. We
got there a one thirty after the main lunch crowd had left. We were the second
wave. I got us a table near the water, and we ordered two cold beers and
watched the gleaming water of Green Lake.

    
The lunch was filling, and we even opted
for a second glass of beer. I glanced around us and saw couples of men and
women. There was only one male couple that I could tell was gay. I wondered
what people thought about Maya and me. So far, we were just two women having
lunch on a Sunday afternoon. I turned my head back to finish my circle around
the seating area to Maya. She’d been watching the ducks paddling by below us; a
mother and six young ones. Our gazes met again, and we sat for an instant
smiling at each other over our empty beer mugs.

 
At three thirty, Maya was driving us back.

    
“Maya, you’re welcome to come in for awhile
if you like. You can meet Felix, and see my houseboat.”

    
“I’d like that Abby. I’ve wondered what
it’s like living on a houseboat.”

 
I gave Maya the
code for my gate; we parked, and started down the ramp to my house. I took Maya’s
hand as we walked. The other houseboats were rocking gently with the waves from
the lake.

I
was enjoying our hand holding as we walked to Abby’s house. I looked around at
all the beautiful homes, and was jealous that I had only my small condo on the
hill. My day with Abby had been all I’d hoped it would be. When she’d put her
arm around me, I could have sat like that all day. It was good to be near her.

Inside, I had to wake Felix so Maya could see that he
hadn’t died while I was away. As Maya, scratched his neck, he came alive, and
decided it might be near dinner time. I took her on a tour of my home, and we
ended up in the kitchen opening a bottle of wine; beer and wine, a great
combination. We moved to my deck, and caught the remaining rays of the sun as
we continued our conversation. Maya finally opened up.

    
“Abby, I like you, and I’d like to spend
more time with you. I noticed you when we first met, and kind of got a crush on
you. What’s important is that my crush has grown to a definite interest in
getting together.”

She
stopped talking, and sipped her wine, a nervous maneuver to break the
seriousness of the moment, and what she’d just said to me. I looked at her,
smiled and leaned over and kissed her. Her lips were all that I’d imagined, and
I held the kiss for as long as the moment would allow. I pulled back only a few
inches as my hand stroked her soft cheek.

    
“Maya, I can’t seem to get enough of you.
You’re a beautiful woman, and I can’t keep my eyes off of you every time I see
you at work, and I have to admit I dream about you since our dinner date. I
think we should continue down the road we started on today. ”

Her
response was another kiss as her hand slipped smoothly under the front of my
blouse. I have no idea how the button was undone, but who cared right now. We
adjourned inside, and finished our day in bed, watching the sunset through my
picture window.

    
After Maya left at eight, I called Tom to see
how he was doing with his diet.

    
“Just checking in Tom, how’s it going this
weekend? Are you behaving yourself?”

    
“I hate this crap Abby, it really cramps my
style. I haven’t had one bad thing all weekend, and I’m going crazy. I even
exercised for two hours just to kill some time.”

    
“Keep up the good work Tom. You’ve got to
change your habits or Mother Nature will send you to early retirement, if you
get my drift?”

    
“Yeah, I got it Abby.”

There
was a long pause, and I wasn’t sure what would come next.

    
“Abby?”

    
“Yes.”

    
“Thanks for checking on me. I know you
don’t have to do this, but I do appreciate your concern.”

    
“That’s what partners are for.”

    
I went to bed dreaming of Maya. She had
been delicious as we both had our desert for the day.

    
Monday started off with a call to the
florist. I sent roses with a card that said an admirer. We didn’t need to start
more rumors. I checked into the office and got Tom, and we headed for Tawnee’s
club. I knew it was early in the day, but I hoped after being on vacation she
might come in early. After Tom and I gave an update to the captain on our dead
body case, we drove downtown. On the way, we decided Tawnee might be more
receptive if Tom was not there. I dropped him off at Towne and Country, and let
him do his thing there while I talked with Tawnee.

    
I entered the dark club that was starting
to feel like my second home. The bouncer wasn’t there yet, so I walked up the
bartender and asked for Tawnee. He pointed to a black beaded curtain on the far
wall. I’d seen the other girls using it when they were coming on and leaving
the stage. I pushed the curtain aside and walked down the dimly lit hall to the
dressing room door, appropriately marked “D Room”. They must have saved a lot
not having to spell out the word dressing. There was a single bulb halfway down
that was lighting the narrow hallway.

I
walked into an almost deserted room, and saw a medium height blonde sitting at
a makeup table. I announced myself as I approached.

    
“Are you Tawnee?” I asked.

    
“You must be the detective that talked to
Charlie. Yeah, you got me. She left me a note about what you’re after. I almost
fainted when I read it. I haven’t thought about Sharon for a lot of years. What
can I do to help?”

    
“Were you two close?” I asked noticing the
twenty or thirty lipstick colors on her dressing table. I didn’t think
stripping required that much makeup.

    
“We were as close as you can get. We lived
together for a year just three blocks from here, during what turned out to be
the last year of her life.”

    
“Did Sharon have any regular men that she
went out with? Charlie talked about a limo that used to show up to get her
after work. Do you know anything about that?”

The
eyes changed from interest to avoidance in only a few seconds. She was glancing
to the side, not wanting to make eye contact.

    
“Tawnee, do you remember the limo?” I asked
again more firmly.

She
started to fidget with her makeup jars and liner. Not applying it but just
moving it around on the table in front of her.

    
“Yeah, I do, but I don’t know if I should
say anything. It could get me killed.”

    
“Was her boyfriend in the mob or what?”

    
“He was, but nobody could really prove it.”

Tawnee
looked around the room. We were the only ones in it. She turned to me, and
leaned closer to whisper her answer.

    
“It was Jack Tugliosi. He was the chief counsel
for Gino Canutillo.”

    
“I warned Sharon she was fucking with the
wrong stallion, but she had to do it her way. He was paying for her favors with
big bucks, and she was building her savings rapidly. I think she got a little
greedy. She told me the last time I saw her that she’d seen something at Jack’s
house that she wasn’t supposed to see.”

    
“What did she see?”

Once
again the scan of the room, and a very soft whisper, her perfume was starting
to give me a headache.

    
“She saw Gino Canutillo shoot some guy in
the head out by Jack’s pool. She’d gotten out of the limo, and was coming in
the side gate like she always did, and bang, so to speak, she walked into them.
She saw another man standing behind Gino. He was dark skinned like an Indian,
with an arrow tattooed on his left arm. It ran from his shoulder to below the
elbow. She saw it because the pool lights were on, and it was like he was
onstage. That was on a Tuesday night. I saw her on Wednesday since we slept
together in the same bed, but Wednesday evening was the last time I saw her.
She did her act, and that was it; no more Sharon. I reported it to the police a
day or so later, but I knew they couldn’t do much. Deep down, I knew what had
happened. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

    
“Do you remember when that was, as in what
month of the year?”

    
“I know it was spring because it was
starting to get nice. Sharon had started going without underwear to make it
easier to handle her tricks. I’d guess May, and that’s only a guess, mind you.”

    
“Tawnee you’ve been a big help. Thanks for
seeing me.”

I
stood and put my hand on her shoulder as I left.

    
“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said.

I
walked out through the cheap beaded curtain, and the Godzilla sized bouncer was
at the bar flirting with the bartender. He gave me a short wave as I passed by.

    
I drove by Towne and Country and picked up
Tom. He was out front pacing, and looking at his watch. I pulled up and pressed
the passenger window button as I came even with him.

    
“You got a hot date or what. Have you been
here long?”

    
“No, I just hate waiting. I’ve only been
here ten minutes. How was your witness?”

    
“She gave me quite a bit, how about yours?”

    
 
“The
drivers name was Jerry Mulvane, and the boss called him in for a quick one on
one. He did remember Sharon, but only because Jack Tugliosi was the payer for
the service. He thought he picked her up maybe ten times. Each time he took her
to Jack’s house. That’s about all I got from him.”

I
went on to tell Tom about all my characters and what we thought Sharon had
seen. Tom thought for a minute and snapped his fingers.

    
“Got it, I knew it sounded familiar. The
guy with the arrow was “Red Man” Tate. He was the bone breaker for Canutillo,
and I think the guy he shot was Tully McBain. Tully was a lieutenant that they
thought was playing both sides of the families in town at that time and got
caught. A state ferry coming into Pier fifty two spotted the body floating next
to a pilling. Bad shit Abby. These guys don’t hold anything back.”

    
My cell buzzed on my hip, and I checked it
for any calls we had. It was from Maya.

The
flowers are lovely. Everyone in the office is now curious. I’m pleading
ignorance, and its driving everyone crazy. You’re a sweetie - Maya.