Disrobed for Death (23 page)

“Of course, we only want what’s best for him,” Susan said.

Ramona took Susan’s hand. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I don’t blame you. If you hadn’t persisted in your belief that Jack was in danger, he might not be alive right now. What worries me is that whoever tried to kill him, might try again.”

“That is a possibility,” Susan said.

“Well, I’ll make sure my brothers stand watch tonight.”

“I don’t know the procedure on providing protection, but I’ll ask Wesley.”

“Where is he? I’d like to thank him, too.”

“He’s at headquarters, but I should hear from him soon.”

Raised voices carried down the hall. Ramona’s family approached. One of the brothers was pushing their mother in the wheelchair. After being introduced to them, Susan and A. K. stepped aside.

Before leaving, and with the family huddled outside Jack’s door, A. K. pulled Ramona to her. “Tell Jack I’ll be back to see him tomorrow.”

Ramona looked surprised.

“Seems Jack took an interest in A. K. when he met her at the hospital after my accident,” Susan said. “When I went for my follow-up appointment, he asked how he could get in touch with her.”

Ramona looked at A. K. and smiled. “That’s good to hear. I was beginning to think he’d given up on women.”

As Susan and A. K. walked down the hall, Susan nudged her friend. “Hmm, you and Jack or maybe you and Edward…wonder who it’ll be?”

“The one who survives the first date,” A. K. said.

Both laughed.

Opening the boutique wasn’t easy, not after a night without sleep.

“I don’t know how long I can hang in there,” Susan said, “but I’ll do my best.”

“I’m with you.”

Debbie and Sheila bounced into the store with an energy that Susan envied. Oh, that she could sap some of that vigor. Sipping on a cup of coffee, Susan greeted her employees. “Girls, we need to talk.”

Debbie and Sheila exchanged what-did-we-do glances.

“I know I’ve asked a lot of you lately, and you deserve an explanation.” Susan told them everything from her vision to the stakeout. They listened with their mouths ajar.

“Is he going to be all right?” Debbie asked.

Susan nodded.

“Best we can figure is that Jack was shot during the wee hours, while that party was going on.” Susan leaned her head back and rubbed her aching neck. “Shot on Valentine’s Day, just like he told me in my vision…only this time, he lived. The attempted murderer is still on the loose, but the police, and especially Wesley, are doing everything they can to find and arrest the shooter.”

“That gives me the creeps,” Sheila said.

“It should. Keep your eyes out for anything suspicious. We don’t know what this person might do next.”

“You can count on us,” Debbie said.

“So, you really had a vision. That’s cool. Can you still see into the future? I sure would like to know what lies ahead for me.”

“It doesn’t work that way. I don’t have any control over it. And I hope I never experience anything like that again.”

A customer entered the shop.

“Why don’t you and A. K. go get some sleep? Sheila and I can handle the store.”

“You are a dear,” Susan said, “but we’re going to hang in with you as long as we can.”

About three o’clock, Susan’s get up and go got up and went. A. K. looked the worse for wear, too. “You about ready to give up?” Susan asked.

“Been ready.”

They grabbed their purses and told the girls goodbye. Sales that day were terrific, and Debbie and Sheila knew how to close the store. Once again, she would owe them big time.

A. K. dropped Susan off at her apartment where she gathered up all the gear they had packed. Walking to the front door, she imagined her body a syringe filled with liquid energy. With every step, it got lower and lower. It was tapping on empty by the time she unlocked the door. She made it as far as the sofa.

“Just a few minutes to gather my strength,” she mumbled as she curled up among the cushions.

Three hours later, she awoke to the sound of her cell. It was Wesley.

“Where are you?” she asked.

“I’m still at headquarters, trying to catch up on paper work. And the sheriff wasted no time assigning me a new partner, a detective from Mississippi. It’ll be a couple of weeks before he comes on board. He’s not leaving his job until they find a replacement. The guy’s father and the sheriff are old friends. That tells me the guy didn’t just up and apply for this job. More than likely, something precipitated his move. That’s not what I need—a partner with baggage. I wish I could work alone, but that’s not going to happen.”

“Stop it! You’re thinking what happened to Terrance might happen to your new partner, aren’t you? You can’t dwell on what happened. Terrance’s death was not your fault. Sure, it’s not going to be easy to put his death behind you, but if you keep reliving it and don’t concentrate on the job at hand, you will make a mistake. Aside from all that weighing on your mind, how are you managing to stay awake after the long stakeout? I feel like a zombie.”

“Guess I’m used to it.”

“I wanted to question Jack, but by the time he came to, the paramedic wouldn’t let me near him. I did talk with the officer at the hospital, though. He said Jack didn’t remember anything, and the doctor insisted his patient rest. If Jack’s better in the morning, the doctor said we could question him then. I’m going to do just that.”

“A. K. and I went to the hospital, but we didn’t get to see him either. We did talk with Ramona. She’s concerned that whoever did this might try again and wondered if the police department could provide security.”

“Unless a threat is imminent, we don’t have that kind of money or man power available. It doesn’t happen like it does in the movies. But there’s nothing to stop her from hiring private security.”

“I’ll pass that on to her. Tonight, her brothers are going to sit watch outside Jack’s door. She can talk with them and see what they think about hiring someone. If he were my brother, I’d do it, no matter the cost.”

“So, how are you holding up without any sleep?”

“I’m not. I’m about to crater.”

“That’s exactly what you should do. Get a hot bath and snuggle up with your pillow. Oh, one more thing. Make sure you lock your doors.”

“I’m way ahead of you on that. Gary might be gone, but I can’t get that creep out of my mind, and now we have an unknown suspect to worry about. If someone does break in, I hope I hear them. I’m so exhausted, I’m not sure I would.”

Susan hung up and made her way to the bedroom. “Move over, Marmalade. The bath can wait till morning.”

To her surprise, Susan woke at daybreak feeling fully revived. Better yet, her muscles no longer ached. “Guess my energy syringe is on full again,” she said to Marmalade, who arched his back, then did his morning stretch routine.

After a quick shower, Susan wasted no time dressing and applying makeup. She wanted to get to the hospital early in hopes of having a few minutes with Jack before more of his family and Wesley arrived. It wasn’t her intention to have an I-told-you-so moment. She just wanted to let him know she was glad he wasn’t killed. If anything, she wanted to apologize for not catching and stopping the person.

Since the seven-to-eleven shift change was underway at the hospital, Susan lucked out and found a parking place close to the main entrance. The weather was on the cold side, but the sky was a bright blue. After the miserable weather the previous night, sunshine was most welcomed.

The smell of hospital food and clanking of trays reminded her that she only had a cup of coffee this morning. Maybe she’d grab something from the cafeteria before she left. To her surprise, Ramona was standing in the doorway when she arrived at Jack’s room.

“I thought your brothers were staying the night?”

“They did. I came on about four o’clock so they could get ready to go to work. I didn’t expect to see you this early.”

“I was anxious to see how he was doing before I headed for the boutique.”

“He’s awake and coherent. Thank the Lord he doesn’t seem to have any side effects.”

Susan peeked into the room. Jack raised his hand and gave her a slight wave.

“You probably could use some coffee by now,” Susan said to Ramona. “Would it be okay if I sat with Jack for a while?”

Ramona gave her a knowing look. “I think you two could use some time together.”

Susan pulled a couple of dollars from her purse and handed them to Ramona. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, would you mind bringing me a biscuit with sausage?”

“I’d be glad to.”

Jack smiled at Susan as she crossed the room and settled in the chair nearest his bed. “Guess I should have believed you.”

“I don’t blame you. If someone had told me that story, I probably wouldn’t have believed them either. Let’s be glad it turned out like it did. I was pretty sure I had identified the would-be murderer, but things changed, and for a while, I believed I had foiled their plot. Obviously, I was wrong. Someone else wants you dead.

“I had help from a detective friend who agreed to watch your apartment. He didn’t know it but A. K. and I were also running our own surveillance. Despite out best efforts, someone got past us and nearly killed you. As of now, we have no idea who this person is. My friend, Wesley Grissom, and the police department are doing all they can to find out the identity of this person.”

“You mean law enforcement believed your story?”

“Oh, no, only Wesley knows about my experience. Maybe it’s best you not mention it either. They might lock us all up.”

Jack chuckled.

“The sheriff’s office thought Wesley was staking out the complex in hopes of catching a burglar. Then he said he got a tip from his confidential informant that someone planned to kill you, so he kept an eye on your apartment. He thought everything was okay until he couldn’t get anyone to answer the door in the morning.”

“And to think I was oblivious to everything.”

“Like I said, A. K. and I couldn’t stand waiting for Wesley to call, so we slipped in ahead of him and parked behind a dumpster. We wanted to be right there if something happened. Wesley was not happy to see us the next morning.”

“A. K. was with you?”

Susan could tell the question was rhetorical, and Jack continued. “Hard to believe none of you saw anything?”

“It wasn’t because we weren’t trying. We kept our eyes peeled on everyone coming and going. But it was raining, and lots of people were milling about on their way to a party next door to you. You didn’t hear the loud music?”

“After a 36-hour shift, the walls could have fallen in, and I wouldn’t have known it. But let’s get back to you. So, what you’ve been trying to tell me was real? You really met me at our wake? What was it like?”

Susan told him everything from her arrival at the funeral home to when she woke up in the hospital.

“That’s spooky,” he said. “I wonder if that’s how it’s really going to be when we do die.”

“Only one way to know for sure, and I’m not ready to give it a try…at least, not yet.”

“So where do we go from here?”

“Now it’s up to Wesley and the sheriff’s department. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, he can. Wesley’s coming to see you this morning. Anything you can remember, however trivial might help.”

Susan turned at the sound of high heels tapping against the floor. Ramona appeared, holding a small bag and a cup of coffee. Her shoulder purse swung with each step. “Well, did you two finally get on the same page?”

“We most certainly did,” Jack said, “even though it took a bullet raking my scalp to get through to me.”

“Here’s your biscuit, Susan, and I figured you could use some coffee to wash it down.”

“Thanks.” Susan wasted no time eating her breakfast.

“How does your wound feel today?” Ramona asked.

“Like someone parted my hair with a finger of fire. It might look bad, but it’s not deep and should heal fast.”

“You’re going to have visitors today, so you might want to freshen up. Susan and I will step into the hall and give you some privacy. If you need any help, just holler.”

Susan finished her biscuit and was dabbing her mouth with a napkin when she spied Wesley coming down the hall. His long strides and broad shoulders set him apart from the orderlies on the floor. When he got closer, Susan noticed he was wearing a shoulder mike and ear plug.

“My detective friend has arrived,” she said to Ramona, who looked down the hall.

“Wesley Grissom, I know him,” she said.

“I didn’t expect to see you here so soon,” Wesley said to Susan.

Ramona answered before Susan could say anything. “Hi, Wesley. It’s good to see you. I’m glad Susan came. Jack can’t deny Susan’s story any more, and he’s grateful for her persistence as well as your help. I know you have questions for him, and I’m sure he’ll do everything he can to help you.” Ramona knocked on the door. “You decent, Jack?”

“Yes, come in.”

Jack and Wesley shook hands.

“Susan told me everything. Thanks for all your help. I’m sorry to have kept you up all night,” Jack said.

“I wish I could have prevented that,” Wesley pointed to the red streak on the top of Jack’s head, the one left by the bullet. “I know you told the officer you didn’t remember anything, but sometimes things will come back to you in pieces. I want you to remember going home after your shift and walking into your apartment. Close your eyes. Picture it. “What do you smell? Maybe perfume, after shave, or how about tobacco?”

Jack wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

“Did anyone have access to your apartment that day?”

“Only the cleaning lady, Vera. I remember everything was spotless, and yes, I did smell something—the lemon furniture polish and cinnamon air spray she always uses.

“Think hard. Do you remember anything about the person who shot you?”

“No. I was sound asleep and heard something. I woke, but it was dark. I got a glimpse of someone, but only a glimpse, a shadowy figure all in black. I guess Susan’s story was in the back of my mind. I lunged and knocked the person off balance as the gun fired. Guess her warning saved my life.”

“Was the person tall, short, thin, fat?”