CULL SPREAD THE pictures across the table. “Look at these. I know this will trigger something.” He watched Monica glance at the shots of Yates lying in a pool of his own blood.
“I-I don’t think I can do this.” Her cheeks flamed red and the coffee sloshed over in her cup. If she was a killer, then he needed to give up his badge because when he looked at her all he saw was a woman who was wrapped up in something way over her head.
It didn’t help that he was attracted to her. He could easily be led by his balls and not his brain. “I know it’s hard, and gruesome, but it’s important that you tell me anything that comes to mind. As little as you may think it is, it might be something big.” He was holding out hope that she recalled something—anything—that would give him a clue. He could track anyone, but as of right now, he was slamming against a wall where evidence was concerned. It was as if someone erased every clue.
Setting her cup down, she stood over the table, her fingers clenching the chair until she was white-knuckled. She scanned the pictures…staring at each one for a lengthy time, even picking up a couple, but she’d drop them back onto the table and moved on. When she was finished, she looked at him, shrugging. “Nothing. Not one itty bitty little memory. How could this be my life if I don’t feel anything? This man,” she pointed at the picture of Yates taken from an ad he’d placed in the newspaper. “I don’t know him. Why doesn’t any of this click?”
He stacked up the pictures and stuck them in a folder. “It’s okay.”
“My dreams though. They seem so real. That’s where I feel a connection.”
“Tell me about them.” Maybe they would give him a clue.
“I was walking down a sidewalk, I had coffee, then I ran into a woman. She had lots of jewelry, a fur coat, and a purse. Then somehow I was on a bench sleeping, cold and hungry. I know…it makes no sense, but it feels so real.”
“You said a fur coat?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Can you give me a detailed description of the woman and man who show up in your visions?” This could very well be the rung to the ladder that would bring them closer to nailing the asshole who tried to kill her. Cull would bet his eye teeth that the widow knew something, if she wasn’t in on it. Had she found out that Yates was cheating and she feared a scandal would harm her chances in getting elected?
“I can try.”
“Whatever you can give me is fine.” He pulled out his small notebook and pen. “Let’s have a seat and you can slowly give me details.”
Once she was seated, he watched her close her eyes. “Tall…beautiful. Her hair, it wasn’t real. A platinum blonde wig. She had on white slacks.” She opened her eyes.
“Was there anything about her that was different? Anything that stood out?”
“Outside of the wig? The jewelry she wore. I found it odd that someone that rich was in a bad neighborhood.”
He blinked. “Wait…a bad neighborhood? Where?”
“I didn’t realize I knew that. Wait…a Chinese restaurant with a large flashing sign advertising sweet and sour chicken. That’s where I saw her. Peking. That’s the name.”
“Not too far from your apartment.” He recognized the place she was referring to.
She shrugged. “And then, just like that, my brain goes back to fuzziness. I need more coffee?”
He watched her get up and go into the kitchen, starting another pot. “What about the man?”
“Tall. Stocky. Mean looking. He was dressed in black.” She looked at him. “That’s not much. I’m sorry.”
“It’s better than nothing. What it means is that your memory is coming back.” He tapped the pen against the notebook.
“You know I’m not an expert, but maybe my lover’s—” her nose wrinkled. “wife wanted me dead. Do you think when she found out her husband was sleeping with me she couldn’t stand the thought and came to my apartment and tried to kill me?”
He sat back into the chair. “Good point, but a woman like Widow Yates doesn’t get her hands dirty.”
“So, she hired someone?”
“Yeah. Possible.”
Once the coffee was brewed, she poured them each a fresh cup. “It’s frustrating.” She rolled her finger around the rim of her cup. “I want to help you. If it isn’t bad enough to feel like I’m suspended in the darkness, I could be a very horrible person.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “Did you think I was faking my memory loss?”
“It had crossed my mind,” he said, wanting to take the frown away from her.
“What if I am a killer? I’ll be in prison, Cull.”
He could see the tears in her eyes. He wanted to go to her, but he stayed still. “You told me your heart knows what it knows, Monica. Are you telling me your heart doesn’t know that you wouldn’t hurt anyone? Mine knows.”
“Don’t do that. That’s unfair.”
“It’s unfair that I believe in you?”
“You don’t know me.” She sniffed. “Those pictures, only a monster could do that to another person. Wouldn’t I have marks on my hands?” She set her cup down and lifted her hands, palms up. “Wouldn’t I have nicks on my fingers? Bruises all over me? I can’t understand.”
“If you were wearing gloves, maybe not. Right now, we have no other clues to anyone else being in the room with Yates.” He stared at her several beats and the color drained from her face. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”
Her eyelids fluttered and her hands shook. In the next second she started to fall but he was quick and caught her limp body. He looked down at her. She had passed out.
****
“It’s not her, you idiot!”
Tinman looked at the rich widow. “What do you mean it’s not her? I saw her with my own eyes,” he growled.
“You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” She nailed him with heavily made up eyes. She was wearing a red evening gown . The neckline plunged deep between two perfect breasts.
He resisted the urge to wrap his hands around the skinny bitch’s neck. One squeeze and he’d have her gasping for air. Unfortunately, the freaking cunt had her bodyguard breathing down his neck. Although Tinman had his gun and could shoot the bastard, it would be messy and he was cutting back on the carnage. Payday was too close to fuck up. However, he could fantasize of killing the rich bitch. Her death would be payment for what he’d had to endure since she’d hired him to kill her husband. He reached for his pack of cigarettes and took one out, lighting it, needing nicotine fast. A throbbing headache pounded at his temples. The doctor said six months but his vision and the headaches were getting worse.
“The lawman came back to my house. He showed me a picture of the woman you attempted to kill.” Her lip curled and her pert nose wrinkled. “I’m sure he wanted to see my reaction but it’s a damn good thing I know how to keep my emotions under wrap. The bitch he thinks is Monica is not the fucking slut you were supposed to knock off, you stupid ass.” She straightened her shawl around her shoulders.
“I followed Cade to the cunt’s house and snuck up the fire escape. She showed up, fit the description and I knocked her over the head. It’s her.”
“Are you wanting me to explain the details? This is all your fault. I told you bringing the lawman into the picture would cause problems. That was your idea. Why didn’t you just let him bring her in instead of you going to her apartment? What detective can’t track an elephant in broad daylight. You. That’s who. Your brain is about as worthless as you are. And why don’t you take a bath. You look like roadkill.”
Tinman suddenly felt sorry for Yates. He was better off dead than dealing with his wife. Laying his hand on his thigh, it hurt like a mother fucker. He growled. “I didn’t expect the cunt to show up at her apartment. I searched her place to see if I could find any clue where she had gone. Imagine my surprise when she strolls right in, like a baby to candy. If anyone didn’t use their brain, it was you.” He reached into his pocket and dropped an envelope onto the picnic table. “Know what these are?”
She squinted but her Botoxed face didn’t move. “What? Your application for a brain?”
“Evidence. Maybe I should have left these juicy pictures behind for the police to find. That would have certainly taken care of my problem,” he snarled.
“Evidence? What evidence?”
“I found a recorded conversation Monica had of you two talking. It seems the bitch was blackmailing you. And these.” He laughed and took out the pictures from the envelope. “Apparently, she was not only taking your husband and his money, but she wanted your money too.”
Widow Yates didn’t even look at the pictures. “What do you want? More money?”
“I think you got caught in your own web. You hired her to kill your husband, but Yates liked that pussy so much he gave her everything she wanted. Wow, that must have really pissed you off. When you realized you were in deep shit, you wanted both dead. Who’s the idiot now? Good thing I found the stash and Cade didn’t. Let’s just say, you’d be wearing orange right now instead of red.”
She rolled her eyes. “I hired you to take out my shitty husband that couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and his whore, not to examine the case.”
“You wanted your husband dead and you got it. I got rid of the one staff member at the motel who could burn us. No one knows about the Warren chick because I made sure of it. Bitch, ain’t you ever happy?”
“Did you forget about your friend Cade?”
“Get your head out of your ass. It’s messy but I’ll take care of things.”
“Give me the tape and the photos,” she demanded.
“No. I plan to keep them.” He stuffed the pictures back into the envelope and into his pocket.
Jonesy growled and took a step forward, but Tinman shook his head. “Watch yourself, big guns. Do you really think I didn’t make copies and they will be mailed if I don’t show up? Let’s call this insurance.” He chuckled. He swiped his free hand down his whiskered jaw. “FYI, madam. What the hell was the wrong woman doing in the apartment?”
“How do I know? You’re the lawman. Figure it out.”
He smiled and winked. “It doesn’t really matter. I’ll take care of both women.”
She wrinkled her nose as if he was dirt on the bottom of her shoe. “You’ve had your chance to take care of her. You let my husband’s whore get away.”
“Honey, I had a piano wire in my hands sending your husband to his death bed. Should I have left him half alive so I could chase her down?” He blew out a long breath.
“This was supposed to go down simple. You said offering the reward would help me look like the sad wife wanting to catch her husband’s killer. She should be dead too! However, you bring in an outsider to help find her, which I still can’t understand. I swear, if that Cade shows up at my door again I’ll strangle you with my bare hands.”
He laughed. “Yeah, sure.”’
“What’s that supposed to mean?” She attempted to lift a brow.
“You don’t think inviting your booty call over two nights a week isn’t suspicious? If you get caught that’s from your own ignorance, not mine. It’s proven that all the money in the world doesn’t make you smart…or clever.”
“Who do you think you are?” She lifted her hand and drew it back, ready to slap him but he caught her wrist between two fingers and brought his free hand up to surround her neck. She gasped in shock. Tinman guessed not many people stood up to her.
Jonesy moved forward but Tinman growled, “I wouldn’t if I were you. I’ll snap this bitch’s neck before you can get to me. Now back off.”
“It’s okay, Jonesy. I’ve got this”
Tinman let go and pushed her slightly.
She fixed her clothing as if he’d torn at them. “What I do with my personal life is none of your business. You have twenty-four hours to take care of this or I’ll do it my way.” She stuck her purse under her arm pit.
“Yeah, what way is that? Whatever money can afford?”
“You’re wasting my time.”
“I want my money,” he demanded.
“Then do your job.” Her lips thinned into a straight line.
“I’ll find the real Monica and she’ll get what’s coming to her, but what about the mysterious bitch at Cade’s?”
“My God, you’re really like talking to a simpleton.”
Since Cade told him that he was keeping her at his house, Tinman had been on pins and needles waiting for this to blow up in his face. If she saw his face, why wasn’t Cade after him? It didn’t make sense. If anyone suspected that Tinman had been shot that would raise lots of suspicion. Up until now, he’d done a good job at keeping it hidden. Cade had kept thwarting the plans and Tinman was at the edge of his patience.
“Take care of them both and you’ll have your money. Fuck this up and you can kiss it goodbye. Please don’t make me have this conversation with you again. And something else, if you ever lay a finger on me again I’ll have Jonesy cut your tongue out and stick it up your ass.”