A Dozen Deadly Roses (21 page)

“He’s hiding something,” Mac said to Angus.  “They’ve got a whole lot of people coming to Vegas.  Something’s not right.   I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.  We better go grab a bite while we’ve got the chance.”

# # #

Within hours, detectives from both police departments arrived and commandeered the nurse’s break room as a place to share notes and conduct interviews.  Mac sat in a corner, sipping a cup of coffee watching with interest as Captain Kincaid pulled aside the head of the Las Vegas Detective Bureau and met with him in private.  When they emerged from the meeting, Kincaid made an announcement to personnel from both agencies that LAPD would be taking the lead with Jade’s poisoning, however, Las Vegas P.D. would be assisting as necessary.  The Captain then requested that Jade be moved upstairs to a more secure room and a uniformed officer be stationed outside her door.

As people moved about to get the arrangements made, Mac slipped out of the room without being noticed.  He went to the lobby where he found Angus, Mona and Donnie.

“Mr. Stryker!”  Donnie ran up and threw his arms around Mac’s legs.  “I want my mama,” he said, with a quiver in his voice and his eyes filling with tears.

Mac lifted the boy and held him tight.  “I’m sure you do, Donnie.  They’re moving her to a new room, but the good news, is they’ve found out what made her sick, so they can fix her right up.”

“Will she be able to come back to the hotel with us?”

Mac shook his head.  “Probably not today.”

“Darn!” Donnie said, kicking his feet to be let down.

Mona grabbed the little boy’s hand.  “Why don’t we all get some breakfast in the cafeteria and decide what our plan for the day will be?”

Angus told Mona he and Mac had already eaten, but they’d join her and Donnie for another cup of coffee.  The group made their way to the hospital cafeteria.  While Mona and Donnie went to pick out a healthy meal, Mac and Angus got coffee and found a table.

“Angus, something strange is going on,” Mac said.  “Normally, when there’s a crime, the agency where the crime occurred will investigate.”

“So?”

Mac related to Angus that LAPD was taking over the investigation of Jade’s poisoning.  “It doesn’t make sense.  Las Vegas should be taking the lead.”

Angus waved his hand.  “What difference does it make who investigates it as long as they find out who did it.”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Angus.  My gut is never wrong.”

After agreeing that Jade needed all the rest she could get, Mona said she’d take Donnie to one of the hotels that had circus acts and another one where they had a lion exhibit.  She reassured Mac and Angus it was more important for them to stay at the medical center to support Jade’s recovery.

When they returned to the emergency room, they were told Jade had been moved.  Outside her door, they dutifully showed their identification to the guarding officer before he’d let them return to Jade’s bedside.  She slept most of the time, which Mac took as a good sign.  He figured whatever poison was left in her system was working its way out.

Before long, a stout detective entered the room and extended his hand to Angus.  “Mr. Donovan, I’m Detective Crandall from Robbery Homicide Division of the LAPD. I need to ask you a few questions if you don’t mind.”

“Sure laddie, ask away.”

The detective smiled.  “Actually I need you to come with me.”

Angus shot Mac a questioning look.

“It’s standard procedure, Angus.  They always separate witnesses,” said Mac.

Angus hoisted himself out of the chair he’d been sitting in.  “Okay, let’s go.”

About twenty minutes later Angus returned, and Detective Crandall turned to Mac.

“Ready?”

Mac nodded and followed the investigator to an empty hospital room.  He wasn’t surprised to see a tape recorder on the rolling tray used for patients. The department would take an attempt on Jade’s life very seriously.

Crandall introduced his partner and then they began advising him of his rights.  Mac interrupted them.

“You can’t possibly think I poisoned Jade,” he said.  “The only reason you’d be Mirandizing me is for a criminal investigation.  We’ve shared a few meals together and while it may be Department misconduct, it isn’t a crime.”

“Stryker,” said Detective Crandall, “do yourself a favor.  Let us Mirandize you, then answer our questions.”

Mac held up his hands in surrender.  “Fine.  I’ve got nothing to hide.”

After Mac waived his rights to an attorney, he related why he and Jade were in Las Vegas.  As Mac started to explain, they stopped him and directed him to begin with when he and Jade started working together.

Mac knew he’d probably lose his job because he was about to come clean and be truthful about how his relationship with Jade extended to off-duty hours.  He also knew Jade would probably be disciplined as well.  They’d both misled Callie Lasko when she was investigating the black SUV almost running them both over.

But this was no time to try to cover anything up.  Jade’s life depended on the truth and the capture of the stalker.

The recorded interview took almost two hours and both detectives took copious notes.  That fact made Mac uneasy.  Although the Robbery Homicide detectives inquired into the circumstances surrounding the poisoning, they seemed even more interested in Mac and Jade’s actions prior to coming to Las Vegas.

Mac rose from his chair and Detective Crandall extended his hand.  “Okay, Stryker, I think that does it for now.”

Mac nodded and started out the door.

“Hey, Stryker,” the detective called, “did you bring a gun with you to Vegas?”

Mac stopped in his tracks.  “My duty weapon.  Why?”

“I need to book it as evidence.  I’ll give you a property receipt.”

Mac frowned.  “Why would you need my gun?  You’re investigating a poisoning, not a shooting.”

The partner detective, who hadn’t said a word the entire time, shrugged.  “Just routine.  It’s no biggie.”

Mac snorted.  “Maybe it’s not a big deal to you, but it’s a big deal to me.  Why don’t you tell me why you really want it?”

Detective Crandall sighed.  “Don’t make me order you to give it up.”

Mac stood perfectly still and considered his options.  He didn’t want to be unarmed at any time, but especially when he was chasing a stalker.  But if he didn’t give up the gun willingly, they’d just order him to relinquish it.  He didn’t know why they wanted it, but he hadn’t shot anyone.  He had nothing to fear.  Maybe by giving up the gun he’d rack up some brownie points to be cashed in if the department tried to take his job away.

Clenching his teeth, he undid his belt and slid his holster from his waistband.  Silently he handed the weapon to Crandall, then turned to leave.

“Stryker, one more thing,” the other detective called after him.  ”Don’t plan on leaving Vegas unless you let us or your captain know.”

Furious, Mac returned to Jade’s room.  Her bed was raised with her upper body supported by several pillows.  Angus spooned cherry-red gelatin into her mouth.  She still looked fragile but she gave Mac a smile when he entered the room.

The older man set down the plastic container and spoon and shuffled toward the door.  “I’ll let you two young people talk.  I’m going back to the hotel to check on Mona and Donnie.”

“You want me to drive you?” Mac offered.

“Nah, you stay here with my little girl,” the old man said, hugging Jade.  “I’ll take a cab.”

“Thanks, Dad.  Tell Donnie I’m feeling fine and that I love him.  Give him a big hug for me.”

“Don’t you be worrying about the wee one.  Mona and I will take good care of him.  You just concentrate on feeling better, okay lass?” Angus blew her a kiss and left.

Mac struggled to calm down from his interrogation.  Jade had enough problems without him upsetting her.   “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Better since you got here.  Where’ve you been?”

He pulled up a chair beside her bed.  “RHD detectives questioned me.  I assume they’ll question you too.  I told them everything,” he said, his gaze leveling into hers.

Her eyes grew wide and the beeping of the heart rate monitor attached to Jade’s finger increased considerably.

“Everything?  Did you have to?  We’ll probably lose our jobs.”

He took her hand in his.  “There was no other way.  I’m just hoping neither of us gets into trouble.  But the important thing is we keep you and Donnie safe and catch this guy.”

“What did they ask you?”

He shifted in his seat, debating with himself whether or not to tell her they’d confiscated his gun.

“You know, it was funny.  They seemed more interested in the stuff that happened before we left L.A.”

“Mac, I’ve got to tell you something.”

Just then there was a knock at the door and Detective Crandall and his partner entered and introduced themselves to Jade.

“Officer Donovan, we’d like to ask you some questions if you feel up to it.”

The cadence from the heart monitor accelerated again.  Jade frowned.  “I guess so.”

Crandall turned to Mac.  “We’ll need privacy, and this could take awhile.”

Mac stood and evened his gaze on the detective.  “She’s still very sick.  Don’t overdo it,” he warned.  Then he turned to Jade.  “If you get tired, you stop.  They can come back later and ask questions.”  His tone was harsher than he’d intended, so he smiled.  “I know you would do anything to stay here a little longer.”

She waved him out the door.  “Go and get some rest.  I’ll be fine.”

Mac returned to the hotel and was surprised to find an LAPD evidence seal discretely placed on the door to their suite.  Out of curiosity, he slid the plastic room key into the lock.  The door didn’t unlock.  He tried a couple more times then went downstairs to the front desk.

The clerk apologized but explained the police had sealed the room as evidence in a crime scene.

“What happened to all our clothes and belongings?”

The woman gave him a sympathetic smile.  “They sealed the room with everything in it.  Oh, but they did ask us to provide you with another room.”  She typed some information into her computer and a few seconds later provided him with a new room key.

Thanking the clerk, he shook his head in disbelief.  This was too much.  First LAPD detectives took his gun and now all his other property was sealed in a hotel room.  What the hell was going on?

The new hotel suite was identical to the one he and Jade had previously.

Mac made a quick call to Angus and Mona’s hotel to be sure Donnie was all right.  There was no answer, so he figured they were all out sightseeing.

After hanging up the phone, Mac pulled a pillow from beneath the tropical bedspread and sprawled across the colorful fabric.  Within seconds he was asleep.

# # #

Detective Crandall flipped through the numerous pages of notes he’d written on a yellow legal tablet.

“You know, Officer Donovan, it just doesn’t make any sense to me you’d be receiving boxes of dead roses for over a week and not report it to someone – anyone in the department.”

Jade sighed.  “We’ve been over this before.  I did report it.  I told Lieutenant Callie Lasko.  Ask her.  She thought it was a prank.  After that, I didn’t want the department involved.  I thought I could handle the situation myself.”

Crandall didn’t miss a beat.  “And who do you think is sending you the florist boxes?”

There was no way Jade was going to tell these two about Douglas Kincaid in drag in a San Francisco bar.  But during her entire interview she was wondering if her commanding officer might be responsible.

“Like I told you before, I have no idea.  I’ve told you about Dr. Malcolm Toombs, but I don’t think he’s involved.”

Crandall’s partner shook his head. “You say that even though he’s conveniently in Las Vegas and even more amazingly, literally ran into you at the hotel where you were supposed to be staying?”  The detective sat up straighter in his chair.  “Let me tell you what I think.  I think you and Malcolm Toombs are staging this stalking business together.  I don’t know why you’re doing it, but I’d bet my next commendation on it.”

“Well then you’d be a loser,” Jade snapped.

A nurse came in and frowned at the two detectives.

“Gentlemen, you’ve been in here for over two hours.  We need to do some tests on Miss Donovan and she also needs to rest.  Whatever you’re discussing is going to have to be put on hold.  At least for a little while.”

The lawmen sprang from their chairs apologizing profusely to the attendant.

Jade took pleasure in her caregiver’s upbraiding of the detectives.  Cops never wanted to piss off a doctor or a nurse; they never knew when medical services might be required to save their own life.

However, these detectives were way out of line. Jade knew they were baiting her to get her say something stupid or incriminating.  Little did her nurse know she’d just thwarted the strategy of two detectives.

“We’ve got enough to get us started with our investigation,” Crandall said.  “Maybe we could come back later this evening.  How does seven o’clock sound, Officer Donovan?”

“I don’t know why you have to come back at all.  I’ve answered all your questions at least three times.”  By the tone in her voice, Jade’s irritation was clear.

“You know how things work,” Crandall said easily.  “We have to make sure all our i’s are dotted and our t’s are crossed.”

Detective Crandall and his partner both nodded to Jade, and then they left.

Several hours later, Mac approached Jade’s room only to have the LVPD officer stop him out front.  “Sir, I need to see some identification please.”

Mac bit back his aggravation and produced his police identification card.  The guard looked at it carefully and then motioned for Mac to enter.

Pushing the door open, he was surprised to see no one other than Jade in the room.  With the many police personnel conducting their investigations, it seemed as though Jade never had a moment to herself.

Her head was turned toward the door, her face relaxed as she slept.

Mac moved to the bed and watched her sleep.  His heart filled his chest.  He wanted to take her in his arms and never let her go.  With guilty shock he realized he loved her.  Almost losing her had made him recognize he wanted her in his life – no, he
needed
her in his life.  Suddenly, it was so clear.  Jade was another chance at love.  Not a second choice, but a new beginning.  All he had to do was take a chance.