Killing America's Sweetheart: A Natalie Miller Mystery (10 page)

“Well, excuse me! I just figured since we were going into such a rough area, we should be prepared!” she yelled defensively.

I took a moment to calm myself before I replied.

“It did work. I guess it’s a good thing you had
brought it along.”

A moment of silence passed and
I decided it was time to get out and let Karen take over the driver’s seat.

“I’m sorry I yelled at you,” I said meaning it.

“That’s okay. I shouldn’t have lied to you about the gun,” she replied softening.

“You want to stay the night?” I asked.

“I better not. I have to be at the library early for a meeting.”

I watched as Karen pulled away and walked (ran!) to my apartment in record time. When I entered I immediately locked,
dead bolted and chained the door and then proceeded to check all the windows. After assuring myself that everything was secure I scooped up Honey and huddled on my futon.

The night had been a bust and the only thing we knew for certain
was that Damien was staying at The Bombay Inn, other than that we didn’t have dick. Gilles did not come forward once. Not that I tried to call him, but still you’d think that a spirit guide would have warned us against going into dangerous place like Pussy’s. What’s the point in having psychic abilities if they don’t work when they should? Well, I guess that’s something I should be used to by now. I mean let’s be honest-if I was any good at this thing, my life would be much more prosperous right now.  No, I was bush league at best. Zack was right; I’m nothing but a professional fuck up.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Work was going along pretty well. The evening had brought in the regulars and being a Friday, meant it was payday for a lot of folks. S
o, the store was packed from 5pm on with harried mothers and their unruly children and single father’s looking lost and confused with their weekend kids. It was so busy I didn’t even notice that Eric was standing beside me, waiting to give me a roll of quarters and more twenties.

“Do you need something Eric?” I asked him as I handed a customer her receipt.

He looked at me and smiled in a sleazy fashion while eying my tits. One thing with Eric, his mind was in the gutter 24-7.

“I brought you change,” he smirked.

“Oh. Where’s Debbie?”

“She said she didn’t feel well and went home,” he replied getting a little too close for comfort in the
check stand.

“Are you going to call anyone else in?” I asked, hoping he’d say someone was on their way.

“No. It’s too late. It’s nearly 10PM.  Looks like it’s just the two of us tonight,” he said with a grin.

Immediately my stomach sank. I knew there were rumors of inappropriate behavior between Eric and other female employees, but I had never actually had him do anything to me. But, my
spidey senses were going bonkers and I felt totally unsafe with the man. Gilles came booming into my head to keep my guard up, Eric was a monster.

I put my hand out to accept the change and turned toward the register to deposit it. Once turned arou
nd I felt hands on my shoulders and an erection pressed into my back.

“Man, Natalie you sure are tense,” he whispered softly.

My heart began racing.

He started working his way toward my neck and down the middle of my back.

“So tense. I bet I know a way you could burn some of this stress off,” he said inching himself closer as he rubbed his hardness into me.

I felt sick and nervous. I looked around the store and saw it was empty.

Shit.

Quickly I began scanning my check
stand for things that I could use to defend myself. Register tape, cleaning supplies, go-back items, bags…there was nothing that appeared to be a solid choice, but I thought the spray cleaner might stun the eyes momentarily. I began to reach for the bottle when-----

“Excuse me? Are you open?” asked a deep slightly accented voice.

I looked up to see Simon standing in line with a bag of bananas and a quart of milk.

Never in my life had been so happy to see a customer.

Eric immediately dropped his hands, pulled away and cleared his throat. He must of known he was acting improperly, because he exited in a hastily manner.

I exhaled a sigh of relief.

“Was I interrupting something?” he asked sheepishly.

“Thank God, you came when you did,” I replied gratefully.

“Call me mad, but I don’t think a boss should be touching his employees in that manner.”

“No, a boss should not. This guy however, thinks he’s untouchable.”

I was fairly certain that Simon had not seen Eric grinding his dick into my back. More than likely he only saw the hands on my neck and back.

Simon pushed his
bananas and milk toward the scanner.

“Well, I’m happy to have been of service,” he said with a wide smile.

My heart did a little jump. Man, the guy was simply perfect. Not in a too pretty kind of way, but rather like a brooding bad boy. He had the look and the full lips to boot. All in all it was a deadly combo. Being a red-blooded woman, I was neither blind nor immune to his physical attractiveness.

I nervously placed his banana
s on the scale and typed in the produce code.

“Listen, is there anyone else here with you, besides
that prick?” he asked quietly looking around.

I glanced up and over to the office which was facing my
check stand. I could make out a faint shadow from behind the tinted glass, Eric was watching.

“No. The bookkeeper went home early, so it’s just the two of us,” I replied with an edge in my voice.

“And you close in two hours?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

“Alright then. I’m going to go grab a cart and do some more shopping,” he said as he accepted his receipt and change.

Simon walked out of the store and moments later, just as promised returned with a cart. Eric chose this time to creep back out of the office only to be treated to the sight of Simon emerging with a look of determination.

“Decided I need a lot more!” he announced cheerfully to Eric.

I looked over to see Eric’s face fall flat and retreat back inside the office.

Nearly two hours and three hundred dollars later, Simon was ready to leave the store.

“Please tell me you really needed all this food?” I asked.

“Natalie, what single man needs a dozen loafs of bread, 50 cans of green beans and 10 dozen eggs?” he replied.

Good point, I thought.

“No. I’m going to drive this over to the food bank in the morning. I know they can use it. So don’t worry it’s going to go to good use,” he said gently.

I did feel better hearing that. The local food bank was in dire need of donations, especially since Thanksgiving was nearly a month away. They needed all the help they could get.

“Listen, I’m going to take this stuff to my truck and then I’m going to wait for you. I don’t like the idea of you alone with that arse.”

As if on cue, Eric came out from his office lair.

“We’re closing sir,” he announced sternly for Simon’s benefit.

“No problem. I’m just leaving. Natalie, I’ll be waiting for you outside,” he replied.

I nodded and began counting out my till. All I wanted to do was get out of the store and away from Eric.

“What is he, like your new boyfriend?”
Eric asked with hostility in his voice.

I paused in my counting and replied, “He’s a friend. I’m helping him out with something.”

“I bet you are. I’m sure you’re helping him out
real
good.”

I rolled my eyes and continued processing my till.

Minutes later I was a free woman and walked out the front doors to a waiting Simon.

“You didn’t have to stay,” I replied as I approached him sitting on the bed of his black Toyota Tacoma.

“I know, but I wanted to. That guy is such a douchebag. There was no way I’d leave you here alone.”

“Well, thank you,” I said gratefully.

“You’re welcome,” he replied.

Damn. Now my heart was racing again.

“Where are you parked?” he asked, breaking the silence.

I le
t him know I parked in employee lot area in the back. After a bit of negotiating it was decided that he would drive me around back, and then follow me home. One thing I was finding out about this man, he was a gentleman.

The entire drive home in my little beater car, I kept hoping that Simon would simply see me home, do a little wave and leave. I really didn’t want him to see where I lived.
Suffice it to say that I’m a little embarrassed about my place. But, then who wouldn’t be, in comparison to the giant mansion he lived in? My place was the size of a small closet in his house.

Of course as I parked my car it
s numbered stall, I saw Simon pulling up to the curb, turning off his lights and cutting the engine. He was getting out.

I met him half way hoping I’d be able to cut him off and send him on his way.

“Oh, you didn’t have to get out,” I said nervously.

He walked closer to me and grinned.

“Natalie, it’s no problem. Besides I wanted to talk to you about the investigation.”

Right, the investigation. The one he was bank rolling regarding the murder of his girlfriend and
had already paid me $20k for, yeah, that one. Well, someone was obviously mixing signals.

“Come on up,” I replied somberly.

I led the way up the stair case and as I approached the stoop, I noticed the door slightly ajar. I stopped and turned to face Simon. I motioned for him to look at the door. His eyes followed and he whispered, “Stay here.”

He gently moved me aside and carefully pushed the door open. Flipping on the light switch, we were able to see the damage done to my place. It had been ransacked. Everything was pulled apart and broken.

“Oh, my God,” I muttered as I entered after him.

“Does it look like anything is missing?” he asked as he made his way through the tiny apartment.

I scanned through the debris and was about to say no, when I remembered my most prized possession.

“Honey!” I yelled.

“What’s Honey?” he asked confused.

“My dog!” I cried and began making my way through the rubble.

Simon moved into action and began throwing cushions, pillows and clothes in a mad attempt to find my baby. That’s when we heard the faint scratching and whining.

“The bathroom!” I said quickly running toward the door, but Simon beat me there.

After opening the door, a scared and shaken Honey came bolting out barking madly. I picked her up and hugged her tightly and noticed Simon smiling at our reunion.

“Clearly you two are meant to be together,” Simon mused as Honey slathered me with kisses.

Thank God my little baby was safe, but who the fuck had destroyed my place? As I quickly scanned the room I didn’t see anything worth value taken. My TV was still there, as was my DVD player and iPod. I went over to my dresser searching for my jewelry box and frowned when I did not see it. Sitting Honey down, I started moving clothes and blankets away which finally revealed my modest wooden box. Opening it I was relieved to see that all my worldly possessions were still intact, including my 3ct. diamond wedding ring. My marriage may have been over, but I was holding onto that ring for a rainy day. Gilles always warned me to keep it, just in case.

Nothing was taken, so who would have done this and why? Could it have
been the four men from Pussy’s? Were they trying to send me a message? Or did this have to do with the murder investigation? Was I getting too close to something?

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Simon slipping into the bathroom.

“Natalie? You’d better come see this.”

Somberly I moved into the bathroom and was horrified by what I saw. Written on the mirror was a message.

YOU’LL BE NEXT, IF YOU DON’T STOP!

While the words were shocking enough, it was the manner in which there were written in.

“Is that lipstick?” I asked trying to get a better look.

Simon looked at me and shook his head.

“I’m going to call the police,” he replied.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The
cavalry arrived in record time, as two uniformed officers began taking the report. Noting that nothing had been taken, but they were concerned by the threatening message left. They called in CSI to take photos, samples of the substance on the mirror and began dusting for prints. Simon and I sat waiting outside on the stoop, while a calm and sleeping Honey slept in his arms.

“She never allows men to get close to her,” I said. It was true. I’m not sure what happened in her past, but Honey was very cautious of men. She had never li
ked Matt when were married and went out of her way to avoid him. After which, I learned to trust my dog’s instincts.