Nursing a Grudge is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) (11 page)

I had my doubts. Really, Galigani and Kenny were the last people on earth to ask about either diet or child care, but now it seemed cruel to hold out on Laurie. I handed her a small piece. She kicked her legs in joy and gummed the doughnut while I hovered over her making sure she didn’t choke.

Galigani waved me off. “She’s fine. Look how happy she is.”

I leaned back in my chair. I was still nervous, but figured I was close enough to perform the Heimlich should the need arise.

“So what do you know about tracking down a pre-paid phone?” I asked Galigani.

Galigani shifted on the couch and helped himself to a glazed doughnut. “Got coffee?” he asked.

I nodded to Kenny, who took it as his cue to get it. He got up and grunted, letting out an “Aww, man,” as he walked out of the room.

“That’s pretty difficult. Probably a waste of time. Do you have the name of any of Perry’s buddies? Maybe someone knew of a squeeze he had on the side.”

I nodded. “I’ll get some names from Melanie. Let’s not mention it to Jill yet.”

Kenny returned with two cups of coffee. He placed one in front of Galigani and handed me the other.

“Hey, I don’t actually know if you do this, but can you dust a sign for prints?”

“What do you mean? You don't actually know if I can do that? Hello? Former SFPD here.”

“Right,” I said. “The sign at Painted Rock looks like it's been pulled out of place. The dirt around it was loose. It looked like I could have pulled in straight up and out, but I didn't want to mess with it.”

“Okay, where is the sign?” Galigani asked.

“Uh. That’s the thing…it’s kind of a hike.”

Galigani grumbled. “So I gotta walk?”

“Well,” I said, slowly, trying to think up a good way to disguise the fact that the
‘walk’
was actually straight up a hill that felt more like a mountain.

“Sounds like exercise,” Galigani said.

Kenny inhaled another two doughnuts. “Mmm, exercise.”

“Or you can teach me how to lift prints,” I said hopefully.

“Right. Put that on our list, but for now I could probably use some exercise.”

I laughed. “Okay. Well, maybe you can teach me how to lift prints anyway. We can consider this my first lesson.”

My cell phone rang and I jumped to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Honey,” Jim said. “We’re outside of Melanie’s house. Looks like the guy didn’t follow her home, but we’re going to hang out here a while and be sure.”

I glanced out my front window. Sure enough, skull cap man was on my corner.

“Don’t bother. He’s here.”

Chapter Eleven

Galigani took photos of skull cap man through my window and sent them to his ex-partner, McNearny, at SFPD. McNearny promised to look into it, but his tepid reply was not very convincing.

We brainstormed but came up with nothing better than either taking skull cap man for another wild goose chase or just plain going out there and talking to him. We chose to confront him.

We told Kenny to stay with the kids and watch through the window. At the first sign of trouble he would call McNearny.

Galigani and I left my house and crossed the street. I thought of Jim. If he knew I was about to confront this guy he would have never let me accompany Galigani, but then again, if I stopped and listened to Jim, I’d never get any experience. And I wasn’t willing to let this creep skulk around my house while I had an infant and a two-year-old inside.

At least I knew Galigani was packing heat. Not that I expected he’d need it. If I thought that, I would’ve stayed in the house, hugging Laurie in a back room.

Skull cap spotted us, then turned and ran down the street. Unfortunately, Galigani isn’t much of a runner, but I was working on it. So I took off after him, yelling, “Hey! Wait. We just want to talk.”

Skull cap man jumped into his car and fired it up.

Galigani took a few photos of the license plate with his phone and emailed them to McNearny.

I shook my head in despair. “What do you think he wants?”

“Obviously, he doesn’t want to talk. But let’s see if Mac can trace the plates. If not, I might be able to.”

Galigani was already heading up my staircase, but I remained outside.

Something wasn’t right. This no longer seemed to be about Jill’s review. Why stalk me? Could Brent Miles really be behind this?

I punched Jill’s number into my cell phone, and after a few rings she answered with a whispered hello.

“Jill? Why are you whispering?” I asked, hiking up my front steps and huffing in her ear.

“On the set. What’s going on?”

I explained about Melanie and skull cap man. I left out the part about Perry meeting someone on his hike. That could wait. It might help to know who he’d been meeting before blabbing it to Jill and causing unnecessary grief.

“A man following her? Was it her boyfriend?” Jill asked.

“Her boyfriend? No, no. Melanie definitely said she didn’t know this guy.”

Jill was silent a moment then said, “Well, I don’t know that you can take everything Melanie says at face value. Because, you see, she’s a terrible liar. I don’t mean she can’t pull off a lie; what I mean is, like, a compulsive liar. You know, like a pathological liar.”

My stomach dropped. “But I don’t get it. If this guy was her boyfriend, why would she pretend she didn’t know him?”

“The other day at Perry’s, she said someone broke in and beat her up. But, I mean, why in the world would that happen? Nothing was taken and the police didn’t find a forced entry or anything. And Perry was well liked by everyone.” Jill took a deep breath. “Honestly, I think her boyfriend Sam is abusive and I think she’s too scared to say anything.”

I took a moment to take in the information. Melanie’s swollen face flashed before my eyes and it both saddened and angered me to think that someone she loved could have done that to her.

And yet…there was something nagging at me. What was it? Oh yes!

“What about the TV?” I asked.

“What?” Jill asked.

“The TV was wrenched off the wall, remember?” I asked.

“Oh, that doesn’t mean anything. Perry probably tried to move it or something. He wasn’t very handy. And the police didn’t find any prints, did they?”

Before I could answer, Jill continued. “Anyway, it’s not the first time she’s shown up with bangs and bruises.”

Oh no!

I hated the thought of Melanie being pushed around by anyone, much less someone she was in a relationship with.

“And Perry told me she had, you know, uh…issues. I think the last guy she was with…sort of the same sad story.”

“Do you know where I can find her boyfriend, Sam? Like maybe you know where he lives or works?” I asked.

“I don’t have his address. But I can forward you his phone and email. I have to go now. They’re calling me to resume the show.”

“How’s it going?”

“Great. I’ll tell you all about it later. Keep me posted.”

Right after we hung up, my phone beeped with the message from Jill. It had an email and phone number for Sam Kafer.

<><><>

While I sat on my front steps and thought, mom’s car pulled into my driveway. She waved frantically at me as though she thought I might not recognize her. I smiled and waved back.

Mom climbed out of her car, in one hand she carried a shopping bag and in the other a god-awful teal and orange baby hat. The hat looked like something directly out of Dr. Seuss.

“The weather is turning cold,” she said, thrusting the hat at me.

“What’s this?” I asked, standing up and climbing my front steps with mom. “Is this for Paula’s baby?” I asked hopefully.

I tried to keep my tone neutral. Something that didn’t scream out, “Please don’t make me put this on my baby!”

Mom shook her head. “It’s for Laurie. I haven’t seen her in the baby cap I knitted her for so long, I figured she must have outgrown it.”

“Uh. Yeah. She did.” I lied.

Actually, last month I’d donated it to the Salvation Army along with a turquoise scarf she knitted Jim and a mustard-colored sweater she made for me. But Mom didn’t need to know that.

“It’s okay,” Mom said with a proud smile. “I made her another.”

“Great.”

“This is for Paula’s baby,” Mom said, indicating the shopping bag.

Nice. I’m sure Paula got a pretty, regular, off-the-shelf baby gift.

We stepped into the madness of my house. Galigani was on my computer in the office that doubled as Laurie’s nursery. In my living room were Kenny and Danny amid an oversized Noah’s Ark jigsaw puzzle that was strewn across my carpet. Laurie was in her swing greedily gumming the remnants of a glazed doughnut.

Mom rushed to Laurie and plucked her up out of the swing. “Who gave this baby a doughnut?” she demanded, glaring at Kenny.

Kenny startled as he glanced up from the puzzle. “It was Kate!” he said defensively.

Galigani entered the room and nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, yes, Kate was the one.”

Mom kissed Galigani saying, “Are you the adult supervising here? If so, we’re all in trouble.” She hugged Laurie protectively. “If she’s ready for solid food, then you have to give her something with some nutritional value. Bananas, carrots, squash—”

“I know.” I flopped onto the couch and rested my head in my hands, trying to ward off an impending headache.

“McNearny’s going to try to trace the plates, but my images are pretty blurry,” Galigani offered.

“I spoke with Jill. She said Melanie is a pathological liar and is in an abusive relationship. She thinks the story about the break-in at Perry’s was a fabrication.”

Galigani grumbled something inaudible and headed back to my office.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“I’ll call Ross. See what, if anything, came from those prints.” Then he whispered, “I’ll be safe in here away from the food police,” and gestured toward Mom and the empty pink bakery box.

“No, you are not safe. Have you been eating these?” Mom lifted the lid of the pastry box by the corner. She pinched it between her thumb and forefinger as if not wanting to disturb fingerprints.

Galigani covered his mouth and gave an uncomfortable cough.

“Aw. I ate ’em. Me and the kid here,” Kenny gestured toward Danny, who had a ridiculous grin on his face alongside the smear of chocolate on his cheek.

Mom shook her head, apparently deciding the fight wasn’t worth it. Instead her gaze fell on the postcard Vicente had given me earlier, which I’d haphazardly thrown on the coffee table. She released the pastry box lid and picked up the postcard. “What’s this?”

Uh-oh.

I tried to reach across the table to grab the postcard before Mom could reach it, but I was too slow.

“What is this?” Mom repeated.

“What? Nothing. Nothing. Here, give it to me.”

Galigani left the room, knowing he was getting off easy about the doughnuts and choosing to get out of Dodge.

Mom read the postcard. “Auditions!” she said. “Are you planning on getting back on stage?”

“What? No! Of course not. It’s just a flyer someone gave me.”

“Who gave it to you?”

“An investigator. Someone Barramendi hired,” I explained.

“Well, are you going to audition?” she asked.

“No.”

Mom studied the postcard, which included a description of the play along with a picture of Vicente.

Danny climbed onto the couch next to me and used it as a trampoline, jumping up and down repeatedly. Kenny gave up on the puzzle and began to put away the pieces.

“My, my, my. Is this the playwright/investigator?” Mom asked.

“That’s him,” I said.

“Oh, he's handsome,” Mom said.

“Yeah, he's good-looking enough,” I answered.

“Are you sure you don’t want to audition?” Mom asked.

“Why would I want to audition? Like I don’t have enough things going on right now?” I motioned to Danny who was now attempting to do a headstand between the cushions of my couch, only he kept falling over sideways and whacking me in the head.

Mom ignored him and simply said, “Too much sugar.”

Kenny finished picking up the pieces of the puzzle. “I’ll take him to the park.”

I nodded toward Kenny and helped Danny into his jacket, while he was chanting “The park, the park, the park.”

Mom fingered the post card again. “Maybe I will.”

“What?” I asked.

“I’ll audition.”

My jaw dropped.

Mom was going to audition for V.D.’s play.

“Well, then I can be on the inside track,” she said. “Get the scoop from him. See what information he has.”

“No, mom!” I pleaded. “Please don’t audition.”

I could tell by the look in her eye it was going to be difficult to dissuade her, and the fear grew in my belly.

“You can’t audition for the play! Come on, Mom. What are you talking about? You have two boyfriends!” I glanced over my shoulder to make sure Galigani hadn’t
overheard me, although the truth was that they seemed more comfortable with Mom dating multiple people than I was. “And your life is busy,” I said. “What about Laurie? She needs you.”

At the mention of her name, Laurie kicked her feet.

Mom shook her head and gestured to Kenny and Danny who were leaving through the front door. “You practically have an army here with you at all times.”

“But you need to knit hats and things for her! You can’t be out auditioning for some stupid play.”

Mother laughed. “You’re afraid I’m going to take your spotlight.”

I laughed. “No. Believe me, the spotlight is always on you, Mom.”

“Then what are you afraid of?” Mom asked.

Indeed. What was it? That I thought she’d make a fool of herself? A vision of Mom onstage in a tight bodice dress wearing an orange wig flashed before my eyes. While ludicrous, I couldn’t quite say it wasn’t something I’d seen before. Mom could handle herself. She always hammed it up and people loved her.

What was it then? And then it came to me. She would be with V.D. and not me. As though by choosing to audition she was choosing sides…

I hugged mom. “I don’t like the other investigator. I think he’s pompous and…well, I’m probably just resentful. He’s working for Barramendi and I was hoping I was on Barramendi’s short list.”