Provoked (13 page)

              Riley parked the SUV in front of the Grand. He picked up his .38 revolver and slid it into his holster. He flashed his badge and handed the keys to the young polite man that had opened his door.

              Riley sprinted through the lobby to reach the elevator. He knocked on her door.

“Basia,” he whispered her name, out of breath when she opened the door. He wanted to pull her into his arms and taste her kiss, but she held her arms in front of him, with her wrists touching and facing upward. She expected he was there to arrest her. He looked into her eyes. They pulled at his heartstrings.

              “Don’t be ridiculous, Basia”

              He reached for her hands and held them instead of cuffing them. A single tear formed in her eye and slowly drifted down her cheek. His hand reached up to touch her face and wipe away the tear. He smiled.

              “I’m here to protect you, not arrest you. Let’s go inside. It’s too exposed out here in the hallway.”

              Riley led her inside and closed the door. He turned to face her.

              “Basia, I believe you. I want to protect you. I’m sorry for what you had to survive. I understand. I do. I’ve never felt this way about anyone. I’m unsure about a lot of things, but the one thing I am sure of is my love for you. I am definitely ready to move forward, past the first-name. Whatever happened before the first-name and whatever happens going forward doesn’t matter, we will deal with it together. Basia, I love you.”

              Tears formed in her eyes. Her lips parted but no words came through them. She reached out to touch his face. Those Mediterranean blues he so loved told him everything he ever needed to know. Those eyes told him how much she wanted and needed him. She moved in closer and whispered against his lips, “I love you, Riley.” Her lips then pressed against his and created a wild explosion of passion.

              “I was wrong.” Basia snuggled in closer to Riley.

              “You were wrong about what?”

              He leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. The once-mysterious woman, that would be a nice piece of ass for a one-night stand, was now the only woman in his heart. He knew he’d protect her with his life and never let her go. His previously confirmed bachelorhood was now a thing of the past, and he was more than happy to admit it.

              “First-name-only-sex; knowing more is better.” Her answer brought laughter to the room.

              “That, my darling, I have to agree with.”

              Riley swept her into his arms and rolled her on top of him. The sudden movement only reignited their passion and her lips met his. He released from the kiss.

              “Hold that thought while I take a quick shower.”

              She kissed him quickly and moved over. On his way to the bathroom, he announced she should call the front desk to check on their bottle of scotch. He said he’d placed an order for room service before he came up to her room. Basia reached for the phone when she heard the shower start. A knock at the door stopped her. She called out to ask who it was and heard a man say it was room service.

             
Perfect timing.
She called out to leave it outside the door. Basia reached for her robe and grabbed her revolver. She removed the safety and walked toward the door. She checked through the peephole and saw the room-service cart and no one around. Quietly she unlocked the door and opened it slowly to check the hallway. Basia pulled the cart into the room and locked the door. She pushed the cart over to the bed and lifted the silver cover to a wide assortment of fruit, cheese, and chocolate. Beside the tray was their bottle of scotch but also a bottle of champagne on ice. She laughed when she saw the two champagne flutes marked Bride and Groom. The champagne, fruit, and chocolate were very romantic. The additional touch of the bride and groom glasses only reminded her of their dry humor.

              “What are we celebrating?” Riley asked, as she handed him a glass of champagne.

              “Marriage, my dear groom. Guess we are past first-names-only.”

              Basia laughed and pointed to the word groom on his flute. Riley laughed and met her glass with a little ting. They both downed the champagne in one swig. Basia walked over to the room service cart and lifted the silver cover.

              “Would you like some chocolate or cheese? The champagne was a very romantic addition, Detective. I enjoyed the humor of the bridal glasses.”

              She turned when Riley didn’t answer. The flute fell from his hand and he dropped to the floor. Basia ran to him. “Riley!” With no response she grabbed the phone and dialed 911.

              “I’m not sure. He had a shower and a glass of champag…” Basia didn’t finish the sentence. She immediately informed the operator she was certain it may be thallium poisoning and the antidote, Prussian blue, will be needed. She confirmed they were NYPD and working a case with the poison.

              Riley opened his eyes to the sunshine pouring through the open curtains. He wasn’t sure at first where he was. He felt like he’d had too much to drink the night before. Then it hit him. He remembered being at the hotel with Basia and their champagne toast. Riley rolled his head to see Basia and Kennedy asleep in the chairs beside his bed. He was in a hospital room.

              “Basia,” he tried to say her name, but his voice crackled. He cleared his throat. Both Basia and Kennedy woke. Basia smiled and leaned in to reach for his hand.

              “How are you feeling?” She squeezed his hand.

              He smiled. “Like I drank too much last night. What happened?”

              “Good to have you back, partner. You worried the hell out of us,” Kennedy spoke and stood up. He walked over and gave him a slight pat on the shoulder.

              “You were poisoned, Riley.”

              Basia’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry. I should have figured it out before we drank the champagne. I thought you had ordered it and the glasses were a joke. You know how we play each other.”

              “Darek.” Riley first assumption was the same as hers.

              “This isn’t your fault, Basia. I thought it was your surprise and laughed, too. Are you okay?”

              “My glass was fine. They found no trace of thallium. It was only your glass that had been laced with it; Darek’s sick way of torture.”

              “Thank God she thought it might be poison, Briggs, or we would have lost you. She ordered the antidote with the ambulance,” Kennedy added. He smiled at them both. “I’ll leave you newlyweds to some privacy.” His comment made them all laugh.

              “Hey, where do you think you’re going?” Riley asked.

              Kennedy stopped at the door. “I have to check in with my bride before she divorces me,” he laughed, “Then I’m going to find this bastard.”

              Riley smiled. He had taught his new partner well. He enjoyed the new edge of Kennedy.

              “I’ll meet you at the office,” Riley announced and began to sit up. There was no way he was going to stay in a hospital bed while Darek was on the loose with thallium.

             Basia stood and tried to stop him from getting out of bed. “Riley, you need to rest.”

              “No, I need to find Darek.”

              He kissed her gently on the cheek and continued to get out of bed. “I’ll get dressed. You find the doctor. See, I’m fine.”

              Riley stood and turned around. Basia shook her head. She knew she wasn’t going to win this argument. She walked past Kennedy to find the doctor.

              “I’ll see you at the office. There’s an officer outside the door, one waiting to escort Basia home, and another at Basia’s apartment waiting. I’m keeping you both safe until we get this bastard,” Kennedy sternly declared.

              “Thanks for having my back.” Riley nodded.

              “That’s what partners do,” Kennedy added and left the room.

That’s exactly what partners do.
Riley was happy to have one again. One he could trust.

              Darek sat in his rental car across from the brownstone. He’d found a way into Basia’s building, and into her apartment, only to find it empty. Darek knew the best way to track her down was to follow the man she’d been having sex with. He figured the note she received from him had spooked her. Now she’d be wondering where he was; exactly what he wanted. He wanted her to look over her shoulder at all times, scared and helpless as to when he’d finish her off. He laughed at the thought of her in fear. He was quite pleased with himself and his accomplishments to date. His plan had moved along perfectly. But now he was jealous.

              She’d never acted that way with him. He wondered if maybe she had spiced up their marriage, neither one of them would have planned to murder the other. It was too late for that. Sweet revenge and all that money were the only things on his mind. Darek watched the police exit the brownstone with a man in custody. He waited. Not long after, Riley appeared and jumped into the black SUV parked across from Darek. He followed him to the thirty-seventh precinct and sat outside and waited.

              “Ah, Grand Hotel. I should have known she’d run to luxury. The two lovebirds are going to enjoy a night at the Grand. I must send champagne to their room.”

              Darek spoke out loud to himself, and then laughed as he pulled up to the front and handed over his keys. Inside, he waited in the lobby as he watched Riley flash his badge for the bellboy to hold the elevator for him. 

              The elevator opened and Darek approached the bellboy. He flashed a hundred dollar bill.

              “Could you tell me what room the detective went to?”

              The young man smiled and inconspicuously took the bill from Darek’s hand. He looked around cautiously and whispered, “Penthouse suite”

              Darek smiled and nodded. He opened his hand to another hundred dollar bill.

              “I have more of these bills to share for some help tonight.”

              The bellboy looked around again. He picked up a brochure off the table and pretended to be of help to the gentleman. “What do you need help with?”

              “A little undercover investigative help to catch two lovers in an affair; perhaps room service of champagne, but when it is ready; you must take me up to the suite and allow me to deliver. And bridal champagne flutes and a tray of fruit and chocolate, please.”

              The bellboy’s eagerness to earn the cash made him nod. “No problem, Sir.”

              Darek said he’d wait in the hotel bar. He hoped the bellboy would be quick to earn his money. Darek was about to order his second drink, when the young man appeared at the bar and said the room service was ready to be delivered. Darek handed him a hundred dollar bill.               “Good work”

              Darek followed the bellboy and waited around the corner for room service to show. The bellboy promised Darek, the waiter had been given the hundred dollar bill and would leave the cart outside the door. Darek thanked him with another bill and sent him on his way. While he waited, he put on gloves and reached for the vial inside his pocket. Darek was ready to lace the groom’s glass with the thallium. He spotted the waiter with the champagne cart and stopped him.

              “I can take it from here.”

              The young man thanked him for the money and left. Darek opened the vial. He knocked on the door and announced room service. Darek smiled as the elevator door closed. Now it was time he cleaned up loose ends, killed Basia, and got out of New York. His next stop—the nice little old lady at the brownstone.

              “Yes?” a sweet old voice spoke on the other side of her door.

              “Mrs. Clarke, it is Darek—Adam’s Polish friend.” She opened the door.

              “Good evening. I’m sorry to say there’s been some trouble and poor Adam isn’t here.”

              “I’ve heard. It isn’t fair. May I come in to speak with you? I would like to help.”

              “Of course, I’m certain Adam would appreciate any assistance.”

              Mrs. Clarke invited him in. “Thank you, Mrs. Clarke. I’m so sorry to have disturbed you at this hour, but I was quite concerned when I heard about Adam.”

              Darek took her little old hand and lifted it for a kiss. Mrs. Clarke blushed. Her cute little giggle only irritated him. She welcomed him in and thanked him for the tray he held in one hand. Darek set the tray down on her table. He lifted a cup from the tray and set it before her. “A speciality tea for a special lady.” He smiled. “I wasn’t sure if you liked sugar or honey with your tea, so I’ll leave that to you.”

              “Thank you, Darek. You are very kind.”

              She reached for the sugar on her table and added some to her tea. “Would you care for anything in yours?” she offered.

              “No thank you, Mrs. Clarke. I take mine black.”

              “I like milk in mine.”

              Mrs. Clarke excused herself to retrieve the milk from her refrigerator.

              Darek smiled and took a sip of his coffee. He watched her sip on her tea.
One less loose end tied up with a sweet cup of tea. He chuckled within.
Darek knew the little old lady knew nothing of his plan and was certain Adam wouldn’t involve her in it. But he didn’t want any loose ends dangling that would lead to him. The police had arrested Adam for the murders in the brownstone. Adam had voluntarily participated in the murders and wanted complete ownership for them; to help market his so-called bestseller. It was Mrs. Clarke’s cookies that had been laced with the thallium that took their lives and not the Pyrethrin the police thought. Adam had told him that no tenant would take anything from him, but they would always take cookies from the sweet old lady. Unfortunately, Beth had taken Andy’s cookie. Darek believed he had planned the perfect murders with the perfect poison, and Adam was more than happy to take the fall. His torture to Basia, because he believed she would help these poor abused women by killing their husbands, as she had tried with her own. He believed it would be the perfect torture to kill anyone she got close to. He didn’t want to frame her for the murders. He wanted to kill her with the thallium she had for him, and then he’d have the money.

              “I don’t like to be rude, Darek, but I’m rather tired and must get to bed.”

              Mrs. Clarke saw him to the door. Darek promised her he would help Adam get out of this mess. Darek grabbed the empty cups and tray. “I will rid of the garbage. I don’t expect you to clean up after my unexpected visit.” He knew when she was found it would appear the old lady died in her sleep of natural causes. There would be no sign left that he’d been there.

              Darek left the brownstone with a smile. A few blocks away, he dumped the paper cups in a bin and drove back to Basia’s apartment. There he would wait for her return. The last vial of thallium he was in his jacket pocket and had been saved for his wife. He wondered if she’d have a scotch with him as she so happily did with Riley. Anger raced through his veins. The hatred he carried for Basia had grown since he arrived in New York. He’d followed her daily. Darek watched her enjoy her new life. She had a new job, new friends, and eventually, a new man.

              Her happiness only aggravated his anger. He had followed her to group one night and hid in the hallway outside the room where they met. He listened to her accusations of his abuse. She seemed so willing to share with strangers. Not once did he hear her confess to the murder of her husband. She made him sound like a monster. He remembered the session he listened in on. He hadn’t recalled the incident.
Lying bitch,
he said under his breath, when he heard her tell them a story.

              I attempted a shower once, he held the shower door open and pinned me up against the wall. The water was beating hard on my face as he held his fingers tightly around my throat. All I remember is gasping for air, trying not to take in water from the running shower. As usual during his outbursts, he was screaming and when I say screaming, I mean that decibel point way beyond normal yelling.  Nothing even close to two people fighting; this was far worse. It sends a chill, a shiver of pain through your ears into your entire body. Your mind blanks out the words used. You just remember the screaming and the fear. Words that should never be used with someone you supposedly love. The mind freezes and ignores. Memories of trauma are difficult to remember. After so long, abuse numbs you, numbs your mind. Fear is all you see and feel.

              He followed her and her friends from the group to the brownstone. It became a regular weekly event for the four women. They met at the diner before group. All four women sat and accused their men of terrible things. Darek wondered what the real story was and figured he’d probably get the truth from their partners. He called them all useless whores. The fact that they were Basia’s only friends made it better. He planned to take them out of their misery, one-by-one. He’d originally planned to go to New York to hunt her down and finish the job he’d set out to do—kill her and inherit the money. When he discovered where she was and gathered information of her new happy life with friends; his plan changed to torture her first, by taking away anything and everyone that was close to her.