That Touch of Ink (12 page)

EIGHTEEN

I pulled up to the valet stand and rolled down the window. Art Leach scowled at me when recognition hit. “You again. What do you want now, Ms. Night? Or are you not Madison Night today?” he asked, glancing at the plates on the front of my car.

“I’m Madison Night as much as you are Art Leach. You’re still Art Leach, aren’t you?”

“What’s your point?”

“I need to talk to you. Can you take a break?”

The thin man picked up the phone in his booth, said something, then hung up. “Put this on your rearview mirror,” he said, handing me a hanging visitor tag. “Take any available space and meet me by the lanai.”

I drove the Explorer past the valet stand and scanned the lot for the white Lexus. It wasn’t there. I parked close to the building and cracked the windows for Rocky. Art stood under the canopy, shielding his eyes from the sun.

“Can we sit down somewhere?”

“No. I have about ten minutes until I have to be back in the booth. What do you want?”

“White Lexus. You told me one of the women who lives here drives a white Lexus, right? Mrs. Bonneville? And you said her son Grant was staying with her?”

“We don’t spy on our tenants, Ms. Night. We’re a little more formal. That’s one of the reasons Mrs. Bonneville’s been here for so long.”

He checked his watch and looked at the valet stand. The white Lexus pulled in. I strained to make out the identity of the driver,  but couldn’t see through the tinted windows. Turns out it didn’t matter. Harry came out of the valet stand and opened the driver’s side door. A small orange Pomeranian hopped down to the side of the car and pranced around Harry’s feet. The handsome woman with the gray frosted hair followed.

“That’s her, isn’t it? That’s Mrs. Bonneville?”

“Don’t get any ideas. My job is to make sure our tenants feel like they’re at home here. If you tell her I told you who she is, she’ll report me.”

“With all due respect, Art, that woman’s son hired me to do a job. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that she knows something about it.”

“No way.” He crossed his arms and moved between us.

Harry waved his arms back and forth from the valet stand, trying to get our attention. Art looked at him. Harry pointed at his watch then held up two fingers.

“Okay, Ms. Night. You didn’t come here to hang around, hoping to chat up one of our tenants, so why did you come here?”

“I know this is an inconvenience, but something is going on around Dallas that is connected to the break in at your apartment complex, and it’s not good. I don’t know the details, but anything you can tell me would help.”

“You’re not a cop. You’re a decorator. Right?”

“Right.”

“So why exactly am I supposed to tell you anything? What are you going to do with the information? Change my light bulbs?”

“I’m trying to piece together information. That’s all. What did the police tell you when you reported the break-in?”

He rubbed his eyes for a sec, and then held his index finger at Harry. He turned back to me and dropped his voice.

“I didn’t report the break-in. There was only one thing missing, and I didn’t want anybody to know about it.”

“What was it?”

“A wad of tip-money. I don’t claim it on my taxes, so I thought it was better not to acknowledge it. Besides, I don’t trust the cops. For all I know, they’d find the money and keep it for themselves.”

It didn’t surprise me that he hadn’t bothered to report the theft, especially if it would possibly draw his high tippers into some kind of investigation. “If I might ask, how much are we talking about?” I needed to establish a frame of reference.

“Eleven thousand dollars.”

I leaned forward and tipped my head slightly. Just last night I’d seen a wad of hundred dollar bills in Brad’s trunk along with the counterfeiting supplies.

“Did you say eleven thousand dollars?” I asked, making sure I hadn’t been imagining things.

He nodded.

“That’s a lot of cash to have sitting around your apartment.”

“That’s a lot of cash to
not
have sitting around my apartment.”

He had a point.

I didn’t know what else to ask Art, and I sensed our chat was almost over. In the background, Mrs. Bonneville walked her Pomeranian out of the building toward the sidewalk that lined the street, much like she had done the last time I saw her. I waited until she rounded the corner before I spoke.

“I know you have to run. Thank you for taking time to talk to me. Is it okay for me to leave my car parked for a second while I take my dog for a quick walk?” I gestured to the Explorer, where Rocky’s head was peeking out of the opening.

“Sure, just don’t take too long.”

I opened the door and Rocky bounded out. I clipped his leash onto his collar and whispered details about our plan to him. Rocky, I have found, makes an excellent undercover operative.

We headed to the sidewalk. I held my head high and acted like everything was fine. Twice Rocky pulled over to sniff the colorful impatiens that filled the garden beds by the door, but I tugged him forward. We had to hurry. I couldn’t afford to waste a perfectly good pee on flowers outside of Mrs. Bonneville’s range.

As soon as we rounded the corner by the hedge, I scanned the sidewalk for Mrs. Bonneville, surprised she’d gotten away. And then, as if she’d been hiding, she straightened up from behind a wrought-iron bench that faced the street. I imagined I knew what she’d been doing, and I was impressed a woman of her apparent means was responsible enough to pick up her Pomeranian’s poo.

“Let’s go.” Rocky led the way. Mrs. Bonneville was heading back toward us and, as we grew closer, Rocky pulled me to the side while he lifted a leg on the landscaping. When he finished, he trotted back to the sidewalk and stretched his leash so he and the Pomeranian could sniff each other.

“Your Shih Tzu is charming! What’s his name?” she asked.

“Rock. After Rock Hudson,” I added.

“Now there was a looker. And you looking so much like Doris Day, it’s perfect!” she smiled.

“That’s what I like to think. He does make an excellent companion, that’s for sure. And who do we have here?” I asked. I started to bend down to pet her Pom and pain shot through my knee at the deep bend. I felt my face contort with the pain.

“My dear, are you okay?” she asked. She put a hand out onto my arm and touched it ever so lightly.

“I’m sorry. I recently had an operation on my knee and occasionally the pain flares up. I wasn’t expecting it.”

“Sit, sit, sit. Let’s let Rock and Giuseppe get to know each other while you rest.”

We moved to the bench and sat next to each other, staring at the perfectly manicured grounds opposite the apartment complex. The green grass sloped down into a small creek. A white footbridge connected the yard to the other side. Mrs. Bonneville caught me staring at the scene.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“I’ve seen a lot of people get married on that bridge. It looks so peaceful, doesn’t it?” When I agreed, she laughed. “But what people don’t know is there’s a secret hidden below that bridge.”

“What kind of secret?”

“Most of the boys from the neighborhood can probably tell you. The slope is lined with poison ivy.”

I sucked in a breath. “Where, exactly?”

“Oh, don’t fret. It doesn’t spread and I’ve never seen it on this side of the street. My son took Giuseppe for a walk last week and, Lord help me, I don’t know why he decided to stray down to the water, but he did. His arms were covered with a rash for a few days. Giuseppe is lucky that he didn’t catch it, aren’t you?” She scooped up her dog and nestled him to her chest in an affectionate hug. His pointy nose lifted up to her face and he sniffed her check.

My heart was racing with this new information and I couldn’t wait to share it with Tex. Before I could think of what to say next, Rocky jumped onto my lap and put his paws on my chest. He sniffed me, sniffed Mrs. Bonneville, and licked her pearls.

“Rocky!”

She broke out in a charming laugh. “Young lady, puppy kisses are to be cherished. When life gets to the point when you can’t appreciate the spontaneous affection of a dog, then you need to reassess your priorities. And now I can tell my friends I’ve been kissed by Rock Hudson.” She laughed again. “We must be getting back home, but you sit here for a few more minutes and give that knee a chance to rest.” She set Giuseppe onto the sidewalk and he pulled her away in the direction of Turtle Creek Luxury Highrise.

Our spontaneous trip had netted me enough information to be worthwhile, but I knew Mrs. Bonneville would become suspicious if I followed her back to the apartment complex. I ran my hand over Rocky’s fur and kissed the top of his head while we waited. A crisp breeze swept over the grass in front of us, tipping the blades. I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of the vibrant purple flowers behind us.

After waiting ten minutes that felt like an hour, I stood up. Rocky hopped onto the sidewalk and we walked back to the building. I hesitated by the corner, peeking around the hedge for signs of Mrs. Bonneville or her dog. They weren’t there. I led Rocky to the Explorer and clicked the locks open. Rocky jumped into the passenger side door. After I shut it behind him, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Harry.

“Sorry to scare you, ma’am, but Art says you wanted to talk about Mrs. Bonneville’s son?”

“Yes, I do, but he won’t cooperate.”

“I can tell you a couple of things.”

I felt my forehead scrunch up in confusion.

“Art’s on probation for getting caught talking about the guests. He’s not going to risk his job by talking to you.”

“That’s too bad, but I have to respect his decision.” I walked around to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door. Harry stood back while I put the car in reverse and backed out of the space.

There was one car in front of me by the exit. Harry walked alongside of the Explorer. He put his hand on the door by my window. I got the feeling he didn’t want me to leave, so I gently depressed the brake a second time.

“You’re going to have to let go of the car if you want me to leave, Harry.”

“It’s just—Ms. Night, I keep thinking, maybe Mrs. Bonneville’s son had something to do with the robbery.”

I hit the brakes more forcefully this time. “Why? Did you see something suspicious?”

“I didn’t see anything. I wasn’t working here that night. But I didn’t trust that son of Mrs. Bonneville when he arrived and I still don’t. She’s a nice lady, and she takes care of us. All of us. I don’t know where her money comes from, but I don’t want to see it go away too quickly, if you catch my drift. Art might not want to help you out, but I will. The son showed up uninvited and she’s too polite to tell him to leave.”

“What makes you say that? Anything specific?”

“Right now it’s just a feeling. Something about that guy stinks, only I don’t know what it is.”

A horn sounded behind me and I realized I was holding up the exit lane. “Here’s my card.” I slid a Mad for Mod card out from my silver business card case and held it out to Harry. “Do me a favor. Keep an eye on him. If you see any patterns in when he comes and goes, let me know. You can call either of the numbers on that card and leave a message.”

He stared at the card for a few seconds, and then flipped it back and forth against his fingertips. Another car got into the lane to exit the parking lot. I couldn’t tie up the valet station any longer.

“Harry, I have to go.”

“Not yet. Park over there,” he said, pointing to the five minute loading space in front of the building. I followed his instructions and waited for him to come over to the car.

“I’ve seen this card before.”

“I gave one to you the other day. Art too.”

“No, before that. It doesn’t make any sense. Two days after the son showed up, he asked if I’d heard of your business. No offense, but I didn’t. I looked you up and printed out the directions for him. A couple of days later I asked if he found you okay. He looked at me like I was nuts and said he didn’t know what I was talking about. Got so angry I thought he was going to lodge a complaint against me, so I apologized and forgot about it. A week later Mrs. Bonneville asked me to have her car cleaned. I drove it to the car wash and found your business card under one of the floor mats. I had my proof that I wasn’t nuts, but for some reason the guy didn’t want me to remember he asked about you.”

“When was this?” I asked.

“Last month.”

“That can’t be. I only just met him at my studio two days ago.”

“Seems like the guy takes his time making a decision, then. It was definitely last month because it was my girlfriend’s birthday. Mrs. B. gave me a nice tip, and I tried to spend it all on dinner.”

“Tried?”

“That’s the weird part. The restaurant wouldn’t take my money. Said I was trying to pass a counterfeit bill.”

NINETEEN

“Counterfeit?” I repeated.

Harry nodded. “It had to be some kind of a mix-up. My girlfriend was embarrassed, and I wanted to get her out of there. I charged the meal, and we left.”

“Do you have the bill?”

“No. I took it to the bank the next day and deposited it.”

“But—”

“That’s why I said it had to be a mix-up. There was no problem at the bank.”

The horn sounded a second time, and Art waved me forward. Harry tapped the roof of the car twice, and I pulled out of the parking lot, sure of nothing.

I drove to Thelma Johnson’s house only because I needed a safe place to sit and think. I parked out front next to the hedges that lined the property. They looked as if they’d been maintained. More of Tex’s handiwork? Exactly how much time did he spend here?

I shook thoughts of him from my head. There wasn’t time to think about Tex now. I had to try to figure out Brad’s true motivation for being in Dallas. Had Brad and Mrs. Bonneville’s son ever been in the same place at the same time? I didn’t think so. Which maybe meant they were working together. Or … maybe not.

I was at a loss.

If Brad knew someone was after him, that someone had tracked him to Dallas, maybe he had been looking for a place to crash. Whether it was because he wanted a reconciliation or not, my apartment building would suit his needs. But he wasn’t staying at my apartment. He said he kept a room at the Brite House. I wasn’t familiar with that apartment complex, but Dallas was filled with temporary living quarters that were constantly bought, renovated, and renamed. It was almost impossible to keep up with them all.

There was no avoiding Brad, not tonight. Connie’s invitation rang in my ears. I couldn’t leave her or Ned alone with Brad. Not when I wasn’t sure what he was up to. When I saw him tonight, I’d ask about the Brite House.

I was surprised Connie hadn’t called to see what was keeping me, and I made a preemptive call to let her know I was running late. I got her voice mail and left a brief message of apology.

Next, I called Joanie. She answered on the first ring.

“Joanie, it’s Madison. Do you still have that white twin bed in your store?”

“Sure. I had to move it to the back room because of space. Why?”

“If you can deliver it for me, I’ll take it.”

“Twin bed? Sure. It fits in the pick-up truck.”

I made arrangements to buy the bed and negotiated delivery in exchange for dinner at the Japanese Kobe Steakhouse. I offered an extra hundred if she picked up sheets, blankets, pillows, and dog food. After giving her directions to Thelma Johnson’s house and telling her where to find the spare key, I added, “I’m not going to make it there until late tonight.”

“Why are you setting up camp at this place and not sleeping at home?”

“It’s complicated,” I said, just like I’d told Connie.

“Does ‘complicated’ mean you’re going to be buying more stuff from me?”

“Possibly.”

“Then I’m all for complicated,” she said. “I’ll deliver the bed after I close at six. That okay?”

I thought about my afternoon plans and the cookout at Ned and Connie’s place. Brad would be with me, and we’d be nowhere near Thelma Johnson’s house.

“After six sounds perfect. Thanks, Joanie.”

I was so late that I thought for sure Connie would have called me back by now. That or she was so angry at me that I was no longer welcome at her house. Kiss a fat commission and a friend good-bye.

I flipped through the recently dialed numbers on my phone until I found her cell and called it again. Again, the call went to voicemail.

“Connie, it’s Madison. I’m sorry it’s taking me this long. I’m on my way. Promise. Call me back if you want me to pick up anything.”

As much as I wasn’t in the mood to go to the cookout, I had to, to protect my friends. I didn’t want to accept that Tex was right; life was like a garden. At the rate I was going, every friendship, every relationship worth keeping would dry up and die because of my refusal to tend to them. If I wanted everything to come up roses, I was going to have to get dirty.

I drove the rented Explorer to the Duncan’s house. Brad’s Mustang was parked in the driveway. Had he found his key in the trunk of his car, or did he have an extra one?

Brad was sitting on the front step with his head in his hands. I got out of the car and fumbled with Rocky’s leash. Brad rushed over and threw his arms around me, pegging my own arms to my side.

“Maddy! You’re okay!” He held me in a bear hug that allowed little reciprocity. “When I didn’t hear from you, I got worried.”

“I got up early and went to the studio.”

“But your car was at the apartment—”

“I had to pick up some furniture so I rented an Explorer.” I looked over his head at the house. “Where are Connie and Ned? I’ve been trying to call her to tell her I was running late, but she’s not answering the phone. Did they cancel the cookout?”

Brad eased his embrace and stared at me as if something was wrong.

“Brad, what’s going on?”

“Connie’s in the hospital.”

“The hospital? Why? I just saw her this morning. What happened?”

“I thought you were with her.”

Brad’s curly black hair was more wild than usual. I could tell he’d been running his fingers through it. His styling product had long since lost the battle against his natural curls. A breeze pushed the top of it around and he reached up and pushed it back and held it down.

When he realized I was staring at him, he dropped his hand and hugged me a second time.

“Brad, why is Connie in the hospital?” I asked again, pulling away from him.

“She was in a car accident. It’s all my fault.”

“I don’t understand.”

“She said she wanted to drive your car. Your spare keys were in a drawer in your kitchen. I didn’t see the harm in it, so I told her to take it for a spin.”

“What happened?” I asked. A numbness radiated from my chest to my arms and legs.

“I don’t know.”

Concern for Connie kept my other emotions in check. Anger, that Brad thought he could offer up the use of my car to Connie. Fear, that Connie’s accident was a message. Suspicion, that Brad had been going through my drawers, looking for something. I was going to have to act like nothing had changed.

“Take me to the hospital, Brad.” I picked up Rocky.

“You can’t take Rocky to the hospital. Leave him here.”

“He’s coming with me. This house is unfamiliar to him and I don’t want him to think I’m abandoning him.”

“He’s a dog, Maddy.”

Something inside me snapped. My fists balled up and I stepped away from him. “Will you stop calling me that? My name is Madison! And this is Rocky! And he’s not just a dog!”

“Hey, hey, calm down. I’m sorry. I thought you liked it when I called you Maddy. I didn’t realize—I’m sorry. Come here,” Brad said.

He held his arms open again. I stayed where I was. Inside I was freaking out. My life was being divvied up amongst everyone I knew and I was losing myself in the process.

“I can’t leave Rocky,” I said. “He has to come with me.”

“Anything you say, Mad-Madison. We’ll figure it out.”

We walked to his Mustang. He unlocked my door and held it open while I got inside, even though I’d told him more than once I could open my own doors. I buckled into the seat without saying a word.

We made it to the hospital quickly. Brad parked in a visitor spot by emergency. A terror had come over me, a dread that something was far more wrong than I imagined. I didn’t want Brad to know how scared I was to walk into that emergency room.

Brad got out of the car first. I hugged Rocky and set him on the driver’s side seat. I leaned in close and whispered, “Sometimes we have to pretend we trust people we don’t. This is one of those times. I’m going to go with that man, but I’ll be back. Okay?”

Rocky looked up at me and tipped his head. Another person might feel foolish confiding in a Shih Tzu, but in the middle of all of the lies and secrets, it felt good to talk to Rocky. I talked to him all the time before Brad had showed up. For the first time in days, I had my confidant back and I could tell him how I really felt.

I cracked the windows and locked the doors. Ned rushed across the lobby to us as soon as we entered the waiting room.

“They haven’t told me much, but she’s going to be okay. I still don’t know what happened. I got a call that she was here, and the doctors came out to ask about allergies and her medical history. They had to operate. Somebody came out and said things went well and now she’s resting. I keep asking when I can see her and they keep saying soon. I don’t know what soon means, man, I don’t know what any of it means.”

“Wait here,” I said.

I approached the desk. My knee was throbbing and I took full advantage of the limp. A woman wearing pink leopard-printed scrubs looked up at me.

“Hi, I’m Madison Night. My friend was brought in earlier. Her name is Connie Duncan. Do you have any information on her condition? Do you know when we can see her? Her husband’s been here for a while and he’s in bad shape. Is there anything you can tell me?”

A voice behind me said, “You’re Madison? Madison Night?”

I turned around and faced a young male doctor in standard blue scrubs. He held a clipboard by his side. A white face mask hung around his neck, the top strings untied.

“Yes, I’m Madison Night.”

“She’s been asking for you.”

Ned stepped forward. “Can I see her? I’m her husband.”

“Madison first. She’s been asking for Madison since she came in.”

I crossed the lobby and squeezed Ned’s hand. “I’ll be fast.”

Before anybody could argue that Connie and I weren’t close enough for me to get first visitation privileges, I followed the doctor down the hallway.

Connie’s room was not unlike the room I recovered in after my operation. White gauze curtains allowed sunlight to offset the grim reality of the machines by the head of her bed. Instead of a knee held in a stirrup like mine had been, her head was wound with gauze. A steady beep monitored her heart rate. When she saw me, she tried to sit up. The doctor told her to relax.

“Keep your visit short, Ms. Night. With all due respect, her husband should be the one in here, not you.”

I nodded. When he left the room, I moved closer to the bed. Connie spoke before I could.

“I’m sorry, Madison. I’m so sorry,” she choked out. Her face turned red and her eyes filled with tears that spilled over the side of her face and dampened the pillow. “Your car. It’s destroyed.” Sobs took over, shaking her.

“Hey, hey. It’s just a car. It’s you I’m worried about. I can get another car, but Ned can’t get another wife. Not one who can sing the ‘Ballad of Billie Joe,’ ” I said, trying to cheer her up.

“I should have listened to you.”

“Is this about Brad?”

“It’s about your car. I told Brad I wanted to drive it and he gave me your keys and told me to take it for a joyride.”

I tensed up, my hand going numb. “How did the accident happen?”

“I don’t know. I was driving along fine and all of a sudden I slammed into the back of a semi. It was like—” She stopped crying for a second while she searched her thoughts. “It was like something snapped under my foot and the brakes stopped working.”