The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries 1-3 (43 page)

"That's the one," Olivia replied.

"What does he want?"

"He's been bugging me to do a spread in his
magazine. Says I can be dressed, just a transparent blouse. He wants me to wear
a pair of breeches and—this is the best part…" She wiped her face.
"He tells me a crop in my hand would look good, kind of do a jockey
thing."

"Creep."

"I've told him no way, but he still keeps
calling. Then Marshall Friedman, Steve Benz's manager, suggests I do the
magazine and that Steve would like to do the photos with me, and together he
thinks we would make a great pair."

"Jerks."

"Yep. But wait, the biggest jerk of all is my
mother. I told her what they proposed and she said that I should do it. It
would be good for my career. She says that as much as she loved Audrey and as
hard as it is that she's gone, I have to think about moving on, and Audrey was
holding me back. Can you believe that?"

"Oh my God. That is so cold. What the hell is
wrong with your mother?" she blurted. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
say that."

"No. You're right. My own mother wants to
sell me out. Wants me to pose half naked with some asshole pop star in hopes of
me making it huge for her."

It looked like Josh was right about Kathleen
likely being the one to set up the meeting between Olivia, Friedman, and Benz
after the races. She'd kept it from both Audrey and Olivia, maybe fearing that
they would veto the queen and her ideas. "What did you tell her?"

Michaela also couldn't help wondering if Olivia was
aware of her mother's financial troubles. Michaela had dealt with her own
difficulties when it came to finances, but when it had happened in her life
after her ex left and stuck her with thousands of dollars in medical bills
incurred from failed in vitro fertilization attempts, Michaela had changed her
lifestyle—slowed things way down. Not that she ever really lived beyond her
means anyway, but she knew how to tighten up when necessary. That was clearly
something Kathleen Bowen was unable to do, even while going down the tubes.
Appearances meant more to her than honesty and reality.

"Nothing. I left. You don't tell my mom anything. It's
not worth the fight. She'll wear you down."

"Is that why you haven't told her that you
want to be a jockey?"

"You know about that?"

"I do. Audrey told me."

"Ah." Olivia crossed her arms. She
looked paler tonight than she had the other day. Granted, she had ivory skin,
but she appeared more gaunt and unhealthy. "That would be nice. Dreams are
nice but they're bullshit."

"Is that why you left the races with Benz and
Friedman? Why you were willing to discuss a contract with them?"

"Look, I did that because I was mad at Josh.
He'd been a jerk to me earlier and I didn't want to be around him or my mom.
Benz and Friedman came to see me after the show in my dressing room. We started
talking and decided to go party somewhere else."

"Did you have anything to drink?"
Michaela remembered Josh telling her that according to Olivia she'd only had a
couple of drinks and they'd been before she'd left the races. He'd suspected
that Benz might have spiked the drink.

"Yeah. I had a beer, maybe two. I don't know.
It's kind of a blur now. We were talking and then Benz said he'd grab a few
beers. Friedman hung with me while Benz got the drinks and then when he came
back we downed them and took off."

Those moments that Benz went to get the drinks: He
had the opportunity to spike Olivia's beer then. He also might have had
opportunity to kill Audrey. He had threatened her only a couple of hours before
with Olivia changing management camps. The timing seemed right to Michaela for
Benz to have done it. Maybe Josh had good reason to distrust Benz. Not only was
he trying to scam the girl he cared about, but could Josh have a gut feeling
that Benz was even slimier than what he put out there. Could Josh suspect that
the guy was evil enough to kill? "Josh seems to be pretty protective over
you."

She nodded. "Yeah, so? He's cool. I know he
has a thing for me." She shrugged. "I kind of like him, too, but my
mom would freak, and I don't know what my dad would say."

"You are an adult."

"Right."

"You are, Olivia. Maybe you should try acting
like one."

"What the hell does that mean? Oh forget
it." She looked at her watch again. "I have to go. Thanks for the
coffee."

"You hardly drank any."

"I know. But I need to get back." She
stood, her demeanor changing.

Olivia obviously did not want to talk about the
prospect of being a jockey, or acting like an adult, and she'd begun fidgeting
again. Her cell rang. She took it out of her purse and answered, waving
good-bye to Michaela as she walked out. Michaela shook her head in
bewilderment. The young woman certainly was confused, and confusing. She sat
there and sipped her coffee. The waitress came over with her bill.

"Oh, hon, looks like your friend forgot
something; maybe it dropped out of her purse." The waitress reached across
the booth and handed her a tiny envelope, the kind that typically holds a card
attached to flowers.

"Thank you." Michaela took the envelope
and couldn't help but look inside. No card, but there was something. Crushed
chalk? No. Flour? Powder?
Oh damn
. A sickened feeling struck Michaela,
for she doubted that the substance was anything of a legal nature. She felt
pretty sure that what was inside the tiny envelope was cocaine.

"YOU LOOK LIKE HELL," CAMDEN SAID WHEN
SHE walked into the kitchen the following morning and found Michaela trying to
jump-start herself with a strong cup of coffee.

She hadn't been able to get to sleep until the wee
hours of the morning and then it wasn't exactly restful, as nightmares invaded
her dreams. "Thanks. Not all of us get to sleep in the arms of a loved
one, all warm and cozy. I am still mad at you, you know." Michaela poured
herself another cup from the carafe. She had to hit the road if she wanted to
reach Los Angeles early and get out before the late afternoon traffic kicked
in. She took a bag of bread from the cupboard. "Toast?"

"No. I'll have some cereal, though."

Michaela served up her friend's favorite
cereal—Fruit Loops.
How fitting
. By the time she finished waiting on
Camden, her toast was ready. She slathered it with peanut butter and sat down.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Camden set her spoon down and shrugged.
"Look, I knew that you would discourage me from a relationship with
Dwayne. And I know what you're thinking, that I'll dump him, leave him
brokenhearted and he'll hightail it back to the islands."

"You got it," Michaela replied.

Camden reached across the table and took
Michaela's hand. "I know I've been a flake. I know I've been unlucky in
love and that's why I'm here with you. You always warned me with each guy I've
brought around that it wouldn't work, that he wasn't good enough. That he was
some superficial moron. And that's what's different this time. You know as well
as I do that
superficial
is the last thing Dwayne is. He's unlike all
the men I've fallen for in the past. There isn't a phony thing about him, and
material gain isn't what he wants."

"You're right. And that's what worries me. I
don't want Dwayne to be the flavor of the month or year because he is
different. Camden, you like material things, and you can be phony." At
that comment, her friend scowled. "You can and you know it."

Camden nodded. "I love him." She looked
up at Michaela, tears in her eyes. "I can honestly say for the first time
in my life that I am in love with a man and he loves me. It's not about
anything else but that, and I want your blessing. Please."

Michaela squeezed her hand. "Okay then. But
don't ever keep something like that from me again. I feel like an idiot. I
can't believe that I didn't notice."

"I won't. Thank you. It's not hard to believe
that you didn't notice, though. You've been busy with the horses, running this
place, Joe's kid, and that hot detective's daughter. Hell, I feel like I
haven't seen you much these past few months."

Camden was right. She had been busy. They hadn't
spent much time together lately like they used to. "We need to change
that, don't we?"

"We'd better, considering we'll be planning a
wedding together."

Michaela smiled. "Should be a good distraction
for me."

"What do you mean?" Camden asked between
bites of cereal.

Michaela sighed. "Dwayne didn't tell you
about Audrey?"

"No."

She began the sordid tale. "Oh my God."
Camden brought her hand up to her mouth. She stood and wrapped her arms around
Michaela. "I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know. Last night after finding
Francisco, I asked Olivia to have coffee. She was acting really strange. Then
she took off and left something behind. It must've fallen out of her
purse."

"What?"

"A small envelope of cocaine."

"Ah, jeez. Not good."

"Poor Hugh. I should tell him."

"Oh no. You need to stay out of this. None of
this sounds good at all. I know how obsessed you became when Lou was murdered,
and you almost got yourself killed. Promise me you're not off trying to piece
it together. Let that family unravel without you being stuck in the middle.
You're a good person, you don't need outside hassles getting in the way of
running your life. That's your problem: you're always trying to solve everyone
else's
problems. Take care of yourself for a change."

"All I'm doing is trying to find some
answers."

"Michaela," Camden implored. "Run
as far away as you can from those people."

"Joe is checking into a few things for me and
that's it. Then I'll drop it. I even promised him."

Camden shook her head. "Stubborn. Very
stubborn. Now you got Joey Pellegrino involved. I knew it, and I bet your cute
detective is aware of your activities and he probably is not too happy about
it."

Michaela looked up at the clock. "Oh, would
you look at that, gotta run. I have a horse to pick up."

"Michaela."

"I'll be back tonight."

"Michaela!" Camden yelled. "Stay
out of it. Please. You have a lot of people who love you."

"I love you, too. Thanks for caring. Have a
good day."

With that she shut the door behind her. Camden was
right. Leave all the dysfunctionals back in Hollywood. She'd do that tomorrow,
she promised herself. Today she had to go and pick up Geyser. So asking a few
more questions couldn't hurt, now could it?

BEFORE HEADING OUT, MICHAELA STOPPED OFF AT
Audrey's place to make sure the animals were all okay. Jude had left a message
to call him. She was going to give that some time. She wasn't ready for the
third degree. At Audrey's, she found Deputy Garcia holding down the fort. She
sat on her porch swing looking beat tired and bored out of her mind. She eyed
Michaela up and down.

"You know, technically you're not supposed to
be here. I do know that Ms. Pratt was a friend, but I have my orders, straight
from Detective Davis," she said as she glared at Michaela. Maybe it was
her imagination, but did Garcia have a bone to pick?

"I understand. I only came by to feed the
animals."

"The animals will be fine. Arrangements have
been made for the Humane Society to pick them up. That's why I'm still here. I
was off two hours ago, but they send in the rookie to do this shit."

"Oh, no! Not the Humane Society. I have room
for the horses. Please give me a day."

"You'll have to take it up with the Humane
Society. Or maybe your boyfriend." Garcia stood up from the porch swing
and crossed her arms.

Something about her intimidated Michaela. Maybe it
was the fact that she carried a gun. That might have been it. But her comment
was way off base. "I don't know what you mean."

"You and Detective Davis. I saw the way you
were looking at him. You two
do
know each other."

"Yes, but we don't have anything going
on."

"Can't blame you. He's a hottie. That's for
sure. More power to you, girl. But let me just say that you've got all the women
around the station a little peeved at you. They've all been competing to spend
some time with Davis."

"Peeved about
me
?"

"Word is that you and Davis have a thing.
It's the gossip around the station. I'd be careful if I were you. He's got the
womanizer thing down. You can ask anyone in a skirt back at the station. He and
I have even spent some time together." Garcia winked at her.

"You can go back to the station and tell the
ladies there that Detective Davis is more than available," Michaela said.

"You sure about that?"

"I'm sure. Now, can I go and check on the
animals? Feed them? They have to be hungry and it's best if I turn some of them
out to pasture."

"Why not?"

"Thanks." Michaela stormed off and could
have sworn she heard Garcia chuckle under her breath. What was that all about?
She did not like being the subject of gossip. And to even have become that
subject, Jude must've told someone that they were seeing each other, or
something like that.
Whatever
. And what was that comment that he and
Garcia had spent time together? Was Jude different from what she'd thought?
Could he be another womanizer? God knew she had a knack for picking them, and
then getting blindsided like a deer caught up in headlights. Had she fallen
into another man's trap? No, she had not. She wouldn't let Jude get the best of
her. If he wanted to chase the skirts back at the station that was just fine.
But she wasn't about to allow him to get under her skin and feed her lies. No
way.

She made her way to the barn and started feeding
the horses. Then she went out to the pasture and brought the roving ones to
their stalls and fed them. Audrey had about twenty head. By the time she was
finished, it had taken nearly forty-five minutes. As she was locking up, her
cell phone rang.