Walking with her head down, she trudged up Shattuck, breathing in lungfuls of foggy, saline air. Ducking into her office, she checked the messages on her cell. There were dozens of them but the only one that interested her was from Don. Once upon a time, she had known his number by heart. A lifetime ago.
She hit the green call button. His wife answered.
“Hi Jill, it’s Davi- ”
“I’ll get Don for you.”
“Thank you.” Their typical conversation. Five words from Jill Newell was a discourse. The woman just couldn’t get past her husband’s old high school romance. Davida thought Jill’s pettiness astounding after all these years. Especially considering who Davida was. But forget logic; Jill simply hated her.
Don came on the line. “Congresswoman Grayson.”
“Detective Newell. What’s the word?”
“Actually, I do have some news. We got a couple of eyewitnesses on your egg throwers. Couple of moron brothers, Brent and Ray Nutterly. We paid them a visit at their trailer, which conveniently reeked of weed. They’re spending the night in the slammer courtesy of SPD. We may be able to send them up for six months to a year for what they did to you, but they aren’t going to do any hard time.”
“Tell the DA to go for the max.” Davida Grayson, brand-new convert to tough sentencing.
“Absolutely,” said Don. “Everyone from the chief on down is pissed at them for making us look bad. Toss the capital police into the equation and they’re definitely not winning any popularity contests.”
He lowered his voice. “Davy, I don’t have to tell you this but you know there are others waiting in the wings who are a lot more malicious than those two assholes. Think about hiring a bodyguard.”
“Not a chance.”
“Just until you get further along on your bill. All that walking around- ”
“Exactly. I need mobility and accessibility. Thanks for your concern, Don. Now I have another favor. My mom’s due to come home in about an hour, hour and a half. She’s been looking a little feeble and refuses to have anyone live with her. Guillermo will drop her off but at this hour, I don’t like her being conspicuous. Could you send a squad car past her house just to make sure she’s okay?”
“Not a problem. When are you going to be in the neighborhood? I’ve been thinking about a barbecue.”
“Sounds great, Don, but you know how swamped I’ve been.”
“I know.”
“Say hello to Jill and the kids for me.”
“Didn’t Jill answer the phone?”
“She didn’t seem too loquacious.”
There was a pause before he answered. “That’s Jill.”
After the phone rang three times, Minette picked up the receiver. She was finishing up the last of her bourbon and the smoky aftertaste lingered on her palate. Just as cigarettes had lingered back in the Good Old Nicotine Days.
She stretched on the sofa and caressed her body. Tonight, she had on a lacy red uplift bra, matching thong, and thigh-high stockings purchased at Good Vibrations. She’d looked forward all day to peeling them off in front of her partner. Slowly. Agonizingly slowly.
The thought of stripping made her horny. She whispered an enticing hello into the receiver.
Davida said, “Hi, honey.”
“Hel-lo.” Minette hoped she didn’t sound as drunk as she felt. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Ooh, that sounds good was the answer over the line. Then the pause Minette hated. “I’ve got some pressing paperwork tonight, Min. It’s going to take some time for me to go through all of it.”
“How long is some time? A minute, an hour, a day, a week?”
“More than a minute and less than a week.”
Minette did not laugh. Davida tried to keep her patience. She knew Min had been drinking because she was slurring her words, but now was not the right time to get into it. “I’ve got a committee hearing on the bill in two days, the wording needs to be perfect or some yahoo’s going to jump on it.”
“Another committee?”
“And two more after that, but things will ease up, soon, I promise.”
“No, they won’t,” said Minette. “You’ll find some other cause to rob all your time.”
Davida tried to change the subject. “Did you finalize the Tecate reservation?”
“Yes- why? Do I have to cancel it?”
“No, no. The entire week is engraved into my BlackBerry. I can’t wait.”
“Me, neither.” But Minette couldn’t muster up much enthusiasm. Davida had aborted their spa vacation at Rancho La Puerta twice before. “When are you coming home?”
“I’ll try to make it before one, but don’t wait up.”
Meaning she wasn’t coming home. Minette sighed. Stroked a lace bra cup. Hooked a thumb inside. “Don’t work so hard, baby.”
“Thanks for being so understanding, honey. I love you.”
Minette’s I love you, too, was cut short by the click.
Pouting, she hung up. Nine thirty-five, and she looked and felt every bit as sexy.
The evening was still very much alive. She pressed a memorized set of numbers into her cell phone, then hit the send button. When the caller answered, Minette tried to steady her voice. “As expected, she’s coming home very late tonight if at all. What are your plans?”
“Well, I guess I’m coming over to your place.”
“How long will that take?”
“Give me an hour to make excuses.”
“I’ll see you then. Oh, and pick up a bottle of Knob Creek,” Minette said. “We’re out of joy juice.”
3
The call came in at eight twenty-two AM, just enough time to interrupt Will Barnes’s treadmill torture. Every day, he blasted his joints into oblivion with the faint hope that the mindless machine would increase his life expectancy. Will’s father and grandfather had died of heart disease in their early sixties. Will’s cardiologist said his ticker looked great, but the unspoken message got through: take special care.
He slowed the pace, said, “Barnes.”
The Loo said, “Davida Grayson was found dead in her office.”
Barnes was so stunned that he almost tripped. Hopping off the machine, he wrapped a towel around his thick, sweaty neck. “What the hell happened?”
“That’s what you’re supposed to figure out. I’ll meet you at the crime scene. Amanda is also on her way. Lucky for you, you’ve got a pard who knows how to work the media, because this is going to be high profile. Cap has scheduled a press conference at eleven. Town hall meeting will be at seven tonight. We need a quick close, Will, before the community goes haywire.”