Finding Shayla Page 10

  She got back to the station to find Doc at her desk.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “Who are these from?”

  “Dunno.”

  “Open the card, stubborn. Let’s find out.”

  “I have more important things to worry about than who sent me flowers,” Cayenne said. “Now did you have something for me?”

  “Yeah. The blood we drew last night? Your prisoner shares some DNA with Gardner.”

  “As in Robin Gardner?”

  “Who else?”

  “Whatever,” Cayenne said. “Wow. So how close are they?”

  “I’d guess brothers.”

  “Damn.”

  Cayenne thought about the different last names. Odd. She’d get to the bottom of it. If he ever came to.

  “Sheriff?” She turned away from Doc and looked down the hall.

  “Yeah?”

  “He’s awake.”

  “Thanks. Catch you later, Doc.”

  “What about the flowers?” Doc said.

  She gave him a dirty look and walked down to the holding cell. A very ragged looking man in a crumpled suit sat on the bench with his head in his hands.

  “Good morning, Mr. Nemeyer.”

  “Rick,” he said.

  “Rick. How’re you feeling this morning?”

  “Like shit. How did I end up here?”

  “What’s the last thing you remember?”

  Rick sat silently. Then he shook his head.

  “I vaguely remember leaving a bar in some Podunk town.”

  “Was it our Podunk town?” Cayenne knew if he said yes then someone was lying. The bartenders at the two taverns in town had been questioned and denied serving him.

  “No. Not this bad. Good God, your town is tiny.”

  “Is that how you found our town square and took out our town tree?”

  “I did what?”

  “Yeah. That’s what I was afraid of. You were driving drunk and planted your car in a tree. A tree which may need to be taken down. You blew a .20. And you consented to have your blood drawn, so we’ll see what else you were on.”

  “Nothing.” Rick shook his head. “You won’t find anything but a lot of booze.”

  “And what brings you to our fair town? You didn’t hit the tree by simply driving through.”

  “You have my brother here. My low life, scumbag, hateful brother.”

  “I have your brother? Me, specifically? Or the town has him?” Cayenne knew the answer but waited to hear it from him.

  “I don’t know who has him. Wherever the morgue is. That’s where he is.”

  “Well, you’ve come to the right place. We house the morgue here. Your brother, you say? The name Nemeyer doesn’t ring a bell.”

  “No. His last name is Gardner. Or was. I guess he’s dead. Killed or something. My parents want me to bring him home.”

  “Why the different last names?” Cayenne’s curiosity was piqued.

  “I’ll tell you everything. Anything you want to know. But can I first get a glass of water? And maybe some ibuprofen? I’m dying here.”

  Cayenne nodded to the guard who set off to find something. He was back and handed two ibuprofen and a cup of water to Rick.

  “Can you make it four?” Rick said. “I’m in a lot of pain here.”

  After he’d popped his pills, Cayenne asked him again.

  “So, the two last names?”

  “I’m gay,” Rick said. Cayenne waited for more, but he seemed to think this explained everything.

  “I’m sorry? I don’t understand.”

  “It was a mutual decision reached by my parents and me when I was younger. I couldn’t be associated with Robin and my parents didn’t want me associated with them. So they took me down and had my last name legally changed when I was eighteen. Then they kicked me out and I hadn’t heard from them until day before yesterday when they asked me to come here and have him released to them.”

  “I still don’t understand,” Cayenne said. “Why couldn’t they come here?”

  “They’re too old for the drive. Or so they say. Anyway, that’s why I’m here. To release Robin to my folks.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Cayenne left Rick alone while he ate some lunch the guard had picked up for him. It was nice and greasy and would help soak up whatever alcohol was still in his system. She went back to her desk to enter her notes in the system. There were those stupid flowers. She sent flowers. She didn’t receive them. Who the hell could they be from?

  She opened the small envelope.

  Hope we didn’t scare you off for good. No hard feelings?

  She sat down. Linda and Karen. Of course. What had she gotten herself into? She hoped they wouldn’t turn into stalkers. That was all she needed. No, they were just a couple of horny women who may or may not be up to no good. Nothing for her to worry about at the moment.

  Cayenne stared hard at the roses. How she had hoped they’d be from Shayla. Where was she? What was she up to? Did Cayenne ever cross her mind? Why had Shayla never filed charges against her husband? She could have had him arrested for domestic abuse. Cayenne had more questions than answers at this point. And she had more pressing matters at hand.

  She went back down the hall to find Rick with a little more color than earlier. He looked like he’d survive. If only the same could be said for the town tree.

  “How are you feeling now?” she said.

  “Better. Thanks. Now, how long are you holding me?”

  “Until we decide what to do with you. You’re facing prison time, Rick.”

  “For drunk driving? Is this a joke?”

  Cayenne made the most serious face she could.

  “No joke, I’m afraid. You damaged public property while driving drunk. You’re going to be held accountable.”

  “I want a lawyer,” Rick said. “I know my rights.”

  “Okay. That’s fair. We’ll get one here for you.”

  “Oh no you don’t. I don’t want some Podunk lawyer. I want my lawyer.”

  “Come on out. You can call him.”

  The guard guided him to an empty desk. He stood by while Rick made his call then escorted him back to his cell.

  Cayenne followed them down the hall.

  “I’ve got nothing more to say to you,” Rick said.

  “I don’t want to talk to you about your charges. I’m more curious about your brother.”

  “May he rot in hell. What do you want to know?”

  “What can you tell me about his wife?”

  “Never met her. But she’d have to be insanely stupid or a total masochist to stay married to that man.”

  Cayenne took a deep breath. She couldn’t let this get personal. But it was. Shayla was not stupid. But was she a masochist? No. She was a battered woman who’d obviously had enough.

  “Why do you say that?” she said.

  “Robin was a cruel, cruel person. He was the kind of kid who tortured neighborhood animals to get his kicks. He sicced one of his friends on me once. The guy raped the shit out of me, laughing all the while. I should have sought medical attention but was too embarrassed. Robin was evil. In every sense. He made my life a living hell. He was embarrassed that I was gay and sought to therefore hurt and humiliate me at every opportunity.”

  “I’m so sorry. And yeah, we have reason to believe he beat his wife, as well.”

  “Of course he did. That’s just who he was. He knew better. Just didn’t care. When I wasn’t around to beat on anymore, he had to find someone else.”

  “How many years has it been since you’ve seen him?” Cayenne said.

  “Fifteen. Fifteen wonderful years. Why my parents want him back is beyond me. Probably feeling some familial duty or something. He can stay here as far as I’m concerned.”

  “You know you’re going to be asked to identify him, don’t you?”

  Rick shrugged.

  “Whatever. I’m sure I’ll recognize that malicious face.”

>   Chapter Sixteen

  Cayenne felt bad for Rick Nemeyer. He’d had a rough life. Growing up with a brother like Robin couldn’t have been easy. And Cayenne knew all too well the pain of being disowned for being gay. Parents sucked. That was her belief.

  She had come out later than Rick. Cayenne had been in college. She’d met the most amazing woman and one thing had led to another. And the next thing she knew, she was telling her parents about her, expecting them to be as happy as she was.

  They were anything but happy. Her dad had backhanded her and called her a disgrace. Her mother did nothing to defend her. She’d simply shouted, “Get out.”

  And that’s what Cayenne had done. And she’d never looked back. She missed Colorado sometimes. She didn’t miss the cold. But she missed the beauty of the state. And she really missed Fort Collins. She’d had more fun in college. She’d worked hard to get her degree and to pay her way through the five years it took her to graduate.

  But the extracurricular activities? That’s where the fun was. She and her girlfriend got an apartment together their junior year. The sex was amazing, and Cayenne knew she was where she belonged.

  Her heart had broken when her girlfriend announced she was taking a job in Boston the summer before Cayenne graduated. There was no way Cayenne could follow her. She needed to stay in Fort Collins and graduate. She proposed a long-distance relationship, but her girlfriend said she wanted to start over with nothing tying her down.

  Cayenne had been crushed. Devastated. Demolished. But she pulled herself together and managed to graduate in a haze of booze and nameless one-night stands. She still pulled off a decent GPA and landed a job in Portland where she got a job on the police force.

  So she got why Rick was bitter. And she thought it tasteless of his parents to wait until this point to get in touch with him. But they had and here he was. In her jail cell. Facing felony charges.

  She didn’t go visit him again that day. She’d had enough between his sob story and the stupid flowers. Her own emotions had been put through the ringer. She was ready to go home and unwind.

  As soon as she was inside, she popped the top off a beer and settled on her couch. She slipped off her boots and put her feet on the coffee table. There. She could relax. She took a long pull off her beer and decided she needed something to get her out of her own head.

  Cayenne turned on the TV and clicked to start the next episode of Wit’s End. She was totally engrossed and the next thing she knew, she’d finished the first three seasons. It was after one and she could barely keep her eyes open.

  The sound of the alarm on her phone going off did not please Cayenne. She turned it off and fought the urge to send it flying across the room. She got up, made coffee, took a shower, and poured herself a tall to go cup to take to the office.

  She pulled up in front of the station and found a crowd of people gathered.

  “What’s going on?” she demanded as she made her way to the front of the crowd.

  “We want to see him,” Mr. Finley, the president of the city council, said.

  “Who?” Cayenne was not amused.

  “The guy who took out our tree.”

  “Why?” Cayenne was too angry to form anything but monosyllabic words.

  “We have that right.”

  “No. Actually you don’t. Now, look, everybody needs to calm down. He’ll stand trial for what he did. But if you keep this up, they’ll change his venue because they’ll argue they can’t find an unbiased jury here. Do you understand what I’m saying? Are you hearing my words? Now go on. Clear out.”

  The crowd started to disburse, and Cayenne turned to unlock the door.

  “Can I get a look at him?” Finley said.

  “No. You can’t. Please leave me to do my job.”

  Finley walked off and Cayenne sat down at her desk. The flowers were still there, and they made her mood plummet even more. She threw them, vase and all, into the trash.

  Her stomach grumbled and she realized she’d been so into that show that she’d forgotten to eat dinner. She needed some grub. She sent the guard out for breakfast for her and Rick.

  “How are you this morning?” she asked Rick.

  “Just lovely.” Sarcasm dripped from his words.

  “Look, I know you’re not happy to be here. When is your lawyer coming?”

  “He should be here this afternoon. Then I’ll post bail, release Robin, and be on my way.”

  “Who says we’re going to let you post bail?”

  “Why wouldn’t you?” Rick said. “I’m a legit businessman in Phoenix. I need to get back to work. You can’t keep me here indefinitely.”

  Cayenne stared at him. He was right. But she didn’t think he deserved to be free. She knew, though, he’d go in front of a judge and plead his case. She fought back a grin when she realized no judge in this town was going to let him go.

  “You think something’s funny, Sheriff?”

  “I’m not laughing.”

  “Your face isn’t but your eyes are.”

  “I’m sorry.” She turned and left.

  ***

  “Tell me you’re free for lunch,” Daisy said.

  “Of course I am. Where shall we meet? And when?” Daisy gave her the name and address of her favorite hot dog joint. “Sounds delicious. I’ll meet you there in an hour?”

  Shayla took a quick shower and caught a cab to Navy Pier. She loved it there and was looking forward to seeing Daisy. She needed to make time for her more often.

  Daisy stood when Shayla walked in. It was still too early for a proper lunch rush, so they had the place pretty much to themselves. Daisy hugged her tight.

  “It’s so good to see you,” she said.

  “Oh. You, too. I miss you.”

  “That’s not my fault. You’re the one with the busy itinerary.”

  Shayla blushed.

  “I have been busy. But I’m never too busy for you. I’m so glad you called this morning.”

  “As am I. Come on. Let’s order and then we’ll chat. I want to hear everything. Every minute detail, do you understand?”

  Shayla laughed. There wasn’t that much to tell, but she’d be happy to chat with Daisy. They ordered their hot dogs and sat back at the table.

  “So, where are you staying nowadays?” Daisy said.

  “Still at the same hotel. Why?”

  “You haven’t moved in with Jazz?”

  “It’s still too soon for that, Daisy. Way too soon.”

  “Okay. I’ll buy that. But you know that old joke about what every lesbian brings on the second date.”

  “No. I don’t know that. What?”

  “You don’t know that old joke? Oh yeah, this being a lesbian is new for you. I forget that sometimes.”

  “So tell me the punchline.”

  “A U-Haul.”

  Shayla laughed.

  “No U-Haul in my immediate future.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re taking it slow,” Daisy said. “So, besides Jazz, what else is new with you?”

  “I had a screen test for the part on Wit’s End. I think it went really well.”

  Daisy grabbed Shayla’s hands and squeezed.

  “Oh, Shayla. That’s fantastic. Imagine us working together. It’ll be just like old times.”

  “I know. I’m so excited. I’m trying not to get my hopes up though. I mean, what if I didn’t do as well as I thought I did?”

  “I’m sure you were stellar.”

  “Thank you,” Shayla said.

  Their dogs were ready, so they grabbed them and sat back down.

  “And Jazz? Everything is going well there I presume?” Shayla nodded, her mouth full of food. “Can I ask you a very personal question?”

  “Shoot.”

  “What’s she like in bed? I’ve always wondered that about her. I guess I’ve had a crush on her for a while now.”

  “Oh, Daisy. I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “It wasn’t serious
. More of a curiosity than a crush, I’d say.”

  “Okay. I’d feel terrible if you really liked her.”

  “Don’t. It wasn’t like that. Now, answer the question please.”

  “What was the question again?” Shayla said.

  “What’s she like in bed? Is she rough and tumble? Gentle? Kinky?”

  “Honestly? I don’t know.”

  “Try to describe her. In your own words then,” Daisy said.

  “No. I mean we haven’t been to bed yet. She only kissed me for the first time last night.”

  Daisy raised her eyebrows.

  “Are you even serious?”

  Shayla nodded. She didn’t know if this meant Jazz wasn’t really interested. Daisy had her doubting their relationship.

  “We’re taking things slow. She’s very sweet that way.”

  “Tell me you’ve at least been to her penthouse. I’d love to see that.”

  “Not yet. But soon. She asked me to move in there with her.”

  “Wait. Now I’m all sorts of confused.”

  “Not with her with her. But into one of her spare rooms. She’s worried about how much I’m spending on the hotel.”

  “Well that’s a logical concern,” Daisy said. “It must be costing you a small fortune.”

  My dead husband, who I killed, left me a small fortune.

  “Yeah, so she’s going to pay for my hotel for a while. Until we get things figured out.”

  “That’s decent of her. She must really like you.”

  “She seems to,” Shayla said. “And I’m crazy about her.”

  “Oh, that makes my heart happy.”

  “Mine, too.”

  They finished their lunch and went walking on the pier. The wind was blowing, and it was a bit chilly, but it was also refreshing. Shayla and Daisy wandered in and out of tourist traps and Shayla picked up a windbreaker. They spent a wonderful afternoon together and Shayla was sad to see it end, but she had to get home and get ready for dinner with Jazz.

  “Let’s set a date for another lunch before I leave,” Shayla said.

  “Okay. Saturday. Are you available?”

  “I am. I’ll see you Saturday.”

  They hugged good-bye and Shayla hailed a taxi to take her back to her hotel where she showered again, applied her make-up, and dressed in a form fitting red cocktail dress. She slipped into a pair of red pumps and she was ready for a night out with Jazz.