Blood Ties (11 page)

“Yes Sam, we got a blood sample the second we got here, I know how to do my job.”

“I never implied otherwise Aidan; I’m simply freaking out a bit, okay?”

“Okay.”

As we stared at each other, there was a knock on the door. Aidan opened the door and I heard he was told that Noel’s attorney, Steven Tank, had arrived. I knew Noel couldn’t afford him, so I assumed he’d called either our mom or Kelly. Just as I was processing the information I had, as well as what I was assuming, my cell phone vibrated and, after seeing my mom was calling, I accepted the call.

“Hello?” I said softly, knowing this had to do with Noel.

“Are you with him?” Rod asked, clearly worried.

“I’m at the station, Steven Tank just arrived. Where’s mom?”

“She’s been sedated. After receiving the call from Noel, telling her he thinks he’s guilty of a murder and demanding Kelly’s attorney, she fainted. Luckily, doctors abound here, so Sara was taken to a room and once she woke up, they gave her some pills because she almost flipped out. Kelly called Steven and I can see he’s very quick. Now, would you mind telling me why you haven’t called us yet?”

“I’m sorry Rod, Jared and I got to Noel’s and found him completely dazed and freaking out due to having a corpse on his bed. We tried calming him down and Jared called the police. I got so caught up by the moment, calling you was not a priority, I’m really sorry. Now we’re at Tillman Station, just waiting.”

“Okay, I understand Sammy. I’ll stay here with Sara and Kelly. You be there for your brother, okay?”

“Rod, I think they’ll jail him, at least for tonight.”

“Just stay there until everything’s sorted out, okay? Then go straight to your place. Let me know what’s happened, but it’s unnecessary for you to come to the hospital. Your mom’s sedate and I doubt she’ll wake up before tomorrow, and Kelly has also asked for sedatives, she’s claiming she’s too stressed. I’ll stay here for tonight and hopefully tomorrow things will be cleared.”

“I hope so too, Rod. Thanks for staying there. Give me a call if you need anything. I’ll contact you once Noel’s fate is decided.”

“Okay, talk to you later. Bye Sammy.”

“B
ye Rod,” I said and hung up.

Jared looked at me and, after Aidan closed the door and turned to me, I briefed them in on my call. Once I was done, Aidan returned to the interrogation room and informed Steven of his client’s situation. Following a lengthy conversation, it was decided that Noel would remain in custody. The district attorney assigned to the case, Violet Christie, would press charges on Monday and the arraignment would probably take place a few days later.

Once he was in a cell, Jared and I went to see Noel, he looked broken yet hopeful; having Steven defending him made him a bit optimistic regarding his future. I filled him in on mom, Kelly and Rod, but he didn’t seem worry about them.

Slightly pissed off at Noel, I let Jared know I wanted to go home, so we left. I phoned Rod and informed him about Noel while Jared called Aidan and finished
receiving a few details from the crime scene that had become Noel’s bedroom. I prepared pasta, added ketchup and ate them quickly. All I felt like doing was crashing my bed, so after stetting the alarm on my cell phone and saying goodnight to Jared, I went to sleep.

Blurry images marked my restless night. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t manage to stop seeing my siblings, Olivia, my parents, Susie, Sandy…

I woke up tired and annoyed. I wanted to rest, to actually feel relaxed when I opened my eyes; I’d be really happy if I could avoid picturing dead or almost-dead or killers in my mind. Damn subconscious.

Jared was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper. He was halfway through his breakfast and had set a table
mat with a mug of coffee—covered, so that it wouldn’t cool—and a bowl with yogurt—the cornflakes waited beside the yogurt in a bowl of their own; if they’d been left together, the cornflakes would have become soaked and soggy.

“Hi and thanks,” I said as I sat down.

“You’re welcome; did you sleep alright?”

“Not really, what about you?”

“I didn’t manage to relax; there is too much going on right now, so…”

“Exactly,” I replied, happy that Jared understood and shared my inability to block thoughts in order to get some rest.

When we were done, I took a quick shower, blow-dried my hair, changed into black pants and a deep purple blouse, and Jared and I took off for Orchid Books.

Maggie smiled faintly when she saw us.

“If you need a day or two,” I whispered, “don’t hesitate to ask for them, okay? Sandy was a friend of yours and her being gone can’t be easy for you.”

Maggie’s eyes filled with tears but she shook her head. Jared went to my office to give us some privacy. I hugged her, hoping she’d find some comfort in the embrace.

“Didn’t you talk to Mark?” Maggie asked, her voice trembling; I shook my head and looked at her quizzically. “Olivia Scott is dead.”

I faked shock and a frown overtook my expression. I’d been so focused on Noel, I’d stopped myself from grasping the concept that Olivia was dead.

“She was murdered,” Maggie went on, “and apparently they’ve caught the culprit, but they’re withholding the identity, or at least, Mark is, I’m not sure.”

“I’m so sorry. Were you close to her?”

“We’d had lunch a few times, but I’m closer to Mary and Peyton from the readers’ group. Still, it’s awful, you know. Olivia was murdered, as in cold blood. Sandy died in an accident and sure, it’s a bigger shock and it saddens me much more, but the mere thought of the violence…” Maggie’s voice trailed off as she burst into sobs.

“Maggie, leave
,” I said softly, “take the day off. Don’t worry about the office; I’ve got a meeting with Andrea in a little while and then I’ll get to Kelly’s manuscript. I can answer phone calls and set up meetings. Just go and clear you head. What’s going on is awful; losing two people you were close with, especially considering how young they were, it’s bound to affect you. You have to mourn. You need to cry. Don’t worry about us and just go, okay?”

Maggie wiped her eyes and nodded. She hugged me and
got a hold of her things.

“You haven’t received any
phone calls yet, Sam.”

“Okay, thanks. Now go.”

Maggie walked slowly to the elevator and nodded at me once she got in. She raised her hand and the doors closed.

I found Jared seated behind my desk, playing solitaire on the computer.

“So Olivia’s death is out in the open?” I asked.

“Yes, Aidan said they had to inform her family and workplace, but they’ll be keeping your brother’s identity a secret until charges are formally pressed and until the family is informed.”

“They haven’t been told yet?”

“They couldn’t be reached. Apparently, Olivia is from Nevada, and Aidan has reached the local police because the contact information she’d left is old. Anyway, at what time is your meeting?”

“In half an hour. It will probably be a bit longer than the one I had with Cameron, so you can be my assistant and get whatever phone calls I may receive, does that sound like fun?”

“It sounds great. Just warn your boss that I’ll be here for the rest of the day; otherwise, he might be slightly surprised to find me sitting in Maggie’s place.”

“Will do. Would you mind getting me a cup of coffee while I talk with Mark, please?”

“Sure, Sam. Anything else I can get you?”

“No, that’ll be all, thanks Jared.”

He left and I phoned Mark. I stopped him from showing his displeasure regarding my letting Maggie leave; Mark has a few issues when it comes to feelings; he can’t understand that one may be sad during work-hours.

Jared returned and sat across from me. He’d also brought a cup of coffee for himself.

“How did you decide to become a book editor?”

“I’ve read a lot, always. Books simply made me happy, if I liked the stories and how they were written. When I turned seventeen, Susie gave me a book as a present that was a mystery regarding an association of killers and…well, the plot of the book isn’t relevant. The thing is, the story was good, the writing average, but there were awful spelling mistakes as well as grammar ones. It freaked me out a bit; I grabbed a red pencil, marked the errors, and sent the book back to the editors. They replied with a thank you letter, in which they also apologized for the bad editing and they returned the marked copy as well as a clean one. And that was it, basically.”

“My oh my, the young perfectionist
,” Jared teased.

“I know,” I said bashfully; “if I didn’
t know it was me, I’d find myself pretty annoying.”

“Don’t worry Sam, you’re pretty but you’re not annoying,” Jared said, grinning.

I rolled my eyes and snorted. I drunk some coffee, mostly to cover my blushing face, and thought about broccoli. For whatever reason, broccoli has a taming effect on my hormones.

“Did you become a detective due to family tradition?”

“Sort of. My parents brought Juliet, Aidan and I up urging us to do something we loved, they never pressured us to actually become detectives. But dinners were spent talking about cases and solving mysteries, analyzing crime scenes or detailing personality traits. I couldn’t simply ignore the thirst I had for solving puzzles, and neither could Aidan. You can’t picture us being accountants or artists, can you?”

“Not really, no,” I replied smiling,
imagining Aidan in jean overalls with a paintbrush in his hand; it was one of the most unnatural scenes I’d ever pictured.

I looked at the watch on my computer screen; Andrea would be getting in any minute now, so I asked Jared to wait behind Maggie’s desk and to take any calls that came in. He dutifully sat there and acted as the perfect assistant when Andrea arrived. She was dazzled by his smile and when he brought her a cup of coffee, I caught her staring at his butt. I pretended I hadn’t seen that and
thanked Jared, who nodded and left, closing the door gently behind him.

I spent the next hour and a half patiently explaining the changes I’d made to Andrea, confirming a few concepts, checking the fictional timeline, clearing a few doubts I had regarding characters, and
going over Andrea’s biography for the flap.

Depending on the client and the text being edited, such a meeting could leave me completely worn off and ready to take a nap or do some therapeutic shopping, or could make me feel proud of the work I’d done, fulfilled with my calling.

This specific occasion left me quite content. She’d written a lovely book about a couple who worked for the CIA and traveled a lot. There was suspense, romance, hints of sex, true historic facts twisted slightly to help the plot, and descriptions of beautiful real geographical settings. Not only was her book good, but she was also a very humble, eager to learn from her mistakes kind of woman.

Andrea was a dream as far as clients go.

Jared walked her to the elevator and I could tell she was flirting with him; she battered her lashes, smiled timidly, softly grazed his arm and gave him a parting look that basically yelled ‘Fuck me!’; I snorted as Jared walked towards me, and he laughed as well.

“I think your client likes me.”

“I think you could make a living as a sex-toy, if you ever get bored with being a detective,” I said in a low voice so that no one else could hear.

“Would you hire me?” Jared asked, sitting on Maggie’s desk, looking at me with a daring smile.

“In a heartbeat,” I replied instinctively; blushing, I tried laughing it off and involuntarily snorted, which set Jared laughing as well.

“I’ve got some things to change in the digital version of Andrea’s book, so I’ll have to
get back to my office. Can you wait here until one, and then we’ll go to lunch?”

“Sure thing; Sam. And you haven’t received any calls so far.”

“Okay, great,” I replied as I returned to my office and closed the door behind me.

I sat behind my desk and stared at the computer screen. Actually, I wasn’t staring at anything; my gaze had set there, but I was so caught up picturing Jared wrapped in a towel, a few drops of water sprinkled over his fit body, his humid hair moving wildly as he bent down and kissed me, taking my breath away, his lean arms embracing me tightly, his hands rubbing the edge of my breasts, his mal
eness perceptible against me...My sight wasn’t focused on anything.

I shook my head, took a deep breath, pictured broccoli, and worked on Andrea’s book.

After an hour of working, my stomach demanded food, and I wasn’t going to let it down, so I ate three biscuits and drank some instant soup. I continued making the final adjustments to Andrea’s novel and, once I was done, I had Jared call her and set up the final meeting, seeking her approval. I was sure she’d consent, but it was a requirement in Orchid Books.

A
t one sharp I let Jared know I was ready for lunch. We got our coats and, after letting Annie know we’d be gone for an hour, we went to a deli two blocks away from the office.

Jared told me some college stories; pranks he’d pulled on his classmates, shenanigans that had been made to him, how he’d slept with a teacher the day after he’d graduated, the fact that he’d once cheated on a paper
—he felt ashamed of that, but he needed a good grade and didn’t want to risk his average due to his scholarship—among other anecdotes.

Midway through lunch, Jared got a phone
call and the light mood that had been surrounding us evaporated as his smile turned into a straight line, then into a worried frown, finally into a suspicious glare. I stared in expectation, knowing it had something to do with Susie, Sandy, Kelly, Noel or Olivia. I didn’t even try to figure out who he was talking to or what they were talking about because I was sure Jared would fill me in once he hung up. I was right.

“Sam, things have gotten a bit complicated for your brother.”

“Why, what happened?”

“The crime scene investigators have matched the modus operandi of Olivia’s murder to Susan. They’ve also found a tie that matches one Susan wore to one of her office parties.”

“How can they know that?”

“Ben, the
technician, suspected at first when he saw a photograph while checking out Susan’s office. Based on that, he ran a DNA test and there were traces of Susan’s which is irrefutable proof that it is, in fact, her tie, and Noel is the only connection between her place and Olivia’s.”

“Or maybe he’s being set up,” I said, unsure.

“Do you really think so, Sam? I mean, I know he’s your brother, but you should stop defending him, especially when there’s evidence that something is off.”

I sighed and shook my head slowly.

“Maybe you’re right; I’m used to sticking up for him and saving his ass. I have no problem acknowledging Noel is a fucked up egotistical asshole, but murderer?”

Jared looked at me with kindness in his eyes. He was giving me the time to figure out what I really thought and how I felt. My gut told me otherwise, but I shrugged my shoulders, as if defeated.

“I guess I only want to see good in people, but in this case, the evidence is overwhelming, isn’t it Jared? There aren’t that many reasons for Susie’s tie to be at Olivia’s, unless someone carried it over.”

Jared’s mouth became a straight line; he didn’t force me into thinking anything. By keeping his expression neutral, he stopped himself from persuading me.

“What will happen now?” I asked, accepting Noel’s involvement in a bigger, more complicated situation than he’d initially consented to.

“Aidan will lead the interrogation with Violet. Unfortunately, we can’t be there. If Tank learns we’re there, he can claim anything from conflict of interest to a setup or whatever term he can twist and use to get a mistrial. We’ll have to wait until they’re done, and Aidan will fill us in then.”

“Okay. What do we do until then?”

“Do you think you’ll be able to work, or would you rather go back to your place?”

“Kelly will be moving into her place in a little while. I guess I should drop by, they’ll think something’s up if I’m distant and don’t show the least bit of interest in what Noel’s going through.”

“Okay, we’ll go there then. Call Rod and check the time they’re moving Kelly, and then call your boss.”

“I’ve got to go to the office to pick up some things. Besides, we have to get the car.”