Chapter 11
I got a good look at the blackmailer’s face. He spotted the three men walking across the street towards him and froze. Now that I knew what he looked like, I could tell Stephen about him. It would be up to him to figure out who it might be. At least it’s not a female. It had crossed my mind that maybe he had a lover who was getting back at him.
I didn’t like the looks of those guys either and waited for them to get away from the station. I was certain the men were intent on having more than a conversation with the other white man in their village.
I started the car and got my white ass out of there. I had lots to think about while I drove. I have a woman who knows me, never saw me privately; but I think really wants me to be more than a friend.
Conversely, I have a woman who knows me quite well, wants my body, sees it quite often, but I think is sending me a message that she doesn’t want me anymore.
My problem is that I love Mercedes, and still can’t believe what I saw with my own two eyes at her apartment. The fact that she left her apartment in that manner told me she wanted me to find the evidence and get the message.
Regardless, she’s with Ralph at this moment. I have Maggie’s number and could be with her tonight, but I have to think that out. The good news was that I made her day, and the bad news was I didn’t make her night.
Stephen asked me to call him at the office tomorrow even though he expressed his desire to know who this person was tonight. He said it would be too risky to call tonight as his wife is still recovering from all the trauma of her daughter killing herself.
I looked at my watch and it was just before 1 am. Maggie would be just changing from her last routine. I considered changing my mind and heading to the club, but that is like convicting Mercedes before she proves herself innocent.
Scott, you are being such an asshole. You never were good with girls and you certainly need to learn more about women.
Despite what you want to believe, she went to bed with Ralph, during the afternoon when she knew you would be gone, and even if she didn’t realize he left his boxers in the bed…she left the bed messed up and the evidence of their shower. And, most of all…I’m now guilty of doing exactly what she asked me not to.
I’m in another investigation, and yes, she’s right, it could be dangerous and I might even…I didn’t even want to think about those consequences.
*.*.*
I pulled into the driveway at my apartment. Mrs. Abbott, who is my landlady, is sure to know about my frequent absences from my apartment. It’s pretty hard for her not to, since she leaves the paper on the stairs for me each morning. This is when I wish there were many apartments in the building. She’s very smart and even if there were other apartments, she would know about my being elsewhere.
I parked and entered the front door as quietly as I could. There were yesterday’s papers sitting on the first step. I knew without even looking that ‘Dear Abby’ and the crossword puzzles would be missing. I could feel my first smile of the day coming on. Even though I tried my best to be quiet, the stairs gave my presence away. I unlocked my door and closed it very quietly.
Once the light was on, I looked around the apartment as if it was my first time seeing it. It was neater than I remember it. There were some work projects on the round table to my right. The sitting area was to my left and the couch looked very inviting. Despite my bedroom down the hall, I spent many a study night on the couch. However, the only woman who was ever in the bedroom was Lisa.
It seemed all of the time I spent with Mercedes, it was at her apartment. I have to admit that her abode is much more impressive since it’s in a high-rise. It just hit me that maybe Mercedes felt that being in my bedroom here might bring back memories of Lisa.
Lisa stole my heart and was my first love. We enjoyed our love affair, and our marriage. It was cut too short by the accident on a winter’s night. I stayed away from Mercedes for almost two years following Lisa’s funeral. Mercedes finally had to call me, and gave me hell for not being in touch with her. My falling in love with Mercedes was long after she had fallen for me.
I went in the bathroom and started to get ready for bed. I was surprised I hadn’t needed to go to the bathroom before now, but I made up for lost time. I looked at myself in the mirror and as Mercedes would say, ‘wipe that frown off your face.’ I did look like I was carrying the weight of the world. Things could be much worse…
I wondered how.
I emptied my pockets and placed the contents on my nightstand. I had one coin and it was a penny. I thought of my conversation from a long time ago when Mrs. Abbott told me the penny has two sides and it represents the day. You can have a ‘heads up’ kind of day, or it can be something else. She told me to always remember to make each day a ‘heads up’ kind of day.
I flipped the coin and turned it over and it was ‘heads up.’
Now my job is to figure out how I can make it that kind of day. Why do I feel like Mercedes is going to call and explain things? I woke up yesterday morning having a nightmare, and it was kind of that kind of day. Maybe tomorrow will be a heads up kind of day.
I was tired and turned off the light.
I don’t know whether I just drifted off to sleep, or I was asleep for hours. I heard a ring, then another, and another. It was the phone. I fumbled for the receiver. “Hello.”
Chapter 12
“Scott, I’m sorry to wake you. It’s me.”
“Mercedes…it’s almost two in the morning. Are you okay?”
“Scott, I’ve been calling every hour for about four hours. Where have you been? I was worried about you.”
“I’m surprised you’re calling.”
“I know I woke you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s not about you waking me…I know what happened.”
“Scott, what are you talking about? You’re not making much sense. I’m sorry I called at this hour.”
“I saw you leaving with Ralph.”
“That’s why I’m calling. We were—“
“You don’t have to explain. I know these things happen.”
“Scott, listen to me...maybe I better call later. We were called out on the missing tourist case. We’re in Venezuela. They found one of the missing women, and she was murdered. I thought you should know where I was.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
“I can tell by your tone you’re not happy with me…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left for the office without saying goodbye, but I was still upset with you about our conversation the previous night. I’m sorry.”
“Is that all you’re sorry for?”
“Scott, have you been drinking, and where have you been all night?”
“Maybe we’re even now.”
“I was hoping you went to the apartment and got my note.”
Scott didn’t immediately respond. “I didn’t see any note, but I got your message loud and clear.”
“This is certainly not my Scott talking. Maybe I dialed the wrong number.”
Neither said anything for an extended period.
“Scott, I’m sorry I had to go out of town, but it couldn’t be helped.”
“There are many things we have no control over. I’m sure what happened yesterday is one of them.”
“It’s very late. I know I caught you at a bad time. You must be having another of your nightmares, as I’ve never heard you talk to me this way.”
“I really thought we had a future together…but now I’m not sure.”
“
What? Scott, you’re making no sense at all.
I’ll call later and we can have a more sensible conversation.”
“You can call, but I probably won’t be here. I hope Ralph is going to take
special
care of you.”
“Are you jealous? He’s just a work associate.”
“Is that what you call it these days? I’m sure he appreciates the extra work benefits.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. Now she was the one having nightmares. She started to cry, but tried not to let him hear. She was losing control and hung up the phone.
*.*.*
Her heart was beating a mile a minute. She never anticipated Scott’s reaction to her leaving. She was confused and replayed the call in her head. She left him a note, but he never saw it. He said he got my message loud and clear.
Scott never talked to her this way. Yes, she was short with him about his doing further investigations, and yes, she did leave without talking to him. It was obvious he was jealous about Ralph, but why? He said he saw me leaving with Ralph. So, why didn’t he say hello?
The whole conversation was a total disconnect.
I left him a message, didn’t I? Yeah, I put it on the dresser. How could he have missed it?
So, if Scott saw me with Ralph it had to be either in my apartment because we arrived separately, or, it had to be when we were leaving in the cab.
She played back their departure. She was waiting at the curb for Ralph to bring down her luggage. The elevator was busy so he said he would wait for the next available one.
He came down no more than five minutes later. He came over to the curb, gave back her keys, helped her into the cab, and the driver put her two suitcases in the trunk. So, if Scott saw her with Ralph, that’s what he saw.
She thought about her short skirt which Ralph paid special attention to when she got into the back seat. Well, she knew he wasn’t actually paying attention to the skirt but was checking out her legs.
Is that what Scott is upset about? Ralph got a peek at my legs. That reminded her of the night he saw more than that part of her body. However, Scott knows nothing about that.
Think Mercy, what could Scott be so upset about? Maybe he thought we were going away for the weekend together. However, she just told him where they were and why. He wouldn’t continue to be upset, and would have been glad to hear they were on FBI business.
Scott didn’t see my note. Ralph locked the door to my apartment when we left and had the key with him, which he gave me when we met on the sidewalk. No, Ralph wouldn’t have done anything while he waited for the next elevator.
I’m going to kill him.
*.*.*
The next morning they had planned to have an early breakfast in the main hotel dining room. She wore one of Scott’s yellow shirts with her black lace bra and another short black skirt. That should give the local police something to focus on.
Ralph came in the dining room and spotted her. He had a newspaper under his arm and slid into the booth.
“Good morning Mercy,” Ralph said, but his eyes were focused on her chest.
She held two fingers by her right ear. “Good morning Ralph. How many fingers did I just hold up?” she asked.
“What? I didn’t see you holding up any fingers.”
“I thought so. I want to ask you—“
“Would you like to order now?” the waitress asked.
They both ordered, but Ralph was interested in the waitress’s motion away from the table.
“As I was saying, I want to ask you about our leaving my apartment.”
“Yes, what about it?”
“When I left on the crowded elevator, and left you for the next elevator…did you go back into my apartment?”
“Yes, I did. Why?”
“What did you do that for?”
“I left our itinerary on the coffee table, and had to go back for it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you went back into the apartment?”
“What does that matter? I didn’t give it another thought.”
She looked at him, and even though he didn’t look guilty, she thought he was concealing something. “Did you do anything else in there?”
The waitress brought their coffee and juice drinks.
“Before you answer me, you better not lie to me.”
“As a matter of fact I did do something else.” He paused. “I used the bathroom one last time.”
She studied him while he prepared his coffee. “Ralph, you wanted to be a friend. If I find out you did more than what you just said…you can forget being a friend. Do you understand me?”
“Wow, you can really be a hellcat in the morning when you haven’t had your coffee.”
She now knew he was hiding something. “Do you remember what kept you from being written up for sexual harassment in Bermuda?” She pointed at him. “Answer me!”
“Okay Agent Strong, it was you not putting things in writing.”
She was about to warn him again when their boss arrived at the table.
“Aren’t we formal this morning? So, what didn’t she put in writing?”
She started to prepare her coffee. “She told me what time to meet this morning, but I forgot. I guess I needed it in writing. We did get in pretty late last night,” Ralph offered.
“Good morning Agent Strong, you look like you need more than coffee this morning. Didn’t you get a good night’s sleep?”
She looked at him. “As a matter of fact I was awake most of the night.” Then she gave Ralph the evil eye.
“Is there a problem here?”
“No sir, nothing that I can’t handle.”