Flowers for Her Grave - By Judy Clemons Page 0,107

have its good points.”

Tamille looked at the woman lying at her feet. “Want to explain?”

“Huh-uh.”

“Didn’t think so. But I do suppose this is something for the cops?”

“Most definitely.”

Tamille smiled again and pulled out her phone. “So how about I go ahead and call them?”

“You do that. But do you mind calling from the hallway? I have something I need to take care of.”

Tamille looked around at the destroyed furniture and shrugged. “Whatever. Just don’t do anything more to Sissy. She should be out until long after the police get here.”

“I won’t hurt her. I promise.”

Tamille went out into the hallway, but didn’t close the door. Casey hoped she wouldn’t see what she was about to do.

“What is going on here?” Death suddenly stood just inside the balcony door. “Did I miss all the excitement again? And what is Sissy doing here?”

“Long story short—she killed Andrea and Brandon.”

Death about choked. “Seriously?”

Casey took off the air conditioning vent cover and pulled out Maria’s folder, the only one that was left.

“You’re getting those ready to give to the cops now?”

Casey held up the file. “You know how we all figured Maria was the killer, and sent the cops off chasing her?”

“Yeah.”

“Like I just told you—she didn’t do it.”

“Right. So?”

“Think about it. She’s out there, on the run from the cops—or the INS, anyway—trying to keep her kids safe, as well as this man who just lost his fiancée and thinks he will get taken to court if he shows up anywhere near here. He can’t even mourn her properly.”

“What does that have to do with her papers?”

Casey shook her head. “You don’t get it, do you? What’s the difference between her and me?”

“You’re actually a citizen? She’s got two kids? She has a friend? She’s not intimately acquainted with moi?”

“Okay. So there are differences. But we’re both…” She worked to form the word. “Fugitives. We’re wanted by the law. We have no place to call home. No…no stability.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“I’m going to give her a head start.”

Casey pulled everything out of the folder, from the expired green card to the failed citizenship applications to the attempts to bring over Maria’s family, ripped the papers into tiny little pieces, and flushed them down the toilet.

Chapter Thirty-two

“At least Sissy didn’t break the skin,” Tamille said. “Who knows what diseases she’s carrying with the kind of company she kept.”

They were in Casey’s office. Casey sat on the examination table, while Tamille doused the shallow claw marks on the back of her neck with antiseptic, just in case. Binns sat with one hip on the desk, Gomez leaned against the whirlpool, and Death stood just inside the door. The room was packed.

“So I guess we were all wrong about Maria,” Binns said.

“Way wrong.” Casey waved Tamille away so she could pull the shoulder of her shirt back up and not feel so exposed in front of Gomez. “But even now I can’t believe how it turned out. All of it about a guy who really wasn’t worth it.”

“Oh, what a tangled web a blackmailing, unethical scamp weaves,” Death said.

Casey sighed heavily, feeling exhaustion from her head to her toes.

“You going to be okay, Daisy?” Gomez’ voice was gentle, and Casey wasn’t the only woman to look at him with interest. He colored slightly, and stood a little straighter. “What? I can’t be concerned?”

Binns gave her head a little shake. “Thank you for all you did, Ms. Gray. And you, Ms. Jackson.”

Casey nodded, and Tamille held out her fist for Binns to bump it. Binns looked at it for a moment, and left Tamille hanging. “Now we need to follow Mrs. Williams to the station. It’s going to be a long night.”

“One final thing.” Casey slid off the table and grabbed a paper from the desk. “While you were taking care of things earlier, I wrote out my statement. Will this be enough?”

Binns looked it over. “You’ve signed it. Dated it.”

“And got the signatures of two witnesses.” Tamille had signed it, and had threatened Dylan into it, as well. Even though Casey had promised him Tamille wouldn’t kill him and throw his body in a ditch, he was still scared of her. Rightfully so.

“All the details are here?”

“Everything I could remember.”

Binns nodded. “I’ll go over it. I may need some things clarified, but this is a good start.”

Casey hoped it was more than that, since it would be all Binns would ever get.

“And the blackmail folders?”

“I gave them back to the women they belonged to.”

Binns stared at her.

“I figured the guy’s dead, what else is there to do?”

“Ms. Gray, it is not your place to—”

“I gave them all your contact information, okay? Told them that if they want to try to get their assets back they could call you. They can’t press charges anymore, right? Not with him dead?”

Binns took a deep breath through her nose and let it out slowly. “You’re right. But we’ll need to talk more about this. Another time.”

“All right.”

Binns’ phone rang, and she looked at the screen. “I’ve gotta take this.” She held out her hand, and Casey shook it. “We’ll be in touch. Binns here.” She turned away and walked out of the room, right through Death. She shivered visibly, but kept walking.

Tamille looked at Gomez, who was staring at Casey. “Well,” Tamille said to Casey, “I’ll see you later.”

Casey’s throat constricted for more than the fact that she would probably never see her again. “Where are you going? Why are you leaving?”

“It’s late, and I’ve gotta be up early for a session at the dojo. Besides, I think you have something else you need to do.” Tamille smirked. “Don’t stay up too late now.”

“But—”

“Officer Gomez, it’s been a pleasure.”

He was like a deer in the headlights, with wider eyes.

Tamille scooted out of the room, instinctively skirting Death.

Casey looked at Death in a panic, and Death grinned. “He’s all yours, honeybun. Don’t overanalyze the situation, okay? Just…let it be.”

And Death was gone.

Casey and Gomez stared at each other for several very long seconds.

“I guess I’ll be going, then,” Gomez said.

“Yes, of course.”

Neither of them moved.

“Binns will need me.”

“Sure.”

Gomez took a step toward her, and then he was kissing her, his lips soft and warm, so gentle, so sweet. Casey slid her hands up his chest to the back of his neck. His arms went around her waist, pulling her closer, his chest solid against her trembling. Casey ran her fingers into his hair, pulling his head closer, until she thought she couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t stand anymore. His lips, his warmth, his strength.

And then they parted, his arms releasing her as her hands slid back down his chest and away.

“Goodnight, Daisy Gray,” he said.

“Goodnight, Officer Gomez.”

He searched her eyes with his own, then turned and walked away. Even after he had disappeared, and the door to the men’s locker room had clicked quietly shut, Casey stood, watching the way he had gone.

“Good-bye, Manny,” she whispered.

And she went upstairs to retrieve her bag from the vent.

Chapter Thirty-three

“Don Westbrook.”

“Don? It’s Casey.”

“Oh, thank God you called. Where have you been?”

“Don, what is it?”

“Casey…it’s Ricky.”

Oh, God. Death nowhere to be found. Nowhere near, making smart comments. Where was Death?

Where was Death?

“Ricky’s in trouble, Casey.”

No time to consider. No time to even think.

“I’ll be there, Don. Tell him to hold on. Tell him…tell him I’m coming home.”

Flowers for Her Grave - By Judy Clemons Page 0,107

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