Mink Too, All the Riches in the World Can't Buy Love Read online

  A young officer came to the door and glared at Susan. He looked annoyed to see her. “Yeah, what do you want?”

  Susan could feel the ice in his tone and the knives in his eyes. She wondered if he was one of the officers that she’d pissed off with her antics. Cops have long memories, she mused, unlike hers. She didn’t remember him, but he obviously remembered her. “I’d like to see Sergeant Gilmore.”

  “Well, she doesn’t wanna see you!” Ingrams remarked, folding his arms across his chest and blocking her way into the room with his broad body.

  “Hey, Ingrams, who is it?” Liz called out.

  “It’s nobody, Sarge, just the Drummond broad!” Ingrams responded as he continued to shoot daggers at Susan Drummond.

  Susan’s face reddened, but she didn’t say anything. It was hard to maintain her silence when she wanted to punch the cop in the gut for his insulting remark, then force him step away from the door.

  Liz suspected Ingrams was giving the Drummond woman a harder time than she’d done yesterday. “Jake, could you take the pit bull for coffee or something. He thinks he’s protecting me from Susan Drummond,” she whispered, then signaled that she meant Ingrams. Brother and sister exchanged a knowing look.

  Jake nodded. “You got it, Kiddo. Hey, Ingrams, come on. Guys, have some coffee on me.” The men didn’t move. “Oh come on, people. When was the last time you had a lieutenant buy you dinner?”

  The officers started grumbling but got up just the same. Once they realized Jake was serious about the offer of a free meal, the men grinned at each other. They couldn’t believe their good fortune. They gave Susan dirty looks as they hustled out of the room. Meanwhile, Officer Ingrams maintained his post until Jake put an arm around his shoulder and nearly dragged him away from the entrance. “Come on, Kid. I’m gonna buy you a nice steak to chew on.”

  “But your sister said, I mean, Sarge said that I… Shouldn’t I stay?”

  “Come on, Ingrams.” Jake put an arm around Ingrams’ shoulders and tugged. “My sister can handle it from here.” He winked at Susan as he and the young cop left.

  If looks could kill, Susan knew she’d be dead ten times over.

  “Good evening, Sheriff Reeves, Mr. Gilmore.” Susan smiled as she greeted the two men. They were the last men left in Liz’s room.

  Jake Gilmore Sr. returned her smile.

  Jake Sr.’s gentle mannerisms reminded Susan of his children’s polite manners and warm smiles.

  “Evening, Miss Drummond. How’s your daddy feeling?”

  “He’s grateful that your daughter saved his life.”

  “Yes, she’s a piece of work. Isn’t she?”

  Susan could hear the pride in Jake Sr.’s voice as he looked at his daughter and then walked over to her bedside. She wished her own father felt that way about her.

  “Well, I’d better be going. See you later, Baby Girl.” A big hand patted Liz’s shoulder after he kissed her forehead. “Get some rest. It’s nice to see you again, Ms. Drummond. Take care of your father. Tell him I said hello,” Jake Sr. said as he walked over to the door.

  “Hang on a minute, Jay. I’m coming with you.” The sheriff cut his eyes at Susan, then nodded good-bye. “Ms. Drummond.”

  “Sheriff Reeves, could I have a minute of your time?” Susan asked politely as soon as he walked past her.

  Ted Reeves sighed heavily as he studied her face coldly. Then he nodded in Liz’s direction. “Do you think this is the right time and place for this discussion, Ms. Drummond?”

  “You leave me no choice, Sheriff Reeves. You stopped answering my phone calls two days ago.”

  “Maybe it’s because I don’t wanna hear no more about how I’m conducting my investigation!”

  “Sheriff, I want you to…” Susan’s voice trailed off once she read the anger in his face.

  Sheriff Ted Reeves held his hand up to stop further interruptions. “Quit second-guessing me, Suzie Q. Stay out of things that don’t concern you. You leave it be, Girlie!” He slammed on his Stetson, jammed a cigar in his mouth, and stomped out the door.

  Susan looked upset as she strummed on her thigh with a hand, Liz thought as she lay back against the pillows. She watched Susan’s upset build into anger until she finally exploded.

  “Goddamn him!” Susan yelled, pacing back and forth. She mumbled several creative expletives, unaware the woman on the bed was watching her with a curious expression flittering across her features.

  “Hey, Drummond, sit down. Take a load off.” Liz pointed to a chair next to the bed.

  Susan finally stopped pacing when she realized she wasn’t alone in the room. She blushed and then demurely sat down in the chair with her hands in her lap.

  Liz contained her grin, but a dimple gave away her mood. “Why did you come here anyway?”

  Susan stared into dark humorous eyes. “I didn’t come back to be laughed at!” Annoyed hazel eyes glared at Liz.

  “Take it easy, Drummond. I didn’t mean anything. I’ve just never heard anyone string cuss words together like that.” Liz frowned. “I just lied. That’s not true! A few sailors and army brats I met and maybe a cabbie or two could do it. You weren’t in the military, were you?”

  Susan shook her head no.

  “Ever drive a cab in New York City?”

  Susan stared at the deep dimples and started to smile.

  Liz lay back against the headboard and sighed, tired from her efforts. “That’s better, Ms. Drummond, much better. You look good when you smile.” She closed her eyes and drifted off. “Sorry, the painkillers make me sleepy. I’ll be all right. Just give me a minute.”

  Susan watched Liz fall asleep. She decided to wait in the room until she finished her nap. She snuggled down in the soft chair next to the bed and found her eyes getting heavy. All the running around she’d done over the last week exhausted her too. She’d just close her eyes for a minute and take a little catnap.

  Sixty minutes later, Liz stretched, then yawned as she watched the pretty woman open her eyes. “You’re still here, huh?”

  Heavy-lidded drowsy hazel eyes stared back at her, then Susan rubbed her eyes. “What? Oh sorry, I didn’t hear you. What time is it, Sergeant Gilmore?”

  “My watch is over there.” Liz pointed to the small end table that contained her personal items and books.

  A manicured hand reached for her watch at the same time Liz leaned over. Their hands touched. Susan’s hands were soft. They had a nice manicure too. “Sorry about that. Here.” She dropped the watch into Susan’s outstretched palm.

  Susan frowned as she read the time on the watch’s face. “God, it’s that late! Johnny will be pissed. He’s been waiting for me in the car all this time.” She whipped out a cell phone and punched in his number. “Yes, I’m still here.” She glanced at Liz as she spoke into the phone. “Give me five minutes. Okay, Johnny? Love you.” She flipped the phone shut.

  Meanwhile, Liz wondered who Johnny was and why Susan Drummond loved him. She also felt whoever the man was that he wasn’t her business, so she didn’t ask his identity.

  “Sergeant Gilmore, I wanted to ask you more about the explosion. You never answered my question. What made you come to the site?”

  Liz studied Susan. “You don’t give up easily, do you?”

  “No, I don’t. Please tell me why you came to the construction site.”

  Liz sighed. “I was on my way home, taking a shortcut. Danny stopped me. He said something about smelling gas. We thought one of the company’s contractors hit an old gas line. Years ago, there were gas lines running through that area. Every so often, a contractor or a homeowner nicks one and we get a call about gas leaking. Usually, it’s harmless. We just send the gas company to cap off the line and plug the leak. That’s what I thought the smell was at the time.”

  Susan watched a look … of what…fear, caution, or something else appear in Liz’s eyes. “You think differently now, don’t you?”

  Liz rubbed her temples. Another headache w
as starting to make its presence known. “Yeah, I do. Look, Miss Drummond, I don’t know what I can tell you about what happened out there. You heard my boss. He said to stay out of it and let the police handle it.”

  “What if they’re stonewalling the investigation, Sergeant Gilmore? What then?”

  Liz sighed loudly. “I’m tired, Ms. Drummond. It’s the drugs for my headaches. They make me drowsy.” She stared at Susan to see if she was going along with the little white lie.

  “You know what, Sergeant Gilmore? I think you’re full of it,” Susan snapped, disgusted with Liz’s antics. “You’re strong as an ox. Oh, you’re maybe a little wounded, but that’s all. My father told me how you slugged him, then dragged him out as you would a sack of old clothes. Sell somebody else that crock of shit about being weak, but not me. If you don’t want to tell me what you saw, I’ll find someone else who will, Sergeant!”

  “And who might that be, Drummond? Danny’s dead and he was the only other one who saw anything.” Liz’s voice faded as she studied Susan’s face. “You heard about the guy we saw running away, didn’t you?”

  Susan nodded.

  Liz frowned. “Goddamn it, how?”

  “My father said he heard a noise before he and Yvette…” Susan blushed, remembering Liz’s description of her father’s activities with his secretary. “You know, before they … er. Anyway, he looked outside. He thought he heard someone running across a gravel road. He said he didn’t see anyone outside, so he went back to Yvette. When you and Danny busted in on their little love nest, he thought you two were the noise he’d heard earlier.”

  “What made him change his mind?”

  “This.” Susan said as she handed Liz a dirty-looking note in a rough, primitive scrawl.

  Your next if you don’t leave it alone!

  “Did you show this to anyone?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? At least give it to the sheriff, Ms. Drummond.”

  “You saw our dear sheriff storm off a little while ago when I mentioned the investigation. Do you think he’s going to do anything that makes him look bad? I understand he’s running again next year. I’m sure he won’t do anything to look foolish.” Susan glanced at Liz. “That leaves you, Sergeant Gilmore,” she said softly.

  “Why me?”

  “I suspect you know, but I’ll tell you anyway. You have the brass balls I need. I think you want to find out who killed your friend. I don’t think you care where the investigation takes you. Am I right?”

  Liz shrugged, then smiled grimly. “Damn straight.”

  “I’m glad we settled that. I have to be going.”

  “Ms. Drummond, do me a favor.”

  Susan raised an eyebrow.

  “Don’t tell anyone about the note. If you get another one or anything like it, call me. I don’t care what time it is, just call me. This is my beeper and my cell.” Liz handed her a card from her wallet.

  “Are you that worried?” A manicured finger pointed to the note in Liz’s hand.

  Liz hesitated, then answered Susan. “Cops go with hunches, intuition, or gut feelings, whatever you choose to call them. I’ve been a cop for almost ten years here and New York. Some people said I was a damn good cop in New York. Then there were those people who’d tell you otherwise.” She sighed as she studied Susan. “I’m saying all this to say I don’t like what my gut is telling me about this case. Be careful, Ms. Drummond. I don’t think I could handle another tragedy right now.”

  Susan nodded. “Goodnight, Sergeant. It wasn’t your fault, you know. Danny’s death, I mean.”

  Luminous, sad dark eyes returned her gaze. “I know that in here.” Liz pointed to her head. “But here.” She tapped her heart. “It’s gonna take a long time. Have a pleasant night, Ms. Drummond.”

  Susan’s eyes widened with recognition. She nodded slowly. She strode out of the room, passed the door to the empty room next door, then leaned against the wall and inhaled deeply. The situation her father insisted she take over was a mess. The only good thing was Sergeant Gilmore’s confirmation about the arson idea she’d been working on, Susan mused as she marched down the hall.

  Liz examined the note again. She should get out of here and do some snooping around. Susan Drummond was right about one thing. She wasn’t going rest until she found out who killed Danny. She did have the balls the Drummond woman thought she did. If this was arson, they were looking at filing murder charges against someone.

  The last couple of days left her feeling weak and drained. Tonight, she was starting to feel a surge of energy, the way she used to feel when her precinct commander allowed her to follow a lead before he gave the case to the detective squad. Sometimes, the leads panned out and they busted a suspect based on her information, but sometimes, her leads didn’t go anywhere. Before she left New York for good, Jake pestered her for two years to apply for the detective squad. He had a few friends that could help her, but she still liked the feel of the streets that she got from being on patrol. She didn’t see wearing plainclothes in her future.

  Now, tonight, she wished she’d listened to Jake, but it was too late to become that big city detective. Besides, she didn’t leave New York under the best circumstances, did she? All of her police expertise became worthless with that one accusation of sexual molestation against her. Her accuser was a young executive. The woman worked as a stockbroker on Wall Street. She’d met her at one of those lesbian mixers several months before the drug arrest. They went out once, but nothing happened between them. There was no sparkle or sizzle with the stockbroker, so Liz decided not to see her again.

  Liz didn’t know the woman was also a cokehead who needed the stimulation she got from the drugs to keep her going late into the night on stock deals. She also wasn’t aware one of the department drug task forces had been monitoring the stockbroker’s supplier for months. The task force decided they’d gathered enough information to bust the supplier and his upwardly mobile clientele.

  During the raid, the task force busted the stockbroker, but since she had Liz’s card on her, the arresting officer called her. Liz arranged to book the stockbroker on a lesser charge and promised to keep her name out of the papers. She also had the stockbroker brought in through a side entrance and arranged for a one-on-one conference with her. During the unrecorded interview, the woman offered investment tips, money, drugs, sex, and anything else she could think of to keep from going to jail. When Liz refused her offers, the broker claimed Liz sexually assaulted her.

  The woman was adamant about the assault. She threatened to tell the papers and so it forced Internal Affairs to investigate the woman’s claim against Liz. When IAU discovered Liz dated the woman in the past, then personally asked for special treatment after the woman’s arrest, they threw the book at her. She lost her stripes and nearly lost her job while the possession charges against the woman quickly faded away.

  The woman recanted her statement after the DA dropped the drug charge. That saved Liz’s job, but not her stripes. It was too late to save her career with the department. She’d lost her sergeant’s stripes for using bad judgment in helping out someone she thought was a friend. Now everyone she worked with at the precinct level knew she was gay as well. She went from being a good cop at the top of her game to being a cop no one wanted to work with. When her godfather presented his offer of a job and the return of her sergeant’s stripes, she jumped at the chance to work for him.

  The sound of soft-soled feet walking the long corridor, the ringing elevator in the distance when the doors opened, and buzzing of the hospital’s equipment brought Liz back to the reality of the moment. She sighed and then rubbed her temples. She looked down at the Drummond note in her hand again. If she’d known coming here would mean a friend died, she would have stayed in the Big Apple and taken her chances with the police department. Who could predict the future? Lord knows she couldn’t. She studied the note again, waiting for inspiration.

  CHAPTER SIX … Another footnote

&n
bsp; Susan strode out to the convertible, slipped in, and kissed the blond man waiting for her at the curb in front of the no parking sign. “Sorry about that, Johnny. You know how women can be when they start comparing notes with each other. Thanks for waiting.”

  Johnny Flint scowled at her as he checked his watch. “You know, we missed dinner at the club tonight.”

  Susan sighed. “We can make it another night, Johnny.” She added, “Their dinners aren’t all that great anyway.”

  “Yeah, I know, Suzie, but I wanted some of my business friends to meet you. I’ve been bragging about you for a while. They wanna meet you.” Johnny’s hand crept over to her hand, playing with her fingers, stroking them lightly with a fingertip.

  “I told you before I’m not interested in meeting them. I don’t want to give them the wrong idea about us, Johnny.”

  “And what idea would that be, Suzie?”

  Susan sighed and moved away from his hand. She frowned at her best friend. “Come on, Johnny, we’ve been over this a dozen times. I love you like a brother. And that’s the end of that story.”

  Johnny wasn’t about to give up without a lengthy argument. A large, broad, tanned hand started to rub what felt like silk to his fingers and then moved up to expose a smooth thigh. He glanced at her face as his hand caressed her skin. “Suppose I want more, Suzie, much more than that from you?”

  “Stop it, Johnny.” Susan Drummond lifted his hand from her thigh and dropped it on the edge of the leather-covered console. “You know I don’t like it when you do that.”

  Johnny stared at her chest, noting the full shape of her breasts. His hand crept up her thigh and started to rub it again. “Oh? How come your nipples get hard when I touch you?”

  “I told you before, I don’t sleep with men.”

  “I’m not just any man, Suzie. I’ve known you all your life.”