Blood Loss

‘Mom won’t allow dogs in the house,’ said TJ.

‘Well, I had to wait until I moved out of home to get Misty,’ said Ren.

He smiled. ‘Then I don’t feel so bad.’

Ren started the engine. ‘Well, OK, I better go-’

‘Um, I heard mom and dad talking,’ said TJ. ‘It was, like, years ago. And … all I know is that they don’t really know why dad was fired. I mean, they know why, but they just don’t know how.’

‘How?’ said Ren.

TJ shrugged. ‘I think that Gary guy found something out, but mom and dad didn’t know how he could have done that.’

‘OK …’ said Ren.

‘Well, OK,’ said TJ, ‘I gotta go.’ He nodded. ‘Thank you.’ His hand briefly rested on Ren’s arm, as he pulled it past her.

Ren drove away from the house. Taber Grace Jr. was a sweet kid. She thought of him trotting down the path after her, and his hand on her arm, not in a weird way, just a small, kind gesture.

Ren glanced back at Misty.

‘Misty, he seems like a good kid to me … what do you think?’

And he has brought me the closest I have come to finding out what the hell happened with Taber Grace.

49

Ren got back to Safe Streets and went straight to Gary’s office. He told her to take a seat.

‘OK,’ said Ren, ‘I know you told me-’

Gary stared her into silence. ‘That’s a familiar opener, Ren. And finishes every goddamn time with you telling me you’ve done something I have specifically asked you not to do.’

‘This is-’

‘Different!’ said Gary. ‘I know. I am not screwing around here, Ren, but I am not going to be able to tolerate this for much longer. I like you on a personal level, you know that, but professionally, it is getting to the point that when I see you walk in my door-’

‘But I haven’t even-’

Gary shook his head. ‘I can separate personal feelings and professionalism, Ren, so I’m telling you that this has got to stop. Or I will have to transfer you. I’ll have no choice. Some day it’s going to blow up in my face.’

Ren’s heart was pounding. ‘I … I’m sorry, Gary. I always only try to do the best for the case. And I haven’t screwed up if you think about it …’ She held her breath.

‘Officially? No. But that’s because I have covered your ass. How many times have I covered your ass?’

‘Many times.’

‘Now, what were you coming in to tell me?’ said Gary. ‘Finish the sentence “I know you told me” …’

‘I know you told me you didn’t want coffee, but I was wondering-’

‘Jesus Christ, Ren. How do you have the fucking balls?’

Ren smiled. ‘OK. It’s about Taber Grace, but please give me a chance. Here’s what we’ve found out: someone else was in the parking garage around the time the Whaleys were checking in. Someone was watching the Merritts’ house i.e. Taber Grace. I went to see his ex-wife and son, because Taber Grace obviously knows something we don’t, he’s been assaulted because of it, and he’s gone underground. So, I’m there, and I decide to go up to the kid’s room to speak with him and I realize that Taber Grace has been there. I missed him by an hour. But I went to his son’s computer, and the last thing he had printed out was a ticket to Newark. New Jersey. Which is where Tina Bowers, Shep Collier’s hooker, lives — Maplewood, New Jersey.’

‘OK …’ said Gary.

‘So, what we have now is an undeniable link between a private investigator, a congressman, a hooker, and the Merritts/Whaleys. There’s also mystery semen …’

‘Mystery semen …’ said Gary.

Ren nodded.

Gary nodded. ‘What do you want to do?’

‘Go to Maplewood in the morning. Taber Grace is a smart man. His son has probably got a message to him that I was at the house and saw the airline tickets. I doubt he’ll catch that flight.’

‘He probably booked another one,’ said Gary. ‘He’s probably there right now.’

‘I’d like to go talk to Tina Bowers,’ said Ren.

‘OK,’ said Gary. ‘Go ahead. But don’t take that as a sign that it’s going to be worth going against my orders again.’

‘I’d like to talk to Mark Whaley’s boss too. It’s clear that whatever went on between Mark Whaley and Shelby Royce, there is a business-related issue here.’

‘Do your homework, Ren,’ said Gary. ‘Don’t go in there without knowing as much as you possibly can about him. This is politics, it’s big business, and it’s two cases that have already had huge media attention in the last month.’

Hmm. ‘In that case, I’ll wait until I speak with Tina Bowers, before I talk to Nolan Carr,’ said Ren.

Gary nodded. ‘OK.’

‘And thank you for your understanding,’ said Ren.

‘I don’t understand,’ said Gary. ‘I don’t understand you at all.’

That evening, Ren sat with Janine Hooks in Woody’s in Golden, not far from Janine’s office. Ren had made it three-quarters of the way through a ham and arugula pizza. She paused, watching the movement of tiny bones in Janine’s hand as she picked a carrot stick from a glass of crudites.

She wondered how Janine could get through the day, how she could walk, and run, and exercise, and think, without food in her belly.

You are so pretty, and endearing, and kind. Yet you torture yourself.

Ren watched as Janine put the carrot stick on her plate. It had one bite taken out of it.

Will you ever talk to me about it?

Ren glanced at her phone, making sure that it was not dialing a number by accident, thereby allowing someone to listen in to their conversation.

And will I ever talk to you about being nuts?

Ren and Janine looked at each other at exactly the same time.

Do either of us really need to?

‘So,’ said Janine, ‘Paul Louderback, a man who promised you nothing, has, indeed, delivered on that promise?’

‘So it seems,’ said Ren.

‘How surprising and disappointing that must be,’ said Janine.

Ren smiled. ‘But I do feel like an idiot.’

‘Did you think he was not allowed to have other friends?’ said Janine. ‘Did you let him know?’

‘Friends, yes,’ said Ren. ‘“Little protegees?” Noo. There’s only one little protegee. I’m the little protegee.’ Me me me me me.

‘That’s sad,’ said Janine.

‘I know, I know,’ said Ren. ‘I just want to hear someone say it out loud.’

‘So … Paul Louderback has fallen behind in the polls this week,’ said Janine.

‘That sounds terrible,’ said Ren.

‘I’m kidding.’

‘Would it also sound terrible if I said that I think you’re using the protegee thing to back off? I seem to remember he made his intentions very clear to you when you were leaving Breck …’

Hmm.