Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 68
Why had I let my phone die? It was the only place I had his cell phone number stored, but I couldn’t wait for it to charge. “Can you just call him and tell him that Rose needs to talk to him. It’s important.”
Folding her hands on her desk, she gave me a patronizing stare. “I’ll be happy to take your name and number and make an appointment for you.”
“Can you just give me some idea how long it will be?”
She ignored my question, returning to her work.
I wasn’t sure how long Bruce Wayne would wait for me. Resting my hands on her desk, I leaned forward. “I promise he’ll want to know I’m here. Can’t you just call him and leave a message on his cell?”
“Rose?” Mason stood in the doorway, surprise in his voice.
I looked up, and his smile faded.
“Is everything all right?”
“No.”
He took my arm and pulled me into his office, shutting the door behind us. “What happened?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start at the beginning.”
I paced the room as he sat on the edge of his desk. He looked more official and intimidating that way, with his blue dress shirt and dark grey tie and his stern expression. I expected the impression to make me nervous, but it gave me more confidence that he could help.
“I met Bruce Wayne at Jonah’s this morning, and we were in the front yard discussing the landscaping job when Detective Taylor and Officer Ernie showed up. They said another woman had died, and they needed to question Jonah.”
“Another woman died? They didn’t call me.” Mason looked livid.
“There’s more.” I took a deep breath. “Taylor and Jonah went inside and Ernie said something about Bruce Wayne and I helping a murderer.”
“What?”
“Bruce Wayne and I went around to the backyard. I could see Jonah and Detective Taylor in the window, so I put my ear to the glass to hear what they were saying.”
He grimaced. “I’m not sure I want to know that part.”
“Mason, Detective Taylor thinks Jonah killed those women. And he thinks Bruce Wayne and I are part of it.”
He stood. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. On what grounds?”
“He says we started working for Jonah right about when the women started dying. And Bruce Wayne has a criminal record. I had a vision while I was listening.”
Mason’s gaze jerked up. “Did they hear you?”
“No,” I shook my head. “But I saw Detective Taylor booking Bruce Wayne at the police station. Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne heard that part, and he’s freaking out.”
Mason walked around his desk and picked up his phone. “I’m getting this resolved right here and now.” He angrily punched in some numbers and waited while I walked over to his window. His office had a good view of Main Street, and I could see Merilee’s down below.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, Taylor. I hear there was another death and no one notified me to come to the scene.” He paused. “Excuse me?”
I turned to look at him, and his face was red.
“On what grounds?” After several seconds, he shook his head. “Do you ever give any consideration to how you investigate a case? Is there even a logical thought in your head?”
Oh, dear. This wasn’t going well. I looked out the window, watching the entrance of Merilee’s in case Bruce Wayne left.
Mason’s voice was tightly controlled. “My personal life is my business, Detective Taylor, and it has no bearing on this investigation.” He paused again. “You will regret this decision.” He slammed the phone down.
“What happened?”
“He decided not to summon me to the crime scene because I have a relationship with a suspect, and my personal feelings could cloud my judgment.” He banged his palm on the desk. “Goddammit.”
I jumped at his outburst. “Can he do that?”
“Sure, he can forget to notify me to come to a scene, but the DA and I are the ones who press charges. Taylor can bring whatever bullshit he wants to me. I’m not going to do a damn thing with it.”
“Don’t burn any bridges on account of me, Mason.”
His eyes hardened. “This bridge has been burning for quite some time.”
“I left Bruce Wayne in Merilee’s. He refused to come into the courthouse. He says he can’t go back to jail.”
Mason rubbed his temple. “What a mess.”
“He says he saw something at the church last week that he didn’t realize was important until this morning, but he won’t tell me what it was. He’s worried that if the police find out I know, they’ll have more proof of my involvement.”
“Shit.”
“I asked him to give me something to bring to you, and he said it involves Thomas, the boy who lives on the corner.”
Mason stood and started for the door. “Is he still at the restaurant?”
“That’s where I left him. I ordered him breakfast and told him I’d be back after I talked to you.”
He held the door open for me, and as he passed his secretary’s desk, he stopped and gave her the Mason van de Camp Deveraux, III death glare. “Cecelia, this is Rose Gardner. If I ever hear about you ignoring her request to talk to me again, you will no longer be employed by this office. Is that clear?”
Folding her hands on her desk, she gave me a patronizing stare. “I’ll be happy to take your name and number and make an appointment for you.”
“Can you just give me some idea how long it will be?”
She ignored my question, returning to her work.
I wasn’t sure how long Bruce Wayne would wait for me. Resting my hands on her desk, I leaned forward. “I promise he’ll want to know I’m here. Can’t you just call him and leave a message on his cell?”
“Rose?” Mason stood in the doorway, surprise in his voice.
I looked up, and his smile faded.
“Is everything all right?”
“No.”
He took my arm and pulled me into his office, shutting the door behind us. “What happened?”
“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start at the beginning.”
I paced the room as he sat on the edge of his desk. He looked more official and intimidating that way, with his blue dress shirt and dark grey tie and his stern expression. I expected the impression to make me nervous, but it gave me more confidence that he could help.
“I met Bruce Wayne at Jonah’s this morning, and we were in the front yard discussing the landscaping job when Detective Taylor and Officer Ernie showed up. They said another woman had died, and they needed to question Jonah.”
“Another woman died? They didn’t call me.” Mason looked livid.
“There’s more.” I took a deep breath. “Taylor and Jonah went inside and Ernie said something about Bruce Wayne and I helping a murderer.”
“What?”
“Bruce Wayne and I went around to the backyard. I could see Jonah and Detective Taylor in the window, so I put my ear to the glass to hear what they were saying.”
He grimaced. “I’m not sure I want to know that part.”
“Mason, Detective Taylor thinks Jonah killed those women. And he thinks Bruce Wayne and I are part of it.”
He stood. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. On what grounds?”
“He says we started working for Jonah right about when the women started dying. And Bruce Wayne has a criminal record. I had a vision while I was listening.”
Mason’s gaze jerked up. “Did they hear you?”
“No,” I shook my head. “But I saw Detective Taylor booking Bruce Wayne at the police station. Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne heard that part, and he’s freaking out.”
Mason walked around his desk and picked up his phone. “I’m getting this resolved right here and now.” He angrily punched in some numbers and waited while I walked over to his window. His office had a good view of Main Street, and I could see Merilee’s down below.
“You’ve got some explaining to do, Taylor. I hear there was another death and no one notified me to come to the scene.” He paused. “Excuse me?”
I turned to look at him, and his face was red.
“On what grounds?” After several seconds, he shook his head. “Do you ever give any consideration to how you investigate a case? Is there even a logical thought in your head?”
Oh, dear. This wasn’t going well. I looked out the window, watching the entrance of Merilee’s in case Bruce Wayne left.
Mason’s voice was tightly controlled. “My personal life is my business, Detective Taylor, and it has no bearing on this investigation.” He paused again. “You will regret this decision.” He slammed the phone down.
“What happened?”
“He decided not to summon me to the crime scene because I have a relationship with a suspect, and my personal feelings could cloud my judgment.” He banged his palm on the desk. “Goddammit.”
I jumped at his outburst. “Can he do that?”
“Sure, he can forget to notify me to come to a scene, but the DA and I are the ones who press charges. Taylor can bring whatever bullshit he wants to me. I’m not going to do a damn thing with it.”
“Don’t burn any bridges on account of me, Mason.”
His eyes hardened. “This bridge has been burning for quite some time.”
“I left Bruce Wayne in Merilee’s. He refused to come into the courthouse. He says he can’t go back to jail.”
Mason rubbed his temple. “What a mess.”
“He says he saw something at the church last week that he didn’t realize was important until this morning, but he won’t tell me what it was. He’s worried that if the police find out I know, they’ll have more proof of my involvement.”
“Shit.”
“I asked him to give me something to bring to you, and he said it involves Thomas, the boy who lives on the corner.”
Mason stood and started for the door. “Is he still at the restaurant?”
“That’s where I left him. I ordered him breakfast and told him I’d be back after I talked to you.”
He held the door open for me, and as he passed his secretary’s desk, he stopped and gave her the Mason van de Camp Deveraux, III death glare. “Cecelia, this is Rose Gardner. If I ever hear about you ignoring her request to talk to me again, you will no longer be employed by this office. Is that clear?”
