Eleven

We pulled into my drive at 3:00 am, Ron at the wheel. He’d turned in his rental car before we left Vegas. Linda had waited up and greeted us at the door. Ron followed me in and we took a seat on the sofa, Ron on one side of me, Linda on the other. Linda already knew Ron, so introductions weren’t necessary.

“So, what’s up?” I asked.

Linda handed me a tri-folded sheet of paper. Words clipped from a newspaper in various sizes and fonts were glued to it.

“Alice is dead. Get over it and move on. Not doing so would be a huge mistake. Love is all around you – don’t be blind to it.”

Linda exhaled exaggeratedly. “I found it in the mailbox just like this—no envelope and folded in thirds.”

Ron shifted his gaze from Linda to me. “That means it had to have been hand-delivered. Whoever it is knows where you live. Not good.”

I folded the note and placed it on the coffee table. “No idea who put it in the mailbox?”

Linda shook her head and broke into tears. “I’m so scared for you.”

I circled my arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I’ll be fine. I want you to spend the night here and get a good night’s sleep. I’m going to take Ron home. I want to hear you cutting some serious zees when I get back. There’s some Tylenol PM in the cabinet over the toaster. It might be a good idea to take a couple.”

Linda rose from the sofa and headed for the kitchen.

“Nice seeing you again,” Ron called after her. “And don’t worry. Olivia’s a tough lady. And I’ll see to it nothing happens to her.”

“Let me get you home.” I stood and beckoned Ron off the sofa.

“I can spend the night, if you’d like. One of the extra bedrooms would be okay.”

“I appreciate that; really, I do. But I’ll be fine.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. I just need a little time for myself.”

Exhausted, we spoke very little on the way to his place. I pulled into the drive of his luxury condo and shifted Patsy into ‘Park’. “Thanks a bunch—for everything. I don’t know what I would have done without you yesterday and tonight.”

“It was nothing.”

“Nothing? Nothing at all?” I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh! Well, that. Uh yeah, that was something. That was really something!”

“I thought so, too.”

Ron fidgeted like a teenage boy wanting to kiss his girl on their first date but unsure if he should.

“Hey!” I said.

He looked at me with a little-boy-lost expression.

I leaned over and pulled him close. I enjoyed it when our lips touched. I kept it short but sweet. “Thanks again.”

“Glad I could help. Uh, maybe we could see each other again sometime soon? I’d like that.”

“Yeah. I’d like that, too. Call me. Now get your gorgeous ass to bed.”

I could feel the warmth flush through my body as I backed out of his driveway. I don’t think the smile on my face ever faded as I drove home.

It was nearly ten o’clock when I awakened. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d slept that late. On second thought, yeah I could—two nights ago in Vegas. Other than that, it had been a long time—and not just the sleeping in.

Linda met me in the living room after I’d showered and dressed. “Good morning, sleepy head.”

“And good morning to you, too.”

Linda scrunched her mouth to the side. “I’m scared for you. Please be careful.”

“I will. Promise.” I grabbed one of the two bananas from the fruit bowl on the dining room pass-through. I wasn’t a big breakfast eater.

Linda grabbed the other banana. “What’s on your agenda today?”

“I’m going to call the local hospitals to see if their ERs have treated a gunshot wound to the arm recently. After that, I have some research I need to do on the Butler Farms thing. What about you?”

“I finished cleaning the house yesterday, so I guess I’ll go back to my apartment and catch up on Facebook and then whatever. If you’d like, we could go somewhere and have a nice, quiet lunch.”

“I’d like that, too. But Alice’s murder and this Butler Farms job is taking all my time right now. Maybe we can do lunch real soon.”

I hated putting her off. She’d invited me to her place for dinner once and then offered to take me to lunch not long before Alice’s murder. This was the third time I’d declined her invitation for one reason or another. I really needed to make it up to her.

“No problem. We’ll figure out a time real soon.” Linda gave me a quick hug. “Be careful.”

“I will. And thanks for understanding. Remember to lock up when you leave. I have my keys. And stay out of the sun!”

Linda had a rare skin condition called Solar Urticaria. More than just a few minutes of exposure to sunlight would cause her to develop painful hives that itched with no mercy. She never wore shorts or short-sleeved tops, winter or summer—even in the house. Her clothes were always loose and dark-colored. Even prolonged exposure to sunlight through the windows was enough to trigger an episode. Given the unmerciful heat and perpetual sunshine in Bakersfield, I felt sorry for her. Her treatment was expensive and I paid for it as part of her compensation. I’d seen the ugly scabs and understood why she wanted to keep her skin hidden.

“See ya Monday. Like I said, please be careful.”

“I will—promise.”

It was already a blistering hot day and not yet noon. I left Patsy’s top up and cranked up the a/c. Being Sunday, traffic was light. The 99 Freeway ran north and south through the city, dividing it by one-third to the west and two-thirds to the east of the freeway. As I breezed north, I gave my brother a call.

“Hey!” Max answered after several rings. “How’s everything going?”

“Mixed bag. I managed to get out of Vegas with most of my money still in the bank, but the guy I was chasing wasn’t the bad guy. It was pretty much a wash.”

“Keep at it; I’m sure you’ll find the right guy—or gal.”

“Yeah—keep at it. That’s about all I can do. I called for a specific reason. If you recall, I shot Alice’s murderer in the arm before he disappeared. It was my plan to visit or call all the hospitals in the area to ask if they’d treated anyone for a gunshot wound to the arm in the past several days. So, I was wondering if …”

Max cut me off in mid-sentence. “The cops have already done that. I talked to Jankowski down at Bakersfield PD yesterday. All he could tell me was that they had no suspects yet. They’ve already checked with all the hospital ERs and walk-in clinics. Negative reply on every call. Since the sheriff’s office isn’t involved, that’s all I know at this point. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.”

“No problem. I appreciate you talking to your guy at the PD.”

“I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”

“Thanks, Max. Much appreciated.”

“Hey, before you hang up, how are you doing—you know, Alice’s death?”

“I have my moments. But I’m dealing with it.”

“Stay strong. I’m always here if you need me.”

“Give me a little time and I’ll be fine. By the way, I have a note …”

“Gotta go! Just got an emergency dispatch. Call you back when I can. Bye.” I heard the siren’s on Max’s SUV begin to screech before the connection dropped.

I checked my watch—almost noon. That explained the rumble in my stomach. I took the California Avenue exit west and guided Patsy into the parking lot of the Marie Calender’s Restaurant.

The braised pot roast lunch, followed by a huge slice of cherry pie, satisfied every wish and want of my taste buds and put my belly in a much better mood.

As I stepped into the sweltering heat, a guy wearing a flashy Hawaiian shirt and Bahama shorts approached the door of the restaurant. He’d just exited a newer model, red Camaro. It wasn’t the shirt or the shorts that garnered my attention, not even the cool Camaro—it was the large bandage above his left elbow.

I ‘managed’ to bump into him as he attempted to pass by me. “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I guess I was daydreaming. I hope I didn’t aggravate your injury.”

“No problem. You didn’t aggravate anything.” His voice didn’t match the voice of Alice’s hooded shooter. But I recalled there was something odd about the killer’s voice, so maybe that difference didn’t matter.

“Are you sure? Looks like a nasty injury. My gosh—what could have caused that?”

“My handgun accidentally discharged. But really, I’m fine. Have a good afternoon.” He smiled and continued on his way to the door.

“Uh, if you have just a couple of minutes ….”

“In a hurry, sorry,” he called over his shoulder. I guessed him about thirty-five years old, slightly under six feet, average build and thick brown hair complimented by brown eyes two shades from black.

Startling me, he turned and charged to the Camaro, almost knocking me to the concrete. Was he Alice’s murderer and suddenly realized who I was? Or maybe he thought I was an undercover cop and he’d done something illegal and he overreacted. I was determined to find out.

I dashed to Patsy. By the time I turned the ignition key, he had already blended into the eastbound traffic on California Avenue. I didn’t get his full plate number, but I saw the last three digits were 636.

I cut off a yellow sports car as I barreled out of the parking lot onto the street. I didn’t have time to grimace as the car behind him plowed into his  rear bumper. The Camaro was nowhere in sight.

I pressed on, forcing my way through traffic—speed limits and traffic lanes be damned. After passing under the Highway 99 overpass, I spotted him in the outside lane. I was only eight or ten cars behind him—trapped in the inside lane. Damn!

I stomped the gas pedal and executed some ill-advised but effective lane changes. A cacophony of horns and a display of middle fingers pretty much defined the other drivers’ assessment of my maneuvers.

Even with my asphalt shenanigans, I was unable to get into the right lane before the Camaro turned onto Oak Street. Double damn! I couldn’t let him just slip away to parts unknown. I had to do something—and quick.

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Olivia Michelle Grace ------- Rookie PI and millionaire

Alice Milner: -------------- Olivia’s best friend and murder victim

Patsy -------------------- Olivia's fire engine red 1959 Cadillac convertible

Robert Milner: ------------ Alice’s ex and primary suspect in her death

Andy Bishop: -------------- Sabotage suspect at Butler Farms

Ron Matthews: ------------ Olivia’s friend and possible love interest

Linda Sears: -------------- Olivia’s friend and housekeeper

Max Grace: --------------- Olivia’s brother and Kern County Deputy Sheriff

© Copyright 2025 Sideman. All rights reserved.