Cooper's Deale Part 16

"Need a hand?"

Liberty, casually propped against the door frame, resembled the Cheshire cat.

"Laundry day. But thanks anyway."

Liberty entered the bedroom and wrapped her arms around Addy, pulling her close. "Why do laundry when I'm just going to get you all dirty again?" She nuzzled Addy's neck and nipped playfully along her jawline.

"Because I hate doing laundry, so I have tons of it. At some point I have to give in." Addy struggled to escape Liberty's embrace.

"Mmm, sure I can't distract you? We could find a better way to spend time."

"I've got too much housework today."

"Your house is always spotless," Liberty mumbled in her ear, sucking the lobe gently, "so housecleaning is out. Chauncey takes care of the garden, and Fern loves to cook. What else could we find to do?"

Her mouth traveled farther down Addy's throat to the open collar, where her tongue began a sensuous dance.

"Liberty, I really am busy today."

"For instance?"

"Well, I want to move my things downstairs to my grandmother's old room. Enough time has pa.s.sed, and if I can fix this room up, I can rent it too." Addy gently pushed Liberty away before she changed her mind.

Liberty sighed. "Oh, okay. At least let me help you carry the heavy stuff. Where do you want to start?"

"Thanks, I appreciate it. I don't have much up here, just what's in the bathroom and closet. If you could take the clothes on hangers, that would be great. I'll deal with the bathroom."

Liberty had carried two loads of clothes downstairs and was back in the bedroom by the time Addy had filled a box with her toiletries.

"What about the rest of these things in the closet?"

"They go too," Addy called from the bathroom, then joined her in the closet.

Liberty lifted the largest box down first. "Geez, what've you got in here, rocks?"

"Those are old photo alb.u.ms. You can put them in the storage room. I don't look at them very often."

"If there are pictures of you in here, I wouldn't mind seeing them. Especially one of you naked." Liberty smiled and waggled her eyebrows.

"Very amusing, but no. No naked pictures. I'll show them to you on the next boring rainy day."

Liberty hefted the box to rest against her stomach and carried it down the stairs. Addy followed and was almost to her grandmother's room when the doorbell rang.

"Hi." Karen stood at the door, her eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"Hi," Addy said thickly. The mere sight of Karen made her nervous system go haywire.

"We need to talk," Karen whispered. "I don't want to upset Tommy, but I believe he knows more than he's let on. Please, Addy, before it's too late."

"I understand. It's time to put this behind us."

"Yes," Karen said. Addy was beautiful, her damp hair pulled back just like it always was after a shower. Addy always showered after they made love, and then Karen would drag her back to bed and start all over again.

"Well, good morning, Officer." Liberty peered over Addy's shoulder. "What brings you out here?"

The knot in Karen's stomach tightened. She resented the fact that Liberty and Addy lived together, even if only as landlord and tenant. Liberty insinuated that it was more than that, and if the rumors were true, it was. She noticed the two of them holding boxes.

"Moving out, Ms. McDonald?"

"Just moving some things into Addy's room," Liberty replied, and winked.

Karen narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"Why don't you come in?" Addy backed up to let Karen through the door. She kept herself between the two women as they took their measure of each other.

"I remember that box," Karen said wistfully as she sat on the sofa. "I'm so glad you kept it."

"You hated having your picture taken."

"I can see why," Liberty interjected.

"You know, McDonald-"

"Liberty, would you excuse us for a minute? I need to talk to the deputy."

"Not a problem." Liberty smiled at her. "After I put this box in the storage room, what can I do?"

"How about taking some more boxes from my grandmother's closet down to storage. Thanks."

When Liberty had gone, Karen glared at Addy. "What's she doing with all that stuff?"

After she explained, Karen pressed. "Is she moving in with you?"

Addy sighed. "I thought we were going to talk about Tommy."

"All right. Let's go talk to him."

Addy shivered, transported to that night, which seemed like a dream or, rather, a nightmare. She would never forget the sights and smells. She tried to gauge Karen's feelings.

"I'll take you up to see him, but do you believe that neither Tommy nor I had anything to do with this?"

"I-" Karen began.

"I for one don't believe that."

They swiveled to see Liberty standing in the hallway, a Nikon camera dangling from her outstretched hand.

"You lied to me. Again!" Addy sobbed. Wearing handcuffs, she stumbled on her way to the squad car parked in front of the house. When Karen caught her and prevented her fall, she jerked her arm away as though burned.

"Addy, I couldn't say anything about Liberty. She was undercover. It would be a federal offense to tell you." Karen followed her, miserable. How in the h.e.l.l had that camera come to be in Addy's possession? She despised Liberty, but knew she would never plant it. She had found it and would delight in showing it off-even if only to gloat within the department.

"Watch your head." Karen helped her into the car.

"Get your hands off me."

"Addy!" Fern ran to the window of the patrol car, wheezing from her ten-yard sprint. "Don't worry about Tommy. Mr. Velasquez and I will look out for him. Even if you get life, we'll be here. You know, this reminds me of a book I read once. It was called Murder Finds a Mistress. It was about this woman who-"

"Thank you, Mrs. Bush." Addy sniffed. "But I fully intend to be vindicated and home soon."

"Do you have a lawyer?"

Addy paused. "Well, no."

Fern gazed at her pityingly. "Like I said, don't worry about Tommy. We'll take good care of him. They usually don't put convicted murderers in with other prisoners, so you'll have a cell all to yourself. Won't that be nice? I'll crochet a little coverlet for you-something with flowers and birds on it, to brighten things up."

"Thanks."

Karen climbed into the seat beside her, and the officer up front steered the car down Parkers Creek Drive. Addy kept her head turned toward the window so she could avoid looking at Karen. She was stunned that Liberty was an FBI agent. Liberty had used her, and she wondered if the s.e.x was just one of the perks of the job.

Addy was disgusted with everyone, but even more so with herself. She had trusted an ex-lover and a current lover, and they had both screwed her.

Addy wiped the ink from her fingertips as a deputy finished taking her picture. Then he led her to a cell where he informed her she would stay for a while. The small bland room contained only the basics, and on the wall someone had scrawled several opinions. "Fascist pigs!" "I'm innocent." "This cell would look so much better in pale aquas and mint greens."

In the cell across the way, a large woman groaned as she rolled off the side of her cot and landed on her b.u.t.t with a thump.

"Holy mother of G.o.d," the woman whined.

"Are you all right?"

The bleached blonde with streaked mascara seemed to have a hard time focusing on Addy. Her clothes were disheveled and unkempt, her hair sticking up in all directions.

"Who the h.e.l.l are you?" she asked.

Embarra.s.sed to give her name to the stranger or to explain why she was there, Addy tried to come up with an answer.

"Honey, don't hurt yourself. It ain't a complicated question."

The woman stopped weaving and moaned again. This time she scrambled to her knees and crawled to the toilet, where she immediately emptied the contents of her stomach.

Addy felt her own stomach roil and turned away. She was miserable and lonely, and she worried about Tommy. She needed to find out what was going on, but no one would tell her.

"Ah, that feels better." The blonde belched, then grinned at Addy. "Tied one on last night. Don't remember a thing."

Addy smiled wanly. If this was her companion during her stay in the county jail, she would confess to the murder right now.

A door opening down the hall drew her attention. Karen strode toward her, and Addy turned her back on her.

Karen sighed. "Addy, if I'm going to help you, you need to talk to me."

Addy whirled around. "I did talk to you, and look what it got me."

"I didn't know you had hidden Vinson's camera in your house."

"I told you I didn't know anything about it. I have no idea how it got there. If you don't believe me, we don't have anything to discuss."

"There has to be some plausible reason why it was there. The judge isn't going to believe you haven't got a clue about it."

"That's his problem. I can't explain something I don't understand."

"If that's true, only Fern, Chauncey, or Tommy could have put it there."

"Tommy hasn't set foot in the house since he was a child."

"You don't know that. You never thought he came down from the tree until Vinson. If it isn't Tommy, who would you pick as the culprit? Fern or Chauncey?"

Addy struggled to answer. Neither her brother nor her tenants were capable of the crime. It simply didn't make sense. Besides, Fern and Chauncey had irrefutable alibis. Only she and Tommy were unaccounted for. She still refused to believe Tommy had done anything. But how did that camera get in her grandmother's closet?

"I don't know."

Karen sighed again. "In the morning you'll see the judge. He'll set bail and the process will begin."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

Addy ate her greasy fried chicken and imitation mashed potatoes with peas. She washed them down with coffee, but was unable to taste anything. Dull and defeated, she lacked the energy and the will to think, so she let her mind wander until Fern and Chauncey stopped in front of her cell. A deputy lingered a short distance away.

"Madre de Dios. What is this country coming to that it must put in prison someone like you, Miss Addy?"

"This is jail, Mr. Velasquez, not prison," Fern said. "Addy doesn't go to prison until she is convicted of the crime. Jail is merely a temporary condition."

Fern smiled sweetly at Addy, as though the distinction should comfort her.

"I've been able to extricate Mr. Velasquez from his temporary confinement until the issue of his immigration comes up for consideration. My nephew is a lawyer and thinks he can help him. Oh, by the way, I baked you banana nut bread." Fern held the loaf out for Addy's inspection, then muttered, "Be sure to eat it while it's fresh."

Their visit rejuvenated Addy. "Thank you both so much for coming to see me. How's Tommy taking it?"

Fern frowned. "Well, he's been a little upset, Addy. He keeps asking for you, wondering where you are."

"Poor Tommy. What will become of him?"

"Don't you go worrying about that," Fern said. "I have plenty of money. Tommy is like my own. Why, in some respects, he reminds me of my third husband-G.o.d rest his soul. A little touched in the head, but sweet as apple pie."

"Thank you, Miss Bush." Addy grasped her hand. "I can never repay you for your kindness."