Amanda Stevens - The Dollmaker

Dave had sat holding a towel to his head as he filled out the paperwork, and every time Marsilius went to ask how much longer it would be, the heavyset nurse behind the desk would glower and tell him they would just have to wait their turn like everybody else.

Finally, Dave had been taken to a cubicle and treated by a freckle-faced intern who looked barely old enough to vote. The gash on Dave’s head took several stitches, but he didn’t have any broken bones or ribs, and once the doctor had him patched up, he signed Dave’s release papers because they were short on beds. That suited Dave fine. He wouldn’t have stayed, anyway. He hated hospitals. Something about the smell, he decided as he walked outside.

He rolled down the window in Marsilius’s truck and tipped his head back so the air rushed over his face. Clouds scuttled across the eastern sky where the sun hovered just below the horizon.

As Marsilius turned down the dusty road to home, he cut Dave a glance. “You ready to tell me what happened earlier?”

“I thought it was pretty obvious that I got my ass kicked.” Dave watched out the window as distant heat lightning shimmered just above the treetops.

“You know what I mean. Who were those guys?”

“Just forget about it, okay? The less you know, the better off you’ll be.”

“Yeah, well, here’s the thing. After the potshots I took over their heads, I have a feeling those bastards may not be feeling too kindly toward me. I’d at least like to know who I need to be on the lookout for.”

“I guess you’ve got a point,” Dave said. “The big guy is NOPD. His name is Clive Nettle.”

Marsilius turned to look at him. “A cop? Shit fire, Dave, what are you mixed up in?”

Dave ignored the question. “The scrawny one is an ex-con named Bobby Ray Taubin. I think there was a third one, but I never got a look at him. Bobby Ray works for JoJo Barone. Evidently, he also does some side jobs for Nettle.”

“What do they want with you?”

“I guess they don’t like some of the questions I’ve been asking. Or more to the point, they don’t like the answers I got from JoJo Barone.”

“When did you go see JoJo?”

“Yesterday. He told me that Clive Nettle killed Renee Savaria at a private party he arranged, and the whole thing was covered up by some of the other cops who were there that night.”

“Do you believe him?”

“If I didn’t before, I do after tonight.”

His uncle let out a long breath. “What the hell are you going to do with that information?”

Dave frowned into the darkness. “I don’t know yet. Look for the other cops who were involved, for one thing.”

“You can’t go this alone, son, you’ll need somebody watching your back.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got that part covered.”

“Sure as hell didn’t look that way to me. This is dangerous shit, Dave. You gotta bring somebody else in on this fast. Somebody you can trust.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the problem. JoJo said those parties were attended by some pretty heavy-duty brass. I don’t know how far up this thing goes.”

“What about the D.A.?”

Dave had thought of that, but going to Lee Elliot would be a tricky business, considering his involvement with Angelette. Dave still hadn’t figured out her angle yet, and until he did, he wasn’t about to put much faith in anyone she was that closely associated with.

“What makes you think I could even get in to see Lee Elliot?”

“Maybe you couldn’t, but Claire’s sister could.”

Dave’s laugh was bitter. “You’re joking, right? Charlotte LeBlanc despises the ground I walk on. No way she’d hear me out.”

“Then maybe you better get out of town and lie low for a while. I have a friend in Houston who owns a garage. He’d put you to work, no questions asked.”

“I’m not running away. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that. But I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d head on down to Houston. I don’t want to see anything happen to you, old man. You’re the only family I got left.”

Marsilius downshifted as he turned a curve. “I can take care of myself. You’re the one I’m worried about. This ain’t over, Dave. They’ll be back, and next time I might not be around to pull your ass out of the wringer.”

“They won’t come back right away. They know I’ll be ready for them now. They’ll wait until they think they can catch me by surprise again.”

“You seem pretty sure about that.”

Dave shrugged. “It’s what I’d do.”

“I hope you’re right, son. I truly do.”

They were both silent after that, and Marsilius didn’t speak again until he pulled into Dave’s drive and cut the engine. He offered to come in, but Dave wasn’t up for any more company, and he wanted to be alone so that he could try and figure out what his next move would be.

Inside the house, he went from room to room, securing doors and windows, but he knew the effort was futile. The glass in the back door had been broken so that someone could reach in and turn the lock. Dave wouldn’t be able to get the window fixed until the next day, and he was too tired to even board up the opening for now.

He hoped what he told Marsilius held true, that Nettle wouldn’t come for him again right away. But just in case, he placed his.38 on the sink while he showered, and slipped it underneath his pillow when he went to bed.

Then he lay on his back for a long time, staring at the ceiling as he thought about Claire. And Ruby.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He was bone-deep weary, but he still couldn’t rest. After a while, he got up and walked over to the window. He heard one of the rocking chairs on his front porch creak, but he wasn’t alarmed. He knew who was down there.

He listened, heard the sound again as Marsilius shifted his weight to accommodate his bad knee. Dave stared out the window for a few minutes longer, then went downstairs to make coffee.

“‘You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…’”

The song penetrated the child’s dreams, and Maddy’s eyes slowly opened. “Mama?”

“Wake up, sleepyhead! Did you forget what today is?”

The child’s gaze darted warily around the room. “Where’s Father?”

Mama’s smile was tender. “He’s gone, darling. He won’t be back until tomorrow. We have the day all to ourselves, and I’ve planned such wonderful surprises for you. Look!” She pointed to the end of the bed, where a pink ruffled dress hung from the wooden bedpost.

“Is it mine?” Maddy asked in awe.

“Yes, of course it’s yours! Now go have your bath and I’ll help you get dressed. Then you can open one of your presents.”

The child hurried from the room and came back a few minutes later, all scrubbed and sweet smelling from the bath, blond hair curling in damp ringlets behind tiny ears.

The dress slid over thin shoulders and then Mama turned Maddy toward the mirror. “See there! Are you not the prettiest little girl in the whole wide world?” She gave the child a brief hug. “Do you like the dress, Maddy? Does it make you happy?”

“Yes, Mama. But what if—”

She silenced the child’s fear with a fingertip. “None of that now. It’s your birthday. Nothing but happy thoughts today.”

Maddy stared at the reflection in the mirror. The child staring back was pretty. Maddy couldn’t help smiling. “I love you, Mama.”

“I love you, too, my sweet. Now come with me. It’s time to open one of your presents.”

Maddy followed Mama into the large hallway and down the curving stairway that led into a spacious foyer. To the left of the staircase was the front parlor, decorated with heavy antiques and ornate wallpaper that looked like velvet. Normally, Maddy wasn’t allowed to even set foot in the parlor, but today Mama had decorated the gloomy room with balloons and streamers, and the French doors stood wide open to allow in sunshine. Maddy stood gazing around. The room seemed so different today without Father brooding from his easy chair.