“I figured the car wasn’t yours. TheSHOW ME YOUR BOOBSbumper sticker kinda gave it away. You sure you don’t need a ride?”
Tina shook her head. When the man reached up and touched her arm, she jerked it away and, without thinking, kicked him hard in the leg. It was an instinctual move remembered from middle school tae kwon do class. But her platform shoes affected her form.
The man raised his hand with the asthma inhaler and sprayed something into her face that burned. It wasn’t an inhaler. Whatever it was made her eyes sting like someone had thrown acid at her. She had to close her eyes just to ease the horrible sensation.
Tina felt panic rise in her throat. Her face felt like it was melting. She turned toward a clump of trees that bordered the park and started to run. She knew she was already breathing hard, but she couldn’t risk stopping. The man was still chasing her. She felt a measure of relief as she reached the park. But there was no one around and the man was still behind her.
Then things got much worse.
CHAPTER1
I COULDN’T HELPbut feel proud, looking over the crowd at Susie’s Café. I’ve never considered myself much of a party planner, but I’d knocked this one out of the park.
One of my best friends, Claire Washburn, had been named medical examiner of the year by a national medicolegal investigators board. The association had put on a dull dinner for Claire and a dozen other winners of various awards. I felt she deserved more.
Claire had been expecting a very small affair. Maybe just the four of us members of the Women’s Murder Club: me and Claire plus our other besties, Cindy Thomas and Yuki Castellano. Instead, without telling Claire, I’d invited everyone who loved her. Which was pretty much everyone she knew, from family and friends to her associates at the San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Everyone was mixing and milling and having a great time. Somehow it mademefeel like a hero. At least a social hero.
My husband, Joe, gave me a sweet kiss on the cheek. “You did a great job on this party, Blondie.” He’d whispered it in my ear likeit was a secret. I wouldn’t have been upset if he shouted it to the crowd. It made me smile from ear to ear.
As Joe wandered off to regale some members of Claire’s staff with stories of his exploits at the FBI, Yuki came up and gave me a hug. “Lindsay! This party rocks! Even Jackson is having a good time. Look in the corner.”
I glanced to my right to see Yuki’s husband, Jackson Brady, talking to a small group that included my partner, Rich Conklin, and a few other cops. The only notable absence was our other partner, Inspector Sonia Alvarez, who was currently away on a well-earned vacation.
Yuki glanced around the room and said, “You really pulled all this together yourself? It’s incredible. I want you to organize a big birthday bash for me. If you can pull this off for an award, you can go overboard for a birthday.”
“You never evenacknowledgeyour birthday.”
“I didn’t know I could have a party like this if I did! I’ll make one up if I have to.” Yuki added, “I’m sorry I wasn’t really any help setting this up. I’ve got a drug-dealing case with nine defendants. There’s an attempted murder charge thrown in on the main defendant. We have two different interpreters, and one of the defendants claims he’s got a syndrome that won’t let him sit for more than ten minutes at a time. A court psychologist confirmed it. Makes for a very difficult trial.” She sighed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
I noticed the ever-changing streak of color in her hair was now a royal purple and decided to change the subject. “I see you’ve updated your hair.”
“I thought purple was a better color for the social event of the year.”
We both laughed.
“Speaking of fashionable,” Yuki said, glancing down at my feet, “Iloveyour shoes! Are those Louboutins? Real or knockoffs?”
Like I would ever pay a thousand dollars for a pair of shoes. I gave her a look. “I prefer to call themimitations.”
We both laughed again. Yuki knew as well as anyone that I wasn’t much of a fashionista. As a cop in San Francisco, I tended to stick with my usual slacks, button-down shirts, and sensible shoes. But somehow when I saw these pumps in a window over on Polk Street, I had to buy them.
I went back to my hostess duties and made sure there was plenty of food coming out of the kitchen. Then I spotted Claire’s husband, Edmund, a percussionist with the San Francisco Symphony, specializing in kettledrums. He’d arranged for a string quartet of fellow orchestra members to entertain, but after about ten minutes of classical music, it was clear the party was more of a rock ’n’ roll event. Two musicians found the house band’s guitars, and while the usual drum kit wasn’t set up, Edmund improvised with a pan he’d grabbed from the kitchen. It was fantastic.
A few minutes later, Claire came up to me and gave me a big embrace. “I can’t believe you put all of this together without me figuring it out!”
“I was afraid you’d be mad that it was too much.”
“Good food, fine drinks, and all my friends. It’s just right.” She gave me another spontaneous hug.
I circulated for a while, catching up with various friends and colleagues. But a little later, I noticed Claire at a table in the corner. She looked to be in a serious discussion with a teenage girl I recognized as her niece, Hope. Claire was clearly trying to keep Hope calm, but the girl seemed to be getting agitated. It looked like it might turn ugly.
Whatever the conversation was, Hope didn’t like it. She stood up from the table so fast she knocked her chair over. The clanking sound drew some stares. The teen turned and marched out the front door of the restaurant.
I went over and sat down next to Claire. Just offering support. I was glad I did. “I’m sorry about whatever set your niece off just now,” I said. I knew not to say anything more or ask any probing questions. I was just here to listen. I put my arm around Claire’s shoulder.
“Technically, Hope isn’t my niece. She’s my cousin Ellen’s daughter,” Claire said. “But Ellen and I have always been close. We were like sisters growing up. So Hope has always felt like my niece.”
“It’s still nice she came to your party.”Well, it was nice, until she stormed out.
