Post-Mortem, page 21
part #2 of Sapphic Sphere Series
The ringing of Ana’s cell phone caused her to jump. She had been lost in thought remembering the night before and contemplating what the evening would bring. She checked her caller ID and recognized the number belonging to Detective Mullens.
It’s about time!
“This is Ana.”
“Ana, hello! I’m so sorry I didn’t return your call yesterday,” Detective Mullens said.
“Uh huh. Did Holder tell you that he was supposed to meet me a few days ago? I’ve been trying to get in touch with either one of you for days,” Ana said, more than a little irritated.
“Uhh,” she heard the shuffling of papers and then Mullens continued, “No. I don’t have that note – but our office has been completely slammed since the fire at the morgue. I was informed by Detective Connolly that you were in the morgue at that time.”
“Yes. I was with Dr. Cherry. We were supposed to be meeting Detective Holder…” Ana let the sentence drift-off, expecting Detective Mullens to interpret her displeasure.
“I see,” was all he said in reply.
“Well, I’m calling because when I was at my house – DAYS AGO – I found a ledger that was filled with dates and dollar amounts. It struck me as strange, so I took it from the house. Then, I was paid a visit by Mr. Rizzoli. Are you familiar with the name?” Ana asked.
Ana could hear Detective Mullens cover the receiver with his hand, and then heard mumbled voices. Then he was back, “Sorry about that – I just wanted to confirm with someone who that was. What did he want from you?”
“Apparently, Bram was very into betting… on everything… and owes Mr. Rizzoli a very, very, VERY large sum of money,” Ana said, pausing for effect. “You know, the type of debt that could get your legs broken – or maybe in this case – your throat cut.”
“Uh huh,” Mullens said, obviously jotting down a note. “How much?” he asked.
“One hundred, thirty-seven thousand, two hundred forty-two dollars,” Ana answered.
Detective Mullens whistled and then said, “Shit. That’s a lot of money, Mrs. Waltham.”
“Please, for the love of God, call me Ana.”
“Yes, sorry. Ana, are you still in possession of the ledger?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
“Do you think I can come by and pick it up?”
“Yes – but only if it’s just you. No offense to Detective Holder, but I would just feel more comfortable that way.”
“I understand ma’am. Holder won’t be with me – he’s working on something else at the moment.”
“Okay – when should I expect you?”
“I can be there within the hour – does that work for you?”
“Yes, I can make that work,” Ana said, thinking that she had nothing scheduled for the day except her evening with Cherry.
Cherry…
The thought brought a wide smile to her face and a feverish heat to her stomach.
“Ana?” Detective Mullens said, obviously repeating her name for at least the second time.
“I’m sorry detective, I missed your question.”
“Is there anything else that you want to disclose about your meeting with Mr. Rizzoli?”
“Yes. He threatened my life – or someone I care about – if he didn’t get his money from the Bram’s life insurance money.”
“Do you have anyone that can corroborate any of this?”
“Yes. Cherry can,” Ana said, smiling because she said her name again.
“Would that be Dr. R.J. Cherry?”
“Yes. Dr. R.J. Cherry.” She heard Detective Mullens chuckle quietly, and she rolled her eyes. “Do you have something you’d like to add?”
“No ma’am. Cherry is a great witness and one of my good friends. I’m just pleased – getting her on the witness stand is like finding a crisp hundred dollar bill.”
Ana smiled and said, “I can definitely see that.”
“Well, I will be at your hotel as soon as possible. I’d like to be able to take your official statement and then I’ll contact Cherry for hers.”
“Perfect,” Ana said. “Thank you for returning my call – even if it took a couple of tries.”
Detective Mullens ignored her jibe, “See you shortly.”
Once off the phone, Ana searched her hotel room for the ledger. Unable to find it she plugged her ears, closed her eyes, and said, “Think damnit… think!” But she could only think about the night before, and not what she was supposed to be concentrating on.
How soft Cherry’s lips were, how excited she was when they laid down on the sofa together, and then how disappointed she was when Cherry suggested that she needed to take a minute. She understood why Cherry thought that she needed time, her consideration for her feelings was extremely appealing.
Ana sat bolt upright – she knew where the ledger was. She grabbed her hotel and car keys and made her way to her car. She popped the trunk of the car and stared at its contents – the lockbox, will, and ledger were scattered on the floor of the trunk.
I had forgotten about that...
She grabbed all three items and made her way back up to her room. Once back inside, she tossed the ledger and will on the desk and placed the lock box on the chair. She stared at the lock box with trepidation.
Do I even want to know?
You kind of have to know – don’t you? I mean, what if it’s a pile of cash?
“Fat chance,” Ana said aloud and then looked through her keys until she found the one Mr. Thinman had given her for the box. She held the key out with two fingers, as if it were dirty somehow.
Technically, this is something that Bram has touched – so it is tainted with bad karma.
Karma? Aren’t you Catholic?
“Am I?” Ana asked herself. She pushed that thought away from her mind and used the key to unlock the box and open the latch. She paused for a moment – this kind of reminded her of a disturbing scene in a movie with Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey. Hoping she wasn’t about to find a severed head, she eased the box open with one finger.
The contents of the box were wrapped in brown paper. Atop the brown paper say a card with her name scrawled on it in Bram’s uneven handwriting, “For Luciana,” it said. She didn’t want to do it, but the Detective would be there momentarily, so what better time to figure out what it was that Bram wanted to leave her. She opened the envelope and pulled out the card.
“Luciana – you were loyal. Please enjoy the contents of this box…the best you can. Bram.”
Ana frowned at the card, “I was loyal?” she asked. “What the heck does that mean?” She peeled back the brown paper, revealing a cardboard box. She pulled the cardboard box out and used her car keys to pierce the tape along the seam.
When she finished cutting the tape, she put her keys on the desk and pulled open the lid. She removed a bit of paper, and then felt her stomach heave. It was filled with tubes of lubricant. On top was a vibrantly colored box that said ‘Make Your Own Dildo’ in bold, black lettering. Ana didn’t want to, but found herself opening the dildo box, and pulling out a replica of Bram’s dick.
She dropped the colorful box and the dildo on the floor and ran to the bathroom. She made it to the toilet, opened the lid, and purged her guts into the bowl. She vomited until her ribs hurt and sank to the floor.
Why?! WHY?!
She laid on the bathroom floor until her stomach stopped contracting. She closed her eyes and tried to take cleansing, calming breaths.
This is not my life – this is no longer my life. This is the last time that you will ever have to deal with this mess. Take a deep breath, think of your future… think of Cherry.
Ana opened her eyes feeling calmer. She sat up, flushed the toilet and brushed her teeth and tongue. She looked at herself in the mirror – her reflection showed a slightly frazzled looking copy of herself. She pointed at the mirror with her toothbrush and said, “You will no longer be this person. You are strong. You are smart. And no one can force you to do anything… ever again.”
Satisfied with her pep talk, she spit out her toothpaste, stomped back into her room and packed up the offensive last gift from her not-so-dearly-departed husband.
It Could Happen For Us
Cherry -
Cherry set the bag of takeout on the hotel hallway’s table and checked her reflection in the mirror. She had taken hours to decide what she was going to wear tonight – she had landed on a black tank top, a rich brown colored button-down long-sleeve shirt, and a pair of nicely cut jeans.
This might only be dinner with a friend…
Jesus fucking Christ I hope not…
She checked her hair and teeth, shrugged at her reflection, took a deep breath and then grabbed the takeout and strode quasi-confidently to Ana’s hotel room. She checked her watch to ensure that she wasn’t too early, and then knocked gently three times.
Cherry saw a shadow at the peephole, so she smiled widely and held up the bag of food. Ana cracked the door open, looked at her dejectedly, and said, “You didn’t bring wine, did you?”
“I – uhh – no,” Cherry said, feeling bad for not thinking of it.
Ana flung the door open, smiled widely and exclaimed, “Well I did!” holding up an unopened bottle of red. Cherry laughed, shook her head, and followed Ana into the hotel room.
“I’d forgotten how nice this place is,” Cherry murmured, looking at the moldings.
“It really is – so grateful to you for setting me up here,” Ana said, pulling the bag of food out of Cherry’s hand. “So, what did you pick up?” she asked, sniffing the bag’s contents.
“I thought Italian – depending on how things go – I thought we could replay a few Lady and the Tramp moments.”
“Only if I get to play Lady,” Ana giggled.
“I can’t imagine it being any other way,” Cherry joked.
Ana put the bag on the counter of her tiny kitchenette, and turned back to Cherry. Cherry wasn’t sure what was coming, she had tried to prepare herself for the possibility of being shot down and relegated to the friend zone.
Ana surprised her by grabbing her hand and pulling her to the window. “I thought, before we have dinner, we could have some wine and enjoy the view,” Ana said, gesturing towards the boats in the harbor.
Cherry squeezed Ana’s hand, pulled her closer, moved her lips within a fraction of an inch of Ana’s, looked deeply into her eyes and said, “Well, then I suggest you open the wine.”
Ana burst out laughing and tickled Cherry’s ribcage, “You tease!” she cried, and started pulling away.
Cherry held onto her hand firmly, and tugged her back – pulling her close. “I don’t want push my luck, but I also can’t help but want to kiss you,” Cherry whispered, keeping her eyes glued to Ana’s.
Please… I want to feel your lips on mine… please…
Ana’s look changed – her eye closed slightly, her cheeks turned a delicate shade of red, and she licked her lips, pulling her lower lip into her mouth. “I think you’d better,” Ana murmured.
Cherry swore under her breath and closed the space between them with definitive purpose. When their lips met, both women exhaled deeply through their noses and a low moan emanated from Ana’s throat. Their tongues danced together to a song that only they could hear. The sensation made Cherry want to push her entire body into and around Ana, consuming her. She pulled back and opened her eyes. “You’re a little flushed,” Cherry said, smiling.
“Look who’s talking,” Ana said, pointing to the mirror behind her.
Cherry was shocked by her reflection. She was frazzled looking – hair mussed, clothing wrinkled, and her face was a dark red color. She laughed at her bewildered expression and said, “Maybe we should have that glass of wine.”
Ana smiled and pulled Cherry back with her to the kitchenette. “Tell me about your day,” Ana suggested as she went about uncorking the bottle of wine.
“Oooof, are you sure? It wasn’t exactly pleasant, it might ruin the mood.”
“You tell me your unpleasant story, I’ll tell you mine, and then we can laugh about it over dinner,” Ana suggested.
“Deal,” Cherry agreed. “I talked to Mullens…” she started. “Sounds like they’re going to haul in Rizzoli. I spent part of the day giving my statement. When they found out that we were jumped, I had to look at mugshots. They’re a little upset because we didn’t call the 911 right when it happened – whoops!” Cherry said, shrugging.
“I’m sorry. I should’ve called you after I talked to Mullens this morning,” Ana apologized.
Cherry shook her head, “No. No apologizing. I’m sure your day was just as fun.”
“It was even better,” Ana said, rolling her eyes. “I talked to Detective Mullens – obviously. He needed that ledger that I told you about – the one with all the numbers and dates,” she said, reminding Cherry. “Well, it was in the trunk of my car – as was this,” Ana said, patting the lock box.
“What’s that?” Cherry asked, grabbing the newly poured glasses of wine and heading for the sofa.
“It’s from Bram. He left it with the lawyer – I had forgotten about it with the funeral and the Pho dinner,” Ana said, drifting off. She closed her eyes and covered her face, “He left a note and the contents of the lockbox for me. Here,” Ana said, handing Cherry the envelope. “Read this, and then look in the box.”
Cherry frowned, pulling the card out of the envelope. “Well, that’s an odd message to leave your wife,” Cherry murmured, looking back up at Ana. She was very pale looking – almost green – her sexy flush completely gone.
“Just – the box,” was all Ana said, moving over to the window.
Cherry opened the box and grimaced.
What the fuck?!
“What a fucking tool!” she nearly yelled, dropping the contents back in the box. “I’m so sorry, Ana. That’s just fucking disgusting.”
“Yes, well… Bram wasn’t one for romance,” Ana said, sipping on her wine.
Cherry stood next to Ana, looking out the window. “Do you maybe want to –” Cherry was about to suggest rescheduling when there was an abrupt knock at the door. “Did you request a turn down?” Cherry asked lightheartedly.
Ana shook her head and pinched her eyebrows together, “No. In fact, I put a do not disturb order in at the front desk.”
Cherry raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, “Really?”
“Oh definitely,” Ana replied, and walked to the door – wine in hand.
Go Fuck Yourself
Ana -
Ana looked through the peephole and was shocked and appalled to see Gregory Waltham peering back at her. He held up a bottle of wine and smiled his toothy smile. Ana looked back at Cherry, who had started to unpack the food containers from the takeout bag.
“It’s Gregory Waltham,” she hissed.
“What?!” Cherry exclaimed, her face turning dark and hard.
Ana nodded in confusion and held her hands up in the air.
Another loud knock at the door made both the women jump. “Ana? It’s me – Gregory. I’ve come in peace,” he called through the door.
“Should I let him in?” Ana asked.
“How does he know where you’re staying?” Cherry hissed back.
“I must’ve mentioned it,” Ana said, pushing her hands hard against her cheeks in despair.
“Fucking weird,” Cherry said, joining her at the door. “I’ll answer it, why don’t you go sit down on the sofa and put my glass next to yours.”
Ana nodded robotically and moved to the sofa. She watched in horror as Cherry opened the door to Bram’s twin brother. His smile faded when his eyes landed on Cherry, but he recovered quickly, pasting it back into place and calling to Ana, “I brought wine!”
“What are you doing here Gregory?” Cherry asked.
Gregory looked down at the bottle of wine and grocery store flowers and walked past Cherry, “Ana, I’ve come to apologize for the way I acted at the funeral. I was a complete ass. I tried to make myself the star of the situation. It was ridiculous. I was ridiculous,” he said contritely. He held out the wine and the flowers, expecting her to get up and take them. Instead, Cherry whirled around him, putting herself between Gregory and Ana.
My hero…
“Thanks Greg. But – don’t you realize how inappropriate this is?” Cherry asked.
Gregory’s eyes narrowed at the shortening of his name, and he sneered at Cherry. “Listen, Buttercup… this is between me and Ana.”
“No Greg. It isn’t. You might think that you are entitled to Bram’s belongings, but Ana isn’t one of them.”
Gregory grabbed the back of the desk chair and squeezed the frame until his knuckles turned white. “Why don’t you just keep out of my business – you meddling, little….” He took a deep breath and then added, “This matter doesn’t concern you. You’re nobody to Ana.”
“If anyone is nobody to Ana – it’s you, Greg.” Cherry paused and tilted her head at Gregory, “Have you ever been married?” she asked suddenly.
“I – uh – I’m recently divorced – not that it’s any of your fucking business,” Gregory spat.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine anyone putting up with your shit. I think it’s time for you to go,” Cherry said, bending down. When she stood back up Ana was completely shocked to see that Cherry had grabbed the DIY dildo and a tube of lubricant.
“Take this Greg,” Cherry said, slapping the dildo into his chest with one hand and steering him out of the room with the other. “You get the money and you get his manhood… you don’t get his widow.”
“You fucking dyke, I always get what I want,” Gregory hissed, moving aggressively towards Cherry. “I’m going to…” Gregory’s voice squeaked strangely on the last word. Ana stood up and moved closer to the door so she could see what was happening.
Cherry had grabbed onto one of his pinkies and had wrenched it in an unnatural direction. “Do we need to call hotel security? Or perhaps the police?” she asked through clenched teeth, as she forced him through the doorway.
Gregory shook his head and then let out a sigh of relief when Cherry released his finger. “Good. Now get the fuck out of here. I don’t EVER want to hear about you coming around Ana ever again. One word from her and you’ll be in a world of trouble – half of my friends are cops – and they don’t take kindly to my friends being stalked. So, you take your happy ass outta this hotel, along with Bram’s tiny excuse for a phallus and go fuck yourself.” Cherry looked at the dildo and then down at Gregory’s crotch and chuckled, “I’m sure if you angle it just right, it might hit your prostate, but judging by the length, you may want to insert a finger or two.”
