What Happened on Beale Street Read online

  Once they were gone, Nicki crept up behind her. “Good thing I didn’t stick around for introductions. That heavy-set cop and Detective Marino are probably pals. From what I overheard, they’re cut from the same cloth.”

  Isabelle’s reaction wasn’t what Nicki had expected. She laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, what do we do next? I don’t care if Nate fired you. You’re still my PI.”

  “Well, I suppose I can help since this is Germantown and not Memphis.” Pulling her digital camera from her bag, Nicki relaxed for the first time since walking into the condo. “First, I’ll take pictures of the damage and then we’ll clean up the mess. You’re sure the police took samples of the blood?”

  Izzy nodded. “One had a little kit in his pocket that he used.”

  “Why don’t you find us gloves, a bucket, bleach, and rags that we can throw in the trash?”

  While Izzy gathered supplies, Nicki photographed the crime scene. Even if the blood wasn’t human, only a sicko could wreak such havoc. In her opinion, sending a message with blood wasn’t the handiwork of a spurned suitor. This spoke of intense rage.

  By the time Izzy returned with what they needed to decontaminate the balcony, Nicki was starting to disagree with her conclusion. And when they had finished scrubbing, she was downright convinced this had something to do with Danny.

  “I need to head back to the hotel before Nate notices that the car is gone. But before I leave I want you to write down Tony Markham’s phone number and his address.”

  “I have his number but don’t know where he lives.” Izzy dug an address book out of her purse. “Our relationship never got that far.”

  “Okay. Just tell me everything you remember about the guy, no matter how obscure.”

  “He told me he worked in a bank but never mentioned which branch or his job description. He’s fond of cats but doesn’t like dogs. He said he got bit by a Doberman when he was a child.” Izzy was quiet a moment while filling a kettle with water. “He loves Chinese food, and his favorite way to spend a weekend is watching movies on the couch.” Two bright spots appeared on her cheeks as she glanced down at the floor.

  “What, Izzy? Don’t be embarrassed. Tell me what came to mind. You never know what might help.”

  “After I went out with him and things didn’t go well, it got me thinking. A few days before our date, I’d stopped for takeout on my way home from work, moo goo gai pan. And during that same week I’d stayed home with a cold. I was curled up on the couch watching Hallmark Channel movies the entire day. Think about it, Nicki. He could have been spying on me for weeks. He probably saw my cat because I sit on the balcony with Chester.”

  “Write all of this down along with every date you can remember. Start keeping a log in case we file a formal complaint against this guy.”

  “What if it wasn’t him? What if the damage really was done by bratty kids like the police suggested?”

  “For now the log is for us. But you must be prepared.” She smiled encouragingly at her friend. “And… there’s something else I need to ask. Would you mind giving me a key to Danny’s apartment? Nate wants to take a look around.”

  “Maybe you should tell me about the coroner’s report.” Izzy braced both hands on the counter behind her.

  “It was as we suspected… no accidental overdose. The case is now officially a homicide. It appears that someone restrained him and maybe someone else injected a lot of heroin. If it was one guy, he would have to be very strong.”

  Izzy’s eyes turned glassy, but her voice remained level. “Heroin? In that case Nate should check into Danny’s roommate.”

  Nicki’s chin jerked up. “What roommate? I saw only one bedroom in that tiny apartment.”

  Izzy grunted her disapproval. “Danny took in a former junkie off the streets. The guy had been sleeping on his couch for weeks. You didn’t see his stuff because he probably doesn’t own much. The homeless are always stealing from one another.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I told Danny it was a bad idea, but he insisted the guy had nowhere else to go. Danny said this friend had gotten clean and sober, and he was determined to help him stay that way.”

  Nicki pulled a notebook from her purse. “Okay, profiles part two. Write down everything you remember about this former addict. Start with his name and how he met Danny.”

  A half hour and two cups of tea later, Nicki left with the key to Danny’s apartment and a solid lead to give to Nate. After the day she’d had Saturday, this was a better way to start off Monday. Fortunately, she was able to return the rental car to its assigned spot without Nate knowing she’d left the Carlton. Thank goodness her cousin was a night owl, while she had always been a morning person. On the one hand she resented his restrictions, yet on the other hand driving out to Germantown had felt wildly exciting. Rather like riding your bike to the edge of town when your mother expressly warned you to stay on your block.

  While Nate caught up on his beauty rest, Nicki had a chance to check for outstanding warrants and past convictions for Danny’s roommate. And what she learned made the ne’er-do-well the primary suspect as far as she was concerned.

  She headed for her cousin’s suite the moment she finished her list of unsavory details.

  Nate pulled open his door just as his cousin was about to knock. “Good morning, Nicki. I trust you slept well.” He tried to step around her.

  “What’s your hurry? I thought we could grab something to eat.” She positioned herself in his path.

  “Not for me. Thanks to your rich husband-to-be, a huge basket was delivered to my room filled with fruit, nuts, cheese, crackers, and sparkling grape juice. What did you tell Hunter? That we’re starving to death in Tennessee?”

  “I may have mentioned you were disappointed about no free breakfast buffet. I received a matching basket in my room.” Nicki covered her mouth with her hand and giggled. “Where ya going in such a hurry?” She dogged him to the elevator.

  “Danny’s apartment. I plan to sweet-talk the building super into letting me inside.”

  Knocking his hand from the “down” button, Nicki dangled a key on a plastic ring. “Look what I have for you, cousin. The easy way in.”

  Nate’s frown was downright ferocious. “Where exactly did you get that?”

  “Let’s go back to your room, and I’ll explain if you give me a few minutes. I didn’t break my promise. Izzy asked me to come over this morning because she didn’t want to be alone. She insisted it had nothing to do with the murder.”

  Nate snatched the key from her fingers. “I’ll give you five minutes. This had better be good or you will end up bald.”

  Nicki clucked her tongue. “Such violent talk from you. Where does all this latent hostility come from?”

  Nate opened the door to his suite and waved her inside. “Some women bring out the tender side in men. Others instigate duels, start world wars, and prompt men to sign up for the space program. Guess which kind you are?”

  Nicki marched to the fruit basket on his desk. “I’m pretty sure my basket is bigger. Ain’t love grand?”

  “Thanks for the key.” Nate slipped the ring into his pocket. “But if your visit to Isabelle had nothing to do with the case, why don’t we chitchat later? I want to comb through Danny’s belonging before some overzealous rental agent hauls his stuff to the curb.”

  “Because I have useful information.” Nicki plopped down on the window seat. “Danny had a roommate, a former drug addict who Izzy says was hooked on smack.” She wagged her index finger at him. “I really didn’t go there about the case. Izzy told me this later.”

  “Did you get his name? The police didn’t say anything about a roommate.”

  “They probably didn’t know because the guy slept on the couch. His name is Titus Sullivan, but he goes by ‘Tito.’ Danny apparently took in a homeless junkie to rehabilitate. Izzy tried to discourage him, but you know Danny. He had a heart of gold.”

  Nate pulled out his laptop and opened the lid.

&n
bsp; “I already took care of it, boss.” Nicki handed him several sheets of paper. “Just printed these out in the business office. Charming Tito has been arrested for drugs six—count ’em—six times, starting when he was fifteen. He’s been through court-ordered rehab twice from what I could gather. According to tax records, he’s never owned a house or had a tax-withholding job. And here’s where it gets interesting. He served eighteen months in prison for assault with a deadly weapon. How ’bout them apples?”

  Nate smiled with appreciation. “You managed all of that this morning?”

  She shrugged. “Not everyone stays up until two a.m. and then sleeps till ten. Izzy called me at dawn, and since you were still in bed I took the rental car.”

  “Thanks. You’ve found a perfect way to be useful, at least until Hunter gets here.” He scanned through Sullivan’s background information. “No addresses or spots he crashed other than Danny’s couch?”

  “I haven’t found any yet, unless you count his previous addresses at juvenile hall and county lockup, but I’ll keep looking.”

  “I’ll check if any of Danny’s neighbors know where Tito went and call Detective Marino with an update. Why don’t we talk tonight during dinner?”

  “Five minutes more,” begged Nicki. “There was trouble at Izzy’s condo. She doesn’t think it’s connected to Danny, but who knows for sure? I wanted to tell you so this doesn’t come back on me later.”

  For the second time, Nate pivoted on his heel. “I guess I underestimated you, partner. Why don’t you tell me what happened while I eat this juicy red apple? Then I’ll either tie you to a chair or give you a raise.”

  Nicki began a tale of vandalism, prank calls, and obsessive men on first dates. She fidgeted the entire time, as though unnerved by the events.

  “In your professional opinion, do you think someone who lurks at open houses may be our murderer?” Nate kept his tone neutral.

  “I don’t know what to think. But since I promised not to interfere, I wanted to run this by you.”

  “Even if this Tony Markham turns out to be a stalker, what happened to Danny looked very personal.”

  The two cousins locked gazes.

  “I agree,” she said. “Do I have your permission to stick my nose into bad-date extraordinaire?”

  He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “Sure, from the comfort and convenience of your Carlton suite. Of course, you’re free to see Miss Andre for lunch or lattes. After all, we’re here on the largesse of Hunter Galen. But if her vandalism turns out to be not a random prank, then I’ll handle Markham and any other miscreants that crawl from the gutters of Memphis. Remember, local police have labeled you as a wacko.” He couldn’t keep from smirking.

  “Very funny. Just for the record, when Germantown police responded to Izzy’s call, I hid in the bathroom.”

  “What a smart cookie I hired to work for me.” Nate headed for the door. “Feel free to stay here and use my computer or return to the comfort of your grander suite and bigger fruit basket. When I get back tonight, dinner will be on me.”

  Nicki’s brown eyes turned huge. “In the French restaurant off the lobby? I’ve heard nothing but great things about them.”

  “Nope. I checked their menu. Considering the way you and I eat, a meal would cost an entire week’s food per diem.” Nate waved his hand to forestall any argument. “If Hunter wants to pull out his platinum card for his bride-to-be, he’ll get a chance this weekend. But I will only incur normal expenses. Oh, plus this swanky room, of course.”

  “You’d better call Marino first. We don’t want him putting a leash on you too.” Nicki tossed him another plastic ring. “Here are your car keys back. They’ll come in handy in the parking garage.”

  SEVEN

  Nate took his cousin’s good advice and punched in Marino’s number on the drive to Danny’s apartment. Because the detective had given him his cell number, he picked up without the hassle of the precinct switchboard.

  “Hey, what’s up, Price?”

  “I received information from Isabelle Andre. Danny had a roommate sleeping on his couch, a heroin junkie. Apparently, Andre felt sorry for the guy and took him in off the street.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I heard from a neighbor. I’m always eternally grateful for little old ladies who refuse to mind their own business. Busybodies come in handy during investigations.”

  “Miss Andre also gave me a key to Danny’s apartment. You don’t have a problem with me looking around, do you?”

  “Nope. They’ve already released the crime scene. I don’t know what you think you’ll find, though. Nothing left behind gave us an idea as to where Sullivan may have gone. No drug paraphernalia. No cash in the cookie jar. No crack hidden among the frozen peas. We have an APB out on Titus ‘Tito’ Sullivan. I’ll let you know when he’s in custody.”

  “Did you get a description of him?”

  “Yeah, hang on.” Nate heard the rustle of papers. “Short, five three at the most. White, stringy blond hair, eye color hazel, maybe a hundred twenty or hundred thirty pounds. Needless to say the guy doesn’t dress for success, if you catch my drift.”

  “You like him for the murder then?”

  “Barring any other suspects, I think so. Lots of bleeding heart do-gooders want to help the disadvantaged and end up getting their hands bit in return. Some lowlifes just don’t know how to say ‘thank you.’ ”

  “I appreciate being kept in the loop, Chip.”

  “No problem. Anything for an old Mississippi State Bulldog.”

  Nate hung up and drove to Danny’s. As the detective had warned, he found nothing helpful in the trashed apartment. Anything Danny had owned of value was either destroyed during the fight or already picked over by the superintendent. He probably wanted to get another renter as soon as possible. A few ragged garments in a plastic bag were likely Sullivan’s because they were several sizes smaller than those in the closet, but there was nothing in the pockets, and the trash can contained only junk mail and bills addressed to Danny. The only thing Nate found remotely interesting were several wrappers and take-out boxes from a kosher deli on Second Street. According to the menu in one bag, the restaurant probably wouldn’t be within Danny’s or Tito’s price range.

  Shoving the menu into his back pocket, Nate scrubbed his hands with the sliver of soap he found in the bathroom and then pulled Isabelle Andre’s card from his wallet. She worked at a realty office across town. With plenty of afternoon left, he wanted to hear firsthand about the prank in the middle of the night.

  Like Nicki, the blood spatter gave him a bad feeling. In a murder investigation, you couldn’t rule anything out too quickly.

  Just about the time Isabelle’s eyes began to cross, a buzz pulled her attention from the listings on her computer screen. Their office intercom was a throwback system, very effective for interrupting agents in the middle of negotiations with clients.

  “Miss Andre?” said the receptionist.

  “What’s up, Janice?” Isabelle pinched the bridge of her nose.

  “A Mr. Price needs a few minutes of your time. Should I check to see if his mortgage application is already preapproved?”

  “That won’t be necessary. Mr. Price isn’t here about a house. It’s a personal matter.”

  “Oooh. Can’t say I blame you,” she whispered. “The guy is totally fabulous looking.”

  “Let’s shelve that train of thought for now,” Isabelle said sternly as she shrugged into her suit jacket.

  “Sorry, Miss Andre. I keep forgetting you just lost your brother. Perhaps when all of this is behind you… ”

  “Please show Mr. Price to my office.” Isabelle spoke crisply to discourage the receptionist’s conjectures. Not that her attempts had ever worked in the past. Some women in their early twenties thought the sun rose and set on romance.

  “You got it.” A moment later, Janice opened the door and gestured toward a chair in front of Isabelle’s desk. “Won’t you have a seat, Mr.
Price?”

  “Thank you, ma’am.” Nate took a quick perusal of the room.

  “What can I do for you? Nicki told me the coroner issued her findings and my brother’s death is officially a homicide.” Isabelle tried to utter the words without emotion.

  He perched on the edge of the chair as though not planning to stay long. “That’s correct. The detective you met on Saturday morning has been assigned to the case. I contacted him earlier today, and they are actively searching for your brother’s roommate, Tito Sullivan. An APB was issued to the surrounding counties, including Mississippi and Arkansas. He should be in custody soon.”

  She nodded. “Did you search my brother’s apartment?”

  “I did. Unfortunately, Sullivan didn’t leave much behind. I found something in the trash that could be a lead.”

  “Did the police find drugs or syringes?”

  “No, nothing like that, but apparently Danny’s neighbors didn’t like Sullivan much. They heard him ranting and raving in the middle of the night more than once.”

  She sat mutely, unsure of what would be an appropriate response.

  Nate appeared to suffer the same predicament. He shifted and squirmed before continuing. “You and I may have gotten off on the wrong foot, but I will assist with this investigation until Danny’s killer is caught.”

  “Thank you. In return I’ll see that your bill is paid.” It was a bold statement, considering Isabelle hadn’t sold a house all month. If she didn’t close on a deal soon, she might end up in a flophouse like the one Danny lived in.

  Nate’s suntanned complexion paled. “I thought Nicki had discussed the matter of our fee. Nicki’s fiancé is paying our expenses, but she and I are working this case pro bono. Nicki won’t have it any other way, and neither would I.”

  “In that case, I appreciate your generosity,” she said, tightening her grip on the armrest of her chair.