A Killing Rain Read online

  “Daddy?” Benjamin called. “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll be right back,” Austin said. “I’m just going to get my overnight bag.”

  “You’re staying the night?” Benjamin cried. “You’re really staying this time? Wow! Can I help? Mom, can I help get Daddy’s stuff?”

  Louis glanced at Susan. She was staring lasers at Austin, who seemed only amused.

  “Go ahead,” Susan said.

  “Here’s the keys, Benny,” Austin said, tossing them to Benjamin. He caught them and ran out the front door, still wearing Austin’s hat. Austin looked back at Susan.

  “I suppose I’m to sleep where he sleeps as well?” Austin asked.

  “You’re lucky you’re not sleeping in the garage,” Susan said. “How dare you do this to me with no notice.”

  Austin tilted his head toward Louis. “In the past, you never seemed to need notice.”

  Susan grabbed a candle off the mantel and poised to throw it at him. But Austin simply flashed her another smile. “I better go help Ben,” he said, going out the door.

  Louis had never seen the dining room table set for dinner before. Susan used it for her desk, and it was always heaped with court files, law books, and her open briefcase, with one corner taken up by Benjamin’s schoolbooks. Tonight, however, she had set it with cheery blue and yellow place mats, a couple of candles, and a small grocery store bouquet of flowers. It made him feel good that she had gone to such trouble for him. It made him feel pissed that Austin had shown up to spoil it all.

  But he wasn’t about to let the bastard know it. Louis sat there, a polite smile on his face, his neck muscles burning.

  Susan came out of the kitchen with a fourth place mat and silverware for Austin but didn’t set out a glass for wine. Austin’s eyes went to the bottle of burgundy on the table.

  “I don’t suppose you have a glass for me, do you?” he asked

  Susan glowered at him and went into the kitchen. She returned with a Flintstones juice glass, plunking it down in front of Austin’s plate. She went back into the kitchen.

  “She never did have enough glasses,” Austin said, as he helped himself to the wine.

  Louis didn’t have a chance to answer before Susan returned carrying the plates. She looked up at Louis and Austin. “Well, let’s eat,” she said.

  Austin sat across from Louis, Susan on his right, Benjamin on his left. Susan ate in stony silence. Louis did the same. Austin was barely touching his food, his eyes drifting between Susan and Louis. Benjamin was talking nonstop, monopolizing the conversation.

  “Daddy, are you home for good now?”

  Austin picked at his mashed potatoes. “No, I’m afraid not. I have to head back to Australia soon.”

  “Australia? That’s where they have kangaroos, right?”

  Austin smiled at Benjamin. “And koala bears.”

  “Cool.”

  “I thought you were in England,” Susan said.

  “I was for a while, but business took me to Australia and we’ve set up our offices there. We’ve been there about a year now, and a couple months ago we set up an office in Miami. That’s why I’m here, to check on my partner and see how things are going.” He gave Benjamin a smile. “I played hooky today to come over and see you, sport. Had to sneak away without telling anyone.”

  “I won’t tell,” Benjamin said.

  Susan was silent, stabbing her steak.

  “So, what do you do, Austin?” Louis asked. He didn’t really want to know, but the tension was getting to him.

  Austin glanced at him. “I’m in imports.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card and held it out.

  Louis hesitated then took it. He gave it a quick glance then put it in his pocket.

  “What line of work are you in?” Austin asked him.

  “I’m a private investigator,” Louis said.

  Austin smiled. Or smirked. Louis couldn’t tell. “Really? Is that how you two met? Working together to defend someone accused of some horrendous crime?”

  “As a matter of fact, yeah,” Louis said.

  “Louis is a great private eye, Daddy,” Benjamin said. “He caught a serial killer and everything. He used to be a cop, too.”

  “I suppose law enforcement is an honorable enough profession,” Austin said. “But you have to wonder about working for a defense lawyer. Must be tough on the conscience of an ex-cop.”

  Susan was staring at Austin. Louis suspected she had heard this kind of talk before: How can you defend scumbags?

  “What’s a conscience, Ma?”

  Susan turned to Benjamin. “That’s the part of your brain that tells you when to do the right thing.”

  “Does everyone have a conscience?” Benjamin asked.

  “No,” Susan said, looking at Austin.

  Austin held her eyes for a moment then went back to pushing his mashed potatoes around on his plate.

  “What do you import, Austin?” Louis asked.

  “Collectibles and antiques from Indonesia, among other things. Unfortunately, it requires a lot of travel, and handling the native people isn’t entirely pleasant, of course, but you deal with it.”

  “Are you rich, Daddy?” Ben asked.

  Austin hesitated. Louis knew Susan had once described Austin to Benjamin as “cash poor,” probably because he seldom sent any child support, and it was an easy explanation for an eleven-year-old boy to accept. But Louis suspected Austin had more money than he let on. At least enough to wear suede coats, Italian slacks, and a gold Rolex and to travel with a Vuitton duffel. Okay, maybe the Rolex and duffel were fake, but that big black BMW parked in the drive wasn’t, rental or not.

  Louis’s eyes dropped to the small black Vuitton bag that Austin had slung across the back of the chair. And what kind of a man carried a purse, for crissakes?

  Austin picked up his burger with both hands. Louis focused on his long fingers. The guy even had manicured nails.

  “Your son asked you a question, Austin,” Susan said.

  Austin took a bite of the burger and set it down. He gave Benjamin a smile. “Sometimes I’m rich and sometimes I’m not.”

  Susan let out a snort.

  “It’s an up-and-down business,” Austin said, looking at her. “But right now, it’s up. That’s one reason I came by.”

  Austin reached back and pulled something out of the black bag. He held out a bill to Benjamin.

  “Merry Christmas, Benny.”

  “A hundred dollars!” Benjamin yelled. “Is that real? Is that for me?”

  “Yup.”

  Benjamin sprang from his chair and threw his arms around Austin’s neck. Austin patted Benjamin’s back, but was looking at Susan.

  For what? Louis wondered. To see if the gesture had impressed her? From the look on her face, it had pissed her off.

  “Christmas was three weeks ago. You missed it,” Susan said.

  She pushed away from the table and rose, picking up her plate. She snatched up Austin’s plate and went into the kitchen. Louis heard the clatter of dishes in the sink.

  “Ben, why don’t you go put your money in your room?” Louis said.

  “Yeah, good idea.” Benjamin disappeared down the hallway.

  Louis debated what he should do. Go into the kitchen? Disappear with Benjamin and let these two slug it out? Or knock Austin on the seat of his nice Italian pants?

  Austin reached back for his purse. He pulled out a big fat cigar and a lighter. He was about to light the thing when Susan came back to the table. Her eyes were flashing as she looked down at Austin.

  “Get out,” she said, her voice low.

  “Okay, I won’t light it,” Austin said with a smile.

  “I don’t care about the damn cigar. I just want you out. Now. I’ll tell him you had to leave suddenly. Just like you always do.”

  “Baby, you don’t mean that. It’s only money and it made him happy.”

  Austin stood up and went toward her, arms spread
. “Look, maybe I come on too strong sometimes, but I’m just trying to make things up to you.”

  “You’re pathetic,” Susan said.

  Austin reached for her, slipping his hand around her waist.

  Louis stood up. This was enough. He was out of here.

  Suddenly, Susan drew back and slapped Austin. Austin touched his face then stepped backward just as Benjamin came back into the room. He was holding a Star Wars piggy bank.

  His eyes moved slowly from his father to Susan. “Are you two fighting again?” he asked softly.

  Susan wiped her face. “No, Ben. We’re okay.”

  Austin’s pained expression changed quickly back to a smile. He still had the cigar in his hand. He slipped off the paper ring and held it out to Benjamin. “Want to wear Daddy’s ring?”

  Ben took it and slipped it on his index finger. Louis could see the label. It was a Macanuda cigar. Expensive.

  “What do you say we go for ice cream?” Austin asked Ben.

  “He hasn’t finished his hamburger,” Susan said.

  “Who needs burgers when you can have Fudge Ripple? Is that little ice cream store still over on McGregor?”

  “Yeah, and they have blue bubble gum ice cream now,” Benjamin said. He looked at Susan. “Can we go, Ma? Huh? Can we go?”

  Austin didn’t wait for an answer. He carried Benjamin from the room and set him on the sofa to help him with his shoes.

  Louis watched Susan. Her eyes brimmed with tears and she was shaking.

  “I’ll have him back in an hour,” Austin called out, slipping on his coat.

  Louis waited until he heard the front door close, then he went to Susan. She closed her eyes and leaned forward into his arms.

  CHAPTER 4

  Friday, January 15

  A cold front was on the way. Louis could feel it, feel the subtle change in the night air. One moment it had been a sigh of a breeze, coming soft and warm from the gulf. Then a pause -- almost like an inhalation —- before the wind shifted. The auger shell chimes on the porch were doing their click-clack bone dance and the temperature was beginning to fall.

  Louis got up and went inside. He returned with a sweatshirt and a Heineken and sat back down in the wicker chair. Issy jumped up into his lap and began kneading his stomach.

  Louis took a long drink of the beer, his eyes out on the black waters of the gulf as he absently stroked the cat’s head.

  Shit, it was all screwed up.

  Three days had passed since that night at Susan’s. He had called once, but she had seemed distracted, distant. Louis had heard Austin and Benjamin laughing in the background. He had hesitated then asked her if Austin was still staying at the house. She said he was, but that it was only so Benjamin could have time with him. Louis had cut the conversation short and hung up.

  Then, earlier tonight Susan had called him back.

  “He’s leaving tonight,” she said. “He’s going back to Australia.”

  There had been an awkward pause on her end.

  “He wants us to go with him,” Susan said.

  “What did you tell him?” Louis asked. It had been a struggle to keep his voice neutral.

  “I told him no, of course.”

  Of course?

  “What about Benjamin?”

  Another long pause. “I haven’t told him yet. He’ll want to go. What son wouldn’t want to be with his father and go play with real koala bears?”

  Louis said nothing.

  “It’s going to be hard on Ben,” Susan said. “It’s always hard, but he’s old enough now to know things. Like the fact his mom and dad are never getting back together. Like his dad won’t...can’t...be there all the time.”

  Louis heard the pain in her voice but still said nothing.

  “Louis? Are you there?”

  “What do you want from me, Susan?”

  “I don’t know. I...” She let out a long breath. “Could you come over?”

  “What for?”

  “Austin is going to ask me again to come with him. And he’ll do it in front of Ben this time. I know he will. If you’re here, maybe he won’t. Maybe Ben won’t get upset. Maybe...shit, I don’t know what I’m saying.”

  Louis let out a sigh.

  “Louis, Austin will do whatever he needs to do to get what he wants. That’s the way he is. This time he wants Benjamin. He doesn’t care if he hurts me to get him.” She paused again. “Would you come over, please?”

  “I don’t think that would be a good idea, Susan,” he said.

  Silence. “You’re right” she said softly. “I shouldn’t have asked.” And she hung up.

  Louis took another drink of beer, his other hand light on Issy’s back as he looked out over the gulf waters. Maybe he should have told her he would come over. What would it have cost him? An hour of his time? A little discomfort? Why had he said no? Pride? Or was it just not wanting to get into the damn messiness of it all?

  The phone rang. Louis ignored it, afraid it was Susan again, or afraid it wasn’t. He wasn’t even sure.

  After ten rings, the phone went quiet. He finished the beer. The wind picked up, sending the auger shell wind chime rattling and letting loose a rain of leaves from the sea grapes trees. Louis watched the leaves swirl on the sand. January in South Florida and it felt almost like fall in Michigan.

  The phone started ringing again. He counted the rings. Ten, eleven, twelve. She wasn’t going to give up this time.

  He lowered Issy to the floor and rose, going into the bedroom. He snatched up the receiver.

  “Look, Susan —-”

  “Try again, Rocky.”

  “Mel?” Louis switched on the lamp and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Hey, when did you get back?”

  “This morning.”

  “How’d it go?”

  “Not great.”

  Louis could hear a squeak and he imagined Mel Landeta folding his lanky body into the old Eames chair in his apartment. He waited, knowing it always took Mel a moment or two to get comfortable.

  “So what did the doctor say, exactly?” Louis asked.

  “He told me to take some vitamin A.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Vitamin A. They think it might slow things down. So I will be seventy when I go blind instead of sixty-five.”

  Louis didn’t say anything. Mel Landeta was his friend, although Louis wasn’t even sure that was the right word for it. How did a man get to be twenty-eight years old and never have a real male friend? He knew the answer. It was the same reason he didn’t want to go over and help Susan tonight. Friendship was messy. It required putting yourself out there.

  Mel had retinitis pigmentosa. He was forty-five with no family, an ex-cop living on disability. He was slowly going blind. Friendship didn’t get much messier than that.

  “So you going to take the vitamins?” Louis asked.

  “Why not? Vitamin A is supposed to help you get woodies. I may not see who I’m screwing but at least she’ll be happy when I’m done.”

  Louis laughed. He knew Mel hadn’t had a serious woman in his life for years. Neither had he, for that matter.

  “So how’d the big date go?” Mel asked.

  “It didn’t”

  “What, did she back out on you?”

  “Worse, her ex showed up.”

  Mel let out a low chuckle. Louis didn’t say anything. He didn’t really want to talk about it, or maybe he did and just didn’t know how. Mel had come over for dinner the night before his appointment with the eye specialist in Miami. Louis had opened up some about Susan, finding comfort in the fact that Mel couldn’t see how his expression changed whenever he mentioned Susan Outlaw. Which was stupid because he knew Mel could hear more in a voice than most people saw in a face.

  Louis heard the click of a lighter and the sound of Mel inhaling his cigarette.

  “So you gonna tell me what happened?” Mel asked.

  “Nothing to tell. We all had dinner together. It was all
very civilized.”

  “Until you lunged across the meatloaf and choked the guy.”

  “We had steaks.”

  Another pause. The wind was picking up. The screen door squeaked and Issy came running in.

  “So what are you going to do now, Rocky?” Mel asked.

  “I don’t know,” Louis said, watching the cat.

  “You want me to slip her a note in homeroom for you?”

  “Fuck you.”

  Mel laughed. “Sorry.”

  Louis was quiet, his eyes on Issy. The cat was stretched out on the terrazzo floor at his feet, meowing and twitching.

  “The ex is going back to Australia,” Louis said. “He asked Susan and Ben to go with him.”

  “And?”

  “She’s going to tell him no.”

  “Going to?”

  “He’s leaving tonight.” Louis was watching the cat as it pawed at his feet. “Susan asked me to come over and be there.”

  “Just be there?”

  “Moral support.”

  “What, she afraid of him or something?”

  “Not exactly. But he’s...” Louis shifted the phone to his other ear. “He’s her ex. They’ve got a history together.”

  It was quiet on the other end of the line.

  “Good-looking guy?” Mel asked finally.

  “Shit, I don’t know. I guess.”

  “Money? Charm? Taller than you?”

  “I don’t need this, Landeta.”

  “So you going over there or not?” Mel asked.

  “I told her no.”

  “Big mistake, Rocky.”

  “Why? Why the hell should I go over there?”

  “Defend your turf. Mark your territory. Make your claim. To show her you care, for crissake. Shit, no wonder you never have a date.”

  “I have dates.” Louis stared at Issy. The cat was acting really strange now, writhing on the floor and meowing loudly.

  “What the fuck is that noise?” Mel asked.

  “My cat.”

  “Sounds like you’re strangling it.”

  Louis rose off the bed. “She’s in heat. It’s annoying.”

  Mel laughed. “Get her a boy cat.”

  “Forget that, man. I don’t want kittens.”