Viv was restless. Lingering by the pool, she fluffed her hair with a towel, her mind drifting. Even the stars glimmering overhead didn't shift her mood.
With Rex at the poker game, she knew she had an unfinished job of her own. To report to Beverly Nelson and give the money back before the cops arrested Joey. She was no longer concerned about the cash. Ever since Baker had threatened Rex with the revolver, she'd lost interest in helping the widow. Just too dangerous.
Viv showered and put on a comfy pair of wide-legged pants. Selecting an equally soft sweater, she pulled it over her head, disregarding her bra with a sigh of relief. She was ready for a quiet evening with Miss Kitty. Hopefully Rex would text her after the poker game.
Settled in on the sofa, she tried Beverly on her cell. No one picked up. Unwilling to leave a message, she felt even more agitated. "Miss Kitty?" Viv called. No sign of her feline friend.
Unable to cuddle with her cat and feeling anxious waiting for Rex to call, she decided to take a walk. Viv put on her athletic shoes and a light jacket. Keep moving, she reminded herself. Once outside, she took a deep breath.
Heading past Rex's house, Viv glanced over. I hope he's okay.
She kept walking. The sound of wheels rolling across pavement caught her attention. It's the young woman from the Fluff and Fold. Viv picked up her pace. Kind of late to be out walking a baby. Maybe she's in some sort of trouble. I'll strike up a conversation, tell her I'm a doula, ask if she needs any help.
The young woman wore earbuds. As Viv drew closer she heard the woman talking. "I'm coming. Stop nagging me. It'll only be twenty more minutes. Yeah, I got everything. With me, you idiot. Stop being so nervous. No one knows. You are such a jerk!"
The vehement one-sided conversation sent a chill up Viv's spine. Maybe she's a victim of domestic abuse? That might explain why she walks so often with her baby. Viv dropped back farther, her heart beating wildly.
The young woman began to jog, the stroller bumping along the pavement. By the time she turned the corner of Joshua Tree and Fairway, Viv lost sight of her.
Once she turned the corner, she pulled up short. The young woman had stopped in front of a house that Viv assumed was hers. "What do you want?"
Viv edged closer.
"I know you're following me," the young woman accused. "Is that why you came to the Fluff and Fold? This is harassment."
Viv froze in her spot, not daring to come closer. "I just wanted to ask you about the baby," she said. "I'm a doula," she added, hoping that would explain her interest.
The woman's eyes narrowed. "Oh, I see. So that explains it. Come on over and check out my baby, satisfy your curiosity."
Despite feeling apprehension, Viv knew she'd trapped herself. I can't run away now that she's offered. So she stepped up the walkway toward the house, coming closer to the stroller. The young woman lifted the baby blanket that covered the bundle.
Viv looked in and gasped.
The front door swung open right as the young woman gave her a quick shove, pushing her through the doorway. Before she could call out, a man took her by the arm. "A nosy neighbor. Just what I need," he growled.
The woman rolled the carriage inside and slammed the door shut. But not before Viv's back met the wall with a thud.
She struggled to free her arm. "Let me go or I'll call the cops!"
She didn't use his name but recognized him instantly.
Joey Baker dropped her arm. But the young woman took over, twisting one hand then the other behind Viv's back. She turned Viv around to push her nose to the wall. "You had to butt in, didn't ya? You could have left everything alone but oh no, you just had to see the baby."
"What have you done with the child?" Viv demanded.
"Don't be stupid," the woman retorted. "There never was a baby. Couldn't you tell the crying was fake?" She turned to Joey Baker. "Hold her for a minute."
Once he'd taken Viv's wrists, the young woman shoved her cell phone in Viv's face. Pushing a button, the familiar wail of a child met her ears. "It's an app, dummy."
Viv struggled against Joey's grip. "Just let me go," she said. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."
"Tell anyone what?" Joey's lips came close to her ear.
As soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. But instead of trying to lie her way out of the mistake, she stated in a clear voice, "That you're Joey Baker and that the cops are looking for you."
The young woman took Viv's hands. Tying them behind her back, she dragged her away from the wall and shoved her into a chair. "Sit there. Stop talking!"
Then the woman grasped the handle of the stroller. Reaching inside, she removed the blanket and a mattress, dropping them on the carpet.
Joey lifted a box from the carriage interior, grasping it in both hands. Then he disappeared with the box down the hall.
Obviously they'd been hiding something underneath the baby blankets and mattress. Something's been stored inside. Something they don't want me to know about.
Baker returned to the room empty-handed. Viv raised her chin, directly engaging him with a stare. He turned to his accomplice. "Did she see what's in the stroller?"
"She only got a glimpse," the woman assured him.
"I only got a glimpse," Viv repeated. "So let me go."
When they made no move to release her, Viv gulped. She wasn't sure how to get free. But then she remembered Rex. What would he do in this situation?
He'd put them off balance. He'd start asking them questions.
"So the other day, how did you get the gun, the one that killed Carmine?"
Joey Baker scowled. Clearly, he didn't like being confronted. That was obvious.
"It's my revolver. I was just keeping it in the casita locker," he sneered.
Viv almost believed his answer, if it weren't for how he shifted his eyes back and forth.
The young woman's jaw hardened. "Stop talking, you idiot."
"I'll talk when I want to," he retorted.
Viv hurtled another question. "Why did you kill Carmine anyway?"
Joey blurted, "The boss said Carmine was trying to get out of the business. He thought it was disloyal to just up and retire, leaving us hanging. So he told me that it was one of his tests, to make Carmine go away.
"I owed him," Joey exclaimed. "He'd lost his trust in me since…" He glared at Viv. "None of your business," he snapped.
"Like I said, you are an idiot," the woman jumped in. "You killed Carmine right in our own backyard."
"Hey, the boss told me to. But I did Carmine a solid. I made his death all nice. You gotta admit, I left him in a really fine bed, on one of those pricey mattresses, very expensive linens, all tidy and looking peaceful. Right between the sheets. Not a bad way to go."
For a moment Viv wondered if she was supposed to compliment Joey, tell him what a good job he'd done. He had that look of a child waiting to be affirmed. His eyes pleaded with her for, what, acceptance?
She shook her head. "If you admit you killed him, why not turn yourself in? Things would go easier that way. You could cut a deal with the cops."
"I can't do that!" Joey cried. "They'll have to find me first. There's not a cop on the force who would listen to me anyway. They have it in for me."
"And for good reason," the young woman blurted. "You burned that bridge, baby, a long time ago."
The two faced off, giving Viv a chance to consider her options. She could ask another question to keep the focus away from her. So far that had worked. They were fighting with each other. This might give her a chance to wiggle out of the tie on her wrists.
As voices rose, she yanked at the restraint. Despite the pain of the tie cutting into her skin, she kept tugging. When it didn't yield, she stretched her fingers to make her hand narrow. Pulling her thumb closer to her palm, she tugged again.
By now the couple were nose to nose. Joey continued to scream. "I can't believe this, Gina. You were supposed to protect me and look what you did. Led this woman right to our doorstep." He glanced over toward Viv. "What are we gonna do with her now?"
Viv froze. She held her wrists behind her back, hiding the hand she'd wrenched free.
"You are so stupid," Gina hissed. "Uncle D hired me to keep you busy. I thought you knew that. I wouldn't spend one extra minute with you otherwise. You are really boring, you know. Like snoozable dull. I can't wait to get out of here."
"I bought you those boots," he cried. "I'm a nice guy."
"Cheap pleather," she muttered. "And too small. Even the baby oil didn't help. I couldn't get my foot inside so I left them in the bathroom of the Fluff and Fold.
"You really think those boots worked as a peace offering? Come on. I like real stuff. Real diamonds, real leather, and real men!"
Gina shot a glance at Viv, who looked up at the ceiling. Silence filled the room. When they didn't keep fighting, she grew anxious. I need to distract them again.
She scrambled in her mind for another question. Since Joey Baker outright admitted killing Carmine, she didn't need to go there. But Joey did say that someone else—the boss—told him what to do. Who was the boss exactly?
It could be anyone. Maybe Gina's Uncle D. After all, he hired his niece to keep track of Joey. That had to mean something.
When Joey reached into his pocket, Viv flinched. He's just remembered that I'm a big liability. I'm probably next, Viv realized. I'll be the next body found between the sheets.
She closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the pop of his gun.
When nothing happened, she opened one eye. Joey Baker's head had drooped to his chest. He'd let the hand with the revolver dangle by his side.
Gina snatched the gun from him. Then she swung her glance toward Viv, her eyes narrowed.
Viv sat up straight. "Does the boss tell you what to do as well?" Her question sounded desperate even to her. Just keep her talking, that's your best hope.
Gina gave her a disparaging look. Then she shrugged. "Not me. I don't answer to him. I'm just helping out my uncle. He told me that Joey needed a little supervision. So we've been hanging out, pretending to live in this old folks neighborhood. They'll move him very soon and I'll be done."
Joey muttered, "I know Mom has a plan. She always does."
"Stop it," Gina commanded. "Your mother doesn't hold a candle to the boss. Everyone knows that."
With both feet firmly planted in the carpet, Viv stood.
"You better sit back down if you know what's good for ya!" Gina pointed the revolver at her face.
Someone started pounding on the door. Viv gulped. But she remained standing.
"Open up. Police!" came a voice from outside.
"Looks like you'd better answer the door," Viv advised. She'd used her calmest doula voice to point out the obvious. But then she couldn't resist adding, "I think the jig is up."