Chapter 3
CHAPTER
THREE
NATASHA
I sat in my car, the engine idling softly, as I gathered my thoughts. I was usually more careful than letting myself get into a situation like that. At home, I had security, but I hadn’t brought Enzo with us because we were staying with Dimitri. First, we were a little tight on space, and second, it just didn’t seem necessary. Not that I felt unsafe ... what was I saying? I laid my forehead on the steering wheel. Damn, that was hot. It was also very unprofessional, I reminded myself sternly, straightening up and checking my reflection in the rearview mirror. That man wasn’t someone I should be getting involved with. He wasn’t the killer — thankfully. Still …
The kiss we had shared lingered on my lips, a compelling reminder of the man I just left. Taking a deep breath, I pulled out of the parking space and headed back to Dimitri’s house. My music played, and my brain emptied instead of running through the case like usual.
The drive through the small town was a nice change from the traffic of San Diego. These streets were quaint and easy to navigate. Arizona was blazing hot now; temperature skyrocketed during the day, so the streets were almost empty. People only moved from the car to the storefront, where the air conditioning waited. I had worried initially about the dry heat here, but I already found that I was enjoying it. Typically, I was always cold. I discovered that I’d found a place where I was finally warm.
Pulling up to the quiet tree-lined street where Dimitri and Hollis lived, I couldn’t help but contrast it with the house where his brother, the pakhan of the Volkov Bratva, lived. Maxim lived in a palatial estate on the San Diego coast that sprawled against the ocean. Guards prowled the estate with eagle eyes and weapons across their chests, doing nothing to add to the atmosphere. Well, except some of them were pretty nice eye candy. Dimitri’s home was a Craftsman bungalow, lovingly restored by his own two hands. Maxim had never held a hammer other than to smash out knees. The bungalow had just three bedrooms, so Veronica and I were sharing a bedroom for the first time.
Pulling into Dimitri’s house driveway, I noticed Hollis in the shade of the porch, potting some sunflowers. She looked up and waved, a warm smile on her face. I parked the car and stepped out, the summer sun casting a comforting warmth over me.
“Hey, Natasha,” Hollis called out, wiping her hands on the back of her jeans as she approached. “How’s it going? Have a good meeting?”
“Hey, Hollis,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. You could say it was good. “We were able to get some things figured out.”
“I’m glad. Thanks for coming to help Pike. We all appreciate it.”
Hollis was a sweet counterpoint to my cousin. I hoped I’d have the chance to get to know them both while I was here. While I’d grown closer to Max in the last few years, Dimitri had kept his distance from the family. Hollis and Dimitri’s relationship was new. Supposedly, they’d met in Colombia only a few months ago. I didn’t have the whole story yet, but they seemed like they’d been together for years. The way Dimitri looked at Hollis made my heart stop in my chest. I hoped that someday someone would love me like that. He looked like he’d walk over burning coals to get to her.
“I was glad to come,” I said. It wasn’t a lie. Both Veronica and I were glad to be here. It was nice to be around a normal-ish family. Even Hollis’ little girl Olive was an interesting foil to the group. Watching them last night made me realize what an unusual upbringing we’d had.
“Tonight, we’ll have Maddox and Helena over for dinner. They’re eager to meet you. Helena is super nice, so I think you and Veronica will get along with her.” She looked shyly at me as I reached for the door handle. “I hope we can be friends while you’re here.”
“Of course, we’ll be friends. I’d like that.” My main friend was Ronnie, but I could make room for another one, especially family.
Leaving her to her flowers, I went into the house. The yeasty scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, a stark contrast to the tension that had filled my morning. As I entered the living room, I found Dimitri and Veronica deep in conversation.
“Natasha,” Dimitri greeted. “How did it go with Pike? You figure anything solid out?” Dimitri and his MC club president were anxious about Pike being implicated in Porter’s murder. I didn’t think he’d bother calling me if it was just business. I’d done my research there, too. The Iron Brotherhood MC that Dimitri was a part of was more than profitable, especially with a potential Bratva connection on the horizon. Pike was a friend, and I didn’t think my cousin had that many of them. I could count the number of times my cousin had asked me for anything on one hand. If he asked, I obliged.
I sighed, sinking into a chair, and kicked off my heels. I loved how they looked but couldn’t wait to change my clothes. “We did nail some things down.” I ran through the time of death I’d gotten from the coroner, the broken door, and the timeline that Pike had given me.
Veronica busied herself with her phone and social media accounts, but I knew she was listening. I’d promised her I wouldn’t shuttle her from room to room and let her help. She’d hated that when growing up, they moved her out of the room as if she were a piece of furniture. When my father wanted to have a business conversation, he’d make a signal, and we’d have to leave. It was part of the reason she’d gotten into hacking — that and the utter boredom of the hospital bed.
“Today, I’ll speak to the alarm company and get a copy of that work order, speak to the diner, and get that receipt.” I sent a pointed look to Veronica. “Maybe someone can get me footage of the cameras around the diner around that time to establish that he was there?”
“ Someone could,” Ronnie didn’t look up as she spoke. I smiled. My little sister may have spent years in a hospital bed for her chemo treatments and then subsequent medical issues, but she’d learned how to be an exceptional little hacker, which was handy.
“Excellent.” Dimitri squinted at her, examining her with a new respect. He surprised me. When Maxim had found out, he’d pitched an unholy fit about it. Dimitri acquiesced with barely a whimper. My feelings on the matter had always been that I respected Ronnie’s finding a way to fight back with her own brand of weapons. I’d never take away any power she clawed out for herself.
“I can get the receipt for you. The club owns the Duck,” he offered. I shook my head.
“Thanks, but I’ll get it myself. I want to talk to the waitress there. I need to check in with her. Pike claims that she can vouch for him being there. Maybe I can get the receipt and chat with her.”
“He’s talking about Daisy.” He pulled his phone out and flipped a few screens. My phone pinged. “I sent you the schedule for the diner and her contact.”
“Great. I appreciate that.” Genuinely, I did.
“Sounds like he’s got his alibi buttoned up,” he said thoughtfully. “Not that I thought he did it,” he added quickly. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I did.”
My cousin was nothing like the alphaholes I’d encountered in the Bratva. Pompus and full of themselves, constantly trying to undermine me or question what I was doing. My experience with him had been limited. I’d done him a few favors of the law and order kind — just over teleconference, but I’d hoped for more. Collaboration. Connection. Family.
“Don’t think I could work with a murderer?” I laughed lightly, but the thought warmed me inside that he’d try to protect me. “I would have handled it.”
“Not that. I’m sure you do all the time.” We nodded at each other. This was true. “There is murder, and then there is murder.” He shrugged. Veronica scoffed over her phone, but I knew what he meant.
Dimitri ignored her and said, “Does he have any thoughts about anyone wanting to get back at him? Revenge maybe? Porter wasn’t a coincidence. That sort of connection to him.”
“He gave me a couple of names that I’ll check out. We’ll see if they pan out. He wasn’t overly convinced about the theory of someone doing this on purpose.” I left out Pike’s theory about Eli being alive. Pike had been concerned about confidentiality for one thing, and I wanted to honor that. I wasn’t here to gossip about him, and the whole brother thing didn’t seem like a topic of conversation. “The alibi is solid so they won’t pull him in anymore on bogus charges. We’ll look into the other leads to see if we can find anything.” I bit the fleshy part of my thumb as I considered. There were questions I wanted to ask him about Pike. Personal ones, but I didn’t want him to think I was overly interested, and the way he looked at me made me worried that he was already onto me.
“Thanks, Natasha. Just let us know if we can help.”
“I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for the info about the diner. I’m just going to change.” Excusing myself from the table, I headed upstairs and rifled through my suitcase for a pair of shorts and a tank top. As I expected, Veronica came in a few minutes after I pulled the top over my head. She leaned against the wood door, her delicate frame outlined in the light. Veronica was my opposite in coloring. Blonde to my dark and skin so pale that it shone. She hated it and said that chemo leeched all her coloring out. I thought she looked beautiful, like a fairy.
“How’d it really go, Nat?”
“Interesting. I’m glad that we could clear him.”
“I’ll find the footage for you. What else?”
“I’m going to need you to dig deeper into the records from foster care. Dig hard.” I examined my hair in the mirror over the dresser for a second. “He mentioned two people from his stint in prison. Virgil Holder and a guard named O’Conner. I need everything you can find on them. Last known whereabouts, money trails, all of it.”
“Sure, no problem,” she said, coming over to play with the ends of my hair. “You should let me cut in some bangs. You’d look cute with some soft layered bangs framing your face.”
“Yeah?” I considered. “Okay. Sure.” It was just hair. If she messed it up, it’d grow back. Right? How bad could it be?
“Don’t look so scared. It’ll be great.”
Twenty minutes later, I had layered bangs, just like she said, that fell just above my eyebrows. She was right. They were a nice look. “Thanks, Ronnie. You did a great job.” I stopped her as she turned, holding her wrist gently, careful not to bruise her. “Be careful when you work, okay? Cover your tracks,” I cautioned. In the whole world, no one mattered more to me than my little sister.
“I will, Nat. I’m good at what I do. Lots of practice.” She gave me a sad smile. She had a lot of practice, but at least she’d found something to occupy her time while cooped up.
?
I pushed open the door to the Odd Duck diner, the sound of the bell above the door announcing my arrival. Diners had their own distinct smells: syrup, waffles, and bacon. Those comforting smells hit you immediately to ease the tension and make you relax. That sound of sizzling and the slam of pans from the kitchen. The diner bustled with activity, even though the lunch rush had already passed.
The Duck still had a lunch counter, which I imagined was standard for diners in the 50s, but I loved the idea of being up close to the action of the kitchen and the wait staff and away from the main floor of the other diners. Hopping onto a stool near the swinging door and the cash register, I picked up a menu. There was no reason to starve myself just because I was working.
The kitchen pass-through showed an active kitchen with a burly-looking cook barking orders at someone I couldn’t quite see—a prep cook, maybe? Daisy, the waitress I was here to see, was pouring coffee for a table in a far corner. It looked like I might have to have some patience. Was she the only one here serving? Looked like it.
A few minutes later, she emerged around the corner, her breathless arrival adding to her charm. “Welcome to the Duck. What can I get started for ya’?” she asked, her voice as warm as her smile. Her copper-red hair and freckles only added to her beauty. She seemed to be about my age, I guessed. Just as I was about to respond, the kitchen door swung open, and a blond figure stepped out, one of the diner tees knotted at her waist. Another server, perhaps. Daisy’s head whipped towards the other girl. “Yay! Glad you made it!” Her face broke into a grin before turning back to me. “That’s my relief,” she said with another giant grin. “She’ll take over for me, but I’ll take your order.”
“I’ll have onion rings and a chocolate malt, and I have some questions I need to ask when you have a few minutes,” I added the last apologetically. I hated to do it after she’d been so friendly, but I had to.
“Questions? About the menu?” Her nose wrinkled as she stared at me, puzzled.
“Pike.” There was no reason to beat around the bush.
“Ah.” There was a wealth of understanding in that word. Other people had been asking around about Pike. Gossiping maybe. Were the police already here asking her? Her face closed down, and the friendly light in her eyes banked.
“I’m Pike’s lawyer, Natasha Petrova.” I pushed a card over the counter to her embossed with my name and number. She looked warily at it. “Also, I’m Dimitri Volkov’s cousin. You can call either of them and verify,” I added with a wink. Her face immediately relaxed.
“Phew, girl, you scared the heck out of me.” She popped a hand on one hip and blew her lips out. “Everyone has been down my throat about Pike.” Her cheeks immediately reddened as if realizing the sexual innuendo.
“I get it.” I laughed.
"He mentioned he was here around eleven and stayed past midnight. I'm trying to verify his alibi for the night before the body was found in Morinrock, so the 22nd.” She looked cautious again, so I added quickly. “You could call him to double-check that it’s okay and for the case. He knows I’m here.”
“I don’t need to call. He was here. I can get his receipt from that night if it’ll help. Pike paid the bill for the table and left a nice tip. He’s a good tipper,” she added. “Officer Macmillan said it didn’t matter. I already told them.”
“It matters. If I can establish this piece, then it will help a lot.” God, the Morinrock PD was dumb as a bag of rocks, or they just wanted a scapegoat because they were worried that they might get another body like the first. I suppose that was possible if they didn’t know who the actual killer was.
“Alright. Let me put in your order and get your food going. Then I’ll get those receipts. Just a sec.”
Daisy disappeared into the back, and I took a moment to look around the diner. It was cozy, with a checkered floor and a jukebox in the corner playing soft tunes.
A few minutes later, Daisy returned with a stack of receipts. "These are from the 23rd," she said, spreading them out on the counter. "You can look through them, but I remember Pike being here. He came in and sat in his usual booth. Had the chicken fried steak and a slice of apple pie. Stayed for a couple of hours and paid the whole ticket for the booth.” She quickly flipped through the receipts, and I wondered if I should help. Triumphantly, she spun a receipt toward me. “This is it.” Sure enough, there was a time stamp and Pike’s signature. This squarely put him in the diner.
I scanned a photo of the receipt and drop-boxed it into the file for Pike’s case. “Can I keep this?” I asked. “The original?”
“Sure. Let me get a copy to put with the receipts for the month. I’ll be back in a jiff.”
I fiddled with my phone while Daisy was gone, replying to business emails and a text from my mother, looking up only when the other waitress set down a towering basket of onion rings and a milkshake in front of me.
“So, you’re Natasha?” she asked. Her eyes were a startling shade of blue, but her earrings caught my attention. A tiny lumberjack hung from one ear and a chainsaw from the other.
“Yep. Nice earrings.”
“Thanks. I’m Helena.” She stuck out a hand for me to shake. “Nice to meet you. Thanks for coming.”
“No problem. Anything for family.” I shrugged. “My sister needed to get away too. It worked out.” I pulled my shake closer and sipped, enjoying the malty goodness. Damn, if I lived here, I’d be at the Duck every day just for the shakes.
Helena laughed, a bright sound that matched her colorful appearance. "Well, welcome to Haverboro. It's not much, but it's home. I like it. I was raised here. My dad was the president of the Iron Brotherhood before Maddox.” I quirked an eyebrow at her. Really? That was intereresting. I wondered what that was like. Just as I was about to quiz her about growing up in a motorcycle club, Daisy returned with a photocopy of the receipt. She handed it to me with a triumphant grin.
"Here you go. This should help, right?"
"Absolutely. Thank you so much, Daisy. You have no idea how important this is." I carefully tucked the copy into my accordion file in my bag. This piece of evidence was crucial for Pike's case.
Daisy shook her head. "Pike, a murderer? No way. Sure, he’s rough around the edges, but he's got a good heart.”
"That's what I'm hoping to prove," I said, taking another sip of my milkshake. "The police are just looking for an easy target."
Helena nodded, her earrings swinging. "The Morinrock PD isn't exactly known for their thorough investigations. They'll pin it on anyone to close the case. They don’t have the best reputation over there,” she said sagely. “My dad always said they were a few gallons short of a full tank.”
Laughing, I admitted, “That's what worries me. "But with your help, we are on our way to building a solid alibi for Pike." I had heard that Morinrock PD was a bit of a mess, but this confirmed that they were doing shoddy work. Pike’s alibi would have been easy for them to verify, but they hadn’t even done that in order to eliminate him as the killer. That told me everything I needed to know about their department. Imbeciles.
Daisy placed her hand on mine, her expression serious. "We'll do whatever we can to help. Pike's a good guy, and he doesn't deserve this."
"Thank you, Daisy," I said, squeezing her hand. “If you remember anything else, no matter how small, please let me know."
"You got it," Daisy said with a nod. "And if you need a statement, just come by."
“I’ll see you in a bit,” Helena said. “I’ve got tables to see. The crowd gets rowdy.” She gave me a wink.
I finished my onion rings and shake, grateful for the unexpected support from these two women. Daisy's confirmation and the receipts were solid steps in the right direction. I wasn’t about to let Pike down, so I went to the alarm company next to get a copy of that work order.
As I returned to my car, I couldn't help but smile. Maybe Morinrock wasn't such a bad place after all. With allies like Daisy and Helena, I felt more confident than ever. This was looking like a slam dunk.