The Stein Ch. 02

When I got up Thursday I felt lost. How was I going to function without Nicky? I was extremely angry with her but at the same time I missed her terribly. I tried to think about what I was going to do but my mind kept going back to thoughts of Nicky's betrayal. I knew I was going to have to get past all of that but it wasn't going to be easy.

The phone rang several times that morning but I let the answering machine pick up the calls. A few were from the school, wondering where Nicky was. Nicky's mother called and wanted to talk to me but I wasn't ready for that conversation. There were a few callers that left no message. I wondered if any or all of those calls might have been from Nicky's lover.

Finally at five o'clock Tony called. When I heard his voice I picked up the phone.

"Tony, I'm here."

"Hi, Eric. How you holding up?" he asked.

"Not very well?"

"You got any scotch at your house?" Tony asked.

"Yea, I have a bottle. Why?"

"I'd like to stop over for a drink," he said.

"Sure, come on over. I could use the company," I said.

An hour later Tony was sitting in the winged chair opposite me swirling the ice around in his glass of scotch.

"Sorry I can't tell you any more at this time." Tony said.

He had just finished telling me that Nicky had cooperated and answered every question they asked her. He said that she was at the station for two hours and then they let her go home with her father. Tony said that they now knew who shot me but he couldn't tell me that until he was arrested.

Apparently the man who shot me was out of state attending a meeting and was due back on Sunday. They didn't want to do anything to tip him off that they were looking for him. Tony said that they could have the police in Colorado, where he was attending the meeting, arrest him but then they would have to go through the extradition process, which could slow things down. Tony said that the assistant district attorney assigned to the case decided to wait until Sunday so they could pick the suspect up at his house.

"I was all for having the Denver Police pick him up. I would rather have him behind bars waiting to be extradited than to chance him finding out we are looking for him. He might disappear if he knows we are after him," Tony said, "but I was overruled."

I felt some relief that they knew who shot me but the fact that they got that information from Nicky just confirmed what I was hoping was somehow not true. Nicky was involved.

Tony told me that he didn't know what Nicky had told the investigator because he was not there during her questioning. He said that even if he had been there he would not be able to discuss it with me. He said this was an ongoing investigation and he would not have been able to tell me anymore than he already had.

I took a sip of my scotch and looked up at the ceiling fan as it turned slowly.

"I can't quite seem to get a handle on my feelings about all this. I guess I am just confused by the whole thing," I said.

"That's understandable. This will all get much clearer next week," Tony said. "You know what I would do if I were you? I would get the hell out of Dodge," he said.

"What? Leave town, and go where?" I asked.

"Go to the beach, go to Vegas, go to Hawaii. Just get away from here for a while. A change of scenery would do you good," he said.

I thought about that for a minute and said, "You might be right. There is nothing to keep me here right now. Maybe lying on a beach somewhere is just what I need."

"I'll call you if anything happens that you need to know about," Tony said.

"I think I'll do that. I don't know where just yet but I will go somewhere. Thanks for the suggestion. You will call me if anything happens, right?"

"I said I would, didn't I?" Tony said.

Tony stayed for another hour and just chatted with me. When he first came over I thought he was trying to get information from me but it became obvious that he just wanted to talk. Before he left he got my cell phone number and told me to let him know where I was going and where I would stay.

After Tony left I thought about where I might go to get away for a while. Hawaii sounded great but in my condition I didn't feel that I was up to the long plane ride. Every place I could think of was either too far to travel or not far enough away to suit me. By the time I finally went to bed I still hadn't made any decision.

Friday morning I called my office to see what was happening there in my absence. I was both relieved and disappointed to find out they were functioning quite well without me. I was talking to my boss, Charlie Carson, about when I would be able to come back to work and he told me not to worry about it.

"Whenever you are ready your job will be waiting for you," Charlie said. "How is Nicky holding up through all this?"

"She's doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances," I said. I hadn't told him that she was involved in the shooting. At the time I felt that the fewer people who knew about that the better.

"I know how hard it must be for you to just sit around," Charlie said. "What are you going to do to keep yourself occupied?"

"I thought I would get out of town for a couple of weeks," I said.

"Where will you go?"

"I haven't decided yet. I can't go far. I can't sit comfortably for more than a couple of hours so no long car rides or plane rides." I said.

"How about Vegas?" Charlie suggested.

"I don't know," I said, "I thought about it but I don't think I want to stay in one of those huge hotels. I need to be able to get away by myself. It would be nice if I could have both the privacy I need and still have access to the casinos and the great restaurants."

"I just might have the solution for you," Charlie said. "I have a small house in Vegas just a few miles west of the strip. I bought it a few years ago before the real estate prices went crazy over there. You are welcome to use it."

"That's really generous of you but I'm not sure..."

Charlie cut me off. "Actually you would be doing me a favor. We haven't been there for almost three months. I would appreciate it if you would spend some time there and check up on things for me. Make sure there are no water leaks and the air conditioner is working."

"Since you put it that way, I guess I could do that. It is just a short flight and taxi ride. I'll do it," I said. "Thanks."

"Good. Just a couple of things I need you to do while you are there," he said.

"Sure, whatever you need."

"There's an old Honda Civic in the garage. You might have to put the battery on the charger I have in the garage but I would like you to use that while you are there and then fill the gas tank before you leave. Also, before you come home I want you to pick up a case of Heineken and stick it in the refrigerator. We are going over there next month and it would be nice to have some cold beer waiting for us."

"I can do that. I might even get some for myself... Thanks, Charlie," I said.

"I am glad that this works out for you," Charlie said. "I'll drop the key off at your house on my way home from work tonight."

I decided then that I would catch a flight to Vegas in the morning and called to make flight reservations. Later in the day I called Nicky's parents house.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mary, it's Eric."

"Eric, did you want to talk to Nicky?" Mary said.

"No, I can't talk to her right now," I said.

"Please, she really needs to talk to you."

"I'm sorry, I just can't handle that right now. I just called to tell you that I am going out of town for a while," I said. "I will be leaving in the morning so tell Nicky that if she wants to come over to the house to get some of her clothes or anything else she can stop by anytime after ten tomorrow morning."

"I'll tell her, Eric, but can't you speak to her yourself?" Mary pleaded.

"Mary, I just can't. I am too angry and hurt right now to be able to deal with her. I'm sorry," I said.

"I understand. I hope you two can work this out," Mary said.

I don't know why but Mary's last comment set me off. "Work this out? For God's sake Mary, her lover shot me. That doesn't leave a lot of room for forgiveness."

Before Nicky's mother could say another word I disconnected.

I was in a real funk after that call. I felt bad that I treated Mary so badly and I had to admit to myself that I wished there was a way for us to work things out but I couldn't see how that could be done.

I spent the rest of the day thinking about my relationship with Nicky trying to remember any little detail that might have indicated that there was a problem festering in our marriage. There was nothing. I could think of nothing that Nicky had ever done that would make me think that she was cheating on me or that there was any other problem in our marriage. To the contrary I could only think of things she had done to show her love for me. I couldn't think of any time that I was ever anything but sure that Nicky loved me as much as I loved her. How all this could have happened was a great mystery to me.

I hoped that my time in Las Vegas would help me find some clarity.

At 6:30 that evening Charlie stopped by the house and gave me the keys and directions to his house in Vegas.

"I think you and Nicky will like the house," Charlie said.

" Nicky is not going with me," I said and immediately wished that I hadn't.

"She's not? Why?" Charlie asked.

"She couldn't get away," was the first thing I could think of to say. "Classes start on Monday so she has to stay in town. Charlie, do me one more favor, don't tell anyone where I am... Anyone. I don't want to be disturbed."

I could tell that Charlie understood what I was saying.

"Don't worry, no one will know where you are unless you tell them," Charlie said.

After Charlie left I called Tony and told him I was going to Vegas.

"What hotel you staying at? He asked.

"I am not staying at a hotel, I am staying at a friends house," I said.

"Good. Who else knows where you are staying?" he asked.

"Only my boss and that's only because it's his house. Why?"

"I just don't want anyone to know where you are until we have our suspect in custody. I'm still not happy with the Assistant DA's decision to wait till this guy comes home to arrest him. Too many things could go wrong. I just feel that the fewer people that know where you are the better."

"In that case I am glad I made a point out of telling my boss not to tell anyone where I was going," I said.

"Good job," Tony said. "Have you talked to your wife?"

"No. I called her mother this morning to tell her I was going away for a while. She tried to get me to talk to Nicky but I refused."

"Good. I know this is difficult but it is better that you don't talk with her until we get this mess cleaned up," Tony said. "Well, I have your cell phone number so if I need to get a hold of you I can. Make sure you keep your phone with you."

"Jesus, you're being a bit of a mother hen, aren't you?"

"Remember what I told you. This guy didn't just shoot you in a panic. He wanted you dead and he wanted it to be slow and painful. I think that if he had another chance at you he would kill you," Tony said. "I may be wrong, but fifteen years as a cop tells me I am right. No sense taking any chances."

"I will heed your warning and be careful," I said. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

"Yes. The Assistant DA plans on talking to your wife again tomorrow. Is there anything you can think of that we can ask her about that might shed any light on this case?" he asked.

"Tony, I thought about that all day and could come up with nothing. Nicky has never done anything that has made me the least bit suspicious of her. I can't think of anything that would help your investigation. I wish I could help. I want the answers as much as you do," I said.

"I am sure you do," he said. "When are you leaving?"

"I have a 9:00 AM flight out of Burbank."

"Well, enjoy your... I don't know what to call this. Anyway, try and relax and get yourself strong. Some of the most painful parts of this case are still ahead and you will need to be strong to deal with them," Tony said.

"Tony, I really appreciate everything you have done. It's only been two weeks since this shit storm started and the only positive thing that has happened is that I feel like I have made a new friend," I said.

"You're right. You have made a friend. I usually don't get this personally involved in a case. I just hope that when this is all over you will still consider me a friend." Tony said.

"I don't think that will be a problem. I value friendship and besides, I think having a cop for a friend would be a smart move on my part," I said.

"You know, you're not as dumb as you look," Tony said.

"I get that a lot."

After the call I went up to pack for my trip. I had to take enough clothes for a two-week stay while at the same time I had to travel light. I still wasn't strong enough to handle heavy suitcases. I was able to use a small rolling bag and a small carry on. I packed mostly socks and underwear. I packed three pairs of pants three shorts and six short sleeve shirts. I knew that Charlie's house had a washer and dryer so I didn't need a lot of shirts and pants. If I needed anything more I could purchase it in Vegas.

******

At 10:30 Saturday morning I was in Las Vegas in a taxi heading west on Charleston Boulevard. The temperature that morning was already 101 degrees and climbing. When I stepped out of the terminal building it felt like a blast furnace hit me. Luckily the taxi had a good air conditioner. Charlie Carson's house was on Desert Foot Hills Drive, which is about seven miles west of Las Vegas Boulevard. When the taxi stopped in front of the house I was very surprised. Charlie had said it was a small house. I guess it was small if you consider 3500 square feet small.

The house was white stucco with a red tile roof, much like most of the other houses in the area but this one just seemed more elegant. The front entrance consisted of heavy red oak double doors with stained glass windows. The doors opened into a large foyer with a stone tile floor. The air conditioner was already on and the house was a comfortable seventy-two degrees. I discovered as I explored the house that it was a smart home. A computer controlled everything. Charlie was able to control the climate control, the alarm systems and security lights remotely via the Internet. There were security cameras above the front entrance, above the garage door and in the back of the house overlooking the back door and the swimming pool. Everything was high tech.

The inside of the house looked like a magazine spread in Architectural Digest. The master bedroom was on the second floor and it was huge. The room was the full depth of the house so it had windows facing both east and west. Looking out the windows to the west provided a beautiful view of the mountains. Through the windows facing east was a view of the hotels along the strip and the swimming pool in the back yard. The back of the house faced east which kept the afternoon sun off the patio and the large pool.

The house momentarily lifted my spirits. As I was looking around at the beautiful home I thought, "Nicky would love this," and then the depression I had been feeling for the last three days came crashing back down on me. How could I miss her so much and at the same time feel so much anger toward her? I was there, at Charlie's house by myself because of what Nicky had done.

I forced my thoughts away from Nicky and started thinking about what I was going to do with the rest of my day. The swimming pool looked very inviting but I decided that I had better take care of some other things first while I still had the energy. I knew that as the day wore on my energy level would drop significantly. That is the way it had been since I woke up in the hospital almost two weeks earlier. Each day I felt better in the mornings and got progressively weaker as the day wore on.

My first objective was to get the Honda in the garage started so that I could go get some groceries. The car was ten years old but Charlie had obviously taken very good care of it. I was relieved to find that the battery wasn't dead and the car started on the first try and as I pull out of the garage I was glad that I had been paying attention as I rode in the taxi because I remembered seeing a shopping center not far from the house. It was only five blocks away and I managed to find it easily.

I bought enough food, soft drinks and beer to last me a week and then headed back to the house. When I pulled the car into the garage I realized that I was drained. I barely had enough strength left to carry the groceries into the house.

I managed to get the groceries put away and then poured myself a large glass of orange juice hoping that would help restore some of my energy. I made myself a sandwich and after I ate I decided to go out and relax by the pool and get some sun before it disappeared to the west side of the house.

I put my swimming trunks on and went into the bathroom to remove my bandages and put on some sunscreen. When I looked in the mirror I saw the three ugly scars from the bullet wounds. I thought to myself, "What a wonderful conversation piece they make."

The scars made me self-conscious so I put a shirt on before I went outside and I waited to be sure none of the neighbors could see me before I removed the shirt. The extreme heat forced me to go into the pool to cool off. Feeling refreshed I got out and lay down in a lounge chair and was nearly asleep when my cell phone rang.

"Eric?"

"Hey, Tony, how are you?"

"Good. Listen, Eric, I have to ask you some questions if you don't mind."

"No problem. Ask whatever you want," I said, although I could not imagine what he could ask me that he hadn't already asked me.

"Tell me about Sarah Bowden." Tony said.

"Sarah Bowden? What does she have to do with this?" I asked.

"I don't know. I am hoping you can tell me," Tony said.

"Sarah is a girl I knew in college."

"Did you date her?"

"Yes, I went out with her three or four times."

"Did you have sex with her?" Tony asked.

I was starting to get annoyed. "What's this all about?"

"Sorry, Eric, just part of the investigation. So, did you have sex with her?"

"No."

"Is that why you broke up with her, because she wouldn't have sex with you?" Tony said.

"No, it wasn't like that at all," I said, letting the tone of my voice show that I was getting pissed off. "We went out a few times and we both realized the relationship was going nowhere, so we stopped dating."

"Were you still on speaking terms when you broke up?"

"Yes, we were still on speaking terms but we didn't break up. We were never in an exclusive relationship. The relationship we had didn't last that long. Why are you asking me about a girl I dated a few times more than ten years ago."

"Just something that came up in the investigation that I have to follow up on. Were you dating your wife then, too?"

"No. I hadn't met Nicky yet."

"Okay then tell me about your relationship with Sarah Bowden."

"What exactly do you want to know?" I asked.

"Why don't you start with how you met?"

I took a deep breath as I tried to remember. "It was a Saturday night and I was heading back to the fraternity house after a party. I stopped to get gas at one of those gas station mini marts. While I was filling my tank a car pulled up on the other side of the pumps. There was a couple in the car and the guy was yelling at the girl. I couldn't hear what they were saying to each other but the guy was getting pretty loud.

"When my tank was full I went inside the store to pay and as I was coming out the guy that had been in the other car was coming into the store."