Searching for Beautiful (Searching For 3)

Wolfe simmered with impatience but managed a quick nod. Officer Devine shot them a sympathetic smile and the cops began doing their thing. The ugly red word made her gut twist. Whore. What would the neighbors think? She wanted it off now. Scrubbed clean.

"We'll fix it," Wolfe said, as if knowing her thoughts. "He's not getting near you, Gen. Not with me here."

She thought of him leaving for Italy and being alone in her once-safe house. No panicking. She'd be fine. If she got spooked, she'd stay with Kate. Or Arilyn. Or at her parents'. David wasn't going to run her life any longer, and it was time she dealt with this.

Gen squinted at the sight of a slender, ethereal figure floating down the sidewalk. A ghost?

"Are you okay? What happened? I heard the sirens and saw the lights, but I wasn't sure it was for you. Gen, why aren't you talking?"

She almost laughed at the sight of Arilyn hauling ass in a long white cotton nightgown. Bare feet, hair loose, she looked like she belonged in another century, the moonlight bathing her in mist. She was no image though. Strong hands pulled her in for a hug, as if she needed to make sure her body was intact.

"What are you doing here? I'm fine. We just got back from dinner at my parents' and found this."

Fierce heat glowed in her friend's green eyes. "I'm babysitting Robert tonight for Kate. They're in the city for a business dinner. I heard the sirens." Her gaze studied the ugly word and she pressed her lips together. "Now I'm done. Your ex has officially pushed me too far. I'm gonna get him."

It was so rare to find Arilyn in any type of temper. Gen actually laughed, her mood lifting at the mama bear protectiveness of her friend.

"Get in line," Wolfe muttered. "He's a dead man."

"Are the cops here? Did they take forever again when you called? I hope it's somebody more qualified than that Stone Petty. I don't think he knows what he's doing."

"Ms. Meadows. What a pleasure to meet you again. Or not."

Arilyn spun around and glared. The cop towered over her, even with Arilyn's impressive height. But her friend didn't seem to care, stepping forward and bristling with outrage, even in her white gown and bare feet. "Is this finally enough evidence to lock that psycho up?" she challenged. "Or do you need CSI to do some forensics?"

"A spray-painted insult doesn't warrant a CSI investigation, Ms. Meadows," the officer drawled. "It's ugly, juvenile, and a call for attention. But not a death threat."

Arilyn's lips twisted. "Great. So David has to verbally threaten her with murder for you to do your job? Do you plan to do any work at all or sit back until she's in real danger?"

Officer Petty practically snarled, lowering his face closer to hers. "Maybe if I didn't get interrupted constantly by snooping neighbors who believe they have all the answers, I could actually use my time to investigate instead of defend my job."

"I don't snoop," she challenged. "And perhaps we need a different officer here to confirm the investigation is done properly."

Gen made a squeak. Wolfe didn't say a word. Devine looked fascinated.

A muscle ticked in Petty's jaw. "Perhaps you need someone to keep you in line and out of trouble. And since no one else will volunteer for the job, perhaps it's gonna be me. How about a night in jail for police interference?"

"You wouldn't dare. First I'll report you. Then I'll sue you."

He gave a mean laugh. "Go ahead. I'll look forward to it."

She gasped. "I don't like you!"

"I don't like you either." His voice dropped to a growl. "Now, be a good girl and get out of my way so I can finish up here and get some donuts."

Arilyn stepped back. And fell silent.

Yep. Round two went to Officer Petty.

The sound of a walker slapped against concrete and the blazing light from her next-door neighbor's house gave fair warning. The evening was about to get much worse.

Mrs. Blackfire reached them, her beady eyes peering over her thick glasses. She wore house slippers, a hairnet, and a faded pink housedress. She took in the bloodred scrawled word on Gen's once happy house, the flashing lights, the policemen, and Arilyn's ghostly half nakedness.

"What's going on around here?" she snapped out. "This is my neighborhood and I'm a taxpayer. I demand to know who did this."

"More taxpayers," Petty muttered under his breath. "Why'd I ever come to Verily?"

"Is this a sex thing?" Mrs. Blackfire asked. "I saw this on 20/20. Is this woman running a brothel?"

Gen's eyes widened. "No! I'm the victim here and I did nothing wrong. Someone vandalized my property."

Officer Devine stepped in. "Ma'am, you live next door to Ms. MacKenzie? Did you see or hear anything?"

Mrs. Blackfire snorted. "No, I fell asleep early tonight with the TV on. I woke up when I heard the sirens."

Devine scribbled something down. "Name, please."

"Mrs. Joan Blackfire. Who would do such a thing?" Her gaze narrowed on Wolfe. "You! Snake! Do you have any Jet friends who want to cause trouble?"

Gen waited for Wolfe to lose his temper, but his eyes flickered with a touch of amusement. "It's Wolfe. And no, my friends would never do this. It's her crazy ex."

"We don't know that," Petty said.

"Maybe if you investigated we'd find out who really did it," Arilyn said.

Petty smothered a curse. Arilyn glared. Officer Devine cleared his throat. "No evidence of intrusion, so it was kept to the outside. Other than Dr. Riscetti, is there anyone else who would make you suspicious? Girlfriends you fought with? Women after Dr. Riscetti?"

"No," Gen said. "There are many people at the hospital who were angry with me, but we've had no contact for weeks. I haven't fought with anyone. The only person that makes sense is David."

Officer Devine nodded and took out a business card. "Here's a company that can do discreet and quick cleanup for the house. Your insurance should pay for it minus the deductible."

Her fingers trembled as she took the card. "Thanks. Will you let us know after you speak with him?"

"Yes. We'll get his whereabouts, delve a bit deeper, and see what we come up with. I'll also be asking your other neighbors if they saw anyone. Unfortunately, if there's no witnes

ses, we may not get the person."

Arilyn snorted.

Petty glared.

"Thanks for your help," Wolfe said. "You have our cell phones?"

"We're set."

Mrs. Blackfire raised her voice. "Officers, while I have you both here, can you please look at that tree?" Her bony finger stabbed the air toward the large, graceful pine tree bending slightly over. "It's diseased and ready to fall on my property. I'd like you to advise her to cut it down."

Gen closed her eyes. The violence of the night faded under the ridiculousness of the whole situation. A chuckle almost escaped her lips. Leave it to her crazy neighbor to put things in perspective. The Tree of Spite rustled slightly in the wind as if it, too, were laughing at her.

Officer Petty let out an impatient breath. "You need to call your insurance company, Mrs. Blackfire. Or a tree service. We can't help you with this issue."

Her eyes narrowed. "You don't do much for the taxpayers, do you?"

Stone Petty tightened his lips and turned his back, stomping to the police car. Devine grinned and followed.

Mrs. Blackfire finally went home. Arilyn squeezed Gen's hand. "You'll stay with me tonight, Gen."

"No. I'll take her to my place," Wolfe announced.

Arilyn's mouth dropped open. The vocal claim went beyond friendship and into intimate lover territory. Gen's first instinct was to agree, but she wasn't about to allow David to chase her from her home again. "I'm staying here. I'll be fine."

Wolfe's jaw clenched. "I don't think--"

"He's not going to win." She practically spit the words in fury. "He's a coward and I refuse to leave my house."

Wolfe muttered a curse, then nodded. "Fine. We'll stay here."

Arilyn took in the conversation with interest. "Let me know if you need anything," she finally said.

"I will."

They hugged good-bye and Arilyn went back to Kate's house. Gen grasped the doorknob and stepped inside her bungalow. Wolfe followed.

They gazed at each other in silence for a while. "I'm not running anymore," she finally said.

"Yeah. I know. I just don't trust him."

She set down the card Officer Devine had handed her and rubbed her temples. "I don't want you to worry about me when you're in Italy. I'll have Arilyn come stay with me, or my sister."

"I was thinking I had a better idea."

"What?"

"Come with me to Italy."

Gen blinked. Was he nuts? She couldn't go to Italy. She was too busy with stuff. Work. Family. Friends. Work. "I can't just leave everything and bop off to Italy. People don't do that. I have responsibilities here."