Julia
Chapter 16Jeff got in early the next morning and was astonished to find Stu already in his office. He stood in the doorway and watched his partner working on a report, and couldn't believe his eyes. "Stu."
Bailey looked up and smiled. "Morning, Jefferson."
"Stu, I figured you'd be at home today."
"Why? I have to go talk to the police this morning. Gil's arranged for the interview to be in his office. I'm going to leave here about nine o'clock."
"And then you'll go home after that?"
Stu chuckled. "Are you trying to get rid of me, Jeff?"
"No, I just thought you wouldn't want to be in the office." Jeff was absolutely perplexed. Stuart had just lost the woman he loved, and he was sitting in his office like nothing happened.
"I'm fine, Jeff. I'll be back after the police are done with me. If I get back early enough, do you want to have lunch at Dino's? It's been a while since we were there."
"Sure." Maybe Stu just didn't want to go into it in the office. He'd see what happened over at Dino's.
"Uh, you're certain you're alright?"
"I'm fine."
Jeff went through the door that separated the offices and eased in behind his desk. After what Stu looked like last night, even after the doctor had been there and given him a sedative, the last thing Jeff would have expected was to see Stuart sitting at his desk this morning like nothing happened. But then who was he to try and figure out the man that was Stuart Bailey?
Suzanne had a similar reaction when she got there. Jeff stayed out of the discussion, but he heard every word. "Stuart! What are you doing here?"
Stuart laughed, just as he had when Jeff asked his questions. "I'm working, Suzanne. What else would I be doing?"
"I mean . . . it's just . . . well . . . I'm so sorry to hear about Julia."
"Yes, it's a real shame, isn't it?" There was a silence of about two minutes before anything else was said. "Is there something you wanted, Suzanne?"
"I, uh, I . . . no, I guess not." Jeff could hear Suzanne's heels; she'd started to walk out of Stu's office. Then she stopped and turned around. "Why are you here, Stuart? Why aren't you at home?"
"Why, whatever would I do at home, Suzanne?"
That's when Jeff got up and closed the door between the offices. Two or three minutes later Suzanne was in his office. "What is the matter with him, Jeff? Why isn't he at home? Or anywhere but here?"
"I have no idea, Suzanne. He was here when I got here. He's acting like last night never happened."
"Maybe I can get him to talk to me later," she said and went back to her switchboard.
Right at nine o'clock his door opened and Stu stuck his head in. "Leaving now. I'll do my darndest to be back before lunch. If they don't decide to keep me, that is. See you later."
"Uh, sure." Stu closed the door and a minute later Jeff heard him leave. Spencer got up to talk to Suzanne. "You didn't get anywhere with him, did you?"
The receptionist shook her head, "No, he just told me he was fine and was going to the police station. Told me I didn't have to worry about him. That made me worry even more, Jeff. It's not normal. When you lose someone that you love like that, you need to grieve. You don't just walk around like nothing's wrong. What are we going to do, Jeff? We can't just ignore it."
"That's exactly what we have to do, Suzanne. You can't force the man to talk, not if he doesn't want to. He's got himself convinced that he's fine, and nothing we can do or say is going to change his mind. Let's just let him be for now. If he wants to talk, he'll talk."
When Stu arrived at the North Hollywood Police Station he ran into the same thing. Gil was shocked by how good Stu looked, and went and sat with him in the interrogation room until the Orange County Sheriff's arrived. "Is there anything you need? Coffee? Water? Somebody to lend a sympathetic ear?"
"I'm fine, Gil. I don't need a thing."
"Are you sure? I'm here if you need to talk to someone."
Stu looked at his friend askance. "You know, I'm getting tired of people asking me if I need anything. I'm fine, Gil. I only need to be left alone right now. Alright?"
"Sure, Stu." Gil got up and left the room, and in just a few minutes the Sheriff's arrived. They had what seemed like a million questions, and he answered each one patiently. Once they had all the information they seemed to need, they thanked him and left to speak with Lieutenant Gilmore. In just a few minutes Gil returned to the room. "That's all, Stu. They're going to classify the shooting as self-defense. You'll get something official from them later."
"Thanks, Gil." Stu got up, the two men shook hands, and the Private Investigator left the station. Gil went straight to his office, closed the door and picked up the phone. "Jeff, it's Gil. What's going on with Stu? He was just here, acting like there was nothing wrong and he's perfectly fine."
"I don't know, Gil. He was here at work when I got here this morning. We got the same thing from him you did. I'm supposed to have lunch with him. I'll see if I can get him to open up. By the way, how'd it go with the Sheriff's?"
"Fine. Everything's settled. They've judged it to be self-defense, and shouldn't have to bother Stu again. Let me know how lunch goes. Stay in touch, would you?"
"Will do." Jeff hung up the phone. Stu should be back at the office any minute. "Suzanne," he called.
She came to his door. "Yes, Jeff?"
"Let's not say anything to Stu again about what happened. Get the word to Roscoe and Kookie, too, would you? Maybe if we leave him alone he'll come around."
Both heard the front door open followed soon after by Stu's voice. "Jefferson? It's lunchtime. Get a move on."
Jeff got up and hurried to the front door. "I'm ready."
"We'll be back, Suzanne," Stu called over his shoulder.
Bailey pulled out his cigarette case, offered one to Jeff, then lit both cigarettes. They walked over to Dino's and got a table. Jeff ordered two Vodka Gimlets and Stu shook his head. "Make mine a scotch, Larry," he told the Maître d, who nodded acknowledgment. They discussed innocuous things until their drinks came and, hearing that Stu wasn't going to address the issue of Julia's death, Jeff took the plunge.
"Where's Julia going to be buried, Stu? Any idea?"
"I talked to her mother this morning. She's having the body shipped back to Chicago for burial."
"Are you going to take some time off and go back there?"
"No." Stu took two swallows of his drink before setting it down.
"Have you thought about taking time off?"
"I don't need to take any time off, Jeff. I have work to do." He took another swallow of the scotch. "Can we order now? I'm starving."
Jeff signaled Danny over and they ordered. Stu asked Jeff to catch him up on what was happening with work in the office, and nothing more was said about the events of last night or Julia's death. Whatever Stu Bailey was feeling about the loss of the woman he'd professed to love, he kept it to himself.
TBC