Kitabı oxu: «Pulse Points»
“Hello, Kasey.”
The bottom dropped out of her stomach. She had hoped this day would never come. Tanner Hart. That deep, sexy voice still had the power to jolt her. The way her luck had gone these past few days, she shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d shown up at Shirley’s funeral.
“It’s been a long time,” he commented into the growing and somewhat hostile silence. “How’s your son?”
Kasey’s heart wrenched, though she didn’t so much as move. “He’s great. He just finished his freshman year at Baylor.”
Their eyes met for another millisecond, but that was enough to up the already crackling tension between them.
“How did you know the deceased?” he asked.
“Shirley had taken me on as a partner,” she said through tight lips, wanting this conversation to end. Obviously he wasn’t aware that she’d witnessed Shirley’s murder, and she wasn’t prepared to tell him, either. The less he knew about her and her business, the better.
“Look, it was good to see you,” she said, anxious to get away. “But I really have to go.” Kasey had taken several steps when he spoke, stopping her, her heart taking a nosedive as she swung to face him.
“I have a proposition for you.”
Pulse Points
Mary Lynn Baxter
www.mirabooks.co.uk
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
One
T he parking garage seemed eerier than usual that evening. Kasey Ellis paused and unbuttoned her jacket, hoping to ward off the smothering heat of the July day. Normally she was gone long before the premises was filled with eerie shadows. But the disturbing situation at the office had kept her there, though she had nothing to show for her efforts except a burgeoning headache.
Thinking it was her less-than-rosy mood that was responsible for her paranoia, Kasey shrugged her uneasiness aside and upped her steps to her Toyota Camry. She had inserted her key in the lock when she heard the noise.
Pop. Like a gunshot.
Surely not, Kasey told herself, positive her paranoia was messing with her mind. Nonetheless, she stood motionless and listened while her heart lurched in her chest and her breathing turned labored. Only after she heard the sound again did she spin around.
Even then, she couldn’t immediately absorb the scene playing out in front of her.
A man was standing in the shadows with a gun pointed at a woman. Kasey froze and watched in manifested horror as another squeeze of gunfire assaulted her ears. This time the woman sank to the cement like a rag doll whose stuffings had been removed.
Kasey knew she had to do something. Anything, other than stand like she was encased in a huge block of ice. Then she heard another strange sound. Finally she realized it was coming from her. A whimpering erupted from her throat. She felt helpless and vulnerable in the midst of an oncoming bout of hysteria.
She shut her eyes, clinging to the remnant of hope that this was nothing but a contorted, macabre nightmare from which she would soon awaken. But when she opened her eyes, the woman remained crumpled and lifeless.
And the man had disappeared.
Do something, Kasey mouthed silently, making an effort to fight through the fog that dulled her mind, but it was impossible.
She had no idea where she found the courage to move her paralyzed limbs. Later, she credited the force of adrenaline that kicked in, giving her the strength to run to the victim and drop to her knees.
“Oh, my God,” she cried when she recognized the ashen-faced woman with the blood-splattered chest.
Her stomach churning and her vision blurring, Kasey lifted her head and took several deep, shuddering breaths, praying again that this was indeed a dream. But when she peered down once more, nothing had changed.
Her business partner, Shirley Parker, remained splayed on the pavement. Dead. Kasey lifted her head high again as the stench of fresh, oozing blood filled her nostrils making her dizzy.
Her stomach pitched and heaved, and for a moment, she feared she might faint. Instead she sucked in her breath, and without touching her partner, fumbled for her cell phone, then dialed 911.
“Please, hurry.” She didn’t even recognize her own voice. It was squeaky and faint. “There’s…there’s been a murder.”
The police station was frigid, though Kasey suspected it was her fractured nerves rather than the temperature that made her teeth clack together. Despite a valiant effort to get her emotions under control, she couldn’t seem to do so. She continued to reel from the fact that her world had just splintered into a million jagged pieces.
“Would you care for a cup of hot coffee?”
How else would coffee be? That unasked, but inane, question made Kasey realize that hysteria was once more bubbling close to the surface. Clasping her hands together in her lap and squeezing them seemed to temper that hysteria. But for how long was anyone’s guess.
Nothing was able to remove the imprint of Shirley’s bullet-riddled, blood-splattered body from her mind.
Kasey shivered again. While waiting for the police to arrive on the scene, she had stayed with Shirley. Her initial reaction, however, had been to jump in her car and drive straight home, lock her doors and crawl into bed. And pretend the nightmare never happened.
She couldn’t say what had kept her at the grisly scene. Perhaps she hadn’t been able to leave her friend alone even in death. Better yet, remaining had been the right thing to do. The police had been on their way, and she was the only witness to the crime.
Through it all, she had kept waiting for the killer to return and deliver her the same fate, though she didn’t think he’d seen her.
But what if he had?
“Here, drink this. Maybe it’ll help.”
Kasey flinched, then nodded her thanks at the man who handed her the cup. His name was Detective Richard Gallain. Even though a shroud of fog still swirled around her brain, she couldn’t help but take note of him. Physically, Gallain reminded her of a bulldog with his slightly bugged eyes, wide full mouth, and heavy jowls. Not a handsome man by any stretch of the imagination, but then he didn’t need to be. Putting murderers behind bars didn’t require good looks, just a skilled mind.
When he had arrived on the scene, Gallain had asked her if she was all right and what had happened. Somehow she’d managed to make enough sense to tell him what she’d witnessed.
Once the crime lab boys had arrived, Gallain suggested she accompany him to the police department for further questioning.
Now, as she waited for that to happen, Kasey sipped on the dark liquid, but it did nothing to soothe her shattered nerves. The coffee barely hit her stomach before it pitched in rejection. Shaking noticeably, she placed the cup on the desk and folded her hands in her lap.
“Relax, Mrs. Ellis. You’re safe here. We’re here to help you not hurt you.”
Gallain’s voice was as strong as his features. And confident. But not abrasive. Impatient was the word. She suspected he was ready to hit her with a barrage of questions, yet he seemed to sense how emotionally fragile she was and was trying to take it easy, something that apparently wasn’t easy for him.
“Are you up to talking?” Gallain paused, sweeping a hand though his crew cut. “I don’t want to rush you.” He let the rest of his sentence trail off but she got the message.
His impatience was no longer veiled, though his voice remained even. Of course, he wanted to rush her. Who was he kidding? She expected him to bark at her any minute, a thought that at one time might have drawn a smile. Not today. Not after she’d just witnessed a murder. And not just a random murder, either but that of her friend and partner.
Kasey took a deep, shuddering breath in hopes of blotting out that painful image, at least for the moment. It didn’t work. When she stared into Gallain’s sharp green eyes, it was Shirley’s white face and lifeless body that she saw.
She blinked when another detective entered the cubicle. A tall man with a kind face, he folded his arms, leaned against the door, then merely nodded at her.
“Mrs. Ellis.”
As though being chastised for removing her gaze, Kasey swung her eyes back to Gallain. “I’m sorry. It’s just that—” Her words faded into the tomblike silence of the small cubicle, though she was aware that on the other side people were scurrying about and telephones were ringing.
“So you still don’t think the killer saw you?”
“Like I told you at the scene, I don’t think so, but again I can’t be one hundred percent sure.” Kasey noticed her voice trembled. She bit down on her lower lip to control it.
“Okay, did you see him?” The detective’s eyes pinned her with intensity.
“No. I mean I did, but I didn’t.”
Gallain didn’t so much as twitch a muscle at her contradictory response. “You’re sure about that?”
“Absolutely. The man who fired the shots was a blur then and still is.”
“How ’bout what he was wearing?”
When she didn’t answer, Gallain went on, “His clothes. You must’ve noticed something. His shirt. The color of it, perhaps. Something.”
“Not…really.” She felt her own frustration building. “Everything happened so fast.”
For a second, Gallain stared at her as if he didn’t believe a word she’d said. Maybe that was what suddenly roused her out of her traumatized state and forced her upright. She stared back.
He rubbed his chin, then the base of his neck. When he spoke again, his demeanor had softened somewhat. “Look, I don’t like this any better than you, but without you, we have nothing.”
“Don’t you think I want to help?” Kasey rubbed her pounding forehead. “That I’m trying hard to remember? My God, I saw this sicko kill someone.” Her tone had risen to a shrill ring.
“Maybe if we gave her some time, Gallain, eased up a bit, she would be of more help.”
Both Kasey and the detective cast their eyes in the direction of the other officer who had pushed away from the wall and was ambling toward them.
Before Gallain could take umbrage to another opinion, the man eased down on the edge of the desk and said with a smile, “I’m Detective Hal Spiller.”
Fleeting as that smile was, it seemed to enhance the kindness in his face, which in turn bolstered her confidence a notch, something she badly needed.
“Sorry about what happened to your friend, Mrs. Ellis,” Spiller added into the loaded silence.
“So am I,” Kasey responded in a small voice.
“How far away were you?” Gallain asked, the briskness back in his tone, obviously resenting the intrusion and the rebuke.
“I’m not sure.”
“How far is that?” Gallain pressed in spite of the growing frown from Spiller. “I need details.”
“A few yards, give or take.”
Gallain thrust his hands though his hair again and released a deep sigh.
Kasey’s blue eyes flared. “Look, I can only tell you what I saw and didn’t see, right?”
“Right,” Spiller said, focusing his glare on Gallain.
Gallain shrugged. “Okay, I’ll accept that for now. But once you’ve had time to get over the initial shock, I want to concentrate on the killer himself. I’m betting you saw more than you think.”
“I hope you’re right, Detective. I want to solve this as much as you do.”
“So what about Shirley Parker? I bet you can tell me something about what made the deceased tick.”
“I didn’t…don’t know a lot about her away from the office.”
“I understood her to be a friend as well as your partner,” he pressed.
Once again Kasey didn’t like his tone, but she ignored it. He was just doing his job, she reminded herself, which was trying to find out who killed Shirley. And though she respected that, she didn’t respect his method of going about it.
“We were friends, yes, but never running buddies, so to speak. I knew her growing up, even though she was quite a few years older than me. She actually gave me my start in advertising. As a result, I always considered her my mentor. Still, we hadn’t seen each other in years until she called me out of the blue and made me an offer I thought I couldn’t turn down.”
“What about since you’ve been back?” Gallain asked, seeming to scrutinize her closer.
“Not then, either.”
“What did you talk about over lunch or dinner? That kind of thing, things women talk about. Perhaps she had a man in her life and discussed him with you.”
“If so, she never said,” Kasey replied, “and I never asked.”
He stared at her a moment longer, then released a breath. “So what did you talk about?”
“Work mostly.”
“I understand the agency’s in deep financial trouble.”
He’d been quick to find that out. She had to admire him. “You understood correctly. We’re struggling to stay open.”
“Did Ms. Parker ever tell you why?”
“No, she didn’t.”
“What happened when you asked her about it?”
“She told me not to worry about it, that she’d take care of me and the business.”
“And you believed her?”
Kasey jutted her chin. “At first, then I realized I’d been had. Before I could have another chat with her, she was—”
“So what about the books?” he interrupted.
Kasey quickly regained her composure. “From what I’ve seen of them, there’s nothing to indicate where the money went.” Kasey paused. “Apparently everyone at the agency was kept in the dark.”
Gallain stood. “Seems like the lady had a lot of secrets.”
“What have you found out?” Kasey asked, turning the tables on him.
“Not much. We went over her home with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing there that implicates anyone.” He paused. “You still remain our best hope for solving this case, Mrs. Ellis. And I’m not giving up. On you.”
Kasey didn’t respond. What could she say that hadn’t already been said?
Gallain glanced at his partner. “Meanwhile, Spiller here will keep an eye on you and your place for a few days.”
“Just in case he did see me,” Kasey finished, the tremor having returned to her voice.
“That’s right.”
Another loaded silence permeated the office. Only Spiller’s muffled cough broke it. Kasey rose to her feet and swayed as the room spun. Gallain’s fingers circled her upper arm. “Are you okay?”
As quickly as the room had shifted, it settled. “I will be,” she lied. After this night, she feared she’d never be all right again.
“Detective Spiller will drive you home, then see to your vehicle. I’ll be in touch.”
No, please, Kasey’s mind screamed in rebellion. She wanted this session to be the end of her involvement. Unfortunately it seemed to be just the beginning.
Two
S he was exhausted. However, Kasey knew sleep would elude her, so she didn’t bother going to bed. Following a hot bath, which seemed to have wired her more, she made a cup of hot chocolate and sat on the wicker chaise lounge in her bedroom.
It would be nice to sip on the drink, and in between sips close her eyes, maybe even dose a bit. Fear of what she would see imprinted on the back of her lids kept her eyes wide-open. Would that terrifying image of Shirley’s blood-stained body ever leave her? Not for a long time, she told herself. If ever.
Kasey gnawed on her lower lip, her gaze veering to the French doors that led onto her tiny third floor balcony. When Shirley had told her about this secluded apartment complex nestled between numerous oaks and pine trees, Kasey hadn’t been all that excited.
First, she hadn’t wanted to go into another apartment. She had wanted a small house; unfortunately she couldn’t afford one. Second, she hadn’t wanted to live on the third floor; the thought of trudging up such a long flight of stairs was uninviting.
Now, she was glad to be there. An intruder would have a much more difficult time getting to her. Kasey shivered then reached for the afghan at the end of the lounge even though the July night was so hot and humid, she’d had difficulty in cooling her apartment. Once the coverlet was over her, she shifted her eyes back to the doors. She had to stop dwelling on morbid thoughts and possibilities.
The fact that she wasn’t alone, that Detective Spiller was lurking somewhere in the darkness keeping watch on her, should have offered her a measure of reassurance.
“Rest easy, Mrs. Ellis. Nothing will happen to you on my watch,” he’d told her when he escorted her to the door.
Somehow she had dredged up a smile. “I’m counting on that.”
“If you need anything or if anything out of the ordinary happens, call me on my cell.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, not at all certain that was the truth.
He stepped back, then paused. “Don’t let Gallain upset you. He’s not always that abrasive.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“No,” he admitted a bit sheepishly.
She managed another smile. “Don’t worry. I can handle him. He can’t make me see what I didn’t see or say what I don’t know.”
Spiller seemed suddenly uncomfortable as if he’d spoken out of turn. “Protecting you is our primary goal.”
Again she was struck by his kindness. As she closed and bolted her door, she wished he’d been in charge of the investigation instead of Gallain. She had never been questioned by the police. Now that she had, it wouldn’t go down as one of her most treasured memories.
Maybe that was why Spiller’s presence couldn’t alleviate her anxiety even though she was home, out from under the prying eyes of his cohort. Her stomach continued to heave as reality struck her like a blow. She had witnessed the brutal taking of another person’s life—her friend and partner. Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked several times.
She hoped Shirley hadn’t suffered, that she hadn’t known what hit her. Kasey pulled the afghan under her chin and once again tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere. It didn’t work. Her mind rebelled.
Had the killer seen her?
No. He couldn’t have. He had never known she was there.
But what if he had?
That question kept haunting her. What if she was wrong and he was just biding his time until he came after her, thinking she could identify him? That thought almost brought Kasey’s heart to a standstill.
Apparently Gallain had thought so or he wouldn’t have put her under protective watch. But for now, she was safe in her home. Her gaze touched on things that surrounded her—familiar things such as pictures, plants, books and even her chintz-covered furniture. The fact that the latter needed replacing, and she’d grieved over the fact she hadn’t the means to do that, no longer seemed important.
Tomorrow, however, she would have to leave this security and deal with Shirley’s untimely death, a death that had a profound and life-altering effect on her.
Kasey reached for the remote control and switched on the television, hoping to catch the late news. No doubt the murder would make headlines on the local stations, as well as in the papers, for days to come. In addition, the gossip mill would be churning.
Although Rushmore had a population of over a hundred thousand, it still had many qualities of a small East Texas town. People made it their business to know their neighbors’ business.
Kasey concentrated on the television. News of the bone-chilling murder was indeed being played out in vivid detail. Unable to view the crime scene again, she shifted her gaze and listened, mainly to see if anyone else had come forward as a witness. No such luck.
Kasey wasn’t surprised. She had known all along she had been the only person in the garage other than Shirley and the killer. Who was he? Who had despised Shirley so much that he wanted her dead? Was her death perhaps business related? Or personal?
A long time ago Shirley might have confided in her and vice versa, but their old friendship had been damaged by recent events. Since her husband Mark’s death two years ago, Kasey had been working in an advertising agency in Dallas. While it had been an okay job, it in no way met her financial obligations or fueled her dream of bettering herself, perhaps one day owning her own agency.
So when Shirley had contacted her and offered her a partnership in her agency in Rushmore where Kasey had been born and reared, she had been ecstatic, certain life was about to turn around and take on a new dimension.
“You can’t imagine what this call means to me,” Kasey had said following Shirley’s offer. “Although I’m not anywhere near worthy of this opportunity,” she added. “I’ve only been back in the workplace for two years, and I’m awfully rusty in a lot of areas.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Shirley responded. “Besides—”
Kasey cut her off, anxious to square things from the get-go. “More than that, I don’t have any money to buy into the business.” She paused, trying to figure out how to tell Shirley the truth and keep her pride intact.
She had thought Mark had been a good provider, only to learn upon his death that they were on the brink of financial disaster. For two years she had struggled with her feelings of betrayal and the financial albatross around her neck. To date, she hadn’t won either battle.
“We can work something out,” Shirley said into the growing silence. “Bottom line, I need help. The agency’s grown too much for me to handle alone. I need someone whom I can trust and who will do a good job.” She paused with a chuckle. “Kasey Ellis immediately came to mind.”
“While those words are so good for my ego, I’m still not sure I’m the right person. After all—”
This time it was Shirley who interrupted. “After all nothing. Remember we go back a long way, and I know what you’re capable of doing.”
In retrospect, she knew Shirley was right. She had introduced Kasey to the world of advertising, having given her her first job during high school. Kasey had worked summers for her. Although a decade plus separated them in age, they had become friends. While they had lost touch over the intervening years, Kasey had not forgotten Shirley or how much she had taught her about the business.
Shirley had gone on to insist she come to Rushmore, see the agency, then they would talk. Kasey had done just that, impressed far beyond her wildest imagination at Shirley’s accomplishments. Maybe the fact that she’d devoted herself to her career, choosing never to marry and have a family, had been the contributing factor to her success in the business world.
“Having seen what I’m all about, are you interested?” Shirley had asked several days later over coffee in the small kitchen in the rear of the agency.
Kasey hadn’t answered immediately, studying Shirley from under long thick lashes. The years had been kind to her friend. Though fifty-two, she could pass for forty-two. Her dark, grayless hair was short and stylish. Her complexion was flawless, and her hazel eyes were deep and lovely. The designer suit she wore made the most of her tall buxom figure. Kasey couldn’t imagine how she’d managed to remain single.
“So, what’s the verdict?”
Shirley’s question jarred Kasey back to the moment. “Actually, I’m in awe and slightly overwhelmed.”
Not only was the agency housed in a plush high-rise office complex, it had become the largest and most successful firm in the city with a more than adequate staff. The idea that she would ever be a part of something so successful was more than Kasey could take in.
As if Shirley sensed Kasey’s inner struggle, she chuckled, then said, “Don’t make this more complicated than it is. Just take the opportunity at face value and run with it.”
That was exactly what she’d done. That day they had worked out terms of a contract and Kasey had made the move. Now, six months later, she was sowing what she had so hastily reaped. She should have known when something appeared to be too good to be true, it usually was.
Like she’d told Gallain, she had been assured by Shirley that the agency was solvent and thriving. Shortly after her arrival in Rushmore, the sure thing Shirley had dangled like a carrot hadn’t borne out.
Hence, Kasey had felt betrayed once again by someone she trusted. She had been in the process of weighing her options, but now, with Shirley’s sudden demise, her options were clear. She had no choice but to close the floundering agency and seek work elsewhere.
Kasey’s emotions suddenly surged and that queasy feeling returned to her stomach. What had seemed so wonderful and challenging had turned into a hideous nightmare that showed no signs of ending.
Beside her the phone rang; she flinched. When she checked the caller ID and saw who it was, her bleak situation suddenly brightened. It was her son Brock calling from Waco where he was a freshman at Baylor University.
“Hey, darling, I’m so glad you called,” she said to her son, her voice breaking.
“Mom, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
She should’ve been more careful. Since his dad’s death, she had forgotten how Brock had matured far beyond his eighteen years and how intuitive he had become where she was concerned.
“No, but it hasn’t been one of my better days.” Although she loathed the thought of telling her son what had happened, she had no choice. She didn’t want him to hear the gory details of Shirley’s death and her innocent involvement from some other source.
“What happened?” he demanded in such a manly, take-charge tone that tears gathered in her eyes.
These last few months, he had been the force that had kept her from sinking into a dark hole of despair.
“Shirley was murdered tonight,” she finally said.
“Holy shit!”
She probably should’ve protested his choice of words, but she didn’t, especially when she agreed with his assessment of the situation. “There’s more, Brock. I saw it happen.”
“Holy shit,” he muttered again. “I’m on my way home, Mom.”
Suddenly she panicked, the blood in her veins turning to ice. “Don’t you dare.”
“Why not?”
He sounded shocked and offended and well he should. She couldn’t ever remember a time when she’d discouraged him from coming home. Never was she more content and happier than when he was asleep in his bed under her roof. Now, more than ever, nothing would right her upside down world like the sight of her son and the chance to give him a big hug.
Under the present circumstances, however, she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.
“I’m afraid, that’s why,” she admitted without hesitation. “I don’t want you involved in any of this.”
“Ah, that’s not going to happen.”
“I know that, son. Still, I think it best you stay away from me for a while.” She paused. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”
She paused as hot tears scalded her face, having just voiced her worst fear.
Three
“I don’t approve.”
Tanner Hart gave his attorney, friend and political advisor an off-center smile that bordered on sarcasm. “Thanks for your support.”
“What did you expect?” Jack Milstead countered, his round, fair-skinned features etched in a frown that drew attention to his shiny pink cheekbones.
Tanner stretched his lean, taut body as far back in the small chair as it would allow, searching for a more comfortable position. In between working all hours of the night, he’d vented his frustrations on his gym equipment at home; he suspected he’d overdone it.
He and Jack had decided to meet in a coffee shop instead of one of their offices for their weekly get-together. Since he hadn’t slept much, he needed some strong stuff to jump-start his day.
This place was one of his favorite haunts, a small, privately owned and operated coffee shop. The smell of flavored coffees and fresh baked breads and pastries always made his mouth water. Thank goodness it wasn’t all that frantic this morning. They had found a table in the back, and for the moment, the area belonged to them.
“No way can I give such a foolhardy stunt my blessings,” Jack added, a pulse leaping in his jaw. “Not at this stage of the game, anyway.”
“Are you about to lecture me, Jack?”
“If that’s what it takes.”
Tanner curbed a sigh. How could he tell his friend to give it a rest, that he knew what he was doing? But crossing Jack was no easy feat, not when he thought he knew best. And most of the time he did, Tanner conceded. Hell, if it hadn’t been for Milstead, he wouldn’t even be in the race for the Texas Senate.
Jack lived for politics, though he’d never had the desire to run for office himself. “I work best behind the scenes,” he’d told Tanner, “grooming young men like you to run this great state.”
In his late sixties, Milstead was a self-made man who had gotten into the nursing home business at the right time and was now a millionaire several times over.
Tanner had met him and his wife, Sissy, and son, Ralph, before he’d married Norma. They had been old and dear friends of hers. He and Jack had hit it off immediately and in turn had become friends. Tanner guessed he admired and respected him more than anyone else he knew. Holding on to his approval was terribly important to him.
“Cat got your tongue, boy?” Jack demanded, leaning forward, his eyebrows drawn together in a fierce frown.
Tanner fingered his tie, feeling the humidity as though he were outside. Or perhaps it was his mentor’s intense scrutiny that made him uncomfortable. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t the smartest move I’ve ever made, and probably not great timing, but I felt it was a necessary evil.”
“For a man without any political experience, but who’s entering the final leg of the race, you just don’t go firing your ad agency.”
“Why not?” Tanner asked, his deep voice even and cool.
“Because it could spell political suicide, that’s why.”
“I disagree,” Tanner said with vigor, though his confidence did erode somewhat under Jack’s piercing gaze. Still, he defended his actions. “The agency wasn’t doing Jack-shit.” He broke off with another grin. “No pun intended, of course.”
Jack flapped his hand, then ran it though his thick graying hair and on down to his mustache. “Yeah, yeah.”
“Anyhow,” Tanner continued, his tone once again abrupt and all business, “it’ll work out. Besides, it’s a done deal. The Randolph Agency in Dallas is history.”
Jack’s scowl didn’t lessen. “Well, done deals can be undone. In the political world that’s an everyday occurrence.”
“But not in my world.” Tanner’s tone was rigid. “I make a decision, I stick to it. Just like I’ve stuck to the issues that I feel passionate about.”
That last pointed remark brought a flush to Jack’s already heated features, and he cursed. To date, issues had been the only bone of contention between the two men. Jack had wanted to have a large say in Tanner’s platform. And Tanner had indulged him up to a point. But then, he’d had to step in and take charge, realizing that it took fire in one’s belly to win big. In order to start that fire and get it roaring, Tanner had to stick to his own convictions.
“All right, I’ll keep my mouth shut and hope you know what you’re doing. What does Irene say about it?”
Irene Sullivan was his campaign manager who had hired the agency in the first place.
“I don’t know. I haven’t told her.”
“My guess is she’ll shit a brick.”
“Probably. Maybe then she’ll feel better.”
Jack grunted. “Funny. Actually, she’s the one you needed to dump. She’s too much in-your-face, too ballsy to suit me. I don’t know how the two of you keep from butting heads on a daily basis.”
“We have our moments,” Tanner said, “that’s for sure. But overall, she does a good job. She has a mind like a steel trap, and you know how well-traveled she is in the political arena. That adds to her value.”
“How ’bout the fact that she’s a looker? Are you telling me that doesn’t fit into the equation?”
“I’m not screwing her, Jack, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“I bet it’s not from lack of trying on her part.”
“How did we get off on this topic of conversation anyway?” Tanner lost his patience. “I can and will handle Irene, keep the bit in her mouth, if need be. So don’t worry.”
“As long as she does the job,” Jack mumbled, “I guess that’s all that matters.”
Tanner sipped on his coffee. “Like it or not, her strategy, along with yours and lots of others, has turned me into a viable candidate.”
“Not a damned easy task, either,” Jack muttered with a fleeting grin.
Tanner tightened the harsh planes of his face. “No one knows that better than me. I’ll never forget that day you approached me and asked if I was interested in politics. I thought you’d lost your mind.”
“That fateful day wasn’t all that long ago, my friend,” Jack mused, taking a drink of his coffee.
“It seems like forever. What with trying to jockey my business and my leap into politics, I often wonder what hit me. At times, it’s almost driven me over the edge.”
“Firing the Randolph Agency was apparently one of those times.” As if sensing Tanner was about to fire back, Jack raised his hand in a token of peace. “Sorry, didn’t mean to resurrect that dead horse.”
“Good, because you’re right, it’s dead. What you don’t know is that I’ve had to continually kick butt behind the scenes on practically everything they’ve done—media ads, slogans, posters, letters. You name it. But the real pisser has been the name recognition factor, key to my beating an incumbent. You’ve drilled that into me from day one. Somehow I never got that point across to that agency.”
“In defense of them, you’re a perfectionist and a hands-on kind of guy. That makes you hard to work for and with. I don’t see that changing with another agency.”
Tanner shrugged before a grin tugged his lips downward. “True, but I’d still like for someone else to do the grunt work, especially with this new project I’m working on.”
Since he was a longshot for the senate seat in District 2, it wouldn’t be wise to let his lucrative developing company suffer. It was his success in the business world that had been the springboard for this venture into politics, an asset that had escaped him until Jack had approached him.
Like he’d told Jack, keeping both his company and his political career afloat hadn’t been easy. They had consumed him. He was either working or campaigning 24/7. Not a bad thing, he guessed, especially since his wife’s death he had no one to go home to. Work had become a panacea for his loneliness.
“Have you thought about getting someone to mind the company store, so to speak?” Jack said into the short silence. “I don’t need to remind you what a formidable candidate Buck Butler is.”
“As in ruthless as hell.”
“That goes with the territory.”
When Tanner didn’t respond, Jack went on, “Sometimes I don’t think you have the stomach for politics.”
Tanner scowled. “Now’s a hell of a time to tell me that.”
Jack chuckled. “You’re honest to a goddamn fault, Hart.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Don’t, because Butler’s sure as hell not. He’s conniving and determined. And in the political arena, that can be a winning combination.”
Tanner leaned inward and jabbed his friend with brown eyes that had turned black with anger. “So are you trying to tell me something, Jack? That you’re sorry you supported me?”
“You know better than that,” Jack said, clearly backtracking. “I’m just keeping you on your toes, that’s all. Readying you for the grueling months ahead.”
“We’ve been friends long enough for you to know that I can punch below the belt with the best of ’em. And will if I have to.”
That was true. You couldn’t grow up the way he had, in and out of the foster care system because his mother’s love for the bottle far outweighed her love for him, and not learn a few underhanded tricks. He’d done a lot of things he wasn’t proud of, had his share of battle scars, but he’d learned from his mistakes, or so he hoped.
“Maybe you’re right,” Jack was saying. “Maybe you won’t have to stoop to his level and can hold to the high road. With your good looks, easy smile, razor-sharp mind and iron will to succeed, you just might whip Butler up-front and center instead of in the trenches.”
“Only time will tell,” Tanner responded in a suddenly tired voice.
“So do you have another agency in mind? Maybe a local one this time. The Parker firm would’ve been a good choice if that Parker woman hadn’t gotten killed in that parking garage.” Jack paused, his expression turning grim. “I still can’t believe that happened. What could that woman have possibly been involved in that cost her her life?”
“I have no idea,” Tanner said, “but it’s an awful thing. That’s one funeral I have to attend.”
“You knew her, huh?”
“Yeah,” Tanner acknowledged offhandedly, pointedly peering at his watch. “As much as I’d like to stay and shoot the shit, I’ve got to go. I have meetings lined up the rest of the day.”
Jack reached for the bill. “The coffee’s on me. You keep me posted.”
Tanner stood. “That goes without saying.”
The strong smell of coffee still filled his nostrils long after Tanner got back to his office in a plush complex on the west side of town. The affluent side, he reminded himself with a smirk of sorts, thanks in part to Norma Tisdale, his deceased wife.
When he’d married her his senior year in college, many an eyebrow had raised in that small college town. She’d been ten years his senior and from a very prestigious and wealthy family. He, on the other hand, had been a nobody who’d been raised on the wrong side of the tracks.
The two weren’t supposed to mix. But they had and very well, too. He knew Norma had died a happy woman despite the pain she had suffered from her heart condition. He had no regrets, having been faithful in his care of her to the day she died. She had rewarded him by leaving him the bulk of her estate. That had been seven years ago.
During those years, he had used the money wisely, and at the age of forty, he was a wealthy man in his own right. And while he seemed to have it all—looks, wealth, power—there was something missing from his life.
Love. He loved no one and no one loved him.
Even so, he didn’t feel sorry for himself. He simply buried himself in his work. For now, and maybe forever, that was enough.
You’re fucked.
Those words were like a litany inside his skull. He stopped his pacing and placed his middle fingers against his throbbing temples and pressed. Long after he’d removed the fingers, the pounding continued. He needed a fix badly in order to get hold of himself. Pushing the panic button wouldn’t do him one ounce of good. It would only serve to bring about his downfall.
He wasn’t sorry he’d killed her. The bitch deserved exactly what she’d gotten and then some.
He was just sorry he might’ve gotten caught. Might. That was the key word, the word he’d clung to during the hours since he’d committed the act, since he’d bolted from the parking garage and disappeared into the shadows.
She had seemed to come out of nowhere. If he’d had one more minute, he could’ve made a clean hit and getaway. Everything had been planned down to the smallest detail, only to have her mess it up. He’d entered the garage long before Shirley had made her appearance and waited. Alone and silent, he had been confident his plan would come off without a hitch.
Dammit, it almost had, too.
Afterward, with his heart beating out of his chest and his teeth knocking together, he’d driven to his sister’s house instead of his. He’d unlocked the door and walked in, only to pull up short. Flora had rolled her wheelchair to the table and was drinking a glass of milk.
“Sorry, sis, I thought you’d be in bed,” he said for a lack of a better explanation, “or I would’ve knocked.”
“No, you wouldn’t have.” She angled her head to one side, her greasy, gray curls bobbing with her. “But it doesn’t matter, or I wouldn’t have given you a key.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled, feeling his heart settle back in rhythm. He should be kicked for coming here, for perhaps involving her and further endangering himself in the process. He couldn’t remember his mother, and his father was dead. His sister was his only living relative, and following the auto accident that left her chained to a wheelchair, he’d done all he could to better her situation. But he could only go so far and no farther. Some things she would not allow him to do, like move her to a larger, nicer place.
The house, so tiny it was stifling, was a battlefield between filth and illness. Dusty old newspapers and magazines littered the threadbare linoleum floor. Roaches feasted on the leftovers in the dishes cluttering the cabinets. The smell of stale piss overpowered the air-fresheners he’d placed in the light sockets.
“What happened?”
Flora’s scratchy voice pulled him out of his daze. Nothing out of the ordinary, sis. I just shot a woman and killed her. No big deal.
“You look like shit.”
Color stung his face at the scorn in her voice. “I had a bad day at work,” he muttered.
“I have a feeling it’s more than that. Have you been drinking?”
He took a deep shuddering breath. “I wish.”
“There’s some beer in the fridge. Help yourself.”
Beer, hell. He needed something much stronger, but he couldn’t tell her that. “Uh, maybe later.”
She gave him another odd look. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’ll be all right. I just stopped by to check on you.”
“You’re lying,” she said in a cracked voice. “But that’s okay. I’m used to it.”
His temper sparked, but he didn’t fire back. No matter how much he did for her, it was never enough. She had become an embittered, shriveled up old woman with an ax to grind.
“I’m going to bed. Lock the door behind you.”
“Thanks, sis.” His words were coated in sarcasm. “I know I can always count on you.”
She gave him another long look, then wheeled herself out of the room. He didn’t know how long he stood there, the creak in the wheels sending a chill through him.
It was only after he heard the wailing of a siren in the distance that he moved. He fled Flora’s house and drove down every country road he knew. Finally exhaustion forced him to his rented mobile home.
Now, as he continued to pace the floor, he peered at the clock on the secretary in the den. If she’d seen him, he would have been arrested by now. The fact that he hadn’t was a good sign. Suddenly he stopped pacing, feeling his muscles uncoil.
He’d done himself right by waiting, by gambling that she hadn’t seen his face. He threw his head back and laughed. Quite possibly he’d pulled off the perfect murder. His laughter grew in volume. After all, he had an insurance policy.
He knew her.
Four
F ollowing the release of Shirley’s body by the authorities, she was finally being laid to rest. If the number of people attending the funeral was anything to judge by, that was the place to be. It seemed as if half the townfolk had made an appearance at the chapel, perhaps in hopes of viewing Shirley’s bullet-ridden body.
If that were the case, then they were disappointed as the casket had been closed. And well it should have been, Kasey thought, standing to one side at the grave-side services that had immediately followed the memorial tribute. Though not nearly as congested as the service proper, a goodly number had made the trip to the cemetery.
Shirley apparently had built herself a fine reputation in the community, both as a civic leader and business-woman. Still, Kasey suspected the majority of attendees were there out of morbid curiosity.
Kasey had known that Shirley’s parents were deceased and that she had no siblings. Hence, the only two family members in attendance were two cousins. She had met them earlier and expressed her condolences.
Now, as she forced herself to listen to the final words of the minister, Kasey lowered her gaze, wishing once again that this horrible chapter in her life was behind her.
When she finally looked up, she saw Detective Gallain among the mourners. Her instinct told her he wouldn’t leave until he spoke to her. She was right.
“Hello, Mrs. Ellis,” he said a short time later.
Though a feeling of dread surrounded her, Kasey maintained her composure. “Good afternoon, Detective.”
“Are you feeling better?” he asked, the uncomfortably warm sun catching the frayed corner of his tie, drawing attention to his disheveled appearance.
Kasey nodded as she dwelled on that simple flaw while waiting for him to say what was on his mind. This was his show. She had nothing new to contribute to the investigation.
“I just wanted to let you know I’ll be around to your office soon to interview the employees.”
“That will be fine, only the agency’s closed for the rest of the week.” Kasey heard the stiffness in her tone, but couldn’t control it. “Out of respect for Shirley.”
Gallain narrowed his eyes on her. “Speaking of Ms. Parker, have you thought of anything else that might help catch her killer?”
“I’m sorry, no.”
“I’m not giving up on you, Mrs. Ellis. You’re still our best hope of solving this brutal crime.”
“I know you feel that way. And I wish I could be of more help. I feel terrible because I can’t give you the magic words that would nail the creep.”
“Just so you don’t stop trying.”
Did he expect her to dwell on that tragedy? Replay it in her mind in hopes something might click? Apparently so. But she refused to do that, though at night when she closed her eyes, Shirley’s body was what she saw. The scene haunted her. If she let it consume her days as well, it would be impossible to maintain her focus and her sanity.
“No small incidents to report?” Gallain pressed.
“Detective Spiller’s watching my house.”
“Right, but there are other ways to scare the hell out of someone.” Gallain’s gaze didn’t waver. “Like phone calls, for instance.”
“Nothing like that has happened.” Kasey paused and pushed her shades closer on the bridge of her nose, trying to block out the blinding sunlight. “But I have to say, this all has me really spooked.”
“Well it should. Until the killer is apprehended we won’t know for sure he didn’t see you. It wouldn’t be wise for you to drop your guard.”
“No one knows that better than me, Detective.”
“Later, then.”
Kasey could only nod, her throat suddenly too tight to speak as she watched Gallain make his way to the unmarked car and get in. In that moment, he reminded her of the bumbling, fumbling Detective Colombo. Sly as a fox and persistent as the devil. And never failing to get the bad guy.
It was after she paid her final condolences to Shirley’s cousins that she saw him. At first she tried to pretend her eyes were playing tricks on her, that the sun’s rays had caused her to misfocus. But when he strode toward her, he filled her vision with solid clarity.
Tanner Hart.
The bottom dropped out of her stomach. She had hoped this day would never come. He was the last person she wanted to see. Ever. But the way her luck had gone these past few days and months, she shouldn’t have been surprised. Still, it was unfair. Two major blows to the heart in a matter of days were too much.
Kasey longed to turn and run like the coward she was. Only it was too late. Also, her dignity was at stake. The fact she hadn’t seen him in almost nineteen years gave her the courage to hold her ground. No longer were they stupid young college students. She certainly wasn’t and from the looks of him, neither was he. Far from it.
He looked the success she knew him to be. It hadn’t escaped her that he was vying for a Texas senate seat, though she refused to read any of the details of his campaign rhetoric. However, if she’d known he resided in Rushmore proper, and not some other county in the district, she might not have been so quick to take Shirley up on her offer.
Once she’d realized he was in town, she had assured herself they wouldn’t run into each other, that their lives were on different tracks, both socially and financially. Apparently she’d been naive or had buried her head in the sand. Or both, because he was in front of her, staring at her out of those dark, probing eyes.
“Hello, Kasey.”
That deep, sexy voice hadn’t changed. It still had the power to jolt her. Actually, very little about him had changed. He was a mature version of the young man she’d known in college. Maybe his angular features had a few more battle lines, but those were an attraction rather than a detraction. His sun-streaked brown hair remained thick and shiny without any hint of gray, despite the fact that he was forty.
“It’s been a long time,” he commented into the growing and somewhat hostile silence.
“Yes, it has.”
“You’re looking well.”
“So are you.” Kasey didn’t know when she’d carried on such a stilted conversation.
“You’re living here now, right?”
“Yes.” His cologne continued to roll over her in waves. She held her breath for a second, then released it. “How did you know?”
“Does it matter?”
“Not really,” she said in a cool tone, not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had disconcerted her.
“I’m sorry about Mark. I know my condolences are long overdue, but—” He let the rest of his sentence go unsaid.
“Thanks,” she said in a sharper tone than she intended.
If he picked up on that sharpness, he didn’t let on. Instead he continued in that same smooth tone, “How’s your son?”
Her heart wrenched, though she didn’t so much as move. “He’s great.”
“And in college.”
Kasey didn’t know if he’d asked a question or stated a fact. “He just finished his freshman year at Baylor.”
“Good for him.”
Their eyes met for another millisecond, but that was enough to up the already crackling tension between them. Kasey glanced away from his disturbing gaze, then fidgeted under the boiling sun and the intense humidity. Her body seemed on fire, taking a decent breath impossible. In truth, she suspected the climate had little to do with her discomfort.
“How did you know Shirley?” he asked.
“You mean you don’t know?”
Color darkened his face. “No. Regardless of what you think, I haven’t been spying on you, Kasey. I just knew you’d moved back. That’s all.”
She fidgeted silently and didn’t respond.
“So did you know the deceased well?”
“Well enough. She had taken me on as a partner,” she said through tight lips, wanting this conversation to end. She had already told him far too much.
“My God, I’m so sorry. You must be going through a tough time right now.”
“I’ve had better days.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
She quelled her panic and forced her voice to show none of her conflicting emotions. “No, thanks. I’m going to be all right.”
“Are you going to remain here and run the agency?”
Obviously he wasn’t aware that she’d witnessed her partner’s murder. She wasn’t prepared to tell him, either. The less he knew about her and her business, the better.
“I’m not sure yet.” And she wasn’t. Granted, she and Shirley had a binding partnership agreement, and by law the agency should become hers, but that was nothing to brag about. It appeared she had inherited an albatross instead of an asset. However, she saw no reason to share those thoughts with Tanner, either.
All that was important to her was putting distance between the two of them. God forbid that another happenstance meeting should occur. As it was, she was barely keeping her head above water.
“Look, it was good to see you,” she said, anxious to get away. “But I really have to go.” Kasey had taken several steps when he spoke, stopping her.
“Would you mind if I stopped by the agency?”
Her heart took a nosedive before she swung around.
As if he sensed she was about to give him a negative response, he added, “I have a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you.”
Frustration chewed on him.
Richard Gallain cursed under his breath as he sat at his desk, paperwork piled high around him. In fact, his entire office seemed nothing but a mountain of freaking paper. He was working his ass off without any positive results.
The Parker murder had his guts tied in a knot. If he could crack that case, then he just might have a shot at the Chief of Detective position that had recently opened. Passing the written test would be a no brainer, but that wasn’t all that factored into the job. He had to be a damned good detective to make the promotion.
Solving this murder was what he needed to boost him upstairs. In order to do that, he needed Kasey Ellis to come through for him. He couldn’t help but think she knew something vital to the case, though he didn’t think she was holding back on purpose.
She was scared shitless, and he could appreciate that. However, he had reached the conclusion that the killer hadn’t seen her, or he would’ve made a move to silence her. But he wasn’t ready to take Spiller off protective watch, not just yet, anyway. Better to be safe than sorry.
The buzzer on his desk sounded. He scrambled to reach the phone underneath all the clutter. The chief’s line blinked back at him. He groaned, knowing he was about to be called into the inner sanctum. He was right.
Minutes later Gallain was seated in Chief Harold Clayton’s office, eyeing the chief from his position behind his desk. He was a big, meaty man with features to match, including oversized earlobes. When agitated, he had a habit of fingering one or both of them.
“So what’s the latest?” Clayton demanded in his booming voice.
Gallain knew what case he was referring to. For the time being, it seemed the entire department was consumed with the Parker woman’s murder. That was why he felt the urgent need to break the case himself. Now.
“I’m working on it,” Gallain responded, managing to keep his voice even despite his coiled nerves.
“Apparently not hard enough.”
“It was a clean hit.”
“Yeah, yeah, so I’ve been told. But we both know there are no perfect murders.”
Gallain felt the color drain from his face. He didn’t like the idea that he was being called on the carpet for something that wasn’t his fault. And there sure as hell were perfect murders. They were carried out every day and the chief knew that. So what kind of crap was he pulling?
“Are you up to the task, Gallain?”
His stomach clenched, but he didn’t let on. “Of course.”
“Then get results. Someone’s on the mayor’s ass. He in turn is on mine. Therefore I’m on yours. Get the picture?”
Gallain tightened his lips, then nodded.
“Several new industries are looking at our fair city to relocate. Unsolved murders don’t sit well with visiting businessmen. So we need to wrap this up in the win column without further delay.”
Gallain stood. “You got it.”
“What’s the latest with the Ellis woman? Bring me up-to-date on her.”
“I’m pressing her as hard as I dare. Either she didn’t see anything or she saw something and the trauma has forced it into her subconscious.”
“Well, don’t let up on her.” He paused. “How ’bout Parker herself? Have you found any skeletons in her closet?”
“Not yet, although I haven’t talked to her employees yet. Her family didn’t know anything. In fact, they couldn’t wait to bury her and then haul ass.”
“Keep me posted, up close and personal. Like I just said, I don’t like getting leaned on.”
Me, either, Gallain almost said. If he pissed off the chief, that would nix any hope of a promotion, regardless if he solved the case or not. He couldn’t chance that. For the time being, he might have to eat a little shit, but in the end he would prevail.
“You can count on me, Chief.”
Clayton flicked his hand. “Then get out of here and get to work.”
Pulsuz fraqment bitdi.
