Good Bones, page 20
“Not offhand. Why?”
Katherine hesitated and Parker jumped in. “Connie and I want to thank him in person for trying to help.”
“I can check.” Isabelle leaned forward with an eager light in her eyes. “Now tell me more about this documentary.”
****
Jake texted Katherine with an invitation to dinner at his house after the meeting. As soon as he opened the door, Whiskers wrapped himself around her legs. Katherine leaned over to scratch his ears and then motioned toward the parlor. “Any news from you-know-who?”
“Not even a single degree drop in temperature,” said Jake. “Why don’t we eat dinner first before we go inside?”
They went to the kitchen. Most of the cabinets had been removed. The refrigerator was still plugged in next to a folding table holding a hotplate, toaster oven and coffeemaker. As Jake dished out spaghetti from a pot on the hotplate, Katherine described the meeting with Isabelle Addams.
“What’s your opinion of her?” asked Jake.
“I’m in awe. She built the whole program from nothing, plus she’s gung-ho on the documentary. Not that I had any doubt with both April and Parker in the room. Between Parker’s charm and April persistence, those two could convince the Pope to officiate at a gay wedding.”
“So you’re in?”
“Yup, and,” Katherine added with a grin, “I want to help Isabelle get additional funding for Safe Harbor, so I don’t feel guilty about taking advantage of her goodwill. Win-win. She’s giving me a tour of the halfway house.”
“When do you go?” Jake asked.
“Saturday morning.” She took another bite of spaghetti. “This is really good.”
Jake wore a look of pretended affront. “Why sound so surprised I can cook?”
“Because your kitchen qualifies as a disaster zone. I keep expecting to see a FEMA trailer parked in the backyard.”
“It’s amazing what you can do on a hotplate.”
“I could have brought dinner, but this is much nicer.”
“Sawdust and all?”
“Sawdust and all.”
Jake’s cell rang, and he glanced at the display. “It’s Ethan.”
As he answered the call, Katherine rose to refill her glass with iced tea. When she sat back down, Whiskers jumped into her lap. She stroked him absentmindedly, regarding Jake with growing curiosity. The conversation certainly captured his interest. Ethan did most of the talking. Jake posed an occasional terse question. His expression remained thoughtful, but the gleam in his eyes hinted something was definitely up.
He ended the call, and Katherine raised an eyebrow. “Trouble?”
“No, but I have two pieces of interesting news. First, Ethan said Saldana didn’t email Ingalls with news of my suspension. It’s possible the chief slipped the information. Ingalls called Saldana to say he heard I’d been involved in a police chase and seemed to fish for details. She asked Ethan why Ingalls had it in for me. Ethan said I had suspicions Ingalls wasn’t totally legit.”
Katherine’s excitement rose. “That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yes, if Saldana already has doubts concerning Ingalls’ behavior, it will be easier for us to convince her to open an investigation into him when we get solid evidence.”
“You said there were two pieces of news.”
“Ethan tracked down Lacey’s boyfriend, Gavin, the guy from the bus stop. They had, let’s say, a short, fairly vocal relationship.”
“Let me take a wild guess,” said Katherine, tongue in cheek. “No violence, but tons of drama?”
“You nailed it. Gavin worked for a local electric company. Remember the late season ice storm in Tennessee that caused all the damage? The company offered to send people from here to supplement the workforce on the downed lines. Gavin volunteered to go. That jumpstarted an argument as the dumb ass happened to mention his ex-girlfriend lived in the stricken area. A few days later, Lacey called him and left a message. According to our timeline, that was the last time anyone heard from Lacey Calder.”
Katherine shook her head. “Why didn’t he contact the police sooner?”
“Lacey had reason to be jealous. Gavin immediately hooked up again with his ex. He took a new job at an electric company in Tennessee and only returned to Sandy Shoals to empty his apartment and move his things. He didn’t call Lacey back or learn she was dead. Fortunately, he listened to the message before deleting it.”
Katherine leaned in. “What did it say?”
“Lots of people talking in the background, Gavin said it was hard to hear. Then Lacey shouts over the noise, ‘Hope you’re happy with the skank because I’m having much more fun without you. I have to go. My date is getting impatient.’ ”
Katherine drew in a breath. “A man was with her.”
“And we both know who,” said Jake. “Given Lacey’s social habits, she was probably at a club. If we can track down the location, we might find a witness who saw Ingalls and Lacey together. That’s solid evidence he hid their relationship. After Isabelle Addams confirms Ingalls knew Tiffani, too, we can take everything to the lieutenant. It’ll be enough to open an investigation.”
Katherine’s fingers tapped a beat on the table. “There must be scores of places along the coast.”
“Yeah, but it’s a new lead.” Jake placed his hand on top of hers, stilling the impatient beat.
His gentle grip held comforting warmth. “Optimism from Jake Sumner?”
“We’re getting closer, Katherine. I feel it.”
Katherine startled as Whiskers jumped from her lap. He scampered across the floor and then paused to peer over his shoulder as if to say, “Well? Aren’t you coming?” She exchanged a wary glance with Jake and then in unison both rose from their seats and chased after Whiskers. He darted down the hall to the French doors. Without pausing, Whiskers bolted into the parlor.
Katherine drew Jake to a halt in the foyer and cocked her head. Muffled musical tones wafted around them, and her brow wrinkled in a puzzled frown. “Do you own a stereo?”
“It’s packed in a box,” Jake said. “Why?”
“I hear music coming from inside.”
Chapter 22
They entered the parlor. Whiskers sat in his basket under the mirror, gazing at them with an inscrutable feline air. Katherine eyed the rumpled blankets and pillows on the couch with unexpected irritation. Jake was sleeping here? So what? Why should it bother me? Bethany’s hardly a rival.
Jake went directly to the center of the room. “I don’t hear any music.”
Katherine tore her gaze from the couch and strained to listen. The distant chords of a guitar faded in and out. “A guitar…a man singing, but I can’t make out words.”
As if an amp suddenly switched on high, the music’s volume soared to deafening levels. Katherine grimaced. Man, it was loud. She could barely think with the racket. Jake turned to her, mouth moving, but none of his words were audible over the pounding beat.
Katherine touched the mirror. “Bethany?” she shouted. “I can’t hear you.”
The room was dark. Strobe lights in the ceiling cast dizzying flashes across the dance floor.
“The man over there wants to buy you a drink.”
Lacey Calder sat on a stool as the bartender gestured toward the other end of the bar. She leaned forward, dolphin necklace dangling in front of her cleavage. Katherine craned her neck to see who captured Lacey’s attention, but the room was too crowded. Lacey tossed back her hair, flashed a broad smile at someone, and then turned to the bartender. “I’ll have a shot of your most expensive whiskey.”
The lights spun in a maddening whirl. The music increased in pitch and tempo. People raced by in an indistinct blur as if something gave time an impatient shove ahead. As quickly as it began, the odd temporal disturbance ended. Blurs became distinct shapes once more, the focus sharpened until Katherine discerned individual people. A singer on the stage with a guitar wailed into a microphone. “You can lead me to the water, but can’t wash my sins away…” He ended the song on a complex riff, and the audience roared approval.
“Thank you,” said the singer. “This is an awesome crowd.”
“Hope you’re happy with the skank, because I’m having so much more fun without you.” Lacey walked across the dance floor holding a cellphone to her ear. “I have to go. My date is getting impatient.” With a smug smile, she dropped the phone in her purse and then pushed her way through the crowd. Katherine followed as she made a beeline for a side exit.
Jeremy stood outside the door. His face lit up with a wide smile. “There you are. I thought you changed your mind.”
Lacey’s smile mimicked his. “Not a chance. I just had to powder my nose. So where’s this party?”
“No!” Katherine screamed. “Run!” She reached out to grab Lacey, but her hand went through the woman’s shoulder. With a cry of pain, Katherine clutched her fingers to her chest. They stung with an icy chill.
Jeremy tucked Lacey’s arm in the crook of his elbow. “Not far. My car is over here.”
Katherine jumped in front of Lacey. “Don’t go with him!” Lacey’s stride didn’t falter. She passed through Katherine like her body was vapor. Katherine staggered, gasping for air, as a blast of arctic cold tore the breath from her lungs.
Lacey and Jeremy went directly to a dark blue sedan on the outskirts of the crowded parking lot. He opened the passenger door and with a gracious sweep of the arm gestured her inside.
Katherine watched in helpless rage. The futility of her actions bore down like a crushing weight. Lacey Calder’s life had been over for weeks. Nothing she did now could change the outcome.
Kathy… Her grandfather’s voice whispered in her ear. For an instant, it almost felt as if a gentle hand rested on her shoulder. Tell Jake what you see.
Katherine staggered across the asphalt, legs moving as if strung with lead weights.
The engine turned over. Jeremy backed from the parking space and straightened the wheels.
Hurry, Kathy.
Katherine shambled to a halt in the middle of the lane. The vehicle accelerated straight at her. Illumination from a streetlight at the exit picked up Jeremy behind the wheel. He spoke to Lacey and brandished a charming smile. She fiddled with the dolphin pendant around her neck and laughed.
Katherine braced, gritting her teeth. The car bumper flew through her legs, and pain washed over her in a wave. Katherine’s body floated by the front seat, the back, the trunk. Shards of icy cold plucked at her skin as if they were fingers made from glass. She gasped at an agonizing jolt. A shovel in the trunk with a rusty red blade went into the front of her knees and out the other side without leaving a mark.
Katherine turned around as the rear bumper sped by, the license plate now clearly visible, Florida tag KK7-29H.
Lights blurred, dimmed, and then sharpened into focus again. Katherine blinked. She was in a paneled room. On one side was a computer monitor. Attached to a wall were license plates from New York and Florida. From four, dangled a piece of jewelry; a silver cross, a diamond pendent, a filigree locket, and one pair of long, gaudy gold earrings.
The door opened. Jeremy entered with a hammer and a Florida license plate in hand, KK7-29H. He nailed it to the wall next to the others, and then reached inside a pocket to retrieve a necklace with a dolphin charm. Jeremy looped it over the plate and then stood back with a faint smile playing about his lips. He flicked the dolphin with a finger and it swung back and forth. “That’s my good girl.”
The lights went out.
****
“Kathy!”
Jake’s voice came from very far away.
“Kathy, damn it, answer me!”
Comforting warmth surrounded her. Katherine opened her eyes. She was in the parlor again with Jake’s arms holding tight, her head against his chest. She straightened with a gasp. “I saw him. I saw Jeremy with Lacey. Same car, but he switches license plates.”
Jake led her to the sofa. “Sit before you fall.”
Katherine sagged into the cushions. Whiskers jumped into her lap while Jake sat next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. “Tell me what you saw.”
Katherine drew a steadying breath. She described the vision, straining to recall the tiniest detail. Words spilled out before they faded from memory. Finally, she leaned against Jake with a sigh and rubbed her temples. “That’s all I remember.”
“It’s enough for now,” said Jake. “Did you notice the name of the bar?”
“No.”
“How about the band? I might be able to track them through local music venues.”
“No, sorry.” She swallowed back a lump in her throat. “Jake, there were so many license plates, at least a dozen, most from New York—only five pieces of jewelry though, including Lacey’s.”
“Let’s hope that means he only upped his game to murder when he returned to Florida and didn’t leave a trail of bodies up north.” Jake rested his cheek on her head. “Ingalls’ secret is out now.”
“We still have no proof,” she moaned, “and no way to stop him.”
“We have more information. Ethan can run the plate numbers and may get a hit. We’ll check with New York, get police reports. I’m willing to bet we also uncover a string of sexual assaults, maybe DNA evidence.”
Katherine paled. “Or the women could be dead.”
“You only saw five sets of jewelry.”
“Five…” Katherine’s voice trembled. “Until now, I believed we had a chance to find Tina alive.”
“Unlike the others, we know Tina wasn’t dead when he took her necklace. Don’t give up hope.” Jake’s voice softened. “Can you drive? You should go home and relax.”
“I’m fine now.” Katherine shivered. “It feels as if I was stuck for a time in a weird dream.”
Jake called Ethan. He and April were at her place. Jake followed Katherine to the duplex in his truck. Ethan and April met them out front. Jake handed him the list of license plate numbers and Ethan eyed him askance. “Care to tell me how you got these?”
“No. You’ll have to trust me they’re legit.”
Ethan tucked the paper in his pocket. “I do, but you don’t make it easy.”
“I’m sorry. Let’s just say I’d rather not have you decide your partner is crazy.”
“Too late. I already do.” Ethan turned sharp eyes to Katherine. “I don’t suppose…”
“Sorry.” She cleared her throat. “Can’t say any more at the moment. Client confidentiality.”
“That excuse is wearing mighty thin.” Ethan glanced at the list. “All these are related to crimes?”
“Ingalls keeps souvenirs,” said Jake. “My guess is he switches license plates each time, in case his car is spotted with the victim. If so, they represent a different sexual assault or murder.”
“The room only had jewelry from five women,” said Katherine.
April’s eyes widened. “You say that as if you saw them firsthand.”
Katherine pressed her lips together and flushed.
Ethan jumped in. “If you’ve been in this room, it’s enough for a search warrant, especially with a description of the jewelry. None of that was released to the press.”
“I haven’t been there,” Katherine said in a rush. “It may be in his house, but I can’t be sure.”
“But someone you know has been in that room.” He threw up both hands in disgust. “Wait, don’t tell me. Client confidentiality. Can’t you convince the witness to come forward? Women’s lives are at stake.”
Katherine and Jake exchange glances. “Sorry,” she said. “Not possible.”
Ethan scowled. “You met this person, but won’t tell your own partner?”
“Nothing Katherine and I discovered,” said Jake, “will stand up in court or get a warrant. All I can say is if you knew how we got the details, it would taint the whole investigation. No one would ever believe our story or that Ingalls is behind the killings, and if word gets back to him, Ingalls will destroy or move the evidence. We need a way to prove he’s the killer without involving this witness.”
“You’re saying,” said April, “he or she is unreliable.”
Jake’s lips twisted in a faint grin. “That’s putting it mildly.”
Ethan blew out his cheeks in disgust. “Fine, I’ll run the plates, but this is getting damn annoying. I’ll call when I find something.”
****
Katherine walked Jake to his truck, and then glanced back to the duplex with a grin. “I wouldn’t be surprised if April asked Ethan to be an overnight guest soon. I’m starting to feel like mom crashing the kids’ make-out session.”
Jake tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s not safe to go home yet.”
“I can’t stay here forever. April’s great, but I miss my place. I miss my stuff. I miss Whiskers.” Her expression set in grim determination. “I’ll stay with April until the weekend and then Whiskers and I will move back to the apartment.”
Jake opened his mouth as if to issue a protest, but Katherine held up a hand. “Don’t argue. I have good security and won’t let Jeremy past the front door. I’m also rational. After Tina, Jeremy focused his attention only on certain types of women; prostitutes and party girls. They weren’t picky about the men in their lives. I am.”
“Oh,” he teased, “and how many men are there?”
Katherine chuckled. “Only one who constantly reminds me of his issues.”
Jake pulled her close. “It doesn’t mean you aren’t in danger. If Ingalls suspects…”
“If I disappear, many people will ask questions. Besides, you’re the only one who makes him nervous.” Jake made a disbelieving face. “I’m serious,” Katherine insisted. “Jeremy considers you as a threat, not me. That’s why he warned me away. He wants you isolated, alone, and off the force. It must have given him quite a shock to discover your relationship to Bethany.”
She rubbed her forehead. “Jeremy’s actions make so much sense now. Why didn’t I see the connection before?”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Jake scolded gently. “No one did. Ingalls has charmed folks for a long time. He had everyone fooled until now.”
