Three Days in Seattle

by Debra Burroughs

  Ryan looked surprised.

  Girlfriend or ex-girlfriend? Kate wondered. He couldn’t have known she’d be here, or surely he would have chosen another restaurant.

  He gritted his teeth and made the introductions. “Kate, this is Vanessa. Vanessa, this is my friend, Kate.”

  “Hello, Kate,” Vanessa said, seeming to studying Kate’s face and body language, as if she was assessing her competition.

  “Hello,” Kate returned.

  “Have you two been dating long?” Vanessa inquired pointedly, a hint of jealousy in her voice. Vanessa was a little too direct for Kate’s liking, she wondered if her expression gave it away.

  “We’re not dating. Kate’s a friend. She’s just in town for a few days,” Ryan answered, apparently trying to dodge any more questions and perhaps to keep Kate’s real situation a secret.

  “That’s right,” Kate agreed, picking up on his attempt to shield her. “Ryan was kind enough to invite me to dinner so I didn’t have to eat alone tonight. He’s very thoughtful that way.”

  “Yes, he is.” Vanessa’s hand was still resting possessively on Ryan’s shoulder. “Well, I just wanted to come over and say hello. I’d better get back to my table. We’re here celebrating one of my friends’ birthday. It was nice to meet you, Kate.”

  “Nice meeting you, too,” Kate replied politely.

  “And Ryan,” Vanessa seductively leaned down and whispered in his ear, but loud enough that Kate could overhear, “don’t be a stranger.” Then she stood up straight, adjusted the short skirt of her tight-fitting dress and sashayed back to her party’s table, as if she thought Ryan might be watching.

  “Wow, who was that?” Kate asked, her eyebrows arching.

  “An old girlfriend.”

  “You broke up with her, I’m guessing.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Are you kidding?” Kate laughed. “Everything about her screamed. Ryan, take me back! Her voice, her body language. Oh, my gosh.”

  Just then, the waiter brought back Ryan’s card. He stood quietly while Ryan signed.

  The server left and Ryan continued, “Well, you’re right. I broke it off with her, but she keeps trying to suck me back in. I’ve known her a long time. We met in high school and dated for a while back then.”

  “She’s from Boise, too?”

  “Yep.”

  “Oh, let me guess. You were the football star and she was a cheerleader.”

  “Something like that. After high school, I stayed in town and went to Boise State University. Vanessa went away to school, to the University of Washington, here in Seattle, and ended up taking a job and staying here. After I graduated, I moved here to work. It wasn’t until I’d been in Seattle for a few years that we ran into each other one day at a Starbucks not far from here.”

  “That’s when you started dating again?” Kate guessed.

  “Not right away, but eventually, yeah. We dated for a few months, but after awhile I knew it wasn’t going to work. I realized we weren’t the same people we were back in high school. Well, I wasn’t the same anyway. She hadn’t changed much. She was always pretty high maintenance, even back then. I thought she would have outgrown it by then, but no—it was starting to wear on me.”

  “High maintenance? Oh yeah, I can see that, having just watched her in action.”

  “After awhile it became clear our lives were going in two different directions. I wanted to settle down and have kids, she didn’t. She wanted her career.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with a career. I have a career,” Kate pointed out, sounding a little defensive.

  “I understand, but is that all you want? Don’t you ever want a family?”

  “Yes, I want a family, in time, but right now I want my career. I’m good at what I do and I love it.”

  “But a career can’t love you back.”

  “I know that. I figure with my photography business doing well, and working for myself, one day I can have both.”

  “Well, Vanessa is a paralegal, and she’s thinking about going back to school to become a lawyer. She wants a husband, except having kids doesn’t fit into her life plan.”

  “Then I can see why you decided to break off the relationship—not just because she’s high maintenance. It sounds like kids are really important to you,” Kate said.

  “They are, and I made that clear to her, but she won’t leave me alone. She thinks I’ll change my mind about the children. I won’t. I’ve always wanted a family. That’s why I—” Ryan paused as if deciding if he would finish the thought.

  “That’s why you, what?”

  “When I walked away, I said I’d never look back, and—”

  “When you walked away from Vanessa?”

  “No. When I walked away from the force.” Ryan looked at Kate as if waiting for a barrage of questions.”

  “You were a cop?” she asked, completely surprised by the revelation. “Wow. I had no idea. I can see it in you, though.”

  “Being a cop and having a family don’t have a reputation for going hand in hand. I decided to get out before I became a weekend dad with two-point-three ex-wives and a high rate of suicide.”

  “It sounds like you know what you want.”

  “I do. And right now I want to stop talking about Vanessa and get out of here.” He smiled at her.

  “Before dessert?” Kate teased, although her sweet tooth was showing, too.

  “I really would like to get out of here,” he repeated.

  Kate could see Ryan was squirming.

  “But, if you really want dessert...I’ll take you to my favorite frozen yogurt shop down by the wharf. How does that sound?”

  “Well, I was teasing, but sure, sounds like a win-win. Relief from Vanessa for you and dessert for me.” Kate flashed him a playful smile. “Let’s go,” she said, putting on her jacket and grabbing her purse.

  Ryan stood up and took Kate’s hand to help her slide out of the booth.

  Kate saw Vanessa watching them as they got up from their table. The angry look on her face exposed her feelings—she clearly thought that Ryan and Kate were more than just friends. And she didn’t seem to like that idea.

  Chapter 6

  Sitting at a little table in Spoon Me, Ryan and Kate enjoyed their bowls of frozen yogurt—creamy chocolate, swirled with Red Velvet, covered with brownie bits and chopped-up Snickers bars. They soon discovered each of them had an untamed sweet tooth and chocolate was their decadence of choice.

  “I was thinking, Kate,” Ryan said, as he was about to devour the last spoonful of the frozen dessert, “it’s still early. How would you like to drive up to Queen Anne Hill and take in the spectacular views we talked about?”

  She looked at the time on her watch, which read nine-forty-five.

  “That sounds like fun, Ryan, but I was just wondering why we haven’t heard anything from the detectives tonight.” She felt a little guilty for enjoying herself so much when her sister was missing.

  “They probably don’t have anything to tell you yet. If it would make you feel better, why don’t you give them a call,” he suggested.

  She pulled out her phone and started to dial the number.

  “Although,” Ryan interjected, “it’s almost ten o’clock. Unless there was a break in the case, they’re likely at home by now.”

  “You’re right. If they had anything to tell me, they would have called,” she sighed, resigned to waiting. She cancelled the dial and stuck the phone back in her pocket. “I’m up for seeing the city lights if you are.”

  They left the yogurt shop and drove up toward Kerry Park in the Queen Anne Hill district. Before reaching the park, Ryan pulled his vehicle over and stopped in front of a charming two-story home that had a for-sale sign planted in the front yard.

  “Why are we stopping?” Kate asked.

  “I just wanted to show you something. See that house right there, the blue-gray one with the white shutters—the one with the for-sale sign?
”

  “Yes, it’s beautiful. Whose house is it?”

  “It’s a foreclosure, so it belongs to the bank now. I was toying with the idea of buying it, if I can negotiate a fantastic deal on it. It’s the kind of home I’d like to raise a family in someday.”

  “I can see why you’d like this place. It’s very Leave It to Beaver.”

  “Is that a good thing?” he asked.

  “Yes, I’d say so,” she smiled. “What’s it like inside?”

  “It’s really nice. Big rooms, lots of woodwork. I previewed it last week. I’d show it to you now except there’s no electricity on.”

  “Oh, too bad. I would have liked that. Maybe tomorrow, if you have time.”

  “Sure.”

  “Well, let’s go see that spectacular view you promised me.”

  Ryan drove her over to Kerry Park, a small crescent-shaped park built in tiers into the side of the hill, just a couple of blocks away. He pulled his Land Rover to the curb along West Highland Drive and hurried around to open Kate’s door before she did. She looked surprised at his chivalry.

  “You didn’t need to open my door,” she said. “I’m fully capable—”

  “I know,” he cut her off, “I didn’t need to, but my mama taught me right.”

  She grinned at his colloquialism. They strolled across the sliver of a park, toward the metal railing, as the breathtaking skyline panorama opened up before them.

  “Wow, Ryan. I’d forgotten how fabulous the city lights are from here.” A big smile spread across her face.

  “It is pretty spectacular,” he agreed.

  “Oh, and what a great view of the Space Needle,” she exclaimed, unable to hold back her delight. “I remember how Mom and Dad used to like coming here. Mom told me sometimes they’d just sit on one of the benches and look at the stars and the city lights, and talk about their future.”

  Kate noticed Ryan watching her as she spoke about her parents. She wondered what he saw in her face. The excitement of a child? Sadness? Joy? Maybe all of that. He fidgeted as if he wasn’t sure what he should do. So, he changed the subject, directing her back to him and the beautiful view.

  “Do you see that tall building with the rounded top, just to the left of the Space Needle?” he asked, pointing toward the building.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s where my office is.”

  “You must have a great view of the city,” she commented.

  “There’s a view from some of the offices, unfortunately, not from mine. But it’s okay, I get to see it often enough.”

  “Well, I don’t. Thanks for bringing me up here, Ryan. It’s breathtaking.”

  “And to think you traded all this for Los Angeles,” he teased, making a wide sweeping motion with his hand, shaking his head. The gesture made her giggle.

  “I have one of my cameras with me. I think I’ll take a few shots so I can capture this incredible view and take it home with me.” Pulling a small digital camera out of her purse, she adjusted a few settings and clicked an array of shots of the skyline.

  She immersed herself in snapping photos and let Ryan watch her in her element. She wondered if he could see the great amount of pleasure it gave her.

  “I can’t wait to get home and see these shots on my giant computer monitor,” she said. “I’ll have to show them to my friends back in L.A.”

  “Speaking of your friends in L.A., and I hope this isn’t too personal, Kate, but do you have anyone special waiting for you back there?”

  “Like a boyfriend?” she asked.

  “Boyfriend, fiancé, significant other?” he asked wearing a hopeful expression.

  “No, not at the moment.”

  “But there was someone?” he pried, seeming to sense there was more to the story.

  “There was.”

  “Don’t leave me hanging, Kate.”

  “I don’t really want to talk about it right now.” She wrapped her arms around herself.

  “You’re right. It’s none of my business. Sorry I asked.”

  “No need to be sorry. Maybe I’ll tell you sometime. This evening has just been so lovely that I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “It has been nice, hasn’t it?” Ryan agreed. He put his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him. They stood at the railing for a few minutes just gazing silently at the dazzling city lights.

  The rain began to fall once more, suggesting it was time to leave.

  Chapter 7

  Ryan sat at the computer in his office, when he heard a voice outside his door.

  “Knock, knock.” The door eased open.

  He looked up with a smile that quickly disappeared when he saw that it was Vanessa. He would have preferred it was Kate’s face he saw.

  Vanessa’s own smile dropped, as she seemed to read the disappointment in his face. “Are you busy?”

  “Just working on the paperwork to get Raj Patel’s condo purchase finalized and closed so...”

  “I just thought I’d stop by and say hi. It was so nice running into you last night.”

  Ryan looked back at his computer screen and began typing again, hoping she would get the hint that he didn’t want to talk to her. “Yeah, it was nice of you to come over to the table.”

  “I was wondering, if you’re not doing anything this evening, maybe you’d like to come by my place for dinner. I have a new recipe for scaloppini I’m dying to try out. What do you say?” She batted her eyes in typical Vanessa fashion.

  “I don’t think so, Vanessa.” He stopped typing and looked up from his computer to face her. “I don’t see the point.”

  “Just a friendly dinner, Ryan.” He could see she was working to keep her voice light and casual, likely hoping he could not see through her ploy, but she couldn’t help her voice rising.

  She was trying to reel him back in, but he was not having any of it. “No, I have other plans tonight. Sorry.”

  “You’re not sorry at all!” she shrieked.

  “Calm down.”

  “It’s that blonde, isn’t it?” Vanessa accused.

  “I told you, we’re just friends. I only met her yesterday morning on the plane from Boise. I flew home to see my folks over the weekend and was flying back. She sat across the aisle from me on the flight, and we had a little conversation.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she said, planting her hands on her hips.

  “That’s up to you.”

  “There’s more to it than that, Ryan. I know there is.”

  He stopped shuffling the papers on his desk and looked her in the eye. “Okay, I’ll bite. What do you know, Vanessa?”

  She leaned forward and placed both hands on his desk. “I saw the way you were looking at her, and the way she was looking at you. There was definitely something going on between the two of you.” She waggled her finger in his face to make her point.

  “You were watching us?” Ryan stood up from his desk, his eyebrows knitting together. She stood upright, too, crossing her arms defensively.

  “I wouldn’t say I was watching you, more like I happened to notice you a few times.”

  He saw she was back peddling now. She knew she could not insert herself back into Ryan’s life if she made him mad. He wanted to grin, but thought better of it.

  “Vanessa, it’s really none of your business, but I’ll tell you the truth so you’ll drop it. Kate’s only in town for a little while. I didn’t want to tell you this last night, not in front of her, but—”

  “But what?” she interrupted.

  “She’s only here because her sister has gone missing. You may have heard about her disappearance on the news. Her name is Whitney McAllister.”

  “That name sounds familiar.” Vanessa rolled her eyes at the ceiling as if she was trying to remember something. “Wait! You said she was in Boise?”

  “Yes, so?”

  “A story I read about a dead blonde woman...she was found in Boise.”

  “And?” He tried patiently to hum
or her, but his patience was running out.

  “Maybe Kate killed her sister and dropped the body on the banks of the river,” Vanessa exclaimed, as if she’d just solved a big mystery.

  “That’s enough, Vanessa! She didn’t kill her sister. The fact that the woman is blonde is purely coincidence. Kate’s working with the police as much as she can, trying to find Whitney, but mostly she’s just waiting for news from them.”

  “You sure jumped to her defense, didn’t you.”

  “I’m simply trying to be a friend.” Ryan explained, sitting back down.

  “If you say so,” she said, pursing her lips. “I’ll let you get back to work. Call me sometime, Ryan, won’t you? I miss seeing you.”

  He nonchalantly waived at her, returning to his computer.

  “You know,” she said as she opened his door, “it could be her sister. Even if she didn’t do it, it could still be her.”

  He raised his arm and pointed to the door without looking up from his work.

  “I’m just saying...someone should tell the police to look in to it.” She sauntered out of his office, letting the door slam behind her.

  Chapter 8

  Kate had enjoyed her evening out with Ryan, and had been grateful for the distraction. Although, once she’d gotten home and was lying in Whitney’s bed, smelling her sister’s perfume in the room, Kate had had a hard time going to sleep. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, finally dozing off in the wee hours of the morning.

  It was about ten o’clock the next morning when she’d dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom to throw cold water on her face. Now, Kate sleepily wandered barefoot into the kitchen in her pink camisole and pajama bottoms to see if there was any coffee.

  “Good morning, Kate.” Suki greeted her cheerfully from a seat at the table, looking like she had already been up for hours. “You were out late.”

  “Not too late, but you must have already gone to bed.” Kate stood by the table.

  “Yeah, I’m not a night person. I like to get up early.”

  “It was only about eleven or so when I got home. I just couldn’t sleep once I got into bed. I could really use some coffee,” Kate said, glancing around the kitchen.