“Why don’t you sit down and I’ll get you a cup,” Suki offered. “The sugar and creamer are on the table.” Suki poured a cup of coffee and set it down in front of Kate. “How was your date?”
“Oh, it wasn’t a date, it was just dinner,” she replied, looking off in the distance, a little smile curling on her lips.
Kate set her cell phone down on the table, tore open a yellow Splenda packet and stirred it into her cup of coffee.
“Spill,” Suki said, apparently interested in the date. “You were out pretty late for it to be just dinner.”
Kate took a sip from her cup, and then set it down. “Well, there’s nothing to tell, really. We went to a nice restaurant just down the street, Yellowfin’s Seafood Grille.”
“I’ve heard good things about that place.”
“After dinner, we went and had frozen yogurt down by the water. Then, Ryan drove me up to Kerry Park to see the view of the Space Needle and the city lights.” Kate took another a sip of her coffee. She noticed Suki flinch a little when she mentioned the view, but she chose to ignore it, staring off into the distance again.
“Oh, yeah,” Kate suddenly recalled something else. She looked up at Suki standing by the counter, “there was one other thing.”
Suki looked hesitant.
“We ran into Ryan’s old girlfriend at the restaurant.” Kate swirled the spoon around in her coffee cup again and grinned a little. “I could tell she still has it bad for Ryan.”
“That must have been awkward.”
“A little,” Kate replied, taking another sip.
“By the way, I have to go to work today, and I was wondering if you’d like to meet me down at the Underground Tours later. I’ll show you around, it’s pretty interesting. And it’s definitely better than hanging out here all day waiting for the police to call you.”
“I’ve always wondered what it was like down there. Funny, I grew up here, but I’ve never been. What time should I come?”
“My first tour starts about noon. Why don’t you meet me in the souvenir shop downstairs at eleven-thirty, and I’ll give you a private tour before the others begin?”
“Sounds good,” Kate replied.
“Hey, did you hear anything yet from the police?” Suki asked.
“No, nothing last night. I was hoping they would call this morning.”
No sooner did the words come out of Kate’s mouth than her cell phone began to ring. She picked it up from the table and saw it was Detective Patel calling.
“Hello, this is Kate.”
“Kate, this is Detective Patel. We received a—”
“You have news about my sister?” Kate was so anxious to hear anything that she cut him off in midsentence.
“Slow down, Kate. Let me finish.”
“Sorry.”
“We received a call a few minutes ago from the Boise Police Department. They found a young woman’s body near the river that runs through their downtown. The woman matches Whitney’s description.”
“What? They found a dead body?” Kate asked, her eyes widening, looking fearfully across the table at Suki. “Oh, God, please don’t let it be Whitney,” she muttered under her breath.
“Yes, a dead body and—” Patel started to say.
“Wait. The Boise Police Department?”
“Yes, Boise. Could Whitney have possibly gone to Boise for any reason?” he questioned.
“Not that I know of,” she answered, her voice quivering, “but let me ask Suki. She’s right here.” Kate turned her attention to Suki. “Hey, Suki, do you know of any reason my sister may have gone to Boise?”
“Boise? No, I don’t know what she’d be doing there.” Suki looked confused as to why she was asking.
Kate returned her attention to the phone. “Sorry, Detective, Suki says she doesn’t know why Whitney would be in Boise, and honestly, I can’t think of any possible reason either, unless...” Kate went silent and her bottom lip began to tremble.
“Unless what?” Patel asked.
“Unless someone kidnapped her and took her there against her will.” Kate’s voice cracked as she could barely get the words out.
“Unfortunately, that’s what I was thinking, too.”
“If the body is Whitney’s, that would mean she’s dead.” Tears filled Kate’s eyes.
“Yes, it would, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Kate. It’s very likely that it’s not even her. So let’s slow down and take it a step at a time.”
“You’re right, but I don’t understand why they would think that woman might be my sister?”
“Well, the police got a tip this morning. A woman called saying she saw a young woman that looked a lot like Whitney in the park near the river a couple of days ago.”
“Who said that? Wait...how would someone in Boise know what Whitney looked like?” Kate asked.
“Anonymous caller, and I’m assuming the television or the Internet. Her picture has been blasted on the news all over the Northwest. The caller must have seen a news report and remembered seeing someone that looked a lot like the pictures,” Patel explained.
“I hope that person was wrong,” Kate replied, shaking her head.
“So do I, but we need to know, one way or the other, don’t we?” he asked.
“Yes, I guess we do.”
“The Boise Police would like you to come down there and take a look at the body. You know, see if it’s your sister. Can you do that as soon as possible, like today?”
“Today? Yes, yes, of course. I’ll get the first flight out of here.”
“Okay then, I’ll call them back and let them know you’re on your way.”
Kate hung up her phone, held it to her chest, and tears began running down her cheeks.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Suki asked, handing her a napkin. She fidgeted anxiously and Kate thought she seemed worried.
“You probably figured it out already,” Kate said as she wiped her tears, “but that was Detective Patel. Apparently, the Boise Police found a woman’s body near a river that matches Whitney’s description.” Kate took a deep breath, trying to stifle her tears. “They want me to come down there right away to see if it’s Whitney or not. If it is Whitney, that means she’s dead, Suki.”
“I’m so sorry, Kate,” said Suki, suddenly seeming overly caring, based on her lack of participation in the search for Whitney.
“Thank you, but there’s no need to be sorry yet. Let’s hope it’s not Whitney.”
“Yes, let’s hope.”
Kate looked at the time on her phone. “I’d better call the airlines and see when the next flight is. I’m sure Horizon or Southwest must have several more flights going to Boise today.”
“You said Boise?” Suki asked. “I already told you Whitney had no reason to go there. Why do they think your sister would be there?”
“I don’t know,” Kate replied. “He said someone called the tip line and said they saw a young blonde woman that looked like Whitney in the park, by the river, a couple of days ago. Anyway, I have to go and see.” Kate scurried down the hall to the bedroom and closed her door.
She sat on the edge of the bed, and decided to call Ryan before calling the airlines. If she had to go and identify her sister’s dead body, she wanted someone with her for emotional support. She had not known Ryan very long, but she didn’t have anyone else to ask. It was too long a trip for any of her L.A. friends, and there was no way she would ask Suki. That girl made her uneasy. There was something oddly familiar about her, but Kate just could not put her finger on it.
Recalling Ryan’s number recorded in her phone, she punched the call button.
“Hello, this is Ryan Wilson, Keller Williams Realty. How can I help you?”
“Ryan, this is Kate.”
“Kate! What a nice surprise.”
“I need your help,” Kate said.
“You sound serious. What is it?”
“I have to fly to Boise as soon as possible, and I’d lik
e you to come with me.”
“Boise? Why? What’s going on?”
“Your friend, Detective Patel, just called me and said the Boise Police contacted him this morning. They have a body they want me to identify.” Her throat tightened and her voice began to crack. She swallowed hard to relax her throat and regain her composure. “They think it might be my sister.”
“Oh, Kate. I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say.”
“Say yes,” she pleaded. “Say you’ll come with me. I don’t want to do this by myself.”
“Okay. Yes, I’ll come with you.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll just have my assistant reschedule a couple of appointments for me,” he said, looking over his calendar, “and then I’m out of here. When is the flight?”
“I haven’t called the airlines yet. I wanted to talk to you first, to see how many tickets I needed to get.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll call them. I have a bunch of frequent flyer miles I can use. After I book something, I’ll let you know when I’m coming to pick you up.”
“Okay,” she replied weakly, wiping a stray tear away with her hand. “I really do appreciate your help.” Kate was glad she didn’t have to go through this alone, realizing that if she hadn’t met Ryan by chance on the plane, she would be.
“No problem. I’m pulling up the airline reservation websites right now. I see a direct flight leaving Seattle in a few hours. Hang on.”
Kate listened to the sound of Ryan tapping on his keyboard, and then he was back on the phone.
“I booked a couple of seats on Southwest. The flight leaves in about two and half hours. I’m going to run home and change out of this suit, so I’ll be at your place in about forty-five minutes.”
“I guess I’d better jump in the shower then. I’ll be ready by the time you get here,” Kate assured him. “And Ryan...”
“Yes.”
“I want you to know...you’re my hero.”
* * * *
The comment about Kerry Park had struck a nerve—remembering how her parents used to go there to enjoy the view, while she and her brother played on the playground equipment on the terraced level below. Under different circumstances, she would have told Kate so, but not now.
What am I going to do now? Suki questioned, flustered at this unexpected turn of events. Her palms began to sweat and her head throbbed, making it hard for her to think clearly.
The plan had been working perfectly—until now. One quick call to Ethan, that’s all it would have taken. I could have let him into the storage room before she showed up. He could have taken care of her there, and I wouldn’t have had to see it. Suki began to pace the kitchen, frustrated at the possibility of something disrupting her plan. I had an alibi, and nobody was going to find her for a long time.
“Ethan’s going to be furious.” Suki ran a hand through her hair. Kate’s leaving would totally screw up Ethan’s plan to kill her today. She knew he would certainly be angry about that, maybe even mad at her for not trying to stop Kate from going.
Racking her brain, Suki tried to think of something quick, anything she could do that would keep Kate in Seattle, but her mind went blank. There was nothing. Nothing short of doing the deed herself—right here and now. Only, Suki knew she didn’t have it in her. Ethan would have to do his own dirty work.
She glanced down the hallway, to make sure Kate was out of earshot, and then she phoned her brother. Maybe after he cooled down, he could tell her what to do before Kate was out of her grasp. The phone rang several times, but then went to voicemail.
“Ethan, call me back. Kate’s leaving town in a few minutes and I don’t know what to do. Where are you? I need to talk to you right away. Call me back!”
Suki continued to search her mind anxiously for answers, wondering what she could do to keep Kate in town. She decided she would try to overtake her and tie her up. Then her brother could decide what to do with her from there. Rummaging around the kitchen, she found an extension cord in the junk drawer and tiptoed down the hallway to Whitney’s room.
As she was trying to decide whether to knock or burst in, she heard Kate talking. It sounded like she was on the phone. She put her ear to the door and listened closely.
Well, that changes things. She returned the cord to the drawer and decided that while Kate was on the phone talking to her date from last night, she would call her brother again. She was sure Ethan would be furious with Kate’s sudden departure, but she needed to alert him to the change of plans.
“Hullo?”
“Ethan, did you get my voicemail?”
“Uh, no. Sorry, I was, uh...”
“Were you out scoring drugs?”
“Never mind. What’s going on, Sis?”
“There’s been a change of plans. Kate’s leaving in a few minutes to go to Boise.”
“What? Why?”
“The police called this morning and want her to look at a dead body they have. They think it might be Whitney.”
“You know it can’t be her.”
“I know, but I couldn’t tell Kate that. I was going to knock her to the floor and tie her up, but she was on the phone with that guy she knows. It sounds as if he’s going with her and he’s probably on his way to pick her up. I tried to think of something else, but I just couldn’t think of anything that would keep her from going. I’m so stupid!”
“You’re not stupid,” Ethan said evenly.
It’s probably the drugs making him so calm, she thought. She knew her brother should be more upset about the change of plans than she was, so she was glad he wasn’t giving her a tongue-lashing.
“Just settle down,” he told her in a relaxed voice. “Kate will come back to Seattle when she finds out it’s not her sister.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she agreed.
“We’ll have to come up with a different plan. When’s she leaving?” he asked.
“I’m not sure but it sounds like soon.” Suki peered down the hallway to make sure Kate couldn’t overhear her conversation.
“I’m on my way over, and we’ll come up with something. She’s gonna pay for what she did to Mom and Dad—one way or the other. Call me after she leaves, when the coast is clear.”
“Okay.”
* * * *
Ryan had dropped a few files on his assistant’s desk on his way out, but she wasn’t there. As he stepped out of the elevator, he pulled out his phone and called her.
“Hey, Becky, something’s come up and I had to leave for the rest of the day, a personal emergency. Can you get signatures on those addenda I left and forward them to the other agents? I put a few sticky notes on the rest with instructions.”
“Sure,” she answered.
“I may be out tomorrow, as well. I’m not sure. So, I need you to rearrange the appointments I have on my calendar. If you could go in and check my Outlook to see what I have going that would be a big help.”
“Okay. I’ll see if Sid can take some of those appointments for you.”
“Great,” he said.
“What’s up?” she asked, a hint of concern in her voice. She had worked for him for the last three years, long enough to know it was not like him just to take off like that.
“I need to fly to Boise this afternoon.”
“Didn’t you just get back from Boise yesterday?”
“Yes, but I met someone on the plane and—”
“A female someone?” she interrupted.
“Yes, a female someone. She’s in a bit of a jam and I need to help her out.”
“She must be something pretty special for you to just drop everything.”
“She is. We had dinner together last night, and I think we really connected. She needs my help, so I want to help her.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Boss. I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone.”
“Tha—”
“Hang on a sec. I think you’ll want to hear this.”
“Hea
r what?” he asked. He was just about to repeat it, when he realized what she meant. In the background, he heard Vanessa’s voice. He listened to the exchange.
“I was looking for Ryan. Is he around?”
“Sorry, just missed him.”
“Appointment?”
“No.”
“When will he be back?”
“Don’t know.”
“Today?”
Ryan thought that Vanessa sounded like she was getting irritated with Becky’s evasiveness. He smiled to himself. He knew Becky didn’t like Vanessa—she made no secret of it.
“Probably not.”
“Did he go to Boise?” she asked, her voice laden with disgust.
“Can’t say.”
So, it must have been Vanessa that called in the tip.
He heard Vanessa snort, “Humph!” Then he pictured her throwing her long dark tresses over her shoulder, adjusting her fitted suit jacket—eyes narrowed, lips pouting—and storming out. The sound of a slamming door followed by Becky’s evil giggle confirmed it.
“Hey, Boss,” Becky came back on the line. “So, what were you about to say?”
He chuckled. “Thanks, Beck.”
* * * *
Kate stuck her head into the kitchen and found Suki seated at the table, reading the morning newspaper.
“Suki, I called Ryan and he’s going to Boise with me. I have to hop in the shower and get ready. I wanted to let you know he’ll be coming to pick me up in a little while.”
“Really? He hardly knows you. Why would he just drop everything to take off and fly out of town with you?”
“Because he’s a great guy and I need his help,” Kate responded.
“It sounds like he wants something, if you know what I mean.”
“Suki, it’s not like that,” Kate replied emphatically, not liking the implication. “He’s being a good friend. He knows I’m going to need some emotional support when I look at the dead body to see if it’s my sister. I can’t exactly call my friends in Los Angeles and have them travel all day just to get there. Boise’s only an hour’s flight from here. I asked Ryan if he’d go with me and he said yes.”
“Well, either way, it sounds like you must have had quite an effect on him last night.”
Three Days in Seattle Page 6