Winnie looked at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had. Tripp ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. If he’d listened to Hannah and hadn’t insisted on skiing that day back in February, none of this would be happening. Monica Wright would still be dead, but they wouldn’t have witnessed her fall from the chairlift. No one would be trying to kill him or Hannah. She’d be safe, and that was all he cared about.
An hour later, he was running on a path around Folsom Lake when his cell rang. He tugged on Winnie’s leash to slow her while he pulled the phone from his pocket and glanced at the display. Not Hannah. Sheriff Barnes returning his call.
He crossed his fingers before answering it. “Hey, Sheriff, do you have news for me?”
“Of a sort. It looks less likely Ms. Wright’s ex-husband was involved in her death. I finally convinced a judge to let me look at his phone records, and he had no contact with Kyle Murphy after last summer when the man did a few repairs on his house. No calls to burner phones or anything out of the ordinary, either.”
“Well, damn. I thought for sure—”
“With Dr. Hamilton’s connection to Hannah, it made sense he’d go after her if he believed she recognized him the evening of the murder. Maybe he assumed she was holding back because of their previous relationship but was afraid she would eventually change her mind.”
“Exactly.” Tripp stepped off the path to stand in the shade of an oak tree and wiped sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his T-shirt. It had been near freezing when they left Tahoe that morning, but in the foothills the temperature had to be in the low sixties. “Now what?”
“There are a couple of other suspects we’re looking into, but I’m calling because I can’t reach Vivian Brewster. Ms. Ryder’s mother isn’t answering her cell and hasn’t responded to my messages. When Hannah didn’t answer her phone, either, I was a little concerned.”
“She’s with a client right now.” Tripp huffed out a breath then pulled Winnie away from the hole she’d stuck her nose into. All he needed was for the dog to get bit by a gopher or some other rodent. “Hannah and her mother don’t communicate often. I’m pretty certain she hasn’t talked to her recently.”
“Then I’ll keep trying the woman directly. If Murphy does have some sort of connection to Hannah, and she just doesn’t remember—”
“It might lead you to the other man involved in the murder.”
“I’m hoping that’s the case. In the meantime, we’re actively questioning people who might have had a grudge against Monica Wright, work associates, old clients and the like who were present in Tahoe at the time she was killed.” The sheriff grunted. “The list is fairly extensive and goes back nearly two decades, so it’s taking some time. Now there’s the added factor of cross-checking any connection to Murphy.”
“I’ll let you get back to work then, and I’ll be sure to contact you if Hannah reaches her mother.”
“I appreciate that. I’ll be in touch.”
Tripp pocketed his phone. “All right, Winnie, quit digging in that damned hole and let’s go.”
He ran for another thirty minutes then circled around to his pickup. The dog was panting harder than he was by the time he called it quits. Lifting Winnie, he set her on the passenger seat. As he turned away, sunlight reflected off something shiny on the floor.
“Well, hell.” He picked up Hannah’s phone. No wonder she hadn’t answered the sheriff’s call. Her cell must have slipped from her coat pocket when she climbed out of the truck. Chances were she didn’t have his number memorized. He snapped his fingers and glanced at the dog. “Radford’s number will be programmed in there. If I can figure out the password to unlock it, we’ll call his house to see when she’ll be finished.”
Winnie closed her eyes and leaned against the seatback, tongue hanging as her sides heaved.
“The condo’s only a couple of miles away. Let’s head there first to get you a drink. I don’t imagine Hannah’s done with the jock yet, anyway.”
Following the directions given to him by the rental company, Tripp easily found the condo. He used the key left in the lockbox to get inside, hauled their luggage upstairs to the master bedroom then ran back down to the kitchen. After filling Winnie’s water bowl and giving her a treat, he sat down at the table with a glass of ice water and Hannah’s phone. First, he tapped her birthday on the keypad. No luck.
He glanced over at Winnie who was slopping water on the floor as she drank. “She better not have used your birthday since I don’t have a clue what it is. Hmm, how about the year she was born.” He touched the screen. “Bingo!”
Winnie let out a sharp bark.
“I agree. Lame password. Let’s see if the jock’s phone number is in her contacts.” He scrolled through, pausing on the B’s. He hadn’t even known Vivian’s last name before the sheriff mentioned it. “I wonder why her mother isn’t answering Barnes’s calls.”
The dog cocked her head then sighed and collapsed onto the tile floor.
He tapped her name then held the phone to his ear. “Let’s see if she picks up for Hannah.” The phone rang three times before Vivian answered.
“Hannah? It’s about time you called me back. I left a message hours ago. Why the hell is that sheriff pestering me with calls? I told him everything I know about Monica already. Did you say something to him? I can’t think of any other reason he’d be bothering me, and I don’t appreciate it.”
Tripp cleared his throat. “Uh, Vivian, this is Tripp Wilde, a friend of Hannah’s. I’m not sure if she’s mentioned me recently—”
“She hasn’t. Hannah rarely discusses her personal life with me, but I know who you are. One of her old roommate’s brothers, I presume.”
“That’s right. I live in Tahoe, and Hannah did some therapy on my shoulder—”
“Is there a reason you called me on my daughter’s cell?”
Tripp gritted his teeth. “Actually, there is. I got off the phone with Sheriff Barnes not long ago, and he really needs to speak to you. Since I had Hannah’s phone—”
“Where’s my daughter, and why didn’t she call me herself?”
Apparently the woman wasn’t going to let him finish a sentence. Maybe if he talked really fast… “We’re staying down in Folsom. She’s currently with a new client, a basketball player for the Kings who lives in Granite Bay, and she left her phone in my truck by accident. After talking to Sheriff Barnes, I thought I’d try you since you hadn’t picked up for him.”
“What does the man want?” Her voice was sharp. “I’m busy, and I’m really not in the mood to hash out Monica’s murder again.”
“He’s identified the man he believes tried to run down your daughter at the airport in Colorado.”
“I hope they locked him up for good, but what does that have to do with me?”
Tripp let out a breath, wondering how Hannah ended up so sweet and normal when her mother was a self-centered, vicious bitch. “No, they haven’t arrested him. The suspect disappeared, and the police haven’t been able to locate the man to question him. Since he’s so focused on your daughter, the sheriff wondered if he was somehow connected to her. Hannah didn’t recognize him.”
“Oh, my God, get to the point. Who is this person?”
Tripp clenched and unclenched the fist that rested on the table. “The man’s name is Kyle Murphy.” Silence greeted him. He tapped the cell. “Vivian, did you hear me.”
“Of course I did. I’m not deaf. I was thinking.”
“Do you know the man?”
“I haven’t heard that name in years, but I know of him.”
A sigh of relief slipped out. “That’s great. Maybe you can help the sheriff nail the bastard along with the other man involved in Monica Wright’s death. How is Murphy connected to Hannah?”
“I don’t intend to discuss this with you. I need to make a call, and then I’ll get in touch with Sheriff Barnes. Tell Hannah I’ll talk to her later.”
Winnie scrambled to her feet, nails sliding on the tile floor, and barked.
“Shit!” He picked up the phone again and scrolled through the contacts until he found Russell Radford’s information. He tried the house phone first. When it went to the answering machine, he swore while he waited for the damn thing to beep. “Yeah, this is Tripp Wilde. Hannah left her cell in my truck, and I was calling to see when she’d be finished—”
“Hello, Tripp?” Hannah’s voice was breathless.
“I’m glad you picked up. You left your phone in my truck, and I wasn’t sure you knew my cell number. Luckily, your passcode was a piece of cake to break.”
“I guess I should change it.” A hint of humor lightened her tone. “I’ll be done here in about forty-five minutes.”
“You’ll never guess who I just talked to.”
“Do tell.”
“Your mother. No offense, but Vivian’s a piece of work.”
“You won’t get an argument from me.” Her voice faded. “Be right there.” She spoke into the receiver again. “Tripp, I have to go. You can tell me why you talked to my mother when you pick me up.”
“Fine.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ll see you around twelve-thirty. Maybe we can go get some lunch.”
“Sure. Bye.”
He set her phone back on the table and glanced down at Winnie. “She had to rush off to take care of good old Russell.” He made a face. He’d damn well better lose the attitude or Hannah was going to ditch him for sure. He’d never experienced jealousy in his entire life. Now wasn’t the time to start.
Especially since the cause of these new feelings was the most honest, trustworthy person he knew. Unlike her mother… He fished his phone out of his pocket and called Barnes back on his direct line. When the man answered on the first ring, he smiled. “Tripp Wilde, here. I spoke to Vivian Brewster a few minutes ago. Have you heard from her yet?”
“No, I haven’t. Did she get my messages?”
“Yes, but apparently she wasn’t in the mood to respond.” He snorted. “If Hannah and I work things out, I’m going to have to deal with that woman on a long-term basis. The thought terrifies me.”
“I sympathize, but what did she have to say?”
“Vivian recognized Kyle Murphy’s name, but she wouldn’t discuss him with me. She said she was going to make a call and then contact you.”
“She hasn’t.” He let out a whoosh of breath. “Damn woman. It’s especially frustrating considering…”
Tripp straightened. “Did something happen?”
“I don’t want to talk about an ongoing investigation.”
He ran a hand through his hair and stared out the dining room window facing the street. “I respect that, but both Hannah and I have been a victim of this freak. Until he and his partner are arrested, we’re still in danger. Don’t you think we deserve a heads-up if you have information?”
He grunted. “You do have a point. This isn’t anything concrete, but the ski patrolman I mentioned, the one with a grudge against Monica Wright who was there when her body was found, didn’t show up for work today. I sent a deputy over to bring him in for questioning, and he wasn’t home. No one’s seen him for at least twenty-four hours.”
“You said he was pals with Murphy back in the day?”
“They worked together. We haven’t established any other connection.”
Tripp frowned. “Wait a minute, is the patrolman’s name Frank?”
“You know him?” The sheriff’s voice was sharp.
“A buddy of mine introduced us in a bar the day Monica’s body was found. I can’t remember his last name.”
“Cronk. Your buddy is a friend of his?”
“More like an acquaintance, I think. Anyway, Jake is still in Colorado, so he wouldn’t know where the man disappeared to. The patrolman, Frank Cronk, was shaken up after finding the body, but he had a few harsh words to say about Monica and some real estate deal she screwed him out of years before.”
“Interesting. What’s your buddy’s full name?”
“Jake Abernathy. Want his cell number?”
“Please.”
Tripp recited it then let out a breath. “I’ll keep an eye out for Cronk and Murphy both, and I’ll make sure neither of them gets near Hannah.”
“It would be helpful to know if Vivian Brewster has a connection to either man.” The sheriff said something Tripp couldn’t quite hear before raising his voice. “I have to go. If Hannah speaks to her mother, have her call me.”
“I will. Thanks.” Tripp pocketed his cell then glanced out the window. A jogger passed on the sidewalk, head down, earbuds in place. On the far side of the street, a car slowed before picking up speed. Both undoubtedly perfectly innocent, but a shiver slid through him. Turning away, he nudged the dozing dog. “Let’s go get Hannah. I’m not going to feel comfortable until I have her safe beside me again.”
Chapter 24
Hannah pushed the grocery cart down the aisle while Tripp tossed in packages of bacon, cheese and lunch meat, then followed him as he headed for the bread section.
He stood in front of the display, hands fisted on lean hips. “Wheat or sourdough?”
“How about rye to go with the ham?”
“Good call.” He bent to grab a loaf and sailed it into the cart. “Bagels are a must.” They landed with a thump. “Damn, we forgot to grab cream cheese.”
Hannah turned to head back the way she’d come. “Eggs and milk are in the case along the rear wall. I’ll get them since I don’t want you to throw the egg carton.”
“I may be a little reckless, but I’m not an idiot.” He dropped the cream cheese on top of the bacon. “What about dinner? Do you want to go out tonight?”
“Let’s eat in. Is there a grill at the condo?”
“I saw one out on the back patio. We could barbecue chicken.”
She turned away from the refrigerator case with a carton of milk in hand. “Sounds good. I’ll pick out some veggies and a few things to make a marinade while you go get a package of breasts.”
He nodded and hurried off toward the meat counter.
Hannah headed into the produce section, feeling like half of an old married couple doing their weekly shopping. Except the only thing binding her to Tripp right now was hormones and a nagging fear that the man who had tried to run her down would somehow find her and finish the job. She shook off the urge to look over her shoulder and instead stopped in front of the broccoli. She wasn’t going to let paranoia turn her into a basket case.
Tripp returned while she added lemons and garlic to the cart. Leaning down, he set the chicken beside the eggs then dropped a kiss on her upturned lips and smiled. Hannah’s heart melted. Maybe the emotion glowing in his eyes was more than mere hormones. Maybe he really did love her. She was doing her very best to believe his feelings were of the lasting variety, but a lifetime of emotional insecurity whispered she was fooling herself.
He studied the contents in the basket. “Are we finished?”
“Just about. We need to pick up a few condiments, and then we’ll be good to go.”
“And ice cream. Don’t forget about dessert.”
“Of course.” With an answering smile, she turned to head toward the frozen food aisle.
Fifteen minutes later, Tripp loaded the groceries into the pickup while Hannah petted Winnie, who whined and whimpered to make it clear she’d been deserted for far too long. Pushing the dog out of the way of her seatbelt, she glanced over when he slid onto the driver’s seat and shut the door.
“So, are you going to tell me why you called my mother?”
“She didn’t respond to Sheriff Barnes’s messages. Since I had your phone, I thought I’d see if she’d pick up for you.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t just hang up on you.” Her hand stille
d on Winnie’s silky back. “Usually Mother only talks to me when she wants something.”
He started the engine and pulled out onto the street. “Turned out she had a lot to say. Vivian decided it was your fault Barnes was on her case, and she wanted you to tell him to buzz off…or something to that effect.”
Hannah rolled her eyes. “Did my mother know who you were?”
“Close enough. She figured I was one of your old roommate’s brothers. I didn’t enlighten her as to the exact nature of our relationship.”
“Thank you for your discretion.” Hannah let out a sigh as he flipped on the blinker and made a right-hand turn onto a quiet street off the main drag. “So, did you ask her about Kyle Murphy?”
“You bet.” He pulled into a small lot next to a condo complex and parked. “Your mother said she hadn’t heard that name in a long time, and while I was busy getting all excited to have the mystery solved, she hung up on me with a comment that she’d contact Barnes. I checked with him. She hasn’t, at least not yet.”
“Sounds pretty typical. Mother likes to do things her way in her own time.”
“She did say she’d be in touch with you.”
“Perfect.” Hannah reached for the door handle, determined to dismiss the gnawing ache in her stomach. “Let’s take these groceries inside and eat lunch. You must be starving by now.”
“I am, but going to the store first was a good call. I’m sick of eating out.”
She nodded and climbed out of the cab then lifted Winnie to the ground. “Afterward, maybe we can do something fun before I head back to Russell’s place. It’s a beautiful day.”
“What are you talking about?”
She glanced across the hood of the truck as he slammed the door. “I have a second session with Russell later this afternoon. Once we get past the first week or so, the pace will ease off for me since he’ll be able to do a lot of the recovery work on his own.” She frowned as she hefted a couple of bulging paper bags. “You should remember how my system works. Your two sessions of therapy a day dropped to one after we established a routine.”
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