Eyes

by Joanne Fluke

  CHAPTER 34

  A month had passed, and Jill was back at work. Connie hadn’t wanted her to go back this soon, but Jill had insisted. She’d packed up Neil’s things and put them in storage, but the house still reminded her of him.

  Doug had been very gentle when he’d told her what he’d uncovered in his investigation. That had helped, but it was still painful. Neil hadn’t gone to the campus for a meeting. There wasn’t any meeting. He’d gone to meet Lisa Hyland. That was why he’d been at his office.

  Lisa had confessed everything to Doug. She’d come back to town to resume her affair with Neil, and she’d been sleeping with him for the past two months. He hadn’t moved out of Jill’s bedroom because he was being considerate; he’d done it because he was exhausted. Even worse, Lisa had told Doug she suspected Neil was cheating on her with a second woman.

  Although she hadn’t told Connie, that was the reason Jill had gone back to work so early. It took her mind off what Doug had uncovered in his investigation. And work would have helped, if everyone in the office hadn’t been so terribly careful.

  It had happened again this morning, when Jill had wandered into the coffee room. Her secretary, Mary, had been talking to several other secretaries who had gathered to share a break.

  “It’s going to be great!” Mary had been saying. “His parents are taking the kids for a week, and we’re going to the Bahamas. It’ll be like a second honeymoon. With the kids and all, I haven’t been alone with my hus—”

  Mary had broken off in the middle of a word and had put on a bright smile for Jill. “I was just telling them about my vacation. Have you ever been to the Bahamas, Jill?”

  “Yes. Neil and I went there on our honeymoon. It’s lovely, I’m sure you’ll have a good time.”

  An uneasy silence had set in while Jill had poured her coffee. And then Mary had spoken up again. “Sorry, Jill. I forgot all about that. I really hope I didn’t upset you.”

  “Not at all.” Jill had smiled and left with her coffee. She wished Mary wouldn’t be quite so sensitive. It almost bordered on the paranoid, and she was getting tired of being treated as if she’d break down in tears at hearing the word “husband.”

  But Mary wasn’t the only one. It seemed all of her coworkers were walking on eggshells. They never spoke about their spouses in front of her, and they avoided all references to the serial killings. It would be much easier if they said whatever was on their minds and let her cope with it.

  “Hi, Jill.” Doug stuck his head in the door. “Do you have time to talk?”

  “Only if you make sure to use the words ‘husband’ and ‘dead’ and ‘murder.’ I’m sick up people pussyfooting around me!”

  It took Doug a second, but then he laughed. “What’s the matter? Everybody being a little too considerate?”

  “You said it!” Jill sighed deeply. “You’re the only one who doesn’t handle me with kid gloves;”

  “That’s because I know you.”

  His voice was soft, and Jill frowned slightly. She wanted to ask what he meant, but she wasn’t sure she could cope with his answer. “That’s not it, Doug. Connie knows me, and she still does it. I don’t think she’s mentioned Neil since he died.”

  “Then maybe I understand you better than anyone else. They don’t realize how strong you are. You’ve never shied away from the truth for as long as I’ve known you. You’re a survivor, Jill. And you don’t spend much time feeling sorry for yourself.”

  “Oh-oh.” Jill raised her eyebrows. “Don’t tell me you found the other woman Neil was seeing!”

  “No. We don’t have a clue. But I do have some good news about the investigation.”

  “Why didn’t you say so?” Jill grinned at him. “What is it? Did you get a lead?”

  “A big one. Rossini and Turner had kidney transplants. And Woodard got a new heart.”

  Jill’s eyebrows shot up. “University Hospital?”

  “Bingo! Why don’t you quit this lawyer stuff and come to work for me? You catch on faster than any of the guys on my team.”

  “Thanks.” Jill smiled at him. “That’s four out of four, Doug. It’s a positive connection. How about other transplant recipients?”

  “I don’t know. We haven’t been able to check that out. We’re trying to get Judge Donnely to give us an order to unseal the hospital records, but there’s a lot of red tape involved.”

  Jill nodded. The patient-doctor confidentiality issue was a stickler. “Do you know if they had the same donor?”

  “No, but Judge Donnely’s scheduled a hearing. We should have access by the end of next week.”

  Jill looked thoughtful. “Maybe it’s the donor, but there are other possibilities. It could be someone who works at the hospital. Or a relative of a patient who’s on the list and didn’t get a transplant.”

  “I’m working on that, too. I just thought you’d want to know we had a minor breakthrough.”

  Jill shook her head. “It’s a major breakthrough. You’ve finally found a connection between the victims. Now all you have to do is chase it down. Congratulations, Doug. You’re getting close.”

  “Thanks.” He looked pleased. “We’re going to get her, Jill. You can make book on that.”

  * * *

  Connie frowned as Jill picked at her salad. “You seem really distracted. Can I help?”

  Jill debated for a few moments. Doug hadn’t specifically asked her not to mention the breakthrough, but she knew it was supposed to be confidential.

  “Can you keep a secret?” Jill smiled as Connie nodded. Connie was practically family, and she deserved to know what Doug had learned. “The police got a lead, and Doug thinks it’s only a matter of time before they catch Neil’s killer.”

  Connie’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That’s wonderful, Jill! Tell me all about it . . .”

  * * *

  Connie wished she’d bought a car with air conditioning as she rolled down her windows and let in the hot, muggy air. It was the middle of August, and it was a sweltering day. She was driving to Northern Minnesota to rent a cabin. It had taken some persuading, but she’d convinced Jill to take a long weekend, starting on Friday and extending to the middle of the next week.

  “I won’t forget, Alan.” Connie tipped her head and listened to the voice in her ear. “I’ll make sure the cabin is isolated and the owner doesn’t live in the area.”

  She’s going to go with you willingly?

  “Of course.” Connie smiled in the direction of his voice. “I told her I needed to get away, and she agreed to come with me. She’s getting close, Alan. She’s due in three weeks.”

  That’s perfect timing, Connie. Alan’s voice was joyful. Soon we’ll have our baby.

  “I know.” Connie was so happy she laughed out loud. Thank God for Alan! She’d told him what Jill had said about the investigation, and he’d warned her to move immediately. It was just as Jill had said, only a matter of time until the police caught the serial killer. There was another factor that worried both Alan and Connie, and that factor had a name. Doug Lake. He was the lead detective, and he was good. It was best to move Jill now and not take any chances.

  “I think we’re here, Alan.” Connie checked the address on the mailbox. “Yes, this is it. The rental agent said it had a river-rock wall by the driveway.”

  Connie turned down the winding drive and smiled as a cool breeze blew in through the window. It would be pleasant to spend the next three weeks at the lake.

  The moment she stopped the car, the rental agent came out of the cabin to greet her. The agent was a thin woman with dark hair pulled back in a bun, and she looked very eager. “Hi! You’re right on time. I’m Marsha Hopkins.”

  “Cynthia Woods.” Connie gave the same name she’d used when she’d spoken to the agent by phone.

  “I’m glad to meet you, Cynthia. Come in and take a look around. From what you told me over the phone, I think it’ll fit your needs perfectly.”

  Connie climb
ed up the steps and walked into the cabin. It was much larger than she had anticipated, more like a lodge than a lake cabin. She let the rental agent lead her through the rooms, a kitchen, half-bath, and a huge living room on the ground floor, four bedrooms upstairs. The bedrooms all had balconies overlooking the lake, and Connie was glad to see that there was no outside staircase. Once she’d locked Jill in one of the bedrooms, there would be no way for her to get out.

  “Lovely, isn’t it?” The rental agent drew a lease out of her purse. “What do you think? Is it right for you?”

  Connie nodded. “It looks perfect, but I do have a couple of questions. How about the other cabins? Are the neighbors quiet?”

  “Absolutely.” The rental agent laughed. “It’s the end of the season. The cabin to the north is closed up for the winter, and the place to the south is in escrow. There’s only one place that’s still occupied, and they’re leaving today.”

  “Then you can almost guarantee I won’t be disturbed?”

  The rental agent nodded. “The only company you’re going to have will be the squirrels and the birds.”

  “Wonderful. It seems to be exactly what I’m looking for. You did a fine job, finding it for me.”

  The agent looked pleased with herself. “Thank you. When you said you needed solitude to finish your book, I thought of this place right away.”

  “But how about the owner?” Connie frowned slightly. “He won’t drop by every day, will he?”

  “Heavens no! Mr. Marvin’s in Spain. He won’t be back until the first of the year. He bought this place two years ago, and he hasn’t been here since. It’s strictly an investment property.”

  “It certainly seems perfect.” Connie smiled as she drew out her wallet. “I’d like to rent it for two months, with an option for a third if I need it. I’ll pay you in advance.”

  The agent’s eyes widened as she saw the money in Connie’s wallet. “You’re paying in cash?”

  “Yes, I stopped at the bank so you wouldn’t have to bother with an out-of-town check.”

  “That was very nice of you.” The rental agent glanced at the money again, then lowered her eyes. “There’s only a slight problem. When I spoke to Mr. Marvin last night, he wasn’t quite satisfied with the rent. I hope this doesn’t change your mind, but he wants five hundred instead of the four I quoted you?”

  Connie almost laughed out loud. She knew the agent would pocket the extra hundred a month, but she managed to look perfectly serious as she nodded her assent. “That’s fine. It’s still a bargain for a place that’s so isolated, and I do need my solitude. I have a December first deadline, and it’s impossible to work in the city.”

  “I understand.” The agent took the money Connie handed her and counted it quickly. “What did you say your book was about?”

  Connie was stymied for a moment, but Alan whispered the answer in her ear. “It’s a textbook on genetics. I’m compiling the results of several independent studies. I’d tell you more, but I’m afraid it’s quite technical.”

  “I imagine it is.” The agent looked impressed. “Well, you’ll have plenty of peace and quiet here.”

  “You said utilities were included?”

  “Yes.” The rental agent nodded. “The owner pays water and electricity, and I can arrange for your telephone service.”

  “Thank you, but I won’t need a phone.” Connie shook her head. “It disturbs me when I’m trying to concentrate.”

  The agent nodded quickly. “I can understand that. There’s a phone at Tony’s Market. That’s the little grocery store about five miles back at the turnoff. He closes down the first of September, but the pay phone’s outside on the porch.”

  After Connie signed her assumed name on the lease, she said good-bye and headed out to her car. As she headed back down the driveway, she heard Alan’s voice again.

  Good job, Connie. You picked a perfect place. And you’re sure there won’t be a problem getting Jill to come here with you?

  Connie shook her head. “She’ll come. And once I get her here, I’ll make sure she stays until our baby is born.”

  CHAPTER 35

  The phone rang three times, but no one answered. Doug had hoped to share his good news with Jill. Judge Donnely had ordered the hospital to release the records, and it had been done at eight that morning. The name of the donor was the same for all of the murder victims, just as Jill had suspected, and Doug had spent the past four hours interviewing the other patients who had received transplants from the same donor.

  He had found Shelly Devore in her kindergarten classroom, had asked her a series of questions, and had assigned an officer to protect her. Miss Devore hadn’t noticed anyone following her, but she had received a strange visit when she’d come home from the hospital. The visitor had been a very nice woman, in her late twenties with red hair. She’d brought Shelly flowers, but when Shelly had called to thank the hospital for sending out such a nice volunteer, they’d told her they hadn’t sent out anyone.

  With his fingers crossed, Doug had asked if she remembered the woman’s name. Shelly had nodded. She’d said it was Charlotte West, she had remembered because one of her coworkers was named Charlotte.

  The next name on Doug’s list had been Kathy Miller. He had driven to her home in North Minneapolis, where he’d learned that Kathy had died, shortly before Christmas. But her sister had remembered a strange incident. Flowers had been delivered for Kathy, a huge bouquet without a card. The woman who’d delivered them, a pretty redhead in her late twenties who’d said her name was Chloe White, had told them the flowers were from Kathy’s friend, Alan. They were still puzzling over the mystery bouquet. Kathy had never mentioned a friend named Alan.

  Ian Perkins was next on Doug’s list, and he’d gone to Ian’s sixth-grade classroom. Ian, a bright eleven-year-old, had been very cooperative. He’d remembered a woman who had come to visit when he was in the convalescent center. She’d said her name was Camille Ward, and she had been very beautiful. He was sure she’d been older than his sister, a senior in high school, but a lot younger than his mother.

  Why had she visited him? Ian had smiled proudly. She’d told him that she was a volunteer from the hospital, but she had another connection to him. She’d sworn him to secrecy and he couldn’t tell, but it was a wonderful secret.

  It had taken a while, but Doug had persuaded Ian to confide in him. Camille had said he had her boyfriend’s liver. She’d told him all about the man named Alan, and he’d sounded like a really cool guy.

  Doug had assigned protection for Ian, and then he’d gone over the descriptions. It was clear that the same person had visited all the survivors, although the name had been different. Camille Ward, Chloe White, and Charlotte West. The initials were all C.W. That was too much of a coincidence. It was clear the woman had used her real initials.

  While Greg had driven back to the office, Doug had glanced down at his notebook. Shortly before Willy Rossini had been murdered, he’d eaten dinner with a woman named Cherie White. Another C.W. The second victim, Mark Turner, had also known a woman with the initials C.W. His landlady had told them that Cheryl Walton, the woman who had moved into Mark’s former apartment had moved again, shortly after his death. The landlady was a bit of a busybody, and she’d suspected that Mark and Cheryl had been much more than neighbors. And then there was the mystery woman that Reverend Woodard had baptized. All they had was a first name, but Crystal fit the first initial.

  How did this fit in with Neil’s murder? Doug frowned as he listened to Jill’s phone ringing. There had been only one student in Neil’s class with the initials C.W. He was a male graduate student, and Doug was sure that Chuck Waxter didn’t have a place in the picture. The only other candidate was one of the staff, a temporary secretary named Cindy Wyatt. Cindy fit the description, but she had an alibi. Her boyfriend swore she’d been with him all evening.

  Another piece of the puzzle was worrying Doug. The serial killer, the woman who had brutally murdered f
our people, had spared Shelly Devore and Ian Perkins. She’d killed only grown men, but Doug wasn’t sure if that was a factor.

  “Damn!” Doug glared at the phone. Jill had told him that she and Connie were leaving today, and they must have hit the road early. Now he’d have to wait to tell her about his progress until she came back on Wednesday.

  He had mixed emotions about what Jill had described as her mini vacation. He really hadn’t wanted her to leave, but he’d known that a change of scene might help. She’d been complaining about the heat and how uncomfortable it made her, so Connie was taking her to a bed-and-breakfast lodge on a Northern Minnesota lake. The fresh air and cooler temperatures would be a relief for Jill, but Doug wished he knew exactly where she’d gone. When he’d asked, she hadn’t known the name of the lake, but she’d promised to call.

  There was a knock on Doug’s door and Greg came in, wiping his forehead with a handkerchief. “Jesus! It’s hot out there!”

  “I know, but maybe that’s good. It’s too hot for street crime!” Greg looked surprised and Doug explained. “Look at the stats. Street crime drops way below normal twice a year. In the hottest month of the summer and the coldest month of the winter.”

  “Okay. I believe you. And I can understand about the winter. Nobody wants to hang around outside when it’s twenty degrees below zero.”

  “Right.” Doug nodded. “Hot weather’s just the reverse. If all you can think about is cooling off, you’re going to stay home in front of the fan. It’s even too hot for fights. People just don’t have the energy.”

  Greg dropped into a chair and fanned his face. “You can say that again! I’m bushed and it’s only ten in the morning. Do we really have to wear ties?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Doug picked up his jacket and slipped it on. “The donor’s family is in the social register, and the maid won’t let us in the front door if we don’t.”