“Where am I? Well, um, I’m at home, getting changed. A couple of angry older women were waiting outside the station, and they took me by surprise and one of them threw coffee at me.
“Seems they were protesting outside the station in support of the librarian and they recognized me.
“They claimed that they didn’t throw the coffee. It spilled.
“The woman who actually did throw the coffee says that she’s eighty-two years old and her hands shake and try to arrest her and watch the sh—
“Seems like extortion to me too, but the crowd backed her up. I decided we have better things to do than lock up a crowd of senior citizens when we don’t have much chance of a conviction and we’re in the middle of a murder investigation.
“Well, she was standing on a step and I walked past her. She could have tripped, although I know she didn’t.
“I’ll be back at the station shortly. Thought I’d use my lunch to get respectable.”
The rest of the conversation was all on her end. Chicken squawks that meant nothing.
In the end, Tyler said, “Yes, ma’am. We’ll get them.”
And that was the end of that.
I listened as Tyler padded off toward the bathroom. As soon as I heard him turn on the shower, I slipped out from under the bed with a very good plan to race along the hallway and out the back door off the kitchen. I wanted to check his cell to see who else he might have been talking to besides Castellano, but I figured I’d better get out of there.
I picked up Walter and began to tiptoe out. Tyler’s cell phone rang on the side table. He always turned on the ring and raised the volume when he was out of the room. In that tiny bathroom there was nowhere to put a phone.
Why had I forgotten that?
I heard Tyler thundering toward the room. Too late to get back under the bed. I hugged the wall in the faint hope that he wouldn’t notice a woman and an extra dog standing there, trapped.
“Hello?” Tyler clutched the oversized blue-and-white-striped bath sheet around himself as he fumbled with the phone. “Yeah, Stoddard, I’ll be there as soon as I get cleaned up, and yes, I’ll be wearing plain clothes. And no, they won’t be coffee-colored.”
He clicked the phone closed and turned. I held my breath. Maybe he wouldn’t notice. But that would have been too good to be true.
Walter yipped happily. He’d been missing his friend, Smiley. Cobain barked in agreement.
I wiggled the fingers of my free hand to say “hey” and sidled closer to the door.
Tyler’s blue eyes popped. His familiar blush rose, this time from his chest to the roots of his hair. I should add the hair had a nice lather of shampoo on it.
“Wha—?”
“Good to see you too,” I said.
“I just assured my commanding officer that we’re not in touch.”
“Well, that’s a fact. You said that you hadn’t spoken to me, and it was true at the time.”
“It’s not true anymore.”
“But it was true then.”
“Really, Jordan? Do you think that would matter to Castellano? We can’t be together.”
“I didn’t want to be together. I needed somewhere to sleep and I didn’t think you’d be goofing off from work to take a shower. I still had my key and—Do you really think I murdered that woman?”
He blinked. “Well, of course not.”
“And what about Chadwick Kauffman? Look me in the eye and tell me you think I did that.”
He swallowed.
I had the advantage over him, being fully dressed and with a lot to lose. Plus I’d learned from the expression on his face that he didn’t believe I’d killed Chadwick. I also knew that he was going to pursue that case under orders.
He said, “When this is over, we can—”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Jordan—”
I felt a buzz of emotions. Fear of getting arrested didn’t even make the list. How could he? How could he suggest that we would ever even talk again?
“Never. Not in my lifetime. I don’t ever want to see you again. I am only hiding out here because I had no choice. And I had the key.”
“I realize that, but since we’re face-to-face, let me explain—” By now, Tyler was flushed from his hairline to his feet. Usually I find his blushing endearing, but not this time.
I sputtered, “Explain? Explain? What’s to explain? I can’t believe you said that. You broke up with me by text. You didn’t have the courage to do it to my face. And that was after I forgave you for everything that happened last fall. Now this? No explanation possible except that you are a colossal jerk.”
“I’m not. I mean, I may be a jerk, but that’s not why. I had to.”
“Stop wasting my time. I’m out of here.”
“I had no choice. They were watching you.”
“What?”
“They were watching you.”
“Who was watching me?”
“The police. Us. We were.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We got a tip about you.”
“A tip about me? From who?”
“Anonymous.”
“Oh great. So some anonymous crackpot calls in a tip about me and you accept it without question and break—”
“Not me. I didn’t believe it. But Castellano and Stoddard were informed about it.”
“Informed?”
“The information about the tip came down from one of the higher-ups. I don’t know who passed it on. But Castellano and Stoddard were told to keep an eye. And then when Chadwick Kauffman was found murdered and the circumstances were similar to the tip—”
“What?” I knew I had to stop shouting “what?” but every step of this conversation made me want to bellow it. I also knew I was hyperventilating.
“Sit on the bed,” Tyler said. “Put your head down between your knees. I’ll find a paper bag for you to blow into.”
“Oh no,” I rasped, “don’t you leave this room so you can call for backup.”
“I don’t need backup for you, Jordan. I’m trying to tell you what’s going on and you’re freaking out.”
“Who wouldn’t freak out? Are you telling me that the tip came in before the murder?”
He nodded. “The tip specified the three of you—Vera, Kevin and you—were planning a theft of books and other valuables. It didn’t specify Summerlea.”
“But that means—” I had a bit of trouble with my breathing.
Tyler said, “Please, Jordan, sit down. Get it under control and we’ll talk.”
“It means that whoever sent that tip planned it.”
“Yes.”
“They planned the killing too.”
“I believe so.”
“That explains why Vera was told to bring Kev and me to Summerlea. They set it all up. And they planned to implicate us.”
“That’s what it means. I’m sure of it.”
“But why?”
“That’s the part we don’t know.”
“We? You and Castellano and Stoddard?”
“You and I are we. And we don’t know why.”
“Did they try to trace the tip or find out about the tipster?”
“Of course. They’re very good investigators. Especially Castellano. She’s going places. She’ll be chief here or somewhere else before too long.”
“Solving the Chadwick Kauffman case will make her get there faster.”
“You got that right.”
“Let’s not get sidetracked. Did they find out anything?”
“They didn’t confide fully in me, as I was still your boyfriend at the time. That’s why I—”
“Move on from that.”
“As far as I can figure, they’ve worked it out that
it came from someone at the Country Club and Spa.”
“But I didn’t even know anyone there before—” I stopped myself from saying “before I dressed up as the auditor and swanned in and stole the photo.” After all, Tyler didn’t know about that escapade, even though I thought he may have spotted me. And I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure I could trust him. I didn’t plan on handing over details that might add to charges against me. “It doesn’t make sense. Someone was clearly setting us up to take the fall for their crime. Wouldn’t they have to check that out?”
“Castellano and Stoddard are convinced that one of you did it. They don’t care about the motive of the tipster.”
“They didn’t find the phone-in tip odd? Before the fact?”
He shrugged and blushed a much deeper shade of red.
“They think it’s a falling-out among, um, criminals.”
“Criminals?”
“Sorry. That’s what they believe.”
“But, I’m . . . I’m not a criminal.”
“I know that.”
“I’ve always gone straight. I don’t break the law.” I didn’t give a minute’s thought to any incidents with lock picks and trespassing or impersonation. They were always with good cause.”
“I know you’ve been framed. I knew that you were being set up as soon as that tip came in.”
“Did you talk to them about it?”
“Jordan. You’re a very intelligent woman. I was seriously involved with you. Do you think they would have trusted me?”
“Oh. No. But then I don’t trust you either.”
“Well, you have to. I broke up with you in a dramatic and—”
“Cruel—”
“Not cruel. It was crass, and I know it seemed uncaring, but I needed them to think that we were done and it didn’t matter all that much to me, but you were furious.”
“Couldn’t you have stood up for me?”
“Not if I wanted to stay in the loop in the investigation.”
I snorted.
He said, “I miss that snort. I’ve already let you know about the tip. The tip could be useful ammunition for your lawyer. I figure you have Sammy Vincovic.”
“Yes.” I couldn’t let on that I knew he’d arranged that. I’d tricked that information out of Sammy, in a surprisingly unguarded moment. Sammy would be very unhappy, and we all like a happy lawyer in a capital case.
“Well, he’s the best, isn’t he? He’ll work that angle, and if it turns out they didn’t investigate when they should have, he’ll take them apart on the stand. I mean, if it comes to trial.”
I gulped.
He reached out and squeezed my hand. “He’ll dig around to find out who the tip might have come from and to find someone else who’ll be a credible suspect but wasn’t investigated. That will count. Believe me, I wanted to let you know what was really happening.”
I gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Uh, things are bad now. Really bad, and, by the way, you kept me in the dark.”
“I just told you about the tip! To be fair—”
“I don’t care about being fair. You let me down in the worst way.”
“I admit it. I thought it would help to work the case, and I was sure I could let you know why I broke it off, but I couldn’t reach you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Every time I need to speak to you, Castellano or Stoddard is around. They have taps on your phone.”
“I have a burner.”
“But I don’t know the number.”
True. I hadn’t given it to him. He was on the other side.
“And anyway, I think they’re tracking my calls too. The best thing was not to contact you, to pick up more facts and to make sure that nothing really bad happened to you.”
“Bad like being suspected of murder? Like being treated as the lowest type of criminal?”
“Jordan. This is how I can help you.”
“You only care about your job. That’s what it is.”
“If that was all, do you think I would have fallen in love with a member of Kelly family? Well-known—”
“Local entrepreneurs.” Did he say “in love with”? I wasn’t sure I believed it. And if I did believe it, then this was one really unromantic situation in which to unfurl that declaration.
“Whatever. They are what they are, but they’re not your responsibility.”
“I’m responsible for keeping them safe,” I said, Kev’s silly and much-loved face flashing in my brain.
“Maybe, but you are not responsible for any of the things they do.”
“They’re my family.”
“Sure, they make their choices and you are loyal. I get that.”
“Too bad it’s a stumbling block, career-wise.”
“I can find a way to live with that. But right now, I need my colleagues, especially Castellano and Stoddard, to think that I’ve washed my hands of you. And I need you to know that I trust you and I believe in you.”
“Well, I’m not sure that I can say the same about you.”
“Fair enough. But do you think—deep down—that one of the reasons you came here was because of us? Maybe you wanted—”
“Don’t push your luck. I’m leaving now.”
“I can’t let you leave, and I’m going to have to arrest you.”
I sputtered. “Really, Tyler? Really? It’s one thing for you to dump me without any feelings the way you did—”
“I explained all that. Don’t you think my neighbors will have seen you come in here? Your face has been all over the TV.”
“What?”
“Everyone’s looking for you. It’s serious. For all I know Castellano has someone watching the place. Who knows what could happen if some trigger-happy type shows up?”
I kept going as if I hadn’t heard him. “But it’s horrible for you to arrest me, especially when we both know I didn’t do it.” All right, so I was stalling. I know what cops have to do. If I was a police officer, I would have arrested me. There was no question that Tyler was conscientious, but I believed he didn’t want anything bad to happen to me. Being arrested would be included in the category of something bad happening. What choice did he have?
“Horrible of me? You broke into my house!”
“You gave me a key. You didn’t ask for it back. In a court of law, that could be construed to mean—” Okay, so I was babbling to stall.
“Come on, Jordan. That’s just plain stupid.”
“Who are you calling stupid?” Walter yipped when I yelled. “Here! Take your nasty little key.” I flung the key to the far side of the bed where it hit the wall with a plink and fell behind the mattress. Cobain leapt onto the bed, and Walter yipped wildly and spun around in circles.
Tyler stared in the direction of the key and at his own dog. Cobain was doing his best to retrieve that key. Yes, Cobain, who will eat anything.
Tyler shouted, “Don’t eat that key, Cobain. Leave it!”
I used that diversion to race for the back door and outside. I scampered down the stairs and ran like the devil was chasing me. I let Walter run ahead of me. I smiled and called to him. He yipped and skipped. What fun! Nosy neighbors would see a woman having a fun time with her adorable pug. Nothing suspicious about that. I headed in the opposite direction to where the Navigator was parked, planning to approach it from the other side. I glanced back and saw Tyler framed in the doorway, still clutching his blue-and-white-striped bath sheet. Good. Tyler Dekker was not likely to chase me down his street clad only in that towel.
I made the international sign for “sorry, I had no choice.” I hoped that shrugging-and-grimace combination wasn’t misinterpreted. Tyler Dekker might have had his doubts about my guilt, but he’d probably never be able to forgive me for humiliating him.
I figured by now he’d be
calling the police to intercept me.
I was out of breath by the time I reached the Navigator. Panting, with Walter yipping by my ear, I tried to think where I could go next. I didn’t hear the sound of sirens, so that was good. I tumbled into the car panting. Walter matched me pant for pant.
How had all this happened?
One week earlier my life had been rosy. Beyond rosy. Perfect job, perfect living arrangements, perfect relationship with Tyler, all things considered. I had been secure and happy. And now? It seemed like I was the victim of a cosmic joke. Everything was falling apart. And the worst was yet to come.
I looked out the rearview mirror. The joke apparently was continuing. Tyler, still wearing the large striped towel, was thudding along the sidewalk in his bare feet. Those large white feet were rapidly approaching the Navigator. My first thought was horror that Tyler was going to wreck his soles. Were they bleeding? I knew what that was like. My second thought was to get out of there.
My hands shook as I put the key in the ignition.
Tyler thudded closer.
The Navigator purred and leapt forward. Tyler bent over, hands on his knees, probably gasping for breath.
I suppose if I hadn’t been looking out the rearview mirror, I might have noticed the dark van pull up beside me. But of course, I was staring back at Tyler, realizing what I had lost.
It would have been better if I’d spotted the van before it cut me off.
The Marsh Madness Page 22