by Ann Simas
The identification, a cumbersome project that involved hundreds of missing people, engaged family members or friends, who provided names of dentists who had performed dental work on the missing. Clerical staff from the Edgerton PD had contacted the identified dental offices in the county, as well as some in four adjoining counties, in search of patient names matching any of the missing persons.
Andi remembered the media frenzy accompanying the discovery. The crimes had made international news, putting Edgerton and the county on the map for reasons the citizenry would rather not discuss, at least in public. The scope of the crimes was almost mind-boggling, since the farmer admitted he’d “been at it” for thirteen years. Add to that dozens of missing persons and it apparently was enough to keep Dawna Stimack busy for more than a year.
Andi looked at the clock and wondered if it was too late to call Mike. She decided it wasn’t and dialed his cell. He answered on the second ring. “I was just curious about Dawna Stimack,” she said, and explained what she’d found on the Internet. “How could she afford to take time away from her practice to go through all those dental records and compare them to all the dental remains?” Silently, she muttered please, please, please, hoping Mike wouldn’t question her curiosity.
He responded with a soft bark that could have been laughter, or maybe disbelief. “You remember Dawna Rogers, don’t you, Andi, from high school? She wasn’t very nice then, and she’s not very nice today.”
“Zebras don’t change their stripes, even with a name change,” Andi said.
“You got that right and if you quote me….” He left the remainder of the warning unspoken.
“I get your drift, Mike. I promise, my lips are sealed.” Except to the priest and the cops, she added to herself.
“A little history,” he went on. “She bought that practice from old Doc Love. He’d been a dentist in town for over forty years. He had a lot of patients, kept his practice modern, though he didn’t bring in over-the-top technology that would price the people he treated out of existence. He let Dawna buy it on time, but the problem was, his patients didn’t cotton to her and business dropped off like crazy, except for what the hygienists pulled in. People still wanted their teeth clean, but most of them wouldn’t let Dawna touch their mouths. She was hurting bad financially.”
He took a breath. “Rumor had it that she wanted her husband to invest, because he had money from his family, but he wouldn’t do it. She had no choice but to find another source of income. When the shit hit the fan about that hog farmer, and she discovered he’d kept their jawbones, with teeth still attached, for souvenirs in his barn, Dawna hauled her butt down to the police department and told them she had the time and the resources to start making the IDs for them.”
“Wow.”
“Exactly. Wasn’t long after that, her husband divorced her. Not surprising, because every time I saw her, she said she was putting in twelve-plus-hour days. No time for hubby or for having kids. Again, via the rumor mill, I heard he found a chicky on the side who did have time for him. Not long after the divorce was final, she made some mega improvements to her practice. I figure he gave her a hefty settlement to appease her, or get rid of her, or both. She began drawing in patients again, mostly younger people who like the super high-tech dentistry thing, and she brought in a pediatric dentist, so the whole family could visit one place for their dental care. She has determination, I’ll give her that.”
Andi sat back in her chair. “Wow,” she said again.
“She got lucky, too.”
“How so?”
“When Doc Love died, he had no family left behind, so he made arrangements in his will that all his assets would go to the charities he designated and his contractual agreement with Dawna would be absolved.”
“You mean, like she’d be free and clear of that debt?”
Mike nodded.
“Wow,” she said for the third time.
Mike laughed outright. “Andi, Andi, Andi—what are you up to?”
“If I told you, Mike, you wouldn’t believe me.”
She could almost see him cocking his head in that funny way he’d had since she’d known him, squinting his eyes at her, promising to tell her brother if she didn’t come clean.
“Try me.”
“The priest, Andrew Greeley. Research. Remember?”
“Okay, I get it, girl, but one day, you’re going to have to ’fess up.”
Andi sighed, wondering if she’d ever be able to tell anyone outside the four men who currently knew about her…ability. “Maybe some day I will.”
CHAPTER 16
Andi went back to the laptop and found more articles to read. They basically all reported the same information, so she gave up after a while.
She was about to shut down the machine when she got a bright idea. She plugged forensic dentist into the search engine and clicked on the little magnifier to start the search. She came up with over four-point-five million results. That was never going to do. She tapped her fingers lightly against the keyboard, thinking. How to narrow it down….
After a few moments, she added expert to the other two words and narrowed down the possibilities to a hundred and fifty thousand. Not bad, but still too many results. She added crime and got it down to just over sixty thousand. Now she was getting somewhere.
She spent a few minutes reading the lead lines of each result, jotted down a few names, then clicked on a couple and read about the “expert.” For a few of them, she also found textbooks, some of which had a reading sample online. Within twenty minutes, she’d narrowed her selection down to one. Reading his bio, she gleaned his location. From that, she added his name and city and the next thing she knew, she had his contact information in front of her.
Using the same ploy she’d used with Mike, she composed an email, incorporating some of the questions she’d asked Mike and some from her list for Jack. This time she identified herself as the writer. She read through what she’d written several times for clarity and, finally, for errors. When she was satisfied, she hit SEND and mentally crossed her fingers that she would receive a reply.
By that time, she was exhilarated from her progress. She was in that tired-but-not-sleepy mode and since it was not yet midnight, decided to watch an old movie on TCM and have something hot to drink. Late at night, that usually lulled her into a groggy state that would let her fall right to sleep when she crawled into bed.
She was just getting ready to turn off the light in her office when her smartphone rang. Jack’s name popped up on the display. Andi was both surprised and pleased. “Hi,” she said. “You’re up late.”
“Just got finished for the day. You’re up late, too.”
“Just doing some research.”
“As pertains to Sherry Hemmer?”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Andi heard a car in the background. “Where are you?” she asked, hoping to deflect a lecture.
“Downstairs in the parking lot.”
“My parking lot?”
“Yeah…I thought…ah, shit. I don’t know what I thought!”
“You thought it might be nice to come up?”
“Yes.” He hesitated. “That is, if it’s not too late.”
“No. I was just going to fix myself something hot to drink and watch TV for a while. Come ahead.”
“If you’re sure….”
“Jack, I’m sure. Come up.”
He disconnected and several moments later, knocked on her door. Andi had already changed into her pajamas, but they covered more of her than a pair of shorts and a sleeveless shirt, so she felt comfortable inviting him in without changing. She could have put a robe on, but it was too warm for that. She looked through the peephole, just to make certain it was him, then unlocked and opened the door.
He wore blue jeans and a yellow polo shirt that was soiled and torn. He had a bandage on his right forearm and streaks of black across one cheek.
“If I say you look like hell, you won’t be ins
ulted, will you?” she asked.
He gave her an obviously tired lopsided grin. “I feel like hell, so why would that insult me?”
She closed the door and locked it again. “What happened to your arm?”
“Got in a scuffle with one of the bad guys. I won.”
“I don’t doubt it.”
“It’s been a shitty day.”
“I don’t doubt that either.”
He let his gaze roam over the darkened room. “Are you sure you weren’t on your way to bed?”
“Positive. Have you eaten? Are you hungry? Can I get you something to drink?”
“No, yes, and yes.”
“Do you want to wash up while I rustle up something?”
He looked down at his hands. “I think I’d better. I’ll splash some water on my face, too. I have a feeling it needs it.”
She put her hand against his cheek, using her thumb to rub at the black streaks. “Looks like soot.”
“I’m sure it is. That was a helluva fire.” He made his way to the bathroom and shut the door.
Andi went to the fridge and tried to figure out what to make. Something with protein, to give him some energy. Deciding on an egg scramble, she pulled out the bowl she kept her eggs in, some sliced ham, and a block of cheddar. Before she mixed the scramble, she put a dab of butter into a small fry pan and turned on the gas burner to medium heat. Once that was going, she grabbed a package of English muffins and popped one into the toaster. By the time Jack came out, everything was almost ready.
“Want some milk to drink?”
“Got anything stronger?”
“Umm, wine, beer, maybe a little brandy my sister left here.”
“Beer sounds good.” He glanced at the table, where she’d done a pretty single place-setting, including a small vase with a single daisy, then took a seat. “You didn’t have to do fancy for me.”
She grinned, delivering the open bottle to him. He grabbed her hand and pulled her down onto his lap. No one was more surprised than Andi when he kissed her. She set the bottle on the table and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back.
Eventually, they came up for air. Forehead to forehead, she said, “Your food is going to get cold.”
His tone wry, he said, “I believe the heat from that kiss will keep it warm,” and then he kissed her again.
Andi couldn’t argue his point, but he probably hadn’t eaten all day. If he had any plans for staying the night, she wanted him to have his strength.
Just in case.
She got up reluctantly and went to make herself a cup of International Coffee mocha and sat across from him while he ate. He mumbled how good the food was, listening to her recount her visit with Sherry’s family and her Q&A with her own dentist, explaining he was her brother’s best friend.
“I met your brother today. He’s young to be a captain already.”
“Dell has career goals,” Andi said. “He says he doesn’t want to be fire chief, but I’m not sure I believe him.” She shrugged. “Still, he hates meetings and schmoozing, so maybe it’s true.”
“He’s a nice guy, regardless. He was surprised I knew you.”
Andi met his inquiring gaze head-on. “I haven’t told my family about any of…this,” she said. “If I’d mentioned that I met you, they’d want to know how and why. I don’t even understand what’s going on myself, so how could I explain it to them?”
He gave her a funny look. “How did you handle it with the dentist then?”
She grinned. “I told him my priest wanted to write a mystery and needed some background about mercury amalgam, yada, yada, yada.”
He shook his head, as if in annoyance, but his beautiful green eyes were twinkling.
She lifted her eyebrows at him. “What?”
“Andi, Andi, Andi…what else have you been up to?”
She told him that she’d done some research on Dawna Stimack and discovered she had reinvented herself as a forensic dentist because her practice had started to bottom out. “She’s flush now, but occasionally still offers her services to law enforcement.”
“You’ve got to be careful, Andi. I haven’t even got my LT fully on board with this yet.”
“I’m being discreet.” She decided to go for broke. “I also researched expert forensic dentists and found one who looked really credible. I sent him an email with some questions.”
Jack opened his mouth, but Andi cut him off. “I said I was the writer this time, and I asked him some of the same questions I asked Mike, and also some I’ve put together for you.”
Jack almost choked on his English muffin. “You’ve put some questions together for me?”
Andi didn’t respond, but went to her computer desk and grabbed the list she’d printed out for him. She handed it over and remained silent while he read.
When he was finished, Jack picked up his beer and polished it off.
“Want another?” she asked.
He nodded.
Andi slid back from the table and took her time opening the second bottle. She didn’t like the scowl he aimed at her.
She set the beer down in front of him, but before she could move away, he captured her hand, stilling her, and said, “I don’t know what to do with you or about you.”
He didn’t sound angry, but he didn’t sound happy, either. “What do you mean?” she ventured.
“I’ve told you before, you’re not a cop. This is looking more and more like it’s going to be a homicide investigation. I can’t have you investigating for me.”
“I wasn’t—”
“Just be quiet and let me finish, okay?”
She nodded.
“I look at these questions, I listen to what you’ve been doing, and I feel like you’re in the wrong profession. I’ve seen seasoned detectives who don’t think like this. You’re covering all the bases, looking for things that aren’t there, but might be. This is exceptional work, Andi, but I have to repeat. You are not a cop.”
Andi looked down to their joined hands and gently extricated hers. “I know that, Jack, but I’m the one hearing the voices. I’m the one Sherry talks to. I can’t not do something, and I know there are avenues I can pursue that the police aren’t able to, because this isn’t even an official investigation yet. Right?” She moved back to the other side of the table and sat.
Jack rubbed his face, then raked his hands through his hair. “It’s just that the police department frowns on citizens getting involved in investigations. What if you were to get hurt? What if you alert the killer and any remaining evidence is destroyed? What if the killer comes after you because you discovered something that could put him or her on death row, or in prison for life? Have you thought about any of that?”
Andi hadn’t. She, who worked day after day writing game apps, a woman who asked what-if on a regular basis, had not posed the what-if questions as they pertained to her involvement in this case. “No,” she murmured, hanging her head.
Jack pushed back his chair and went to her side of the table, squatting down beside her. “Look, I’m not trying to scare you. I’m trying to protect you. I don’t want to see you get hurt…or worse.”
Andi looked up then. She wasn’t much of a crier, but her eyes were watery from the dressing down Jack had just given her.
“Ah, hell,” he said. He stood and pulled her up into his arms. “Andi,” he muttered, taking her lips with a ferocity she’d never before experienced.
Andi wound her arms tightly around his neck, pressing against him.
Before she knew it, his hands were under her cotton pajama top, exploring her back, her breasts. Then his hands went down inside her bottoms, getting to know the curvature of her derrière. And finally, one ventured around to her belly.
Andi almost collapsed from sensations she’d never felt before. “Jack,” she whimpered.
She didn’t know if she was pleading for him to stop or begging him not to.
CHAPTER 17
Much as Andi might
have preferred otherwise, Jack’s hand stopped just short of sliding between her legs. With a shuddery sigh, he withdrew both his hands from beneath her PJs and tore his mouth away from hers.
Still in a euphoric daze as he set her away, Andi couldn’t even speak.
“I can’t think when I get close to you,” Jack said, his voice hoarse. He took two steps backward and retrieved his beer bottle. With trembling fingers, he guided it to his mouth and swallowed half of what was left.
“Is that so bad?” Andi asked. She was feeling a little jittery herself. Jittery with lust. Everything about her was tingling, from the tips of her breasts to the center of her that Jack had left unexplored.
“It is when I’m trying to impress upon you how important it is that you do not try to play detective on this case.” He tipped the bottle up and polished it off. “Are we clear?”
Andi nodded.
“I’d better go. I need to grab a shower and a few hours sleep before I head back into the station in the morning.”
Andi almost opened her mouth to tell him her shower would accommodate two, but decided against it. Putting the moves on him at this point might result in some happy horny hormones, but really, was she ready to have an intimate encounter with a man she hadn’t even been out on a date with yet? And that didn’t even take into account that Jack was the one putting on the brakes.
“Do you want me to pick you up to go to Father Riley’s or meet you there?” Jack asked as he cleared his dishes from the table and took them to the sink.
“I don’t know where you live,” Andi said, “so I don’t know if it would be out of your way to stop by here.”
“I’ll probably still be at the station. This deal today is going to make for a lot of paperwork.”
“I’ll meet you at the rectory then. It’s silly for you to come all the way out here, then go back downtown.”
He hesitated. “I don’t mind.”
“Still….”
He rinsed off his plate and put that and the silverware in the dishwasher. He reached for the fry pan and rinsed it, as well. “Does this go in the dishwasher?”