Beth sent Wyatt a bemused smile, but she didn’t protest. “Okay, then. What can you tell me, officially?” she asked, pulling her digital recorder out of her pocket.
“Officially, we have one body, an unidentified female. It appears to have been a homicide, and we’re asking anyone who might have seen something odd last night to get in contact with us,” Wyatt responded.
“Harvey thinks she was killed about twelve to sixteen hours ago, probably around twelve, and probably right down there next to the pond,” Ethan added.
“Cause of death? Any idea who she is?” Beth asked.
“COD yet to be determined, and no comment on the ID,” Wyatt answered. “Pending positive identification and notification of the family.”
Beth nodded. She understood what Wyatt wasn’t saying, as well as what he was. She turned off the recorder, making a show of the process, and put it back in her pocket.
“Unofficially? Can you tell me anything more?”
Wyatt hesitated. “Completely off the record, I’m on my way to Simone Grayson’s house to let her know that we probably found her sister murdered this morning.”
Beth was shocked, and she pulled out of Ethan’s embrace to meet his gaze. He nodded.
“Parker Riley—that’s who you’re talking about, right?” she asked. “Wow. That’s um, actually not as surprising as it should be, I guess.”
Ethan frowned. “Why not?”
Beth chose her words carefully. “When Grayson was mayor, Simone kept a much tighter rein on Parker. You know she’d been in rehab twice for drug and alcohol addiction, right?” When both men appeared shocked, Beth shook her head. “How can you not know that? Anyhow, after Grayson lost, whatever hold Simone had on Parker disintegrated. She’s been spiraling more and more out of control ever since.”
Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about the implications of what Beth had told them. “I knew she liked to party, but not to the degree that she was an addict. So she probably had a particular druggie crowd she ran with, and a favorite dealer or two. I should know this. Why don’t I know this?” he asked, frustrated. “I’m the damned sheriff, for crying out loud. Maybe I’m just getting too old for this job.”
Beth protested with a frown. “Wyatt Dixon, you’re barely fifty. Too old, my ass! And if not knowing about Parker’s addictions makes you too old, then I guess Ethan’s ready to be put out to pasture, as well.”
“Hey, now,” Ethan said.
“I turned fifty-one a couple of months ago, but thanks for the pep talk,” Wyatt said. “That’s neither here nor there, though. Any idea who Parker ran with?”
“No,” Beth responded. “The only reason I know as much as I do, well… it’s a little embarrassing to admit. I overheard Simone telling someone about Parker a couple months ago. I was in the restroom at the Lighthouse, and Simone didn’t know I was there. After I heard that, I did some digging and found out the rest. It’s apparently not common knowledge, and I’d guess some money has changed hands to keep it that way. I figured you all might be aware of it, just given the nature of the problem, but I guess they’ve done a better job at covering it up than I thought.”
Wyatt accepted her explanation. “Okay, then. Ethan, when you’re finished here, you’ll want to talk to those friends of Parker’s. Make sure you take someone with you.” He sighed. “I guess I’ll get this notification over with.” He tipped an imaginary hat in Beth’s direction and started to walk away, but turned after a few steps.
“One more thing. I brought Maria out here. Can you make sure she gets back into town?” he asked Ethan.
“Absolutely,” Ethan assured him.
Wyatt gave a final wave as he resumed the walk to his SUV. He got in and radioed in to dispatch before starting the engine. When traffic cleared, he pulled out in a U-turn. With the SUV pointed back toward Leroy, he let down his guard and relaxed. Julie, his wife, had been gone six years now. Seeing Beth and Ethan together reminded him of just how much he had lost. Involuntarily, his mind strayed to thoughts of Maria. Before it could get started, Wyatt ruthlessly clamped down on that tangent.
“You know better than to even think about going there, old man,” he told himself. “Maybe it’s time to take Neva up on that blind date she keeps trying to set me up on.” When he realized he was talking to himself, he laughed. Yes, it was definitely time for him to talk to Neva, the ageless woman who sat guard at the reception desk and kept the department running smoothly from behind the scenes. As soon as he got back in the office and had a free minute, he would make a beeline to her desk and let her know he was ready to take a chance.
~ * * * ~
Back at the crime scene, Ethan walked Beth to the Beast. He leaned against the door frame as she rolled the windows down and started the engine.
“What do you think that was all about?” she asked.
Ethan shrugged, understanding that she was asking about Wyatt’s behavior. “Probably just this whole mess with Chase, and now Parker’s murder. I’d say it’s getting to him a little.”
Beth studied her husband’s face. “It was bad, wasn’t it?” she asked quietly.
“Yeah, it was very bad.” He changed the subject. “Where are you headed now?”
“To Joe’s, to see if they’re okay,” she said. “So I’ll see you there. Ethan, did you notice anything about the way Wyatt said Maria’s name?”
Ethan shot her a puzzled glance. “No, why?”
Beth smiled. “It was probably nothing. I just thought there was something about the way he said her name. Reminded me of the way Chase talks about Annie.”
Ethan leaned in the vehicle to give her a soft kiss. “You’re just seeing hearts around everybody these days, Mrs. Moore.” Beth caught him before he could draw back and gave him a more thorough kiss.
“That comes from being blissfully happy, Detective. I’ll see you at the farm.”
Stepping back, Ethan closed the door, and Beth drove off with a quick wave. He stopped to speak with the CSU team one last time before he headed toward Joe Pace’s farmhouse. As he drove the short distance, he didn’t know whether to hope Beth was right or wrong about Wyatt and Maria. One thing was certain, though. If Beth was right, it sure would be interesting to watch things play out.
Chapter 29
About the time Wyatt was delivering the bad news to the Graysons, the killer was waking up just a few miles away. He’d gone home and cleaned himself up, his whole body aching and his left arm feeling like it had been burned with a branding iron. It wasn’t until he had stripped naked in his bathroom that he had seen the deep bite mark on his forearm, and when he did, he knew he was in trouble. He had disinfected it as best he could and wrapped a tight gauze bandage around the wound. He had then promptly fallen asleep, exhausted from the night’s activities. He had woken up about seven o’clock that morning and managed to stay awake long enough to call work to let them know he wouldn’t be in, and then he fell unconscious again.
Now, as he got up and dragged himself into the bathroom, he winced at the sore muscles in his legs, arms, and back. He relieved himself, and then went to the sink. When he saw the angry red welts and scratches on his chest and neck, he cursed. However, the scratches were the least of his concern. His arm was still throbbing, and he could see red streaks crawling up toward his elbow from underneath the bandage.
With extreme care, he unwound the gauze. The closer he got to the broken, oozing skin, the more the bandage stuck. The killer turned on the water in the sink, and when it was warm, he stuck his forearm under the flow until he felt the gauze loosen. He turned off the water and, sucking in a breath, pulled the gauze the rest of the way off. As soon as air hit the wound, the pain intensified three-fold. Grasping the edge of the bathroom counter, the killer waited for the agony to die down.
Though he had done his best the night before to clean it, the bite mark was deep. Overnight, it had become infected, and his entire forearm was burning hot. He tried to close his hand in a fist, but
the muscles didn’t want to cooperate, and the pain that shot up to his shoulder when he tried cautioned him to not repeat that mistake any time soon. The killer knew he was left with very few options. He had to have medical treatment, or he would lose the arm.
Going to the emergency room or his regular doctor was completely out of the question. As soon as they saw the bite mark, the police would be called. Even if he could somehow explain the wound, they’d no doubt ask him to take off his shirt, and then the gig would truly be up. As it was, he was going to be lucky if a long-sleeved shirt covered all the scratches. He briefly considered cutting the damaged tissue away himself, but the wound was so deep he would probably lose the use of his arm or bleed to death if he tried.
No, there would be no getting around this. As the pain receded, he realized he was going to have to work fast and hard to avoid capture this time. He would have to create an alibi, and now. His truck was going to have to go, and maybe, just maybe, if he played all his cards exactly right, he’d be able to get away with what he had done.
First things first, though. He had to get his arm treated, and he had an idea of just how to do that.
Chapter 30
Late Monday afternoon, Chase was in his basement when the doorbell rang. He’d closed down the office after lunch, sending the women home. Then he’d come back to the condo and gone straight to work on his punching bag. He had almost managed to drive his anger away. For a minute, he considered not answering the door, but then his upbringing took over. Jackie Hudson had drummed her own superstition about ignoring a ringing phone or doorbell into her children.
Muttering under his breath, Chase went to the front door. When he swung it open to reveal Gordon standing on the porch, he stiffened with shock. Neither man spoke for a minute. Gordon finally broke the silence. “We need to talk,” he said.
Chase just raised his brows, incredulous. “That’s not going to happen, not today. And not without John.”
Gordon raked a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. Chase could see the frustration his friend was holding in check. Chase unlatched the storm door and went out onto the porch. He moved up to Gordon until they were toe-to-toe, and then he smiled. It wasn’t a friendly expression.
“Damn it, Chase. I’m not here as law enforcement. I’m here as your friend.”
“Do you have any idea what my day has been like, Gordon?” he asked in a conversational tone. “It’s been pretty rough, so don’t tell me you’re here as my ‘friend.’”
Gordon widened his stance and rolled his shoulders so that his arms were loose and ready. “Do you really want to do this, Chase? Because if you do, I’ll oblige you. You aren’t the only one who’s had a bad day.”
The offer was very tempting, and part of him wanted to take Gordon up on it. However, something held him back. He realized that he wasn’t really that angry at Gordon and, with a long sigh, he stood down. “What exactly do we need to talk about?”
Gordon cleared his throat. “First of all, I want to apologize for yesterday,” he said. “I didn’t know it would go like that, Chase. I feel like I threw you to the wolves.”
Chase made a show of looking at his arms and legs. “No bite marks here,” he said.
“Regardless, I owe you an apology.”
“Fine, then. Consider it accepted.” Chase shrugged. “Now, you’ll forgive me if I ask again. What do we have to talk about? It’s really been a rough day, and I’d like to hit the shower.”
“Okay. I tried to call but it kept going to voicemail.”
Chase sighed and opened the door, motioning for Gordon to enter. “I turned the ringer off. You don’t even want to know how many people I’ve seen or talked to today who were just ‘calling to check up on me and see how I was holding up.’”
“It’s been that bad, then?” Gordon asked. At Chase’s look, he grimaced. “Damn.”
“Don’t worry about it, okay? Let’s just move on. Please.”
Gordon smiled. “Fair enough. What are the chances you can get everyone together this evening?” he asked. “Beth, Ethan, Jason, everyone.”
Chase frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“After everything went to hell yesterday, I spent a couple hours going over Kiely’s case with Wyatt and Stacy. We thought it might be a good idea to get the gang together, see if maybe we can come up with something as a group.”
“That’s a bit unusual,” Chase said.
Gordon laughed. “To say the very least,” he agreed. “But you’ve got two cops and an investigative reporter, not counting me and Stacy. Then there’s Annie and Hannah. It’s worth a shot, anyhow.”
Chase considered his words. “We’re supposed to meet at Beth’s in a couple hours,” he responded. “I haven’t talked to them since yesterday, except for a brief phone call or two. You know Beth is still very, very upset with you, right?”
“I didn’t expect anything less,” Gordon admitted.
With a groan, Chase ran a hand through his hair. “Fine. Be there at six-thirty. You’re responsible for getting Stacy there, and you had better be prepared to talk fast when you get in the door. If you get that far.”
Gordon smiled, clearly relieved. “Thank you, Chase.”
Chase snorted. “Dude, seriously. If you think my sister won’t make your life hell for what happened yesterday, you don’t know her very well. Don’t thank me.”
As Chase walked him to the door, he remembered the scene with Stacy in the observation room. “What was all that yesterday, between you and Stacy?”
Gordon turned on the steps, and Chase was surprised at the sheepish look on his friend’s face. Gordon spread his hands and said, “No idea what you’re talking about.”
“Uh huh. Maybe I should just ask Stacy this evening, then,” Chase said. Gordon’s eyes widened, and he started back up the steps, but when Chase laughed out loud, he stopped.
His cheeks hot, Gordon reluctantly laughed with him. “I’m attracted to her, okay?” he confessed.
Chase feigned surprise. “No! Really? Tell me something I don’t know.” He laughed again, and Gordon waved him off.
“I’ll see you in a little while, then,” he said. “You’ll clear my being there with Beth?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Chase assured him. Back inside, he contemplated not telling Beth and just letting Gordon show up. If it had been anywhere other than her home they were going to be, he would have. It would hardly be fair to ambush her in her own house, though. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed his phone and made the call. If things went the way he thought they would, it was going to be a very long evening.
Chapter 31
At Beth’s request, Annie arrived at her house a little earlier than the men. When Beth had called her a short time ago, she had seemed upset. Walking up on the porch, Annie could see her friend pacing in the living room. Stacy, Hannah, and Lauren were seated at the dining room table watching her.
When she saw Annie, she hurried to the door. “Good, you’re here,” she said as she let Annie in. “We don’t have much time before the men get here.”
Annie sent a questioning look at the women seated at the table. “What’s going on? Why the rush?”
Beth turned around, hands on hips. “Annie. My brother invited that man here. We need a plan. After what he did yesterday…” Her voice trailed off as she shoved her hands in her hair and tugged.
“Um, Beth, if Gordon hadn’t been there yesterday, Chase would probably be sitting in jail now, arrested for murder,” Annie told her carefully.
Beth’s jaw dropped, and she stared at Annie incredulously. “Of all people, how can you defend him?” she sputtered.
Annie moved to the table and sat down beside Lauren. “Perhaps because he was doing his job? Well, I might add. Besides, I thought you liked Gordon. Don’t you?”
Beth’s gaze narrowed, and she stewed for a minute. With a frustrated growl, she threw up her hands and pulled out a chair. “Damn it, I do,” she said as she flopped down. “
And yes, I’m going to owe Mom’s Swear Jar some serious money when they get home. I imagine we all will.”
Lauren spoke up, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “If I recall correctly, and Annie you should remember this, Beth liked Gordon well enough at one point to kiss him.” Hannah, who had taken a sip of her iced tea, choked, and Stacy thumped her on the back. At Lauren’s words, Beth flushed a deep red, and her eyes flew to Stacy’s.
The detective leaned forward with a growing smile. “Do tell,” she said, amused and intrigued.
Beth relaxed when she saw that Stacy wasn’t upset. “It was a long time ago,” she said, “and it was just a kiss.”
“That’s not how I remember it,” Lauren said.
“You weren’t even there!” Beth exclaimed. “How do you know what it was or wasn’t?” Lauren just smiled, and Beth wadded up a napkin, which she threw in Lauren’s direction.
“It was before I got shot,” she told Stacy. “Gordon and I are friends, dang it, and there’s chemistry there. We both wanted to know if it was the good kind or just the friend kind.”
“So you kissed?” Hannah asked. “Why haven’t I heard this before?”
“Because it was just a kiss. It was like kissing Chase or Jason, if they weren’t my brothers. If that makes sense.”
“So you’re saying you didn’t enjoy it?” Stacy asked.
Beth hesitated, and a series of “aaahs” sounded around the table. She dismissed them with a wave. “He knows what he’s doing,” she said. “It was pleasant enough. He just… there wasn’t any spark there. For either of us.” She tipped her head to one side and studied Stacy. “So you haven’t kissed him, then?”
Stacy shook her head. She played with her cell phone and bit her lip. “Not yet. He’s seeing Kathryn Owen.”
“No, he isn’t,” Annie said. “They’re just friends. Kathryn was his wife’s best friend.”
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