by Anne Patrick
"Gwen!"
"Well, I wasn't going to lie to him." Instead of taking the elevator, Gwen headed for the stairs. Once the door had closed, she smiled at Kris. "He gave us the go-ahead."
"He did?"
"Sort of. No one else is to know he okay'd it."
"I have a feeling this isn't going to turn out well."
"Don't be such a pessimist." Gwen started down the stairs. "I've already done most of the legwork. Turns out the idiot has a strong on-line presence. I Facebook stalked him last night. According to his profile, he works at a dental lab on Fairfax Avenue. To make sure, I followed him to work this morning." She pushed through the door to the garage. "There's a deli across the street. I thought we could hang out there during the noon hour."
"And what if he comes in? We're going to look pretty silly hanging out in the bathroom for an hour."
"We'll think of something. In the meantime, I want to go to the homeless shelter and see if anyone has spotted our girl."
*****
At twenty till noon, Gwen and Kris entered the deli and chose a table facing the dental lab across the street. They did a thorough canvassing of the local parks, the mall, and homeless shelter but were unable to spot their possible witness.
"The girl is on the run." Gwen picked up the menu and glanced over it. "She knows if we catch her, she's either going to jail or, at the very least, into foster care if we can't locate her parents."
"You think she's a runaway?"
"Most likely."
"I can't imagine a home life worse than living on the streets."
"I can." Gwen motioned for the waitress. "Pastrami and Swiss on rye, easy on the mayo, and tea with lemon."
"I'll have the club and a Diet Coke." Kris leaned back in her chair. "Why don't you come over for dinner Saturday night? I'll make your favorite, lasagna."
"Thank you, but I've got a date."
"Oh really? With who?"
"Jake." Gwen gazed briefly to the building across the street. "He asked me to go with him to his brother's engagement party."
"Are you sure that's a good idea, Gwen. You know he has a crush on you."
"Yes, but I didn't have the heart to turn him down."
Gwen was halfway through her sandwich when several people exited the dental lab. Only one came across the street to the deli. Dawson, one of the last to leave, got into his black Monte Carlo and took off down Fairfax.
The lone woman who entered the diner took a seat at the table behind theirs. Gwen waited until she had placed her order then turned and smiled at the twenty-something blond. "You work at the dental lab across the street, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. Why?"
"Okay, you're probably going to think this is weird, but I'd like to ask you some questions about a guy you work with. His name is Dawson Bartlett."
She shifted in her chair then drank some of the bottled water she'd brought in with her.
"I gather from your reaction, you don't like the guy."
"I don't care for him, but I'm not comfortable answering questions about him either."
"I hope you'll change your mind once I explain myself." Gwen got up from her chair and moved to the one next to the woman. "You see, my little sister is really hung up on this guy. Personally, I think he's a creep. I just want to find out what I can about him before she gets too involved. You know what I mean. She's my kid sister; I'm only looking out for her. I thought the best way to do that was to talk to some of his co-workers. Without him knowing it, of course. I don't want sis to get mad at me, you know."
"All I can say is your sister should stay clear of him. Dawson is bad news." She looked at Gwen then Kris.
"I'm afraid I'm going to need more than that to go on. Like I said, she really likes this guy. How long has he worked there?"
"A little over a year." The blond took another drink of her water.
"Is he a good worker? Has he ever caused any problems?"
"I guess he's conscientious. Hardly ever misses work, always on time."
"What exactly does he do?"
"We make dentures. He's in molding."
"Anyone ever have a problem with him?"
"Only one person that I know of." With her eyes lowered, she began peeling the label from her bottle.
The waitress delivered her order and the woman thanked her.
"Can you tell me this person's name?" Gwen pressed.
"Kevin Henderson." She set her bottle down and picked up her napkin. "That's all I'm going to tell you."
"Okay. Is Kevin working today?"
She shook her head. "He quit eight or nine months ago. I think he still lives in the apartments on Seventeenth Street."
"Great. I appreciate your help. Enjoy your lunch."
*****
Kris knocked on the door of apartment twenty-one. After several minutes, they were greeted by a male voice asking, "Who is it?"
Gwen held her badge up to the peephole. "Detectives Jamison and Todd. We'd like to speak with you, Mr. Henderson, about a former co-worker of yours. Dawson Bartlett."
He unlocked the door and removed the chain. Dressed in pajamas and a robe, he held the door open for them.
Gwen guessed him to be in his early twenties, and judging from his ruffled hair, they had just gotten him out of bed. "Sorry to disturb you, sir, but we'd like to ask you some questions about Mr. Bartlett."
"What'd the psycho do now?" He waved them into his living room that was cluttered with takeout cartons and newspapers. Clearing off a spot on the sofa, he invited them to sit.
Gwen waited until he was seated in a recliner then sat down. "We don't know that he's done anything, Mr. Henderson. We were told by another employee of the dental lab that you had some trouble with him a while back, and we'd like to hear the details of the interaction."
"You can call me Kevin, and it was more than an interaction. The psycho tried to kill me."
"When was this, Kevin?" Kris sat next to Gwen and removed her pad and pen from her blazer pocket.
"Nine months ago." He rested his right foot over his left knee and looked at Gwen. "We worked in molding together. A set of dentures he made got damaged and he accused me of tampering with it. I told him he was full of crap, that he was just careless, and the guy started ranting and making threats."
"Was there ever a physical altercation?" Gwen asked.
"Not at that time. He went to our boss and told on me, and when Mr. Winters refused to reprimand me because there was no proof I did anything wrong, Bartlett refused to work in the same room with me. Two days later, the jerk tried to run over me while I crossed the street outside my apartment building."
"Did you file a police report?" Gwen hoped he did, it would help to establish that Bartlett was dangerous.
"I did but nothing ever came of it. According to the cop, my description didn't match his car. I said it was a dark 2000 model Monte Carlo SS, and he drives a black '87 Monte Carlo. They look very similar, and Dawson has tinted windows just like the car that tried to run me over."
Gwen, knowing Bartlett, didn't doubt for moment he was behind the wheel of that car. "Have you had any problems with him since?"
"No. I quit the next day. I'm no coward but I don't have a death wish either. I'm working nights at the Madison Motel now. Night clerk. The pays not as good but I like it there."
"Before the incident at work, did you two get along? Did Bartlett ever talk about his life or any hobbies he had?"
"I never saw him talking to anyone unless it was about work. He's a pretty private dude. The girls wouldn't go near him. They're all afraid of him."
"Why is that?" Kris shifted on the sofa beside Gwen, still writing in her notebook.
"Everyone knew about his family being killed and that he'd been questioned by the police." He shifted his eyes between Gwen and Kris. "Is that really what this is about?"
"We appreciate your cooperation, Kevin." Kris looked at Gwen. "I think we got what we came for."
Gwen stood and shook h
is hand. "Sorry we woke you."
"That's all right. I needed to get up anyway." He walked them to the door then placed his hand on Gwen's arm. "You know what I said earlier about not being a coward. Well, I wasn't being completely honest. The guy scares me. I'll never forget the look in his eyes that day at work. I really believe he is capable of doing a person some serious harm."
Gwen had no doubt about that.
*****
Ian drove into the parking lot adjacent to Maxwells Gym and searched for a parking spot. He initially visited the previous morning, before work, when he took a tour of the facilities and then signed up for a year's membership. He started down the second row of vehicles and spotted a blue SUV. The thought that it could belong to Detective Jamison prompted a smile. When she and Detective Todd returned to the squad room at a quarter till five, both seemingly in a good mood, he suspected they had made good progress today. Before he had a chance to ask, he got a call from his real estate agent in Phoenix. He then had to relay a message through JoAnn that Isaac needed to get his stuff out this weekend because the new owners were taking possession at the beginning of the month. By the time Ian had finished his calls, the detectives had already signed out for the day.
Ian pulled into an empty spot, three spaces down from the blue SUV. As he walked past it, a part of him hoped it was Gwen's. He wasn't normally the type to share personal information with people he barely knew, yet he had with her Wednesday night. Ian was afraid things would be awkward between them at work after his uncharacteristic behavior, but it was as if it never happened. Like a secret shared between friends, and one respecting the other's privacy.
After signing in, Ian headed toward the weight room. He walked past the climbing wall and glanced over at the half dozen climbers. An adrenaline spike stopped him in his tracks. His eyes narrowed in on a slender woman with long blondish brown hair bound in a ponytail. Gwen?
He moved a little closer. Her back was to him so he couldn't tell for sure. She wore grey calf-length sweat pants and a maroon tank top. Fastened around her waist and legs was a harness, which connected to a rope that was looped through a pulley-like devise at the top of the forty-foot climbing wall. On the other end of the rope stood a man a few feet to her right. He wore similar gear and fed her rope as she climbed the structure. Half way up the wall, the woman's right foot slipped from one of the colored grips. The man below her braked, preventing her from falling more than a few inches. As the woman hung midair, she spun slightly and Ian saw that it was indeed Gwen.
He should have known since she was only one of three climbers not wearing a helmet, the other two being men. The woman had a death wish. Ian shook his head and continued toward the weight room.
For the next hour, Ian listened to his favorite tunes on his iPod while utilizing several pieces of equipment, focusing mostly on his legs and abs. He then moved to the bench press. After a dozen lifts, he got the feeling someone was watching him and lifted his head from the bench. Glancing to his right, toward the entrance, he met Gwen's beautiful smile.
She got up from the leg extension machine and walked toward him. Ian removed his earbuds.
"Thought I saw you earlier." She sat facing him on the bench next to his.
"Yeah, how long have you had this death wish of yours?"
"What, the wall? It's perfectly safe."
"Maybe if you were wearing a helmet."
She laughed. "I've been a climber for over twelve years. There's no real danger unless your belayer, the person managing the rope, messes up."
"You don't strike me as that trusting."
"I didn't used to be. That's why I took up the sport." She reached over and snagged one of his earbuds. "Do you mind?"
"Go ahead." He removed his iPod from the pocket of his shorts and held it so she wouldn't have to lean over so far.
Gwen held the earbud next to her right ear and her smile reached all the way to her eyes. "Great taste in music."
He looked to see which song was playing. "You like U2?"
"I do. Seen them in concert twice. LA in 05 and in Phoenix two years ago. And I have tickets to see them again next month in Pasadena."
"Lucky you. I saw them in Phoenix with my son." It was the last time Isaac had really talked to him. Laurel had taken her life six weeks later. "So did you drive all the way to LA to see them?"
"I would've but I was already there." She draped the earbud back over his shoulder. "Went to college at UCLA."
"Really? I went to Berkley."
"Figures." She took a swig of her bottled water.
Ian smiled. "Are you originally from California?"
"No, I was born in Florida. My dad was in the Air Force so we moved around a lot when I was a kid. We came to Arizona in the early nineties."
"So you have family here?"
"My brother, Tony lives here in Shorewick." She stood. "I'll let you get back to your workout."
"That's okay, I'm done. How'd it go today?"
Several younger men came into the room and headed toward the weight benches. Gwen stepped back so one could have her bench. "I'm gonna head to the shower. You wanna meet at Rafferty's and grab something to eat? We can talk then. I'm sure Nick and Jake will probably be there."
"Sure."
*****
Rafferty's was almost packed when Ian got there. Since Gwen's SUV was still parked at the gym when he left, he chose a booth close to the door so she would be able to spot him when she came in. He looked around for Nick but didn't see him. Jake, waiting on another table, nodded his direction. As soon as he finished taking their order, he came over.
"Evening, Lieutenant." Jake took a menu from underneath his arm and handed it to Ian.
Ian gave it back. "I know what I want. Detective Jamison will be joining me so I'll wait for her."
"Gwen is joining you?"
Ian curbed a smile at the kid's surprise. "Yeah, but you can bring me an iced tea while I'm waiting. Thanks." He should have put the young man's mind at ease, but since he didn't know for sure if the two were actually dating, he saw no reason to explain himself.
It was twenty minutes before Ian saw Gwen come in the door. Instead of her usual jeans or slacks, she wore khaki capris and a white sleeveless blouse. He hollered and waved her over to the booth.
She slid in across from him. "Sorry to keep you waiting. They really need new hair dryers at the gym." After a quick scan of the room, she asked, "Have you seen Nick?"
"No. He's probably with his girl friend."
"That's true. Guess I should've put more thought into my invitation."
"What do you mean?"
"It's Friday night. We're having dinner."
Ian caught her drift and chuckled. "Afraid we'll stir up some gossip?"
"Hey, my reputation was shot a long time ago. You're the one who should be worried."
"I'm not." It beat takeout and television. "Do you wanna share a pizza or did you have something else in mind?"
"Pizza is fine. The works?"
"As long as you don't mind me picking off the mushrooms."
"You can give them to me. I love'em."
A young brunette woman stopped at their table. "Hey, Gwen. You guys ready to order?"
"I think so, Steph. Bring us…"she looked at Ian…"medium okay?"
"Sounds good."
"Medium supreme and I'll have a water with two slices of lemon."
"Did you study criminal justice at UCLA?" Ian asked once the waitress had gone.
"No. I was an art major. It was the only thing I was really interested in."
"Do you paint or draw?" Gwen didn't really strike Ian as the artistic type, but more like someone with a type A personality whose career was the center of her life.
"I used to do a little of both, but I mainly liked photography." Her face lit up like it had in the gym. "For my sixth birthday, my dad bought me my first digital camera. When he was off duty, we used to go up to the Superstition Mountains and look for treasure and then take pictures
of the sunset."
Ian smiled. It was obvious from her glow that it was a special memory. He imagined she was close to her father. Like he and JoAnn were.
The waitress returned with her water. "Your pizza will be right out."
"Thanks, Steph." Gwen borrowed his spoon to stir the lemon water and then took a drink.
"I take it your dad was stationed at Luke Air Force Base."
She nodded. "He was an F-16 pilot. I used to love going to the airshows and watching him do barrel rolls. And when he would talk about flying, it was like I was right there in the cockpit with him."
"He's no longer in the Air Force?"
"He was killed during a training exercise. The plane malfunctioned out over the desert, and he broke his neck upon ejection."
"I'm so sorry, Gwen."
She shrugged. "It was a long time ago."
Meaning she was probably just a kid. "Did he serve overseas?"
"During the Gulf War."
"How'd you end up here in Shorewick?"
"My mom's folks lived here." She took a sip of water, then leveled her gaze on him. "I thought we were going to discuss my case."
Either she didn't trust him with the intimate details of her life or talking about it was just too painful. With a smile, he gave into her request to change the subject. "All right, how'd it go today?"
Before she could answer, Jake delivered their pizza. "Can I get you a refill, Lieutenant?"
"No, I'm good. Thanks."
"We still on for tomorrow night?" Jake asked, looking at Gwen.
"What?" She glanced up at him as if she didn't know what he was talking about, then nodded. "Oh yeah, sure. Six-thirty."
Guess they are dating. Since their department's code of ethics allowed officers to date as long as they were not partners, it wasn't any of his business who Gwen dated.
Gwen grabbed a slice of the pizza. "Okay, so we learned from one of Bartlett's coworkers that he had a grievance with a former colleague." She took a bite then continued to tell him what they learned from Kevin Henderson.