“So you believe Ben that it wasn’t a random shooting?” Lacey asked, walking across the room.
“Yeah, my instincts tell me it was deliberate. But why?”
Lacey stood in front of her, a stern, older-sisterly look darkening her face. “Ben’s right. This is not something to take lightly.”
“I’m not.” Sterling pulled the key and Jerry’s daily planner from her desk drawer. “These must have the answer to everything.”
“You think somebody wants them?” Lacey picked up first the key and then flipped through the planner before handing them back to Sterling.
“That’s my guess. But I’ve stared at them until I’m nearly blind and still I haven’t figured out what’s important about them.” Sterling stared at the objects, willing them to spill their secrets.
“You’ll get it, sis,” Lacey smiled warmly down at her. “You always do. Your instincts are uncanny.”
“Thanks for the pep talk, Lacey. But it doesn’t change anything. Days are passing and I haven’t gotten any answers for Sara. Something about this case has been gnawing at me since the first step we took inside Pamela Witt’s condo. I just can’t put my finger on what it is.” Sterling pressed her palms against the desk. “But I’m going to figure it out if it means starting at the beginning.”
“You mean Pamela’s condo?”
“No, I mean the very beginning.” She slipped the key and the planner inside her suit coat pocket and grabbed her car keys. “I’ll be at the library.”
“I knew you’d ignore Ben’s instructions.” Lacey turned as Sterling brushed past, but didn’t try to stop her.
“He knew it too, Lacey.”
“You’re probably right. You two always did think alike. Which is exactly why I’m going with you.” Lacey slid her purse strap over her shoulder. “I don’t want to be here when he finds out you’re not.”
• • •
Sterling squirmed and stretched her neck. Her stomach growled noisily, the sounds filling the stillness in the Laurelwood Public Library. The emptiness in her stomach and the stiffness in her muscles told her she’d been sitting in front of the computer screen too long, but her gut instincts told her to stay put.
“Hungry?” Lacey asked, smiling. “How about a lunch break? It’s nearly two o’clock. We’ve been looking through these old obituaries for hours. Do you really think you’re going to find something here? Why couldn’t we do this on the computer back at the office?”
“I can’t help but wonder if Jerry is who he says he is. I didn’t have any luck online and I didn’t want to ask someone with access to the police database. This is something I can’t trust anybody with,” Sterling answered without taking her eyes off the screen. “The best place to find out is right here.” It would take amazing luck, but if one of the obituaries recorded the death of an infant who had been born on February sixth, 1968, Jerry’s birthday, another piece of the puzzle would fall into place.
“This tedious stuff is the really fun part of being a private investigator,” Lacey quipped. “But then, I don’t know which I enjoy most — the looking for a needle in a haystack part, the sitting for hours stuffed inside a car during a stakeout part, or the nearly exploding bladder part when there’s no bathroom around during a surveillance. It’s all such a blast.”
“Are you looking through the obituaries or doing a career reevaluation?” Sterling asked, exasperated.
“Sorry.”
Suddenly, it was there. Sterling’s heart stopped. “Here it is.”
“What? Where?”
Pointing to the obituary listing on the screen in front of her, Sterling softly read aloud, “Rutherford, Jerald, three months. Died February sixth, 1968.”
Lacey exchanged a wide-eyed look with her. “What does this mean?”
“I don’t know for sure, but you can bet this is more than an amazing coincidence.”
“You were right,” Lacey said, hugging her sister. “It looks like Jerry is not who he says he is.” She sat back in her chair, mouth agape.
“In fact, he’s been masquerading his identity for years. My guess is he assumed the dead baby’s identity years before marrying Sara,” Sterling said in hushed tones. The silence inside the library suddenly seemed cavernous and her words seemed to echo off the walls for any prying ears to hear.
“I guess the question is, who did he used to be?” Lacey said, twirling a strand of her curly red hair between her fingers.
“Maybe. Or maybe the question we need to answer is, why did he need a fake identity?” Sterling pulled the planner from her pocket and slowly flipped through the pages from front to back and then the reverse.
“Hmm. You know, sometimes things come together when you take a break, say, like, lunch.”
Sterling chuckled at her sister’s pained look of hunger. “How can you think of food when we’re about to break this case?”
“It’s easy. I’m not the driven half of this partnership. I need to stop by the ATM, then let’s fill the void in our middles. After that, we can see where your instincts lead us. Or we could go back to the office and rework the evidence,” Lacey said, already standing with purse in hand. “Now if I can just remember my PIN. I change it often like the computer people tell you to, but then I forget it. I always need to look it up.”
Only half listening, Sterling’s attention focused on the planner. “You win. Lunch it is. I wouldn’t want my dear sister to suffer. What the … ” Sterling stopped and stared. For the first time, her fingers grazed over a thickness she hadn’t noticed before inside the front cover of the planner. Peering closer at the edges, she saw that the lining was rippled. How could she have missed this detail each and every time she’d inspected the object in the last few days? She peeled away the lining from the leather cover and found a credit-card size piece of plastic.
“I can’t remember if it’s four, two, zero, six or the other way around,” Lacey said, still looking for her PIN. “And I’m always afraid the machine may yank away my card if I don’t punch in the right numbers.”
“Umm, what? Oh, your PIN. You’re such a worrywart. After lunch, I’ll drop you off at the office. I want to stop off at my apartment and pick up some case notes there before I run into Ben’s imposed bodyguard and … ” Still focusing most of her attention to the find from the day planner, Sterling stopped mid-sentence. “That’s it!”
“Yes, I found it, but you don’t have to be so happy for me.” Lacey retrieved a rumpled piece of paper where she’d written her access number down. “I knew I’d find it.”
“No, I’m not, I mean, I am, but that’s not what I meant.” Sterling’s mind was abuzz. “God, I’m so stupid.”
“What are you talking about?”
“This.” Sterling brandished Jerry’s credit card. I knew Ben working this case would get in my way. I should never have missed this important piece. “It was here all the time.”
“A credit card? I don’t get it. Does this mean we won’t be going to lunch?” Lacey frowned.
Sterling’s thoughts raced as she hurried her sister out the door. “This isn’t a credit card, it’s a memory card, and the funny looking key is a decryption key for a computer. Like you said, you have to punch in the right access code. The memory card could hold critical information Jerry needs and this key might be the way he keeps computer files secure. But without these, the information is locked, inaccessible. If my hunch is correct, Ben is right. Jerry is in deep with some very bad people. I’ll explain it to you in the car.”
• • •
“Remember, Ben, I’m just the messenger. I just took the call.”
Highly focused on teasing apart the information on the computer screen on his desk, Ben took a moment to center his attention on Jay. He hadn’t heard him walk up.
“What’s the message?” A sick feelin
g took hold in his stomach.
“The uniformed you put on Sterling said she’s not in her office.”
“What do you mean, she wasn’t there!” Ben stormed, standing to his feet. The din inside the room suddenly grew quiet as nearly everyone’s attention drew to him. “This woman’s life is in danger. You tell that officer to find her,” Ben directed Jay, then swept his arm around the room. “And the rest of you mind your own business.”
“Take it easy, Kirby. I’m sure things aren’t what they appear. It’s something simple. She’s probably just off visiting her nephew. Isn’t he in the hospital or is he home now?”
Jay clapped his hand to Ben’s shoulder, just like old times. But the gesture rang hollow and did nothing to reassure him. Ben’s breath caught in his throat. He stared silently at Jay, the cold chasm between them chilling him to his bones. He hadn’t said anything to anyone about Tyler’s fall and being hospitalized. He shook his head, perplexed, and wondered if all the emotional turmoil of the last couple days was making him twitchy. “You’re right. Things often aren’t what they appear.”
“Simmer down, Kirby.” Sergeant Rogard walked out of his office toward Ben. “What’s going on?”
“It’s pretty sad when you can’t even count on fellow officers to do the one thing they’re assigned to do,” Ben steamed, watching Jay limp out of the room.
Sergeant Rogard eyed him knowingly. “Kirby, you’re one of my best guys, but I got to tell you, I think you’re taking this case too personally.”
“Of course I’m taking it personally. This is my job and I’m trying to do it. Part of my job is making sure this citizen is protected.”
“Citizen? You and I both know it’s more than that. Sterling is your ex-girlfriend. It’s not right to use this case to interfere in her life.” The sergeant shook his head. “It’s going to mess with your mind and you won’t get the job done, Kirby. You know that.”
“I worry about her. She doesn’t understand what she’s up against.”
“This might be too hard for you. Maybe I should take you off the case.”
Ben’s heart nearly exploded. “No. Don’t take me off this case. Not now. I’m all right. Really.”
“I’m not so sure. Just get this thing finished before you both get killed,” he warned, sauntering back into his office.
Ben sank into the chair behind his desk, numbness seeping into his limbs. Sterling is as bull-headed as she is beautiful. She so badly wants, no needs, to figure out this case. But how can I keep her alive long enough?
He’d led his young cousin to death. He’d thrown caution to the wind and left his partner to be shot. By God, I am not going to let it happen again. Ben shoved his arms into his dark suit jacket, checked his duty weapon, and headed toward his car.
Chapter Twelve
Sterling opened her apartment door and froze, her breath catching in her throat as though a cold wind had nipped it.
Trembling, she walked inside, taking it all in from room to room. The navy brushed denim sofa, ripped from cushion to backrest. Her paintings, her sculpture, her kitchen cupboards, bed, and even her books — all torn, ripped, and smashed.
Then she saw it. A small picture of her nephew taped to a wall. Clearly, the picture had been taken as Tyler was walking into his school, maybe even just today. Horror-stricken, she plucked it off and read the note scribbled on the back: Next time, I’ll take the boy. I’ll be in touch.
Anger and fear pumped through her body like steam in a coal-fueled locomotive as she searched for her phone. Relieved, she pulled it intact from under a pile of pillow stuffing lying on the floor. Anxiously, she pushed the numbers to her office and waited for an answer.
“Aegar Investigations, this is Michelle, can I help you?”
“Thank God! Michelle, put Lacey on.”
Seconds later Lacey chirped over the phone. “Hi, sis!”
“Lacey, is there a police officer there yet?”
“Yes. He’s having a cup of my specially made coffee. Why? Are you hiding?” she chuckled.
Sterling’s heart clenched, unable to give the horrible news to Lacey that her beloved son may be in grave danger. She’d let her down so badly. If I can just make this go away, maybe I can spare Lacey the anguish. “Umm, I just wanted to make sure you’re all right. Someone broke into my apartment. It looks like whoever did this was looking for something. I would guess they were looking for the key and memory card.”
“Sterling, get out of there right now,” Lacey demanded. “I’ll call Ben.”
Movement at the door captured Sterling’s attention. “You don’t have to.” Quickly, she stuffed the note into her pocket. “He’s here now. You take care of yourself, and I’ll talk to you later.”
“You take care of you.”
Ben turned his dark eyes on her, and Sterling felt them slice her defenses, but he didn’t speak a word. Silently, he surveyed the mess, and she waited, watching the small muscle in his cheek flex.
Finally, he stepped up to her and put his hand to her shoulder. “Are you hurt?”
The warmth of his hand quieted the trembling. “No. This is the way I found it when I came home. I just got here. What are you doing here?”
“I needed to talk to you and you weren’t answering your cell phone. And of course, you slipped away from the close duty officer. I tried here first.”
Although he didn’t say the words, she could hear his unspoken accusation. “You know, you can be mad if you want, but this doesn’t make you right.”
“What do you mean?” Ben’s eyes instantly sparked.
“I don’t need police protection. I just need to finish this case,” she said, knowing her voice sounded defiant.
“Can you finish the case from the morgue?” Ben picked up the phone.
“You’re being ridiculous. I’m a professional. Things happen on the job and you know it.” Sterling grabbed the phone away from him. “What are you doing?”
“Following police procedure, Ms. Professional Private Investigator.” He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and turned away. “I’m calling the police to the scene of a crime. You should know that like the back of your hand.”
His words hurt. Sterling couldn’t let them get in her way, though. “Don’t patronize me.” She pulled at his arm, demanding he face her.
Setting the phone down, Ben rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry. You’re right, that was low. But Sterling, this thing, this case, is plowing on like a freight train. You’re standing right in the center of the tracks, and I can’t do anything about it.”
Staring up into his deep blue eyes, Sterling saw his anguish was real, but she couldn’t help him. “I’m sorry you see it that way,” she said, shirking off his touch. “I guess you don’t have much faith in my ability, but you’re wrong. I can take care of myself, and I can solve this case — not from the morgue, mind you.”
The phone’s jangle split the heavy air filling the room.
“Ms. Aegar, I know Detective Kirby is there with you. This is Jerry Rutherford. Don’t say anything to the cop and everything will be all right.”
“Okay.” Sterling eyed Ben as he stood watching her.
“Your sister’s little boy, Tyler, is very cute and full of life. If you want him to stay that way, you’ll do what I say.”
Sterling’s grip on the phone tightened as the man’s voice stabbed her heart like cold steel. But with effort, she controlled her pain, aiming dispassionate eyes at Ben’s curiosity.
“So get to the punchline. What are you selling?” she asked, trying to appease Ben’s watchful interest.
“Nice job, Ms. Aegar. Now, you have something I want and I’m willing to make an exchange. You’ll bring me my little black book and the key and I’ll leave your darling little nephew alone.”
“Sounds interesting. How do I get on board?” Sterling’s heart raced nearly uncontrollably and she struggled to steady her breathing. One false move and Ben would see through her little charade. With Tyler’s life on the line, she had to take orders from this slime bag, at least for now.
“Meet me at the mass transit building in thirty minutes. Alone.”
Abruptly, the dial tone sounded loudly in her ear. Deliberately she replaced the receiver. Sterling couldn’t avoid Ben’s penetrating eyes, but would he detect the agony filling heart? How can I pull this off? Tyler’s life is in my hands.
Resolve set in and she knew she had to make Ben believe everything was fine. You can do this. You are going to bring this case to a close, and you don’t need anyone to lead you around or interfere. Pasting a smile to her lips, Sterling raised her eyes to meet Ben’s. “Salespeople. They never know when to stop.”
Ben shook his head dismissively. “I’ve got to call this in, Sterling, but you don’t have to stick around. Why don’t I take you by your office?”
Sterling, don’t blow this. You get only one chance. “Okay, you win. This is really giving me the creeps. My God. Some stranger comes in here and tears up my home! The sooner this case is put away the better I’ll sleep. I’m not going to fight your police protection, but I can drive myself to work. You should stay here and investigate, don’t you think? I don’t want to get in your way.” She picked up her purse and keys.
“You’re right, I do need to stick around. You’ll go straight to your office?” Wariness edged with tension crisped his voice.
“Scouts honor,” Sterling fibbed, holding two fingers to her head. Intensely aware of the minutes ticking by, she would do whatever it took to slip out of his reach.
“Thanks for seeing it my way. This really is police business.” Ben’s gaze traveled up and down her suspiciously, but gave no hint of unmasking her facade.
His eyes paused on her lips, then nearly imperceptibly moved to meet her eyes. The moment hung suspended in time, and in that moment she felt her resolve weaken. It took so much effort to remain safely walled-up against the feelings that longed to pierce her defenses. For a brief second, she felt the strength of Ben and knew the relief surrendering to him would bring.
Dancing with Detective Danger Page 13