“Widow Creek was a great place to grow up,” he said as they lingered over dessert. “It was a place where people didn’t lock their doors and there was no fear. If you were a kid and did something wrong, half a dozen people would threaten to tell your folks and you knew they would because everyone knew everyone else.”
“Sounds like a nice way to grow up.”
“It was, but unfortunately Widow Creek has changed with the downswing of the economy. People have moved away to find work, kids no longer return to the town after college but rather choose to make their homes someplace else.” He shrugged. “Guess it’s happening all over. We’re losing our small towns.”
By the time they had finished their dessert and were on their way home, her thoughts returned to her sister. “I just can’t imagine where Lauren could be,” she said thoughtfully.
“Maybe you should bring in some of your FBI friends,” he suggested.
“I wish I could. Unfortunately this isn’t an FBI matter. It’s a matter for the local law enforcement agency.” She frowned. “She isn’t the type to make enemies, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt her.”
“I can’t either,” he agreed. “She didn’t know a whole lot of people but she seemed well liked by everyone she did know.” He glanced over and to her surprise reached out and lightly touched the back of her hand. “Maybe we’ll have the answer when Bo gets back in town.”
He pulled his hand back but not before the touch shot a tiny spark and then a wave of heat through her. She tried to ignore her response and breathed a sigh of relief when he pulled up outside Lauren’s house.
The house was dark and unwelcoming. She’d forgotten to turn on any lights before she left. A fierce disappointment roared through her as she realized the dark house also implied that Lauren hadn’t come home while they’d been out at the restaurant.
“You want me to come in with you?” he asked, as if sensing her uneasiness.
She drew a deep breath. She was uneasy entering the dark house alone, but she was equally uneasy in spending another minute with him. She was far too conscious of him as a man, acutely aware of some crazy attraction she felt toward him.
“No, I’m fine.” She opened the car door. “Thanks again for all your time and help today. And thanks for the wonderful meal.” She started to get out of the car but paused when he called her name.
“Whatever you need, Lexie. I just want you to know that I’m here to help in whatever way I can.”
“I appreciate it, Nick.” With a final goodbye she left the car and walked up to the silent, dark house. She fumbled in her purse for the keys, unlocked the front door and then turned on the porch light and waved to Nick.
He finally pulled out of the driveway as Zeus greeted her at the door. “Hi, baby,” she said as she scratched the dog behind his ears. He followed her through the house as she turned on lights, her concern for her sister renewing itself with each flip of a switch.
Tomorrow was Sunday, the day she should return to Kansas City to be ready to go back to work on Monday. But there was no way she was leaving here without answers.
She made a call to her supervisor, letting him know that beginning Monday she would be taking some vacation days. Throughout her career with the FBI she’d rarely taken days off for illness or anything else, so her supervisor assured her it wasn’t a problem.
Even though it wasn’t quite nine o’clock, Lexie went into the guest bedroom and changed into her nightgown. She decided she didn’t want to sleep in the bedroom. She was mentally and physically exhausted and hated that she felt so helpless.
She turned off all the lights in the house except the lamp on the end table next to the sofa and then turned on the television. Zeus circled the floor beside the sofa and then finally flopped down with an audible sigh.
She was way too wound up to go directly to sleep. Worries about Lauren battled with thoughts about Nick, thoughts like what it would feel like to stand in the warmth of his arms, how his mouth would feel pressed hotly, tightly against her own.
Foolish thoughts, she told herself. The last thing she needed in her life was any kind of a hookup with a man who had already told her he’d had his one Cupid arrow and was finished with love. Besides, all she really needed from Nick was his help in finding Lauren.
The dogs woke her, their raucous barking pulling her from a sleep she hadn’t realized had claimed her. She shot straight up and grabbed her purse from the coffee table. Her fingers closed around the gun as she rose from the sofa, nerves jangling as the dogs outside in the pen continued to go crazy.
A glance at the clock on the bookcase let her know it was almost two. Zeus was no longer on the floor next to her and as she got up off the sofa her heart banged a frantic rhythm of inexplicable fear.
Instead of going to the front of the house to look out, she went into Lauren’s bedroom, knowing that from her sister’s window she could see the fenced dog area that ran from the side of the house to the backyard.
In the moonlight she could see that the dogs were at the back of the property, growling and jumping wildly at the fence. She quickly left the bedroom and went to the back door in the kitchen where Zeus stood in front of the door, his hackles raised as deep rumbles issued from his throat.
A cold sweat chilled her; her fingers were damp on the gun. What was out there? Who was out there? Her heart thundered loudly in her ears.
Was it nothing more than a raccoon or a squirrel that had set off the dogs, or was it a person—somebody who might have had something to do with Lauren’s disappearance?
She froze as she thought she saw a shadow move from tree to tree in the wooded area beyond the fence. Her heart seemed to stop beating. It wasn’t a four-legged creature she’d thought she’d seen. It had been a creature of the two-legged variety. It had been a person.
The dogs stopped barking.
Lexie found the abrupt silence as chilling as the noise. She watched as the dogs drifted away from the fence, as if no longer interested in whatever or whoever had been there.
Zeus released a low growl and then looked up at Lexie with a wag of his tail. He nosed her hand, as if seeking reassurance. “Good boy,” she murmured and absently patted his head, her gaze still locked on the woods. The behavior of the dogs indicated to her that whoever had been out there was now gone, but that didn’t stop the frantic beat of her heart or the fear that raged through her.
Who had been out there at this time of night? Did the person know what happened to Lauren? She checked to make sure the back door was locked then left the kitchen with Zeus at her side.
Her heart still banged against her ribs as she went through the house, checking doors and windows to make sure everything was locked up tight. Had she only imagined the large shadow moving silently in the night?
Lexie had never considered herself the kind of woman to indulge in flights of fancy or wild imaginings. The real question was: If somebody had been out there, what did they want?
As she sat back on the sofa, she fought a chill that invaded through to her very bones. As if to punctuate her dark thoughts, Zeus released a mournful whine.
Chapter Four
It had taken Nick a long time to go to sleep the night before. He’d been reluctant to call an end to his time with Lexie. She made him feel more alive than he had in a very long time.
He liked the directness of her gaze, the fact that she spoke what was on her mind and seemed not to possess an internal censor. Hell, if he were perfectly honest with himself he’d even admit that he liked the pink streak in her light brown hair.
He sensed a depth of loneliness inside her that called to something deep inside him, but by the time he’d made it home from her house, he was also feeling something else—the heavy weight of guilt.
He now rolled over in his bed and stared at the framed photo on the nightstand next to him. Early morning sunshine poured through the window, making it easy for him to see the picture of the wife he’d lost. Danielle’s soft brown eye
s seemed to be staring right at him, holding the faintest hint of accusation.
When he’d gotten ready for bed the night before with a desire for Lexie still simmering inside him, he’d gotten the photo of his wife out of the drawer and had placed it there to remind himself that he’d already had his one great love, that somehow, someway he’d managed to screw that up so badly his wife had taken her own life rather than face the rest of her days with him.
She’d killed herself because he’d been unable to give her what she needed, because he hadn’t been man enough to take care of her in the way she’d wanted. Somehow, someway, he’d done it all wrong.
He got out of bed before the maudlin thoughts could fully take hold. The sun was up and it was time for him to get started with the morning chores.
The minute his feet hit the floor, Taz, his schnauzer pup, jumped on his toes like a furry ninja who had hidden beneath the bed for the sneak attack.
“Good morning to you, too,” he said as he leaned down and scratched Taz behind his ears. The dog barked, his round brown eyes holding more than a hint of mischief.
It took Nick only minutes to pull on a pair of old jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. After a quick cup of coffee he put the leash on Taz and headed outside.
He’d gotten the dog almost four months ago when the silence of the house had been too much to bear. Taz certainly filled the house with energy and had been a loving and often humorous companion. But the little pooch was also incredibly stubborn and had never heard a command he really wanted to obey, which was why Nick had been taking the little guy to Lauren for some basic obedience training.
Once Taz had done his morning business and was back in the house, Nick headed to the barn, his thoughts not on the woman who had been giving Taz obedience lessons, but rather on her sister.
He had to let it go. He’d done what he could to help Lexie and now he needed to step back from the whole situation…from her. There was nothing more he could do to help her find her sister and she was stirring up things inside him that both made him uncomfortable and a little bit excited.
The fact that he didn’t want to back away from her made it all the more important that he did. He had nothing to offer any woman. He’d already shown himself to be lacking as a husband and he didn’t want to chance trying it again.
But he couldn’t ignore the tension just beneath the surface between them, a tension he recognized as physical attraction. He thought she was aware of it, too. He’d seen it in her eyes, the recognition of sparks between them.
As he worked to do the morning chores, he recognized that much of the joy he’d once felt on this land had died with Danielle. Even though it was his childhood home, it had come to represent a failure of the worst kind.
He was supposed to live here with Danielle and fill the house with children. They had been meant to grow old together in this house, but somehow he’d let her down.
It was almost ten when he returned to the house, took a fast shower and then made himself some breakfast. Taz sat at his feet, hoping for a crumb to be dropped on the floor. Nick tossed him a little piece of toast and laughed as he gobbled it up practically midair. Nick had just finished eating and had carried his plate to the dishwasher when his phone rang.
He couldn’t control the sudden leap of his heart as he wondered if the caller might be Lexie. Instead it was Marge from the restaurant. “Hey, Nick. You were in here asking about Bo Richards and I just thought I’d let you know he’s back in town. He’s here in the restaurant and just ordered his breakfast.”
“Thanks, Marge, I appreciate the heads-up.” He hung up but stared at the phone. Less than an hour ago he’d decided to back away from Lexie and her missing sister, and yet he couldn’t ignore the fact that he had information that might be vital to Lexie’s investigation.
It was quite possible that Lauren was home now, dropped off by Bo on his way back into town. It was also possible she’d never been with Bo to begin with, and Lexie was anxious for a lead, any lead that might give her information about her missing sister.
His indecision snapped and he picked up the phone with an eagerness that would have unsettled him if he’d given himself enough time to really think about it. Lexie answered on the second ring and instantly he heard the depth of exhaustion in her voice.
“I just heard that Bo Richards is at the restaurant in town. If I pick you up now we should be able to get there before he’s finished eating,” he said.
“I’ll be waiting,” she replied without hesitation.
Nick tried to tamp down the anticipation that filled him as he grabbed his car keys and then left the house. He told himself that it was simply the possibility of getting some answers from Bo that filled him with anticipation, but he knew in the very center of his heart that it was also because he was going to spend some more time with the woman who unsettled him in a pleasant way.
She was standing on the porch when he pulled up and as he watched she hurried to his truck. She was dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged her slender legs and a bright yellow long-sleeved blouse that made her look fresh and vibrant.
However, as she slid into the passenger seat and he got a look at her eyes, she looked less fresh and more tired. “Bad night, huh?” he asked as he pulled away from Lauren’s place.
“The worst yet.” She fastened her seat belt and leaned back. “At two this morning somebody was skulking around outside the fence in the backyard.”
Nick nearly braked the truck in the middle of the road as he snapped his gaze to her. “Did you see who it was?”
She shook her head. “It was too dark. The dogs barking woke me and all I could see was a shadow moving from tree to tree.”
Nick frowned. “It was a human shadow?”
“Definitely.”
“Who would be outside at that time of night?”
“That’s what I’d like to know. After that it was really hard for me to go back to sleep again. I stayed on the sofa with my gun in my hand, expecting something bad to happen, but nothing did. And now what worries me more than anything is, if Bo Richards is back in town then where is Lauren?”
“Maybe he dropped her off someplace,” he offered, although he knew his words were totally lame.
“Yeah, maybe,” she said without enthusiasm. “Or maybe Bo and Lauren had some sort of a fight and he killed her and dumped her body on the way to wherever he was going.”
Once again Nick fought his impulse to brake at the shock of her words. He found it impossible to even imagine that Bo Richards was capable of murdering a woman, yet he had to remind himself that Lexie didn’t know Bo.
“I’ve got to tell you, I can’t imagine Bo being some kind of a killer. He’s always seemed to be a nice, even-tempered man who everybody likes,” he said. “He’s lived here for years and never had any trouble with anyone.”
“Yeah, but on the surface Ted Bundy was a nice, pleasant man, too,” she replied darkly.
He felt her tension as he pulled up in front of the café. “That’s Bo’s truck,” he said and pointed to the red vehicle two parking spaces from theirs.
As they got out she hurried to the door, as if unable to wait another second to speak to the man she hoped would have some answers about her sister. Nick hurried after her, his heart beating with the rhythm of her anxiety.
Bo sat alone at a booth near the back, a newspaper spread out on the table next to his plate. Nick motioned to Lexie to indicate him and together they wove through the tables to the booth where he sat.
As they reached him, he looked up and smiled. “Hey, Nick.” He eyes widened as he gazed at Lexie. “And you have got to be Lauren’s sister. Please, sit.” He gestured to the seat across from him.
“No, thanks. We just want to ask you a couple of questions,” Nick replied.
“Where’s my sister?” Lexie blurted. “Where’s Lauren?”
Bo lowered the fork he held in his hand and frowned at her. “What do you mean? I would guess she’s at home. I just got
back into town a little while ago and haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet.”
“She’s been missing since you left town,” Nick said.
Bo stared at Nick and then at Lexie. “What do you mean, missing?”
Bo was either a stellar actor or he was as genuinely confused as he looked, Nick thought. “Nobody has seen or heard from Lauren since Tuesday. She left the dogs uncared for and nobody has been able to get in touch with her. We thought maybe she was with you.”
“With me? No. I spoke to her Tuesday night before I left town, but I went to visit my parents in Tulsa and my relationship with Lauren hadn’t progressed to the point where I felt comfortable taking her with me.” He looked at Lexie once again. “We’d just started seeing each other. We haven’t had time to get really serious, although I certainly find her company pleasant and would like to keep seeing her.”
“Maybe she wanted you to take her with you and you had a fight,” Lexie said. She nearly vibrated with energy and Nick realized how desperately she’d hoped Bo would have all the answers.
“Lauren didn’t mention wanting to go with me and we had no fight,” Bo protested. “You really think I had something to do with Lauren missing? That’s crazy.”
“When exactly did you leave town, Mr. Richards?” Lexie asked. Her voice trembled slightly and Nick had the feeling she was on the verge of snapping, like a rubber band pulled far too tight.
“My plan was to leave early Wednesday morning, but I was ready to go by around eight Tuesday night and so I went ahead and took off. Have you talked to Gary Wendall about all this?” Bo asked.
“We filed a missing persons report.” Nick was aware that they’d garnered the interest of several other people in the café.
He took Lexie by the elbow, knowing that they’d learn nothing more here, but she pulled her arm away from his and stepped closer to the booth.
“Is there anyone who can substantiate your claim that you left here on Tuesday and what time you arrived in Tulsa?” she asked.
Scene of the Crime: Widow Creek Page 5