She picked him up and he licked her face, tail still wagging. She put him down and he led the way to the back door. She let him out and she and Mike sat down on the patio furniture to watch Thor examine the entire yard.
“I can’t believe Kacey Yates just baby talked to a dog.” Mike said, sarcastically.
“Well, he’s just so darn cute.”
“Kace, have you thought about getting cameras for your front and back door? A security system might not be a bad idea, too.”
“I haven’t, but I probably should.” Kacie thought for a minute. “With Dan gone and a baby coming, you’re right. I’ll call that Home Front Security guy this week. He was pretty forthcoming and I liked that.”
Mike got up and tossed a ball for Thor for a few minutes more. The little guy was finally getting the idea.
“I have sandwich stuff. Want some?” Kacey asked.
“Sounds good … maybe our wallets can have a break this once.”
“You keep playing with Thor. I’ll get everything out.”
Chapter 24
After lunch, Kacey put Thor back into his kennel. The little dog immediately curled up into a ball and fell asleep. The detectives headed to the precinct so they could call Toby Brown and hopefully he will just give them everything they need to go after this guy.
Mike parked his car next to Kacey’s and they walked inside. Angie was trying to handle an angry woman whose son had been picked up for vandalism. Her face had turned a very unbecoming shade of purple and her hands were balled into fists.
“Jeremy would never do this. You are making a huge mistake, missy! I know people.”
“Look, if you would just please give me your name, I will make sure someone talks to you.” Angie told her, trying to hide her growing annoyance.
“You never mind that! Just get me the person in charge. NOW!”
Angie’s jaw was working back and forth and she was visibly grinding her teeth at this point. She rose to her feet and towered over the woman by a good six inches.
“You need to calm down and have a seat or I will have you escorted out. I also know people.”
Kacey leaned against the reception counter and looked at the woman. Mike just stood behind Kacey with his arms crossed.
The woman seemed to shrink under their gazes, unclenched her fists, and meekly walked over to the lobby and sat down.
“Angie, I think you just ‘mommed’ her.” Mike said with a worshipful tone.
Angie just smiled at them sweetly.
“She’s a little scary, Kacey.” Mike muttered as they walked away.
The detectives went into their department and over to their desks. Kacey started going through her messages while Mike called the owner of 'makeamatch'. He left a message.
“Mike, look at this.” Kacey handed him a message slip. “This woman claims that she went to dinner with a client she met through makeamatch.com and wants to report him for trying to abduct her after dinner. Apparently, she didn’t want to take him back to her place and he got angry and tried to force her into a car with him. I’ll give her a call.”
After a brief phone conversation, Kacey ended the call.
“She said can see us now. You ready?”
“Definitely,” Mike answered as he grabbed his coat off of the back of his chair.
Chapter 25
Joanna McKinley lived in a modest neighborhood in an apartment complex that was fairly close to the station. Her address put her on the second floor. Kacey was breathing a little heavy by the time they reached the landing.
“Baby Yates adds a few pounds to these steps.” Kacey muttered. “I see lots of eyes on us right now, Mike.”
“I don’t think anything would get past these people.” Mike said softly.
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing.” Kacey responded.
Joanna had been watching for them and opened the door as soon as they reached her landing.
Kacey and Mike both showed their badges and introduced themselves as she invited them inside.
She was a pretty and petite red head and her green eyes sparkled. The inside of Joanna McKinley’s apartment was in direct contrast to the severity of the outside complex. She had personal touches tastefully arranged throughout. The furniture was what you would term ‘shabby chic’, making her home warm and inviting.
“Detectives, can I get you anything to drink?”
“No thank you, Ms. McKinley.” Mike began
“Please, call me Joanna.”
“Joanna,” Kacey said. “You called and said that a man tried to abduct you after a date. Can you tell us what happened?”
“Well, a friend and I decided to try makeamatch.com. We aren’t exactly bar flies and neither of us had any prospects at work or anywhere else, so we kind of dared each other to go for it. She made a match right away and has been dating for a few weeks. I was kind of discouraged, so I just answered the first guy who tried to start a conversation. He seemed really nice so we met at Bon Nourriture. You know, the French place? He seemed really sweet and gentlemanly at first, but then he just started to feel ‘off’. I can’t really explain exactly what it was, but I knew that I did not want to continue pursuing this relationship and at one point all I wanted was for the evening to end.
“He insisted on walking me to my car and I don’t know why but I refused and just told him that I wasn’t interested in pursuing a relationship with him. The look on his face was so intense. Like he couldn’t believe I would possibly refuse him. He became so angry. He grabbed me by my arm and started to try to drag me to his car. I jerked away from him and ran back inside until I saw him drive away. Then I asked the valet to walk me to my car. He was terrifying."
“Do you mind if we see your conversation on your makeamatch.com account?” Kacey asked, leaning forward.
“Of course not. Let me get my laptop.”
Joanna got up off of the couch and walked over to her desk, powering the computer as she sat down. She logged on to her account and handed the laptop to Kacey.
Kacey began to read what the ‘Professor’ and Joanna had been chatting about. Nothing jumped out at her at first glance through, so she handed the laptop back to her.
“Joanna, would you mind emailing this to me?” Kacey asked as she handed her a business card.
“Sure thing.”
“What was the make, model, and color of the car?” Mike said, pencil poised above his notepad.
“All I can say for sure is that it was a dark sports car, I think maroon. I don’t know anything other than that. It was dark and I was more concerned with getting away from the creep.”
“I can imagine. Also, would you be opposed to coming in and describing your date for our sketch artist?”
“Not at all.”
“I’ll have someone call you to set up a time.” Kacey said.` “Please let us know if you remember anything else.”
Joanna took the card from Kacey.
The freckles on her nose danced as she crinkled her nose, adding, “This guy really creeped me out, Detectives. I felt like he didn’t care who I was. He was definitely looking for something from me. I kind of got the impression that he was settling. Like I wasn’t what he was looking for.”
Mike and Kacey glanced at each other.
“Be thankful for that.” Kacey said as she and Mike stood up to take their leave.
As the detectives made their way down the stairs, Mike remarked, “That is one lucky lady.”
Kacey agreed.
“Let’s send a couple of officers to see if there is any video footage from the restaurant.”
Chapter 26
The professor was angry. Joanna had been a huge disappointment. She wasn’t beautiful like Alice and Connie. She was cute but too bold. When she had only agreed to meet him at the restaurant he was a little irritated, but when she refused to continue their date at home, he was furious.
He took the knife he had used on Connie and stabbed in into his desk. He stood for a minute with his
back to the laptop which sat by the quivering knife handle. He ran his fingers through his sandy brown hair and sighed. He turned, pulled out the chair, and sat down, pulling the knife out and twirling it in his fingers.
He powered on his laptop and decided to try again. He picked up the deck of cards he always kept in his desk drawer and put the Queen of Spades back in her place.
Chapter 27
Marsha Denard’s funeral took place in the Methodist church where she had served and attended her whole life. There wasn’t an empty seat or a dry eye in the whole building. They had even had to put some folding chairs in the aisles it was so crowded.
The smell of furniture polish mixed with the strong smell of flowers. It was a smell that brought back some not so fond memories for Kacey. The pulpit was in front of a stained glass window that depicted each of the Beatitudes in a panel surrounding a cross. It cast a beautiful glow on the inside of the church.
John Denard and his daughter sat on the front row holding hands, she leaning on her father’s shoulder as several people came to the pulpit to say kind things about their wife and mother. Marsha’s life had been full and she was truly loved by so many. In all of the grief, there was also comfort and hope.
The limousine carrying her coffin was escorted by every police officer in the county that could be spared. The gravesite service was brief, but heartfelt. When it was over the grieving husband turned to the crowd and invited everyone back to the church for lunch.
Kacey wiped her eyes and looked over to where Mike was standing. Beside him was Mike’s sister and brother-in-law. Kacey thought it was so kind of them to come and support their brother’s police family.
Kacey walked over and hugged both Tom and Sandy. Sandy reached out and touched Kacey’s belly.
“Wow, Kace! Junior is getting big!”
“I know … he’s always hungry, too.”
“The way I hear it, so is his mama.” Sandy laughed, elbowing Mike.
Kacey laughed, agreeing.
Tom just looked at her with a shy smile. Kacey told Mike once that he always looked like he had something to say to her, but was too scared to say it. Mike just told her that he thought that Tom was terrified of her, and didn’t know how to avoid her. She smiled as she remembered that conversation, half agreeing with Mike’s assessment.
“Speaking of food … who’s going to the luncheon?” Mike asked.
“We have to get back so I can pick the kids up from school, and Tom has to pack. He’s leaving tomorrow for a few days.” Sandy said.
“I'm going.” Said Kacey. “Marsha was so sweet, and I already miss her. Plus, I think John could really use the support."
"I'm going, too. Let’s go eat before we all start blubbering. See you two later.”
“Bye, brother.” She reached on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.
Chapter 28
After the funeral luncheon, the detectives decided to make a visit to Dr. Forrester to see if he had made any progress. A strong antiseptic odor assaulted Mike and Kacey’s noses as soon as they entered the morgue. Kacey hated being there, but Mike actually seemed to enjoy being there among all of the scientific doodads. In another life, he could see himself being an M.E.
Dr. Forrester’s face lit up as he saw his favorite detectives enter the room. He gave Kacey a wink. Kacey felt like swooning.
“So detectives, I have something that might interest you.” Dr. Forrester began. “I lifted a partial print off of the playing cards from both victims. No match yet, but it will help you when you have a suspect.”
Mike nodded as he leaned back on the counter behind him.
“Anything else?” Kacey asked.
“I got a report back on the blood you found on the console in the entryway of Connie’s home. It was her blood. I would say from the gash in her knee. She probably was pushed and fell. That’s just my guess. You two will be able to work your magic and find out more.
“Neither of the women had intercourse that evening, and the contents of their stomach suggests a French restaurant. I will put everything together and give you a report by tomorrow morning.”
“How have you been feeling, Kacey?”
“Just fine. Why do you ask?”
“A doctor knows.” He gave her another wink and shooed them out of his domain.
“Is it that obvious, Mike?” Kacey asked incredulously.
He gave her a look that only a man would give. The ‘are you kidding me?’ look.
“Not to me, but since you already told me, maybe.” Mike wisely refrained from mentioning her rapidly growing waistline.
“A lady can’t have any secrets.” Kacey laughed.
Mike pulled his buzzing phone out of his jacket pocket.
"It Stan from 'makeamatch'."
Mike walked over to a quiet corner of the noisy room.
Kacey sat on a chair and pulled out her phone to text Carol. She wanted to make sure they were still on for knit night.
She looked up as Mike walked back towards her.
"Well?"
"Well, it's what you would typically think. He wants a warrent. Nice guy and I think he wants to give us the information, but needs to protec this clients. Should be easy enough to get. I'll call the Captain while you drive us back."
“Sounds good. When we get back, I’m calling it a day,” Kacey said. “I'll let you handle all of that. I’m meeting up with some of my church ladies tonight for some knitting and conversation. I haven’t seen them since before the cruise.”
“Have you been back to church yet?
“Not yet ... soon. I do miss it a lot, but I can’t bear the thought of going back now.” Kacey wiped a tear away. “One day I’m going to be able to talk about all of this without getting upset.
“I’m so sorry, Kace.” Mike said as he gave her shoulders a squeeze.
“Thanks, Mike.” She said, returning the side hug.
Chapter 28
Kacey was a little bit nervous as she rang the doorbell to Carol’s home. Carol had been Dan’s secretary ever since he started working at the church and she had known the ladies on the other side of the door for many years but hadn’t seen them since the funeral.
Carol opened the door and embraced Kacey.
“I’m so glad you decided to come. I’ve missed you.”
Carol’s hug felt like home.
“I’ve missed you, too.” Kacey said, surprised at how true it was.
Carol led the way into her living room. Squeals and hugs all around. Kacey hadn’t realized how much a part of her life these ladies were. It was as if they had never been apart. She should’ve joined them sooner. Samantha Gomez was a new addition and Kacey rushed over to hug her.
“Samantha! I’m so glad to see you again.” Kacey stepped back and looked into the eyes that had known such heartbreak and hugged her again.
They had met a few months ago when her daughter, Elizabeth, had been abducted and murdered. Carol and Samantha had become very close and Kacey was glad they had each other.
She settled into her usual spot and dug into her knitting bag. These sweet women had taken her under their wings as a new bride and new pastor’s wife and had immediately demanded that she learned how to knit. It had taken her forever, but she finally could be called an advanced beginner. They all knew that she had peaked as a knitter.
“Tell us about your cruise, Kace.” June, who was the oldest there, asked.
“It was wonderful! I would barely put my drink down and someone would replace it with a fresh glass. I never even saw who did it. And the food was amazing. I think I gained at least 20 pounds, but it was worth it.” Kacey answered with a laugh.
“I would love to go one day. I might meet a new mister.” June said with a wink.
“Maybe you should worry about the one you have.” Carol muttered.
Kacey was the only one who heard her and struggled to keep a straight face.
“So, ladies, I have some news.” Kacey began, beaming from ear to ear.
She pulled out some tiny socks from her knitting bag and held them out in front of her.
The women all stood up and rushed over to her. Kacey stood up and gratefully received their congratulations. These were women who would stand by her no matter what and it was one of the few times she hadn’t felt alone since Dan died. She smiled as she settled in to listen to the new gossip and enjoy the teasing of Samantha … it seemed someone had a new boyfriend.
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