“I know. We’ll get through this like we always do.”
“Together?”
“Together,” he confirmed, kissing her cheek. “We’ll never be apart again.”
That was something else she believed with her whole heart.
MADDIE WAS BUSY MAKING breakfast when Nick finished up his first call of the day. Kreskin contacted him with a few details and requested Nick meet him in the field. The younger detective still had time for a meal, but just barely.
“Was that Dale on the phone?” Maddie asked as she doled hash browns, eggs, and toast onto plates.
“Yeah. The medical examiner’s office identified the girl. Her name is Shelby Capshaw.”
Maddie wrinkled her nose as she carried two plates to the table. “I can’t say I recognize that name, although that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”
“She was twenty-three. She graduated from college following the winter semester and was living with her parents in Blackstone Bay because she didn’t immediately find a job.”
“I think that’s normal with a lot of college graduates now,” Maddie mused as she poured juice for both of them. “It’s not like when we went to college and found jobs mere days after graduation. The market has changed.”
“I went to the academy, not college.”
“You still had to take college classes. I know. I read up on the curriculum on the internet when I was in college.”
Nick stilled. “You did? Why?”
Maddie shrugged, averting her gaze. “Because ... um ... .”
Nick patiently waited.
“Because I wanted to know what you were doing,” Maddie said finally. “I wanted to feel close to you and that was the only way I could get any information about what you were doing.”
“I hate to belabor the obvious point, Mad, but you could’ve known what I was actually doing if you’d bothered to call,” Nick pointed out. “Instead, you cut me out of your life and turned me into a wild partier.”
Instead of embracing the mock guilt Nick offered, Maddie rolled her eyes. “I’m the one who turned you into a wild partier?”
“Yes. I was mourning the loss of you and took solace in beer and strange women.”
Maddie’s smile was rueful. “I don’t like hearing about the strange women.”
“And I don’t like thinking about you and me being separated.” Nick was firm. “We didn’t have to lose ten years.”
“You’re the one who admitted that we wouldn’t have made it if we tried to muddle through a relationship back then anyway.” Maddie’s tone was accusatory. “We were too young. You said things worked out the way they were supposed to.”
“And I stand by that.” Nick refused to back down. “We found each other at the exact right time.”
“So why are you giving me grief?”
“Because your guilt usually manifests in homemade brownies and sexy time on the second floor,” Nick admitted, guileless. “I don’t want to miss an opportunity for either of those things.”
Maddie scowled. “You’re so not funny. I can’t believe we’ve managed to hold things together for so long despite the fact that you’re patently humorless.”
Nick poked her side. “You think I’m funny, too. Admit it.”
Maddie fought the urge to smile ... and lost. “You’re just lucky you’re handsome.”
“Handsome and funny, a devastating combination.” Nick pressed a quick kiss to Maddie’s cheek before digging into his breakfast. “So, back to the dead girl.”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah. What else do you know about her?”
“Not much. We’re interviewing the parents as soon as I finish my breakfast. Kreskin has been able to glean a few things, though.”
The way he phrased the statement told Maddie things were about to change ... and perhaps not in a positive manner. “What is it?” She could read Nick better than most and recognized he was sitting on something important. “What did you find out?”
“I don’t know if it’s important yet,” Nick cautioned. “It could just be a coincidence.”
“I’m not sure I believe in coincidences.”
Sadly, Nick was right there with her. “Okay, but I don’t want you getting worked up and jumping to any weird conclusions. Can we agree that you’re going to stay out of this one and let me do the heavy investigative lifting for the time being?”
Maddie immediately started shaking her head. “No.”
“Maddie ... .”
“No.” She refused to back down. “I can’t make any promises until I know what’s going on. You know that. Besides, if I have a chance to track down this girl’s spirit — she wasn’t at Dad’s house yesterday that I could see, but that doesn’t mean she’s not hanging around — I’m going to help her however I can.”
Nick sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “You’re such a pain sometimes.”
Maddie refused to rise to the bait. “Spill it.”
“Fine, but if you get yourself in trouble, I’m not going to come swooping in to get you out of it.”
They both knew it was a lie, but Maddie nodded perfunctorily all the same. “Lay it on me.”
“Shelby Capshaw’s parents apparently wouldn’t allow her to move back in if she didn’t get a job. Kreskin was a bit skimpy on the details, but apparently he talked to a girl who knew her, and she said Shelby was forced to get a job she didn’t want.”
Maddie’s forehead wrinkled. It wasn’t like Nick to beat around the bush when telling a story. “Was she a stripper or something? Why are you being so cagey when it comes to talking about wherever she was working?”
“She wasn’t a stripper. That would be easier to deal with.”
Maddie was officially perplexed. “So ... where was she working?”
“Blackstone Greenhouse.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “You’ve got to be kidding me?” Her mind was running a mile a minute as she considered the ramifications. “That can’t be a coincidence, Nicky. It’s too ... much.”
“I agree that it feels like more than a coincidence,” he hedged. “We don’t know exactly what it means yet, though, and I don’t want you running off half-cocked.”
“I promise to be whole-cocked when I run off and stick my nose in this investigation,” Maddie offered.
“Not funny.” He tapped the end of her nose. “You understand this is a big deal, though, right?”
Maddie’s mind almost seized with a myriad of possibilities as she bobbed her head. “Yeah. Dustin worked at the greenhouse when he was arrested. That’s where he and Todd were finding victims, stalking women as they shopped.”
“And Todd’s uncle still owns the greenhouse,” Nick added. “We did a thorough investigation of Henry back then and came up empty. We were certain he had nothing to do with Dustin and Todd’s murderous game.”
“Are you re-thinking that assumption?”
Nick held his hands palms out, helpless. “I don’t know, Mad. If it is Henry, maybe he was involved all along and somehow managed to fly under the radar and go dormant. Maybe news of Todd’s trial caused him to go active again. If it’s not him, though, we could be dealing with a copycat.”
Intrigued, Maddie leaned forward. “Meaning?”
“Meaning that perhaps someone is trying to emulate Todd and Dustin’s work as an homage to them. Or, maybe something worse.”
“What’s worse?”
“Maybe someone is trying to drum up interest in the previous case at the same time the trial is about to hit to cast doubt on Todd’s guilt.”
“Oh.” Maddie’s eyes widened. “You think someone might be trying to get Todd acquitted.”
“The timing is a little suspect.”
“So ... what do we do?”
“What we always do. We investigate ... and you try really hard not to get in trouble.”
“I rarely get in trouble.”
“I want you to try much harder than normal. You were involved in the first case. That makes you a
potential target. I don’t want to lock you up, but I need you to be vigilant. Do you understand?”
Maddie nodded without hesitation. “I’ll be careful.”
“Good.”
“You be careful, too.”
“That’s the plan.”
Five
Henry Dunham didn’t look happy when Nick and Kreskin entered his greenhouse. Spring was in full bloom, so that meant the facility was full of people looking to update their landscaping for the summer season.
Henry was at the back of the building when Nick caught his gaze, and the grim set of the older man’s jaw told Nick that the conversation wasn’t going to be pleasant.
“He doesn’t look happy to see us, does he?” Kreskin mused.
“No.” Nick shook his head. “I can’t really blame him for that.”
“Me either.”
Henry motioned for Nick and Kreskin to head toward the back door, disappearing outside before they caught up with him. He waited for them on a small patio, annoyance practically rolling off him in waves as his gaze bounced from face to face. “What do you want?”
“And it’s wonderful to see you, too, Henry,” Kreskin drawled. “Your people skills are just as wonderful as they’ve always been.”
“I don’t see why I need people skills when it comes to you, Dale,” he shot back. “Thanks to you and your buddy here, I’m lucky to have a business.”
Kreskin tugged on his limited patience. “You can’t possibly be blaming us for all that.”
“Why wouldn’t I blame you? You’re the ones who arrested Todd.”
“Because he was a murderer.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not sure I believe that.” Henry’s gaze was heavy as he focused on Nick. “I’m not the conspiracy theory sort, but I have to wonder if my nephew didn’t make a convenient scapegoat when it came time to close that particular case.”
“Is that what you believe?” Nick was in no mood for nonsense. “Do you really believe that we framed Todd because we wanted to close the case?”
Henry bobbed his head. “I think that’s as likely of a scenario as any.”
“Then I feel sorry for you.”
“Don’t bother with your pity.” Henry’s eyes fired with rage. “I don’t need you feeling sorry for me.”
Kreskin held up a placating hand before Nick could respond. “Henry, we’re not here to cause you grief. I know you don’t believe that — and what happened the first go around was difficult for everyone — but we don’t have a choice. We need to talk to you.”
“About what?” Henry clearly had no intention of playing nice. “Let me guess ... you guys got your testimony notices and you want to make sure I’m going to say what you want me to say. Well, I’m not going to lie. I’m going to tell the truth about my nephew.
“He’s not a perfect boy, don’t get me wrong, but he’s hardly the monster that everyone in this town has made him out to be since he was arrested,” he continued. “He’s made some mistakes. I know how that goes, because I’ve made mistakes, too. Can anyone say they haven’t made the same mistakes?”
Nick’s hand shot in the air. “I can say that. Your nephew did a lot more than make a few mistakes.”
“So you say.”
“So I witnessed.” Nick’s fury was a sharp knife and he was ready to start stabbing thanks to his world-famous temper. “Your nephew chased Maddie into the woods. He was going to do terrible things to her ... terrible things. She had to jump into an icy lake to escape from Todd and Dustin. They were going to kill her. They were going to rape her … or at least that’s what they threatened her with.” He had to grit out the final sentence. “Don’t tell me that was a mistake.”
Henry took a moment to look Nick up and down, his eyes lingering on the tight fists the detective held at his sides. “I wasn’t there that night. I wasn’t present for any of that.”
“Last time I checked, we never accused you of being present for that,” Kreskin pointed out. “I’m not trying to be a pain or anything, Henry, but Nick was in the woods the night everything went down.”
“Which means he had a reason to frame my nephew.”
Nick’s eyes were the size of saucers. “What?”
“Calm down.” Kreskin put a hand on Nick’s arm, more to make sure that he didn’t punch Henry in the face than to soothe him. “Todd is Henry’s nephew. He wants to believe the best about him.”
“Todd says that Detective Winters was the one stalking and killing women,” Henry countered. “He says he was set up ... and I can’t help but wonder if he’s right. We all know that Detective Winters was obsessed with the Graves girl from the time they were kids.”
“Well, I guess it’s your prerogative to believe whatever you want,” Kreskin said coolly. “I should point out that I was there that night, too.”
“You showed up after the fact.”
“I showed up in time to see my partner diving into a frigid lake to pull Maddie from the water,” Kreskin countered. “She was unconscious, almost dead. Nick resuscitated her. Your nephew and Dustin Bishop did that.”
“How do you know he didn’t do it?” Henry jerked a thumb in Nick’s direction. “He could’ve knocked my nephew and Dustin unconscious and put Maddie in the water himself.”
“Then why swim out to save her?”
“Because you were there and he had to cover his tracks.”
Kreskin thought back to the night and involuntarily shuddered. He remembered the look on his partner’s face, the manic fear the man toiled under as he fought to breathe air into Maddie’s lungs and bring her back to the land of the living. “That’s not what happened.”
“You don’t know it’s not what happened. You only know what he says ... and you believe him because he’s a police officer.”
“I also believe Maddie.” Kreskin was calm as he folded his arms over his chest and stared down Henry. He was sick of the man’s denials. There was family loyalty and then there was delusion, and Kreskin was convinced Henry was laboring under a mountain of delusion. “She was there. She knows what happened.”
“Maybe she’s afraid of Detective Winters,” Henry sneered. “Maybe she’s terrified for her life. Have you ever considered that?”
Given the way Maddie and Nick petted one another whenever they were in close proximity, Kreskin couldn’t withhold a snort. “Not for a second. Now, you listen here.” He jabbed a finger in Henry’s direction to silence the older man. “I get that Todd is your nephew and you don’t want to believe the worst about him. I understand that he’s your family. That doesn’t mean he’s not a killer.
“It also doesn’t mean that he’s your responsibility,” he continued. “You didn’t make Todd what he is. You didn’t cover for him. I know you’ve had troubles of your own, but you’ve worked hard to put that behind you. Don’t let Todd drag you down for something he very much did. He’s guilty.”
Henry made a face. It was true, he was accused of a few things — including sexual assault — in his younger days. It was a different time and he’d been careful to keep his nose clean since. The only dalliances he’d engaged in over the past few years were with women of appropriate ages – including Maude Graves. That didn’t mean he appreciated Kreskin bringing up a past he wanted to forget. “What do you want? If you’re not here to talk about Todd, why are you here?”
“To talk about Shelby Capshaw.”
Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. Henry wrinkled his nose and tilted his head to the side, giving the appearance of a confused older man who was completely lost in a forest he didn’t recognize. “What?”
“Shelby Capshaw,” Kreskin prodded. “She worked for you, right?”
“She’s a seasonal worker,” Henry confirmed after a beat. “She graduated from college but couldn’t find a job right away. She’s back living with her parents.”
“I know. We just came from there.”
“Why?” Henry hadn’t yet caught on. “Why do you care about Shelby?”
Henry’s face went through a myriad of emotions before he settled on flabbergasted. “I don’t understand. Do you think I killed her?”
“No, but we’re trying to ascertain her movements over the past forty-eight hours.”
“We’re also trying to identify the people she hung out with while she was here,” Nick added, drawing Henry’s attention to him. “She was murdered and, odds are, it was by someone she knew.”
“And you think it was me.” Henry’s face turned red. “I can’t believe that this is coming back around a full year later. I just can’t believe you would go this far.”
“We’re not going anywhere,” Kreskin argued. “We’re trying to find out who killed that girl. She was only twenty-three.”
“And you think I did it. That’s why you’re here.”
“We’re here because we need information on her work habits and co-workers,” Kreskin clarified. “As for the rest ... we don’t know anything yet. We need insight, Henry. We need to know more about her.”
“And you think I can help?”
“We think we’re willing to take anything you can offer.”
“Okay, but if you try to arrest me, I’m going to hire Johnnie Cochran and send him after you.”
“I’m pretty sure Johnnie Cochran is dead.”
“Oh.” Henry was momentarily puzzled. “Who’s another big lawyer?”
“Mark Geragos?”
“Sure. Why not? I’ll send him after you if you’re not careful.”
“Then we’ll definitely be careful.”
EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD work to do at the house, Maddie escaped about an hour after Nick left for work. It wasn’t just the heat — which was bordering on unbearable — but also the heavy thoughts that turned her brain into a prickly briar patch.
Maddie was a runner at heart, but she knew better than trying to pound out five miles in such overpowering heat. Instead, she walked several blocks until she hit the downtown area and pointed herself toward Christy’s salon, Cuts & Curls.
The building was busy when Maddie let herself in through the front door. For once, though, she wasn’t annoyed by the crowd because the central air was such a blessing all she could do was groan in gratitude.
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