by Diane Bator
Clancy frowned. “What do you want me to do?”
“No. I need you here. Someone needs to keep her safe in case Roger does come back.” Danny glanced at Lucy. “Have you called his parents or his friends?”
She hugged the cushion to her chest and blinked back tears. “There’s no answer at the cottage or at his parents’ house. I’m not sure where else he could’ve taken them. Should I be afraid?”
Danny averted his gaze.
Lucy took a deep breath to keep from crying. “I’ve called everyone I can think of calling. Our friends seemed to take Roger’s side when we split up. So did his parents and they won’t talk to me no matter how much they love the kids.” She was starting to like Danny. A little. “Can you do me one favor? Let me know when you find them. I need to know they’re okay.”
The room grew silent as Danny bowed his head. The walls seemed to close in on Lucy the longer he remained silent. She turned to Clancy, struggling to breathe. “What else aren’t you telling me?”
Danny cleared his throat. “I have some things to take care of. I’ll let you know what Bobby and Leo say.”
Lucy’s throat tightened. “What do you guys know that I don’t?”
“Nothing for sure.” He kept his voice low. “Things will turn out fine. Clancy and I’ll let you know when we find out more.”
She nodded, squeezing the cushion closer as Danny stood, there wouldn’t be any straight answers until he had more information. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Danny clutched her folder as he walked out the front door.
Clancy moved over to the couch and forced a smile. “I’ll talk to him. I’ll be back soon.”
“Thanks, I think.” Numb, she didn’t bother to get up when the men left her house. Nothing seemed real anymore, not without her kids to keep her grounded. She was a helium balloon adrift on hurricane winds with nowhere to turn.
She tossed the cushion across the couch then called every phone number she had, Roger’s cell phone, his parents’ house, the cottage, and out of sheer desperation, his condo. Still nothing. Unable to sit still, she wandered the house for nearly an hour before making a batch of cookies. Baking would help keep her grounded and cookies seemed like a nice surprise for when the kids when they came home. If they came home.
She gritted her teeth and mixed the ingredients as thoughts shot through her head like stars. That Roger would stoop to hiring a detective, let alone three, to keep tabs on her was a surprise. He was the one who’d thrown their marriage away.
The phone rang while Lucy was elbow deep in a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough. She scraped dough off her fingers and washed her hands quickly. “I’m coming. I’m coming.”
By the time she reached the phone, the ringing stopped, but she picked up the receiver anyway. Nothing except an electronic hum. She hung up then leaned against the cupboard with her arms crossed over her stomach and stared at the phone. “Call back. Please call back.”
Several minutes ticked by, but no one called. When the oven timer gave a piercing beep, Lucy’s hopes deflated and her shoulders sagged. Both she and Danny had to be wrong. There was no way Roger, could be a murderer let alone a serial killer. For her part, everyone knew she had an overactive imagination. Who’d ever believe her? Danny, Clancy, and the police did, which frightened her to no end.
She slid to the floor and stared at the school photos and drawings that covered her fridge.
Where on earth were Roger and her kids?
Chapter 22 ~ Danny
After witnessing the defeat on Lucy’s face up close, Danny’s spirits dropped to a brand new low. His gut-feeling was right all along, Lucy Stephen was about as far from guilty as was as humanly possible. Her brushing off Clancy’s advances confirmed his suspicions.
Danny’s eyes burned. Two hours later, he’d waded through all the information Lucy had collected about the murders, impressed how she’d elaborated on some of the connections Bobby and his task force could have only guessed. The actual forensics reports blurred until crime scene photos and words became a dark red haze.
Not only had Roger Stephen known every victim, Lucy had discredited his list of so-called alibis for nearly every evening unaccounted for by the media. All they needed was to collaborate her notes with the physical proof Roger was present at each crime scene. A confession would be even better.
If Roger was as calculating as Lucy said, he’d washed offending wineglasses, door knobs and anything else he’d touched after killing each woman. He’d probably also worn gloves.
Danny needed to call Bobby, but first had a few more questions for Lucy.
After Clancy went to the hospital for the evening, Danny returned to Lucy’s house, but his repeated knocks went unanswered. He wouldn’t blame her if she never spoke to any of them again. His cell phone rang when he was halfway to his car.
Katie passed on the usual formalities. “Danny, I forgot to tell you I met Lucy the other day. She’s so cute. Mimsy’s totally in love with her. Of course, she also wants you and Clancy to pose for the new cover of her new pirate romance novel.”
“Lucy said that?” He slid into the car and shut the door. “Where’d you meet her?”
“Mimsy.” Katie laughed. “Weren’t you listening?”
As he ran a hand through his hair, his gaze fell to the stack of file folders. “Sorry. I’m a bit distracted.”
“You sound weird. What happened?”
Danny let out a frustrated sigh. “I met Lucy too.”
Silence from Katie’s end. “Hadn’t you already met her?”
“Not face to face until today.” He stared at Lucy’s bedroom window hoping to see movement. “She wasn’t supposed to know we were watching her, but it’s become a necessity.”
A dull thud came from Katie’s end. She’d probably thumped her head on the wall. Finally, she asked, “What happened?”
Danny winced. “The police searched her house this morning. This afternoon, she saw me in the car and cornered me. She was pretty upset when Clancy and I told her why we were there. I don’t like hurting innocent people, but her life is spiralling out of her control.”
“That’s tough.” There was the rattle of plastic bags and the beep of the cash register in the background. “Did you find what you needed?”
“And then some. She’s an amazing lady. I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything turn out fine.” He was impressed Katie empathized with him rather than reading him the riot act, which he well deserved. “You know what? I think this is a good time to hang up my deerstalker hat and become a mechanic then I wouldn’t have to meddle in other people’s lives.”
Katie laughed. “You could, but you won’t. You love being a detective too much to give up. Why don’t we go for coffee after work? You can tell me all about your case. Maybe I can help.”
Danny hesitated. “Sorry, it’s confidential.”
“Oh, brother.” Katie groaned. “Danny, she already knows you’re watching her. What’s so bad about you talking to me about the case?”
A movement in Lucy’s window quickened his pulse. She was home, he just hoped she was okay. “Where did you meet her yesterday?”
“At Java Jo’s while Mimsy and I had tea.” Katie chuckled. “Do you want me to find out she takes her coffee next time I see her?”
Danny scowled. “She takes milk and has a strong urge to slip me rat poison. What was she doing there?”
“She was with Clancy and seemed a bit dazed when she came over to talk to Mimsy. I think she’s interested in joining the writing group. In any case, she made quite an impression on both of us.”
“I’ll bet.” He cringed then glanced at Clancy’s house before turning back to Lucy’s house. “I need to get in touch with Bobby then make sure Lucy’s okay. I’ll talk to you later. Okay?”
“Do you want me to call her? I have her number.” Katie either wanted to nose into his case or was genuinely concerned for Lucy.
&nbs
p; Danny shook his head. “No, but thanks for the offer. I need to gain her trust. I’ll call you later.”
“Sure, I’ll be here.” She seemed disappointed. “I’ll even go with you to do more work on the house if you’d like.”
“Trust me, I’d like nothing better, but I have a thousand things to do. Unfortunately, I have a feeling this case is about to turn ugly.” He reached for the file folder on the passenger seat and dialed Lucy’s number.
When she answered, she sounded beaten.
He spoke fast. “Lucy, it’s Danny, don’t hang up. You didn’t answer the door so I—”
She sighed. “I only answered because I thought it was my kids calling.”
“I just wanted to—” She’d already hung up.
Third call’s the charm. He called Leo. “Please tell me you found Roger and the kids.”
Leo snorted. “I could, but I’m no liar. I made some calls then mapped out places I need to search. Between Newville, Packham, and the lakeshore, there’s a hell of a lot of ground to cover.”
“Focus on the cottage first.” Danny rubbed his eyes. “When the police searched Lucy’s house, she handed over the jewelry. They also dug up about thirty grand in her backyard and another twenty in her neighbor’s yard.”
Silence. Finally Leo released a slow breath. “Fifty grand. Was that the money he embezzled from Caroline’s charity?”
Danny dropped his head back against his seat. “That’s my guess. Bobby's checking things out and I’m watching Lucy for now. She’s not going anywhere, she’s scared to death.”
Leo cleared his throat. “Did anyone change her locks in case Roger comes back?”
“Yeah. Clancy changed them after she showed him the jewelry.” Danny sat upright. “Who did you call earlier?”
“A lot of people.” Leo sounded tired and paused to yawn. “Neighbors saw Roger and his girlfriend leave the condo Sunday morning after they had a big, loud argument. Well, Roger got loud, his girlfriend tried to calm him down. No one’s seen them since they picked up the kids then headed north. There’s still no answer at the cottage or at his parents’ house.”
Danny had tried every number on his list twice more since he’d talked to Lucy. “Why didn’t they tell Lucy that when they called?”
“The housekeeper said his parents left two days ago on a cruise Roger paid for.” Leo sounded tired.
Danny squeezed his eyes shut. “Lucy’s going to have a nervous breakdown. She knows the murdered women all have links to Roger. In fact, she linked them for us. Everyone of the vics either dated or worked for Roger at one time or another.”
Leo gave a low whistle. “She’s a better detective than you. We should hire her.”
Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea. Danny rubbed his chin with his knuckle. “Right now though, we have to find Roger before he hurts the kids or his new girlfriend. If Lucy’s right, those kids could be in danger.”
“I told my boss I pulled my groin. He gave me a week off so I can do your dirty work.” Leo paused. “Aside from the fact Lucy turned Clancy down cold, what else do you know about her?”
“I looked around her house and talked to some neighbors, but there’s not much. Her family lives in Seattle.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Roger’s her first husband. She spends her entire life with her kids and her computer, hardly sleeps, and drinks way too much coffee.”
“In short, she needs someone to keep her from self-destructing.” There was a long pause before Leo spoke again. “Were you serious when you said the kids haven’t called since Sunday. I thought Clancy said she and those kids were tight?”
“They are.” Danny rubbed his jaw. A week ago, he would have said yes. “Lucy’s not so much self-destructing as she is going into panic mode and trying to keep from falling apart. Her instincts are going into overdrive.”
“That’s not good.” Leo cleared his throat. It seemed Danny wasn’t the only one emotional about the situation. “I guess now I go do what I do best.”
“Hurt people?”
“Find people, wise ass.” Leo snorted. “Although if I find out Roger hurt those kids, all bets are off.”
Danny grinned. “Do what you have to. Just find Lucy’s kids.”
Chapter 23 ~ Lucy
Lucy’s eyes ached. She put in drops, but they did nothing to refresh the pain of being married to a murderer. A murderer who’d taken her kids and was currently unaccounted for.
She sat at the computer and focused her nervous energy. Her novel moved along in small, distracted bursts. The tension was back. After the night she and Clancy had spent in the hot tub, how could it not be? The mixed feelings he ignited sent her imagination soaring.
Saving her novel to the flash drive, she searched “Clancy Davidson.” All that came up was the website for his tattoo shop. She switched her focus to the Wild Blue Detective Agency. A website popped up with the names Danny Walker and Leo Blue. No Clancy. No photos of any of the men, not that she needed any. Their images were seared into her brain.
Along the left margin, she found links to news stories featuring cases they’d either solved or helped to solve. The murder of an architect. The disappearance of a woman who’d stolen half a million dollars. Missing artwork. The list wasn’t long, since the agency had only existed for a couple of years, but it was impressive.
A search for Leo Blue brought her to a story about Leo’s former girlfriend that nearly knocked her off her chair. Five years earlier, a man had stalked Leo’s girlfriend, a cover-band singer, then attacked her late one night. Leo had killed him in self-defense. Crime scene pictures of the woman, the stalker and Leo, covered in blood and escorted by police, brought the story to life. After a psychiatric evaluation, Leo was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, a result of both severe childhood abuse and nearly being killed in Afghanistan.
Lucy ran into the bathroom and threw up. When a chill settled over her from the inside out, she grabbed a blanket off the bed. Tears streamed down her face, obscuring her vision and, as hard as she blinked, she couldn’t get rid of them. Bad enough her husband was a murderer, what were the odds at least one of the detectives looking for him was just as crazy or worse?
She made a cup of tea, her hands shaking so much she needed to set the kettle down twice. Still wrapped in the blanket, she sat on the couch and cradled the mug in both hands. Every time she closed her eyes, all she pictured Leo covered in blood and the horrific police photos of his girlfriend sprawled on a hotel bed. If Roger returned in the middle of the night, Lucy’s next portrait could look similar.
Just when she’d finally replaced the violent image in her head with thoughts of her kids, the phone rang. She jumped, sloshing hot water on her hands. “Hello?”
“Lucy Stephen?” The raspy voice reminded her of Ponytail Guy from Clancy’s front lawn. Leo Blue.
“Yes.” Fear held her in its icy fingers and she shivered.
He cleared his throat yet his voice remained raspy. “My name is Leo. I work with Clancy and Danny.”
“I know exactly who you are.” Lucy slid to the floor, her legs too rubbery to support her weight. “What do you want from me?”
He sighed. “I gather you’ve already checked me out so I don’t blame you for being afraid. Since I know you talked to Danny earlier as well, I can be upfront.”
“Why?” Her voice shook worse than her hands. “You’re working for my ex-husband, why should I help you?”
“Because I’m one of the guys going to search the countryside for your kids and I’d hoped you wouldn’t mind giving me a little help. I need a favor.”
Lucy sat back, detecting an undertone of desperation as his words soaked. “What do you need from me?”
“Pictures.” Leo sounded relieved. “I need some recent pictures of your kids.”
“That’s it?” She was close to bursting into grateful tears. “I thought you wanted articles of clothing for the bloodhounds or something.”
He chuckled. “No, ma’am. I’m t
he only bloodhound we’ve got and I don’t sniff anybody’s clothing but mine. I’m better than any bloodhound and all I need is a picture.”
She took a deep breath. At least he didn’t ask for much. “Where do I send them?”
“Are you at your computer?”
“No.” Lucy sighed. “I’m sitting on the floor in the kitchen.”
Leo laughed, his rich, warm voice exactly what she needed to hear. “That’s funny. I’m sitting on the floor right now too. My laptop’s on the table though.”
She mustered a smile. “You’re either very tall or have a really short table.”
“Coffee table.” He hesitated. “I’m not big on chairs.”
“I like chairs, especially when I can curl up in one with a good book.” The inane conversation gave her time to regroup and wipe her face.
“Books are good. What do you read?” Something tapped in the background like he was on the computer.
Lucy liked him already. “Mysteries. Thrillers.”
“Let me guess. Robert Ludlum. Jeffrey Archer. Kathy Reichs.”
“Yeah. All of the above.” She climbed the stairs to her computer, somewhat relaxed for the first time all afternoon. Too bad he wasn’t there in person, she liked his sense of humor although he’d probably scare her half to death. “Okay, what do you need? Oh, I was supposed to send you some files. All the stuff I gave Danny earlier. ”
Leo gave her an e-mail address. “You can do all that from your kitchen floor?”
“No, I’m at my computer now.” She typed in his address.
“Traitor.” He snorted. “You can use that address to keep in touch. I’ll also give you my cell number and update you when I can.”
“Leo?” She didn’t want him to hang up yet. “Where are you?”
“Some cheap apartment. Do you want to know what I’m wearing too?”
“No.” Her face tingled and grew hot. “I meant which town are you in?”
“My bad.” Normally, she hated that phrase. To hear Leo, muscular and frightening, say it almost made her smile. “Will it bother you if I don’t answer that?”