“Should be able to, no problem. Hit me.”
“I can’t reach.”
“Ha-ha, old man. What’s the address?”
Jimmy told him and waited.
“Nicki Player,” Adam told him less than thirty seconds later.
“Nicki…”
“Hello? You having a stroke?”
“No, I’m not having a stroke,” Jimmy kicked back, “and it’s nothing to kid around about.”
“Sorry.”
He might have jumped down the kid’s throat a bit. “Mitch Yates just told me he was with Nicki at the time of Katie’s death.”
“Really?”
Jimmy bit the urge to ask if he was having a stroke now but followed his own advice. After all, strokes were serious business. “You sound about as shocked as I was. Well, I followed Mitch just now, and he went into Nicki’s building.”
“You going in?” Adam prompted. “Her apartment is number 323.”
“No, I’m not going in.” What would his cover story be? And what could he possibly accomplish? If either Mitch or Nicki was involved in taking out Katie, it would spook them—and a spooked killer, or possibly more than one, was the last thing he wanted. “I’m just going to call it a night.”
“You should at least let Sean and Sara know about this development.”
“Big word for a kid.”
“This is me hanging up on you.” Adam disconnected.
Any other time, the verbal jousting would have Jimmy smiling. Right now, he wasn’t in the mood. If Mitch and Nicki were an item, when had it started and were either of them responsible for Katie’s death?
-
Chapter 23
MASSAGING A SORE SPOT
Sean’s heart was a lot calmer riding up the elevator to Levi’s condo than it had been the first time, even though they were coming back to apply some pressure on the athlete.
Sara put a hand on his. “Do you want me to do the talking?”
“I’m fine.”
“Glad to hear it.”
The elevator chimed its arrival, and they unloaded. Sean knocked on Levi’s door, and he answered quickly.
“Sean and Sara, what a surprise.” His words made it sound like they were a lovely surprise, but his body language said otherwise, as did the music and the bottle of wine and two wineglasses on the table in the living room.
“I hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Sean said.
“No, not at all. Come in.” Levi rubbed the back of his neck and swept his hand around the front. “Sit wherever you’d like.” He gestured toward the sitting area where they’d been the day before.
Sara led the way, and the men followed.
“You have company. We could come back,” she offered but made no move to leave.
Sean saw that one of the wineglasses had lipstick marks.
“I do, yeah, but it’s not in the way you might be thinking.” Levi went to a stereo cabinet, opened the door, and turned the music off. “We’re just working on—”
“What happened to the mus—” A blond woman sashayed into the living area, wearing a figure-hugging black dress and pointy heels. She stopped short at the sight of them. “Hello.”
“Hello,” Sara said, matching the woman’s tone. “I don’t believe we’ve met.” Sara slinked off the couch to the woman. “I’m Sara McKinley, and that’s my husband Sean.”
“Chandra Goodwin.”
Without missing a beat, Sara shook her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise.”
Sean considered Chandra’s wardrobe and the ambiance of the condo before he and Sara had barged in and ruined it all. It would appear Levi might not have Chandra penned in the friend zone after all.
Chandra weaved her way to a spot on the couch nearest the wineglass with the lipstick, lifted the glass, and took a sip. “The McKinleys? Levi says that you’re investigating Katie’s death.”
“We are,” Sara confirmed and returned to her seat. “We were hoping to speak with you tomorrow, but seeing as you’re here...”
“I don’t see why you’d be interested in speaking with me.” Chandra crossed her legs and hugged her wineglass with two hands. Her body language seemed to indicate she was closed to conversation.
“We have reason to suspect that Katie was murdered.” Sean hoped by putting it so bluntly it would shock a reaction out of Chandra.
“The police say that it was an accident.” Her gaze shifted briefly to Levi. “Levi seems to think that someone might have pushed her down that hill.”
“What do you think?” Sean asked.
Again, Chandra glanced at Levi. She seemed awfully concerned about what he thought.
“I…I don’t know. I like to trust the police.” She smiled demurely. “I understand you both used to be with the Albany PD.”
Sean wasn’t about to be swayed by flattery. “The police can be wrong sometimes.”
Chandra’s lips fell into a straight line.
“We’re going to find out the truth about what happened to Katie,” Sara said. “But like Sean said, it’s looking like murder.”
“I’ll do whatever I can to help.” Chandra took a sip of her wine, licked her lips, then said hesitantly, “This might upset you to hear, Levi, but Katie was seeing someone else.”
A shot of color filled Levi’s cheeks. “I knew she was.”
“You knew she—” Chandra clamped a hand over her mouth.
“Levi, you knew?” Sean latched on to that tidbit. “Why did you lie to us before?”
Levi’s shoulders sagged. “I knew how it would look.”
“And how’s that?” Sean was regretting ever defending the guy.
“Wouldn’t it look like motive? Like I got jealous and—” Levi’s chin quivered, and he raked a hand through his hair.
“I had no idea you knew,” Chandra said barely above a whisper. To Sean and Sara, she added, “It’s my job to watch out for Levi, but I guess I can’t protect him from everything.”
“How long did you know?” Sean asked Levi.
The pitcher pulled his gaze from Chandra. “For a few months. I’d hoped it would run its course.”
“But it didn’t.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Did you kill—”
“Wait a hot minute here,” Chandra barked, sliding to the edge of her cushion. “Don’t go accusing Levi of killing Katie. Everyone wants someone to blame, and it’s always easy to jab a finger in the direction of the guy making millions.” She shook her head. “So happy we kept your relationship out of the media. Your image might have never recov—”
“My image?” Levi roared. “Is that all you care about?”
Chandra’s cheeks turned crimson. “You know I care about far more than that, but as your assistant, you pay me to make sure your reputation doesn’t get smeared all over the media. You pay me to advise you on what to keep quiet and what to reveal.” Chandra met Levi’s gaze, and it seemed she was challenging him. His energy shrank.
Chandra went on, this time speaking more to Sean and Sara. “I told him to keep the news about his relationship with Katie out of the public eye, and it seems like that was sound advice. Between her sleeping around and now her death—”
“Even though he was going to propose to her,” Sean got out.
Chandra snapped in his direction. “He was… He was…” She cleared her throat and shook some of her hair behind her shoulders, as if brushing off the news as something she didn’t care about.
“The proposal is obviously a shock to you,” Sara said.
Chandra’s eyes pooled with tears, and she stared blankly across the room. “I had no idea.”
“You knew I loved her,” Levi pleaded. “W
here did you think the relationship was going to go?”
“I know you asked her to move in with you and she said no.” Chandra rubbed her throat but dropped her hand quickly when she noticed Sean eyeballing the move.
“That was months ago. Things had changed between us.”
“Yeah, she was seeing someone else, Levi. And you knew that. You deserved far better than her.”
Sean met Sara’s gaze, and she widened her eyes just slightly.
“I loved her,” Levi spat. “What part of that can’t you understand?”
“Love overlooks transgressions—is that it?” Chandra was practically staring right through Levi.
“How long have you loved Levi, Chandra?” Sara’s sweet voice cut into the volley.
“She doesn’t,” Levi rushed out, keeping his gaze on his assistant. “Do you?”
“How can you be so dense?” Chandra stood up and plucked the laptop off the cushion beside her. “I’ve loved you for years. It’s not like I made much of a secret of it. You just never wanted to hear it. Seems you don’t hear much. No, we are friends”—she added finger quotes to the word—“and that’s all we’d ever be. Well, you can kiss goodbye to that now.” She gathered the rest of her things and slammed the condo door behind her.
Levi made no move to stop her. “I don’t know what just happened.”
“She loves you,” Sara said softly. “Surely you had an idea.”
Levi’s chest was heaving in the aftermath. He flailed an arm in the direction of the door. “Yes, sure, but Chandra’s more like a sister to me than anything else. I just don’t think of her that way.”
“It would seem she still held out hope you’d become more,” Sean laid out. “Did Chandra know that Katie regularly jogged through Corning City Preserve and what trail she preferred?”
“I can’t believe— Never mind.” He licked his lips. “But, yeah, she knew.”
“Do you know where Chandra was the morning of Katie’s death?” Sara asked.
“Around the time of Katie’s death,” he said, his voice turning gravelly on the word death, “I don’t know where she was, but she came here to go over my appearances schedule about nine.”
Nine o’clock would leave plenty of time to commit the murder and then turn up here. “When she showed up, was she different in any way?” Sean asked.
He blew out a deep breath. “That was a crazy day. After hearing about Katie, everything’s blurred. Let me think.” A few seconds ticked by, maybe a minute, maybe two. “Right, it’s coming back to me a bit. She showed up with my favorite Starbucks drink, and I thought the day was going to be amazing. We got right to work, but as far as what Chandra was like, I’d say just her normal self.”
“She wasn’t anxious or jittery?” Acting like she just murdered someone?
“Like I said, she was her normal self.”
“Okay.” Sean got up. “We’ll let you get back to— What was it again?” Sean hoped to ferret out information, because Levi had never mentioned what he and Chandra had been doing before they’d arrived.
“Oh, Chandra and I were talking about something going on tomorrow night. Guess whatever will be, will be.”
“Sounds mysterious,” Sean said.
“Not really. Just some charity gala to raise money for a local school, the one where Katie temped. Nothing too fancy, but it’s suit and tie.”
“Sounds nice enough.” Sara smiled.
“I guess. I don’t even know if I want to go anymore. I’d set it up originally because the school was important to Katie. Chandra might have convinced me to keep our relationship out of the news, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t help out causes close to the heart of those I care about.”
“You arranged the charity on Katie’s behalf?” Sara asked.
“Yeah. It’s even being held at the school where Katie worked. Hey, you two can come if you’d like. There are still seats available. My treat.”
Sean said, “No need for that.”
Sara looked over at her husband.
“We’ll pay for our own,” he added.
“Lovely.” Levi grinned, and in that moment, it seemed he’d forgotten all about the nasty scene with Chandra. “I’ll have…huh, I was going to say I’d have Chandra send you the information, but I’m not even sure she’s working for me anymore. I’ll get it for you. Just give me a minute.” Levi left the room and returned with a piece of paper, handing it to Sean. “All you should need.”
Sean thanked him, and he and Sara left. On the way down, Sean turned to Sara. “She did it.”
“I’m not so sure. She loved Levi. She’d never want to hurt him that badly, but then again…” Sara touched his shirt collar. “You notice Levi wipe his neck when we showed up?”
“Sure.” But he wasn’t sure where she was heading with this.
“There was lipstick on his neck, below his ear. I saw it just before he wiped it off. It was the same shade that Chandra was wearing.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not entirely sure what it means, but I think what we just saw in there might have been a show put on for the two of us.”
Sean held up the piece of paper with the charity details. “Maybe we’ll get some answers while in a gown and tux.”
“Suit and tie,” Sara corrected. “Nothing was said about tuxes. Nothing fancy, remember?”
“Splitting hairs.” Sean held out his arm for Sara to slip hers through. Just because their priority was finding a killer, it didn’t mean they had to sacrifice style.
-
Chapter 24
GETTING THE BLOOD PUMPING
Sara had dragged her tired body out of bed, downed a few cups of coffee, and mentally prepared herself for whatever “torture” Mirela had in store for her today. Sean should be at the trail by now, combing the hillside where Katie had tumbled. Jimmy had begged off, complaining about his knee giving him some grief, but he did have other things to take care of. One, visit Dee Dee, who worked out of the forensics lab, to ask about Devin’s prescription bottles, and two, see Needham.
The doorbell chimed through the house, and Sara glanced at the clock on her way to the door. Sara expected it would be Mirela, but when she opened the door, she found Nicki.
“Nicki?” Sara looked around her, not sure what to make of this surprise visit, but the woman had a duffel bag hanging over her left shoulder.
“Yeah. I called your cell phone and left a message.”
“I never have it on this early.” Sara stepped back. “Please come in.” She plastered on a smile, but a part of her was unsettled by Nicki being here. They still had the unpleasant task of asking her about her relationship with Mitch. “I’m just waiting on Mirela.” She gave one more look past Nicki to the driveway before closing the door.
“That’s why I called and why I’m here. I’m filling in for her. I offered to train you today. Mirela was going to call, too, and run it past you. Maybe she got your—”
“She probably got my voicemail, too. The gym’s down the stairs, third door on the right. I’ll be right there.”
“Sure.” Nicki gave her a pressed-lip smile and set out in the direction of the gym.
Sara watched her retreating form. Her chest was swelling with panic. What if Nicki was Katie’s killer? Nicki could have wanted Katie out of the way to have Mitch to herself.
Sara went to the kitchen and grabbed her cell phone from the kitchen counter. There were two voicemails. The first was from Mirela saying that Katie’s death was weighing on her and she hoped it would be all right that Nicki take the session today. The second was from Nicki saying that she’d be filling in for Mirela.
Sara found Nicki in the corner of the gym, rummaging through her duffel bag. She pulled out a stopwatch and smiled at Sara. “I’m sorry about
last night. I know I was a little off.”
“You were chilly.”
“Sorry. It’s just that Katie’s death has been hard on me, and for some reason related to that—I think—I’m finding that my moods shift a lot.”
“That’s understandable,” Sara assured her and meant it. “Grief affects everyone differently, but it always takes a toll on our emotions.” So does killing someone…
“I’m finding that’s true.”
If Sara could keep her talking, that might be a good thing. “You ever lose anyone close to you before?”
Nicki shook her head.
“Well, whatever you’re feeling, just allow it.”
“I feel angry.” Nicki scowled, and Sara stepped back.
“Angry at whom?” she squeezed out.
“Katie.”
Sara had expected Nicki to say “Katie’s killer” or name someone she suspected, but it was perfectly natural that she be mad at Katie, too.
“Why did she have to die?” Nicki thrust the question out with such intensity that empathy knotted Sara’s chest. “But I know it’s not her fault. Someone else did this to her. Are you any closer to knowing who?”
Nicki could be trying to insert herself into the investigation to see if she or Mitch were suspects. “We’re doing what we can, but not really. Not yet.”
Nicki wiped her cheeks. “I guess these things take time.”
“They do.” Sara got onto the mat and started the stretches she normally did at the beginning of her workouts. Leg lunges to the front, to the side, switch legs. It might work to divert the conversation. She’d rather not be alone to confront Nicki if she was a killer.
“You seem to know a lot about grieving. Have you lost people close to you?” Nicki asked when Sara made the transition from her right leg to her left.
Sara had certainly seen enough death to last a lifetime and then some. She’d been there on the worst day of people’s lives repeatedly, and that never got any easier. While she’d lost people she liked and had been acquaintances with, she was blessed not to have ever lost anyone super close to her. Sean had lost his father when he was young—he knew the devastation of death intimately.
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