“Sure, I understand, but you need to know, Miss Henderson, if we find any evidence to indicate you had anything to do with Whitney McAllister’s disappearance, you’ll be charged with kidnapping. And if she’s dead, you will be charged with first-degree murder. You might want to think about that while you’re sitting in a cell.” Detective Porter slammed the folder shut and motioned toward the mirror.
Patel came in, took hold of her arm, and escorted her out of the room. He handed her over to an officer with instructions to park her in a holding cell and call for a court-appointed attorney as soon as he could get around to it.
* * * *
Suki sat alone in the jail cell wondering where her brother could be and how she was going to get out of police custody. Their plans to snatch Kate, kill her, and flee Seattle appeared to be in real jeopardy.
Now, her only options, she thought, were letting Ethan carry out his plan and leave Seattle without her or she could give her brother up to the police and both of them would end up in prison. Either way, she couldn’t see any way that she was going to be set free once it all hit the fan. Maybe this is the price I have to pay to avenge my parents’ deaths.
Before the police officer put her in this holding cell, he had confiscated all her possessions. Without her cell phone, she had no way to warn her brother that the police were onto them. Maybe they’ll find him, she thought, but it won’t be because of me.
Chapter 13
While the detectives were picking Suki up and questioning her, Ryan did his best to keep Kate distracted and out of harm’s way, and she really appreciated his efforts.
On the flight back to Seattle, she had mentioned to Ryan she hadn’t been down to the wharf for quite a while, so he suggested they go down there as a nice diversion. They grabbed a cup of clam chowder at Ivar’s and sat out on the deck overlooking Puget Sound.
“This breeze coming off the water is a little chilly,” Kate commented as she zipped up her jacket, “but the salty ocean air is refreshing. It’s so nice not to have the rain for a change.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Ryan said.
“This hot soup feels so warm and comforting going down, it brings back memories of growing up here.” She took another spoonful of her steaming chowder.
“Good memories, I hope.”
“Yes, good memories,” she replied, nodding. “And I appreciate you keeping me company this afternoon,” she told him, patting his knee. “You probably have work you should be doing, though.”
“I’m happy to be here with you. And, yes, I’m sure I have work I could be doing, but my partner and my assistant are taking care of things.” Ryan smiled at her, watching her long golden hair waving in the breeze. “I’ll check in with my assistant later.”
“Mmmm...I’d forgotten how good Ivar’s clam chowder is. It’s been years since I’ve been to this place.”
“Me, too. Even though I live here, I’m so busy selling real estate that I don’t take the time to come down here and just enjoy the waterfront.”
“I miss it,” Kate said with a tinge of sadness in her voice.
“Have you ever thought of moving back?” he asked, with something that resembled hope in his eyes.
“No,” she replied, shaking her head slightly and looking out over the water. “I left after my parents were killed and I never looked back. Since then, my sister has always come to Los Angeles to visit me. I never wanted to come back here to visit her.” Kate’s countenance fell and her eyes began to water. “Maybe if I had stayed in Seattle my sister wouldn’t be missing.”
“You can’t blame yourself. And you can’t live your life based on what ifs.” Ryan’s attempt at comforting her fell on deaf ears.
“I should have stayed and been the big sister she needed.”
“Don’t do that to yourself. You don’t know that.”
Kate looked down at her watch again. “I wonder what’s happening at the police station. I think I should call the detectives and see if they found anything out yet,” she said as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.
“Kate,” Ryan placed his hand on top of her hand as it held her phone. “It’s only been about an hour since we left them. Give them some time. They’ll call you when they know something. They promised.”
“I know, but I can’t stand the waiting. Where is my sister? I need to know if she’s okay, Ryan, I just need to know.” A couple of tears trickled down her cheeks, the cool sea breeze turning them cold. She wiped them away with her hand and crossed her arms.
Ryan scooted his chair closer to hers and put his arm around her. She leaned her head against his chest that offered her his strength and comfort.
“It’s going to be okay, Kate. Will Porter is a good detective. He’s had a lot of years doing this. They’ll find her,” Ryan promised. He kissed her temple and she snuggled closer.
“What about Raj? Isn’t he a good one, too?” she asked.
“He’s new to it, but Will is teaching him all he knows. Between the two of them, they’ll figure it out.”
“Look at me, blubbering like a baby,” she said as she blotted a few stray tears with her napkin. “I like to pride myself on being a strong woman, but I’ve never had to deal with something like this before. The not knowing is excruciating. I’m glad we’re alone out here on the deck. I’d be so embarrassed if anyone else was around.”
“It’s okay, Kate, you’re in a safe place. You don’t always have to be so tough.”
“Oh, but I do. Even though it was horrible for me losing my mom and dad, I had to be strong for Whitney,” she went on. “It wasn’t until I felt she was back on her feet that I took care of my needs and moved away. But now, if I lose Whitney, I’ve got no family left.”
“That sounds so lonely,” Ryan said.
“I’ve had to take care of myself in L.A.—support myself, protect myself, do everything for myself.”
“Maybe this isn’t the right time to ask, but, I’ve been wondering about something.”
“Wondering about what?” Kate asked.
“Well, we started to talk about it the other night at Kerry Park. I’ve been wondering why you’re alone in L.A., why no man has swept you off your feet and married you yet.”
A nervous laugh escaped her lips.
“Or is there someone back home waiting for you? You told me the other night you didn’t want to talk about it, but ...”
“No, Ryan, there’s no one waiting in L.A. for me.”
“Why not?” he asked. “You’re so, well, wonderful.”
She chuckled again. “I appreciate you saying that, it’s so sweet. I guess it’s because I haven’t had very good luck with men.”
“At Kerry Park, you said there was someone, care to elaborate?”
“All right, if you must know, I was dating a man a couple of years ago. We even talked about getting married.”
“What happened? Why didn’t you marry him?”
Her tone turned somber. “I found out he was cheating on me, and not just once. Apparently, he thought that by marrying me, he could have a stable relationship with someone who would warm his bed and share his life, and he could have a little extra on the side whenever he felt like it. He broke my heart, and I haven’t been in another serious relationship since.”
“Oh, man. What a fool! Well, it was his loss. That’s all I can say.”
“Thank you. That was what my friends said at the time, too.”
An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, his arm still around her shoulders.
“Hey, what do you say we get out of this place?” he offered, lightening the mood.
“Well, okay. What do you suggest?” Kate lifted her head and wiped her nose.
“Let’s see, over there are the antique shops,” he said as he pointed toward the shops below the elevated railway, “or there’s the aquarium just down the street. I’ve heard good things about it. Or we could walk up the hill to Pike’s Market and watch them sling the big fish around
.”
“Any of those sound fine,” Kate replied. “You pick.”
Just then, they heard the ferry’s horn blow in Puget Sound and they both turned to look. “Or we could take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island,” Ryan suggested.
“No, not Bainbridge Island,” she said with an edgy sharpness in her voice. She sat up straight in her chair, and pulled away from him. “Remember? That’s where I told you my folks died.”
“I remember, but I thought maybe it would bring you some solace, like visiting a loved one’s grave site.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” she balked.
“Have you ever gone to the site of the accident?” Ryan questioned.
“Once, right after it happened, but I never want to go back.”
“Maybe you need to. Sometimes it brings closure, visiting the place where their lives ended.”
“It won’t bring closure. It’ll just reopen old wounds. Why are you pushing this?” Kate was getting agitated, and the refreshing cool breeze was now biting at her cheeks.
“Because it sounds like you’ve just been putting band-aids over a wound that’s never fully healed, Kate. Maybe seeing where the accident happened again will help you heal.”
Kate didn’t want to go. She didn’t want to dredge up the pain she had tried so hard to bury. However, several times she had told Ryan what a strong woman she was, so now she’d have to step up and prove it.
“All right, all right. Maybe it will help. I’ll go, but if it gets to be too much for me, and I tell you we have to go, I need you to respect that and get us out of there. Will you do that for me?”
“Yes, Kate, I’ll do that for you. I promise,” Ryan agreed, crossing his heart with his finger.
She slipped her hand through Ryan’s arm as they walked back to the parking lot. They climbed into his Land Rover and drove to the nearby ferry entrance. The ferry crewmen directed the long line of vehicles onto the ferry and the Land Rover came to a stop. Once parked, Kate and Ryan got out and climbed to the upper deck as the ferry travelled across the Sound to Bainbridge Island.
Among the other passengers on the deck, they found a place at the railing to watch the island draw closer. The nippy air coming off the water chilled them both. Ryan put his arms around Kate, and she slid her arms inside his coat, around his waist, and they clung to each other to keep warm. They could have gone inside and experienced the ferry ride from the comfort of the cushioned seating or from the inside of the Land Rover, but the unspoken intimacy of their warm embrace kept them on the cold deck.
Wrapped in his powerful arms, feeling the beat of his heart against her cheek, Kate closed her eyes and breathed in his masculine scent. The warmth of his body surrounding her made her feel safe and that somehow everything was going to be okay.
As the ferry approached the island, Ryan and Kate reluctantly let go of each other and made their way back down to the Land Rover. They waited inside the vehicle for the landing and for directions from the crew to disembark. Kate was sure that Ryan could see the nervousness on her face as they drove off the ferry and onto the island. She was fearful of how being there again would make her feel.
“Do you remember where the accident happened?” he asked her.
“I think so. Just take the road to the right that goes to Poulsbo.”
As they drove on the curvy road with forested areas on both sides, the scenery began to look familiar to Kate.
“There! I think that’s the place,” she exclaimed, motioning toward a huge tree across the road to the left.
Ryan pulled the vehicle over to the right shoulder and parked.
“It was a long time ago, but I remember that tree. See, the big cedar with the deep gash a couple of feet up from the ground?” she asked, pointing to it. “I think that’s the tree my parents’ car hit. I want to go see.” She unfastened her seat belt, opened the door, and slid out before Ryan had the chance to open the door for her. He climbed out, too, and they checked for oncoming cars before darting across the road.
They trudged through the underbrush about twenty feet to the enormous tree. Kate crouched down to touch the damaged area where her parents’ car had crashed into it. Tears moistened her eyes as she looked up at Ryan, but she couldn’t find the words to describe the anguish and sorrow that gripped her heart. He put out his hand to help her up, and she gladly took hold of it. He pulled her up and they backed away from the tree. She stood silent, staring at the place where her mom and dad had died.
She could no longer curb her tears, and she began to weep. Ryan wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She melted into him and he just let her cry. The emotions she had stuffed down for so many years bubbled to the surface, and the grief she had kept bottled up came spilling out. She was sure that he could feel the trembling and sobbing of her body against his.
When she was all cried out, Kate stepped back and Ryan let loose of his tender hold. Pulling a couple of napkins out of her pocket, she dried her face. Releasing a long sigh, she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her. She turned back to look at the tree and remember where the lives of her parents had ended. That’s when something caught her eye. She noticed there was a blue object hanging on an inside branch of a bush near the fateful tree.
“What’s that?” she questioned, carefully stepping over the rocks and underbrush to reach the shrub, pulling a tattered, dark blue baseball cap out of it.
“What is it?” Ryan asked.
She turned around and showed him the ball cap.
“It couldn’t be,” she said. “I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”
“What do you mean?” Ryan asked.
“A dark blue ball cap,” she said, waving it back and forth.
“Like the one the guy who’s been following you wears?”
“Yeah, Ethan, Suki’s brother, but what are the chances?” She shook her head. “No, it’s most likely nothing. There are thousands of blue ball caps.”
“Do you think there’s any chance he had something to do with your folks’ accident?”
“I never thought so, but now, I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “On the other hand, what if this was his hat?”
“We might be able to find out. Let’s take it with us,” Ryan suggested. “Maybe the police can run a DNA test on it and find out if it belonged to Ethan.”
A chill ran down Kate’s back and she bristled. If Ethan had something to do with her parents’ death, he might be behind Whitney’s disappearance, too.
“It’s probably nothing,” she said, trying to shake the eerie cold feeling.
“Probably,” Ryan agreed.
“Even though I fought you on it, I do appreciate you bringing me here,” Kate said as she stepped in close to face Ryan, looking up into his gentle eyes. “If you hadn’t, I would not have been able to let those feelings out. I had buried them so deep that I hardly knew they were still there.”
“Then I’m glad we came.” A twinkle lit up Ryan’s eyes as the corners of his mouth turned up into a little smile.
She looked down at the baseball cap in her hand, then back up to him.
“While I know the chances are slim, if this ball cap ends up belonging to Ethan, this could be a big break in finding my sister. I wouldn’t have found it without you.” She pushed herself up on her tiptoes and planted a quick sweet kiss on his lips. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but how do you figure this ball cap can help find your sister?”
“It might mean Ethan is the one who took Whitney, if he was involved in the accident that killed my parents.” Kate got more excited the more she thought about it.
“Be careful, Kate. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We don’t even know if this cap belongs to Ethan.”
“I know, but it could.”
“Yes, it could,” Ryan agreed.
But with tens of thousands of dark blue ball caps in Washington, where the Seattle Mariners baseball team colors are navy blue and silver, the chance
s of this hat belonging to Ethan were remote. It was an odd coincidence, though.
“Why don’t we head back to Seattle?” Ryan suggested. “We can call Will and Raj from the ferry.”
“I wonder if it’s safe for me to go back to the apartment yet,” said Kate.
“We’ll ask when we call.”
She threaded her hand through the crook of his arm before they sprinted across the narrow highway and strolled back to the SUV.
* * * *
Kate and Ryan decided to stop at a small coffee shop on the way back to the ferry to pick up a couple of warm drinks for the ride home. As they drove up to the order window, Kate leaned far over toward Ryan to get a better look at the menu on his side, her head leaning against his chest.
“Would you like to sit in my lap?” he joked.
“Sorry, it’s just so hard to see the menu from my seat.”
“Hello, can I help you?” asked the teenage girl who appeared in the window.
“Chai latté, please,” Kate ordered, craning her neck to read the choices.
“And you, sir?” the barista asked.
“A tall mocha cappuccino,” Ryan replied.
Drinks in hand, within minutes they pulled into line to drive aboard the ferry returning to Seattle. Once on board and in place, Ryan turned off the engine, set his drink in the cup holder, and called Patel.
“Hey, Raj. This is Ryan. We’re just checking in. I’m going to put you on speaker so Kate can hear, too.” He clicked the speaker button and held the phone between them.
“Hi, Kate,” came Raj’s greeting.
“Hello.”
“Where are you?”
“We’re on the ferry on our way back from Bainbridge Island. Is there anything we should know?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. We have Suki in custody right now,” Raj said. “She’s not talking, though. So she’s in a holding cell right now.”
“Do you think you’ll be able get anywhere with her?” Ryan asked.
“Well, we made sure we had a bunch of reporters and camera crews at the police station waiting for us when we brought her in. We’re hoping someone will recognize her when they plaster her face on the news.”
Three Days in Seattle Page 12
