Journey to Murder (An Alex Warren Novel)

by DJ Owen

  "Sure, Mom." True to her word, Amy came into the den a few minutes later carrying a steaming cup of cocoa. "What's up?" The decadent aroma of rich chocolate wafted through the air.

  "Well, remember when you said you wanted to go with me on one of my trips this year?" Alex continued once Amy nodded. "How would you like to go with me out West? It would be your graduation present. You've worked hard this year, and you deserve it."

  "Where are we going? Out West is a big place."

  "I was thinking we would go to a place your grandparents took Monica and me when we were young. It's called Lake Monroe, and they have all kinds of things to do there. You can make some new friends, and you'll have things to do while I work."

  "Are you coming with us?" Amy asked Monica. "I'm sure you would like to go there again, too."

  "I'm not sure I can get the time off, but I'll try," Monica promised.

  Alex was so pleased that her daughter had enough empathy to think about how Monica would enjoy the trip. "So are you happy?"

  "Of course, Mom! I'm thrilled you're taking me with you. It's just what I wanted! Thank you!" Amy sat her cup down and threw her arms around her mother. "You're the best mom EVER!"

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Kyle's cell phone indicated two missed calls and messages. The first was from Mike, the Park Ranger, wanting him to call. The second was from Alex. Kyle assumed they were calling about the same thing.

  "Mike, what's up? You mentioned that Alex called," Kyle stated once Mike answered the phone.

  "Yep. Planning on coming here again in a couple of weeks; the first weekend in June, actually. And listen to this: she's bringing her daughter."

  "She mentioned one when we last spoke. I was hoping to catch up with her in San Francisco, but a face-to-face meeting at the lake will work, too."

  "Here's the thing, I wanted to tell you that she asked about the van fire. She said she didn't want to bring her daughter here if it was unsafe. I didn't tell her any details about the investigation, only that I hadn't heard anything more and that we hadn't had other problems out this way." Mike was still torn. He wanted to help out his friend's investigation, even if it wasn't authorized. Still, he liked the strong, independent Alex, especially now that he knew she was also a mother. "And by the way, she used the same credit card number she used for the last trip."

  "Did she sound like it was anything more than concern for her kid? Did she ask for details of the investigation?" Kyle needed to know Alex's state of mind. Was she truly just concerned about the possibility of putting her daughter in danger, or was she concerned that the investigation would lead back to her?

  "No, she sounded like any mother would. She dropped it after I told her I didn't know anything. Really, Kyle, I think this woman is okay. You should spend some time with her while she's here."

  "I plan to, Mike." Kyle was glad to hear that Alex didn't seem all that interested in the specifics of the investigation. Still, he was going to have to ask her about San Francisco eventually, and why she chooses to remain off the grid. "I'm glad the State Police kept the news about the murder out of the press. If she mentions anything other than what she told me the morning of the fire, I'll know she knows more than any casual observer should."

  "Now, Kyle, you've got to give this woman a fair chance. Who knows, you two could really hit it off. You should ask her to the dance that weekend. Consider it a perfect opportunity to interrogate her while her guard is down." Mike thought the two would make a good-looking couple, and Kyle certainly needed a woman in his life.

  "That's actually a very good idea, Mike. I think I will."

  After they hung up, Kyle called Alex back. When she answered, Kyle told her it was about time she made her reservation.

  "How did you know that was why I was calling? Do you have spies at Lake Monroe?" Alex asked innocently.

  "Well, you told me you would call once you made your reservation. I was beginning to think you were trying to politely brush me off."

  "No, nothing like that," Alex lied. "I had to take care of some things and make sure the dates were clear. We'll be arriving late Friday, June 3rd. Will that work for you? I hope so, because otherwise I would think you were politely trying to brush ME off."

  "That works for me. I kept that couple of weeks clear since you told me you were shooting for that timeframe. I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

  Alex couldn't stop herself from a little flirting. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in a less-than professional way. I mean, you look good in your uniform and the handcuffs are a nice touch, but I was hoping we could spend some free time together."

  "Me, too, but when we talked before, you mentioned you might bring your daughter. Will she be tying up all your time?" Kyle played along with the flirtation, expecting it this time. If he wanted to find out why she was so hard to trace, he would have gain her trust.

  "Yes, she's coming. This is actually her graduation present."

  "Graduation?! I didn't think you were old enough to have a kid graduating!" Kyle was taken completely by surprise. In his mind, Alex's daughter was young, maybe still in Kindergarten.

  Alex was amused. "She's graduating middle school. I had her when I was pretty young. But thank you for the compliment, even though it was a bit back-handed."

  "It's just that when you said she was graduating, I figured you must have had her when you were thirteen or something."

  "Well, thank you. But back to your point, my daughter is old enough that I can leave her by herself some of the time, and I plan to send her to several of the activities at the park. We'll have a chance to get to know each other a little better, assuming you are still interested now that you know how old and decrepit I am."

  Kyle guffawed. "Old and decrepit? Hardly!" Alex joined in with a chuckle before Kyle continued, "Yes, I would like to spend some time with you. Would you do me the honor of joining me for the dance Saturday night? It's nothing fancy. Jeans are okay."

  "Well, how could a girl possibly turn down such a lovely invitation? Of course, I would love to attend the dance with you. Thank you for asking." Alex felt silly having a girlish infatuation with this man, but he seemed really nice and he sure was handsome. Not only that, but Kyle’s law enforcement career might guarantee she continue living a 'normal' life. She worried a bit about going back to where she had fought with Brad and set his van on fire. However, the Park Ranger had said he hadn't heard anything more about the investigation, and surely the police would have to let him know if they were concerned about a killer being on the loose.

  "Wonderful. I'll give you a call that Saturday morning." Kyle was more confused than ever. He would run that credit card number again, but he suspected it hadn't been used since the last time she was in the area.

  ----------

  Monica was unable to take the time to go to Lake Monroe with her family. That was okay with her, though, because having the house to herself meant she could invite Mark over and cook dinner for him. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, she recalled the old adage.

  After Amy's graduation, which involved a small ceremony in the school's gymnasium, she and her mother packed the Winnebago with clothes and food to last them a couple of weeks. They left Monica's Thursday morning. Alex wanted to avoid the worst of the traffic by being between major cities when rush hour hit. She gave Amy the job her mother used to have, looking at maps and charting their course. Amy did very well, and the miles passed quickly. They would pull over and fix food in the camper for breakfast and lunch, but Alex wanted her daughter to experience a little bit of the local culture so they would take a break at a small-town restaurant for dinner. They stopped outside of St. Joseph, Missouri, Thursday night. Amy spotted a tiny restaurant offering "Chicken and Waffles". The food was worthy of a feature on the Cooking Channel, while the decor was quaint and the people friendly. The price wasn't bad, either, with dinner for both of them well under twenty dollars.

  Later that evening, they stopped at a campground
in Nebraska. Alex didn't mind pulling over onto the side of the road when she was by herself, but she liked having other campers around since her daughter was traveling with her. They were already missing rush hour traffic by staying in the middle of nowhere, as Amy put it, so they slept in a little later. They headed out after a breakfast of oatmeal, orange juice and a yogurt chaser for protein.

  Alex took this time alone with Amy to talk about her plans for high school and college. Amy was young enough that she might still change her mind, but she was leaning toward becoming an engineer or scientist. She liked numbers. Math was easier for her than it was for her friends. She also enjoyed working with defined rules and methodologies.

  "Don't you want to work more closely with people? I always thought you might want to be a doctor or teacher. You make friends so easily. Are you sure you would want to go into a field that might have you working alone a lot?" Alex knew her daughter was like she was at that age. The young Alex had many friends and enjoyed having people around. But here Alex was years later, freelancing and living a solo life except for Amy and Monica. And maybe Kyle, too.

  "I don't know, Mom. I really don't want to spend all those years in school to become a doctor, and then there's your residency on top of that. And teaching just doesn't appeal to me at all. I don't have the patience for people who don't put in the effort to learn, and as a teacher you sometimes get stuck with students whose parents don't care. If the parents don't care, why should the kid? That's sort of what happened with those guys that knocked me down."

  "What do you mean?" Alex recalled the incident from weeks prior, but had not asked Amy about those boys since. Alex was afraid she wouldn't be able to contain her rage, and would confront the boys or their parents, neither of which Amy wanted.

  "Well, after I started taking those self-defense classes, I decided that I didn't need to be afraid of those boys anymore. I started to say hi to them in the hallway and whenever we had a class together. Two of them, Joey and Kip, started talking to me, too. They said that they were only going to school because of the law. Their parents aren't like you and Monica. They don't care if their kids drop out. They don't even care if their kids move up a grade each year, either."

  "That's awful," Alex commiserated. "Maybe you'll be a good influence on them."

  Amy watched drizzle accumulate on the windshield before Alex turned on the wipers. "I hope so. I try to talk to them about how they will have so many more options if they can catch up with the rest of us. They've never gotten any encouragement. I don't know what their parents do, but I'm betting it doesn't pay well." Amy paused. "Thank you, by the way, for not being like their parents. I know it has to be hard on you being a single mom."

  "Oh, it hasn't been hard on me! You've been a blessing and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I have been lucky in that we've got Monica we can count on." Alex wished her sister had been able to join them. "Our lives could have been very different if she hadn't been around to help out. We'll have to remember to call her tonight and tell her how much we appreciate her."

  Amy laughed. "I don't think that's a good idea, Mom. She's out with Mark again, I'm sure. It's Friday, isn't it?"

  ----------

  They continued on through Nebraska and Wyoming, finding a campground just before they hit Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex was enjoying this trip more than she thought she would, but she was beginning to feel just a little uneasy about going back to Lake Monroe so soon. She put her fears aside, however, feeling there was little risk if the police hadn't figured out it wasn't an accident. Even Kyle hadn't mentioned it. No, Alex felt relatively safe and was looking forward to dancing with that fine-looking Sheriff's Deputy.

  They woke up early on Saturday and drove the last few hours in anticipation of the fun that awaited them.

  At 10:00 o'clock sharp, the easy silence in the Winnebago was broken by strains of "You're the One That I Want" from the musical Grease. Alex's cheeks turned bright red as Amy looked at her mother. "New ringtone? Now who do you know that would get that ringtone?"

  "Just a minute," Alex said, as she quickly grabbed her cell phone from its spot on the console. She answered, "Hello?"

  "Hi, Alex, it's Kyle," he responded. "I told you I would call this morning. How was your drive? I didn't wake you, did I?"

  "No, we're still on the road. We should be there within a half hour or so, though. And it will take us a little while to get settled."

  "Well, I won't keep you. I just wanted to tell you that the dance starts at 8:00 and should be over by 10:00 or so. It's open to everyone, so you can bring your daughter along. Maybe she'll meet some of the other kids and have some fun."

  "That sounds fine. I'll give you a call once we're settled and I know exactly where our spot will be. We'll probably wander around the park for a little while this afternoon so Amy can learn the layout in case she wants to walk by the lake or something on her own. I know she can take care of herself, but I don’t want her getting lost." Alex wanted to drag out the conversation as long as she could so she could avoid the questions she knew Amy would be asking.

  "You don't need to call. I'll just ask the Park Ranger once I get there. It's not that big of a park, anyway."

  "Oh, okay. We'll be ready by 8:00 then. Good-bye." Alex stared at the road as she hung up her cell and put it back on the console. Amy didn't say a word.

  Alex tolerated the silence as long as she could. "Okay! I met this guy, Kyle, the last time I was here and we seem to like each other. He's invited us to a dance tonight, that's all."

  "Did I ask?" Amy looked at her mother knowingly. She was well aware that her mother would cave if given the silent treatment.

  "No, you didn't, but I knew you were asking telepathically," Alex responded.

  "Hey, if he's 'the one that you want', go for it. I just wish you hadn't told me this trip was for me when it’s really for you, though." Amy thrust her nose in the air and looked away from her mother in mock resentment.

  "This is for you, but who said I couldn't get a little enjoyment out of it, too? Besides, I need to talk with him for work."

  "Sure you do, Mom. I believe you. You just keep telling yourself that."

  Nothing else was said until they pulled into the park.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Alex had changed into a pastel blue sleeveless A-line dress with a large floral print for the dance. She chose an open-toed white pump with a low heel since they would be walking outdoors. Alex pulled her strawberry blond hair away from her face with a white headband, and tamed the curls into waves.

  Amy commented on how nice her mother looked. "Wow, Mom! You look so young and feminine; you could still be in college!" Amy was accustomed to seeing her mother in jeans or slacks. Alex seldom had reason to wear a dress. When she did, it was usually a professional-looking suit in solid colors or with small prints.

  "Thank you, Honey! I can't believe I'm actually nervous. It has been a very long time since I've been on anything resembling a date. Come to think of it, the last person I dated was your father." Alex thought about how that must sound to Amy. "You don't resent me going out with someone, do you? I wouldn't expect anyone to take your father's place in your life."

  "Mom, Dad doesn't really have a place in my life. He died when I was so young, I barely remember him." Amy cocked her head as she looked at her mother. "No, you deserve to have someone in your life just like Monica does. Besides, it won't be too long before I'm off to college and you'll need someone else to take care of."

  "Well, that remains to be seen. I've barely spoken to the man."

  Amy grinned. "Well, that may very well be true, but you sure made an impression on him. And you will again tonight in that dress."

  Alex checked herself out in the mirror. The image of her standing there covered in Brad's blood flashed across her mind, but she blinked and it was gone. Amy had changed into a teal blue sweater over white jeans, and wore a pair of strappy white sandals, pulling her blond hair back into her customary ponytail.r />
  A firm knock at the door alerted Alex and Amy to Kyle's arrival. Alex opened the door and had to smile when Kyle's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped just a second. "Alex! It is so good to see you again!"

  "Hi, Kyle. I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Amy." Alex introduced Officer Buckley to Amy, and Kyle offered his hand.

  "Your mother is teasing you. I am a Sheriff's Deputy, but call me Kyle. I'm strictly off-duty tonight."

  Kyle suggested they start walking toward the pavilion, and stepped out of the Winnebago first so that he could help the ladies down the steps. While his back was turned, Amy took the opportunity to give her mother a quick nod of understanding. Kyle had shown up in a blue athletic-cut long-sleeve shirt tucked expertly into black slacks. His dress shoes had been freshly polished. He didn't wear a tie, and left only the top button of his shirt open. Amy wasn't blind; she saw why Kyle had caught her mother's eye.

  ----------

  The Park Ranger, was right. Lake Monroe was much nicer in June. It was cold at night when she was here before. She was lucky she hadn't frozen to death when she fought with Brad and was knocked out. Now, however, it was still cool in the evening but that provided the perfect excuse for a man to wrap his arm around the shoulders of his date.

  This was exactly what Kyle did when he walked Alex to the pavilion. Rather than tense up, Alex found the warmth of his arm reassuring. It had been a very long time since any man had shown interest in Alex as a person. The men Alex was used to dealing with were all interested in only one thing, and Alex fought back to the death.

  As they neared the festivities, they were surprised by the quality and variety of the music. The group playing may have been a local garage band, but they were really good and had quite a repertoire. The band was also savvy enough to start out with a selection of lively music designed to get the crowd warmed up and singing along. They included "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, "I Love Rock 'n Roll" by Joan Jett, and "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond, among others. Even Amy knew some of the songs. A couple of the kids waved her over to join them across the dance floor, and Amy took her leave.