Dying Scream

by Burton, Mary

“Oh, well then, just forget about it.”

  Adrianna didn’t move. “I’d like to know. Did Craig get into a fight or cause a problem?”

  “No, it wasn’t Craig exactly. It was that woman who snuck in through the kitchen entrance and tried to get into the reception.”

  “What woman?” She thought about Rhonda Minor and her affair with Craig.

  “I don’t remember. But she looked very upset. She wore jeans and an old T-shirt. She was insistent on talking to you and your husband. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. We ended up having to call the police.”

  She’d been completely unaware of the drama. “She was arrested?”

  Cary’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, a guest from your reception intercepted her first. He escorted her off the property.”

  “I had no idea about any of this.”

  Cary shook her head. “She kept saying, If she only knew…If she only knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  “She never did say.”

  “Was her name Rhonda?”

  Cary thought for a minute and smiled. “I don’t remember her name.”

  “Dark hair. Petite. Pretty.”

  “Yes. How did you know?”

  “Just a guess.”

  Reese stared into his Scotch as he swirled the amber liquid in the crystal glass. “So why do you want this meeting?”

  Janet sipped her Chardonnay. “We have a problem.”

  He sighed, weary of yet another Thornton-related problem. “Don’t tell me. Something Craig did.”

  She arched a brow. “Isn’t it always?”

  “That was why the firm hired you. To take care of Craig and his little problems.”

  Janet tapped a manicured finger on the edge of the glass. “This one is not so little.”

  “Worse than the others?”

  “Yes.” Color rose in her face. “It involves that damn girl.”

  “Rhonda Minor.” The name sounded like an expletive.

  “That little bitch was far more trouble than any of us ever anticipated.”

  A silver pin on her red suit caught the light. “I hoped she’d been taken care of and forgotten.” He glanced at his drink. “What do you want from me?”

  “Do what you do so well. Make the problem go away.”

  Reese was silent for a moment. “You’re on your own this time, Janet. I bailed you out the last time.”

  “You can’t ditch me now.” She gripped her glass. “We’re both in this neck deep.”

  He shook his head. “There’s no paper trail connecting me to any of this. You and Craig screwed this up all on your own.”

  “I didn’t know what he was doing.”

  His gaze turned menacing. “It was your job to know.”

  Anxiety heightened the intensity of her eyes. “As far as I’m concerned we can lay the whole entire mess at Craig’s feet. The cops suspect him already. Maybe if I spoke to the media.”

  “No press, Janet. No more scandal.”

  “Then if I could talk to Adrianna, I could get her to—”

  His lips rose into a sneer. “I want you to leave Adrianna alone.”

  The protective tone in his voice made her smile. “Why, do you want Little Miss Sunshine for yourself?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  She laughed. “You do. You do want her.” She shrugged. “I don’t blame you. She’s a beautiful woman. I’ve seen the way men stare at her.”

  The idea that other men looked at Adrianna like that angered him. If it were up to him, no man would look at Adrianna like that ever again.

  Rex, the former owner of Doxies, had a new place called Buddy’s, a sports bar located in a strip mall about a mile from the airport.

  It was after three when the two detectives got out of their car and pushed through the front door of the bar. There was a large bar to the left and a couple of dozen round tables in the dimly lit room. A large-screen television mounted on the wall showed highlights from an old football game and a loudspeaker blared the audio. This early on a Monday night it wasn’t a surprise that the place was quiet.

  Gage walked up to the bar and showed his badge to the bartender, a thirtysomething woman with bleached white hair, nose ring, and a tight shirt that said Red Sox. “I’m looking for Rex.”

  “Rex doesn’t come in on Monday nights.” She popped her gum.

  “Where can I find him?” Gage’s irritation shone through in his tone.

  The woman didn’t look intimidated as she filled a beer mug from the tap. “I don’t know. I’m not his mom. At his home, I guess. What’s this about?”

  “What’s your name?” Gage said.

  “Peggy.”

  “Peggy, I want to talk to him about a dancer that worked at Doxies about four years ago.”

  She stopped snapping her gum. “Why?”

  Normally, he didn’t explain himself but he had the sense if he did now, he might get more information. “I’m trying to ID a Jane Doe at the morgue.”

  She handed the beer to a man at the end of the bar. “I worked at Doxies about that time. I was a bartender and a dancer once in a while.”

  Gage reached in his breast pocket and pulled out a picture of Craig Thornton. “Ever see this guy?”

  She took the picture and studied it. “Yeah. He was in a lot during one summer a few years ago. Big tipper.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. Whatever name he gave, I don’t think it was his real name. Saw his picture in the paper once. Different name, but I don’t recall.” She lifted a brow. “Most men who went to Doxies didn’t use their real names.”

  “Did he have a favorite dancer?”

  “Yeah,” she said. “Sapphire.”

  “That her real name?”

  Frowning, she seemed to search her memory. “Kelly Jo?”

  “Kelly Jo got a last name?”

  “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you.”

  He shoved out a sigh. A first name was something to run through missing persons. “Tell me about them.”

  “The guy was like obsessed with Sapphire. See, the way it worked, the girls would parade out on-stage several times a night. They were decked to the nines. And the guys would choose which ones they wanted to come to their table for a private dance. This guy always chose her. He would sit and watch her for hours.”

  “What did she look like?”

  “Tall, thin, blond.”

  “How’d she feel about his attentions?” Gage said.

  “Oh, she loved it. Said he was real nice and had given her lots of jewelry. Said he promised that he’d take her away from all this.” The bartender rolled her eyes. “She was young and fell for his bullshit hook, line, and sinker.”

  “They dated outside of the club?” Gage said.

  She nodded. “Sure. That summer they were inseparable.”

  “And what happened after that?”

  “Sapphire’s guy stopped calling. She was real hurt by it. That’s life in this kind of business. Nothing lasts forever.”

  “Did Sapphire quit?” Vega said.

  “Sure did. Gave her two weeks’ notice and said she was moving on.”

  “No unexpected vanishing act?” Vega said.

  “No. Fact, I remember her leaving because most dancers don’t bother to give notice. They just take off. She worked her two weeks. Figured she needed the money for the kid.”

  “Kid?”

  “Had a five-year-old boy.”

  Kelly Jo had a child just like their Jane Doe. Gage pulled out a business card. “Know anything about Kelly Jo’s upbringing?”

  “Most girls who strip don’t come from money.”

  “If you think of anything else, call me. And tell Rex to call me. I want Kelly Jo’s last name.”

  They left the bar and got into Gage’s car. “We need to check those missing persons files for a Kelly Jo as soon as we get back to the office.”

  Vega rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I read them all, but the name doesn’t ring a be
ll.”

  “Could have been a nickname.”

  Vega nodded. “So you think rich boy was doing the stripper?”

  Gage shook his head as he pulled onto the road and into traffic. “Looks like it.”

  Vega stretched out his legs and folded his arms over his chest. “I tell you what, Adrianna is a fine, fine-looking woman. I’d think twice before cheating on her.”

  “You said she was like ice.”

  Vega grinned. “Heating her up wouldn’t be a problem for me.”

  Irritation burned Gage. “She’s out of your league.”

  Sensing he’d hit a nerve, he grinned. “My friend, she is out of both of our leagues.”

  That rankled Gage. “Let’s see if Kelly Jo is our Jane Doe. Then we’ll take it from there.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Tuesday, October 3, 5:00 a.m.

  Gage had always risen early. Even on his days off he couldn’t sleep late. It all went back to the days when he was a kid and his dad would wake him as he left for the coal mine. He expected Gage, rain or shine, to run six miles. Conditioning, boy, conditioning. You’re not the most talented football player, so you’re gonna have to work harder.

  There’d been a lot of days between then and now when he could have slept in, but somehow he couldn’t shake the notion that if he did, he’d lose out. On what, he didn’t know.

  Besides, he’d dreamed of Adrianna last night. It had been the last time they’d made love.

  They’d not seen each other in a week—his work had kept him away. He had felt things were off between them but he’d been too busy to find out what was happening.

  Adrianna showed up at his house late on a Thursday night. She was coming from a client meeting and took the chance he’d be home. He barely registered her words. All he could think about was being inside her.

  Adrianna wore a sleek green wrap dress that hugged her narrow waist and accentuated her tanned breasts. The instant he saw her, he got hard as a pike. He pulled her inside, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. He kicked the front door closed, savoring her soft skin and the way her scent swirled around him.

  They didn’t make it as far as the bedroom before he unwrapped her dress. A black silky lace bra and matching thong made his mouth water.

  He lowered her to the couch, struggling to pull his own pants off. He shoved inside her seconds later. She’d wrapped high-heeled feet around his waist and taken all of him. They’d come in a matter of minutes.

  If he’d only known it would be the last time they’d make love. If only…

  “Damn it.”

  Gage shoved aside the memory, dragging a shaking hand through his hair. He’d showered and dressed in black slacks and a white shirt, a red tie hung loosely around his neck. He was just pouring his second cup of coffee, irritated that there’d been no match in the missing persons files. Kelly Jo was a nickname and until they got a last name from the bar owner, he was dead in the water.

  As Gage sipped his coffee, his phone rang. He glanced at caller ID and then shoved out a breath. He picked up the phone. “Dad.”

  “I knew you’d be up. You’re like your old man. Can’t sleep.” His voice was made gruff by years of cigarette smoke.

  “Mom okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah. She’s still sleeping.”

  His father had retired from the coal mines a couple of years ago but still rose at four. These days, though, he napped around two. “What’s up?”

  “I was watching the ESPN highlights last night and they were doing a recap of the past twenty Sugar Bowls. They showed the game you played in.”

  “That so.” When he’d first torn his shoulder, he’d watched the old game films to keep himself motivated and focused. However, he’d found second-guessing old decisions put him in a foul mood and reliving dumb-ass plays painful.

  “That was your best game ever. You were at the top. Never understood why you gave it all up.”

  His father knew. He’d told him enough times. But the old man never listened. “I’d like to think I am at the top of my game now.” His dad had been a celebrity at work when Gage had been playing ball. Gage’s fall from grace had landed his dad back amongst the ranks of the ordinary.

  His dad ignored the comment. “Fourth quarter, you’re down by three and you throw a fifty-five-yard pass to your receiver. It was a sweet moment. Still makes my palms sweat.”

  Gage sipped his coffee and found it tasted bitter now. “Dad, I’m just about to leave for the office.”

  “This early?”

  “Working a case.”

  “Right.” His dad never asked Gage about his cases. His father had never held the police in high regard.

  “Have you called Jessie lately?”

  “Your mom talked to her a couple of days ago.” He rarely talked to Jessie. He’d kept a distance since the days she’d gone missing.

  “She’s doing real well in school.”

  “So your mother tells me.” The sound of a beer tab opening popped through the phone. “Before I let you go, I saw someone you knew yesterday.”

  They lived in a small town. Everyone knew everyone. “That so? Who?”

  A cough rattled in his dad’s throat. “Susan.”

  “Ah.” His ex-wife. They’d not spoken in a decade. Gage’s dad had hated seeing them split almost as much as he’d hated seeing Gage leave the pros.

  “She was asking about you.”

  Gage sipped his coffee.

  “She got married again. Has a couple of kids.”

  He didn’t miss Susan or mourn the loss of their marriage. But mention of kids reminded him of that moment in the hospital when he’d seen Adrianna standing next to the nursery. The nurses had told him about her miscarriage. And it had been an unexpected kick in the gut. He remembered when they’d talked about having children. “Good for her.”

  Gage’s old man puffed on a cigarette. “Don’t you want to know how she looks?”

  “No.”

  “She looks great. A stunner like always. I told her you were doing well. She said that was real nice.”

  “Did she?” He bet that must have made her laugh. She’d hated the idea of him being a cop. “I’ve got to get going, Dad.”

  “Yeah, yeah, sure. Your mom wants to know when you, the boys, and Jessie are coming home.”

  He set his mug on the counter. Going home meant reliving football days and his marriage to Susan. “Why don’t you two come this way, visit us?”

  “Ah, you know me. I’m no good with travel.”

  There was a heavy silence. He loved his old man and knew the guy loved him but they’d never said the words. It was his mom that always conveyed feelings. You know your father loves you. “Think about coming east, Pop.”

  “I will.”

  He wouldn’t. “Okay. Got to go.”

  “Bye, son.”

  Gage hung up the phone and restlessness churned inside him as he moved to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. He adjusted his tie under his collar and with sharp, quick moves began to tie his tie. He’d not thought about Susan and their life for a long, long time. Hell, he knew he didn’t love her.

  So why did he feel a sense of loss?

  Gage’s thoughts turned to Adrianna. If he were honest he’d admit how much he wanted to thaw the ice and hold the woman who’d once been so warm and willing in his arms.

  A sickening realization hit him. Gage still wanted her in his life. Even after she’d torn out his heart and handed it to him.

  Shit.

  Who was he kidding? He’d never stopped loving her.

  At her office, Adrianna glanced down at her to-do list wishing it were half as short. Refusing to wallow in might-have-beens, she checked her watch. Wells Moving was scheduled to deliver furniture from a mini warehouse to the home of one of her clients. The client’s home interior had been completely repainted and the hardwood floor refinished. The client would return from vacation in a week and the furniture needed to be reinstalled
.

  Before she could head out to the job site, she had to review and sign dozens of checks that Phyllis had prepared. Time. When was there going to be more of it?

  A knock on the front door of her shop had her irritation rising. Annoyance changed to shock when she saw Janet Guthrie standing there. Adrianna had not talked to the woman in almost a year. Janet rarely did anything without a reason and Adrianna wondered why she had come now.

  Adrianna crossed to the door, unlocked and opened it. “Janet.”

  Always stylish, Janet wore a pale peach pantsuit, a David Yurman gold and silver necklace, and her short dark hair in a French twist. She smiled warmly. “Adrianna.”

  Adrianna’s body stiffened at the touch. Janet could be friendly and open when Craig had been around but when they’d been alone the women could be cold and distant. “I’m in a huge rush. What can I do for you?”

  As if Adrianna hadn’t spoken, Janet moved into the shop. “I love your taste, Adrianna. I still can’t believe you’re selling.”

  “I can run Barrington Designs anywhere.”

  “But you’re doing so well here.”

  “I will do well somewhere else.”

  Janet nodded, approving. “I always told Craig he was lucky to have you.”

  “Why are you here? I have an appointment in fifteen minutes.”

  “I won’t take long. I just came to check on you.”

  “I’m fine.” Adrianna’s back stiffened. “Now you can go.”

  Janet didn’t budge. “Adrianna, I know you’ve been under so much stress.”

  She held on to the door. “Janet, not a good time.”

  Tension rippled through Janet’s body. Outside a car horn honked on the main street. Adrianna, realizing Janet wouldn’t leave until she said her piece, let the door close.

  Janet smiled. “I know the discovery of Rhonda’s body has to be upsetting. Probably raises a lot of hurt feelings.”

  “Ah, so there it is. The reason for the visit.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You want more dirt?” Bitterness dripped from each word.

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Come to tell me how long Craig and Rhonda had been sleeping together?”