by Toni Leland
Several large snowflakes hit the windshield and stuck. Kim turned on the wipers, thinking again about the news report of the fire. What kind of person would purposely endanger those horses? Obviously, someone who was willing to endanger his or her own horses to serve a wicked purpose. Kim glowered out the windshield. The fire would bring the law into Natalie’s life – Kim would make sure of that.
Chapter 33
Quaid wound through the maze of apartment buildings, past dumpsters and a playground, finally locating the complex for Damon DeMarco’s last address. The buildings weren’t exactly shabby, but they weren’t upscale either. A quick refuge until the dust settled?
He located the correct unit and rang the bell. The wind cut through his light jacket and he stuck his hands into his pockets. A couple of minutes passed and he knocked loudly. Maybe they weren’t home – surely one of them had gainful employment. He stepped back, then the door opened a crack, enough to reveal a pair of bright blue eyes above the chain latch.
“Mrs. Knight?”
The eyes narrowed. “Who wants to know?”
Quaid held up his ID. “I’m with the insurance agency that’s investigating the fire at the theater.”
The door closed, the chain rattled, and the door opened. The petite woman stepped aside and gestured to Quaid.
“Come in. Boy, you guys got on that fast.”
Quaid took several steps into the living room, then turned and gave her his best apologetic look.
“Actually, that’s not why I’m here. I’ve been working on a case for Natalie Danseur.”
Susan’s pale skin darkened with a flush. “Does she never give up? She has more money than God, and everything she wants, but heaven help Damon and me if we just want a little happiness.” She ran a hand through her pixie-cut hair. “Damon told me about her horses being sick, but we don’t know anything about that.”
“I had hoped to talk to both of you.”
“He should be home shortly, if you want to wait.”
“Okay, I can do that.” Quaid smiled, trying to put her at ease. “You’re an owner at the horse theater, right?”
“Not for much longer. My husband is trying to put together a deal to buy out my investment.” Her expression became pensive. “I’m torn about that. I spent my life building that company, struggled through some really hard times with it. But not being there on a day-to-day basis, hands on and involved, I don’t know why I’d want to keep the connection.” She smiled thinly. “For sure, Mark doesn’t want me anywhere around.”
A key rattled in the door and she glanced in that direction. “Excuse me a minute.”
The man who stepped through the door confirmed in Quaid’s mind the identity of the man who appeared on the security footage. Quaid composed his mental set of questions. If the guy hadn’t seen Natalie in over six months, as he had told Kovak, then why did he appear on that tape?
Susan embraced him, murmured something, and then stepped away as Damon came forward.
He looked puzzled. “What’s this about?”
Quaid released a long breath. “It’s complicated, but mainly I’m here because I think you or Susan might be in danger.”
He outlined the central details of the investigation, and the most recent assessment of Natalie’s role in the situation.
DeMarco spoke first. “You’re telling me that you think Natalie purposely made her own horses sick, just to get back at Susan?”
“Yes, under the guise of pointing a finger at Knight’s Horse Theater.”
“But that seems so...Gee, I don’t know – insane?”
“You know her better than I, so you tell me. Has she ever had emotional problems?”
DeMarco laughed derisively. “More like, has she never had them? She’s a therapist’s dream.”
Susan muttered, “Lunatic is more like it.”
DeMarco reached over and patted her hand. “Natalie never fully recovered from the loss of her dancing career. I was able to help bring her physical ability back to about eighty-five percent, but not enough to put her back on her toes.” He shook his head. “I was in love with her, but maybe I was really only channeling her despair. At any rate, I married her.”
He glanced at Susan, as though gauging her reaction to the conversation. Quaid watched her jaw tighten and anger glint through those blue eyes.
DeMarco continued. “I soon knew that it was a mistake, but felt trapped. I couldn’t just abandon her in such a delicate mental state. Then she got the job at Knight’s and things seemed to improve. We started getting along better.”
DeMarco’s speech sounded contrived, but he was in an awkward situation with Susan sitting right there beside him.
Quaid licked his lips. “When did you and Susan, ah...get together?”
Susan answered. “After Mark and I hired Sophia Barevsky, Natalie went nuts. Talk about ego. One afternoon, she had a complete meltdown and I had to call Damon to come and get her.” A tiny flush of pink colored Susan’s pale skin and she threw an adoring glance at her lover. “That call was the beginning of something wonderful.”
Other than DeMarco’s hesitance about his history with Natalie, Quaid thought the conversation seemed reasonable, but some loose ends still need tying up. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the photo from the video.
Handing it to DeMarco, he asked, “Can you tell me why you were at Natalie’s barn five weeks ago?”
DeMarco stared at the picture, clearly caught off guard. “I went there to see if we could discuss a divorce. She wasn’t returning my phone calls and I wanted to get on with my life.”
“What happened?”
“She wasn’t there. A barn helper said she’d gone somewhere to look at some horses for sale. I never did talk to her.”
Quaid sat back and crossed his arms. “So you were going to divorce her, even though she was pregnant?”
The room became deathly quiet. Pure astonishment flashed across Damon’s face. The last card in play had obviously been a sleeper.
Chapter 34
Kim couldn’t resist taking a detour that would give her a view of Knight’s. She hadn’t heard anything about the extent of the fire damage or other details, but having such a strong connection to the place now, she wanted to reassure herself that it wasn’t a total loss. As she turned the corner, a knot grew in her stomach. Even a small fire could put Mark Knight out of business for quite awhile.
The first thing she saw was the corner pasture. All the horses milled about in the dancing snow, their beautifully groomed coats bared to the cold wind, unprotected by their usual blankets. Kim shook her head, envisioning the chaos of trying to move them all out of danger’s way. She pulled around the corner and parked, staring at the theater building, now surrounded by crime tape, standing water, and several fire trucks still on the scene. Firemen in neon yellow slickers and safety helmets worked around the front of the building and, on closer inspection, Kim saw the charred brickwork along the top edge of the entrance. Was that where the fire started? Of course! Damage the public portion of the theater so that the shows would have to be canceled. She frowned. With the age of that building, it was a miracle that the whole thing hadn’t been destroyed.
A familiar figure stood talking to a police officer in the middle of the street. Mark Knight’s gray hair ruffled in the wind and his shoulders hunched against the cold. Kim chewed the inside of her lip. Should she take advantage of his vulnerability right now? Ask some direct questions about Natalie? Maybe his immediate distraction with his own problems might loosen his tongue. She climbed out of the car and headed that way. If nothing else, she could plant the seed of Natalie’s possible involvement in the blaze.
Kim stepped up beside him as the police officer returned to the patrol car.
“Mr. Knight?”
He turned, then scowled, but not before Kim saw the despair etched across his face. He didn’t speak, just stared at her.
She averted her eyes apologetically. “I was so sorry t
o hear about the fire. I wanted–”
“More sordid details?” He spat the words out, a sneer defiling his rugged good looks. “You reporters make me sick.”
“I’m not a reporter, I’m an insurance investigator. And I’m not here for any reason other than I feel bad about your misfortune.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “I might even have an idea who started the fire.”
His eyes widened. “Arson? Why would you think that?”
A sharp gust of wind cut through Kim’s jacket and she shuddered. “Could we talk in the car? I’m sure you’re as cold as I am.”
He let out a long sigh. “Okay, whatever. At this point, I’m just disgusted.”
The car was still warm and the heater quickly boosted the temperature to a comfortable level.
Knight crossed his arms over his chest. “Okay, tell me what you think you know.”
Kim ran a finger around the perimeter of the steering wheel. “First, I want to ask you something about Natalie Danseur. Did–”
“Enough! For Pete’s sake, I told you everything I know about her and her lunacy.”
“Did you know she was pregnant when she worked for you?”
Knight blinked. “She was?” Then recognition relaxed his features as he seemed to talk to himself. “Huh...so that’s what they were talking about.”
“What who was talking about?”
“Sophia and one of the other female performers were teasing Natalie about getting fat. I heard a comment about needing new costumes to accommodate the weight.” A hard look replaced the amusement in his eyes. “So has she had it yet?”
Kim thought for a moment. How best to impart her information? A little bit at a time.
“Unless she had a very premature delivery, I don’t think there is a baby.”
“How would you know?”
“I saw her a day or two ago and she’s thin as a rail. I can count, Mr. Knight. If she were pregnant when she worked for you, she’d be just about ready to pop right now. She’s a troubled young woman, with many imagined or real reasons for vengeance. Which brings me to the other reason I came here today.” Kim took a deep breath. “We think Natalie could have set your fire. And she might be going after your wife.”
Knight straightened up abruptly. “I have to warn Susan.”
“My partner is over there right now, so we’ve got that covered. But you should consider that Natalie could be out for blood and won’t stop until someone stops her.”
“How did you figure all this out?”
“I’m a retired police officer. The sordid side of life just seems to bubble up into my own. I can’t ignore it.”
Knight opened the car door, then nodded curtly. “Thank you for the heads up, whatever the reason.”
“You’re welcome. And good luck with everything.”
He strode across the sidewalk toward the idling police car, and Kim pulled away from the curb, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel.
Next stop, Dream Horse Ballet.
Heavy gusts of wind blew swirling snow across the streets and Kim noticed that now the white stuff was sticking to everything.
“Oh, swell, just what I need. A Great Lakes snowstorm.”
She turned on the radio and pushed the scan button. A local station confirmed her fear – what had originally been predicted as a few flurries had escalated into a large storm. A low-pressure area had formed in Canada and a new system was moving quickly into the area, promising significant amounts of snow.
She backed off the accelerator as she watched a car slide sideways through an intersection. Having lived in Ohio all her life, she was no stranger to winter driving, but surprise storms could be deadly. She eased up to the stoplight, then waited a minute after it turned green to be sure that everyone else had stopped. She was only a couple of blocks from Natalie’s building, so it made no sense to abandon the plan.
Her phone rang and she frowned at the flashing battery light.
Dixie’s husky voice warmed Kim’s heart.
“Boy, I hope you’re on the way home. I just saw the Chicago weather report.”
“Unfortunately, I’m still here and it’s starting to get nasty. By the time I get back to the hotel and pack, I think it will be too late to take off. I’m going to have to wait this one out.”
“Just be really careful, okay?”
“Yes, Mother. And how are you? Is the training session going well?”
A sultry tone colored Dixie’s reply. “Oh, you have no idea!”
“And you’re going to explain, right?”
“Mmm, maybe after you get home.”
“Dixie! You have to tell me now. I hate suspense.”
“Well, let’s just say I’ve met someone.”
“That’s wonderful! Who?”
“I’ll fill you in later.” A devilish chuckle followed. “That way, I know you’ll come home as soon as you possibly can.”
“You’re a brat, but I love you anyway.”
“Me too. Take care and let me know when you’re headed back.”
Kim disconnected, then plugged the phone into the mobile charger.
Finally. Dixie sounded like...well, like a woman in love.
Chapter 35
Kim eased her car around the corner and pulled up behind a green commercial van parked near the delivery dock of Natalie’s building. “Lakeside Cleaning & Maintenance” in large white letters spanned the rear doors of the vehicle. Kim stepped out of the car, glancing up and down the deserted street. No black Lexus. The wind whipped her hair into her face and she reached for the car door handle again. No point in spending any more time here. She’d better get on the road to the hotel before driving became impossible. With one more glance at the building, she put one foot inside the car, then stopped. The cleaning people had left the service door ajar. Kim’s snoop alert kicked in and she headed toward the building.
The door swung open soundlessly and Kim moved into the dim interior of the building, then stopped to listen. She could hear no signs of activity, but the crew was probably upstairs in the main part of the theater. Her eyes adjusted to the low light and she moved farther inside, instinctively patting her hip to check on the gun that was not there. A familiar flash of irritation prickled her neck hairs. If she had any serious thoughts about doing this type of work for a living, she’d darn well better get her weapon skills back up to speed.
The stall and grooming area looked the same as the first day she’d visited. The only thing missing was the distinctive smell of horses and hay. She walked toward the bank of stalls, then peered inside each one. Clean bedding covered the floor, but appeared undisturbed. Horses hadn’t inhabited these stalls any time recently. Water buckets were empty, feed tubs were turned upside down, and the area had an eerie feeling of abandonment. Had Natalie given up her dream, now focusing on revenge for the perceived wrongs that had befallen her? When a person was hurting deeply, justification was easy to find for malicious thoughts. Quite another thing to act them out. Kim stopped and listened carefully again, the silence making her more than a little nervous. Then she felt a little foolish – the cleaning people would have no beef with her.
Moving quickly across the stalling area, she let herself into the section of the building that contained the suspension ramp. Her gaze traveled the length of the ingenious structure, and an image of Natalie and Charles Lane came to mind. Crummy timing for a love affair. Why, exactly, had Natalie told him she was pregnant? Kim could think of no explanation for it, other than Natalie’s possible desire to end the relationship.
As Kim moved toward the base of the ramp, she glanced behind her. Parked in the shadows, easy to miss – Natalie’s Lexus. A jolt surged through Kim’s stomach and she again reached for her weapon. Trespassing on a lunatic’s property wasn’t the smartest thing she’d done lately, but she needed to decide whether she’d confront Natalie, or beat it out of there and let the police take over. Surely, by now, Mark Knight had informed the authorities of Natalie’s
possible involvement in the fire.
As Kim stood there, rooted in indecision, the car door swung open and Natalie stepped out.
Quaid sat in his truck, staring at the apartment building through the flying snow. He’d dropped a real bomb on those two, changing the course of their relationship forever. Would Susan ever be able to accept that her lover might never become her husband? Quaid had been instantly aware of a change in DeMarco’s demeanor with the news of the pregnancy. No matter what he said for appearances’ sake, he clearly still loved his wife, regardless of the hot sex with Susan that had led to the marriage breakup. Quaid focused on a single large snowflake that lodged on the windshield wipers. Would a baby change the outcome of DeMarco’s current situation? Was there a baby? Kovak seemed to think not, but Quaid didn’t believe women just made stuff up to suit their situations – unless they were off balance. DeMarco seemed to think Natalie was all of that. Maybe the key here was finding out the details of the alleged pregnancy, or lack of same.
Quaid hit speed dial for Kovak and immediately got her voice mail. He left a message, and then headed for Natalie’s theater. Maybe he and Kovak could get some answers from Danseur herself.
One thing that bothered him about the case was the fact that they had not questioned several people in the realm of Natalie’s life and work. Neither he nor Kovak had contacted the performers that would have been the mainstay of Natalie’s theater production. How many were there? Where were they and why hadn’t he tracked them down? Though they might not be players in the deception, one of them might have information that would help Quaid understand Natalie’s actions. And there was the half-brother, Bobby Sanchez – another loose end. Quaid didn’t like them, even if they seemed unimportant. Sanchez supposedly lived in San Diego. Was he really there? Or had he migrated east to visit mayhem on his half-sister who’d won all the prizes of their grandfather’s life?
