He snatched it from the coffee table and glanced at the screen. “It’s Detective Morgan.” He answered the call on the third ring. “Boone Carter.”
“Mr. Carter, I told you I’d let you know if I had any news. There’s a couple of things going on here. I checked with DMV to see if I could get hold of any photos of Leland or Dixon. Neither had a driver’s license.”
Boone inhaled. “Fake names.”
“It appears so. And I had Gwen Marcey do a composite as part of the class she taught here on Friday. I faxed it up to the detective in charge of the Rogerson case. He remembered interviewing Faith’s fiancé and said it looked like it might be Justin Leyland. He couldn’t say for sure since composites aren’t exactly pictures, but he was certain enough to say he believes there’s a 90 percent likelihood that we’re dealing with the same killer.”
Goose bumps ran up Boone’s spine. “So Allyson was right. There’s a serial killer out there.”
“Well, a budding one anyway. A serial killer is defined as someone who kills at least three people with at least a month of cooling off between murders. These murders were a year apart.”
“What about Allyson? She makes number three.”
“True, though she was never engaged to the creep. Her killing was likely more out of fear.”
“But he drowned her,” Boone reminded the detective.
“And that’s reason enough to call in the FBI. Thanks for the tip on this. We might have a chance at stopping him now that we know he’s operating out there. I’ll have the Feds cross-check against the database for any other murders with a similar MO.”
“Thanks for calling, Detective. Please let me know if you hear anything else.”
“You got it.”
Boone tossed his phone onto the sofa and told Dana what the detective had learned. “So at least they have a rough description. With the FBI on the case too, we have a better chance of finding him.”
“Good news for sure. I say we get dressed and go have pizza to celebrate.”
He tugged the cap onto her head, then began to tuck in the curls. “You’d throw away all the hard work of getting that thing on for pizza?” Her hair was as soft as bunny fur, and he wanted to linger with his fingers in those springy curls.
“You’re right. That was about the hardest thing I’ve done. Besides, if I do this, I’ll have bragging rights to being the toughest one on the dispatcher team.”
He reluctantly dropped his hands back to his sides. “Stay in for ten minutes, and I’ll spring for squeaky cheese.”
“Now you’re talking my language.” She tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow, and they went toward the door.
Instead of heading to Rock Harbor, Boone had driven to Houghton to Pilgrim River Steakhouse, a place Dana had only heard about. The food had been amazing, and the moon glimmering on the treetops on the trip home had made it feel like a fairytale night. She didn’t want it to end.
Boone parked his truck beside her Prius in the parking lot and shut it off. “I’m almost too full to move.”
“Me too.” She touched her curls, which were still a bit damp. “I think my hair is nearly defrosted.”
His laughing scoff was soft. “Come on, you loved it. Admit it.”
“It was the longest ten minutes of my life, but worth every moment with a meal like that.” She shifted in her seat and released her seat belt. “But I will say my skin still tingles from the cold water. I’m sure it was good for my circulation.”
“I think you should do it several times a week. It’s good practice.”
“For falling overboard in the winter?” She could sit here for hours and just banter and talk with him. Had she ever been this relaxed with anyone? He made her feel she could let down her guard and totally be herself with him. That he liked everything about her and wouldn’t judge her. Her hair and clothes had never been perfect enough for Garret.
“You never know.” His seat belt clicked as he unbuckled it.
She didn’t want to get out of the truck. “Did the detective say what his next move was?”
“Just calling in the FBI. I’d like to do something myself, but I don’t know what it might be. The FBI will be taking it over, and I doubt they’ll be as tolerant of my pushing and questions as Morgan has been.”
“Have you heard anything from Mason on getting into Allyson’s files?”
“Not yet. He mentioned that the diver didn’t find anything under the ice though. And there wasn’t anything strange in her phone records.”
“Maybe you and I can monkey with the files a bit. We could give it a try after my martial arts lesson on Wednesday.”
“I don’t know how far we’ll get, but I’d like you to come over. I like having you around.” His voice went husky at the end.
She licked suddenly dry lips as he slid toward her on the bench seat. His arm went around her and gently tugged her closer to him. Closing her eyes, she inhaled his clean, masculine scent as she tipped her head under his chin. They sat like that in companionable silence for several long moments. Dana almost didn’t want to breathe in case it upset the contentment she felt.
His fingers found her chin and tipped it up just before his lips swooped down on hers. She curled the fingers of her right hand around the zipper of his jacket to drew him closer. Too soon he lifted his head, and she made a small mewl of protest and pulled him back for another kiss. He chuckled and tugged her onto his lap, then kissed her until she was breathless.
“We can’t stay in the truck and neck all night.” His words were a soft growl at her nape.
She ran her palm down the scars on his cheek and stared into his eyes. “Are you sure? I’m game if you are.”
“What am I going to do with you? You’re way too tempting to resist.”
“You could try falling in love with me,” she whispered. Her hand flew to her mouth. Did she say the words aloud? “I’m sorry, that was a stupid thing to say.” She tried to scramble from his lap, but he held her cradled in his arms while she died inside. How could she say something like that?
He pressed his lips against the side of her head. “I didn’t think I’d ever love anyone again, but you’re making me doubt the truth of that. I’m willing to see where this relationship goes if you are.”
Was he just saying that because she’d been so bold? Her eyes burned. “You don’t need to pity me.”
He stiffened. “Who said anything about pity? If anything, I’m the one who should wonder if your attention is because you’re sorry for me because no other woman would look at me.”
She managed to scoot off his lap. “You’re an idiot! Any woman would want you, but you think this scar,” she touched it, “disfigures you. It doesn’t at all. I think you’re incredibly handsome, but more than that, you’re good. You make me want to be better, to care more about other people, to make more of a difference.”
“You’re already doing that, honey.” The outrage went out of his voice. “Look, let’s start this over. You want to explore the relationship, yes or no?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Shew, you had me scared for a minute.” He cupped both her cheeks in his palms, then leaned forward for one more brief kiss. “We’re friends first as we figure out where this might lead. Okay?”
“Okay.” Her chest felt like it might burst with the spurt of joy and disbelief that filled it. “Bree won’t be surprised.”
“I know. She said something to me about it the other day and told me I’d better not hurt you.”
“What’d you say?”
“I told her it wasn’t me she had to worry about. That I was more afraid of you trampling on my heart.”
She put her palm against his chest and felt his heart pounding against it even through his coat. “I’d never do that.”
“We’ll see. I’m willing to risk it if you are.”
CHAPTER 24
The house, lavish and comfortable, felt like home, but Garret couldn’t quell his urge to pace
and look out the windows at the snow blowing across the lake. Everything in him wanted to jump in the truck and grab Dana on her way home from work tonight, but he had a quick business trip to take care of first.
He took out his cell phone and glanced at it. Even texting Dana would be a bad idea. She was liable to track his location. Nothing said he had to stay here though. He could get lunch in Houghton or maybe go up the Keweenaw Peninsula to Calumet where he could text her before he got on the plane.
He grabbed his coat and slung it on, then took his keys and went out through the garage where he’d parked his truck out of public view. The truck engine fired as soon as he turned the key, and he backed out, then hit the remote on the garage door opener. His tires crunched on the frozen snow as he drove slowly to the driveway exit. No other vehicle was in sight, so he quickly gunned his truck out onto the road before anyone noticed which drive he’d exited.
His cell phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. Chris’s picture showed. Should he answer it? Chris might be checking to see if he’d really left the area. Still the challenge of outsmarting his old buddy was enticing.
He slowed the truck and swiped the screen. “Hey, Chris, it’s been a while.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d talk to me.” The noise in the background made it sound like Chris was in a store or somewhere public.
“Hey, we’re still friends, regardless of what went down between me and Dana.” There was no way Chris would buy that. He’d been antagonistic with Garret ever since he’d caught Dana’s eye, and especially after she moved to Washington to be closer to him.
“Yeah, sure.”
Garret lifted a brow at the nonanswer. What was his deal, and why had he called? “You back in Rock Harbor now?”
“I will be this weekend. I’m about to board my plane. I thought we might get together if you’re still in town.”
Garret didn’t trust his former friend enough to even think about being honest. “Sorry, I’m back in Washington. When you headed that way? Maybe we could meet for a drink.”
Chris swore under his breath. “I didn’t think you’d give up so quickly.”
“Hey, Dana made it clear we were through. No sense in beating my head against a fence post. I know when I’m not wanted. Still, I have to say I’m surprised you called. Why would you even want to see me? You’ve made it pretty clear you didn’t want me dating your sis.”
“I was probably wrong about that. I want her to be happy.”
“And you think I’d make her happy?” Garret’s chest expanded. Finally, someone else who saw he and Dana were meant to be together.
“She’s sure not happy now.”
Was he talking about Scarface? “He’s an ugly dude for sure. But what can I do about it? She won’t even talk to me.”
“I’ll work on her a bit. Any chance you could come back to Rock Harbor if I can get through to her?”
“Well, sure, as long as you get the cops off my tail. Dana has them out for blood.”
“I think I can manage that. I’ll talk to her and have her call them off. It’s good to talk to you again. We used to be best friends, and I’ve missed that.”
“That was all you, Chris. I never pulled away.”
“I know, I know. I’m super protective of Dana, and I can’t help it. Listen, I have to go. Talk to you when I have things worked out on my end.”
“See you soon.” Garret ended the call and tossed the phone into the other seat as he accelerated the truck toward Houghton. There was more to the call than it appeared. Chris never did anything without a motive. He must really have something major against Carter. Scarface. He couldn’t stop the grin at the thought of that nickname.
Maybe he should have told Chris he was still in town. They might have hatched something together to get Dana to listen to reason. He picked up his phone and started to call Chris back, then shook his head and dropped it back in the passenger seat. Until he was sure of what was going on, it would be better to keep his whereabouts to himself. He didn’t trust Chris, not really. He’d been too moody when it came to Dana. For all Garret knew, Chris would turn him in to the sheriff.
Something was going on with Newell, but what? Chris had a hard side. Garret had seen it in Afghanistan. “Trust but verify,” according to the old Russian proverb Reagan used to quote. It was worth remembering when it came to Chris Newell.
Everything would be all right now that they were back on the island where it all began. Lauri dried and curled her hair, then went out on the balcony to wait for Peter to arrive. This had become her favorite spot on Kauai, right here on her own balcony watching the crabs fight for dominion on the lava rocks below. Wasn’t that just like life? You fought and scraped to stake out your own little piece of happiness, then had to fight off contenders.
Such a cynical turn of her thoughts when she was waiting on the man she loved. She twisted her engagement ring around on her finger. Staring into the depths of its sparkling facets, she felt her spirits lift. So they’d had a little rough patch since he’d been late in Seattle. It was no big deal. They’d weather this.
The doorbell rang, and she sprang to her feet. Her heart pattered as fast as her steps to the door. She flung it open and threw her arms around Peter’s neck. “I’m so glad to see you!”
His blue eyes were tired, and he looked his age. “That makes up for a long flight.” He gestured to his suitcase. “Let me drop my things off in my condo. I wanted to let you know I was here before you wigged out again.”
She pressed her lips together. “I’ll come with you. I grabbed you some groceries. I’ll bring them over.”
He blinked and the tension around his mouth eased. “How sweet of you.”
She went to the small kitchen and pulled out the bag of items she’d purchased from Big Save. He’d gone on to his apartment when she returned to the door. Was he still peeved with her? She didn’t get it. She grabbed the key to the door, pulled it shut behind her, and went across the street to his place. The door stood open so she entered and headed straight for the kitchen.
The place had the same closed-up smell hers had when she’d gotten there. She set down the bag and began to empty it into the fridge. He must be in the bedroom putting his things away.
“I got you eggs, bacon, milk, butter, bread, and some lunch meat,” she called. “Also some yogurt and soda. I figured we could grab anything else you wanted tomorrow. I have dinner in the oven. I thought you might be too tired to go out.”
When he finally appeared, he’d changed from his suit into shorts and an aloha shirt. The stress of the trip was gone as well, and his smile seemed real this time. He hadn’t lost any of his tan in the time they’d been apart.
He approached and slipped his arms around her. “Thanks for getting the groceries. The last thing I want to do tonight is go out. You thought of everything. I’m starving. What did you fix?”
“Lasagna and garlic bread.”
His eyes narrowed. “Garlic bread?”
Taking one look at the displeasure on his face reminded her of her gaffe. “Oh no! I forgot you’re allergic to garlic. I’m so sorry.”
His mouth flattened, and the sparkle in his eyes dimmed. He pulled away. “You trying to kill me, Lauri?”
“Of course not. I just forgot! Give me a few minutes to whip up something else.” Her mind scrambled for what she could fix that didn’t have garlic. “I could make some omelets. I’ve got a ton of veggies in my fridge. Or I could do toasted cheese and soup. I’ve got tomato soup. No, wait that might have garlic too. I’ll have to check the ingredients.” She told herself to stop babbling because it wasn’t helping. He seemed to draw more and more into herself the longer she went on.
She put her hands on her hips. “What would you like? I can even run to the store.”
He stared steadily back at her. “Fix whatever you like. I’ll just go out.”
“Y-You mean alone?”
“You clearly don’t really want to be with me.”
&
nbsp; She caught his arm. “That’s not true, Peter. We haven’t known each other long. You can’t expect me to know everything about you in such a short time.”
“I would have thought you’d pay attention to something that might kill me.”
“I was tired. Everyone loves lasagna, or so I thought.” She tugged at his hand. “Come on, honey. Let me fix you something else. I’ll dump the lasagna in the trash so the smell doesn’t bother you. Better yet, I’ll bring the food over here and fix it.” Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them back. Why did she always mess up the good things in her life? She should have remembered something so important.
His blue eyes examined her face and he finally nodded. “Don’t cry, Lauri.” He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on top of her head. “We’ll muddle through getting to know each other better. I’m expecting too much too soon. You’re very young. I’d thought that might make it easier, but that was a silly assumption on my part.”
Make it easier? What did that mean? Sometimes he confused her so much. Maybe it was the difference in their ages, the way they saw things. They’d learn each other’s ways and thoughts. It was a learning process for everyone.
“What sounds good for dinner?”
“The omelet idea would be great. Lots of veggies and bacon. Don’t throw the lasagna away. That’s wasteful. Give it to a neighbor or keep it for your lunches this week. You could even take it to work and let everyone else eat it.”
He was a good man, always thinking of other people. She nodded. “Let me get the food. I’ll be right back.”
She hurried back to her place but couldn’t quite squelch the feeling that something was very wrong.
CHAPTER 25
It was nearly bedtime, but Boone didn’t want to have another sleepless night so he made no move to head to bed. Last night he’d lain in bed and listened to the clock hum as he relived every moment of the evening with Dana. The old fear had risen up and mocked him like an unrelenting bully. Dana seemed so different from Esther, but was she really? Was any woman? He’d called up every Bible verse he knew about being fearless, but he still shuddered when he thought about being hurt like that again.
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