by Nora LeDuc
“That’s why you won’t be going alone to your store. I want you safe. Until we have A.J. thoroughly investigated and proof no pervert is still roaming around killing women, you’ll take every precaution.”
His conscience reminded he wanted her safe for other reasons. He couldn’t forget the image of her in bed. The sensation of her fingers skimming over his bare skin, her blonde hair spread across the pillow and her hazel eyes staring up at him with trust.
He glanced at her sober face. He wanted to hear her laugh, watch the satisfaction appear on her face when she tasted her fist sip of the day’s coffee and hold her hand and reassure her life would be okay while she whispered her fears.
He focused on the road, trying to understand. How did Rose get into his heart after he’d vowed never to let another woman in? For a man who was always on guard, he admitted, she’d ambushed him. He hadn’t seen Rose coming, and he’d no idea where they were going.
Chapter 22
Rose played with the zipper on her jacket and watched the houses and stores zip past from the front seat of Lennox’s car. In fifteen minutes they’d arrive at her apartment. She bit back the confession that burned in her throat. At last she gave up. “I want to tell you more about my fight with Dahlia before she disappeared.”
Lennox tore his gaze from the street. “What happened?”
She tightened her fingers around the zipper pull. Might as well tell him. “I confronted her about the missing money. She tried lots of denial, at first. Then she realized she couldn’t lie to me and was sunk. We had the ‘big fight.’ I mean I said terrible things to her. I couldn’t believe she’d betrayed me by stealing from us. I wished she wasn’t my twin. I wished I’d never have to see her again.”
When he didn’t respond, she wet her dry lips and plunged into the next part. “I told her we were done as partners and to keep her distance from me. I didn’t even want to see her on the street. I threw my necklace at her.” She let it fall on the floor.” Rose twisted the zipper’s pull tab and rushed on with her story. “A.J. came into the boutique during our fight, and when he asked how she could steal from her own sister, Dahlia yanked off her engagement ring and told him they were finished.”
Rose studied Lennox’s profile and tried to judge his reaction. As usual, he gave nothing away.
“It seemed the right move at the time. Now I view the fight from her perspective. She must have felt attacked by the two people she loved and trusted the most. I feel like I’m the one who betrayed her. I don’t think she could exist without me. I know I barely function without her.”
“Rose, you’re blaming yourself again. Dahlia stole. That was wrong legally and morally. She was lucky you didn’t press charges. You were her family. She knew you better than anyone. I’m sure she realized you’d calm down and want her back in your life. Were you and A.J. doing an intervention?”
The confession didn’t push away the nausea threatening to climb up her throat. “No, the confrontation was unplanned. He frequently popped in. Do you think he pretended to love Dahlia to encourage her to steal and then pretended to be surprised by her actions?”
“I believe that’s a possibility, but it’s also possible she acted alone with subtle prompts from Edwards.” He put on the car blinker and took the next left before speaking. “Keep in mind, the man who killed your sister is the bad guy.”
“Thanks, Lennox. Why don’t I feel better?” She blinked at the tears, filling her eyes.
“You haven’t let yourself believe you’re not to blame for Dahlia’s death.” Lennox slowed and parked in front of her apartment.
They walked to her apartment in silence. Her confession hadn’t changed anything. She didn’t feel suddenly relieved or free. Once inside her kitchen, he held out his hand to her, and she slipped into his arms. She rested her head against his chest, grateful for his presence and his strength. The dread and remorse that pressed down on her night and day faded away.
“Rose, I’m going to make sure nothing happens to you.”
“Because it’s your job?” She heard the ache in her own voice, muffled against his body.
He cradled her face in his hands. Anticipation rose in her mouth, sweet and tantalizing. His large hands moved over her backbone. Say you care about me, Luke.
His phone rang, demanding attention. He ignored it for a second, but then broke away to grab his cell and glanced at the caller ID. “I have to take this.” He walked into the bathroom and shut the door.
His actions seemed ominous. In the short time she’d known him, Luke had never retreated into a closed room to answer his calls. Curious and disappointed, she took off her coat and put her purse on the table. She might as well do something useful. She sat and searched her brain for more names to add to Cassie’s list.
Dahlia would have provided a longer list. She and Cassie spent time together shopping for jewelry and going to silversmith classes. Cassie and Dahlia had more in common. They chose the same style of clothes, music, and hung at the local bars. Sometimes Rose joined them, but usually it was just the two of them. Okay, reminiscing about Cassie wasn’t helpful. Rose searched her mind for something about A.J. to help Lennox locate him.
Luke marched back into the room and paused to stand in his stance, feet braced apart, chin up. He’d reverted to work mode. Her hope for him to stay longer vanished.
“The Chief returned early. He wants me at the station. Will you be okay?”
“Of course, don’t worry. I promise not to wander around despite who asks or calls.”
“I’m including calls from the great beyond such as your sister. No trips to the river or The Ledges.”
“Go see the Chief, solve the crimes and then—” She rose on tiptoes and touched her lips to his, lingering, sending him a message. The slow burn of desire curled through her before breaking away. “I’ll be waiting.”
The blue in his eyes deepened. She’d meant to turn away, but instead, she leaned into his arms and held on to him. She didn’t care if their relationship was temporary. At least he was hers for the moment.
He stepped away without responding to her. Maybe he wasn’t hers even for a split second.
He shrugged into his jacket. “Frank will check in with you.”
The tenderness between them was gone. She scooped up the names of Cassie’s friends from the table and handed them to him. Her defenses slid up, and she fell into her protective business manner. “When you come back, we’re off to Brattleboro, right? I have to inventory my store before I close for a while.”
“We’re on.” He stuffed the list of names into his pocket and gave her an absentminded kiss.
She touched her lips struck by the difference in their kisses. After locking the door, she paced the living room. Memories of her night with Lennox, the horror of discovering Cassie and scenes of Dahlia in her coffin flashed off and on like a neon billboard.
The ring of her phone was a welcome relief. She scooped up her keys for the front door as she answered. “Hello, Frank. I’m on my way downstairs.”
“Rose?”
“A.J.?” The breath left her, and perspiration dampened her hands.
“It’s me. Can you talk?”
“Sure.” She sank into a kitchen chair, running a hand through her hair.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. I couldn’t. It hurt too much, but I just heard about Cassie.” The fuzzy connection crackled in her ear for a second. “A.J., are you there?”
“I’m here. I can’t believe what’s happened. I thought Dahlia stayed away to sulk over our breakup and the shoplifting arrest. I never thought she’d…If I’d talked to her…maybe she’d be alive today.”
“She’s gone, A.J.” Rose’s voice came out hoarse. “Someone killed her and Cassie.” Rose tightened her sweaty grip on the phone.
“I saw the news about Cassie on YouTube. One person murdered them both?”
“What do you mean?” Rose sat up straight. “Cassie’s murder is on YouTube?”
&nb
sp; “Not the actual murder. Someone put up an interview of the detective working on the case.”
“Was it Detective Lennox?”
“He’s the one. The poster wrote if you play his speech backwards you can learn the name of the killer.”
“What a joke, I heard Lennox’s speech. No way had he planted a hidden message in a video.” She grabbed her laptop and scooted the screen in front of her. “How do I find the site? This is sick. Who posted it?”
“Don’t get worked up. The poster was named Sure Lock. That must be a clue about him.”
“Yeah, he lacks imagination.”
“How are you, Rose? Are they close to arresting someone? Any suspects rounded up?”
Was he fishing for how close they were to arresting him? “A.J., where are you? I want to see you.”
“I’m fine, Rose. Seeing you again would be hard. You understand with all the memories of Dahlia and you being twins.”
“A.J., I’m worried. I need to talk to you.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t. It’s too hard right now. I keeping asking myself why would someone kill Dahlia? I can’t believe she’s gone. I…I loved her.”
“A.J. we need to get together. Where are—”
Pounding on her door jerked her attention away from the conversation. “Hold on.” She lowered the phone. “Who is it?”
“Frank.”
“Wait a minute.” She returned to A.J. “Tell me where you are. I’ll meet you.”
“I’ll phone again when we can talk. Bye, Rose.”
“No, don’t hang—” Dead air hummed in her ears.
Rose tossed the phone down and shoved to her feet. She unlocked her door and swung it wide. “How did you get inside?”
“Having a bad day, Rosie?”
“Sorry, Frank. I’m glad you came.” She stood aside to let him pass. “But how did you get in?”
“I have my illegal ways, and I ran into Luke at the door. He let me in. We exchanged secret passwords and then I came up.”
She drew the dead bolt.
“I called your phone, but it rang and went to voicemail.”
“A.J. called me.”
Frank slammed to a halt by the table. “Edwards? Where is he?”
“I don’t know. We talked for a few seconds, and he hung up. I didn’t get a chance to find out where he was. He told me someone named Sure Lock uploaded Lennox’s interview about Cassie’s death to YouTube and told people to play his words backwards to learn the name of the killer.”
“Sounds like garbage. Can you bring up the number of the last caller?”
“Sure I can with a little presto change-o.” She hit the redial button and a recording informed her A.J. was out of the reception area. “No luck at the moment,” she said to Frank. “I’ll try again later, but here’s his number.”
Frank punched the digits into his key pad and tucked his phone in his pocket. “Let’s take a look at YouTube.” He leaned over and dragged the laptop across the table to him.
“The Chief returned and called Lennox to the station. Do you think he’s in trouble because of the video?”
“Play the interview, Rose, and we’ll find out.”
* * *
Luke sat across from the Chief in his office. For a busy man, the boss’s desk and small space were neat and organized, not a paper clip out of place. The older man stared at Luke. His thin lips disappeared inward, a tip off to the tone of their meeting.
He’d skip the niceties of inquiring about the Chief’s vacation and his daughter’s wedding. “You must want a report on the Blue and Smith homicides.”
“Save it.” The Chief opened up a laptop resting on the desktop, hit a few keys and shoved the monitor around until the screen faced Luke.
“You’re watching YouTube? I never look at the stuff.” Luke raised his brows, and waited for the boss to explain.
“This isn’t up for an Oscar.” The Chief clicked on the square black screen, and Luke viewed himself speaking to the reporter the night of Cassie Raymond’s death.
When the video finished, the Chief hit the sleep command. “I don’t care what you did in the big city, but in Ledgeview, no one gives public interviews without clearing them with me first. From now on, no comment are the only two words reporters will hear from your mouth.”
“Yes, sir.”
The older man’s thick brows drew together into one line. “The Mayor called me this morning, and it wasn’t to offer congratulations. He said the news of the last homicide is stirring up a panic in the streets.”
“Panic in the streets? Do I live in the same city?”
“Save the sarcasm, Lennox. The Mayor wants results, and he wants them yesterday. He’s put the press off but knows sooner than later he needs to make a public statement. He wants to announce we’re arresting a suspect when he declares he’ll run for a second term.”
“We’re working on it.”
The Chief waved away Luke’s answer. “Anyone can see through the language you used in the last interview. We’ve nothing, and it stinks like month old salami.” He ran a hand over his thinning, brown hair and patted it down. “And the nonsense about playing your interview backwards to reveal the name of the killer is the biggest piece of bull this year.”
“What?” Luke bent forward. “I outted the murderer online? Who was it?”
“Glad you can joke, Lennox. Your sense of humor can help you on the unemployment line, which is where we’ll be if you don’t make an arrest.” The Chief opened his desk drawer and drew out a white bottle. He unscrewed the cap and gulped a swallow. Then he slammed the drawer shut, leaving the bottle on his desktop. “Let’s talk about where we are and where we’re going with the investigations.”
“Yes, sir.” Luke reviewed their progress and his plan to head to Vermont to interview everyone connected to Cassie Raymond. “A.J. Edwards is the main person of interest in both homicides. The victims and suspect were friends who lived in the same city. The first victim was engaged to Edwards and the second woman killed was her best friend. I’ve put out an ATL for him. We haven’t received a response yet. I believe he’s circulating between Vermont and New Hampshire with a possibility of holding a job in Rhode Island.”
“Sounds like a lot of traveling, but possible. What about the attack in the garage involving Dean Drown’s future daughter-in-law?”
“The garage could be an isolated occurrence. She didn’t give us much of a description of the assailant, and she doesn’t have a connection to Edwards.”
“We could have a copycat in the second homicide.” The Chief grabbed a piece of paper from the top of his desk. “Twenty hours of overtime from our uniforms to search The Ledges plus Major Crime did a sweep. What was the tip that led you there in the first place?”
“Research on the river conditions such as current, water level and location of Dahlia Blue’s body when she washed up led us to believe she entered the waterway at The Ledges.”
The Chief nodded. “At least I’ve answers about the budget for the search.”
“And Rose Blue reports she’s psychically in contact with her twin, the first victim, and identified The Ledges as the primary site.”
The Chief sat back in his chair and stared at him in silence.
He was letting him sweat.
“Alibi?”
“Rose Blue worked every day until seven. We’ve collaboration from several business people who work on Main Street. We verified her car was sitting in a local garage the week of the murder waiting for a part, and she begged rides from friends to search for her sister. Customers and phone records established she was at her store or looking for her twin during the time the murder occurred. Several local business employees stand by their statements that she was in their establishments during the time window of the murder going door to door with flyers. So far nothing indicates she benefits from the murder emotionally or financially.”
“I’ve read the new ME’s report. We could be off on the time of death. Keep Ros
e Blue on the radar. She might have hated her twin despite what she says. She knew Edwards, I take it?”
An uncomfortable lump grew in Luke’s throat. “She did, but there’s no evidence of co-conspiracy between Edwards and Miss Blue. In fact, he most likely is stalking her for his next victim.”
The Chief leaned back in his chair. “I’ve investigated a lot of frauds in my life, Lennox. Many of them claimed to be into this psychic malarkey. I’ve yet to meet a real one. Keep the woman under close surveillance. Sooner or later, we’ll learn if she’s a con, an intended target or both. We don’t want another death.”
“I believe the sister’s been truthful. If you want proof, there was the TV show based on the real life psychic who helped police in Texas.”
“More BS I don’t watch.” The Chief sucked in his cheeks, a sign of his disapproval. “If the sister goes public with her so-called special abilities to the press, we’ll contend with more problems than the full-of-crap play-it-backwards nonsense. Knowing reporters, your quotes will be the opening for the six o’clock news. Forget the no comment statement. Don’t open your mouth when the media is around. I will attend all press conferences.”
Luke tightened his lips. He needed to prove himself immediately. “I’m on my way to Vermont and then to Rhode Island.”
“Get every name from Edward’s high school class. Have Conroy canvass the retailers around the parking garage again. Work together. I don’t need any lone-wolf hero antics, Lennox. Find out how or if the two cases tie-in. Keep on the twin sister.”
Together was the key word that caught Luke’s attention. “No problem, Frank Ricci took a little trip to Rhode Island and obtained the yearbook and background information on Edwards.”
“Frank?”
“He’s working on his own, no pay.”
“Keep him away from the case, beginning now. This is not an investigation for retired detectives who play games with plastic men. If he’s a source, describe him as one, but nothing else. Got it?”
