by Toni Leland
The door jamb and edge of the door were shattered, but the handle itself was intact. From the blue box, Quaid removed a small brush, a jar of powder, and a roll of fingerprint tape. A few moments later, he held the tape up to the light.
“I’d say we’ve got him. There are some smudges, too, and I’m sure others have touched this handle, but we shall see.”
He went through the same procedure with the inside handle, then looked around for anything else Warren might have touched.
Dixie said, “He probably left prints in the office, too, although I think it’s badly damaged from the fire.”
“We can take a look.”
Quaid left the feed room, glancing toward the stall where Bandit had once stood. The horse that had started it all. What a mess.
They walked across the aisle toward the fire-razed portion of the barn. In the silence, the building suffered softly, stressed timbers creaking and groaning.
The office no longer had a roof, and two of the interior walls were gone, looking as though they’d been knocked down by the fire fighters looking for embers. Quaid shuddered and his step faltered.
“Garrett, you okay?”
“Yeah, just had a nasty flashback to a fire I investigated in Kentucky a few years back.”
“Barn?”
He nodded, trying to disperse the old images. “I still have nightmares about it.”
She touched his arm. “That’s because you have a heart.”
He cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with the conversation. Stepping into the office space, he looked around.
“Kovak said the file cabinet was empty. You think Warren did that?”
“Could be. Depends on what he was trying to hide, but from the looks of it, I suspect you won’t get any prints.”
Quaid pulled out the fingerprint tape again. “Never pass up an opportunity.”
When he’d finished with the file cabinet, he did the same with the desk drawer.
“Warren would have looked for the feed room key and it’s logical that Fortune kept it in here.”
Outside, Saskie barked twice and Dixie turned. “I’d better go to him.”
Another series of groans and creaks emanated from above.
“I think we should get out of here. This can’t be a safe situation.”
As she spoke, another loud groan, then a resounding crack from out in the main area.
Quaid grabbed her arm and propelled her toward the big doors. As they dived through the yellow tape, a section of roof crashed to the floor, spraying shards and splinters everywhere. Dixie slipped in the mud and went down.
“Damn it! I just had this uniform cleaned.”
Quaid tried not to laugh, but she looked cute sitting there with mud on her cheeks and indignation flashing in her blue eyes. He held out his hand.
“I might have some sweats in the truck.”
She grasped his hand and stood up, grinning with embarrassment. “Oh, those should fit really well.”
Quaid climbed into the driver’s seat and gazed out the windshield, listening to the sounds of Dixie shedding her muddy pants. Maybe this platonic thing could work. It was nice to be able to relax around a woman, have that softness and compassion they all seemed to possess, without him needing to play the games that seemed necessary to function in an intimate relationship. He let out a soft breath. In just a matter of a few hours, he’d told Dixie about his ineptness with women, and revealed his emotions about his job. Yeah, this could work. If he moved closer to Jenna and Ricky, he’d also be closer to Dixie and Kim. He shook his head, startled by the way the photographer kept getting into his head.
Dixie climbed into the truck. “Okay, I’m all set. What’s next?”
“How soon can you get the prints run?”
“After I pick up my vehicle from the hospital, I’ll drop the prints off at my friend’s place. She’ll do them first thing in the morning.”
“I appreciate this. I’m not officially investigating this thing, but I want to know for my own peace of mind.”
“And for Kim’s. She’s been a hundred percent dedicated to routing out these guys and making them pay.”
Quaid turned and draped an arm across the back of the seat. “You have any idea why she never went back to the force? I know she was shot, but she’s such a cop.”
Dixie looked pensive. “Sometimes our fears consume us, the self-preservation response overwhelms reason and the vicious circle spins out of control. I think that’s what happened with Kim. Plus there were some relationship issues right in the middle of it.”
Quaid lifted his eyebrows. “Such as?”
“It’s not my place to tell you. Kim’s an extremely private person and I will respect what she told me in confidence.” A sweet smile curled the corners of Dixie’s mouth. “Of course, if you get to know her better, she might just tell you herself.”
Uh-oh. Matchmaking.
Quaid slipped the gear shift into first and eased out of the parking area, trying to think of a way to direct the conversation elsewhere. He turned onto the highway and glanced in the rearview mirror.
“Hmm, someone just drove into the farm. Looks like a black Mercedes. Maybe we should...”
“Should nothing. We have no business snooping around there. Let’s just get back to the hospital.”
Dixie’s phone rang and her face brightened. “Hey, Kim, how’re you feeling?...that’s great. If you want me to pick them up, I can...Okay, yeah, we’re on our way back right now...no, we can talk when I get there.” She closed the phone. “The computer geek was able to retrieve all Kim’s data.”
“Great.” Quaid was unable to suppress a yawn. “Sorry.”
“You look beat. When was the last time you slept all night?”
“Um, must have been Thursday, but I don’t sleep all that great in a strange bed.”
“Where were you, anyway? If I may ask.”
“I took my nephew down to Arlington to visit his dad’s grave.”
The words hung in the air, surprising Quaid with their impact.
“Oh, Garrett,” she said on a soft breath. “That must have been tough.”
“It was, in some respects. He’s such a trooper, but he’s still just a little boy who lost the hero in his life. Watching him at the cemetery was almost harder than the day we buried my brother.”
“You want to talk about it?”
Quaid stared out the windshield at the yellow line ribboning off through the countryside. Yes, he did. He’d not been able to talk to Jenna, not wanted to open the wounds again. Ricky would tell her and that would be better. Yes, talking to Dixie would be good for his soul.
“We visited all the famous graves in the cemetery before going to the section where Ben is buried. I really worried that the whole idea was a mistake, but Ricky actually was strong enough for both of us. When we got there, he sat down on the grass beside the marker and ran his hands over the letters. He said ‘Hi, Dad,’ at which point I almost lost it. He was so brave, so intent on making the visit a good one. He continued talking to the gravestone, telling Ben about school and some bullies, and how his mother was doing better, but still missed him. At that point, I had to turn away. I had my own thoughts that I wanted to share with my brother, but not in front of his son.”
Quaid stopped talking for a moment, thinking back over the events of that day. Dixie, in her womanly wisdom, remained silent.
A few moments later, he continued. “Before we left, Ricky dug into his backpack and pulled out a little statue of a mounted soldier. Ben was with the 1st Cavalry Division known as the War Horse Soldiers. Anyway, Ricky set the statue on the marker, then stepped back and saluted.”
Quaid’s eyes burned with the memory.
Dixie reached out and squeezed his hand. “That’s a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing something so special with me.”
He met her gaze and knew that, for as long as he wanted her friendship, Dixie would be there for him.
Chapter 41
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Kim gazed at her full leg cast, then stared at the crutches. “This should be interesting.”
The nurse’s aide grinned. “You’ll get the hang of it in no time, I promise.”
He took hold of her arm, steadying her as she rose to her feet. She grasped the crutch handles and eased the padded tops into her armpits, then took her first step forward.
“Use your hands and arms for support or you’ll be sore.”
She took three more steps, realizing immediately that a lot of things in her day-to-day life would have to change to accommodate these contraptions. She galumped through the door into the hall, then stopped to catch her breath.
Quaid sauntered toward her with that charming lopsided grin. “Don’t you ever relax?”
His voice sent a ripple of pleasure through Kim’s head and she laughed.
“Look who’s talking. Did you get any prints?”
“We did and they are on their way to Dixie’s lab friend as we speak.”
“Is she coming back here?”
“I don’t know. She had a little altercation with a mud puddle, so she was headed home to change clothes. And she had the dog with her.”
The nurse’s aide spoke up. “Let’s get you back to your room. Don’t overdo working with the crutches. You can practice again later tonight.”
Kim turned with some difficulty and hobbled back into the room, Quaid close beside her. She sank onto the bed, stunned by how exhausted she felt. This sure threw a monkey-wrench into her life.
Quaid pulled a chair closer to the bed, then sat back and crossed his legs.
“Looks like we stirred up a hornet’s nest. I spoke briefly with the fire department and they are considering arson. Of course, you and I know that, but at least they’re on the case, and looking at Reggie Fortune as the person with the most to gain from the fire. With your identification of Warren and the fingerprints that will put him in the barn, the fire marshal will probably nail him.”
“Maybe Reggie sent Warren there to torch the place and I just happened to get in the way. Warren definitely wasn’t expecting to have a conversation with me.”
“Could be, but I can’t find a connection between Fortune and Warren.”
“Maybe Fortune financed some horses for Warren’s wife. Most of the animals in Teri’s barn were top-dollar breeds. That would give Reggie the introduction to Warren.”
“Yes, but unless Fortune is dealing in shady loans, he’d have no reason to be involved with a thug.”
Quaid’s face suddenly blanched, and Kim knew exactly what thought had just surfaced.
They both said it at the same time. “Loan sharking!”
Kim’s excitement grew. “Jasper was in deep trouble with the Feds. If Teri knew it and told her trusted lover, Warren, he might have collaborated with Reggie to put the squeeze on Jasper to coordinate the theft.”
Quaid nodded. “And Warren told too much to Teri, which put him in a dangerous position.”
Kim thought for a moment. “She was very unhappy for those couple of weeks before she died. I thought she was just worried about her reputation, but looks like there was a lot more to it. Poor Teri.” Kim sagged back onto the pillow. “Lord, I’m tired. Sorry.”
Quaid stood up. “You need a ride home tomorrow?”
She looked up at the man who’d been both adversary and partner. Regardless of their personality differences, she knew she could count on him for support.
She nodded. “Thanks, that would be good. I think Dixie’s working through the weekend, and I’ve already taken too much of her time.”
Quaid gazed down at her, a knowing smile playing about the corners of his mouth. “She thinks you’re worth it.”
~~
The next morning, Kim watched while Quaid fiddled with knobs and levers, then shoved the passenger seat as far back as it would go.
He stepped away from the truck. “That should work.” He threw her a mischievous grin. “If it doesn’t, you can ride in the back.”
“I might have to. This cast is gonna be like trying to accommodate a two-by-four everywhere I go.”
With the help of a hospital staffer and Quaid, Kim managed to get up from the wheelchair and hoist herself into the truck. Her armpits ached and her arms were wobbly as muscles protested against the unusual exercise she’d put them through on the crutches. She closed her eyes briefly. This could only get better in the coming days.
With light Sunday morning traffic, the ride home took less than thirty minutes. Kim thought about some of the things she needed to tell Quaid, beginning with her foolish attempt to keep him from closing the Talisman case.
“Are you in a hurry to get back to Cleveland?”
“No, why?”
“I have a few more insights about our case.”
Quaid glanced at her, his expression hard to read. Was he irritated? Surprised? Already knew something?
“Yeah, I figured. You feel up to it right now?”
“I’m fine, just a little bed-weary.”
He pulled up in front of the condos and Kim leaned forward. “How did my car get back?”
“Dixie and I picked it up last night. She took your camera stuff into the house.”
“You know, at some point in this mess, I thought about that, but they had me so doped up I couldn’t keep a thought in my head for more than two minutes. Thanks for doing that. The last thing I need right now is to shell out a couple thousand bucks for a new camera.”
“Dixie picked up your computers too. Oh, and fed the cat.”
“She takes good care of me.” Kim cocked her head. “So you guys spent the evening together?”
The lopsided smile appeared. “Yeah. She’s great. Just like one of the guys.” He glanced over at Kim. “And yes, she told me. No further discussion needed.”
In her newly-found wisdom of fifty years, Kim kept her mouth shut.
Quaid helped her out of the truck, then stayed close by as she made her way to the door.
“Come on in,” she said. “We’ll get some coffee going and figure out this whole debacle.”
Quaid walked past her into the kitchen and began filling the coffee maker with water. Kim eased onto a stool at the breakfast
bar and let out a long sigh of relief. Miss Kitty effortlessly leaped up to Kim’s lap and peered at the strange man making himself at home in the kitchen. She watched for a moment, then butted her head against Kim’s chin, purring loudly.
Kim glanced at the two computers sitting on the counter, then picked up a sheet of paper with Dixie’s distinctive script rolling across the pale blue lines.
The computer guy said the desktop is not fixable, but he did get all the data. Your photos and files are stored on the external drive. The laptop only needed a battery. He put one in. He said you could just transfer the backed-up files to your laptop.
I’m working until seven today, but I’ll be over as soon as I get home. There’s food in the fridge and a pizza in the freezer. And plenty of beer.
Love, Dixie
Kim’s eyes burned. How did she rate such a wonderful friend?
Another sheet of paper lay beneath Dixie’s note. An invoice for the computer work. Kim sucked in a breath. Her snooping had cost her plenty. She opened the laptop and pressed the start button. The machine whirred softly and the screen began to brighten.
Quaid set two mugs of coffee on the counter and sat down next to her. “You back in business?”
“We’ll see shortly. Thanks for the coffee.” She took a sip, gingerly testing the temperature.
Setting it down, she turned to face Quaid. “I’d better start with the pictures you wanted for the insurance company. I did get them, and I was going to send them to you. When I told Reggie the horse didn’t belong to Jasper, he threatened to send him to the killers. I couldn’t let that happen. I had to contact the real owner first. I needed time, so I didn’t send the photos to you.”
Quaid looked at her long and hard, then nodded.
�
�How did that all work out?”
“The real owner knew that Bandit had been stolen at a horse show, but his wife had just died and he really had no heart for the whole mess.”
She took a deep breath, wondering if she should tell Quaid the rest of it.
He whistled softly. “So the Talisman theft was carefully orchestrated, right down to finding the perfect look-alike. So what happened after you talked to Bandit’s owner?”
Kim squirmed. Here comes the bad part. “I called Reggie, pretending to be from your insurance company...”
“You what? Kovak, you—”
“Let me finish. I just told him the horse couldn’t be moved until the file was closed. I needed some time to figure out what to do next.”
Quaid stared at her. “You had no business posing as a company employee.”
“I didn’t have a choice. Reggie Fortune had no qualms about sending Bandit off to the auction. It’s—”
“I know, I know. It’s all about the horse. And look where that got you.”
He took a deep breath, as though to say something more, then he looked away.
Taking advantage of his change in mood, Kim busied herself setting up the external drive to transfer files to her laptop, then sat back.
“This will take about twenty minutes. As soon as I can access them, I’ll e-mail Bandit’s identification photos to you. You can watch me do it, just to be sure.”
Quaid got up, poured himself another cup of coffee, then stood on the other side of the breakfast bar, his expression solemn.
“Listen, I think I understand. I’m as confounded as you are about this whole situation. But when it comes down to reality, neither you nor I have any authority to do anything more than turn our evidence over to the investigating organizations. I have to provide the photos to the insurance company, even though I’m certain Jasper is not totally innocent in this deal. Whatever we find—or think we find—about Teri’s murder or your near-death experience has to go through proper channels. We are not law enforcement, no matter how invested we are in this situation.”
