by Rita Karnopp
“Yes. How’d you know … never mind … I’m sure our famous car ride informed everyone where I was last night and how we were nearly blown to pieces. I want you to know that nothing happened between us. We were together because of my investigation—“
“Miss Fortune, you really don’t have to explain yourself to me. In the first place, it’s none of my business, and in the second place it’s none of my business.”
Dallas laughed softly into the phone. “Alright, pick me up in about a half hour. This will work out fine since I have some questions for you about Megan Reynolds. See you soon, bye.” Dallas dropped the phone on the bed and headed for the shower.
Standing under the pulsing stream of hot water, Dallas struggled to ease her tensed muscles. It annoyed her to have to wear a wrist brace on her right hand … her shooting hand. Oh, she’d be able to shoot if she had to, hopefully the department would agree. Nothing was going to keep her off this case. She had trained her whole life for a case like this. Working Internal Affairs kept her from being directly involved with a murder case. This time she was involved … and nothing and no one would impede her from helping Cooper prove his innocence and expose the killer.
Absently she turned off the water and grabbed a towel. The click of a door caused her to freeze in place. Deep shallow breaths, she strained to listen. Footsteps. Someone was in her room. Without hesitating she dropped the towel and slid into a large B&B robe and tied it without ceremony. Whoever it was would know the shower just shut off, so pretending to be quiet and sneaky was ridiculous. Grabbing the hair dryer she turned it on and propped it on a towel facing the mirror.
Reaching the door knob, she jerked the door open and ran into the bedroom. A surprised, lanky man turned from his search through her suitcase.
“Who are you and what are you doing in Shelly’s room?”
“I’m not Shelly, but nice try. What are you looking for?” His scruffy appearance told her little. Either he was sent to find something … what? … or he was a common thief looking for money. The second was suspect. Was he sent to warn her … she paused in her thoughts, then froze. “You him?” She asked, almost a whisper.
“Him who?
“The killer. The one who’s copying those murders described in Malicious Intent?”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about. I … I needed some cash and I was looking for … you know, jewelry or anything I could fence. Don’t know nothin’ about no murders, lady.”
Taking a step toward him, she gave him a stern glare. “I’m a cop, you know that?” It was obvious his angst peaked, his face paled. “Turn around and lay face down on the bed. Clasp your fingers behind your neck.” Damn, handcuffs would have come in handy right now.
The man leaned toward the bed, then bolted for the door. She dived at him, landing hard on her bruised arm, missing. Scrambling to her feet, she quickly ran out the door. She glanced to her right and then quickly left. The man had vanished. What was he truly looking for? His acting was rather impressive, and she might have believed him if he hadn’t been wearing expensive Devon Birkenstocks. So, what was he after?
A shiver rippled through Dallas and the realization she was stomping barefoot around out in the cold in a robe, a rather thin one at that, sent her rushing back inside. Hastily she pulled on a fine-knit black turtleneck followed by a taupe sweater knit jacket and black cord pants. At least she’d learned to pack for the cold fall weather in Montana.
She’d just finished tying up her moccasin boots when a blaring horn announced her ride. She grabbed her leather bag, checked her gun, then headed out the door. Captain Gulchinski waited patiently. Immediately she’d liked this man. In ways he reminded her of her father. She’d always thought bald men aged with dignified features, Captain Gulchinski was no exception. No doubt, he had a forceful bite when needed.
“Wow, nice ride,” she said, siding into the original seat of a yellow vintage 1956 Ford F-150 truck. “Thanks for picking me up. You and Cooper must discuss vintage rigs, eh? Hated to see his dad’s Mustang go up in flames.”
“Elton Reynolds and I became friends the day we met up. We were still friends the day he died. Three of us: Reynolds, Maxwell, and me … the three musketeers. We raised our kids together. Cooper is special people and now you know why Maxwell and I have such blind faith in him. That Megan of his was bad blood from day one. I’m hopin’ when this is all over … she gets what’s coming to her.”
“I met her last night.”
“Megan? Lucky you.”
“There is nothing about that woman I find endearing. She’s in the nucleus of this nightmare. I don’t think she’s that innocent or as blonde as everyone thinks. She knows what she’s doing and she’s good at it.”
“Well put, Ms. Fortune.”
“Dallas, please.”
“You’re pretty chipper considering all you’ve been through. How’s the arm and wrist?”
“Would feel better if I hadn’t just slammed it into the floor.” She absently rubbed the outside of her arm.
“You trip and fall?”
“No. It seems while I was showering some guy dressed as a bum and wearing Birkenstocks decided to case my room. To make a long story short, I caught him, then lost him.”
“That’s interesting. What was he looking for?”
“He said anything to pawn. If I was a betting woman, I’d say he either wanted my gun or my case notes. He got neither.”
“Interesting for sure. Well, Ms … Dallas, you are now part of this investigation for sure. Whoever has been watching Cooper is now fixed on you. Be careful.”
Dallas fastened her seatbelt and nodded. “
Forest Lane very far from here?”
“Across town actually. You mentioned you had some questions about Cooper’s ex-wife. What do you want to know?”
“Do you know who Megan was having an affair with?”
“That, my dear, is a fifty thousand dollar question. We find that bastard and I’ll punch his lights out myself. Cooper didn’t deserve that stab in the back. He’s a good man who loves his babies. What Megan did was the ultimate betrayal.”
“So they knew how to be discrete. So much so that an entire police department hasn’t figured it out?”
“Mighty interesting, wouldn’t you say?”
“We find the lover, we find the informer and I believe we find the killer. You know your men, Captain. You must have some suspicions. Anyone you could share with me?”
“Cooper asked me the same question this morning. You two think alike. It’s not like I haven’t given this some thought the past year, because I’ve been wracking my brains on this one day and night. Whoever it is, he’s clever, cunning, and must have an ax to grind with Cooper. I don’t think Megan has anything to do with the why. Someone is cleverly using Megan to get to Cooper and he’s doing a damn good job.”
“Okay, we agree on that point. I’ve been thinking the same thing. What we need to figure out is why someone wants Cooper fired from the department. Who has Cooper pissed off enough for revenge?”
“Maybe that’s a question you’ll need to ask him.”
“Maybe that’s a question I should ask Megan? I don’t think she’s going to tell me anything, though. She thinks I’m Cooper’s girlfriend.”
“Really? What gave her that impression.”
Dallas laughed. “Well, last night … never mind. Just take my word for it. Megan thinks I’m competition—“
“You think she sent that guy to your room to get information on you? Try to catch the two of you in bed … get you reprimanded or worse?”
Dallas watched Captain Gulchinski for a few minutes. “You old fox. You just might be right. Mind you, we wouldn’t have been in bed together … but what’s to stop her from thinking that? When she burst into Cooper’s apartment he was massaging my numb feet. It was innocent, but I’m sure it looked more intimate than it was. If it wasn’t Megan who wants more information on me … it could be the man watching Cooper. Ei
ther way—“
“You’re in as much danger as he is.”
“Now the situation has become more complicated … he can’t watch us both at the same time. He’s had to resort to finding help. They aren’t as qualified or impeccable as he is. This is his first mistake, Captain. He’s lost complete control.”
“Now he’s become even more dangerous. We have to be extremely suspicious of everything and everyone.”
“I agree. Since I’m investigating Cooper, I have access to every man and woman in your precinct. I’ll start digging.”
“Don’t know what you’ll find. I had Josh do some digging for me and he came up empty handed. He’s been watching Megan and hasn’t caught her meeting anyone. She’s good at being discrete. No one seems to be crossing Cooper’s path either.”
“Maybe you should send in one of your men undercover. Secrets are often revealed in the arms of passion.”
“Considered it. None of my men are willing to prostitute themselves to that witch. Megan is a piece of work. Besides, they have too much respect for Cooper.”
“Maybe she’ll slip up with pressure from me. Nothing a woman likes less than her ex finding happiness in the arms of another woman.”
“You be careful, this isn’t a game.”
“The one thing I do know, Captain, is that this isn’t a game. She’s not the type to sit back and watch Cooper make a fool of her. This may not be about sex … but it is about control. If nothing else, we’ll frustrate and complicate her life … she’s bound to make a mistake. Like I said before, we find Megan Reynolds’ lover and we find the informant and the killer.”
“She won’t be easy.”
“Then let’s complicate things more.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Dallas rubbed her arm while thinking through a plan. “Let’s send Art Bicsak to distract her. He’s handsome, worldly and comes from money. All the attributes Megan Reynolds admires. Art can be seductive and convincing … believe me he’s tried a time or two with me. Tried is the key word there, Captain.” His chuckle encouraged her to continue.
“He’s single and loves a good chase. He’s new, not from around here. I think this might work.”
“Interesting suggestion. Let’s give it some thought. I’m not sure we want to get him involved.”
“We need to figure this out … and soon. Megan’s book describes three murders. I don’t want to be responsible for another death, Captain.”
“Vilas.”
“What?”
“My first name is Vilas.”
“I’ve never heard of it before. What nationality?”
“Polish. My father’s parents were from Poland; his father from Warsaw and mother from Polzen. They didn’t know a word of English when they landed at Ellis Island. I never got a chance to meet them. They were buried before I was born. My folks still speak Polish, I only learned the cuss words.”
Dallas laughed. “Where do they live?”
“Little town called Thorp, Wisconsin. Believe it or not, there’s a lot of folks there that still speak Polish. They still polka and Polish hop in the old ways. Farmers most of them. They work hard and rarely complain. My brother, Anthony, still farms the homestead.”
“You see him much?”
“Actually we’re quite close. Since he’s tied down with milking cows, heifers and the like, my family drives down every Memorial Day weekend for a week visit. When we can, Molly and I fly down and spend Thanksgiving with them. It gives us a chance to spend time with Molly’s family, too, since they live in Stanley, barely a ten minute drive away. I just hope this case is solved by the holidays.”
“You and me both. Family is important. I’m an only child and my dad wants to control my life. We were so close when I was young. My mother left us when I was three. When I decided I wanted to be in law enforcement and not ranching, he disowned me. Won’t stand up to him … so I actually lost both my parents. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the hurt. I thought marrying Larry was the answer. Big surprise there. I still hope someday I’ll find Mr. Right.”
“You will, just be patient. Molly and I’ve been married thirty-eight years now. Our Adam is thirty-one and Gail is twenty-eight. I have three grandsons. I’m one lucky man.”
“Yes you are, Vilas. You have any idea how Megan got that information for her book?” She didn’t miss his hesitation or the way he gripped the steering wheel. He knew something, but wasn’t talking yet. Did his information incriminate Cooper, that’s why he was holding back?
“Something is wrong and has been for a long time. I’ve been trying to figure it out, but I’ve failed miserably. Maybe now, with you and Bicsak here, we’ll get to the bottom of it.”
Dallas studied the man beside her. “Bottom of what, Captain?’
“I think you know.”
“Know what? I don’t understand,” she rubbed her arm. She hated it when people spoke in riddles. The straight, blunt truth was how she liked it.
“All I’ll say is start from the beginning.”
“Beginning of what?”
“The first murder and what it did for Cooper and Josh’s careers. There’s something there … maybe I didn’t want to see the truth. Maybe I could have stopped all this from happening four years ago.”
“Are you saying Josh and Cooper—“
“I’m not saying anything. You’re the investigator on the case. I’m saying check everything out, from the beginning. Form you own opinion and get your own proof. I’m saying it’s something I should have done. I’m not making excuses. Just know Cooper is like a son to me. If you prove me wrong, and he’s involved, don’t cover it up. A man has to … be responsible for his actions.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong, Vilas. I think Cooper is innocent. I will prove it.”
“I’m counting on you, Dallas. Don’t go in with blinders on … I made that mistake.”
“Meaning?”
“You know my meaning. We’re here. You take care of your business … and I’ll take care of mine. If you ever need someone to talk to or bounce things off, I’ll be the one you can trust.”
“Thank you, Vilas. I mean that.” She unbuckled her seatbelt and glanced over at her new friend. He slammed the truck door and headed toward a group of men standing outside the crime scene tape. She closed the door and took a deep breath. He’d emphasized objectivity, open-minded, and unbiased. She could do this. Dallas headed toward the small, run-down house.
Withdrawing a notepad and pen, she opened the front door and stepped inside. Silence … dead silence surrounded her. Men’s voices slowly made their way to her from down the hallway. Dark spots on the carpet were most likely blood pools. She jotted size and location down. By the elongated pattern, she surmised the perpetrator had run down the hallway with a bloody knife extended in either his or her right hand. The killer was right-handed.
“Fortune, I was just going to call you.”
Turning around, Dallas waited as Art Bicsak hurried toward her. “Like shit. I don’t know what you’re up to, but we’re a team. You get a call, you call me. I get a call, I call you. Does any of this sound vaguely familiar?”
“Now, Dallas, you’re jumping to conclusion. You had a rough night. I was merely going to check things out here first, then I was going to share my findings with you. I don’t think Reynolds or Arnott should be poking around without at least one of us keeping an eye on them.”
Art’s cheeks were flushed. His overboard apology told her he had no intention of sharing his information. Without giving him a response, she turned and headed back down the hall. “Watch your step,” she noted softly, “There’s blood spatter everywhere.”
“Yeah, I see that. Where are Reynolds and Arnott?”
“I don’t really know. I just got here myself. I heard voices, then I noticed the blood trail on the carpet here. You called my name and here we are.” She stepped aside as Art pushed open the bedroom door and abruptly stopped.
Dallas froz
e in place as she slowly scanned the blood spattered room.
CHAPTER NINE
Megan dropped her keys and both grocery bags on the counter before digging her cell phone out of her pocket. “Hello.”
“Good lord, girl, what is going on there?”
“Hi, mom. What do you mean?”
“Well, you’re on TV and they’re accusing you of being responsible for those murders. I’m afraid for me and the twins. Do you realize that you haven’t even called them in two weeks? Cooper calls them almost every night.”
“Well good for him.”
“Don’t be so sarcastic. He’s always been a good father.”
“So you’re saying I’m not a good mother?”
“I didn’t say that either, dear. I’m just saying it helps when you call. I wanted you to know that I still haven’t gotten the grocery check you were going to send. You know I can’t pay the bills without money.”
“Mom, I’ve been busy. This hasn’t been easy. I mailed the check yesterday and … well, the twins don’t have much to say when I call anyway.” She rolled her eyes upward and shook her head.
“They’re three, what do you expect?”
“Don’t talk to any reporters,” she said, placing two bottles of chardonnay and a container of strawberries in the near empty refrigerator.
“You know I wouldn’t talk to anyone about the twins. They need their mama.”
“Let’s not get into this again. They love living with you and life is just too hectic here right now. You know I’ll come get them soon. Besides, it’s summer, they’re bored here.”
“They don’t know about being bored. They do know about their mama being gone.”
“Must we do this right now?” Megan tapped her nails on the counter.
“Tell me when you’re coming to visit so I can let them know. It’ll give them something to look forward to.”
Megan crunched the paper bag and tossed it on the floor. “I’m not sure. I’ll let you know when I get it figured out. You know, Mom, I really have to go. I was almost out the door when you called. I don’t want to be late. How about I call Sunday? We’ll talk then.”
