by B. J Daniels
She smiled back.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw the car.
“Look out!” he cried, but his words were drowned out by the roar of the engine and the squeal of tires as the car turned the corner and bored down on Karen.
CHAPTER NINE
Jack dove for her. The car roared past, so close he could feel the heat of the engine and the rush of displaced air.
He and Karen hit the sidewalk and rolled into one of the patio tables, coming to a dish-crashing stop.
He looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed, her face pale. “Karen?” he cried, fear making his voice crack.
She opened her eyes, then seemed to focus on his face, and smiled. “You really take this protection stuff seriously, don’t you.”
He laughed and shook his head, amazed she was all right, amazed how relieved he was. In those few seconds before she’d opened her eyes, his life stopped.
“You’re sure you’re all right?” he asked, relief making him downright giddy as he helped her to her feet.
“I’m fine.” Her smile seemed to attest to that fact. “Nothing appears to be broken.”
What’s a few scrapes and scratches to this woman, he thought, smiling back at her. He felt as though he’d been breathing laughing gas. He could hear voices of people around them, a faint distant roar of questions and exclamations. “Are they all right? What happened?”
“Did you see that?”
“A car tried to run them down. Did anyone get the license-plate number?”
Jack felt as if they were the only two people in the world. He watched her brush at the dirt on her shirt and jeans. “It’s a good thing you’re tough.”
“Is that what I am?” she asked, looking up at him. “What happened to stubborn, foolhardy and reckless?”
“You’re still all those and a whole lot more,” he said, realizing just how true that was.
“Jack, that car purposely tried to run me down,” she said, and he noticed that her hand trembled as she brushed hair back from her eyes. He saw that she finally knew just how much danger she was in.
He felt himself shaking, as well. From the close call. From relief. And anger. He would get the person who’d tried to kill Karen. If it was the last thing he did.
“Don’t worry,” Jack said, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. She filled in the hollow at his side, fitting against him as if made for him. “I’ll find the person who did this.”
Denny rushed up and the rest of the world returned in a commotion of sounds and sights. A flurry of uniforms forced back the crowd that had gathered as Denny hustled Jack and Karen out of the way and out of earshot from everyone else.
“Did you get a make on the car?” Denny asked quickly. “A plate?”
Jack shook his head. He’d only seen the car out of the corner of his eye. The rest of the time, his gaze had been locked on Karen.
Denny looked to Karen.
She drew away from Jack’s embrace, standing tall, standing on her own two feet. He watched her gain her composure again. “It was a large, brown American-made car with tinted windows.”
“What about the driver?” Denny asked. “Could it have been the same man you just saw at the El Topo?”
“I didn’t get a look at the driver,” Karen said.
“Me, either,” Jack admitted.
Denny looked discouraged but asked Karen, “You said you saw the man in the restaurant at the Carlton the night of the murder?”
She nodded. “He was dressed in all black. My date mistook him for a waiter and tried to call him over to our table when wine got spilled on my dress.”
Jack exchanged a look with Denny. He had a feeling they were thinking the same thing.
“You’re sure?” Denny asked.
She nodded. “Who is he?”
“Well, up until last Friday, he was Liz Jones’s husband, Dr. Carl Vandermullen,” Denny told her. “Liz’s divorce was final just twenty-four hours before her death.”
Karen let out a gasp. “The jealous ex Liz talked about?”
Jack shrugged, although he suspected Dr. Vandermullen was the man Liz had referred to. The question was, what was he doing at the El Topo? Had he been the one who’d answered Karen’s ad? It certainly appeared so. But why?
Dr. Vandermullen had motive and opportunity and he certainly looked guilty right now, the way he’d disappeared so quickly from the El Topo. Captain Baxter wasn’t going to like it, but Dr. Vandermullen was now a suspect.
A uniformed officer motioned to Denny and he nodded and shifted his gaze back to Jack. Jack could see that something was wrong and wasn’t surprised when Denny said, “Captain Baxter wants to see you and me. Now.” Jack waited for the other shoe to drop. He could tell by Denny’s expression there was more and he knew it had to do with Karen.
“Baxter’s given orders for Karen to be taken into protective custody,” Denny said.
“Can he do that?” Karen cried, looking even more shaken.
“No, he can’t,” Jack assured her.
“He can if he feels she’s a danger to herself,” Denny said evenly. “He’s holding her pending a psychiatric evaluation. He thinks by putting an ad in the newspaper advertising for the murderer, she has a death wish and might be suicidal.”
“That’s crap, and you know it,” Jack argued.
“You can tell Baxter that when you see him,” Denny said.
Karen glanced over at Jack, a silent pleading in her gaze as two uniformed officers appeared to escort her away.
“Don’t worry,” Jack whispered, his gaze holding hers until the connection was broken by the officers.
He noticed two other uniforms standing by and knew they’d been sent for him. Denny said nothing as he headed for the waiting police car. Jack followed, the uniformed cops right behind him.
JACK AND DENNY found Captain Brad Baxter pacing in front of his office window. He was an athletic-looking man in his early fifties with only slightly graying brown hair. He looked more like a former tennis coach than a police captain.
He motioned for them to close the door and sit down, his movements agitated and obviously angry.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded the moment they’d taken the chairs opposite his desk, the question shouted at Denny. “I find out you have a witness then hear that you almost got her killed in some unauthorized surveillance?”
Jack said nothing, knowing Baxter would get to him in due time.
Denny quickly filled Baxter in on what had happened.
The captain walked to the window, his back to them. “You saw the car that almost ran down your witness? Was it Vandermullen’s?”
“As far as we know, he was on foot. The car was a large, dark, American-made sedan with tinted windows. That’s all we have.”
“So you can’t be sure Vandermullen has anything to do with the murder, right?” Baxter asked turning around to glare at them. “Did anyone get a license plate?”
“The plates were covered with dirt,” Denny said.
Baxter swore. “What about Vandermullen?”
“I have an APB out on him.”
“What?” Baxter barked.
“At this point he’s only wanted for questioning. Our witness can place him at the Hotel Carlton the night of the murder.”
Baxter didn’t look happy to hear that. “You take this slowly, carefully,” he warned Denny. “Dr. Vandermullen is a powerful man in this town.”
Denny had been right. Baxter was acting more paranoid than usual about the case. Was it just because the victim had been Dr. Vandermullen’s wife?
“What about this woman?” Baxter asked, this time looking at Jack. “Is she a reliable witness?”
Jack nodded.
“She saw Vandermullen at the hotel Saturday night, but says he wasn’t the man she saw with the murder victim,” Denny said.
“Can she ID the man she saw with Liz Jones?” Baxter asked.
“Yes
.” Denny shot a look at Jack, daring him to disagree. “That’s why she put the ad in the paper. She’s determined to find him before he finds her. He also saw her that night and it appears he called her from the hotel following the murder.”
The captain had the look of a man who’d missed a good party he should have been invited to. “It seems you’ve been doing a lot of investigating on your own. Why is that?”
Denny glanced over at Jack. “Everything happened so fast. When I got on a lead I just followed it.”
Baxter nodded, obviously not liking it.
“We have another meeting set up this evening at the carousel with the second respondent from her ad,” Denny added hurriedly.
Baxter shook his head. “I don’t want her life at risk again, Kirkpatrick.”
“No, sir,” he said quickly. “She’s in protective custody with the men you sent for her. But even if she is released from the safe house after her psychiatric evaluation, we’re planning to use a decoy at this second meeting, take photographs of the suspect that we can later show Ms. Sutton and keep a tail on the suspect.”
“No more foul-ups,” Baxter ordered. “You make sure nothing happens to that woman. I want her guarded at all times and I want to know when Dr. Vandermullen is picked up. And Kirkpatrick, I don’t want you sneezing without me knowing about it.”
Denny nodded and got up to leave, Jack right behind him.
“Not you, Adams,” Baxter snapped. “And Kirkpatrick? Wait outside my office. I’m not through with you yet.”
JACK SAT BACK DOWN across from Captain Baxter’s desk as the door closed after Denny.
“What the hell are you doing getting involved in this investigation?” he demanded. “I ought to fire you and have you thrown in jail.”
Baxter could do it, too, Jack thought. “Captain, take me off probation, put me on the case. Let me come back and work it.”
“Do I need to remind you that you are on probation because I don’t like your attitude, Adams? Do you really think I would put you on the case after you have compromised the investigation? Not on your life. As of this moment, you’re suspended. I want your badge and your gun.”
Jack shouldn’t have been surprised. Baxter had been bucking for this from the first day he’d taken over the department. Jack knew he rubbed Baxter the wrong way. But Jack never thought it would come to this. Without a word, Jack handed over his badge and laid his pistol on the captain’s desk.
“If you don’t stay out of this, I will fire you and have you thrown in jail,” Baxter threatened. “I don’t want to see your face again for two weeks. Now get out of here.”
Jack left. He’d have to be more careful so Baxter didn’t see him, but he definitely wasn’t going anywhere. He was going to find out who’d tried to kill Karen. But first he had to find out where Baxter had her hidden.
He passed Denny who gave him an I-told-you-so look before going back into Baxter’s office. Jack waited for his friend outside the building.
“I can’t help you,” Denny said irritably, before Jack could even tell him what he wanted. He kept walking. “Baxter’s pulled me off the case.”
“What?” Jack stumbled and had to hurry to catch up with his partner. Baxter had sounded as though he was going to let Denny stay on the case. What had changed his mind? Jack had a feeling it was his fault. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault.” Denny glanced over at him and slowed his pace a little. “You still have a job?”
“For the moment,” Jack said. “I need to know where Baxter’s had Karen taken.”
Denny shook his head.
“I’m worried about her, Denny. Baxter is too busy trying to be politically correct and not upset Vandermullen and his strong political ties. I’m afraid someone’s going to mess up and Karen’s going to pay for it.”
His partner slowed to a stop. He looked back to be sure they hadn’t been followed. “Come on.” He took Jack to an out-of-the-way bar up by the old railroad depot.
Al and Vic’s was a narrow, dark bar with a zigzag of dark and light tile on the floor and a couple of pool tables in the back. Denny led him to an end stool away from the other customers, who all seemed to be older regulars.
“You’ve always bucked authority, but this case isn’t the one to cross Baxter on,” Denny said quietly. “He’s afraid of the bad publicity, not to mention the grief a man like Dr. Vandermullen could heap on him. Baxter’ll have your badge if you don’t leave this alone.”
Jack knew what his partner was saying was true. “I’ll have to take my chances.”
Denny stared at him wide-eyed for a moment then laughed and ordered them both drafts. “What has this woman done to you?”
Jack wished he knew. He waited until the bartender slid the beers in front of them before he tried to explain it to Denny—and himself. “The first time I saw her, something struck me about her.” He laughed. “Struck me like a bolt of lightning.”
Denny chuckled. “What? Love at first sight? You have to be kidding.”
“More like cursed at first sight,” he said, shaking his head. “I swear, Denny, from the moment I laid eyes on that woman, everything…changed. I don’t know which end is up.”
Denny only stared at him.
“I know you think I’m crazy.”
Still his friend said nothing.
“The question is, are you going to help me?” Jack asked.
Denny sipped his beer. “You’ll get us both fired, you know that?” He took another drink. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
“Thanks, buddy. I owe you.”
“Yeah, and I think this is the way you’re repaying me for all those practical jokes.” He got up to leave but then hesitated. “You’d better figure out what the deal is with you and this woman and soon. A cop can’t afford to be walking around not knowing which end is up, you know. Not even one on suspension.”
Jack nodded.
“Give me an hour. Where can I reach you?”
“Right here,” Jack said.
IN A ROOM on the top floor of a small brick hotel overlooking the Clark Fork River and the city carousel, Karen thumbed through the last book of mug shots she’d been given. After a while all the photos of the men had started to look alike. She glanced at her guards, two uniformed officers playing cards, the reality of her situation never more clear—or painful.
She felt truly afraid for the first time and alone even with the officers there. The full impact of what had happened earlier had finally hit her. Someone had tried to run her down in the street. Tried to kill her.
And now Captain Brad Baxter had ordered her into protective custody, pending a psychiatric evaluation. She doubted he really thought her ad in the newspaper was a death wish. Maybe he was just trying to protect her.
But she thought it was more his way of warning Jack and Denny. This was his murder case and no one had better get in his way—including the star witness.
She couldn’t believe that just because for one instant she happened to see a man in a hallway, her life was now in danger and her freedom taken from her. At least temporarily. She hoped.
“Don’t worry,” Jack had said. But he’d looked worried. And so had Denny.
So where did that leave her? In the hands of men she didn’t know. Men she didn’t necessarily trust. She liked that even less than she’d liked being dependent on Jack. Thank God he’d been there today. She just hoped she hadn’t gotten him fired. Or jailed.
She slammed the mug book closed and went to stand at the window to stare out at the dying afternoon. She saw the line of people buying tokens for the carousel across the river and wondered where Jack was. By now, he could be miles from here. She wished she could talk to him, but she knew any more contact might only lose him his job. She’d been afraid of leaning on him too much and now she ached to hear his voice.
Just the memory of being in his arms—
What was she doing standing here daydreaming about Jack? There was a killer out there wh
o wanted her dead.
As she stood at the window, the day fading fast, she began to formulate a plan to escape. She couldn’t accomplish anything locked up here. Who knew how long the psychiatric evaluation would take? And who knew what the outcome would be? Maybe she was nuts for putting the ad in the paper.
The next meeting was in less than an hour with the man who’d written the second letter. This time it could be Liz’s secret lover but Karen was too far from the carousel to recognize him. She’d seen him twice now. What was it about him the second time that made her so sure it had been him? She didn’t know.
She wanted him caught. The only way that was going to happen was for her to be there. Identify him. So she could get her life back.
Funny, but her old life didn’t have as much appeal, she thought, remembering the ski lodge and Jack and that overwhelming feeling of belonging there. Pure fantasy. She’d felt safe there and she was sure that was the big appeal.
Why was she trying so hard to rationalize her feelings for the ski lodge? For Jack? What was she so afraid of?
She dragged her thoughts back to her plan, hoping to see the secret lover again—this evening.
JACK COULDN’T SIT STILL. He had time to kill and too much on his mind. He kept thinking about Denny and Liz. It beat worrying about Karen and fuming in frustration that he didn’t know where Baxter had her.
Denny had said he’d met Liz at The Oxford for a drink. Jack doubted that, even if the same bartender was on duty, he’d remember Denny and Liz, but it was worth a shot.
The bar, locally known as The Ox, was only a few blocks away. The walk felt good, the day warm and clear, but not hot yet.
Jack pushed open the door to find the bar half-empty this time of the day. Fans turned overhead against the dark green of the old tin ceiling. He pulled up one of the red vinyl stools and sat down. Behind the bar, a variety of old rifles were framed in glass and wooden boxes. He studied them until the bartender slid a napkin in front of him and asked what he’d take.
The bartender was a robust blonde woman who fortunately was friendly. He engaged her in conversation. About the spring weather, the University of Montana Grizzlies’ basketball season and finally the murder at the Carlton.
