by Diane Bator
“That might be fun.” Katie laughed.
Mimsy walked out to Mark’s battered blue Ford pickup.
Laura shook her head. “It’s no wonder she needs a walker. Eighty years old and she still wears stiletto heels. If I age half that gracefully, I’ll do well.”
“You’re fifty-two and can wear miniskirts. I think you’ll be okay.”
Laura flashed a smile. “I just hope my brain doesn’t go blank. I’d hate to be one of those people who forgets everything they’ve ever done. Granted, you’d have no regrets. You wouldn’t remember what you ate that morning, but you wouldn’t have any memories either.”
“I don’t know anyone who’d wear outfits like that unless they were on a stage.”
“It doesn’t hurt she’s borderline crazy.” Laura tapped the counter with her nails.
Katie slid onto her stool behind the counter and toyed with her coffee cup. Her mind wandered to all the things she wished had never happened. “Do you think Mimsy has regrets?”
“Nope. I don’t think Mimsy has a real life anymore, just the fantasies of Duke von What’s-it and Baroness de la Who’s-it.” Laura laughed then became serious. “That’s the way to be, isn’t it? Live like the whole world really is a stage and you’re stuck in the most torrid romance novel of all time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an eighty year old wear a push-up bra before though.”
“I think she’s cool. I want to be like her when I grow up.”
Ray cleared his throat upstairs, which made them both jump. “Push-up bra, huh? Personally, I think she’s pretty hot for an old dingbat. Maybe I’ll ask her out sometime. Soon as I find my dentures.”
Chapter 7
Danny
Danny sat in the bus terminal and reread Leo’s interview notes with the ticket agent. The guy ogled Paulina’s picture for nearly ten minutes and said she looked familiar. The ticket agent was tall and spindly and had ears like a bat. He opened the soda Danny bought and sat back. “I don’t know what else I can tell you. It was my first day and I was nervous. Like I told those other guys, she looked like someone beat her up and there was some old lady shoving her around.”
“So I heard.” Danny paused to glance at the notes he made earlier. “Did the woman with the sunglasses have luggage?”
His face paled. “I don’t think she checked any. She had a bag over her shoulder she kept a death grip on. I wondered if she had a top secret script or something. She looked like somebody famous and I tried not to stare.”
“Okay.” Danny blew out a frustrated breath. “Which gate did she depart from?”
“If she went to Buffalo, gate three. If she went to Packham, gate ten.”
Danny leaned his forearms on the table. “Which gate did you tell her?”
The ticket agent swallowed so hard his entire body lurched from the effort. “Ten, I think.”
“Are you telling me you gave her the wrong ticket?”
“No. Maybe. Yes.”
“Did you tell anyone else you screwed up?”
He fidgeted in his chair and glanced at the doorway. “No.”
“Why not?”
The ticket agent lowered his gaze. “It was my first day. She didn’t come back to complain, so I assumed I got it right. She and that old lady argued and I got confused. I couldn’t remember which ticket I gave her.”
“Did the old woman come back?”
His face darkened to the deep red of borscht. “Yes.”
“Which is how you knew you gave her the wrong ticket. What did you do then?”
“Nothing. The bus to Packham had already left and the old lady made such a scene I had to call security.” He glanced at his watch. “Can I go now? I’m gonna be late for my shift and they already have enough reasons to fire me.”
Twenty minutes later, Danny spoke to the bus driver who’d returned from his latest run and was grateful for the offer of coffee and a Danish. He showed the driver Paulina’s picture.
He bit into his Danish. “She wasn’t much of a talker. I took her ticket then chased some kid away from the bus. The same kid tried to stowaway on my bus last week. I gave her ticket back when I went after him. What did she do, anyway? There sure are a lot of guys looking for her.”
“There are?” Danny asked.
“You, some red-haired guy who could bench press my bus and a couple of guys that should be in a gangster movie.” He stirred a third packet of sugar into his coffee. “She wore a hat and sunglasses and looked beaten up. I felt sorry for her.”
“Did she have a lot of luggage?”
“Couple of suitcases, I think. No. One. A blue one. I only remember because I watched the video tapes with one of your cop friends. Anyway, she boarded with a black bag and fell asleep before we left the city limits.” The driver raised the Danish to his lips then lowered it. “You know, I don’t think she took her coat off or anything. She just wrapped her arms around that bag like it was her baby and went to sleep.”
Clutching the bag as though it were her entire life. Twenty million dollars was a lot to carry around town in a duffle bag.
“Now that you mention it.” He stared at the tabletop and frowned. “She wasn’t too happy to be in Packham. Got off like she was Alice in Wonderland then melted down like the Wicked Witch. I got the feeling she wasn’t expecting to be there.”
Danny walked through the parking lot and muttered. The scarf found with Dunnsforth’s body was Paulina’s, the heel print at the scene belonged to a woman her size and sure as hell she had motive to want her boss dead and gone.
Didn’t she?
His step faltered. What did Paulina have to gain by Dunnsforth’s death? A promotion? Not with DMR under scrutiny.
Why had she disappeared? Did she have help?
He sat in his car and let the thoughts flow. He needed to go to the station and work through the list of suspects and his even longer list of doubts. In his single-minded focus on the case, he’d forgotten to call Hannah and check on Ray. He picked up the phone then froze.
What if…
After two months of ignoring Ray’s chatter about the new bookstore lady, Danny mentally kicked himself. It was a stretch, but Paulina might still be in Packham. She might have been right under his nose in Packham since she left Newville.
He wasn’t ready to share his epiphany with Bobby yet. He needed to see her for himself and make sure before he called in reinforcements. No one on the force knew her as well as he did. He’d lost a lot of sleep over this case. Once it was over, he’d take his sister’s advice and open a garage in Packham. The bad guys could run amok without him.
He raced home and called Leo at the office while he packed.
“You’re going where?” Leo’s chair creaked every time he moved.
Danny fumbled the cell phone while he stuffed clothes in his duffle bag. Finally he pushed the speakerphone button and set it on the bed. “Packham. That’s where the clues from the bus terminal lead. Our witness remembered things I need to check out.”
“So what? You want me to water your plants and walk your dog? What are you calling me for? You should be calling the client.”
“If I do, he’ll kill her. Besides, I don’t have a dog or plants. I’ll call when I’m sure it’s her.” He threw clean socks into his bag. “I just wanted you to know I’ll be out of town.”
“You clear that with your supervisors?”
“Sort of.” Danny had called the station but, since Maddox had eyes and ears everywhere, he was vague. He simply said he was following up a lead and would be in touch.
“I don’t get it. You’ve been to Packham since she went missing. Didn’t you see her then? The place is the size of a quarter.”
He picked up the phone and turned off the speakerphone. “I think she’s changed her appearance. I was looking for a platinum blonde with blue eyes, not a redhead with green eyes.”
“So you’re going to go as yourself so she won’t recognize you.”
Danny grinned. “Precisely, dea
r Watson.”
He gave a low chuckle. “What’ll you tell Maddox about your new look?”
“Hopefully, that won’t be a problem. If it is, I’ll tell him I’m looking for a promotion and need to save up for the designer suit.” Leo was right. A new look was in order. “I’ll keep in touch. I seriously don’t think Paulina had the time or mental ability after whatever drugs Maddox slipped her to lure Dunnsforth to the lake or to shoot him, but someone did. Follow up with Bobby about lab results and call her parents. See if she called or sent a postcard.”
“Right.” Leo sounded skeptical. “She’s a fugitive and she’s going to send a postcard for us to follow like bread crumbs. You’ve been sniffing bus fumes too long.”
“Probably. See if you can dig up more dirt on our other murder suspects without getting caught. They have to come back to town sometime, especially Margaret.”
“Where’s the fun in that? I live for getting caught.” Leo was at least entertaining.
Danny grinned. “You’ll get caught alright. You’ll either get killed or married.”
“Right back at ya, Bro.” He laughed then got quiet. “Do you seriously think Paulina would stick around Packham?”
“Maybe.” If she had a reason.
“Need-to-know basis?”
“If you get caught, it’s best you don’t know details.”
“You sure you were never in the military? Works for me. I hate being everyone’s confidante anyway. Too much pressure. By the way, who am I checking out?”
“Margaret Maddox and Heather Lewis-Dunnsforth. There were two other blondes at that party, too. Bobby has their names.” Danny hung up and dropped his cell phone on the bed.
Paulina wouldn’t only be his star witness at the DMR trial, but the bait he needed to nab Maddox and draw in Dunnsforth’s killer. The first thing he needed to do was get in touch with Bobby and arrange to have him work with the local police for a while. If Katie Mullins was Paulina, two sets of eyes would have an easier time tracking her.
After a shower and a close shave, he hardly recognized himself, which meant there was no way Paulina would either. His skin was irritated where the glue from the fake beard had been for the past week. He was sick of that thing. When his cell phone rang, he glanced at the screen and cringed. His plans to leave town had to wait.
“Wild, we need to talk.” Maddox hung up.
Danny left his bag on the bed, donned the wig and glued on the fake beard again and ran down to the lobby of his apartment building. He walked out the back door and three blocks over to the address he’d given Maddox. The apartment was rented under Donovan Wild to help maintain his cover. He wasn’t stupid enough to live there or he’d already be dead. He walked into the back door and out the front. Sure enough, Maddox’s black sports car idled in the crescent-shaped driveway. The fact he’d brought his sports car made Danny’s hands sweat. No henchmen. No witnesses. This was a one-on-one meeting. Never a good thing when one of those men was as twisted as Maddox.
“What took you so long?” He had a white-knuckle grip on the gear shift. Not a good sign.
Danny slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. “I had to do my hair. How’d you get away from Al and Chevy? I thought they went everywhere with you.”
“It wasn’t easy.” He pulled away from the curb and into traffic, constantly glancing into the rear-view mirror. “You have any new leads?”
“I’m retracing her steps.” Danny checked the rear-view mirror. Maddox’s paranoia was contagious. “Airport, bus terminal, taxis, that kind of thing. I might get lucky and find somebody who remembers her.”
Maddox glanced at him. “Anything so far?”
“A couple people thought they saw her but—”
“That’s funny. Al and Chevy asked around, too. Some people thought she took a cab to Buffalo. Others thought she took a bus to Detroit. Most had no clue.”
“I guess they don’t want to get involved.” More likely, Al and Chevy scared the common sense out of them.
Maddox grinned. “Maybe I should offer a reward or something to get some answers. Make a public appeal on the news.”
“Then you’d have a thousand yahoos crawling out of the woodwork with leads that take us nowhere.” And his case would be compromised.
“Good point. What would you suggest?”
“Let me run with it for a little while longer. If I keep poking long enough, something will ooze out.”
Maddox had driven in a circle. They returned to the apartment building less than ten minutes after they’d left. “I’m tired of waiting and I’m tired of the games.” He put the car in park. “Have something for me by the end of the week or your friend at Wild Blue will have to search for your body.”
Danny ran back through the alleys to his building. He threw his duffle bag in the trunk of his car before he second guessed himself and hit speed dial on his phone. “Bobby, you have to cover for me. I’m leaving town for a day or so.”
“You can’t just walk away in the middle of an investigation. I need your help.”
“And I need yours. I think I know where Paulina Chourney is.”
Chapter 8
Katie
Katie straightened the books on a shelf. Murder mysteries. Her thoughts went to Dunnsforth. She hadn’t heard anything about his murder being solved yet.
“You know, babe.” Laura stood three feet away. “You could be a real hottie if you tried. I could give you a makeover that would make men melt all over your ugly loafers.”
Katie showed up for work in jeans, a T-shirt and a cardigan sweater more out of practicality than to make a fashion statement. In Newville she never left her bedroom without her face painted to perfection and wore outfits that would make Laura blush. It was her job to make the customers at DMR happy. No matter what.
These days, her version of makeup was a swipe of mascara and lip gloss and she swept her hair up in a ponytail. After starting renovations on the bookstore, she’d bought a functional wardrobe from the local thrift store, glad to leave the whole sex-kitten image behind. Her new life was less complicated and she liked it that way.
Katie stared at the papers on the counter. “I’m fine the way I am. Thanks.”
“You could be such a babe if you tried a little harder.” Laura folded her arms across her chest. “You have great legs because you walk everywhere.”
“I can’t afford a car.”
“You have sexy hair.”
Choppy hair. “I haven’t had time to get it trimmed.”
Ray hobbled down the stairs. “Stop being a pain and work with the woman, will you? She’s trying to help you get a life.”
“I have a life. Right here in this bookstore and, until this place turns a decent profit, it’s the only life I’ll have.”
“Yeah, you and Mimsy Lexington.” Laura folded her arms across her stomach. “You’re going to be thirty-five soon, with no Mr. Right in sight. You don’t even have a blip on the radar. Do you want to spend the rest of your life in La-La Land with Mimsy?”
“I hear it’s nice there.” Katie scowled. “Besides, I’ve only been in town a couple months.”
“I keep telling you,” Ray said, “I have this nephew who—”
“Stop trying to set me up.” There was no way she’d entertain the possibility of being attractive to any man. They only wanted one thing and always at her expense. It wasn’t worth it.
Laura pulled Ray aside. They whispered and made hand gestures.
Finally, Ray gave a loud groan and trudged over to the counter. “Okay, you. I’m supposed to tell you that since you’re the boss, you have to take one day off this week and do something nice for yourself.”
She covered her eyes with one hand. “Was that your idea?”
“Hell, no. I lost Rock, Paper, Scissors. The Mean One wanted me to tell you since she has a job to lose and I don’t.”
“You old coot.” Laura stormed over to the counter and nudged him aside. “Look, doll, go out for a littl
e while and treat yourself to a new haircut or something. Whoever did your last one must’ve been drunk or hated you.”
Katie hid her grin.
“Go get a facial. Get a massage. Go for a tan. Whatever makes you feel good. Spend twenty whole dollars on yourself.”
She laid her pen down. “Do I look that bad?”
“You look older than me.” Laura smiled.
“At least you didn’t say I looked older than Ray.”
He grimaced. “Hell, if you looked that bad, we’d just toss you in the dumpster out back and have a big sale.”
Laura held up a finger and picked up the phone. “Hey, sweetie, how are you? Does your daughter still cut hair? Where’s she at now? Perfect. Thanks.”
After a second phone call, she stuck a bright pink Post-it note to Katie’s forehead. “Nine tomorrow morning at Queenie’s Hair Studio, four blocks up Main Street from here. The new girl there is the daughter of a friend of mine. She’s an angel and a damn good hairdresser. Give her a nice fat tip.”
“Like I have a choice. If I show up here, you’ll probably drag me there.” Katie sat back, her arms folded across her chest and gave a heavy sigh.
“Yup.” Ray grinned. “Then I’d have to watch the store and you’d have to pay me time and a half because I’m old and have thirty years experience.”
Katie leaned her elbows on the counter and set her chin in her palms. “Looks like I don’t have a choice. I can’t afford to pay Ray.”
Chapter 9
Danny
Danny stopped at Hannah and Nate’s to drop off his things before he ventured into Packham. He peered out the upstairs window at his nephews playing on the tire swing Ray hung in the backyard. The same swing he and his sister fought over as kids. When the boys raised their voices and stared each other down, he chuckled. Some things never changed.
He ran down to the kitchen and kissed Hannah’s cheek while she scrubbed vegetables in the sink. She smelled like fresh bread and laundry detergent. “You need anything while I’m in town?”
