Formula for Murder (20 page)

“Back in town just a few weeks and you’ve stepped into a murder scene and have yourself a woman. Sounds like the ol’ Nick already.”

“Don’t be so sure. I’m not certain of anything right now—just that I’m worried.”

“Hmmm, this is sounding better. Worried about a woman. That’s not the ol’ Nick talking.”

Nick straddled the bench near
G.
 
L
. “I know this isn’t your stock-in-trade anymore, but could you possibly fit in tailing her for a while? I would sure feel better if I knew she was protected. I can’t get a handle on this murder and every time I start investigating I start worrying about her. I’ve tried to keep close, but I can’t do that and keep her out of it at the same time.”

“It’s important to keep her out of it?”

Nick contemplated the question as he dressed. G.
 
L. didn’t deserve a cheap answer and neither did Kat. He couldn’t put most of what he felt about her into words but he did feel strongly enough to answer with conviction. “Yeah, it is now. I want her safe. Just yesterday, the killer, or some crazed driver, chased and crumpled the car she was in. Earlier a woman looking like her was cracked in the head.”

“What kind of a car description do you have?”

“Nothing useful. Kat and the kid that was driving couldn’t even tell if it was a man or woman. The person had a hooded jacket on. The car was a 1995 gray Chevy Cavalier. The cops are on the lookout for it, but with no license plate number they can’t stop anyone unless the car is involved in something suspicious-looking.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

“I know that as the head of your own security company you don’t do anything this low-key anymore but could you follow her, looking out for anyone else following her? Make sure she gets home safely. Look for tampering around the house, her car. Things like that.”

The burly man frowned momentarily, then smiled. “It’s a deal. Only if you’ll consider coming in as my partner when this is wrapped up. I could use someone with your expertise. It would put us on the map.”

Nick leapt up from tying his shoes and grasped
G.
 
L
.’s hand to clinch the deal before the man changed his mind. “I thought you’d never ask!”

“I really would appreciate you thinking about it Nick. I know this isn’t what you’re used to. Admittedly there aren’t too many high-powered politicians in this area.”

“Yeah,” Nick agreed with a beaming grin. “I know. It must be great. If I never see another politician I’ll die happy.”

“Sounds like you worked for the Pentagon too long. Give me the particulars on your Kat and I’ll take care of her while you handle the rest. You know my crew will help with your investigation any way they can.”

Nick made it very clear that for now he only wanted G.
 
L. Too many people involved and Kat would catch on for sure.
G.
 
L
. covered his smile with a cough. It didn’t take detective training to learn you never tried to con a woman, but he wouldn’t be the one to try and dissuade Nick.

The men exchanged the necessary information, shook hands, and departed. Nick vowed to himself to escalate the investigation if he had to light a fire under Burrows to do it.

Kat’s heart fluttered when
she spied Nick’s car in the parking lot tucked amidst all the SUV’s. And a smile raced across her face when she saw he was inside. Maybe he was free to spend the afternoon with her. Before she could embarrass herself, she realized there was a passenger. Who could it be? And why were they conversing in his car, stuffed there like sardines in a can? From her secluded spot behind a van she saw an animated discussion in progress between two large men in an itty-bitty sports car.

Nick hadn’t noticed Kat. He had just begun his explanation of his furtive meeting arrangements with Richard Burrows. “Thanks for meeting so quickly with me, Richard.”

“No problem, as long as we talk fast. In 15 minutes I’ll probably be stuck in here. Why are we hiding in this sad excuse for a car?”

“I’ll ignore that in the interests of getting you out of here before you become a permanent fixture. I wanted to avoid Kat. As soon as she saw you she’d want to join in the conversation.”

“And that’s bad because?” Richard asked as he twisted his rear in the small seat trying to get comfortable. “I don’t usually mind her meddling. She has helped me solve a few crimes after all. I could probably tolerate her better than these seats right now.”

“OK, here’s the deal.” Nick pulled a photo out of the packet in his hands. “This is G. L. Petingill III. I wanted you to pass the photo around to all your men.”

“Petingill the third? He sounds classy, looks like a thug.”

“He’s a private investigator. An old friend of mine. I’ve hired him to keep an eye on Katharine. I’m worried about her since that run-in on the road yesterday.”

“Why do I get the feeling that you aren’t telling Katharine about this?”

“It would take a braver man than me to inform her she’s got a bodyguard whether she wants one or not.”

“Good point!”

“I want your men to know who he is so that they don’t arrest him by mistake, or worse, interfere. They are not to acknowledge him in any way. They should only come to his assistance if he requests it. He’ll mostly be shadowing Kat and keeping his eyes open around campus. He’ll report anything to you that might help in the murder investigation, though that’s not his priority right now.”

Richard attempted to stretch and gave up. “OK. As long as I’m stuck here can you give me a ride to my car in the South lot? I’m so tired I’d probably stumble over my own feet. I’ve got two men out sick and this case seems unending.”

Kat pulled out of the lot a minute before. She hadn’t wanted to be caught staring, though she thought it a strange meeting place. She wondered what Nick was up to but her mind quickly turned to her afternoon plans. Later she wandered her back yard with a cup of coffee and enjoyed the scent of the late-blooming flowers, all the more appreciated when she thought of the snowy winter to come.

Her rustic home was set back from the road in an acre of oak, birch, and pine. The house was ringed round with native laurel and rhododendron. Dogwood and more rhododendrons nestled in open areas of the neighbors’ woods. The peaceful surroundings were a balm to her soul turned cold from thoughts of murder. Charlie’s life seemed so empty. Why had no one noticed? Or had he preferred it that way? No one had stepped forward and called himself friend. No one had even offered to help close out his apartment when the time came. She hoped she’d have more to mourn her than that. And more to mark the passing of her life.

In the distance she heard the phone ring and raced for it, hoping it was Detective Burrows returning her call. She managed to grab it on the final ring, only to hear silence and the distinct click of the receiver being disconnected. Strange, but maybe the person hung up before realizing she had answered. Come to think of it there were a lot of silences on the answering machine also lately. She hung up the phone carefully, as if it might ring again if she wasn’t deliberate enough. It was beginning to spook her.

She contemplated the calls while refilling her birdfeeders—one with sunflower seed to attract the cardinals, nuthatches and chickadees, and one with peanuts for the blue jays and woodpeckers. She was proud of those feeders—the latest in anti-squirrel technology. They were the final result of countless episodes of woman against squirrel. It had taken months to perfect, numerous curses, and ingenious attempts gone awry, but it appeared that she had won, and the birds, and only the birds, were merrily eating the birdseed. The squirrels fed off the ground.

Inside she settled at her desk. It was time to get her life organized. She was twenty-nine, talented, and satisfied with her life, her friends, and her path to the future. Or she had been. Then Nick came along. He’d made no permanent murmurings, hadn’t even really made a move on her, but oh, how her heart tripped when he was near. The question was, “Now what?” She hated the thought of just waiting to see what would happen. She liked direction in her life. And with this murder, now, more than ever, security and closeness to other human beings seemed tantamount to sanity.

She called Burrows again. Maybe his investigation was coming to a close and life would return to a semblance of normalcy. Maybe that had been him earlier, returning her call, she justified. She felt a strange sense of relief when he came on the line. Like his voice would protect her or something, but from what she wasn’t sure.

Richard apologized. “I just walked in and got the message to call. What’s up?”

“Someone’s been calling and hanging up a lot lately. Mostly here at home. They even listen to my answering machine message, wait for the beep, and then after a few seconds, hang up. I’m not sure what they are trying to convey by that. I’m confused, and scared. And angry with myself because I am scared and it’s probably just a restless salesman.”

“They left no message at all?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, it’s not enough to go on. Wish I could help. Are you sure you want to stay there alone? Maybe it’s time to visit a friend for a while. We still don’t know if that car was following you or Robin.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

His men, Nick’s investigator, and the campus security guys would be tripping over each other there were so many of them around campus right now. No need to mention that to Katharine though.

“How good are your door and window locks?”

Kat glanced out the window by the phone, pulling aside the light netting she used as curtains in the study and stared at the unlocked lock. “Top of the line. It’s a carryover from the year I lived in
New York
.” No need to tell him that here she never remembered to lock them. That would change, at least for the time being.

She asked how the investigation was going.

“Progressing. We just don’t have anyone likely yet. We’re still hunting up people and checking backgrounds.”

She interspersed with her news from Maddy. “You can probably forget about Sean. From what the dean said I imagine he’s not a likely candidate. She explained about Sean not really wanting to be an M.D., therefore, he had no motive.”

Downings seems a dead end, too.

The student that suspected Charlie of stealing his enzyme?”

“Downings remembered Dr. Abbott’s name all right, as soon as my officer started questioning him, but he’s now over at the
University
of
Illinois
doing his graduate work. He also had an alibi for that night. But thanks for the tip. We never would have found him without your help.”

Burrows was an old friend as well as a detective. She found herself confiding her frustration to him. Her concern over Charlie’s passing without leaving much of a mark, her concern that the killer would never be found and that the unsettled feeling would never leave campus. He consoled her as best he could. “You know there were no clues found in the lab Katharine. We do know that the killer was probably left handed from the angle of the slashes; that he or she was about five-foot, seven to ten inches tall, and probably a male from Robin’s description of the voice. So we are making progress.”

“That’s not all that encouraging, Richard.”

Kat wasn’t about to give away Kelly if Robin didn’t. “So what did you and Robin discuss?”

“He admitted the professor wasn’t all that fond of him. But the man needed an extra student for his NADH study Robin’s sophomore year and it meshed with his own interests.

Kat held her tongue, not sure where the detective was leading.

“Robin gave some professor’s names as references to his character and the name of his counselor who could corroborate his story. In effect, Robin had no reason to hate Charlie and no gain in killing him. He had, on the other hand, much to lose from his death and subsequently the possible loss of his honors project.

“All in all, we only learned that it was probably a man from the sound of the voice.”

“Doesn’t help me much with my mystery caller.”

“Katharine, can’t you remember anything that might help us? Are you sure you didn’t see anything that the killer would find threatening? You were there that night. What could you have seen?”