On a Killer's Trail (13 page)

“Yes, how about you?”

“We’re fine, and Oma is staying here. The Pines has no heat.” Neil’s grandmother had been living in a retirement home for several months.

“Mom, do you know a woman named Natalie DeWitt?”

“Natalie? Ha!”

“Ha, what?” Neil asked, wishing he’d paid attention to that niggling memory in the back of his mind sooner.

“She’s my cousin Bernard’s ex-wife,” she said.

“Oh, right, right. She lives in Deering?”

“I don’t know where she lives. They’ve been divorced for ten years. I haven’t seen her for longer than that.”

“So you don’t know where she works?”

“Last I heard, she was a hostess at the Elite Lounge.”

“Really?”

“Yes, but she’s the type that moves around.”

“Does she like dogs?”

“Well…when she was married to Bernie she had German short-haired pointers. Very high-strung dogs. Drove Bernie nuts.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“What, this is for work?”

“Well, her name came up. I thought maybe you’d know who she was.”

Connor was trying once more to get somewhere with his computer. “I think our Internet provider has closed up shop,” he said when Neil stood beside his chair.

“Natalie DeWitt used to work as a cocktail hostess at the Elite Lounge. She may not still be there.”

“That’s my boy.” Connor stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “The reason you know this is…?”

“I asked my mother. I thought I remembered her mentioning Natalie.”

“Great! When the florist down the street reopens, I’ll send her flowers.”

Neil tried to call the lounge, but no one answered.

“Maybe we’ll drive by there tonight,” Connor said. “Come on. We’ve got our computers up, but if the provider is down, what good does it do? We may as well go home.”

Neil stopped at his apartment to get his things. It was barely above freezing in there. He ate a peanut butter sandwich and got his sleeping bag and pillow and a change of clothes for the next day.

The streets were still hazardous, but with his four-wheel-drive and pursuit driving experience, Neil felt almost invincible. He was going to see Kate again. Every time he thought of her now, anticipation prickled him. She was different from any other woman he’d taken an interest in. Last summer he’d seen that as a drawback, but now he saw her in a different light, and he was sure that was good.

He thought about her as he drove to Connor’s house. She was honest about her ambition. If she needed a story for the paper, she said so. And if she just wanted to have fun, like the sledding on Sunday afternoon, she didn’t act coy about it. He thought he’d gotten beyond Kate the Reporter and had reached Kate the Friend. He liked that Kate.

When he got to the Larson house and suggested taking Kate out for a perusal of the Elite Lounge, her eyes lit up.

“More investigating,” she said eagerly.

But Connor’s reaction burst Neil’s bubble of confidence.

“First of all, that’s not the kind of place I want you taking my sister-in-law.”

“Oh, come off it,” Neil said. “This isn’t a date. We’ll just go in and ask for Natalie. If she’s not there, we’ll leave.”

Connor scowled. “Second of all, they’re probably closed.”

“Are you kidding? Bars are the last places to shut down in an emergency.”

“That’s right,” Kate chimed in, but when Adrienne and Connor stared at her, she scrunched her neck down as though trying to disappear inside her turtleneck sweater. “Of course, I have no personal experience to go by.”

“We’ll check Natalie DeWitt’s house again first,” Neil offered. “But from what my mom said, she’s the type who works nights. If she’s not home, we’ll drive to the lounge and just see if she’s working tonight.”

“All right,” Connor said at last, “but Kate stays in the truck at the Elite Lounge.”

Neil bristled. “I don’t think so. Not in that neighborhood.”

Kate walked over to Connor and touched his arm. “Connor, I’m twenty-four years old, and as much as I appreciate you, you’re not my father. I’ll be safe with Neil.”

Yes!
She believed in his change. Neil straightened his shoulders.

Connor ran a hand through his short, curly hair. “Sorry. I just don’t want the next trauma I’m called to respond on to be you.”

“Is this high-risk?” she asked.

“You never know.”

“Trust me,” Neil said, “walking into a nightclub is not life threatening unless you’re in uniform. And the Elite Lounge is a cut above some of the…” He noticed Connor’s hoisted eyebrows and stiff spine then and backpedaled. “I mean, in my professional experience. I actually haven’t been in there in at least a year. Honest.”

Connor frowned, but then threw up his hands. “Go, then. But if you so much as skid into a snowbank, I’ll have your hide.”

“Right. Absolutely.” Neil hustled Kate toward the coat closet. “We should be back by ten.”

“You’d better be.”

“Y
ikes,” Kate said when they were in Neil’s pickup. “I’ve never seen Connor so touchy.”

“Yeah, well, he’s under a lot of stress right now. And when it comes down to it, he knows I’ve done a lot of less-than-brilliant things in my life.”

“Like hanging around nightclubs?”

“Well, that was then, and this is now. I don’t miss it.”

Kate sat back, tightening her seat belt. Neil drove slowly toward Natalie DeWitt’s neighborhood. After a few minutes of silence, he said, “Thanks for trusting me tonight.”

One of the last reservations in Kate’s heart melted as she gazed at him. He kept his eyes on the icy road, and she studied his profile. What had started as a crush last summer had escalated so fast she’d let her common sense lag behind. A popular, charming, gorgeous man was lavishing his attention on her.

Adrienne had voiced her concerns early. Neil was giving Kate “the rush,” and she should be cautious. His reputation was a red flag. Connor had agreed—Neil was a steady detective but a notorious heartbreaker. It would be hard to find a single woman in the police department whom he hadn’t dated and dropped.

In only two weeks, Kate had known she’d fallen in love. But Neil never said he loved her. It’s too soon, she’d told herself. But he hadn’t thought it was too soon for a physical relationship. It was his easy dismissal of her protests that had brought the interlude to a screeching halt. Didn’t he care about her convictions? If not, that meant he had no respect for her. The bleak realiza
tion had stunned her. She had confronted him, and the tone had turned nasty enough for her to cut short her visit to Adrienne and Connor, returning home hurt, embarrassed and angry at herself for not listening to them or to God’s clear guidance.

The Neil Alexander she saw now was not the same man. Could six months make such a vast difference? How long should she hold back, observing critically, before she believed the transformation was permanent? And was that up to her? Only God could see Neil’s heart. She didn’t want to rush back into a romantic relationship with him, and yet deep down she still longed to be loved by the man she’d once imagined Neil to be. Was he becoming that man now?

He glanced over at her, his dark eyes anxious, and she realized she hadn’t responded to his remark.

“If you forgive someone, you can’t keep punishing them for what they did. Besides…” Her chest tightened, and she swallowed hard. “What happened last summer wasn’t all your fault. I knew I shouldn’t date a non-Christian. But when you asked me out, I was so flattered and excited, I didn’t care. I’m sorry, too, Neil. I never should have gone out with you. I’ve confessed that to God, but…will you forgive me, too?”

Neil braked carefully and brought the truck to a halt at a stop sign. He looked over at her in the dim light cast by the instrument panel. “I don’t think there’s anything to forgive, Kate, but yes. I’ve straightened that out with God, too. I know I was living the wrong way, and I’m starting to learn the right way. I don’t want to hurt anyone ever again.”

“Thank you.” She blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes and reached over to touch his sleeve for an instant. “I’m glad.” She sent up a silent prayer for Neil as he eased the pickup out onto the next street and drove toward Natalie’s house.

Ahead of them, a pool of light shone down from a streetlight.

“Hey! This neighborhood has electricity,” Neil said.

“That’s not fair.” She put on a pout, and Neil chuckled.

Lights shone from Natalie DeWitt’s windows. He pulled into
the driveway. They walked to the door together, and Neil rang the bell. A few seconds later, it opened a crack.

“Yes?”

No wonder Mrs. Burton was jealous, Kate thought. Natalie’s dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. No gray. Her dramatic makeup showcased a lovely face. Her expression held only a tinge of wariness.

“Natalie DeWitt?” Neil asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m Neil Alexander with the Portland P.D. May we come in and ask you a few questions?”

She hesitated and looked beyond him at Kate. Kate tried to look as official as possible. It wouldn’t do to have her guessing that the detective had brought a friend along on his investigation.

Natalie stepped back and let them enter, but she didn’t offer them a seat.

“Do you know James M. Burton?” Neil asked.

“I…don’t think so.”

“Have you read about his disappearance in the newspaper?”

“Oh, the animal shelter guy!”

“Right. Do you know him?”

“I’ve met him. Wouldn’t say I actually know him.”

“We’re trying to locate Mr. Burton. We thought perhaps you could help us.”

“Me? That’s strange. I’ve seen him once or twice is all.”

“You saw him at the Fun for Pets day?”

“I guess so. I took my dog to that.”

“Have you seen him since?”

“I’m not sure. There was another event at the shelter. I may have seen him then.”

“So you’ve never seen him away from the shelter?”

“I don’t believe so. Why?” A white, long-haired dog came and leaned against her leg, panting.

“Just part of our investigation, ma’am. Could you please tell me where you’re employed?”

“The Spinning Wheel Restaurant. Tonight’s my night off.”

The dog approached Kate and snuffled her hand. Kate stroked his head. He gazed at her with big blue eyes and yawned. She couldn’t help smiling.

Neil asked a few more questions that Ms. DeWitt seemed to answer honestly and without hesitation. Neil thanked her for her time.

“I had high hopes but I don’t think she’s the one,” he admitted to Kate in the truck.

“Burton’s wife was imagining things,” she said.

“Or Ms. DeWitt’s a skilled prevaricator.”

“You’re a good judge of people.”

“Not always.” He threw her an oblique glance, as though wondering if he was reading her right.

Kate hoped she was reading Neil’s signals right, too. She liked him a lot, but the timing still wasn’t good. She’d kept reminding herself all week that now was the time to build her career. Romance could come later. She wouldn’t want him to think she only wanted to be around him if he fed her information for her articles. They both needed more time to let the dust settle from last summer before even considering getting involved romantically again.

The power was still out on Gray Goose Lane when they returned. Connor had opened the couch for Neil to sleep on.

“You’ll be warmer if you sleep by the fireplace.” They lit candles in the kitchen, sunroom and living room. Connor had the woodstove in the sunroom, and he built the fires up in it and the fireplace as soon as Neil and Kate got there.

“I brought my sleeping bag,” Neil told Adrienne. “You don’t need to get sheets out for me.”

“Kate and Matthew slept down here last night, and we shut off the upstairs,” said Connor, “but we’ll try to warm things up enough so she can be comfortable in her room.”

Neil threw a glance Kate’s way. “Maybe I should go home.”

“Don’t do that,” Kate said. “I’ll be fine. I’ve got two quilts.”

“You’d freeze at your place,” Connor said. “Matt’s already asleep in our room. He might just stay there tonight.” He hung the poker by the fireplace. The downstairs was comfortable by then. They had three pans of ice and snow on the woodstove, melting so they could use it to flush toilets. Connor and Adrienne sat down on the wicker settee in the sunroom. Adrienne had set out bottled water and packaged cookies for a candlelight snack.

“Well, it’s too bad Miss DeWitt didn’t turn out to be a good lead for us,” Connor said.

Neil smiled. “At least we put that rumor to rest without having to go bar-hopping.”

Connor was not amused. “Maybe we’ll get a break tomorrow. I think once this power crisis is over, the governor will help us get the authority we need to freeze that bank account.” He pulled Adrienne against him.

They chatted for a few more minutes, and then Adrienne said, “I think I’ll turn in. Not that the company isn’t scintillating, but I know Hailey will be up within a couple of hours, and I may as well sleep while she does.”

“Probably a good idea for everybody,” Connor said. “The chief called and told me the crews are working around the clock to get the power back up. Tomorrow should be a big day to catch up on everything we couldn’t do today.”

Kate stood and gathered the empty water bottles and cookie package.

“Want to get that candle in the kitchen while you’re out there?” Connor asked.

“Sure.” She threw away the wrapper and left the bottles by the sink. The one candle burning on the counter barely illuminated the kitchen. Kate bent over and puffed it out. When she went back to the sunroom, Adrienne handed her a flashlight.

“All set?”

“I think so. Thanks.”

Connor had already disappeared, and Adrienne headed for the master bedroom. Kate rounded the corner into the living room.
Neil was spreading his sleeping bag on the sofa. The blaze in the fireplace snapped merrily.

“You sure you’ll be warm enough up there?” he asked.

Kate smiled. “Yeah.” She held her hands toward the fire for a moment. “Seems like a special occasion, doesn’t it? My folks hardly ever have a fire in their fireplace.”

“It’s very special.”

“Neil…” She turned toward him. “I’m glad I’ve had the chance to get to know you again the past couple of weeks.”

“Me, too.”

She smiled at him, feeling as though she didn’t need to learn any more to trust him now.

They stood looking at each other in the soft light for a long moment.

Neil chuckled. “I want to say you’re exactly the way I remembered you, but you’re not. The truth is, you’re better than the woman I hung out with last June. You’re deeper than I ever realized, and I think you’re more beautiful now.”

She felt her face flush. “You’re different, too. In a good way. I used to hear Connor talk about this brash, flippant kid he had trained.”

“He must have been talking about Tony.”

They both laughed.

“Well, that intrigued me. But I think I like you better now.” As she looked into his dark eyes and saw the reflection of the fire leaping in them, she knew she needed to keep her distance. Neil was a Christian now, but old habits resurface when the opportunity arises. She hadn’t experienced a serious, mature relationship. She’d always figured it would happen when the time was right. Last summer she’d hoped that the time had come and had been disappointed. Was she ready now? And was he?

“I’d better head to bed.” She turned on her flashlight and stepped toward the staircase.

“Kate.”

She turned back with one foot on the bottom step. He was still by the fireplace, but when he spoke, she could hear his soft tones across the room.

“Do you think we could start over?”

Her heart raced. Decision time. “What do you mean?”

“I haven’t gone out at all in the last six months. But now that I’ve seen you again, I think I’d like to try a new relationship and see if I can get it right. With God’s help.”

She smiled. About half her resolutions had just been shattered, but she didn’t mind.

“The pastor’s been showing me some things from the Bible,” he went on earnestly. “Kate, will you give me another chance?”

She caught her breath and sent up a quick prayer.
Is this the right time, Lord?
The old uneasiness was gone. “I think…I think I would.”

He closed the distance between them in three strides. “What do you think would make a first-rate date?”

None of the places we went last summer, she thought. Aloud she said, “I don’t know. Maybe a boat ride around the bay. But not in January. Hmm. Ice skating?”

“Not a fancy restaurant or a swanky party?”

“Neil, I’m a country girl. I grew up on a farm. If you took me to a fancy party, I wouldn’t have the wardrobe, and I wouldn’t know what to do with my elbows.”

He chuckled. “Are you sure? Just talking about it makes me want to take you to some fancy event. I wonder if Tony could get us tickets to the inaugural ball.”

She blinked at him. “Inaugural ball? In Washington?”

“No, in Augusta. You know. Tony’s uncle. He just got reelected.”

Kate sat down on the second step. “Are you telling me that your bozo detective partner, Tony Carlisle, is Governor Tracey’s nephew?”

“Well, yeah. I thought you knew. I thought the whole world knew.” Neil gulped. “So now I guess you’ll want to interview Tony.”

She stared up at him, appalled that the identical thought had occurred to her.

“Because Tony doesn’t play it up much,” Neil went on. “He wants to be treated just like anyone else—no special privileges or consideration in the P.D. He’s a little impulsive, but he’s a good cop, and getting better. I don’t think he’d want to be interviewed. It would just draw attention to him and ruin it for him to do undercover work.”

“I can see that. You’re right—it wouldn’t help at all to plaster his baby face all over the papers.” In her mind, she backtracked to their earlier conversation with Connor. “So, Connor wasn’t kidding when he said the governor would help him try to freeze Jim Burton’s bank account?”