Part 20 (2/2)

Wasn't she?

And if it was Angie, why would she tell him the building address, but not Stan's apartment number? Thank goodness it was a twelve-story building, or Tyler might have gone door to door looking for the child.

Confusion filled her. She'd trusted foolishly once, given a man her heart, lowered all the defenses she'd built up over a lifetime to let him get close to her. Dianne Randle had questioned her judgment about men. Maybe she should question her judgment about women as well.

Nothing made sense! She couldn't think, and felt only fear and complete exhaustion. If she rushed to see Kaitlyn and was wrong, she might never see her daughter again.

She stood on the sidewalk in front of Angie and Stan's apartment building. She ached to go inside, but she also had to think this through. Who could she trust? What should she do to a.s.sure that she and Kaitlyn would never again be in danger?

Tyler was the biggest threat to her and her daughter. The one thing she wanted more than anything else in the world was to see Kaitlyn's father dead. Unbidden, the thought came to her-find him and kill him.

Olympia Pappas tried to concentrate on her job, but the letters and numbers blurred before her eyes.

She couldn't stomach it any longer. Not his lies, his deceit. He'd loved her once, but it was over. She had to face it and get on with her life. But the thought of a black, loveless, desolate future brought angry tears to her eyes.

Why couldn't he see that she was the best one for him? Why didn't he understand that she loved him enough for both of them?

She tried to concentrate on matching the case number on the paper she held with the number written on the folder, but it wasn't working. All she could see was Tyler.

She could make him happy if he'd only give her a chance instead of wasting his time on other women. She'd seen how they'd go alone to the restaurant and then throw themselves at him. That skinny blonde wh.o.r.e did it tonight. It made her want to throw up!

Did he think she hadn't seen? That she hadn't known?

How dare he treat her like this! Take her love and toss it aside as if it were nothing-as if she were nothing.

She stuffed handfuls of papers into folders, her hands flying, her mind paying no attention to what she was doing.

She'd show him. She'd make him sorry he ever, ever dared to treat her that way. He'd be hers or he'd be no one's. She'd rather see him dead.

Chapter 23.

A crowd gathered on the sidewalk outside a small Stockton Street building that housed four small apartments. Homicide Inspector Rebecca Mayfield scanned the faces as she entered the one downstairs, right. Her partner hadn't arrived yet, which was hardly a surprise. She should be used to it by now; still, it irked her.

A male Caucasian lay sprawled face down on the living room floor, the area around him thick with blood.

The policeman who found the body stepped up to Rebecca. ”Officer Dandridge, Inspector. We received a 911 call from this apartment and came by to investigate. The landlady let us in when our knocks received no answer. We found the victim. In his hand is his cell phone-one of those that pressing one number calls 911. That's how he reached us.” His gaze s.h.i.+fted to the bloodied corpse. ”Not that it helped.”

Rebecca snapped on her rubber gloves and lifted the body so she could see the victim's face. When she did so, she started. She knew the man; she'd spoken with him in connection with Sherlock Farnsworth's death. It was Tyler Marsh.

He'd been stabbed several times in the heart and stomach. It appeared that whoever did it had been very, very angry.

The last thing Paavo expected when he knocked on Angie's door was to have it opened by Stan Bonnette wearing nothing but an unders.h.i.+rt and BVDs.

Stan looked sleepy, but jerked quickly awake at Paavo's scowl. ”Uh...”

”Making yourself at home, aren't you, Bonnet? Where's Angie?”

Stan hurried to put on his pants as Paavo entered the apartment. ”It's Bonnette,” he said automatically. ”I was here talking about Hannah, then Kaitlyn fell asleep, then Angie, and I didn't want to disturb them...and Angie's couch is more comfortable than mine, which I can hardly find anymore...” He stopped talking.

The baby was in the stroller, dozing contentedly.

Angie stepped out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes. ”I thought I heard voices.” Suddenly, looking at Paavo, at Stan, at the early hour, all the color drained from her face. ”Has something happened?”

Stan saw her reaction and the possible reason for it struck him as well. He dropped onto the sofa, his knees weak. ”Hannah?” he murmured.

”It's not Hannah,” Paavo said. ”We haven't found her yet.” Both Angie and Stan sighed with relief.

”This is so much like the morning you came by to tell me about Peter Leong,” Angie said. ”I had the feeling something bad had happened.”

”It's not exactly the same,” Paavo said with a grimace in Stan's direction. ”But something bad did happen. Does the name Tyler Marsh sound familiar?”

”Yes,” Angie said. ”He works at the Athina.”

”When did you last see him?”

”Hmm, several days ago, at least,” Angie answered.

”Me, too,” Stan added.

”Why?” She looked from Stan to Paavo.

”He was murdered last night.”

Angie glanced again at Stan. ”Murdered? My G.o.d!” Her eyes saddened. He wasn't a good man, that she'd learned, but no one deserved that fate. ”He was so young, so full of life. I'm sorry he's dead.”

Stan's eyes were like an owl's. ”Do you know who did it?” he asked, his voice quavering.

”He was found in his apartment. It apparently happened around midnight. We'll know more later. Right now I'd like you both to tell me everything you know about Tyler Marsh and the other people at the restaurant.”

Rebecca talked to Marsh's neighbors and wrote down names for follow-ups later. No one admitted to hearing or seeing anything out of the ordinary other than the fact that Marsh's next-door neighbor heard his front door slam a couple of times late at night. Its latch wouldn't catch unless pulled hard.

As soon as the Athina opened that morning, Rebecca headed there with Paavo. She'd only worked on a case with him once before and took a moment to brush her hair and freshen her makeup. She had to admit she never felt quite so nervous or upbeat when she rode in the SFPD-issued Ford beside her usual partner.

At the Athina, they spoke first with Eugene Leer. He believed the killer was Hannah Dzanic. Her disappearance showed how unbalanced she was; she killed Tyler because he wouldn't marry her.

Rebecca asked if Leer knew of any other enemies Tyler might have had. He didn't.

Michael Zeno was sure Olympia Pappas had killed Marsh. They'd dated before Hannah entered the picture, and Olympia never got over him. She was hot-tempered and insanely jealous. When Hannah left, she tried to get Tyler back, but he wasn't interested.

Eleni Pappas thought Michael Zeno killed him out of jealousy and Tyler's treatment of Hannah, while Gail Leer believed he was simply the victim of a botched robbery attempt.

Interestingly, Paavo noted, no one seemed particularly upset or troubled by their co-worker's death.

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