Part 10 (1/2)
”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 s.h.i.+fted 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 a.s.sured 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 c.r.a.p, 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 D 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. 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 h.e.l.l 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?”