Part 15 (1/2)
Jack shrugged. He'd heard a little about Vandermullen. Enough to think that could have been the case. ”Look, for all we know the baby died at birth. No mystery.” That didn't, however, explain Liz's ad but then he wasn't sure any of them could explain Liz's last days let alone hours. They may never know what happened.
”Oh, Jack, the man Liz met at the hotel could be the mystery man she saw with her baby,” Karen said. ”If he is and the girl's alive, then he might know where she is.”
”I think Karen's right,” Denny said. ”I think Liz got into more than the wrong bed.”
Jack moaned. He was looking for Liz's killer. If she really had been looking for her child, then the two paths might have crossed.
”We may never know who that man was,” he said to Karen. ”Or where your daughter is-if she's still alive,” he added for Denny's sake, hoping all the time that he was wrong about that. she's still alive,” he added for Denny's sake, hoping all the time that he was wrong about that.
His friend didn't say anything for a moment. Jack knew Denny had a plan and that he wasn't going to like it.
”You're probably right, Jack,” he said finally. ”But there is at least one person who knows the truth. Dr. Carl Vandermullen.”
DR. CARL V VANDERMULLEN had a large upscale home in Rattlesnake Canyon just minutes outside of Missoula. had a large upscale home in Rattlesnake Canyon just minutes outside of Missoula.
Going anywhere near the doctor was a form of professional suicide that wasn't lost on Jack. Baxter would get wind of it. Although Missoula was the third-largest city in Montana with a population of forty-three thousand, the entire state was like a small town when it came to the speed with which gossip traveled.
Bringing Karen along was an even worse plan. But low on options, Jack wasn't about to leave her unless he absolutely had to. At least with him, he knew she was safe. He also wanted to gauge Vandermullen's reaction when he saw her.
But the real reason Jack drove to the palatial home of the good doctor was for Denny. To find out what he could about the baby. And for Karen. There was still a killer out there who wanted her dead. If Vandermullen had any of the answers, Jack planned to get them.
As he pulled down the long stately drive into Dr. Vandermullen's, Jack looked over at Karen. She seemed quite happy sleuthing with him, even knowing her life was at risk. It startled him to realize it was because she trusted him. Worse yet, he liked it. Too bad he wasn't trustworthy, he thought as he parked the Jeep, cut the lights and sat for a moment waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark.
A silver Mercedes convertible was parked in front of one of the three windowless garage doors. Jack wondered if a large, dark, newer American car was parked in one of the garages.
He'd borrowed Denny's gun and holster and felt less naked than he had since his recent suspension. But even with the pistol pressed against his ribs, he felt vulnerable. It was this case. It had taken too many twists and turns. At first he'd thought he was chasing a secret lover who'd killed Liz to keep her from ratting to his wife about their affair.
But now Jack wasn't sure who he was chasing or why. All he knew was that it felt more malevolent. More dangerous. And he felt more for Karen, a woman he feared was in worse danger than he knew.
”Ready?” he asked her softly.
She nodded and straightened, looking as if she were ready to take on evil single-handedly.
He smiled, realizing that the more time he spent around her, the more he liked her. She was sharp-witted, smart and entertaining company. His only concern, other than that fateful moment when her memory returned, was staying out of bed with her. The more time they'd spent together, the more Jack wanted her. Each hour, it was becoming increasingly difficult not to make love to her.
”Let's go,” he said and climbed out to open her car door for her.
Vandermullen opened the large carved wooden door, dressed in slacks, a polo s.h.i.+rt and boat shoes. If he was surprised to see either of them, he didn't show it.
”Why, h.e.l.lo,” he said, glancing from Jack to Karen, apparently recognizing them both. ”And to what do I owe this honor?”
He sounded as if he might have had a few bourbons but he didn't seem in the least antagonistic to find a cop and a star murder witness on his doorstep. His only reaction to Karen was to leer for a moment.
”We wanted to talk to you,” Jack said. ”In a strictly unofficial capacity.”
”Well, then you'd better come in and have a drink,” he said, seemingly amused, as he led them into a huge living room.
When Jack was seated on the couch beside Karen, the doctor took their drink orders. The air held the sweet distinct scent of bourbon and Vandermullen's gla.s.s had left a half-dozen wet ring marks on the gla.s.s coffee table.
Under normal circ.u.mstances, Jack would have declined a drink but he figured Vandermullen would feel more comfortable not drinking alone.
”Sure. Scotch if you have it. On the rocks.” Jack looked to Karen.
”I'll take a beer,” she said. ”Bottle if you have it.”
No white wine. Not even a light beer in a gla.s.s. His Girl Next Door was just full of surprises.
Vandermullen seemed to find her choice of drinks delightful. He brought her a cold beer. ”I a.s.sume you don't want a gla.s.s?” he said, smiling down at her.
Jack noticed that Carl Vandermullen wasn't a bad-looking man. Older, distinguished and in good shape, a man who would have no trouble finding another younger wife.
Karen smiled up at the doctor as she took the beer. ”This is just perfect.”
Jack watched her take a long drink, tilting her head back, giving him a clear view of the pale vulnerable skin of her sleek neck.
Vandermullen stepped in front of him, blocking his view. He reached up to take the Scotch the doctor offered him, aware that Vandermullen had been flirting with Karen. Suddenly Jack wanted to nail Vandermullen for the murder and anything else he could dig up on him.
”So, what is it the two of you want with me?” the doctor asked, taking a chair across from them, a large gla.s.s of bourbon on ice in his hand. But when he spoke, his gaze went to Karen and stayed there.
Karen took a sip of her beer, trying to decide how she felt about the man. There was something too relaxed about him considering his ex-wife had been murdered and he'd been hauled down to the police department for questioning. But then, she reminded herself, he just might not have anything to hide. Or was a very good actor.
She glanced around the living room. Done all in white, it had the sterile feel of an operating room-except for several splashes of bright-red color tossed about the room like bloodstains.
”I know the police have already asked you, but I wondered what you were doing at the Carlton the night of Liz's murder,” Jack said. ”Also, what you were doing at El Topo yesterday afternoon?”
Vandermullen studied his bourbon for a moment. ”I followed Liz to the hotel because I was worried about her.” He looked embarra.s.sed by the admission. ”Liz always liked picking up strangers. She liked doing dangerous things like that. Going to bed with men she'd just met.”
He shook his head sadly. ”I followed her Sat.u.r.day night because I knew she had a new lover. I could always tell. Only this one seemed...different. I feared he truly might be...dangerous.”
Hindsight was twenty-twenty, Karen thought.
”I answered the ad for the same reason,” he continued. ”I knew Liz had met men through the personals columns before, so I guess I'd gotten in the habit of watching them, wondering who my wife would pick this time. When I saw your ad,” the doctor said, looking over at Karen, ”I hoped you might know who'd killed her. No matter what happened between us, I want to see Liz's murderer brought to justice.”
Neither Jack nor Karen said anything as he drained his gla.s.s and went to refill it. They both declined another drink. Karen wondered if Jack was surprised as she was that Vandermullen knew she'd been the one to put the ad in the paper. The only way he could have found out was from Captain Baxter.
It had also been clear when Vandermullen opened the door that he knew them both. Jack had told her that she'd seen Vandermullen at the Hotel Carlton. And he'd seen her. But had he also seen her at the El Topo, when according to Jack she'd almost been run down?
When Vandermullen sat back down again, he said into the silence, ”I loved Liz, but the truth was, I couldn't keep her happy. Nor it seems could I protect her from herself.”
He was trying to portray himself as the wounded husband who put up with his wife's infidelities because he loved her. Karen wished she could remember her meeting with Liz. Could Liz have been the woman her ex-husband was portraying her to be? Hadn't Jack told her that Liz had mentioned a jealous ex she'd recently left?
”Then you didn't see her at the Carlton Sat.u.r.day night?” Jack asked. ”Nor the man she met?”
Vandermullen shook his head. ”The truth is, I realized it was over. I couldn't keep trying to protect her. Liz was on her own. Just the way she wanted it.”
”Then you didn't hear about the murder until the next morning?” Jack pressed.