Part 16 (1/2)

”You, too. After thirty years, it will be a miracle if the doctor in Memphis is still around.”

”We'll find something,” Sarah said.

”I would like to do it before ...” She couldn't quite say the words. She knew them in her head. Her heart had not quite accepted them yet.

”I know,” Sarah said softly.

”Talk to you later.”

”Be careful.”

”Oh, I am,” Meredith said.

No one was going to make her a victim again. She'd spent the better part of the last eight years comforting victims, knowing she didn't fully understand their trauma.

She was beginning to understand now. She didn't like it. She wouldn't tolerate it. Of that much she was sure.

Gage threw all his efforts into the Prescott case. In lieu of an immediate interview with Charles Rawson, he sent evidence--clothes worn by the victim and the bullet that killed him--to the FBI lab to see whether they could find something the local crime lab had not years ago.

Then he started extensively researching everyone mentioned in the case files.

He started with Prescott's uncle. He had the strongest obvious motive. His nephew had been groomed to a.s.sume the chairmans.h.i.+p of one of the largest banks in Louisiana. Now he held that position.

Gage knew the man's reputation as a builder of consensus.

He moved next to Charles Rawson, the last man known to have seen Prescott alive.

Rawson had an alibi, and no physical evidence linked him to the crime. Still, it apparently had hurt his career. He had been an a.s.sistant district attorney, then a munic.i.p.al judge. He was a big political contributor and was known to be angling for a federal judges.h.i.+p.

After Prescott's murder, the talk of a judges.h.i.+p faded. Rawson resigned as munic.i.p.al judge and never ran for office again. Instead he returned to a law firm in which he was now senior partner.

That appeared odd to Gage. Why the sudden lack of interest in a judges.h.i.+p? Rawson certainly had the political connections. Gage made a note to investigate that aspect further.

He turned his research to Mrs. Rawson. Like the older Prescott, she had been active in nearly every cultural and charitable organization in the city.

He compiled a list of her interests, looking for patterns. She seemed to stay away from anything political as well as causes that called for more effort than raising money. Charities such as United Way, the American Cancer Society, and the Heart Fund all received her attention. But nothing personal like local women's shelters, boys' clubs, or children's hospitals.

Meredith Rawson's mother. Was that where Meredith learned that cool demeanor that locked people out?

The daughter hadn't been cool a few hours ago.

He still felt that kiss. h.e.l.l, he'd felt it all evening.

He stretched. He thought about going home but he doubted he would sleep. He was haunted by her face, by the kiss, by how much he'd wanted her.

He swore at himself and turned back to the file on his desk. He'd scrawled out a number of questions raised by the case.

It was interesting that Meredith had been out of town the weekend of Prescott's death. Or was he simply tying her to the case because he wanted to see her again?

He wanted to breach those walls she'd built around her. He wanted to know if that moment of pa.s.sion was a fluke or whether it was a small glimpse into a very complicated, very pa.s.sionate woman.

Gage worried that the intriguing idea might blind him to the case itself. To the evidence.

”Hey, Gaynor, the captain wants you.” Gage looked up to see a uniformed officer in his door.

He looked at the clock. A little after seven.

Surprised that the bra.s.s was here so late, he nodded and stood. Time to give it up, anyway. He walked down the hall to the captain's office. ”You wanted me?”

”I'm told you're looking into the Prescott case.”

”The lieutenant gave me ten cold cases to review. That was one of them.”

”It was a mistake,” Captain Adams said. ”We set up an office elsewhere to review cold cases. Bennett didn't realize that Detective Wagner had already gone over the case. He's d.a.m.n good. If he didn't find anything, there's nothing to find. It's a waste of your time. And ours.”

”I've already started and--”

”We need you on active cases,” Adams said. ”We don't have enough experienced men. Bennett should never have given you cold cases. I've spoken to him about it.” He paused. ”You'll partner with Wagner from now on. You can start tomorrow.”

”Tomorrow is my day off.”

”Okay, the next day then.”

Gage wanted to protest, but his superior's face didn't encourage it.

”You can return the case files to records when you come back in.”

Gage nodded.

”Go home, Gaynor.”

There was nothing left to say. He turned toward the door. Why was the captain working so late?

Certainly not to tell one of his detectives that he had a new a.s.signment. That could have waited until the next day.

He told himself he should feel relief. But he had thrown himself into the Prescott case. There was something there. He knew there was.

And now he was sure of it.

*Chapter Ten*

'BISBEE'.

A car's tires crunched on the gravel outside.

Holly glanced out the window and saw the sheriff's car pulling up. Her heart stopped, just as it had when she'd seen the uniform at the cookout.