Part 32 (2/2)
”Not us. It's high profile now. I suspect we'll be taken off the Starnes case. I'm not sure if the captain knows the connection between the cases, but he sure as h.e.l.l will soon.”
”Thanks for letting me know.”
”Hey, we're partners.”
The line went dead.
Gage hurriedly took a cold shower to wake up, then stepped into a pair of Dockers and found a clean blue s.h.i.+rt. Beast waited impatiently, obviously eager for a meal. He poured some dry food into a bowl and filled the water dish.
The impact of the news slowly sank in. Meredith would be devastated. Her mother dying. The Starnes murder. Now this.
Had she been notified yet?
Surely she had.
He wished she'd called him.
Would she want him near? Did she have anyone?
Surely yes.
Still, he would stop by her house, make sure she was all right.
Then he would start his own investigation. To h.e.l.l with the department. Meredith Rawson was involved in something extremely dangerous. And he was d.a.m.ned well going to find out what it was.
From the time the phone rang to the time he stepped inside the car, only fifteen minutes had pa.s.sed. He had not taken the time to shave.
Her house was lit. An unmarked department car was in front of the house.
He hurried up to the porch and tried the door. It opened.
Meredith was sitting in the living room, wrapped in a robe. Her hair was tousled. Her face was pale but under tight control.
She glanced up and a look of relief crossed her face.
The detective in a chair opposite her looked annoyed. ”I didn't know you've been a.s.signed to this case.”
”I wasn't. I'm an acquaintance of Ms. Rawson. I thought she might need someone.”
Max Byers shook his head.
”Her father has just been killed, for G.o.d's sake,” Gage said. ”She's not a witness.”
”But she was yesterday, wasn't she? That's one h.e.l.l of a coincidence.”
Gage ignored him and sat down next to her. ”Are you all right?” he asked softly.
”No.”
Gage turned to Byers. ”Can she have some time?”
”She should identify the body.”
”Later today.”
Byers nodded. ”Call me and I'll send over a car.”
”I'll take her.”
Byers raised an eyebrow but handed her a card and left, taking his partner with him.
Gage turned to Meredith and held out his arms. She went into them, her body shuddering against his.
”I'm so d.a.m.ned sorry,” he said.
”Thank you for coming. I know they're doing their jobs but...”
He ran his fingers through her hair, then down to her neck, ma.s.saging the muscles.
He didn't say anything, just held her close, wis.h.i.+ng he could absorb some of her pain. He knew how he'd felt when his mother died. She'd never had time to be much of a mother, but she tried. G.o.d knew she had tried. He had been twenty-two and devastated.
”Cry,” he said.
”I can't,” she whispered into his shoulder. ”I can't even comprehend.... He was here last night. Just a few hours ago.”
For a moment, he felt as if his breath had been knocked from him. Death was following her like some dark shadow.
”Did he say anything? Was he worried?”
”He wanted me to stop looking for my sister.”
”And you said .. .?”
”No. We argued. I didn't say good-bye.” A tear rolled down her cheeks.
Her body was tense. Rigid.
”Some coffee? Tea? Or rest?”
She gave him a wan smile. ”Maybe some coffee. There's some already made.”
”I'll get it,” he said, gently unwinding from her.
”I have to tell Daddy's housekeeper. She ...” She looked back at him. Tears hovered in her eyes. They were held back, he thought, by sheer determination. ”I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ...”
”h.e.l.l with that,” he said, resting his hand on her shoulder. She'd just been orphaned. Her father was dead, her mother was dying, and someone was killing people around her. Perhaps they had even tried to kill her. And missed.
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