Part 2 (1/2)

Jamie reached over and turned on his television. It was never on anything but the news or the sports channel and now was no different. The special task force officer Markus Lionel was speaking.

”...this morning. He is also suspected in the murder of two other children who have not yet been located. We have a specialist that will be working with us on this case from this point on to try and ascertain where or if there are more. Any questions?”

”You say specialist. Is this the same man that helped on the Night Slasher several months ago? You said that he was instrumental in helping solve that case. My readers would really like to know who this man is.”

”Sorry, April, but I have no comment on the specialist. I've told you before that we are working with a person who is helpful and is very private. Next question.”

”Will the person be coming here to help with the location of the bodies? And if so, when do you expect him to arrive?”

”People, I have said all I'm going to say about the help. If there are no more questions about the man who murdered five children, then this is coming to a close. One more question, one more hint about the specialist, and it will be the last news conference I give. Do I make myself understood?”

Jamie watched the man walk away from the podium and head toward a closed door. At first he had thought of Dane then dismissed the idea as they asked about a man. But he could not get her helping them out of his mind. He remembered his mom was still on the phone.

”Mom, why did you need Dane's number, did you remember? I didn't get it, but she did talk to Damon a great deal. Maybe he has it.”

”Yes. I already talked to him. That's how I knew to call her. I have a child that could benefit from her type of work. Did you know that she's a doctor? Anyway, I'll have to see if I can track her down another way. I love you, son. I'll see you on Sunday.” Jamie hung up and sat back again. Her name was Dane Wallace and she was new to the States, she'd said. He picked up the phone again and called Devin. He would be able to find her faster than anyone.

”I don't do date research anymore. You want to get to know a girl then you have to figure it out the old fas.h.i.+oned way. Through dating and talking. Why do you want this anyway?”

”Mom does. And I'm not dating her. We barely spoke two words to each other. Damon said she was a doctor. Mom needs her help. That's it.”

”Oh. Well she has a practice on Thirty-fourth Street. It's only open in the late afternoon and evening. I can't find a home address for her, but I did find an application she is trying to get through on a Pi Lee Chang. She's a Chinese resident who wants to stay here on a working visa.

Dane Wallace is the person who is asking for her help. They've been companions for nearly a decade in China. If Dane was a resident here before, I can't find it. There is no driver's license in her name, no social security number or anything else. The building is owned by some conglomerate that I can't seem to get a handle on. Everything seems legal, but who knows.”

”You just happened to have that in front of you? d.a.m.n, Devin, you're better than I thought.

Give me the address and I'll go see what I can find out. Who were you searching this for anyway?”

”She made O'Malley cry. I've never seen anyone do that before and I want to know how she did it. There's a history there that I can't figure out.” Jamie closed his eyes and wondered.

”Besides, I'm worried...I don't know if I believe everything O'Malley old us, but, well...what if she had something...Never mind.”

”Let it go for now, Dev. If you really want to know, ask Cait. But let it go for now. There is some history, lots of it, but let it go until you talk to the women themselves.”

”You know.” It was not a question so Jamie did not respond. When Devin spoke again, it was with a little anger. ”If this Dane hurts O'Malley, there won't be any hiding for her. I'll let it go for now, but I won't be put off long. Let me know what you find out.” After they hung up, Jamie decided to go to her office. He didn't figure it could hurt and it could get him in good with his mom if Dane would agree to help out with the kid. Smiling, he wondered if she would maybe have dinner with him too.

There was no one at the office when he got there. It was in a nice part of town and the building looked brand new. He walked around it for a few minutes then got back in his car.

There had been a phone number on the door to call for emergencies. He pulled out his cell and called.

”Doctor Wallace answering service. How may I help you?” Jamie thought he'd get a machine or maybe a recording, but not this cheery person on the other end. ”My name is James Grant and I'd like to know when you expect Dr. Wallace back in the office?”

”I'm sorry, Mr. Grant, but I can't give you that information. I can tell you that Dr. Wallace will be in the office next week, and that she is booked up for a few weeks. I can make an appointment for you. Is this for your son or daughter?”

”Neither. I need to talk to her. She...she and I were in an accident the other night and she-”

”Oh, she told me about that. Yes, I remember where I've heard your name before. I'm so glad you're all right. Dane...err, Dr. Wallace will be out of town for a few more days. She had an emergency in California and she'll be back soon. Would you like to leave her a message? She calls in here several times a day to check.”

California. Jamie suddenly knew that she was the specialist. He realized that the woman was still waiting for him to answer. ”Yes, can you have her call me? I have a question I'd like her to answer for me.” He gave her his cell phone number and his home number. Then gave his office number. ”Tell her if I don't answer for her to leave a number and I'll call her back. Thanks.” Jamie didn't know why he was angry with Dane, but he was. He didn't like her giving false hope in child cases. He had seen enough in his lifetime with his mother working in the different state departments dealing with children and less desirable types to know what sort of people fed off them. Lawyers and sc.u.mbags who would make a quick buck off others' pain. He wondered if she charged for her ”advice” and looked up at the building in front of him. Yeah, he thought, probably a bundle.

He was just sitting down to his dinner when his phone rang. Looking at the blocked caller ID, he nearly didn't answer it, but did anyway.

”Grant.” Taking a huge bite of pizza, he waited for the person to speak and was wondering if it was one of those telemarketers that had the computer dial the number and then expected you to wait until they got to you.

”It's Dane Wallace, Mr. Grant. What can I do for you?” His mouth full and burning the c.r.a.p out of him, he suddenly felt stupid. And for some reason, that made him angry and snappy.

”How's the weather in California, Dr. Wallace? Is it all right for searching for missing children in the woods? Or is that beneath you and your talents?” Her hiss of breath had him feeling ashamed. He nearly told her he was sorry when she came back at him.

”Dead children who have been mutilated by their loved ones never has good weather, Mr.

Grant, but I thank you for asking. Perhaps when they find the body of the six-year-old that her father says he raped then murdered, I'll make sure I note the sunny conditions and report it back to you as your earliest convenience. If all you called about was that, then I think we're through here. Good day.”

The connection was cut off in a heartbeat and he put his phone on the table. It was that or throw it and he was sure that the shop would not be very happy if he did. He had been an a.s.s. A p.r.i.c.k and an a.s.s. Christ, his mother was going to kill him and he deserved it. No longer hungry, he had them box up his dinner and left. When he got home, he turned on the news and waited for the reports to come on about the missing little girl and the daddy who had killed her.

*CHAPTER 5*.

Dane put her phone in her pocket and stood next to the tent just outside the site where little Mercedes Evans was being dug up. Her father had confessed after he'd been arrested and had told them where she was. Dane had already told Markus, but they needed to have the father confess for the record. It was horrific work and though Dane knew the extent of her injuries intimately, she was still shocked at the little body when it was pulled from the shallow grave.

She didn't even wonder how the man she had just hung up on had figured out what people had been wondering about for years. She just knew that Detective Grant had told him her story and from there she didn't know, but he did not strike her as stupid. The tears threatened again, but she blinked them away.

It hurt to be thought of the way he did about her. But it hurt more coming from him for some reason. He had been so kind to her in the hospital and she had felt his sincerity too. When Markus went to the cameras to make a statement, Dane stepped back and faded into the background. She was on her way to the airport when he called her.

”I can't thank you enough, Dane. We couldn't have nailed him without the body and I doubt he'd have confessed without the extra that you gave us. Mercedes was just as you said she'd be, I'm sorry to say.”

”Me too. I'm going home. And I'm not...please try to not call me for a few weeks, Markus.

I really need to detox from this and to set up my practice. I have to have some sort of normal life.

I can't keep...it takes too much from me. I can't keep doing this all the time.”

”I know, baby. I'm sorry. Why don't you meet a nice man and settle down, have a few hundred babies and raise them to be nice people? There has to be someone out there to appreciate a beautiful woman like you. I know I would if you'd have me.” He had asked her out so many times over the years, but she had always said no. He was just not what she was looking for in a person to spend her life with. She was not sure if there was such a man, but she was not going to settle. Not this time. Once was enough.

”I'll talk to you sometime. And Markus? Thanks. You're a great friend.” She closed her phone before he could answer her. More tired than she'd ever been, she was nearly fully asleep when the cab driver pulled up in front of the airport.

On Sat.u.r.day morning, she was in the yard pulling weeds when Pi came out. She had a message from the police department and they would like for her to come by as soon as she could.

”Call them back and tell them I'm busy. Unless they want to arrest me, I don't have anything to say to them. I've filed my report on what happened at the Quad and they can f.u.c.k off.”

”Missy Dane, you should have soap in your tongue. That man, Tucker, he say tell you that it important. You come down or he come here. I no think that good, so I tell him you come there.”

”Pi, please tell me he didn't call and you told him this address? Please. I told you it's important that no one know where we live. I explained that as a doctor, it's important that I keep the house separate from the office, didn't I?”

”Yes, Missy Dane. He not have address. He hinted, but I no take the worm. I never said, promise. You go there now? You pick up fake Chinese on way back. I need to try other place before I open restaurant with real food. Shoo, shoo. Garden be here when you come back.” Dane was pulling into the lot when she realized that Pi had mentioned restaurant and wondered where that had come from. Laying her head on the steering wheel, Dane tried to imagine Pi trying to run a restaurant with American employees trying to understand what she said even half the time. Dane was still chuckling when she got out of the car.

That was how Jamie saw her when she walked toward the station. She was standing in the afternoon sun with a pretty sundress on her shoulders, kissed by the sun, smiling.

”She's here. She just got out of her car. If this doesn't work, Devin, I'm going to kill you.