Buch lesen: «Pulse Points»
“Hello, Kasey.”
The bottom dropped out of her stomach. She had hoped this day would never come. Tanner Hart. That deep, sexy voice still had the power to jolt her. The way her luck had gone these past few days, she shouldn’t have been surprised that he’d shown up at Shirley’s funeral.
“It’s been a long time,” he commented into the growing and somewhat hostile silence. “How’s your son?”
Kasey’s heart wrenched, though she didn’t so much as move. “He’s great. He just finished his freshman year at Baylor.”
Their eyes met for another millisecond, but that was enough to up the already crackling tension between them.
“How did you know the deceased?” he asked.
“Shirley had taken me on as a partner,” she said through tight lips, wanting this conversation to end. Obviously he wasn’t aware that she’d witnessed Shirley’s murder, and she wasn’t prepared to tell him, either. The less he knew about her and her business, the better.
“Look, it was good to see you,” she said, anxious to get away. “But I really have to go.” Kasey had taken several steps when he spoke, stopping her, her heart taking a nosedive as she swung to face him.
“I have a proposition for you.”
Pulse Points
Mary Lynn Baxter
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
One
T he parking garage seemed eerier than usual that evening. Kasey Ellis paused and unbuttoned her jacket, hoping to ward off the smothering heat of the July day. Normally she was gone long before the premises was filled with eerie shadows. But the disturbing situation at the office had kept her there, though she had nothing to show for her efforts except a burgeoning headache.
Thinking it was her less-than-rosy mood that was responsible for her paranoia, Kasey shrugged her uneasiness aside and upped her steps to her Toyota Camry. She had inserted her key in the lock when she heard the noise.
Pop. Like a gunshot.
Surely not, Kasey told herself, positive her paranoia was messing with her mind. Nonetheless, she stood motionless and listened while her heart lurched in her chest and her breathing turned labored. Only after she heard the sound again did she spin around.
Even then, she couldn’t immediately absorb the scene playing out in front of her.
A man was standing in the shadows with a gun pointed at a woman. Kasey froze and watched in manifested horror as another squeeze of gunfire assaulted her ears. This time the woman sank to the cement like a rag doll whose stuffings had been removed.
Kasey knew she had to do something. Anything, other than stand like she was encased in a huge block of ice. Then she heard another strange sound. Finally she realized it was coming from her. A whimpering erupted from her throat. She felt helpless and vulnerable in the midst of an oncoming bout of hysteria.
She shut her eyes, clinging to the remnant of hope that this was nothing but a contorted, macabre nightmare from which she would soon awaken. But when she opened her eyes, the woman remained crumpled and lifeless.
And the man had disappeared.
Do something, Kasey mouthed silently, making an effort to fight through the fog that dulled her mind, but it was impossible.
She had no idea where she found the courage to move her paralyzed limbs. Later, she credited the force of adrenaline that kicked in, giving her the strength to run to the victim and drop to her knees.
“Oh, my God,” she cried when she recognized the ashen-faced woman with the blood-splattered chest.
Her stomach churning and her vision blurring, Kasey lifted her head and took several deep, shuddering breaths, praying again that this was indeed a dream. But when she peered down once more, nothing had changed.
Her business partner, Shirley Parker, remained splayed on the pavement. Dead. Kasey lifted her head high again as the stench of fresh, oozing blood filled her nostrils making her dizzy.
Her stomach pitched and heaved, and for a moment, she feared she might faint. Instead she sucked in her breath, and without touching her partner, fumbled for her cell phone, then dialed 911.
“Please, hurry.” She didn’t even recognize her own voice. It was squeaky and faint. “There’s…there’s been a murder.”
The police station was frigid, though Kasey suspected it was her fractured nerves rather than the temperature that made her teeth clack together. Despite a valiant effort to get her emotions under control, she couldn’t seem to do so. She continued to reel from the fact that her world had just splintered into a million jagged pieces.
“Would you care for a cup of hot coffee?”
How else would coffee be? That unasked, but inane, question made Kasey realize that hysteria was once more bubbling close to the surface. Clasping her hands together in her lap and squeezing them seemed to temper that hysteria. But for how long was anyone’s guess.
Nothing was able to remove the imprint of Shirley’s bullet-riddled, blood-splattered body from her mind.
Kasey shivered again. While waiting for the police to arrive on the scene, she had stayed with Shirley. Her initial reaction, however, had been to jump in her car and drive straight home, lock her doors and crawl into bed. And pretend the nightmare never happened.
She couldn’t say what had kept her at the grisly scene. Perhaps she hadn’t been able to leave her friend alone even in death. Better yet, remaining had been the right thing to do. The police had been on their way, and she was the only witness to the crime.
Through it all, she had kept waiting for the killer to return and deliver her the same fate, though she didn’t think he’d seen her.
But what if he had?
“Here, drink this. Maybe it’ll help.”
Kasey flinched, then nodded her thanks at the man who handed her the cup. His name was Detective Richard Gallain. Even though a shroud of fog still swirled around her brain, she couldn’t help but take note of him. Physically, Gallain reminded her of a bulldog with his slightly bugged eyes, wide full mouth, and heavy jowls. Not a handsome man by any stretch of the imagination, but then he didn’t need to be. Putting murderers behind bars didn’t require good looks, just a skilled mind.
When he had arrived on the scene, Gallain had asked her if she was all right and what had happened. Somehow she’d managed to make enough sense to tell him what she’d witnessed.
Once the crime lab boys had arrived, Gallain suggested she accompany him to the police department for further questioning.
Now, as she waited for that to happen, Kasey sipped on the dark liquid, but it did nothing to soothe her shattered nerves. The coffee barely hit her stomach before it pitched in rejection. Shaking noticeably, she placed the cup on the desk and folded her hands in her lap.
“Relax, Mrs. Ellis. You’re safe here. We’re here to help you not hurt you.”
Gallain’s voice was as strong as his features. And confident. But not abrasive. Impatient was the word. She suspected he was ready to hit her with a barrage of questions, yet he seemed to sense how emotionally fragile she was and was trying to take it easy, something that apparently wasn’t easy for him.
“Are you up to talking?” Gallain paused, sweeping a hand though his crew cut. “I don’t want to rush you.” He let the rest of his sentence trail off but she got the message.
His impatience was no longer veiled, though his voice remained even. Of course, he wanted to rush her. Who was he kidding? She expected him to bark at her any minute, a thought that at one time might have drawn a smile. Not today. Not after she’d just witnessed a murder. And not just a random murder, either but that of her friend and partner.
Kasey took a deep, shuddering breath in hopes of blotting out that painful image, at least for the moment. It didn’t work. When she stared into Gallain’s sharp green eyes, it was Shirley’s white face and lifeless body that she saw.
She blinked when another detective entered the cubicle. A tall man with a kind face, he folded his arms, leaned against the door, then merely nodded at her.
“Mrs. Ellis.”
As though being chastised for removing her gaze, Kasey swung her eyes back to Gallain. “I’m sorry. It’s just that—” Her words faded into the tomblike silence of the small cubicle, though she was aware that on the other side people were scurrying about and telephones were ringing.
“So you still don’t think the killer saw you?”
“Like I told you at the scene, I don’t think so, but again I can’t be one hundred percent sure.” Kasey noticed her voice trembled. She bit down on her lower lip to control it.
“Okay, did you see him?” The detective’s eyes pinned her with intensity.
“No. I mean I did, but I didn’t.”
Gallain didn’t so much as twitch a muscle at her contradictory response. “You’re sure about that?”
“Absolutely. The man who fired the shots was a blur then and still is.”
“How ’bout what he was wearing?”
When she didn’t answer, Gallain went on, “His clothes. You must’ve noticed something. His shirt. The color of it, perhaps. Something.”
“Not…really.” She felt her own frustration building. “Everything happened so fast.”
For a second, Gallain stared at her as if he didn’t believe a word she’d said. Maybe that was what suddenly roused her out of her traumatized state and forced her upright. She stared back.
He rubbed his chin, then the base of his neck. When he spoke again, his demeanor had softened somewhat. “Look, I don’t like this any better than you, but without you, we have nothing.”
“Don’t you think I want to help?” Kasey rubbed her pounding forehead. “That I’m trying hard to remember? My God, I saw this sicko kill someone.” Her tone had risen to a shrill ring.
“Maybe if we gave her some time, Gallain, eased up a bit, she would be of more help.”
Both Kasey and the detective cast their eyes in the direction of the other officer who had pushed away from the wall and was ambling toward them.
Before Gallain could take umbrage to another opinion, the man eased down on the edge of the desk and said with a smile, “I’m Detective Hal Spiller.”
Fleeting as that smile was, it seemed to enhance the kindness in his face, which in turn bolstered her confidence a notch, something she badly needed.
“Sorry about what happened to your friend, Mrs. Ellis,” Spiller added into the loaded silence.
“So am I,” Kasey responded in a small voice.
“How far away were you?” Gallain asked, the briskness back in his tone, obviously resenting the intrusion and the rebuke.
“I’m not sure.”
“How far is that?” Gallain pressed in spite of the growing frown from Spiller. “I need details.”
“A few yards, give or take.”
Gallain thrust his hands though his hair again and released a deep sigh.
Kasey’s blue eyes flared. “Look, I can only tell you what I saw and didn’t see, right?”
“Right,” Spiller said, focusing his glare on Gallain.
Gallain shrugged. “Okay, I’ll accept that for now. But once you’ve had time to get over the initial shock, I want to concentrate on the killer himself. I’m betting you saw more than you think.”
“I hope you’re right, Detective. I want to solve this as much as you do.”
“So what about Shirley Parker? I bet you can tell me something about what made the deceased tick.”
“I didn’t…don’t know a lot about her away from the office.”
“I understood her to be a friend as well as your partner,” he pressed.
Once again Kasey didn’t like his tone, but she ignored it. He was just doing his job, she reminded herself, which was trying to find out who killed Shirley. And though she respected that, she didn’t respect his method of going about it.
“We were friends, yes, but never running buddies, so to speak. I knew her growing up, even though she was quite a few years older than me. She actually gave me my start in advertising. As a result, I always considered her my mentor. Still, we hadn’t seen each other in years until she called me out of the blue and made me an offer I thought I couldn’t turn down.”
“What about since you’ve been back?” Gallain asked, seeming to scrutinize her closer.
“Not then, either.”
“What did you talk about over lunch or dinner? That kind of thing, things women talk about. Perhaps she had a man in her life and discussed him with you.”
“If so, she never said,” Kasey replied, “and I never asked.”
He stared at her a moment longer, then released a breath. “So what did you talk about?”
“Work mostly.”
“I understand the agency’s in deep financial trouble.”
He’d been quick to find that out. She had to admire him. “You understood correctly. We’re struggling to stay open.”
“Did Ms. Parker ever tell you why?”
“No, she didn’t.”
“What happened when you asked her about it?”
“She told me not to worry about it, that she’d take care of me and the business.”
“And you believed her?”
Kasey jutted her chin. “At first, then I realized I’d been had. Before I could have another chat with her, she was—”
“So what about the books?” he interrupted.
Kasey quickly regained her composure. “From what I’ve seen of them, there’s nothing to indicate where the money went.” Kasey paused. “Apparently everyone at the agency was kept in the dark.”
Gallain stood. “Seems like the lady had a lot of secrets.”
“What have you found out?” Kasey asked, turning the tables on him.
“Not much. We went over her home with a fine-tooth comb. Nothing there that implicates anyone.” He paused. “You still remain our best hope for solving this case, Mrs. Ellis. And I’m not giving up. On you.”
Kasey didn’t respond. What could she say that hadn’t already been said?
Gallain glanced at his partner. “Meanwhile, Spiller here will keep an eye on you and your place for a few days.”
“Just in case he did see me,” Kasey finished, the tremor having returned to her voice.
“That’s right.”
Another loaded silence permeated the office. Only Spiller’s muffled cough broke it. Kasey rose to her feet and swayed as the room spun. Gallain’s fingers circled her upper arm. “Are you okay?”
As quickly as the room had shifted, it settled. “I will be,” she lied. After this night, she feared she’d never be all right again.
“Detective Spiller will drive you home, then see to your vehicle. I’ll be in touch.”
No, please, Kasey’s mind screamed in rebellion. She wanted this session to be the end of her involvement. Unfortunately it seemed to be just the beginning.
Two
S he was exhausted. However, Kasey knew sleep would elude her, so she didn’t bother going to bed. Following a hot bath, which seemed to have wired her more, she made a cup of hot chocolate and sat on the wicker chaise lounge in her bedroom.
It would be nice to sip on the drink, and in between sips close her eyes, maybe even dose a bit. Fear of what she would see imprinted on the back of her lids kept her eyes wide-open. Would that terrifying image of Shirley’s blood-stained body ever leave her? Not for a long time, she told herself. If ever.
Kasey gnawed on her lower lip, her gaze veering to the French doors that led onto her tiny third floor balcony. When Shirley had told her about this secluded apartment complex nestled between numerous oaks and pine trees, Kasey hadn’t been all that excited.
First, she hadn’t wanted to go into another apartment. She had wanted a small house; unfortunately she couldn’t afford one. Second, she hadn’t wanted to live on the third floor; the thought of trudging up such a long flight of stairs was uninviting.
Now, she was glad to be there. An intruder would have a much more difficult time getting to her. Kasey shivered then reached for the afghan at the end of the lounge even though the July night was so hot and humid, she’d had difficulty in cooling her apartment. Once the coverlet was over her, she shifted her eyes back to the doors. She had to stop dwelling on morbid thoughts and possibilities.
The fact that she wasn’t alone, that Detective Spiller was lurking somewhere in the darkness keeping watch on her, should have offered her a measure of reassurance.
“Rest easy, Mrs. Ellis. Nothing will happen to you on my watch,” he’d told her when he escorted her to the door.
Somehow she had dredged up a smile. “I’m counting on that.”
“If you need anything or if anything out of the ordinary happens, call me on my cell.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her.
“I’ll be fine,” she said, not at all certain that was the truth.
He stepped back, then paused. “Don’t let Gallain upset you. He’s not always that abrasive.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“No,” he admitted a bit sheepishly.
She managed another smile. “Don’t worry. I can handle him. He can’t make me see what I didn’t see or say what I don’t know.”
Spiller seemed suddenly uncomfortable as if he’d spoken out of turn. “Protecting you is our primary goal.”
Again she was struck by his kindness. As she closed and bolted her door, she wished he’d been in charge of the investigation instead of Gallain. She had never been questioned by the police. Now that she had, it wouldn’t go down as one of her most treasured memories.
Maybe that was why Spiller’s presence couldn’t alleviate her anxiety even though she was home, out from under the prying eyes of his cohort. Her stomach continued to heave as reality struck her like a blow. She had witnessed the brutal taking of another person’s life—her friend and partner. Tears burned her eyes, and she blinked several times.
She hoped Shirley hadn’t suffered, that she hadn’t known what hit her. Kasey pulled the afghan under her chin and once again tried to focus her thoughts elsewhere. It didn’t work. Her mind rebelled.
Had the killer seen her?
No. He couldn’t have. He had never known she was there.
But what if he had?
That question kept haunting her. What if she was wrong and he was just biding his time until he came after her, thinking she could identify him? That thought almost brought Kasey’s heart to a standstill.
Apparently Gallain had thought so or he wouldn’t have put her under protective watch. But for now, she was safe in her home. Her gaze touched on things that surrounded her—familiar things such as pictures, plants, books and even her chintz-covered furniture. The fact that the latter needed replacing, and she’d grieved over the fact she hadn’t the means to do that, no longer seemed important.
Tomorrow, however, she would have to leave this security and deal with Shirley’s untimely death, a death that had a profound and life-altering effect on her.
Kasey reached for the remote control and switched on the television, hoping to catch the late news. No doubt the murder would make headlines on the local stations, as well as in the papers, for days to come. In addition, the gossip mill would be churning.
Although Rushmore had a population of over a hundred thousand, it still had many qualities of a small East Texas town. People made it their business to know their neighbors’ business.
Kasey concentrated on the television. News of the bone-chilling murder was indeed being played out in vivid detail. Unable to view the crime scene again, she shifted her gaze and listened, mainly to see if anyone else had come forward as a witness. No such luck.
Kasey wasn’t surprised. She had known all along she had been the only person in the garage other than Shirley and the killer. Who was he? Who had despised Shirley so much that he wanted her dead? Was her death perhaps business related? Or personal?
A long time ago Shirley might have confided in her and vice versa, but their old friendship had been damaged by recent events. Since her husband Mark’s death two years ago, Kasey had been working in an advertising agency in Dallas. While it had been an okay job, it in no way met her financial obligations or fueled her dream of bettering herself, perhaps one day owning her own agency.
So when Shirley had contacted her and offered her a partnership in her agency in Rushmore where Kasey had been born and reared, she had been ecstatic, certain life was about to turn around and take on a new dimension.
“You can’t imagine what this call means to me,” Kasey had said following Shirley’s offer. “Although I’m not anywhere near worthy of this opportunity,” she added. “I’ve only been back in the workplace for two years, and I’m awfully rusty in a lot of areas.”
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Shirley responded. “Besides—”
Kasey cut her off, anxious to square things from the get-go. “More than that, I don’t have any money to buy into the business.” She paused, trying to figure out how to tell Shirley the truth and keep her pride intact.
She had thought Mark had been a good provider, only to learn upon his death that they were on the brink of financial disaster. For two years she had struggled with her feelings of betrayal and the financial albatross around her neck. To date, she hadn’t won either battle.
“We can work something out,” Shirley said into the growing silence. “Bottom line, I need help. The agency’s grown too much for me to handle alone. I need someone whom I can trust and who will do a good job.” She paused with a chuckle. “Kasey Ellis immediately came to mind.”
“While those words are so good for my ego, I’m still not sure I’m the right person. After all—”
This time it was Shirley who interrupted. “After all nothing. Remember we go back a long way, and I know what you’re capable of doing.”
In retrospect, she knew Shirley was right. She had introduced Kasey to the world of advertising, having given her her first job during high school. Kasey had worked summers for her. Although a decade plus separated them in age, they had become friends. While they had lost touch over the intervening years, Kasey had not forgotten Shirley or how much she had taught her about the business.
Shirley had gone on to insist she come to Rushmore, see the agency, then they would talk. Kasey had done just that, impressed far beyond her wildest imagination at Shirley’s accomplishments. Maybe the fact that she’d devoted herself to her career, choosing never to marry and have a family, had been the contributing factor to her success in the business world.
“Having seen what I’m all about, are you interested?” Shirley had asked several days later over coffee in the small kitchen in the rear of the agency.
Kasey hadn’t answered immediately, studying Shirley from under long thick lashes. The years had been kind to her friend. Though fifty-two, she could pass for forty-two. Her dark, grayless hair was short and stylish. Her complexion was flawless, and her hazel eyes were deep and lovely. The designer suit she wore made the most of her tall buxom figure. Kasey couldn’t imagine how she’d managed to remain single.
“So, what’s the verdict?”
Shirley’s question jarred Kasey back to the moment. “Actually, I’m in awe and slightly overwhelmed.”
Not only was the agency housed in a plush high-rise office complex, it had become the largest and most successful firm in the city with a more than adequate staff. The idea that she would ever be a part of something so successful was more than Kasey could take in.
As if Shirley sensed Kasey’s inner struggle, she chuckled, then said, “Don’t make this more complicated than it is. Just take the opportunity at face value and run with it.”
That was exactly what she’d done. That day they had worked out terms of a contract and Kasey had made the move. Now, six months later, she was sowing what she had so hastily reaped. She should have known when something appeared to be too good to be true, it usually was.
Like she’d told Gallain, she had been assured by Shirley that the agency was solvent and thriving. Shortly after her arrival in Rushmore, the sure thing Shirley had dangled like a carrot hadn’t borne out.
Hence, Kasey had felt betrayed once again by someone she trusted. She had been in the process of weighing her options, but now, with Shirley’s sudden demise, her options were clear. She had no choice but to close the floundering agency and seek work elsewhere.
Kasey’s emotions suddenly surged and that queasy feeling returned to her stomach. What had seemed so wonderful and challenging had turned into a hideous nightmare that showed no signs of ending.
Beside her the phone rang; she flinched. When she checked the caller ID and saw who it was, her bleak situation suddenly brightened. It was her son Brock calling from Waco where he was a freshman at Baylor University.
“Hey, darling, I’m so glad you called,” she said to her son, her voice breaking.
“Mom, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
She should’ve been more careful. Since his dad’s death, she had forgotten how Brock had matured far beyond his eighteen years and how intuitive he had become where she was concerned.
“No, but it hasn’t been one of my better days.” Although she loathed the thought of telling her son what had happened, she had no choice. She didn’t want him to hear the gory details of Shirley’s death and her innocent involvement from some other source.
“What happened?” he demanded in such a manly, take-charge tone that tears gathered in her eyes.
These last few months, he had been the force that had kept her from sinking into a dark hole of despair.
“Shirley was murdered tonight,” she finally said.
“Holy shit!”
She probably should’ve protested his choice of words, but she didn’t, especially when she agreed with his assessment of the situation. “There’s more, Brock. I saw it happen.”
“Holy shit,” he muttered again. “I’m on my way home, Mom.”
Suddenly she panicked, the blood in her veins turning to ice. “Don’t you dare.”
“Why not?”
He sounded shocked and offended and well he should. She couldn’t ever remember a time when she’d discouraged him from coming home. Never was she more content and happier than when he was asleep in his bed under her roof. Now, more than ever, nothing would right her upside down world like the sight of her son and the chance to give him a big hug.
Under the present circumstances, however, she couldn’t allow herself that luxury.
“I’m afraid, that’s why,” she admitted without hesitation. “I don’t want you involved in any of this.”
“Ah, that’s not going to happen.”
“I know that, son. Still, I think it best you stay away from me for a while.” She paused. “I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you.”
She paused as hot tears scalded her face, having just voiced her worst fear.
