Chapter 36 #2
She swung around, glared at Kale. “I’m happy as hell your sister is safe,” Sarah said, not about to take any crap from him, either, “but they’re wrong.
Polly’s alive because someone wants us to look in a certain direction.
And the hell of it is, it’s working.” Her revelation to the reporters would warn him that it wasn’t working, at least as far as Sarah was concerned.
Then Kale Conner did the last thing she would have expected. He climbed out of his car, grabbed her around the waist, and basically tossed her into his Jeep. He thrust his torso through the open door, blocking her escape.
“Scoot over.”
Briefly she considered ramming the vehicle into drive and leaving him standing there. But she hated to leave him in the path of all those reporters headed their way.
“Now,” he growled.
And he wasn’t the enemy. So she climbed over the console, ensuring her butt missed the gearshift.
He slid behind the wheel and barreled away before the crowd of reporters could completely surround his vehicle. “Are you out of your mind?” he demanded.
“Maybe.”
She snapped her seat belt into place and was more than a little thankful that the streets in the area were kept plowed and sanded regularly. With the way he was driving, he would be a danger to anyone in his path otherwise.
“You can’t be certain it’s a woman.”
“They can’t be certain it’s a man.”
“Polly said—”
“Give it a rest, Conner. I know what she said.”
“August is right about the boot print; it could have belonged to anyone. The comparison was inconclusive.”
Sarah banged her head against the headrest. “Okay, so the boot is circumstantial. Let’s throw in the drug.”
“Lynda Pope has an alibi,” Kale countered, “and we can’t connect her to the roses. The ones delivered to my parents’ home were ordered at a shop in Bangor two days before she went missing.”
Bangor? I just got it two days ago. Jerald would not be pleased if he knew I’d left Bangor without getting it filled. Lynda’s words echoed amid the thoughts spinning in Sarah’s head. “That’s where she goes to the doctor.”
Kale glanced at Sarah. “What?”
“Lynda Pope. She told me she goes to see a specialist in Bangor. When we were searching for your sister, she mentioned that she’d gotten a new prescription just two days before from her doctor in Bangor.”
Kale stared straight ahead. Kept driving.
“Admit it,” she demanded. “That’s too many coincidences to be circumstantial.”
“August has to know that’s where her doctor is,” Kale argued. “They tracked down her prescription.”
“Forget it!” He was like talking to a brick wall!
“Is it August?”
She turned to face him. “What?”
He braked for a stop and set those dark eyes on her. “Are you certain there isn’t still something between the two of you? Is that why he has to be wrong? You need that conflict to prove something?”
She reached for the door handle. “I don’t have to listen to this.”
He punched the accelerator, earning a couple of horn blares for the move. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Her cell phone vibrated. She started to ignore it but decided that she’d rather ignore Kale. “Newton.”
“So now you’ve pissed off the FBI.”
Her editor. “I don’t have time for this, Don.” Had he seen the news clip already?
“Your former favorite fed called me.”
Well, that answered that question.
“He threatened to have his director on my back if I didn’t get you under control.”
“Oh, yeah?” If he was about to insist she come back to New York, he could save his breath.
“Oh, yeah,” Don echoed. “I told him he could forget about it. I don’t take orders from him or his director.”
Sarah smiled. “I’ll try to stay out of his way.”
“That would make life simpler.”
Yeah, yeah, she knew.
“I’d tell you to keep me updated on the changing situation, but I guess I’ll have to count on the news for that.”
She promised to do better and ended the call.
“Is there still something between you and August?”
That Kale had the audacity to repeat the question made her want to slug him.
“The only thing between Lex August and me is animosity.”
“What exactly did he do?” Kale shrugged. “Besides being a complete asshole, I mean.”
“He screwed up a case. Got an innocent man killed and then used my conclusions on the case as his own to cover his ass.”
How could she have ever been that stupid? That blind?
“You’re not still in love with him?”
He did not just ask that question! “Take me to the inn.” She wasn’t even responding to such a ludicrous question.
“Is that a no?”
Fury blasted her nerve endings. “That’s the mother of all no’s, Conner.”
“Good.”
Good? Obviously he was suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress syndrome over his sister’s abduction. He damned sure wasn’t making any sense.
“Is it okay if I stop by my office first?” He arrowed her a sidelong glance. “Unless you’re pissed at me for asking such personal questions and want me out of your sight like right this minute.”
Whatever. “Why not?” What else was she going to do? The cops wouldn’t listen to her. Idiots.
She needed to think. To figure out a new strategy. One that would prove her theory. Anticipation filtered past her frustration. She’d made that announcement to the press; that should seriously piss off the killer. All she needed was to watch for the reaction.
Conner and Sons was a block off the harbor, in a back alley. The entrance was tucked between the rear exits of two restaurants. Inside, his office was bigger than Sarah had expected.
A young woman, one who looked around the same age as Kale, sat behind the reception desk. “Hey, Kale, I didn’t expect to see you today.” She flashed a big, shiny-lipped smile. Her eyes were huge with admiration.
He had himself an admirer. Something along the lines of jealousy pricked Sarah. She refused to acknowledge it.
Anyway, the receptionist or office manager—whatever she was—looked like perfect wife material.
That Sarah’s mouth automatically formed a frown at the thought irritated her all the more.
“Christine, this is Sarah Newton.”
“Oh, yeah.” Christine stuck out her hand. “I saw you on the news a few minutes ago. You look so young on TV.”
Sarah gave her hand a quick shake. Opted to take the comment as a compliment. “Thanks.”
“I just have to check on a couple of things and I’m off,” Kale said.
Christine gave him a big puppy-dog look. “I’m so thankful Polly’s okay. I had everyone I know praying so hard.”
“Thanks. We appreciate that.”
Sarah followed him to his office. “I’m surprised she hasn’t hooked and reeled you in already.”
He pushed the door shut. “What?”
Sarah jerked her head toward the door. “Christine. She’s clearly mad about you.”
Kale laughed as he riffled through his messages. “Sure.”
Did he not see it? Whatever. Not her business.
As she scanned the numerous photos of him and his father and their crew hanging on the walls, an idea occurred to her. “You could take me for a ride in one of your boats.” The inspiration gained momentum even as she spoke.
He glanced up, surprise on his face. “If you want. It’s pretty damned chilly out there, though.”
From the water they should be able to see every cave close to the Pope property, as well as the boathouse and the main house. “I want.” She reached for the door. “Hurry up.”
“You mean now?”
She nodded. “There’s a murderer out there, in case you’ve forgotten. I want to study the shoreline for any caves we might have missed.” She would tell him what she really wanted to do once they were in the water.
He tossed his messages onto his desk. “The chief made me promise I’d keep you out of trouble.”
Nothing she hadn’t expected. “What’s the problem? I just want a tour of the shoreline from the water.”
“You will tell me what you’re really up to before you actually do it, right?” Those dark eyes nailed hers.
She faked a smile. “You have my word.”
After that, Sarah wanted to stop by Matilda’s house and find out if her mother had seen her. As certain as Sarah was that Matilda was extremely capable of taking care of herself, probably had been doing it her whole life, she still worried about the kid.
Right now Sarah was anxious to see which domino was going to fall next.
11:30 a.m.
“So no one comes out here in the winter?”
“Hardly ever. The owner is a summer resident.”
They’d decided to stop by Matilda’s house first and gotten nothing from her no-good mother.
Then Kale had taken Sarah on a tour of the shoreline from one end of the village limits to the other.
He’d pointed out the caves and assured her that each one had been searched.
The one where Polly had been held was marked as a crime scene, and techs and deputies were still milling about.
Sarah had waited patiently through the tour before revealing her true agenda to Kale.
The small island they’d docked at provided the perfect view of the waterfront side of the Pope property.
Sarah reached for her binoculars, then dropped her bag onto the porch. She studied the house, zeroing in on each massive window, one at a time.
The family appeared to be home. No company. No evidence that they were packing for a hasty retreat.
Could Lynda Pope carry such a burning hatred that she would kill two innocent young women?
Was her husband helping her? Or was he the killer and hoped to point suspicion in her direction?
What was the motive? Sure, envy drove people to commit heinous acts at times.
But these were people who had it all. Was the thrill gone now?
Was this an attempt to infuse excitement into their lives and relationship?
Or was getting even for the few things their one beloved offspring hadn’t attained in life the actual goal?
Maybe he just wanted to get rid of his wife.
Matilda had a feeling about him . . . but did that carry any real significance?
Sarah couldn’t prove anything. It was just a hunch. A gut instinct that the people inside that house were somehow responsible for the murders.
The truth was there . . . She was certain.