Chapter Four #2
Baz cleared his throat. “Did she ever call any of you during these training trips?”
Raisa and her three aunts all shook their heads, but Dahlia nodded. “I mean, she called me back when I left her a voicemail.”
“Did you hear anything in the background?” Baz asked. “Other voices? Traffic? A train?”
Dahlia looked away, her expression one of concentration. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry.”
Kit smiled at her. “Don’t be sorry. We’ll keep working on it. I’m sure the other detectives—the ones in charge of her case—are requesting her phone records, so we can see who she called and who called her.”
Raisa and Dahlia frowned in unison and, in that moment, they looked like the twins they were.
“Other detectives?” Raisa asked.
Kit met Sam’s gaze, hers startled. “Didn’t two other detectives come talk to you?”
All five women shook their heads. “You’re the first,” Ella said.
“Oh,” Kit murmured. “That’s…”
Concerning, Sam thought. Marshall and Ashton should have been here already.
Recovering, Kit nodded once. “Marshall and Ashton. I’m sure they’ll be by to talk to you soon.
They’re good cops. I’m only here because my sister is involved.
Dr. Reeves is here because he’s our police psychologist and a very good listener.
And retired detective Constantine is here because he’s my mentor and he’s known my sister nearly as long as he’s known me.
As I said, we’re not here in an official capacity. ”
Sam looked up and found Kit watching him. “He’s also here because he’s my boyfriend,” she added. “Just laying all my cards on the table here. We’re not here as cops. We’re here as my sister’s family.”
All five women gave Sam approving nods. “Good,” Ella said. “Support is an important boyfriend job.”
Sam had to smile, both at the women’s approval and the fact that Kit was acknowledging him so freely. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“Another question, please,” Kit said. “Did your mother have any other family? Brothers and sisters? Parents we might talk to?”
They’d found no records of any family members, but Sam knew that Kit was looking for anyone who might know what Mary had been to Akiko, if the DNA showed that she wasn’t Akiko’s mother.
The twins dropped their gazes to their hands, studiously not meeting any of their eyes. “Our father said that your sister looks like Mom,” Raisa said quietly. “That she might be our sister. But that seems really unlikely, considering how young she would have been.”
“Only fourteen,” Kit said, equally quietly.
“It might be that they weren’t related at all, but…
Like I said, I’m here because Akiko’s my sister.
She and I grew up in foster care. She never knew her family and she’s curious.
I hope you understand. I’m sorry if my question makes you uncomfortable, but we need to know if there are other possibilities, other people who might be related to my sister. ”
“Mom was an only child,” Dahlia said. “She said that she never knew her father, and her mother died when she was young. She went into the system, but she never wanted to talk about it. How will you…” She looked up, her eyes glassy. “Will you do a DNA test on your sister and our mother?”
More foster kids, Sam thought. They needed to find Mary’s foster parents. They might know if she’d had a child at fourteen.
Kit smiled gently. “Yes. If there is a familial connection, would you like to know?”
Again, the twins shared a look. “Yes,” Raisa said. “But…not right now.”
Dahlia nodded. “Same. I’m sorry, and I know this isn’t your sister’s fault, but this is a lot.”
“I do understand.” Kit glanced at Baz. “We have a few more questions for Raisa and Dahlia, if we might.”
Baz pushed himself from the chair and faced Ella. “May I speak with you and your sisters, Miss Sherman? Privately?”
Ella frowned. “Okay…I guess. Liz, Hannah?”
From Dahlia’s expression, she knew what they wanted to ask, but Raisa looked confused.
When Baz and the three aunts had left the room, Raisa turned to her sister, searching her face. “What’s going on?” she asked quietly. “And don’t you dare say nothing. I can tell when you’re hiding something.”
Dahlia exhaled. “You talked to Brian Baker?”
Kit nodded. “Should we tell you what he told us or do you want to do the talking?”
Dahlia’s shoulders sagged. “It’s probably nothing.”
“But if it’s not…” Kit prodded.
Dahlia met her sister’s eyes. “I thought someone was following me. It kind of freaked me out.”
Raisa’s eyes widened. “When?”
“For the last month. It’s probably nothing.”
Raisa pursed her lips. “Mom’s dead, Dahlia.”
“I know,” Dahlia hissed. “Dammit, I know.”
“What if it’s connected? Were you going to tell me?”
“Maybe,” Dahlia muttered. “Someday.”
Raisa abruptly straightened as if she’d been slapped. “Someday when I come home to find you dead on the floor because Mr. ‘It’s Probably Nothing’ shot you in the head?”
“Shh.” Dahlia looked toward the kitchen fretfully. “If they hear, they’ll never let me leave the house.”
“Maybe they shouldn’t!” Raisa cried, raising her voice.
Dahlia lifted her hand, cupping it like she planned to cover her sister’s mouth, but Raisa pointed a finger at her.
“If you even try it, I will kick you in the ribs.”
Dahlia winced. “You broke one.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to do it the last time, but I’m seriously considering it now.”
Whoa. Sam was mostly impressed. These two girls were legitimately hardcore.
“Ladies,” Kit cautioned. “Take a breath, calm down. Raisa, I understand why you’re upset, and Dahlia, I understand that you didn’t want to worry anyone. But the situation has drastically changed, so tell us about it. Please.”
Raisa crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her sister. “Yes. Please, do tell us about a stalker that you told Brian about and not me.”
“I only told Brian because he could get me a gun,” Dahlia snapped, then winced. “Shit. I didn’t mean to say that part.”
Raisa’s mouth had dropped open. “You have a gun?” she whispered. “In our apartment?”
Dahlia winced again. “No?”
Kit sighed and put her hand out. “Give it to me. Now.”
Swallowing hard, Dahlia rose to retrieve her purse from a side table. She took a small gun from her purse and handed it to Kit, who’d pulled on a pair of disposable gloves—an accessory Sam had never seen her without.
“It’s loaded,” Dahlia said guiltily.
“I figured it would be,” Kit said dryly. She emptied the chamber, popped the magazine, and put everything in an evidence bag. “You don’t have a license to carry this, Dahlia.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you?” Raisa demanded, her voice still a panicked whisper. “We always said no guns. We agreed.”
“I know,” Dahlia said again, then sank down onto the love seat next to her sister. “I didn’t kill my mother.”
“I didn’t think you did,” Kit said. “But I’m going to have Ballistics run a check. It’ll protect you later.”
Dahlia closed her eyes. “He scares me,” she admitted.
“Who is it?” Raisa asked, her voice softening, but only a hair.
“I don’t know. I never actually saw his face.
He wears a hoodie. He’s not too big. Maybe my height, five-eight.
But he’s…” She opened her eyes and met Kit’s.
“He’s…menacing. He makes me feel like…spiders are crawling over my skin.
He’s never directly approached me. Never spoken to me.
But he’s always there. Every time I turn around.
Waiting outside a lecture hall. Outside our apartment.
At the student union. The coffee shop where I sometimes study. In the library.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” Raisa asked quietly.
“I thought at first I was imagining him. I did ask you if you’d seen a guy following me.”
Raisa blinked. “One time, Dahl. I thought you meant he was trying to ask you out.”
“I thought he might have been. But it kept going.”
“Did you report him to the campus police?” Kit asked.
Dahlia nodded. “But they said they couldn’t do anything until he actually approached me.” She scowled. “Or hurt me.”
Kit sighed. “I hate that you felt you had no options other than a gun. I want you to make a list of all the times and places you’ve seen him. We’ll check with campus security for surveillance footage and see if we can ID him.”
“Thank you,” Dahlia whispered. “For pursuing this and for not arresting me.” She winced. “You’re not going to arrest me, are you?”
“No.” Kit’s tone became stern. “But only because I’m not here in an official capacity.”
Sam had to bite back a smile. Liar, he thought affectionately.
Kit shot him a nasty look. “Shut up.”
“I didn’t say anything,” he said mildly.
“You thought it.”
“Maybe.”
Dahlia had relaxed. “Whatever your reason, thank you. I was just so scared.”
Raisa hugged her sister. “Sorry I got mad. Next time, tell me.”
Dahlia nodded, hugging Raisa back. “I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I would have if you’d seen him, too.” She looked at Kit. “Do you think that guy killed our mother?”
“Don’t know. But we’re going to find out. Can you make me that list right now? Even a few times and places would help, so I can get started. You can add to the list later as you remember.”
Dahlia took out her phone and began typing.
Raisa continued to look upset. “Where should we go? Can we go back to our apartment? I don’t want Dahlia in danger.” She frowned. “And why follow Dahlia? If he meant harm, it would have been smarter to follow me. I’m smaller. Everyone thinks I’m a pushover.”
“She’s not,” Dahlia muttered. “Broke my fucking ribs.”
Raisa huffed, exasperated. “One time!”
Dahlia didn’t take her attention from her phone, continuing to type her list. “Was enough.”
“You make a good point, though, Raisa,” Sam said thoughtfully. “Why you, Dahlia? Why not both of you?”
Dahlia shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he has nothing to do with what happened to Mom.”
“Maybe not,” Kit said, “but I don’t like coincidences. We will be following up and bringing the detectives on the case up to speed.”
They sat in silence for a few more minutes until Dahlia looked up. “I’ve written down what I can remember.”
Kit gave her a business card. “Send it to my email, please.”
Dahlia did so. “It’s done.”
Just in time for Baz to return with the aunts. Baz lifted a brow and Sam gave him a nod. They’d gotten what they’d come for.
“Don’t go back to your apartment for now,” Kit told the young women. “There will be a media presence, I’m sure. They’ll bother you with questions. For now, stay here with your aunts.” She looked at Ella. “Do you have a security system, Miss Sherman?”
“Yes,” Ella said grimly. “I do.”
“Then use it. Please.” Kit rose, favoring her left arm. “Thank you for talking to us. Please don’t hesitate to call if you remember anything or if you get any unwelcome attention.”
Ella’s eyes narrowed. “Such as?”
Raisa rolled her eyes. “We have something to tell you, don’t we, Dahlia?”
Dahlia looked miserable. “Yeah.”
Kit patted Dahlia’s shoulder as they walked to the front door. “Stay safe. Also, close your drapes and stay away from the windows.”
Dahlia nodded shakily. “Okay.”
Sam opened the door for Kit, then paused behind her when he remembered something he’d forgotten to ask. “Are either of you dating anyone?” he asked the twins.
Both shook their heads. “Why?” Raisa asked.
“Because someone left a pair of men’s size thirteen shoes in your parents’ living room,” Sam said. “We’d like to know who they belong to.”
All five women shared puzzled looks. “That’s a big shoe, right?” Ella asked. “I don’t know anyone with feet that big.”
The others agreed.
Raisa looked troubled. “A man came to visit Mom when Dad wasn’t there. Check the security cameras. See who it was.”
“Mom wasn’t cheating,” Dahlia insisted. “There has to be another explana—” A sharp, loud crack of a gun firing had Sam instinctively ducking. He looked to his right to find a large chunk of the doorframe…gone.
“Gun!” Kit shouted, grabbing Sam’s shirt and hauling him down as she dropped to the ground. “Everyone down!”
Sam landed on his knees as more gunfire exploded outside the house, screams erupted inside, and tires squealed in the street. The missing chunk of the doorframe was where Kit had been standing.
They’d missed her by a fraction of an inch.
Sam sucked in a harsh breath and, from where he lay on the floor, stared wide-eyed at Kit. “Kit?”
Because she was breathing hard, grimacing in pain. “Motherfucking sonofabitch.”