Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set (186 page)

“I know what you mean,” Ryan’s dad said, “the crowd in the stands was going wild, too.”

“And Ryan had told me about the crazy blue turf yesterday, but I thought he was kidding until I saw it for myself,” Kate added.

“We love our blue turf,” his mom declared, sounding proud of it.

“It’s definitely different,” said Kate.

“Well, I’m glad you guys had a good time. Did you do anything else?” Jeanie asked, obviously fishing for details.

“As a matter of fact, we did. We took a walk out to the pasture, and I showed Kate the horses. Then we came back and made dinner before we watched the end of the game.”

“Sounds like a nice evening. You know, it’s not very late. Would anyone care for some coffee or dessert?” Jeanie offered.

“Not me, thank you,” Kate replied. “We have a very early flight to catch in the morning, so I think I’m going to turn in. I’ll need to be up by five.”

“Our plane leaves at seven-thirty,” Ryan explained to his mother, moving in closer to Kate. “I’m not ready to go to bed yet, but let me walk you up to your room.”

“Okay,” she said, looking up at Ryan with a playful grin. Then she turned her attention to his mom. “Thank you so much, Jeanie, for the dinner you laid out and for your hospitality.”

“You’re welcome. Good night, hon.”

As Kate turned to walk toward the staircase, she called out to Ryan’s dad, who was across the room starting to doze off in his easy chair. “Good night, Jack.”

“Night,” he moaned, with his eyes remaining closed.

“I’ll be right back, Mom. I have something to tell you.” Ryan escorted Kate upstairs to her room, where they paused at the door.

“What exactly are you planning to tell your mom?” she asked.

“About the break in the case. Why?” He thought for a moment. “You don’t think I was going to tell her about us, do you?”

“I wasn’t sure. It kind of sounded like it.”

“She would definitely be pleased, but no, I meant I wanted to tell her about the lead,” Ryan assured her. “I think we can keep this thing between us to ourselves, for just a little longer.”

“So there is something between us?”

“I don’t know exactly what yet, but I definitely hope so.” He lingered for a moment, studying her face. Then he leaned in and gave her a short and sweet kiss good night. “I’d better let you get to bed. Good night.” He opened the bedroom door for her and then headed toward the stairs.

“Okay, good night,” she said as he walked away. “See you in the morning.”

Strolling into the kitchen, Ryan found his mother perched on a stool at the center island, stirring sugar into her cup of tea. She looked up when he walked in and her eyes brightened.

“Well?” she asked, raising her eyebrows, obviously hoping for some juicy details about their budding romance.

“I just wanted to tell you and Dad that we got a phone call tonight from one of the detectives in Seattle, and they may have a lead in Kate’s sister’s disappearance.”

“Oh.” His mother sounded a little disappointed. “Don’t get me wrong, I think that’s really good news. I hope it pans out. But, well…I just thought you were going to tell me about something else.”

“You mean something about me and Kate?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

“Mom, you know a gentleman should never kiss and tell,” he said with a wink, making his mom’s face light up with a smile. “I have to be up early tomorrow too, so I think I better turn in as well. Night, Mom.” Ryan leaned over and gave his mom a peck on the cheek.

“Night, Son.”

Ryan’s dad was fast asleep in his favorite chair, snoring.

* * *

“I’d better go and get some shut-eye, Sis. We have a big day tomorrow,” Ethan said, a wicked smile spreading across his lips. He set his empty beer bottle down on the coffee table, stretching as he stood up from the sofa.

“What’s the plan?” Suki questioned, getting up out of her chair and following him to the kitchen.

“The plan I had is mostly out the window. The idea is still to kill Kate, but the details keep changing. I hadn’t planned on her running off to Idaho. Now I’ll have to rethink the timing of things.”

“I don’t want to fly by the seat of my pants,” Suki moaned, “not on something this important.”

“I get it,” he said, scratching his neck then running his hand over his face. “But we don’t know exactly when she’ll be back in Seattle. You call me when you hear from her, and we’ll firm up the plan.” He seemed a little jittery and anxious to leave.

“So what are you thinking?” she pressed. Suki could tell by his restlessness that her brother needed more drugs, which was not good. She needed him to be clearheaded if they were going to get away with his plan.

“I’m gonna grab her and take her somewhere secluded, and I’m gonna make sure she knows who I am and why I’m doing this. She’s got to know!”

“Are you on something?” Suki already knew he was—she just wanted him to know she knew.

“I’m okay—get off my back!” Ethan hollered. “I…I just need a little something to calm my nerves, that’s all.”

“You need to be sober and focused tomorrow,” Suki ordered, grabbing hold of one of his arms.

“I will be,” he said, shaking loose from her grip.

“Do you have a gun?”

“No. I could get my hands on one easy enough if I need to, but I’d rather use my knife, the one Dad gave me.” He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket and clicked it open. “I thought that would bring things around full circle, ya know? I could slit her throat, or stab her maybe,” he said, his eyes focused on the blade as he brandished the knife. “Less noise, you know. I don’t want anyone calling the cops ‘cause they heard gun shots.”

“You didn’t take that thing with you to L.A., did you?” Suki asked.

“Nah, I left it at my place here. Those airport guys would’ve snatched it from me for sure.”

“I just know you keep it on you most of the time.”

“Yeah, I do, but give me some credit, Suki. I’m not stupid.”

“Okay, okay. So, how are you planning to grab Kate?”

“I’m thinking on it, little sister. I have some thoughts I’m kicking around, but I have to know when she’s back and where she’s at. That’s why I need you to call me when you hear from her.”

“All right. I understand,” she assured him.

“I gotta go, Sis.”

“And what about me? When are we going to connect and get out of here? The cops will be looking for us when Kate turns up missing too.”

“I’ll let you know as soon as she’s dead, so have your bags ready, and pack lightly.”

“Okay,” Suki agreed. They moved from the kitchen toward the front door. “Are you going to need my car?”

“I don’t think so. I can pick one up off the street. Can’t have the police knowing what kind of car to be on the lookout for.”

“I went to the bank today and withdrew all my savings, like you asked. I have about two thousand dollars, which isn’t much,” she told him. “How much do you have?”

“I have a few thousand. You don’t have to worry, I’ll take care of you.”

“From your drug sales?” Suki frowned. He had gone to jail once already, and she hated that he went right back to it when he got out.

“Money is money.”

“I guess,” she responded, knowing any further discussion about the subject was futile. “Is that going to be enough, though?” she asked, worry lines once more creasing her forehead. Her savings and his drug money did not seem like enough to keep them very long.

“It will be for now. You just do what I told you to tomorrow, and it’ll all work out.”

“Well, I don’t work tomorrow, but I will need to go check on Whitney again, give her some more sleeping pills.”

“Yeah, we don’t want her dying on us just yet.” Ethan put his ball cap and jacket on, preparing to go back out into the rainy night. He was staying a few blocks away at his usual place, a cheap hotel. “I really gotta go.”

Suki opened the apartment door for him and looked up into his cold, dark eyes. She could see he was bent on killing Kate regardless of the cost to her sister.

“G’night, Sis,” Ethan said as he slipped out the door.

“Night.”

After locking the door, Suki went in the kitchen to put the tea kettle on to boil. She picked up Ethan’s beer bottles, strewn about the living room, and tossed them in the trash as the doorbell sounded. She looked through the peephole, thinking her brother was back for something he’d forgotten, but she was wrong. She saw it was the two police detectives, instead.
Did they pass Ethan in the hall?

Pulling in a quick breath, she unlocked the door and opened it. “Yes, can I help you?” she asked, trying to keep her nerves under control.

“Sorry to bother you so late, ma’am, but can we come in for just a moment?” Detective Porter requested.

“Sure, I guess.” Suki stepped aside and let them in. “What’s happened? Did you find Whitney?” she asked, trying to sound hopeful.

“No, not yet, but we have a photo we think might be a clue. Can you identify the people in this picture?” Will held the photo up for her to take a look.

She looked at it for a few moments, realizing it was a picture of her and Ethan, taken several years ago. Her hair was a dull medium brown back then, and she carried a few more pounds. Ethan’s hair was cut short and neat, not the unruly mess he often hid under his hat these days. Her heart began to thump hard, and some of the color drained from her face, struggling not to give herself away.

“No, I don’t think I know those people. Who are they?” she asked innocently, thankful it wasn’t a close-up of them.

“Well, that’s what we’re trying to find out.”

“Oh, silly me. Of course, that’s why you’re here. I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, putting on her best airhead impression. The kettle began to whistle in the background. “Would you guys like some tea?”

“No, thank you, it’s late. Sorry to have bothered you, Miss Gorman,” Patel apologized.

“No bother. I want to help. Sorry I couldn’t identify them,” she remarked as she opened the door to let them out. “Good night.”

That was close, she thought to herself, as she turned the dead bolt. We’d better move fast once Kate is back, before someone does identify us in that photo and starts putting things together.

Chapter Twelve

Horizon Flight 2269 was on final approach to SEA-TAC. Kate and Ryan had gotten to the airport before sunrise and were arriving in Seattle as the early morning sun was beginning to break, casting an orange glow at the horizon.

During the flight, Kate had been studying the photo on Ryan’s phone, trying to make out the faces, but no matter how long she stared at the picture, it was not big enough or sharp enough to identify the people in it.

Grabbing their carry-on bags as they left, they got off the plane as fast as they could. After making a quick sprint to the parking garage, they were soon on the freeway and headed to the police station. Kate called Detective Patel to let him know their plane had landed and they were on their way to meet him.

“Porter and I are both here sifting through the computer files once more. I’m sorry to say we haven’t found anything new. Hopefully, you’ll be able to identify the people in the photograph, and it’ll give us some direction in this investigation.”

“I hope so, too. We should be there in about twenty minutes,” Kate said, before hanging up.

She caught Ryan glancing at her while he drove. “Raj and Will are already at the office waiting for us,” she told him.

Wrapping her arms around herself, she let out a sigh. “Whitney’s running out of time, isn’t she?”

“Now, let’s stay positive, Kate. We don’t know anything yet. This photo might be nothing. But, on the other hand, it might be a clue that busts this whole case wide open and leads us to finding your sister.”

“You’re right, but…”

“But nothing. We’ll be at the station in just a few minutes, and then you can get a good look at the picture.”

Kate wanted Ryan to be right. This photograph could be the key to figuring out what happened to Whitney and where she was. She didn’t want to think of the alternative.

“I wonder if Suki would know who the people in the photo are,” Kate said.

“That’s a thought. Let’s ask Raj and Will when we get there.”

“Ugh! I wish I had thought of that last night. They could have gone right over to the apartment and shown it to her. Then Whitney may have been found by now.”

“Don’t beat yourself up about it. We’ll ask them in just a few minutes.”

“What a great sister I am. I was so wrapped up in what was going on between you and me last night that it never even occurred to me.” She whipped out her phone again and began dialing.

“Who are you calling?” Ryan asked.

“Detective Porter.” The phone started to ring and Will picked up.

“Kate? I thought you were on your way in?”

“We are, but I was wondering if you thought we should ask Suki if she could identify the people in the photo.”

“Yes, we went over to her apartment last night and showed her the photo, but she said she didn’t recognize them.”

“Oh, okay then. That’s all I was calling about. I guess we’ll see you in a few minutes.” Kate hung up and told Ryan what Porter had said.

“See, they’re on top of it. It’s their job to think of these things, not yours. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“You’re right. I’m just so anxious to find her. Can’t you go any faster?”

* * *

Ryan held the door open and Kate dashed into the police station first, heading directly back to the squad room. Patel and Porter were waiting for them, and a print out of the photo lay on the desk.

“Good morning, Kate, Ryan,” Raj said.

“Good morning,” Ryan replied.

“Is this the photo?” Kate asked as she picked it up. “Sorry, good morning. I don’t mean to be rude, I’m just so anxious to see the picture.” She held it up and studied the faces for a moment. Then her eyes narrowed and her head cocked slightly to one side.

“Oh, my gosh,” she whispered under her breath.

“What?” Ryan asked.

“I know who these people are,” Kate replied, glaring at their faces, stunned by the realization.

“You do?” Detective Porter asked, sounding encouraged that they finally had a lead. “Who are they?”