Senseless (21 page)

“Yeah, he’s a great kid. All grown up. Maybe you can meet him sometime.”

The text from Jim Walters hit Angie’s phone right at six
P.M.
She’d been knee-deep in briefs and still nursing a headache, but her stomach had eased and she felt human again. When she saw his name pop up on the phone she smiled. Still on for dinner?

Angie texted back. Seeing as I survived, yes. Where?

O’Malley’s.

Great. Time?

Seven.

Seven was early for her and she had too much work to knock off by seven. But O’Malley’s was right around the corner and she reasoned she could have a quick bite with Jim and then head back to work. It would be a late night, but that beat sitting home alone.

It’s a date. Smiling, she set the phone down and tried to concentrate on her brief. The words were a boring jumble and she ached to just toss the whole thing and get outside.

The hour ticked by slowly. Angie kept trying not to glance at the clock but she did. By ten minutes to seven she grabbed her coat and headed out the front door.

She reached O’Malley’s right at seven and felt a little bit like a loser because of the excitement that swirled in her belly. She didn’t want to care, didn’t want to feel a tingle in her muscles. She wanted to be cool and uncaring because she knew in her bones that no matter how hard she tried, everyone always left her.

“Don’t do this,” she muttered as she pushed through the front door of the restaurant. Music and laughter greeted her. “All you got is right now.”

She glanced around the room and didn’t see Jim. Pushing aside a stab of disappointment, she moved toward the bar. She chose a seat at the end, and setting her purse on the bar, she ordered a glass of white wine. What was she doing here? She should be back at the office getting her latest brief written. Yet here she sat. Alone waiting for a guy who very well might not show.

The bartender set her wineglass in front of her. Thanking him, she took a sip, refusing to look toward the door. A few minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. She neared the bottom of her glass, certain that she was a fool. Checking her watch, she noted he ran twenty minutes late—if she’d not been stood up. She pulled a ten from her purse, handed it to the bartender and stood.

Angie had stepped out in the street when she heard her name.

“Angie!” Jim’s voice sounded rushed and breathless.

Her heart flipped and she turned, trying to play it cool. “Hey!”

He jogged up to her. “Sorry I’m late. I got caught up at work. Never fails if I want to get out early, all hell breaks loose.”

Relief washed over her. “Hey, no problem.”

“Were you just leaving?”

“I thought we might have gotten our wires crossed.” Angie stared up into his eyes. He had nice eyes. Kind eyes. And he smelled of the faintest trace of aftershave. She’d not noticed it this morning and realized he’d slapped a little on before their date.

“No. And I’m glad you waited as long as you did. I’m not sure I’d have been so patient. I hate late people.”

“Why don’t we just start over?”

“It’s a deal.” He opened the door to O’Malley’s. They bypassed the bar and chose a table in the corner. He held her chair out for her, which she found wonderfully old-fashioned and charming.

They ordered drinks and soon she found herself relaxing and chatting easily. The guy was so easy to be with. He asked questions, and when she answered he stared right into her eyes as if no one else in the world existed. Angie hadn’t realized how starved she was for this.

“So do you have family in the area?”

Even that question didn’t ruin her mood. “My parents passed way a long time ago. My sister lives on the West Coast.” Truth be told, they’d not spoken in almost a decade. Angie had tried to find her sister, but all her searches had ended up empty-handed.

“Where on the West Coast?”

Angie was good at dodging—maybe that’s why she’d chosen law. “Oregon. Portland.”

“What does she do?”

“She’s in computer science.” Angie had always pictured her sister writing intricate programs and solving the problems of the world.

“Sounds interesting.”

“More interesting than the law.”

He reached forward and pushed a stray blond strand out of her eyes. “Hey, you want to get out of here? I know a great place for coffee.”

His touch sent bolts of energy shooting through her muscles. Screw the briefs. She’d work late tomorrow. “Sounds good.”

Grinning in a way that caused her stomach to flutter, he kissed her. Before she knew it, she followed him willingly into the night.

Chapter 14

Saturday, April 8, 8:00 A.M.

The short woman had dark hair peppered with white, and dark half glasses, which she now peered over. “Can I help you?”

Garrison pulled out his badge and introduced them. “I called ahead and the Dean of Admissions agreed to see me.”

“He’s in his office. I’ll let him know you are here. Must be something to bring him in on a Saturday.” She vanished down a cinder block hallway and reappeared seconds later with a short balding man in tow. The dean buttoned his jacket as he came toward the front desk. “Detectives. I’m David Potts. Please come back.”

They followed and soon found themselves in an office.

Potts motioned for them to sit in the twin chairs in front of his desk. “I pulled the school records for Lisa, Sara and Eva as you requested and was reviewing them. Lisa and Sara came from good families and both earned good grades. Smart kids.”

Garrison flipped through Lisa’s file. Her record appeared impressive. “Played tennis in addition to her sorority responsibilities.”

“And played tennis like a pro. I remember her. She was a sweet girl. Naïve and silly at times but a good kid.”

“And Sara?”

“Another smart one,” the dean said, handing her file to Garrison. “She liked to ride horses.” He pulled off his glasses. “I just don’t understand why anyone would want to kill either woman. Both went on to live very successful lives.”

Garrison sat back in his chair studying Lisa’s young face. She’d been much heavier in college. And her hair was dark and curly. She’d been a far cry from the woman she’d become.

“I’ve met Eva Rayburn.” Garrison didn’t offer an opinion. He wanted Potts’s perspective on her.

“Yes, I imagine as a policeman you would know of her.” Potts didn’t hide his disgust. “She caused quite a scandal. Fund-raising and admissions turned into a nightmare for several years.”

“What can you tell me about her?” Garrison was very curious about Eva. He wanted to know who she’d been before Josiah had raped her.

“Eva Rayburn scored off the charts and those scores earned her a full scholarship. In fact, the school paid Eva a stipend just so she would come to Price.” He opened the yearbook to a photo collage page and pointed to a page with four girls. Arm-in-arm, they all smiled into the camera. “I remember she was a bit of a crusader. Once she joined the sorority house, she got them to volunteer at an animal shelter and a day care center.”

“Anything else?”

“The schoolwork came very easy for her and she skated through her courses. The girl could have done anything. If she’d stayed on track she’d have graduated in a couple of years.”

“Who’s in this picture?” He pointed to the fourth woman. She wore a bright smile and had wrapped her arm around Eva.

“Kristen Hall.”

“She appears to be good friends with Eva.”

“I suppose.”

“What’s that mean? They’d have been unlikely friends? Do you have contact information for Kristen?”

Potts turned to his computer. “I should. She’s a generous donor.” He tapped a few keys. “Here it is. Kristen Hall.” He wrote down her address and phone number and pushed the paper across the desk to Garrison.

Garrison glanced at the note then folded the paper in half, making the crease extra sharp. “Lisa, Sara and Kristen were from the same world. You consider it odd they’d pull Eva into their circle?”

“At the time I didn’t give it much consideration, but after your call yesterday I did a little digging. I’d forgotten that Kristen was on academic probation. And Lisa’s grades had slipped the end of her junior year. After Eva joined the sorority their grades shot up.”

“How much?”

“A lot. Kristen wanted into a top graduate school and if her grades didn’t skyrocket her senior year, her chances would have been nil. Suddenly, she befriends the smartest girl in the school. And her grades rise.”

“Were they cheating?” Garrison said.

“Cheat’s
a strong word. Nothing was ever proven. I like to think Eva tutored them a great deal. But after the murder and the fire, who can say?”

“What about Josiah Cross?”

Potts frowned. “Smart. Ambitious. Competitive. He ranked top in the school academically until Eva arrived. He dated Kristen.”

“Was he capable of rape?”

Potts pulled off his glasses. For a moment he didn’t answer. “Before his father died, I’d have avoided that question. Now I can say freely that Josiah proved to be a handful. Other girls complained, but the problems always went away. We were very glad to see him graduating in the spring.”

“Any girls you remember who filed complaints against Josiah?”

“Price purges our security records as soon as a student graduates.”

Garrison held on to his temper with a white-knuckled grip. The school knew they’d had a problem with Cross and had chosen to look the other way. “You know guys like Cross don’t stop. They just get meaner and smarter and keep hurting.”

Potts straightened. “Once they leave the campus they are not my problem. ”

“No, they become mine.”

The detectives left the school. Once they were in their car, Malcolm said, “So Eva, the brain child, gets raped and convicted of manslaughter. Her friends abandon her. She gets out of jail then decides to return to Alexandria. Within months of her arrival, Lisa and Sara are dead. She’d be smart enough to pull off and cover up a few murders.”

Garrison frowned, knowing Malcolm made sense. But he didn’t believe Eva had killed those women. “I want to talk to Kristen Hall. ”

Micah Cross chose Torpedo Factory Art Center on Union Street in Old Town Alexandria for their meeting place. The Torpedo Factory had been a bomb factory years ago and now had been subdivided into over eight tiny glass cubicles that housed artists from all around the region.

Though the aisle ways bustled this time of day, almost all of the visitors were tourists. Most were tired, hungry and didn’t care about a single man studying the art in the individual shop windows. If per chance someone recognized him, he could simply say he was shopping for art. He loved art and no one would doubt the explanation.

Micah always thought about the angles, options and scenarios. Like a chess player, he tried to stay one step ahead, a trait he’d learned in his father’s house. To avoid the wrath of Darius or Josiah’s cruelty, he had to plan ahead. Habits died hard.

He stood in front of a crystal sculptor’s booth staring at the vases, paperweights and plates. The pieces were all molded out of highly polished glass and caught the midday light, refracting it into a rainbow of colors. The artisan glanced up several times from her register, noting that he was studying her work. Finally, the third time she looked up, she moved around her small counter toward him.

That was his cue to smile and move on to the next vendor.

He wandered from booth to booth until he came across one with an
OUT TO LUNCH
sign on the door. The vendor’s sign promised the store would reopen at two, in fifteen minutes. That gave him the time he needed.

“Lovely, isn’t it?” The familiar voice behind him had him stiffening but he didn’t turn.

He leaned deeper over the display case, not moving a fraction toward the speaker. Anger dripped from his words. “I told you to be careful.”

“I am being careful. No one knows anything. ”

“I don’t like being questioned in a murder investigation. “ That was a lie. His body had hummed with excitement as he’d talked to Garrison; he’d run scenarios wondering how he’d have done the deed and then covered it up.

Soft laughter followed. “You like all this don’t you?”

“No.”

“Of course you do. I can see the way your hands tremble even now. Why did you visit King’s? Did you apologize for the sins of your father and brother or did you go to see her because it gave you a secret thrill?”

“That’s not—”

“Spare me. I know the real you.”

Micah tried to keep his gaze on the crystal, tried to be discreet, but he found he had to turn and look this monster in the eyes.

Only, when he turned, he discovered he was alone again.

Garrison and Malcolm arrived at Kristen’s condo located on the top floor of a chic building constructed of sleek glass and steel and complicated by all the amenities a young wealthy professional expected. He pressed the ringer.

High heels clicked across as a stone floor and seconds later she snapped open the front door. Her entire demeanor reflected impatience and anger. “My bags are in the front hall. You can carry them to the car and I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Garrison stood for a split second and stared. The woman was tall and her black slim-cut dress accentuated a narrow waist and full breasts. Red hair was styled into a flawless chignon and large diamonds winked from her ears and from the brooch on her shoulder.

He pulled out his badge. “We’re not with the limo service. We’re Alexandria Police. I’m Detective Garrison and this is my partner, Detective Kier.”

For a moment she stared at them as if they’d lost their minds. “Police? I didn’t call the police.”

“No, ma’am. We’ve come to ask you a couple of questions.”

“What kind of questions?” The more he stared at her the more flaws he saw. The icy green of her eyes had a brittle edge and her manicured fingers were a bit too sharp for his tastes. “We’d like to talk to you about Lisa Black and Sara Miller.”

She stared at them again as if gauging her words carefully before she spoke. “I don’t have much time. I’m catching a plane.”

“It shouldn’t take too long.” Garrison’s hackles rose.

“Fine. Sure. Come in.” She stepped aside.

The room projected stylish. Whitewashed wood, blues and yellows and too many ruffles. It all looked French, but Garrison wouldn’t swear to it.

Kristen closed the front door and folded her arms over her chest. A neatly manicured finger tapped her arm. “What do you need?”

Garrison didn’t rush. She could miss her damn plane for all he cared. “When did you speak to Lisa last?”

She raised a plucked brow but showed no signs of sadness. “I read about her in the paper. Tragic. I haven’t seen her lately. I did see her at our five-year reunion a few years ago. But not since.”

“You haven’t spoken or communicated in anyway?”

“No. I’m not sure what this has to do with anything.

Just because a couple of my friends from college died doesn’t mean it connects to me.”

“A couple of friends? I mentioned Lisa Black had died but not Sara Miller.”

“Well, I know about Sara Miller.”

“From? ”

“Eva Rayburn came by yesterday. She went to school with us and served time in jail for killing her boyfriend. Very unpleasant visit.”

Garrison stiffened. “Really?”

“I didn’t listen to her ranting. In her own twisted way she’s trying to pin what happened a decade ago on me.”

“In what way?”

“She’s turning the facts all around to suit her. She likely feels guilty for taking a life.”

Garrison tamped down a surge of temper. “I thought you two were friends in college.”

A hint of laughter twinkled in her eyes. “That’s a bit of a stretch. She served a purpose.”

“Which was?”

“She’s some kind of genius. She was a few years younger than us, but kept up with the schoolwork so easily. She had a knack for outguessing the teachers and what would be on the tests. She was into probabilities and ratios and said she could predict patterns based on that kind of stuff. I don’t know exactly how it worked, but it wasn’t cheating and it was very useful.”

“So she was not a friend?”

“I let her hang out with our group. But she wasn’t really a friend.”

Malcolm shifted his stance. He said nothing, but the slight movement telegraphed his annoyance toward this woman. “What happened the night of the fire?”

“Lisa, Sara and I went to get more wine. It was our last night on campus. Eva was still the pledge so she had to stay behind and clean up. She was glad to stay and it wasn’t until later that I understood why.”

“Why?”

“Josiah Cross. My boyfriend. They were having an affair. ”

“That came out at the trial.” Garrison kept his tone neutral.

“Don’t be fooled by her. She’s very clever and gets what she wants. She wanted Josiah and she got him.”

“Did you know about the affair?”

“I did. And I told Josiah to break it off. He agreed. I think he came to the house so that he could beg me to come back to him. When he got to the cottage, just Eva was there. Clearly she still had her hooks in him.” Convenient tears welled in her eyes. “Eva must have been furious when he told her to back off. I can just imagine what happened.”

“Please share.”

“She pushed him. Probably demanded he get back with her. What she probably didn’t realize was that Josiah had a bad temper.”

“He ever hit you?” Malcolm said.

“I’d never allow a man to do something like that to me.” The stiffness in her posture said otherwise.

“So what happened after Eva threw herself at Josiah?” The words rang hollow as Garrison spoke them.

“They made love.”

“I read the reports. The sex between them appeared forced and she had a star-shaped burn on her shoulder.”

“We had pendants.” She skidded completely around the rape question. “I gave it to all the girls as a thank you for helping me get into Boston University’s masters program.”

“Do you still have your star?”

“No. I lost it years ago. It was junk jewelry.”

“Lisa kept hers?”

“She always found it hard to let go of the past. ”

“Anyone else that might have had a grudge against Lisa and Sara? ”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“You said you are going out of town?”

“To New York for a few weeks. I’ve a wedding to plan.”

“Where can you be reached?”

She moved to a desk and scribbled numbers on a piece of paper. “This is my cell. You can reach me anytime.”

“Great.”

“I know Eva looks like a sad little creature. But she’s not. She’s smart and cunning. You might want to find out where she was when those poor girls were murdered. I’d bet my trust fund she had something to do with it.”