Still Waters (8 page)

She should call the station manager and discuss the situation. Was her cameraman in danger working with her? She glanced at the man driving. He was in danger, as well. Her sister. Gina. Maybe it would be best if she took some time off work. Gina was a reasonable person. Hopefully she could convince Barb to stay away from Amber until this killer was found.

Amber stared out at the familiar landscape. The plan seemed like a good one. Reasonable.

So she was going to put her life on hold because some evil, twisted bastard had targeted her?

No way.

“I need to go to the station.”

Sean glanced at her. “Did you get called in for an assignment?”

“No. The computers at the office are better for what I need to do.”

He made the necessary turn for the new destination. “Would you like to let me in on what we’re doing?”

She considered his profile for a moment. Strong jaw and forehead with a nice nose balanced perfectly between gorgeous blue eyes. She wondered how often he’d been asked why he wasn’t on the big screen. He had the looks, the charm. He could have gone for an acting or a modeling gig. Amber dismissed the silly notion. Her mind was working overtime to distract her from the worry.

Rather than answer his question, she asked one of her own. “What did Jess and Corlew say to you after the meeting?”

He glanced at her. “Not to let you out of my sight.”

“Really? I thought that was already the plan. Isn’t that why you’re sleeping on my sofa?”

“Guess so.” His lips quirked with a need to grin.

He likely wouldn’t find the situation so amusing if the shoe were on the other foot. Still, she couldn’t deny that seeing his lopsided smiles and grins were almost worth the worry and frustration. Maybe that was an exaggeration. Just another indication that her mind was on overload.

“So, what’s on tonight’s agenda?” He shot her a look. “I’m not going to let you out of my sight, but you’re still the boss.”

Amber relaxed the tiniest bit and told him what he wanted to know. “We’re going to find out all we can about those two women Adler and his partner killed. Those women and I shared some common trait or connection that drew Adler and his partner. We have to figure out what it was.”

“We should get food,” he suggested. “I work better on a full tank.”

She hadn’t even thought of food. She wasn’t sure her stomach could handle food. Two women were dead, but Amber had survived whatever the bastards had planned for her. The least she could do was help find the other person responsible for their deaths.

Going into hiding wouldn’t be fair. Rhiana Pettie and Kimberly McCorkle and their families deserved justice.

Amber had an obligation to help them find it.

Chapter Eight

Thornberry Drive, 9:05 p.m.

“You’re sure you want to show up at someone’s door at this hour and announce you might know who killed their daughter?”

The idea sounded much better when she said it. “I have to do something.”

Was she being selfish? The McCorkles had waited four months to hear who had taken the life of their daughter; the Petties even longer. Still, Sean had a point. She couldn’t just show up at their door and announce that she knew the murderer. Not to mention the detectives on the case would not be happy with her, and the last thing she needed to do was to annoy or enrage the BPD. Odds were, the lead detective in the case, Chet Harper, had already spoken to the families.

Still, Amber had to do this.

“I’ll be subtler than that,” she assured him.

Sean grunted in that way only males could, the sound a warning that he had his doubts.
Fine.
She didn’t need his approval.

She hadn’t been able to reach anyone at the Pettie home. Mrs. McCorkle had insisted she was happy to meet tonight. If Amber had a daughter who had been murdered, she wouldn’t care what time of the day or night news came; she would want to hear it as soon as possible.

Sean parked at the street in front of the ranch-style home. “Just remember, Harper’s going above and beyond to solve this case. Don’t do anything to make them regret the extra effort to keep you in the loop.”

“Is that what your boss warned you about after the briefing?”

He shifted his attention straight ahead, and Amber knew she’d hit the nail on the head.

“Something like that,” he admitted.

“I would never do anything to jeopardize my relationship with the BPD or with Jess Burnett.” As a journalist, she understood the value of the relationships she’d built. As her mentor, Gina had kept that golden rule in front of Amber. She was no rank amateur.

Sean flashed her one of those killer smiles as he opened his door. “Well, all righty then.”

As usual he was at her door before she was out of the car. He surveyed the street and the homes on either side of the McCorkle home before ushering her up the sidewalk to the porch. Amber rang the bell and found herself holding her breath.

The door opened, and an older woman, fifty or so perhaps, with dark hair looked from Amber to Sean and back.

“Mrs. McCorkle?” Amber asked.

“You’re Amber Roberts,” the woman said. “I recognize you from TV.”

“This is my friend Sean Douglas.” Amber indicated the man beside her.

Mrs. McCorkle gave a nod. “Come in.”

When the door opened wider, Amber stepped inside. Sean stayed close behind her. Maybe a little too close. The heat from his body made her tremble.
You really have lost it, Amber.

“You’re certain we’re not disturbing you, Mrs. McCorkle?” The guilt was making an appearance. Damn Sean for making her second-guess this move. If she weren’t so vulnerable right now, he would never have been able to accomplish that feat. Investigative reporters ferreted out information on cases all the time. It was part of the job. More often than not the police weren’t particularly pleased, but it generally worked out to everyone’s benefit.

The lady shook her head adamantly. “I want to do all I can to help find the monster who took my baby.”

Amber understood. She glanced around the neat living room. Framed photos of Kimberly were everywhere. “Is Mr. McCorkle home?”

The older woman looked away. “He’s gone to bed.” She wrung her hands. “It’s hard on him. Truth is, he drinks enough beer every night after work to render him unconscious by the time he goes to bed.”

“We all have our own way of dealing with loss,” Sean spoke up. “As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.”

Amber wondered what he had done to deal with the loss of his lover when Lacy James died. Had he struggled to sleep at night? Tried to drown his sorrows? Why was it she suddenly wanted to know all there was to know about him? Yes, he was the man tasked with her safety, but she suspected there was more to it than that.

Mrs. McCorkle nodded her agreement with Sean’s understanding words. “I tell myself that every night.” She sighed. “Sometimes I feel like we’re muddling through some alternate reality. How can this be our lives?” She waved off the words. “Please, make yourselves at home. Would you like coffee or hot tea?”

“No, thank you,” Amber said as she perched on the edge of the sofa. “Was Kimberly a hot tea drinker?”

The lady shook her head. “That would be me. Kim loved her coffee in the morning, iced tea for lunch and dinner was a cold beer. She allowed herself one or two each night, the same as her father. He always warned that overindulgence was a bad thing. But that was before...”

“I love the flavored teas,” Amber said, keeping her tone light. “Paradise Peach.”

“I guess I’m a purist. Earl Grey for me.”

“Green tea chai for me,” Sean tossed in. “Only I cheat—I buy the instant stuff.”

The man drank hot tea? When he shot her another of those amused looks, Amber closed her gaping mouth. She would need to be careful around him. He kept her off balance, and he knew it.

Time to get to the point of this meeting.
“Mrs. McCorkle, I believe the man or men who hurt your daughter may have been targeting me, as well.”

The woman’s eyes widened. “Has someone else gone missing?” Her hand went to her chest. “Mercy, I’ve prayed nonstop that he would be caught. I don’t understand why the police can’t find whoever did this. They were here this evening asking more questions, but they weren’t giving me any answers.”

“I’m certain they’re doing all they can,” Amber assured her. “I’m wondering if your daughter and I had any hobbies, shopping habits or interests in common. May we talk for a few minutes about the things she liked to do?”

Mrs. McCorkle’s eyes brightened, but the perpetual sadness created by the loss of her daughter lined her face. “She always loved building things as a child. It was no surprise when she decided to become an architect. She took great pride in her work.”

“What about her hobbies?” Amber reached into her purse for a notepad.

“She loved playing basketball,” Mrs. McCorkle said, her eyes growing distant. “She played in high school, you know. No matter that she was a foot or more shorter than the rest of the team—she was a force to be reckoned with when she got her hands on the ball.”

“Was she dating anyone in particular?” Amber asked.

Mrs. McCorkle shook her head. “She had a lot of friends and dates, but she didn’t date anyone regularly. Kimberly said she was in no hurry to get serious. She was busy building her career.”

Amber’s instincts started to hum. “I can relate.”

“Kimberly had big plans. She wanted to have her own firm one day. She was going to take care of me and her dad. She promised we’d never have to worry about anything.” Mrs. McCorkle’s lips trembled. “She sure saw to that. She carried a million-dollar life insurance policy. We had no idea until we saw the paperwork among her personal papers.”

“Do you mind sharing the name of her insurance company?” Amber, too, carried a significant policy.The day before she’d started her job her father had insisted on a “business” talk. He’d urged her to be smart with her money from the beginning. Setting up a savings plan was at the top of his list. Insurance and investments were next. Six years later Amber was grateful for that talk.

Mrs. McCorkle told her the name of the company, but it wasn’t the one Amber used. After half an hour, Amber learned that she and Kimberly had very little in common beyond their single-mindedness regarding their careers. As significant as that similarity was, their careers were so different Amber wasn’t sure how that had drawn a killer’s attention. The firm where Kimberly was employed was nowhere near Channel Six. Maybe they shared the same maintenance crew, or maybe Adler had made deliveries to both offices or to their homes. The architectural firm hadn’t been on the list, but maybe that was only because he’d delivered there fewer times.

By ten thirty Amber realized the woman would have gladly stayed up all night talking about her daughter. She passed Mrs. McCorkle a business card. “This is my cell number. Call me anytime, day or night, if you think of anything you believe would be helpful.”

Mrs. McCorkle saw them to the door. “I hope they catch him soon.”

Amber squeezed her arm. “I’m certain they will.”

When goodbyes were exchanged and the door closed behind them, Amber felt exhausted. The meeting had been far more emotional than she’d expected. She had conducted plenty of interviews with families who had lost loved ones, but somehow this time had been more difficult. Certainly it was more personal. Those people could have been her parents...

Sean abruptly moved in front of her. She bumped into his back. His hand went under his jacket where she’d seen the weapon stationed at his hip. She peeked around one broad shoulder and spotted the trouble. A man stepped out of the shadows.

Gerard Stevens.

Irritation seared through Amber. “What do you want?” She stepped around Sean, but he stopped her with one strong hand before she could move toward Stevens.

“So the rumors that Adler is connected to the McCorkle and Pettie murders are true,” Stevens stated with a satisfied smile.

“You know this guy?” Sean asked, his fingers still biting into her arm.

“She knows me,” Stevens mouthed off. “She knows me
very
well.”

“Adler was stalking me,” Amber said, anger building faster than she would have liked. “I’m considering an exposé on women who’re murdered by obsessed men. You better watch out or you’ll end up in the story.”

“I’ll nudge my contacts at the BPD and confirm for myself.”

Sean was urging her toward the car.

“You do that,” Amber tossed at the jerk before Sean ushered her into the car. Stevens had made far too many enemies at the BPD to have any reliable contacts left. He was bluffing. How the hell had she ever been attracted to the arrogant bastard?

Sean echoed the question as he drove away from the McCorkle neighborhood. “You dated that guy?”

“Once or twice.” More like six times. She closed her eyes and shuddered at the memory of the time they’d spent together. The moment Gina had found out, she’d told Amber that Stevens liked to bed all the new female competition, and then he bragged to his male peers.

Gerard Stevens had been her one big career mistake. Cutting herself a little slack, she had been young and eager to make all the right contacts in the business. At the time Stevens had seemed like a great contact.
Live and learn
.

“I guess pretty boys like him attract lots of women.”

Amber considered the remark as they drove through the night. For such a handsome guy, Sean almost sounded envious. She wouldn’t tell him, but he was far better-looking and more charismatic than Stevens would ever be.

“Trust me—his ego is sickening. What you see is definitely not what you get. As a date he’s a massive letdown.”

“Ouch,” he teased. “Remind me never to let you down.”

During the fifteen or so minutes it took to drive to her house, Amber weighed the few facts she knew. If Pettie had been a career-oriented woman, that could very well be the attraction the three of them shared. Still, the killer had to have come into contact with each of them somewhere. What places or people did they have in common? Mrs. McCorkle hadn’t been able to provide much in the way of places her daughter frequented. She had promised to talk to some of Kimberly’s friends and get back with Amber.

Now if she could just get an appointment with the Petties tomorrow.

Sean checked the street before allowing Amber out of the car. He ordered her to wait in the living room while he checked the rest of the house no matter that the security system had been armed. Honestly, she didn’t see how celebrities lived like this. She would lose her mind.

“Clear,” he announced as he returned to the living room.

“Great.” She needed to think. A cup of tea and some quiet time would hopefully go a long way in making her feel a little more in control of her life. “I’m having tea. You want anything?”

“I’m good.” He peeled off his jacket and tossed it over the arm of the sofa.

Yes, she mused, he was very good.

“I have wine,” she offered as she lit the flame under the teakettle.

“No drinking while on duty.” He reached up and plowed his fingers through his hair. “I’ll just take a quick shower while you have your tea.”

She shifted her attention to preparing her tea and tried her very best to block the images of him naked beneath the hot spray of water. She was tired and confused and plenty worried. There was no other explanation for her sudden inability to think straight.

While the water boiled she went to her closet and put her shoes away. She stripped off her clothes and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tee. It felt good to simply relax. She washed her face and dabbed on her nightly moisturizer. Her mother had taught Amber from an early age how important the nightly rituals were. Her father had been the one to insist she set and maintain a workout routine. Her parents were health nuts, and she was glad. So many of her friends struggled with finding the time to take care of themselves in their busy lives. The routines her parents had instilled had become part of her day, so she didn’t have to make time.

The whistle of the kettle drew her back to the kitchen. She gave herself a pat on the back for only hesitating a mere second or two in front of the hall bath door. The sound of spraying water had ceased. She could imagine Sean in there toweling off that muscular body. She sighed. Maybe she just needed the relief of thinking about anything else besides her current fears. Or maybe it had been too long since she’d bothered with a personal life. So many of her colleagues had the same problem. There just wasn’t enough time to establish an upwardly mobile career and to have a life, as well. A few, like her, had abandoned the idea of marriage and children for the foreseeable future. Most, however, went the other way. She had no idea how people like Jess Burnett and Lori Wells juggled such demanding careers while raising children. Maybe it was time she asked.