Текст книги "The Naked Eye"

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

Соавторы: Roy Johansen
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Текущая страница: 8 (всего у книги 19 страниц)

“Enjoy it.” Griffin took Kendra’s arm and nudged her toward the door. “It will be a rare pleasure for you.”

Kendra only waited until they were out of the room before she turned to face him. “Why?”

“That sounded suspicious,” he said. “When I’m only trying to do you a small service.” He thought about it. “No, it was not small. Not huge, but considerable.”

“Why?” she repeated. “Why did you come down here?”

“I heard you were having some difficulty, and I thought I’d see if it was necessary to step into the arena.” He led her toward the elevator. “I thought you were handling them with admirable coolness until you decided to go on the attack. You had to bring up Ketchum’s affair?”

“I just wanted him out of there. Those detectives were very aware of those cameras. Stokes, at least, is aware of my abilities. He probably didn’t want another detective put on the spot and his private life revealed on that tape.” She got on the elevator. “Why are you here? You wanted me to beg you for a favor that was less than this one. Now you show up and offer a bribe to get me off the hook.”

“Merely a deal that will benefit all of us.”

“Why?”

“I’ll leave you to figure that out for yourself. Maybe it’s because I have a real affection for you.” He was smiling as the doors started to close. “Or maybe it was because I couldn’t see how you’d be able to repay the favor you promised me if you ended up in a jail cell.”

CHAPTER 8

“THEY KEPT YOU A LONG TIME.” Beth was standing by her car, waiting, when Kendra walked out of the precinct. “By the time you called, I’d started to wonder if I needed bail and a defense attorney for you.”

“I think it was a little close,” Kendra said. “I changed from a person of interest to skirting the edge of being an actual suspect.” She got into the passenger seat. “And if Griffin hadn’t gone to bat for me and offered the facilities of the FBI to help in the investigation, I might have had to lawyer up to keep out of jail.”

Beth pulled away from the curb. “Griffin helped?”

Kendra nodded. “Like Batman to the rescue. I was surprised, too.” She looked out the window at the passing streetlight. “He pointed out that DNA could be planted and that a woman of my background and abilities would never make the mistake of leaving a piece of crucial evidence like that.”

“And they said that everyone makes mistakes,” Beth said. “I’m glad they decided not to play hardball.”

“Me too.” She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. “But Colby won’t be glad. He went to so much trouble to set it up.”

“You think it was Colby,”

“Who else? It would show how superior he was to me. How he could manipulate me to suit himself.”

“Kendra,” Beth said quietly. “Where did he get that strand of your hair?”

“I wish I knew.” Her eyes opened. “The logical answer would be my hairbrush. It’s also one of the most frightening. Did he find a way to break into my condo to get that hair?”

“Possibly. How is your security?”

“Very good. Is it perfect? Probably not.” She shook her head. “It’s not the only answer. I go to the hairdresser for hair trims every five weeks or so.”

“That’s not much scarier. He would have had to be watching you to know that was where he had to go to get what he wanted.”

I’m watching you.

“That goes without saying. But I don’t know how long he’s been watching me.”

“A minute is too long.” She grimaced. “This really spooked me, Kendra. I didn’t care about been thrown into jail myself, but I hated the idea that bastard was railroading you. I felt helpless. They wouldn’t even let me see you.”

“You couldn’t have done anything anyway.”

“Sure I could. I just had to think what to do. If you could spring me out of that jail when Bubba was out to get me, there wasn’t a question that I have to return the favor.”

“Colby isn’t Bubba.”

“But they’re both evil and want to manipulate the world to suit themselves.” She was pulling into a parking spot in front of Kendra’s condo. “And we can’t let them get away with it.” She opened her door. “But that’s not tonight. Tonight, you need to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep so that we can tackle Colby tomorrow. I’ll walk you to your door, then take off for my hotel.” She was walking toward the condo entrance. “Unless you’d like me to stay the night?”

“No. And I don’t need you to escort me to my door.” Though she found it very touching. “I would have let you bail me out if necessary, but I don’t need a bodyguard, Beth.”

“Sure you do.” She smiled as she watched Kendra key herself into the building. “I keep telling you. I’m your muscle.” She turned and headed back toward her car. “See you tomorrow…”

Kendra shook her head as she watched Beth get into her car and take off. Her relationship with Beth was getting increasingly complicated. Who was protecting whom?

And what difference did it make? It was a dangerous world they were living in right now, and it was only important to survive.

And make sure that Colby did not survive.

But Beth was right, she had to rest so that she would be ready to resume the battle tomorrow.

Shower. Maybe have a cup of tea. Try to go over what she’d seen on the houseboat and see if she would have a breakthrough. Then go to bed and try to get to sleep.

The gully.

Pleasant dreams.

If the nightmare came, it would come. She would not let him make her afraid.

*   *   *

SHE’D FINISHED THE SHOWER AND washing her hair and was making her tea when her cell phone rang.

Beth checking on her?

No, not Beth.

“Why are you calling, Lynch? Bored? I’m too tired right now to try to entertain you.”

“When did you ever make that attempt? And evidently you’re keeping yourself too busy to get bored,” he said grimly. “I’m surprised you still have your phone. That must mean that they thought better of tossing you into jail.”

“Ah, your spies are on the job again.” She dropped down in the chair and lifted her cup to her lips. “Or was it Griffin?”

“Both. I got a report that you were being questioned, and I called Griffin and made him fill me in. He wasn’t pleased, but he did enjoy the fact that you were up to your neck in trouble and I couldn’t do a thing about it.”

“That sounds like him. But even if you wanted to help, there was no way you could from Luxembourg.”

“Even if I wanted—” He drew a deep breath. “Of course, I’d want to—” He stopped. “Why didn’t you tell me that Colby contacted you?”

“You were flying to Europe. What could you have done anyway?”

“How the hell do I know? But you didn’t give me the option.”

“No one believed it was him anyway. Even Griffin said copycat.”

“But you believed it?”

“What difference does that make? Everyone knows I’m obsessed about Colby.”

“Stop being flippant. Was it him, Kendra?”

She was silent. “It was Colby, Lynch. I’d swear it.”

He muttered a curse. “Do you know? I was hoping you were wrong about him.”

“So was I. But hope doesn’t always carry the day. Anyway, thanks for not being completely skeptical like the rest of the world.”

“The rest of the world doesn’t know you the way I do.”

“If they did, they’d probably think I was even worse than my reputation. You’ve seen me at some very bad times, Lynch.”

“And a few magnificent ones.” He paused. “What’s all this DNA business?”

“Colby, backing me in a corner, trying to bring me down before he strikes the final blow.”

“Strikes the final blow,” he repeated. “That was very matter-of-fact.”

“Because it’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let Colby have his own way. He’s going down.” She added, “This conversation isn’t heading anywhere. You called to express your concern, and I appreciate it, but there’s nothing—”

“Express my concern? You’re damn right I’m concerned. I haven’t been here more than a day, and you’ve already been contacted by a serial killer who wants to make you the next victim on his hit list, then came close to being arrested.”

“And, of course, none of that would have happened if you’d been here watching my back?”

“Maybe not. I’m really good at watching your back.”

She was silent a moment. “Yes, you are. But we both know I can’t rely on you to do it. I have no right.”

“Rights can be negotiated.” He paused. “We can deal.”

“You sound like Griffin. He made me promise to return the favor if he got me permission to go into the houseboat.”

“He did? That’s dangerous. Griffin isn’t a man you want to owe.”

“I didn’t have a choice.”

“You have a choice with me,” he said quietly. “Take it. Take what I can give. You won’t be sorry.”

She felt a sudden rush of heat. She could almost see him, the lean strength, the power, the intensity. The words could be taken many ways but there was a note in his voice …

“Kendra?”

“What are you talking about?” she said brusquely. “We’ve been working together for months. I’ve accepted your help. It’s just that there have to be limits.”

“Do there? I don’t think that I agree. The idea of a limitless relationship appeals to me. It’s a disciplined world for you right now. You’ve forgotten how fascinating it can be to slip under the boundaries. That might be where the negotiating comes in.” He changed the subject. “Look, I’m working to wrap this situation here up quickly. There are a few sticky angles that I’m having to skim around, and I may be stuck for a day or two.”

“Why are you telling me? It’s your business to do as you please.”

“I’m telling you because if it wasn’t a possible hostage situation, I’d be on the next plane.”

“Hostage. You didn’t tell me that.”

“It could go either way. I may have to go in and do some fancy tap dancing. And if I do that, it will be incognito. I won’t even be able to take my own phone.” He was silent. “But I’ll shove it to someone else if things get more dicey for you. You’ve got to promise me that you’ll tell me right away.”

“I don’t intend to come running to you if—”

“Promise me.”

She knew that tone of voice. He wasn’t going to give up. “I’ll tell you if I don’t believe I can handle it.”

He muttered a curse. “And that’s almost less than nothing. Okay, remember that he’ll strike not only at you but the people close to you. If you don’t want to accept help for yourself, do you have the right to not bring in additional troops to save them?”

Beth. Olivia. Her mother.

Lynch was not called the Puppetmaster for nothing. He had found the one argument she couldn’t refute. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And isn’t it time that you moved into my place?”

“No, it is not. Drop it, Lynch.”

He didn’t push it. He knew that he’d already won a major battle. “Okay, but remember it’s an option.”

“How could I forget? Good night, Lynch.” She hung up.

She sat there staring down at the phone. The call had been disturbing and annoying and … comforting. Not surprising, when Lynch could be all things to all individuals if he wished.

Tonight she’d try to forget the disturbing and remember the comforting. It had been a rough day, and she needed to be soothed and told that everything would be all right.

And he had not done that, but he had said he wanted to watch her back, and that was pretty good, too.

She finished her tea and took the cup to the kitchen. She had planned to go over the items in the houseboat and try to put some clarity to confusion. But she would leave it for the night and go to bed. Maybe everything would be clearer in the morning.

She went back to her bedroom and started to turn out the light.

Then she stopped.

Not yet. One more thing before she risked that nightmare again.

She went into the bathroom and opened the drawer where she kept her toiletries.

Her silverback brush that Olivia had given her last Christmas shimmered in the lights from the vanity.

She looked at it for a moment, then took it out of the drawer. It felt light to the touch. There were a few strands of hair still on the bristles.

It would have been so easy for someone to run a comb through those bristles and take those strands.

Had Colby been here, looking in this mirror, the brush in his hands?

She shuddered. She could almost imagine him standing behind her, smiling.

No!

She threw the brush in the drawer and slammed it closed. She whirled, flipped off the light, and strode back into the bedroom.

She would not imagine what she did not know. She would not let him torment her. He was doing quite enough of that without her help.

She dove into bed and closed her eyes.

Don’t think of the gully.

Don’t think of that hairbrush.

Think of Lynch. Don’t push away any part of what he made her feel. It might save her from Colby tonight.

Take it. Take what I can give. You won’t be sorry.

I’m taking it, Lynch. Tonight, I choose you.

*   *   *

KENDRA WAS PERCHED ON THE edge of the sofa, staring intently at her television, when Beth entered the condo the next morning.

“Aha,” Beth said. “The only thing that could require that level of concentration is the latest episode of Real Housewives. Or maybe Duck Dynasty.”

“I got up early, and I’ve been going over the video you shot of Sheila Hunter’s houseboat.”

“Even more entertaining. I went over it a couple times myself. I have a hunch that you saw more than I did though.”

“Not necessarily.”

“Does it give you any ideas?”

Kendra paused the video. “Yeah, maybe. At any rate, today we’re going to meet with the powerful CEO of a multinational media corporation and ask him a boatload of questions. No problem, right?”

“You’ve got to be talking about Robert Schultz. I saw the references to him in her phone records. You’re going to try to see him?”

Kendra nodded. “Sheila Hunter was in constant contact with him, at all hours of the day and night. I can see it on the call logs Lynch pulled for me.”

“You think something was going on between them?”

“Something was. It rang a bell with me when I was talking to those cops yesterday. One of them got extremely shifty when I accused him of cheating on his wife.”

Beth laughed. “You accused a cop of—”

“Not my finest hour. I kind of lost my patience. Anyway, it suddenly occurred to me that some of the things that had been wiped clean might have been done to hide evidence of an affair, not a murder.”

“What?”

“The main reason that Colby wanted me to go to the houseboat was to see how clever he’d been in planting that DNA. But there might have been something else, and I didn’t see anything. Everything was wiped clean. Colby wouldn’t have wiped anything clean if he wanted me to see it. So I began to wonder if someone else wiped that crime scene down.”

“He could have been hiding evidence of his affair and the murder.”

“If I didn’t know Colby was responsible, I might have thought that myself. I need to talk to Schultz right away.”

“Not that I doubt you, but high-powered executives tend be a little busy. How exactly are you going to pull that off?”

“I already have. We’re meeting him at Amici Park in half an hour.”

“You’re not joking.”

“No, I have his personal cell number, remember? Plus a bit of embarrassing knowledge. Trust me, it’s a potent combination.”

*   *   *

IN TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES, KENDRA and Beth were walking on the outskirts of downtown’s Amici Park, which on weekdays became the playground for an adjacent elementary school. The small park was located in Little Italy, and it offered one of the few grassy areas for dog walkers in the downtown area.

A slender man in an expertly tailored suit was already there. In his fifties, he had fine features and slightly thinning brown hair. He was leaning against the fence, skimming e-mails on his phone. Kendra approached him. “Robert Schultz?”

“Yes, Ms. Michaels.” He put away his phone. “When I suggested this place, I didn’t realize it was closed to park goers on school days. We can go somewhere else.”

“This will be fine. Our conversation isn’t going to last long.”

“I hope not.” He turned to Beth. “And you are?”

“Helping me,” Kendra replied. “Beth Avery.”

Schultz nodded. “Which means she’s cut from the same cloth.” He turned back to Kendra, and said coldly, “I don’t usually respond to tactics like yours, Ms. Michaels. I don’t appreciate threats.”

“You don’t usually find yourself in the middle of murder investigations, either.”

“I had nothing to do with what happened to Sheila Hunter.”

“I believe you.”

He stared at her. “Then what’s this about?”

“You already know. You wouldn’t be here otherwise. I know you were having an affair with her. You spent a lot of time with her in that houseboat. You were paying for it, weren’t you? It was billed under one of your midlevel executives, but you were footing that bill.”

He looked away. “Why should I talk to you?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll make a lot of noise you won’t want to hear. I don’t care about your affair, Mr. Schultz. I have no interest in telling your story to the world, despite the fact that your girlfriend stooped pretty low to tell mine. But I promise I’ll do it if that’s what it takes to get the answers I need.”

He looked back at her. “I’m a married man. I have children. And Sheila worked for my company. The last may actually be worse than the first as far as my professional standing is concerned. We had to be very discreet.”

Kendra nodded. “You wanted a nice place near your office but not a place where many people would see you coming and going. Almost no one lives on their boats in Harbor Village. I imagine it was a nice spot for you two.”

“It was heaven.” For the first time, Kendra saw the pain in his eyes. “The place. The woman. Sheila understood me. We had the same values. It was the one place I could relax and enjoy myself. I hated whenever I had to leave.”

“The night she was killed … I know you were there.”

He turned sharply toward her. “I told you I had nothing to do with it.”

“And I told you that I believe you. But I know you were there.”

He looked down and finally nodded. “I found her. It was horrible. I couldn’t believe it.”

“She was already dead?”

He nodded.

Beth wrinkled her brow. “But you didn’t call the police.”

“I couldn’t. I couldn’t get involved. But I knew the police would put the entire place under a microscope. I wiped my prints off everything, every gift, every trinket that might possibly be linked back to me or my credit-card purchases. I put them in a laundry bag and got the hell out of there.”

“Everything,” Kendra repeated. “It looked pristine clean. You were in a big hurry. You probably scooped up everything in sight on the chance that it might incriminate you. Is that right?”

He shrugged. “I admit I wasn’t being overcareful about picking and choosing. I thought better safe than sorry.”

“You don’t remember any individual items?”

He shook his head. “It’s all pretty much of a blur.”

“And where did you put that bag?”

He didn’t answer.

“Believe me, I’m not looking for anything to incriminate you, not for murder or adultery. I just have to examine the contents of that bag and see if you threw anything in it that might help me find Sheila’s killer.”

“And what’s to stop you from turning the entire contents over to the police?” he said sharply. “What kind of position would that put me in?”

“It might put you in the position of helping to find the murderer of the woman who understood you, your kind of woman. Remember.”

He was silent. “She’s dead now. I’m alive.”

“Touching,” Beth said. “A love affair for the ages.”

“I’m a realist,” he said harshly. “It’s not going to help her for me to ruin my life.”

“Okay, suppose I guarantee not to turn the bag over to the police unless I find some evidence that might lead to her killer. And that I promise not to tell anyone the name of the person who removed those items from the houseboat.”

“I wouldn’t believe you.”

“You can believe me. I don’t lie.” She paused. “And the alternative is that I go to the police right now and tell them that you were her lover and you were there the night she was killed. That would start them digging very deep. How long do you think it would take for them to persuade you to tell them where that bag is now.” She looked him in the eyes. “I think I’m your best bet, Schultz.”

He scowled. “Neither one is a good option.”

She waited.

“Okay. I guess you’re right. It’s better to take a chance on you than having the police breathing down my neck.”

“So where is it?”

“I don’t have it. I tossed it that night.”

“Tossed it where?” Kendra asked.

“I got in my car and just drove. I was pretty messed up. I kept seeing her on the mast and all that blood…”

“Where did you end up?”

“I went to Mission Trails Park outside the city. I used to hike there sometimes. I thought I might bury the bag, or maybe weigh it down and throw it into the lake.”

“You thought you might,” Beth said. “What happened?”

“I drove out there, and I got turned around pretty quickly. It was dark, and the roads looked nothing like they do during the day. I was looking for a place to pull over, but then I was aware of a car behind me, about fifty yards back. Its running lights were on, but the headlights were off.”

“Following you?” Kendra asked.

“That’s how it looked. No matter how fast or slow I went, it was always right there.”

“Did you think it might have been Sheila’s killer?” Beth asked.

Schultz waited for an elderly couple to pass by them before he answered, “It crossed my mind. All I could think about was what that murderer had done to Sheila. I was nervous as hell. But the more I thought about it, the less likely it seemed. There’s no way I was followed all the way from downtown. I would have seen it earlier.”

“So this car continued to follow you with the headlights off?”

Schultz nodded. “And like I said, it was dark. I was having a tough time navigating all those twists and turns with my headlights on. Then I began to think it was a park ranger or maybe a cop. The last thing I needed was to get stopped and caught with a bagful of stuff from my murdered girlfriend’s home.”

“So what did you do?”

“I waited for a curve in the road and chucked it out the window off a hillside. That way, even if I got stopped, I wouldn’t get caught with it. I turned off my own lights when I made the toss, so I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be seen doing it.”

“And what happened then?”

“I left as quick as I could. I lost sight of the car right after I left the park grounds. I’m guessing it was probably a ranger patrol. I think they were hanging back, trying to see what the hell I was doing there. If I had stopped, they might have gotten in my face. But since I just kept going and exited the park, they didn’t bother me.”

Kendra nodded. “Maybe. You never went back for the bag?”

“At first, that was my plan, but no. It’s a fairly desolate area, far from the major hiking trails. And if it’s ever found out there, I don’t think there’s anything that can necessarily be traced back to Sheila. Or me. I was mainly concerned with its being found in her houseboat.”

Kendra leaned toward him. “You have to be able to tell us about at least some of the things you removed from the houseboat.”

He thought for a moment. “There were ticket stubs for a few concerts we saw together. I removed gifts I’d given her. Things I’d charged that might be traced back to me. A necklace, a couple bracelets. Several objects I’d given her.”

“What kind of objects?” Beth asked.

“Figurines. Little statues. She loved little ceramic shoes. I travel overseas a lot, so I’d buy her things that I’d see.” He thought for another moment. “I also cleared out the few pieces of clothing I had there, along with my toiletries.”

Kendra nodded. “Guerlain Homme deodorant spray. Creed Green Irish Tweed cologne. Neroli Portofino bar soap.”

He stared at her in amazement. “Yes.”

“You took them away, but the odors remained. You’re wearing the same deodorant and cologne today.”

“Amazing,” he said.

“The cologne is especially nice. I understand George Clooney also wears that.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“So you dumped it all?”

“No, the clothes are still in my car. I stuffed the toiletries and the other stuff in a black laundry bag. I had a hard time remembering what I bought her and what was already hers, so if there was doubt, I just scooped it up. Like I said, I was just out of my mind that night.” He made a cutting gesture with his hand. “That’s it. No more. I’m through.”

“Not quite,” Kendra said. “I need one more thing from you.”

“I think I’ve done a lot for you already. My lawyer would say too much.”

“No, lawyers prefer not to deal with the police if at all possible. I’m much easier.” She paused. “But I need you to go with us and help us find the bag.”

His reply was immediate and incredulous. “No way in hell.”

“I wouldn’t ask if wasn’t necessary to help find Sheila’s killer.”

“Why is it necessary? How can it possibly help you find Sheila’s murderer?”

“I’m afraid I can’t discuss that at the moment.”

“After everything I’ve just shared with you?”

“Unwillingly shared. You’re the CEO of a corporation that owns newspapers, television stations, and some of the most popular news Web sites in the world. And just a few days ago, one of those sites held me up for public ridicule and raked me over the coals. That story was written by the woman with whom you claim to have shared your values.” She shook her head. “Pardon me if I don’t trust you with sensitive information relating to an active homicide investigation.”

Schultz opened his mouth to reply, then closed it again. He managed a faint smile. “Point taken.”

“So you’ll help us?”

He checked his watch. “No, I’m catching a plane for Houston in less than two hours.”

“Postpone your trip.”

“I can’t do that.”

“You mean you won’t.”

“I can’t, and I won’t. That about covers it. I’ve told you enough, and I won’t run the risk of being caught scrambling over those hills with you. I already avoided that once. I’m not going to go for a replay.” He met her eyes. “But I can tell you exactly where I dumped it.”

“Where?”

“Not unless you promise me that you won’t go until after dark, when you at least have a chance of not being seen.”

“No problem. I assure you that we don’t want interference either. Where?”

“When you get over there, drive north on Mission Gorge Road. Just after you pass marker 6, it’s down the hill on the left.”

Kendra pulled out her phone and tapped in the instructions. “You’re positive about this?”

“Yes. I thought I might be going back out there myself, so I was careful to remember exactly where it was. Warning. It still won’t be easy making your way down that hill.”

“Just as long as we find that bag at the bottom of the slope.” She turned and moved back toward her car. “Otherwise, you can expect another visit from us.”