Duffy nodded as he thought that through. “Perhaps, and I’m sure that will be the tactic his lawyer uses. But that doesn’t explain the other evidence found at the scene.”
“What?” I asked as my heart dropped again. This looked worse and worse for Eddie.
“The scrubs we found in Gina’s car had some short blond hairs on them. They look about the same color and length as those on Eddie’s head.”
“Have you run a DNA test yet?”
“I’ve got the paperwork started on a warrant for a lock of Eddie’s hair. I’ll have to wait for his lawyer to get here. He’ll file a motion to suppress. The judge will rule in our favor, but it’ll still take some time.”
“So what’s next for Eddie?”
“His bond hearing is being held later today. Given his flight risk, it should be substantial enough to keep him put until trial. I don’t even want to think about how Ellie’s gonna take this news,” he said with a heavy sigh. After a moment he said, “Come on. Let’s get over to the hospital and find out what happened to Kelly. You ready?”
I followed behind Duffy as we exited the station. We got into his patrol car again and headed back across town. “I tried calling your sister,” I said to him as we drove. “She didn’t answer her cell.”
“It’s probably better we tell her in person anyway,” Duffy said with a sigh. “Man, I am getting so sick of giving my sister bad news.”
“But at least she’ll know where Eddie is,” I said, trying to look at the bright side.
“Yeah, still, for the biggest week of her life it sure is turning out to be a shitter.” I smiled in spite of myself. Duffy knew how to sum things up, all right.
We arrived at the hospital and headed inside to find Ellie and Nina. Instead we found Jimmy in the lobby, and Duffy greeted his father with a warm smile. “Hey, Pop,” he said.
“Duffy! Where have you been, son? We’ve been waiting for a couple of hours now for you to show up.”
“Sorry about that; we got sidetracked,” Duffy said. “So where’s Ellie? I need to talk to her right away.”
“She and your mother are in with Kelly. Is there news?”
“Yeah, but I should let Ellie know first. Hey, Abby?” he said, turning to me.
“Yes?”
“Can you fill in my dad about Eddie while I go talk to my sister?”
“Absolutely,” I said, and smiled at Jimmy.
After Duffy trotted off to find Ellie and Nina, I filled Jimmy in on the details, leaving out the part about Ellie being pregnant, of course. That was Ellie’s news to tell, and I’d shared it with Eddie only because I’d been desperate to get him to see reason.
I also left out the part about Eddie’s credit card connecting him to Gina’s disappearance. Something about all this wasn’t adding up. My intuition wasn’t buying the latest evidence pointing toward Eddie as Gina’s killer, and I didn’t want to comment on it until we knew more.
Just about the time I finished, Nina came down the corridor looking tired and worried. Jimmy got up immediately and helped his wife into a chair next to me, where she seemed to sag when she sat down. “How you holding up?” I asked as I stroked her arm.
“I’ll be fine,” she said with a tired smile. “I’m more worried about Ellie.”
“How’d she take the news?” I asked.
“Better than I thought she would. Now that she knows Eddie is accounted for, and that he did his best to save Kelly, she’s taking it in stride. Especially since Kelly can back up Eddie’s story.”
“Kelly’s backing up Eddie?” Jimmy said.
“Yes. She says that last night, right after we’d all arrived at the jail, she was told by a firefighter that she had to move her car. When she was getting in it, she saw Eddie and another prisoner come out of the back entrance. She called to him, and that’s when the other prisoner grabbed her, took her keys and threw her in her trunk.”
“That matches what Eddie told me,” I said.
“Later Kelly heard an argument coming from the front of the car, and shortly after that the car stopped. She said she heard more yelling; then Eddie howled in pain and the car took off.”
“She must have been terrified,” Jimmy said.
“She was. But that girl is smarter than she looks. She said that awful man you helped capture, Abby—what was his name?”
“Warren Biggins,” I said.
“That’s right; that’s the name Duffy said when he filled us in on Eddie. Anyway, she says this Biggins character took her to the woods, where he told her he was going to make a real woman out of her, just like he’d done for the other girls.”
“Other girls?” Jimmy and I said together.
“Yes. Apparently that horrible man had kidnapped and raped several other women, and he bragged to Kelly the whole time he made her march through the woods.”
“How did she get away?” I asked.
“She said that Biggins had a hold of her collar and, when he tripped over a root and fell down, she rolled away from him and faded into the darkness. She then managed to make her way out of the woods and walked for several miles before finding help.”
My intuition buzzed, and I almost tuned out on Nina for a moment, but then she said something that caught my attention. “Jimmy,” she said, turning to him. “I think that this horrible man might have been the one who murdered Gina.”
Jimmy nodded. “That could be why Eddie’s wallet was found near her body. Didn’t you say that when they arrested Biggins he had stolen credit cards on him?” he asked me.
I nodded. “Yes. All the merchandise he’d purchased from the mall had been with stolen credit cards.”
Nina and Jimmy nodded. “He’s got a pattern then of pickpocketing. He could have easily stolen Eddie’s wallet off of him and left it behind after he’d murdered Gina,” Jimmy said.
I puzzled on that for a minute, thinking that was one explanation. But then why was Gina’s plane ticket purchased with Eddie’s credit card? And why was Eddie’s hair found on the bloody scrubs in Gina’s car? Biggins, I recalled, had dark brown hair, not blond. Something else bothered me too, and that was Sara’s disappearance and—my guess—murder.
Intuitively I knew the two crimes were linked, and it seemed an extraordinary coincidence that three women, all close friends, had been targeted by Biggins, a total stranger to them. Granted, Kelly’s abduction seemed a definite wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time scenario, but that still didn’t explain the randomness of Gina’s and Sara’s murders.
“Well, I’ve told Duffy my theory,” Nina continued, interrupting my troubled thoughts.
“What did he say?” I asked.
“He said that he’d check into Biggins’s record a little deeper when he got back to the station after he takes Kelly’s statement.”
“And how is Kelly?” I asked.
“The poor thing looks a little worse for wear—she’s sporting a black eye and a few other cuts and bruises and she had a slight case of hypothermia—but the doctor said she’s suffered more emotionally than physically.”
“At least she’s safe and warm and surrounded by people who care about her,” I commented, thinking that Kelly was one lucky girl.
“Yes. They’re releasing her in a little bit, and Ellie and I are taking her back home with us. She can stay in Duffy’s old room while she’s recovering from her trauma.”
“That’s a nice idea, honey,” Jimmy said.
“The least we can do. Besides, we’ll have room now that all the wedding guests are leaving,” Nina added, her shoulders drooping and tears forming in her eyes.
“Awww, honey, don’t cry,” Jimmy said as he threw a protective arm around her shoulders and squeezed her gently.
“I just wanted Ellie’s big day to be perfect. And instead it’s become a nightmare!” Nina sobbed.
I felt terrible and helpless all at the same time. Nina and Jimmy had been more like parents than my own parents, and seeing them in so much anguish over their daughter made my
own eyes water. Getting up, I headed for a tissue box and brought it quickly back to them. “Here, Nina. Please don’t cry. It’ll be okay; I swear it will.”
“Thank you, Abigail,” she said taking a tissue. “I’m so happy you could come into town. You’ve been such a comfort to Ellie. I suppose, however, you’re going to head back home soon, like everyone else?”
I nodded, thinking that it was best to be totally honest with her. “Yeah, I’ve decided that tomorrow I should go home. I mean, Eddie’s accounted for, Kelly’s accounted for….”
“But we’re still not sure about Sara,” Nina reminded me, an unasked question in her eyes.
“I know,” I said, stroking her hand and giving her a small smile. “But I don’t know what else I can do for her, Nina. I’ve tuned in as much as I can. The rest is up to your son and the other sheriff’s deputies to figure it out. My feeling is that eventually she’ll be found.”
“But you’re convinced she’s dead, aren’t you?” Nina pressed.
I took a moment to gather the courage to be totally honest with her. “Yes,” I said, and took it one step further. “And I believe that Gina’s and Sara’s murders are connected.”
Nina gasped and squeezed Jimmy’s hand. “Biggins,” she said slowly. “He’s killed them.”
Jimmy looked very worried as he glanced from his wife to me to Nina again. “All the better that Kelly and Ellie are staying with us, dear. We’ll keep an eye on them as long as there’s a killer on the loose.”
“Well, this is just terrible,” Nina said. “It’s awful to think of someone out there, close to our friends and family, doing these horrible things. I don’t know what I’d do if something like this ever happened to Ellie.”
“I see nothing like that in her future,” I said to Nina, trying to ease her mind the only way I knew how.
Nina nodded to me, her eyes filling with tears again as she said, “Yes, she’s told me. Thank you for giving her that gift.”
“You guys ready to bust Kelly outta here?” we heard Duffy call from behind us.
Jimmy, Nina and I all stood to greet him and Ellie as they came down the hall. “They’re releasing her?” Jimmy asked.
“Drawing up the paperwork right now. I hear she’s gonna be staying in my old room,” Duffy said, looking at his mother with a playful grin.
“I can’t very well put her in the garage, Duffy,” Nina said.
“That’s where we should have put Duffy when he was still living there,” Ellie said, and gave a poke to her brother.
“Ouch! Hey, El, careful with the merchandise there.”
“Sorry, didn’t know it was so easily bruised,” Ellie said.
I laughed and chimed in by saying, “It’s not bruising he’s worried about. He’s got this real sensitive spot right under his rib cage, and if you push on it he squeals like the Pillsbury Dough Boy!” Four sets of eyes turned toward me, three of them quite shocked at my statement, and then I realized what I’d actually admitted to. “Uh…not that I would actually know he’s got a sensitive spot…. I mean…uh…Duffy, didn’t you tell me a story about your tickle spot or something?” I stammered, feeling my cheeks flushing.
Three sets of skeptical eyes swiveled back to Duffy, who looked at me and shook his head ruefully. “Wow. Man, when you open your mouth and insert your foot, you really shove it in up to the hip, don’tcha?”
“Ahem,” I heard behind Duffy, and we all parted to see Kelly in a wheelchair being pushed by an intern. “I’m ready to go now,” she said meekly.
“Kelly!” I said, thoroughly relieved to see her. “Hi, there, girlfriend! Let me just help you out,” and I rushed to shoo the intern away as I grabbed her wheelchair and began heading for the exit. Behind me I could hear chuckling.
“What was that about?” Kelly asked, tilting her head back at me.
“You saving my tuchus.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. I’m glad to hear you’re okay,” I said.
“Thanks,” she said, and turned back to stare out at the approaching door.
“Hey,” I said, trying to melt the ice between us. “Maybe if I move here we can do lunch sometime?”
Her head tilted back again and she asked, “You’re going to move here?”
“I’m thinking about it,” I said as we got to the door and I punched the button that automatically opened it. “Say, do you know of any apartments for rent?”
“There’s one in my building that’s nice,” she said amicably. “If you moved here we could be neighbors.”
I smiled down at her, glad that she seemed to be coming out of her shell a little with me. “That would be cool,” I said, and waited on the curb for everyone else to catch up.
When Jimmy went to get the family car, I had time to look up at the skyline and think about what I’d just said. It sure was beautiful here. Maybe moving wasn’t such a farfetched idea after all. With that, I decided to head home tomorrow and really think about it. Strongly consider a change of scenery. As I looked at those purple mountains in the distance, I had no idea how much of a change in scenery I actually had coming.
Chapter Fifteen
That evening found me at Viv’s house busily packing my things and making the arrangements for my flight out the following morning. Viv came in and out of my room, dropping off little tidbits of things she thought I would need on my journey, like a pretty packet of monogrammed stationery she “found” among some old things. Or a first-aid kit she’d “picked up” from a friend. Or a pen she’d “rescued” from the counter at her bank. I was beginning to see quite clearly that Viv had a penchant for pinching.
With that in mind I made sure that I could account for all my belongings, then had to go about the house looking for my eye shadow, silk scarf and the silver heart bracelet Ellie had given me. Viv was very helpful in my search, suggesting that perhaps the bridesmaid’s gift had fallen off my wrist over at Duffy’s when I took his “boys” out for a “swim.” I found it by consulting my radar, which kept pointing me toward the piano in the back corner of her living room. I finally discovered it by opening the lid of the thing and seeing it lying there on top of one of the piano keys.
“How’d that get there?” Viv asked me over my shoulder as I extracted the bracelet.
“Some little gremlin, perhaps,” I said, giving her a look.
“Hmph,” she said, and shuffled away.
Rolling my eyes, I headed back to my room and rechecked my luggage. I was still missing a sock, but figured I could live without it. I then took out my cell and called Dave to let him know I’d be home in the early afternoon.
“Hey, there, honey. How’s it hanging?”
“Low and left like always, Dave.” I laughed into the phone. It was good to hear his voice again.
“Glad to hear it. So, what’s the word? Was the wedding a great party?”
“Not exactly,” I said.
“Someone got drunk and puked on your shoes?” he said.
“Ewwww!” I replied, pulling the phone away from my ear as I made a face. “That is just…Ewwww!”
“Happened to me at a wedding once.”
“You’ve been to a wedding?” I asked, my tongue in my cheek.
“Yes, young lady. As a matter of fact I have.”
“Gee, Dave, I thought you avoided those like the plague.”
“I only avoid my own. Someone else’s I’m more than willing to attend,” he said.
“Good to know,” I said with a chuckle. “Listen, I’m headed out of Dodge in the morning, which puts me home about three. Will you be around so I can pick up Eggy?”
“Uh, sure,” he said, the air going out of his voice. “I guess….”
I smiled at his lack of enthusiasm. “You’re gonna miss my little buddy, aren’t you?”
“He kinda grows on you,” Dave said.
“You can come visit anytime,” I said.
“Yeah, I know,” Dave groused. He was taking this harder than I’d expected. “I
just got used to sleeping with him, is all.”
“I thought he kept you up at night?”
“Only a little. And he still makes less noise than my old lady. That woman can snore.”
I chuckled again. I was going to miss Dave when I moved. “Say,” I said, thinking of something. “Why don’t you and your sweetheart come over for dinner tomorrow night? I’ll cook and we can hang out, watch a hockey game or something.”
“You’re going to cook?” he asked warily.
“Good point,” I said. “How about if I order pizza?”
“Now you’re talkin’,” Dave said. “Except my old lady’s still outta town, so it’ll be just me, you and Eggers.”
“Eggers?” I asked, my eyebrow cocking at the nickname.
“He knows who I’m talking about,” Dave said defensively.
Just then my cell phone gave a sharp beep. “Ooops,” I said. “Gotta go, Dave. My cell phone’s about to die. I have to make sure it’s charged before I split town.”
“See you tomorrow, Abby,” he said, and clicked off.
Before charging up my cell I checked it for voice mails. “You have no messages,” the voice said. Damn. I got the charger out of my suitcase and walked over to a plug. It had officially been a week since Valentine’s Day, and not a peep out of Dutch.
To tell the truth, I was actually surprised. I hated to think that I was so utterly forgettable as to not allow for one weak moment where he’d leave me some kind of “Hey, I was just thinking of you” message. Hell, he could have even left the old, “Can we arrange for a time to exchange our stuff back?” kind of call and it would have felt better than no message at all.
I wanted to be angry at him—for his outright dismissal, and for breaking up with me in the first place. But the reality was that I wasn’t there yet. I was still in the heartbroken-please-handle-with-care stage. In fact, that Dutch seemed able to get over me so quickly only made my heartache a little worse.