chapter Seven
The remainder of the night passed with Seth on high alert. He insisted Tamara move into Samantha’s bedroom for the rest of the night and then he had half dozed in a chair in the living room, unable to completely relinquish himself to sleep as he thought about the days to come.
The mound of sand he’d found outside the window told him two things...that the killer had embraced the name the newspaper had given him, and that he was getting bolder. That could either work for them or against them in capturing him.
By the time morning came Seth made a pot of coffee to go along with his exhaustion. He definitely needed a major caffeine boost in order to do his interviews that day. And whatever he did, wherever he went, Tamara would go with him. There was no other option.
The coffee had just finished dripping into the carafe when Linda came into the kitchen and sat at the table. With her hair bed-messed, without makeup and clad in a pair of hot pink pajamas she looked ten years younger.
“You know, you don’t have to do this,” he said as he placed a cup of coffee in front of her. “I can pack up Tamara and take her to the local motel until the investigation is finished.”
Linda shook her head. “She’s been through enough. I don’t think it would be good for her to be moved someplace else at this time in her recovery. Besides, I’ve just wanted somebody to give me a reason to take some time off and visit Helen, and Samantha bunking in at her dad’s place is no big deal. I think they have a camping trip planned in the next week or so. She and Scooter will be fine and so will I.”
A wealth of affection rose up inside Seth for his sister. “You’re the best, sis.” He grabbed his coffee and joined her at the table.
She took a sip and eyed him over the rim of the cup. “I see the way she looks at you, Seth,” she said as she set the cup back down on the table. “And I see the way you look at her.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He looked into his cup, unable to meet her gaze.
“Yeah, right,” she replied drily. “You know how much I’d love for you to find a woman and fall in love and build a family, but you need to take care in this case. She doesn’t know where she belongs, and for all we know there is a special somebody waiting for her return. I don’t want to see her get hurt, but more important I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Don’t worry about me. I just want to catch this freak, get him under arrest and then return to my life in Kansas City,” Seth said.
Linda raised an eyebrow. “What life?”
Seth laughed humorlessly, knowing his sister believed he had no life except his work, which, of course, was true.
“I’m just telling you to tread softly. The attraction between the two of you is palpable, but you need to remember the circumstances of why she’s here now and she’ll be gone soon.”
“Duly noted,” he replied. Despite the kiss from the night before, a kiss that had rocked his world, he had no intention of taking things any further with Tamara.
By nine o’clock, Linda had taken off to drive to Oklahoma City to visit with her friend, Samantha had come by and packed two enormous suitcases for her time with her father and Seth had boarded up the window in the guest room with plywood he’d found in Linda’s garage. Then he and Tamara were on their way to the sheriff’s office.
“There’s a break room in the back and you can hang out in there while I conduct my interviews,” Seth explained. “We’ll get somebody to run out and get you some magazines to read and there’s a television in there, so you shouldn’t be too bored.”
“I’ll be fine,” she replied. “Although I probably would have been fine staying at home. If this creep lives up to his name, then the nighttime will be his playtime. The Sandman doesn’t visit people during the daylight hours.”
“I thought the Sandman was only supposed to sprinkle good dreams into the heads of sleeping children.” Seth pulled up in front of the office, shut off the engine and turned to look at her.
“Apparently not this Sandman,” she replied. Despite the short night she looked lovely with her long hair pulled back and clasped at the nape of her neck. She wore a pair of jeans and a white blouse with blue trim that complemented the color of her eyes.
“Apparently not,” he agreed. “And whether we like it or not, he is focused on you, so there’s no way I want you alone anywhere for now.”
They both got out of his truck. The late-June heat was already hot on his shoulders and Seth had a feeling things were going to get even hotter for the people he intended to interview.
He needed to get this job done and the sooner the better because Linda was right, Tamara was getting to him, and the end result of anything that might happen between them was that somebody was going to wind up being hurt.
After seeing Tamara settled in the small lounge in the back of the building, Seth sat in the interrogation room with Tom. The short night showed on the sheriff’s features. Tired lines raced down the sides of his face and Seth had a feeling he had the same kind of stress lines on his own.
“Henry Todd will be here in just a few minutes to talk to you and this afternoon I’ve got Casey Minter coming in. She was friendly with Vicki and although she wouldn’t tell me much, I’m hoping she’ll be more open with you.”
“Why didn’t she open up to you?” Seth asked curiously.
“Probably because I’ve arrested her father a dozen times for public intoxication. I’m not exactly a favorite around the Minter household.”
“I met Henry Todd last night. Tamara and I ate at the Golden Daffodil and he came out and introduced himself to us,” Seth said.
“Quite the Dapper Dan, isn’t he?”
Seth smiled. “I believe Tamara mentioned the word smarmy after meeting him.”
Tom’s grin lasted only a moment. “After last night have you made alternate plans for where Tamara is going to stay?”
“No, she and I are remaining at the house, but I sent Linda and Samantha away for the next week or so.”
Tom studied him for long moment. “You’re hoping he’ll attempt to take her from the house again?”
“Heck, I’m hoping I’ll have the bastard’s name by the end of the day,” Seth retorted.
Tom stood. “I’ll see to it that Tamara has whatever she needs so that you can focus on these interviews. I don’t need to tell you how badly I want this guy in my jail.”
“Trust me, I want him there just as badly,” Seth replied.
As Tom left the room, Seth opened the file he’d brought in with him for the day of interviewing. Inside were not only copies of the original interviews, but notes that Seth had made as to what new questions he wanted answered.
As he waited for Henry to arrive, he couldn’t help but think about Tamara and the kiss they had shared the night before. He’d wanted to take things further. He’d wanted to scoop her up in his arms and carry her to the bedroom and make love to her.
Thank God he hadn’t followed through on his desire. His conversation with Linda that morning had confirmed his own beliefs, that getting that close to Tamara would be a big mistake for both of them.
He shoved thoughts of her away as Henry Todd was led by Raymond Michaels into the interrogation room. Seth stood and gestured the handsome man into the chair opposite him at the table. Coffee was offered and declined, small talk made to break the ice and then Seth got down to business.
“From the notes I’ve read I understand that you and Vicki Smith were something of an item before her murder,” Seth said.
Henry smiled with a touch of condescension. “Vicki wanted us to be an item, but I just dated her a couple of times and that was it. Our relationship was only a big deal in her mind. There was no real relationship. Besides, I made it clear to her that we were done almost a month before she died.”
“I’m guessing she wasn’t happy to hear that?” Seth asked.
“To be honest, she was a real pain after that. She still worked at the restaurant, but she bad-mouthed me to all my staff and I think she keyed my car, although I never had any way to prove it. I’m telling you all this because you’re probably going to hear it anyway, but I didn’t have anything to do with her murder.” He gave Seth a charming grin. “Besides, you know what sand would do to a pair of expensive Italian loafers?”
Seth wasn’t amused. The conversation lasted another thirty minutes, with Seth leaning on him hard, trying to break a weak alibi and fluster Henry enough to make a mistake and say something telling. But the restaurateur remained calm and collected and firm in his answers.
Seth finally told him he could go. Henry got to the doorway and then turned to look back at Seth. “Have you talked to your brother-in-law?” he asked.
“My brother-in-law?” Seth stared at him blankly.
“Mark Willoughby. I heard it through the grapevine that he and Vicki were dating in the days before her murder. They even came in for dinner at the Golden Daffodil right before Vicki’s death.”
Seth felt as if he’d been sucker-punched. Nowhere in the notes had Mark been tied to Vicki Smith. Mark hadn’t even been interviewed in either of the previous investigations.
Once Henry left the room, Seth reared back in his chair, his stomach churning with a new anxiety and troubling thoughts.
There was no question that Mark hated his ex-wife, and Linda had dark hair just like all the victims. Seth had always believed his ex-brother-in-law to be many things, but he never would have suspected him capable of murder...until now.
He couldn’t discount Mark because he’d been married to his sister for ten years, and yet he couldn’t allow his personal distaste for the man to color the investigation in any way.
He directed Tom to make arrangements for Mark to come in that afternoon for an interview and then the rest of the morning was taken up by talking to teenagers who had been at the party on the dunes the night that Rebecca Cook had been killed.
Casey Minter had confessed to him that Rebecca had worked at the Golden Daffodil for two days, then had quit because she felt uncomfortable with her touchy-feely boss. According to Casey, Rebecca had thought Henry Todd was an old pervert who couldn’t keep his hands off his young help.
As far as Seth was concerned the information was just another strike against Henry Todd. Did that make him the killer? Hard to tell. Did it make him a smarmy creep? Definitely.
It was just after noon when he went to the break room and discovered Tamara gone. A gossip magazine was open on the table and the television was tuned to the Lifetime channel.
He glanced toward the restroom. The door was open, indicating it was empty. So, where was Tamara? He’d told her not to leave this room until he returned for her.
His heart skipped a beat even as he told himself not to panic. But it was sheer panic that torched through him. Where in the hell was she?
Was it possible a deputy was involved with the killings? Had he missed something...had he unintentionally placed Tamara at risk by simply bringing her here where she should have been safe?
* * *
TAMARA STOOD IN LINE at the fast-food restaurant next to Deputy Raymond Michaels. He’d come into the break room a few minutes earlier and asked if she’d wanted to stretch her legs and walk with him to grab some lunch at the place next door to the sheriff’s office.
Assuming Seth had sent him and eager to do anything to break the monotony of the long morning, she readily agreed. For the most part she’d been alone in the break room for the past couple of hours with nothing to occupy her except the television and a few magazines a deputy had brought in earlier in the day.
She’d had way too much time to be in her own thoughts, to attempt to sort out what had happened to her and how she felt about Seth. It bothered her that whenever she consciously reached for any memories of her former life she felt not only a knot of anxiety but also a sweeping grief that made no sense.
She was certain the grief had nothing to do with whatever had happened to her here in Amber Lake, but rather had its seed in the former life that she couldn’t remember.
Although she wasn’t sure what she thought about Deputy Michaels, she was grateful for him allowing her to get out of the little room that smelled of stale coffee and male for a few minutes.
“So, still nothing happening up here?” Raymond touched the side of his head.
“Nothing worthwhile,” she confessed. “Just bits and pieces that don’t help your investigation at all.”
“But you are starting to remember some things,” he replied.
She nodded. “A few, although nothing of consequence to the case.”
“Who knows, maybe in just the blink of an eye it will all come back to you.” His dark brown eyes held hers long enough that she was grateful that it was their turn at the counter to order.
She got a cheeseburger and fries and a diet cola while Raymond ordered one of the meals that had a sandwich with enough burger to make a full cow. She protested when he paid for hers, but he insisted he wasn’t paying, that it was on the Amber Lake Sheriff’s Department.
“You know you’re our best chance for a break in this case,” he said as they pushed out the door to walk back to the office. “At this point we don’t have jack.”
“We can’t even be sure that when I get my memories back it will have the information you need to make an arrest,” she replied. “It’s possible that I didn’t see the face of the person who attacked me.”
“But it’s also possible you did,” he countered. “You’ve got to let us know when your memories come back. Anything you remember might be a clue and we need to know what’s in that head of yours.”
At that moment she saw Seth approach them from across the parking lot. He walked in long strides, his handsome features set with a rigid anger she’d never seen before. Even before he reached them she could feel the wave of rage that radiated from him.
“What’s up?” Raymond asked.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Seth asked the deputy as he drew closer. He barely shot a glance at Tamara and then once again glared at Raymond.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I got us some lunch.” Raymond straightened his shoulders, obviously not liking Seth’s aggressive tone. “It was after noon and I knew she hadn’t had anything to eat.”
“Deputy Michaels, this is my case and this is my witness. You don’t talk to her without my permission. You don’t even look at her unless I tell you it’s okay, and you sure as hell don’t remove her from safe custody to get some lunch.”
“Take a chill pill, Mr. Fed Man,” Raymond said with more than a touch of belligerence. “I just figured your witness might need something to eat and would like to take a short walk. I had it all under control. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her.”
He didn’t wait for Seth to reply, but with a sigh of disgust, he stalked away toward the office. Seth immediately turned to Tamara, his eyes the color of ice. “Are you all right?”
“Got my burger and fries, I’m golden,” she said in an attempt to lighten his mood.
He raked a hand through his hair and motioned for them to follow after Raymond. “I went to find you and you weren’t there. I...I freaked out. I thought maybe...” He allowed his voice to drift off as he drew a deep sigh.
She realized how fearful he’d been when he hadn’t been able to find her and her heart cringed. “I’m sorry, Seth. I didn’t mean to worry you. I just assumed you knew what was going on when Deputy Michaels invited me to take the walk with him to get lunch.”
“It’s all right,” he replied as they began to walk. “I guess I hadn’t realized how much on edge I’ve been until I walked into the break room and you weren’t there.” He kept his gaze focused on the building in front of them. “I didn’t realize how important you are to me...to this case,” he quickly tacked on as if in afterthought.
A dangerous spin of want whirled through her as she smelled the familiar scent of him, gazed at the handsome features now set in stone. Too close. They were definitely getting too close emotionally, and Tamara knew that was a mistake, but wasn’t sure how to halt it from happening.
She was falling in love with Seth and that frightened her almost as much as the memories she kept repressed.
When they reached the office they went back into the break room. Apparently Raymond had decided to eat his lunch at his desk for they had the room to themselves.
“Want some of my fries?” she asked as she settled in at the table.
“No, thanks.” He went to the vending machine in the corner and bought a soda and a prepackaged sandwich, then sat across from her. “Did Raymond give you a hard time?” he asked.
“Not at all. He asked me a bunch of questions about my memory, but I think he was just curious. Why?” She looked at him closely and noted that his features still looked harsh.
“There’s something about him that I don’t like.” Seth unwrapped his sandwich and frowned at it thoughtfully. “I keep thinking what, other than being drugged, would make a woman lie down in the sand without putting up a fight? Maybe a sheriff or a deputy with a gun?”
Tamara gasped. “Are you telling me you don’t trust the people you’re working with?”
His frown deepened and for the first time his gaze met hers. Cold and distant, keen with intelligence, his gray eyes stared at her for a long moment before replying. “I’m telling you that at this moment there are only two people I really trust. Me and you, and that’s it. Everyone else in this one-horse town is on my list of potential suspects.”
Tamara picked up a French fry but suddenly discovered she’d lost her appetite. If she was to believe as Seth did, then she had nobody on her side, nobody she could trust except him, and that only made their emotional connection stronger.
One thing was certain. One way or the other she had a feeling that when it came time to leave Amber Lake she was going to be damaged. Whether that damage came from the memories of the crime against her resurfacing or from loving Seth, only time would tell.