He grabbed Kerry’s hand and hurried her outside. The last thing he wanted was her around if a fight broke out.
Even heavy with moisture, the warm, fresh air was a hell of a lot better than the cigarette-laden house interior. Hunter cut across the lawn to avoid the stinking trash in the drive. He held Kerry’s hand long after they were safely outside, and a feeling of comfort blanketed him. It was the first time since Amy had died he’d been at ease.
He released his grip to open the car door and said nothing until he’d pulled out of Kopetski’s drive. “So what do you think?”
“Think? He’s a drunk, he’s angry, and I wouldn’t want him for a husband.”
Hunter chuckled, but his laugh contained little joy. “You got that right.”
Kerry twisted in her seat and tucked her leg underneath. “Mr. Norwood mentioned Janet met this guy at work. Brokers usually make a fairly good living. This guy looked like he barely had enough money for food and certainly not enough for cleaning help.”
“I agree. With his temper though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he lost his job though. His anger could have stemmed from the rejection from the wife or because the market wasn’t doing well. I’ll check out the case file for Janet’s arrest. It might give us a clue about what kind of man we’re dealing with.”
“Good thinking, detective.”
Her compliment lightened his anxiety. “The break in the collarbone. How severe was it? Would it require something other than a sling and some ibuprofen?”
“Hers was bad. Enough to require some screws and a small plate.”
Hunter pulled onto Dale Mabry Highway, away from David Kopetski. “This woman had a broken collarbone and a broken jaw.” He shook his head in despair. “I don’t understand how a man could hit a woman.”
“Me neither. Her jaw injury was older than the collarbone break, which fits with the story her father told us.” She slapped the dash. “Damn. Janet had a nick in the bone of her right index finger.”
Hunter braked at the light and looked over at her. “So?”
“A collarbone break is a routine operation, probably done by someone in Emergency. I could tell from the coloration of the bone in the finger her injury was right before her death.”
Someone behind him honked and he diverted his attention back to the road. “How could that lead us to a suspect?”
“In order for the bone to be chipped, the finger would have been close to being severed.”
“Go on.” Was she thinking the killer did this?
“If she didn’t get immediate help, she would have bled to death.”
“And how do we know bleeding to death wasn’t the cause of death?”
“From the smoothness around the bone chip, her finger had been repaired.”
“Could someone in Emergency have handled it?”
“The hospital would have called in a vascular surgeon to reconnect the tiny blood vessels. It’s exacting work and takes a specialist. I’ve also known plastic surgeons who do this type of vascular work. One doesn’t rule out the other.”
He slapped the steering wheel. “Why do we always come back to doctors?”
“Because we believe they are there to help.”
11
Hunter walked Kerry to her front door. She liked being around Hunter, liked his chivalry. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had worried about her so much—other than her grandpa.
“I’ll pick you up at quarter to eight Monday morning,” Hunter said.
“I feel bad you’re taking so much time out of your day. If I park in the garage, I’m sure I’ll be safe to drive to work. I wish I could have Grandpa to take me, but he’s kind of a scary driver.”
“It’s no bother. Really.”
A small thrill lightened her step knowing someone was watching out for her—and not just anyone, but Hunter Markum.
Once she threw the deadbolt on the door, she peered through the peephole and watched him trail back to his car.
She turned around. “Hi, Gramps.”
No surprise, Grandpa was waiting up for her on the sofa reading a frayed-edged magazine. He wasn’t reading a word if the speed with which he flipped the pages was any indication.
The Jack Russell jumped at her legs, and Grandpa clapped his hands. “Down Buster. Come here, boy.”
The dog obeyed. Her cell phone rang, and she smiled. It was Hunter. “Yes, Detective?”
“I had a thought. Could Kopetski have been your angry caller?”
Kerry’s joy evaporated. She’d rather have spiders crawling over her body than be in a room with a man vicious enough to kill those women.
She stepped over to the chair across from the sofa and slid onto the seat, grasping the arm. “I’m not sure.” She tried to replay the stranger’s voice in her mind but couldn’t come up with any distinctive accent or odd speech patterns. “The man on the phone hadn’t spoken more than a few sentences. To be honest, I didn’t pay attention to Mr. Kopetski’s voice, but it’s possible. Both men were angry.” She bit down on her lip. “But what would have been his motive? Murdering his wife, Janet, I could buy, but would he have killed Jane Doe #1?”
“Who’s to say, until we know who #1 is.” A horn honked in the background. “Try this scenario. Maybe #1 worked at the same firm as Janet, or perhaps she was a neighbor who witnessed the abuse.”
“You’re blowing this situation out of proportion.” At least she hoped he was.
“I’m worried this guy might come after you.”
She swallowed hard. “Why would he do that?”
“Kopetski knows you can learn things from his wife’s bones.”
“So?”
“Kerry, I’ve seen too many times when witnesses get harmed.”
“I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not a witness, per se. I promise I’ll lock all my doors. If our weirdo calls again, I’ll let you know. And this time, I’ll listen to his cadence, memorize how he sounds.” Buster rushed over to her and licked her hand. She ran a hand down his back.
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. Call me if you plan to leave your house tomorrow, okay? If you have to go to church even, take your grandfather with you.”
“Goodnight, Hunter.” She disconnected and slipped the phone into her top pocket.
“What did he want?” Grandpa asked, as he flipped through the torn magazine, again without looking at the pages.
“Just making sure I was safe.”
“If you ask me, it sounded more like he thought you were in some kind of danger.”
“Hunter is a worry-wart, that’s all.”
“I like that young man.”
She half-smiled. “Me too.” Hunter was a sweetie, even if he had a wild imagination.
Her phone rang again. She rolled her eyes and swiped on the phone. Hunter needed to get a life. “Yes, Hunter.”
“Kerry?”
It wasn’t Hunter. It was a woman’s voice. “Yes.”
“Oh, Kerry, I’m so glad I got a hold of you. Didn’t Grandpa tell you I wanted to speak to you?”
Susan. Her stomach rolled. “Yes, he did. I’ve... been busy.”
“Grandpa told me about your cases. I wished I could have been there to watch you on TV. Was it exciting?”
Exciting? “No, Susan. Four women and an infant are dead. Nothing about that is exciting.”
“I’m sorry.”
Susan paused so long, Kerry thought they’d been disconnected. “You there?”
“Yes. Look, I know I screwed things up between us, but I had my reasons.” Her voice shook. “I was thinking about coming for a short visit. Would you meet me if I came?”
Susan would come whether Kerry gave her permission or not. The hurt swirled inside her, and Kerry tamped it down. Maybe if she were able to admit to her sister how much Susan’s actions had torn her apart, Kerry might be able to heal. “Sure.”
“That’s wonderful. I’ll call when I get into town. Bye.”
She hung up just like that. Kerry shook her head. Good ole Susan. Some things never changed. How much time would Susan allow her to prepare for this uncomfortable trip?
Grandpa looked up expectantly. “So you finally connected. What did Susan say?”
“She’s coming to visit.”