Daniel nodded. “I know.”
“But we do have a relationship with a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. And she has close contact with the Santa Monica Police Department, so we can be kept appraised of the investigation and let you know when a suspect has been identified and arrested.” Relief filled Daniel’s eyes. “I’m sure you can imagine how concerned I am. After losing my Louise and then Joshua…if anything happened to Kate…”
“I know.”
“That’s why I asked for you specifically. I remember how close you and Joshua were. And you and Kate.”
I nodded again as Ash joined us. He held up his phone so that I could see the screen.
No surveillance footage. But working on several leads.
It was from Detective Emily Warren.
“If you gentlemen will excuse me,” Ash said, “I’ll go in and explain the process to Kate. And I have some paperwork I’ll need her to sign.”
“Of course,” Daniel said. “Thank you, Mr. Grayson.”
Ash glanced at me even as he was nodding to Daniel. His concern was typical. And appreciated.
I nodded to assure him I was okay.
I pulled Daniel across the corridor to a bench that was conveniently sitting there. Once we were settled, I found myself filled with more questions that I should not have had. It was none of my business to know how Kate was, how she’d been since the death of her brother. Her twin brother. I left because I didn’t want to know. I joined the Army the day they buried my best friend. I had no right to even be here.
But there were things I needed to know.
“You said this happened at her place of business?”
“Kate is a loan officer at First Premiere Bank downtown.”
“In order to protect her, I need to know her normal routine, the people she often spends time with, where she lives…that sort of thing.”
Daniel nodded. “I made a list of her friends,” he said, reaching into his pants pocket for a slip of paper he handed me. “The cops wanted to know as well.”
I glanced at it, recognizing a few of the names on a list that was about fifteen long. And experience told me that the target would par the list down and add a few names Mom and Dad didn’t know about. I even had one who struck every name off the list her father gave me and added a half dozen her father knew nothing about.
“And her daily routine?”
“Monday through Friday, she’s usually at the bank until five or six. Later sometimes, especially Mondays. And her evenings are either spent at home, at the house with me, or out with friends.”
“The weekends?”
Daniel shrugged. “Usually out with friends, I think.” He glanced at the closed door of Kate’s hospital room. “We go to the cemetery together some Sundays.”
I nodded, looking down at the list again so I didn’t have to look this man in the eye.
“She doesn’t have a boyfriend,” Daniel said. “They told me you would need to know that, too.”
“Okay. That makes things simpler.”
“Oh? How?”
“A boyfriend would want to be involved. He’d want to have a role in protecting her.”
Daniel snorted. “Her last boyfriend wouldn’t have. Guy was such a loser; he probably wouldn’t even be here now even if she called and begged him to come.”
“Yeah?”
“He was some hotshot with the bank. Didn’t like to pay for meals out, didn’t like to hang out at her place. Always wanted the opposite of what she wanted.” Daniel leaned close to me as if Kate could hear us. “Tell you the truth? I was glad to see the bastard go.”
I smiled because I couldn’t help myself. But I also wondered how much of the ex-boyfriend’s behavior was based on Kate’s behavior. At eighteen, the girl had been a handful. Tortured the boys who liked her and pined after the ones who didn’t. Treated everyone like they were her subordinates and she their queen. Drove Joshua crazy. But again, I’d never seen a brother who gets along with his sister as well as Joshua did with Kate. I always put it down to the whole twin thing. He would laugh when I said that though. He thought I didn’t see the real Kate, the person she kept locked down deep inside. The one he adored unconditionally.
If he only knew how hard I’d tried to find that Kate.
“So I think that’s all I need,” I said, slapping my hands against my denim-covered legs. “Ash said they’re going to release her soon?”
“Yeah, pretty soon.”
Daniel grabbed my arm as I tried to stand.
“Sit and talk a minute, Donovan,” he said with a sad smile. “It’s been so long.”
I nodded, suddenly unable to look him in the eye.
Daniel put his hand on my shoulder. “It was hard on everyone. But you especially, I think.”
“He was your son.”