Death's Door (30 page)

“A problem with Garrison?” Savannah repeated, as if this were a very amusing question. “No, not a problem exactly. He kept to himself. I guess you would say he was a loner.”

“Still is,” Nathan added while he helped himself to more Glenfiddich.

“All he wanted to do was go to the Bahamas so he could dive. Then when he was old enough to dive here, all he wanted to do was go to John Pennekamp and dive.”

Madison knew the state underwater park well. Her father had taken her there to snorkel. It was an amazing place with an abundance of sea life.

“My mother hated the sun. She never wanted to broil on a boat so Garrison could dive. She was a good mother, though. She had the help take him until he got his license and could drive himself.”

“He has a place in the Keys,” Tobias added. “That’s where he is now.”

“Bought it himself and had a lab constructed so he can dive and work there.” Nathan shrugged as if to say,
Go figure.

“Claims to be onto a top-secret cure for a type of lung cancer,” Savannah said as if she didn’t quite believe it.

“That must be exciting for your father.”

Savannah threw her head back and laughed louder than necessary. “Garrison’s not sharing this one with my father. You see, Garrison went to Cal Tech. That’s when he became interested in science. He became especially interested in the bacteria that sticks to river rocks and is ten times more powerful than man-made glue.”

“Caulobacter crescentus,” Madison automatically said.

“Of course you’d know. Your life is trivia.” Savannah turned to Nathan. “Garrison decided it could be developed into a surgical glue that could replace staples. He told my father, and for the first time, Garrison had his attention.”

How sad, Madison thought, fondly recalling her own father. She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t have his attention. She’d grown up feeling loved, cherished by both parents, but she’d had a stronger bond with her father.

“It was a very promising idea,” Tobias added. “Several other scientists were also experimenting with the bacteria.”

“My father found a scientist who was further along. He was in trials already. He backed Swen Torkelsen and brought the surgical glue to market. My brother was pissed off big-time.” Savannah laughed again, even louder this time.

Tobias said, “Wyatt felt thousands of lives could be saved if the product came to market as quickly as possible.”

“I see.” Madison imagined how hurt Garrison must have been, but obviously their relationship had been repaired. “If I understand it correctly, it’s not unusual to have several scientists working on the same thing.”

“Right,” Tobias said. “Happens a lot.”

“This time Garrison claims to be onto something unique,” Savannah said, accepting another martini from Nathan. “From the sea, of course.”

“Wyatt and Garrison have worked on many things over the years,” Tobias said. “He understands why his father didn’t wait the two to three years it would have taken for Garrison to get his version to trials. From there it would be at least two more years.”

“Don’t forget to mention Holbrook Pharmaceuticals made a bundle off the discovery.” Savannah had clearly had too much to drink; she couldn’t keep sarcasm out of her voice.

“What kind of law do you practice, Nathan?” Madison asked to change the subject. Despite her own accomplishments, Madison would bet Savannah was jealous of Garrison and Wyatt’s relationship.

Voices from the hall caused all of them to turn toward the door. Savannah slipped off her bar stool and swayed a bit as she headed toward the door.

“I’m in corporate law,” Nathan said, his voice low enough so Savannah couldn’t hear him. “But if you need me, call. For anything.”

Madison was more than a little surprised by Nathan’s offer. Wasn’t he the man who had accused her of being after Wyatt’s money? He’d wanted to get rid of her. So why was he being friendly now? Maybe he was deliberately trying to throw her off-track when he was actually sabotaging her. Could he have the computer skills to rig her blood test and subject her to identity theft? It was possible, she decided. If he didn’t do it himself, perhaps he had a resource at his firm or somewhere.

“Father,” Savannah greeted Wyatt. If she was surprised to see Mike and Paul with Wyatt, she didn’t show it. Nathan did, his eyes narrowing when he saw Paul.

“Father, we have the best news.” Savannah grabbed her father’s arm, pulled him away from the Tanners and guided him toward the bar. “Nathan and I are getting married. We’re going to have a baby right away. We know how much you want a grandchild.”

“That’s wonderful,” Wyatt responded, but he didn’t sound all that enthusiastic. “But if you’re going to have a baby, I suggest you stop drinking.”

Madison couldn’t help feeling sorry for Savannah. The woman managed a slight nod, but her father had already turned away to talk to Paul.

What is the only United States monument that moves?

“D
ID YOU FIND
anything out?” Madison asked Paul when they were on their way back to the guesthouse. They’d excused themselves immediately after Wyatt had embarrassed Savannah. The woman had looked so stricken—almost as if she’d received a physical blow—that Madison’s heart went out to her.

Mike Tanner had left with them but he’d headed off to his car to go home. Tobias had remained behind. Evidently, he’d been with the family for so long that he was accustomed to their bickering.

Paul slipped his arm around Madison’s waist and pulled her close. A shiver of desire rushed through her, but she resisted it. She needed to know what he’d found out. Who was behind all this?

“Look, I wish I could tell you about our interview with Wyatt, but it’s an official investigation. I can’t.”

“Your father’s no longer with the force. And you’re still on leave.” She didn’t mean to sound petulant, but her life might depend on what she learned.

“True, but he was a lead detective for many years and now provides security for Wyatt. Captain Callahan trusts him.” Paul gave her a one-armed hug. “I can tell you this much. Wyatt has made several enemies, including a woman. I’ll bet the ranch that one of them is responsible for the killings.”

“What kind of enemies?” She believed Wyatt to be a quiet, compassionate man, but tonight she’d seen another side of him.

“Scientists who claim he stole their ideas.”

“Really?”

“Well, Holbrook claims they were all working on similar ideas but he got his to market first.”

“Interesting. Listen to this.” She told him what she’d learned about Garrison’s surgical glue.

“We’ll take a much closer look. Maybe this is a pattern of behavior that’s now gotten Holbrook into real trouble.”

“Maybe Wyatt isn’t as altruistic as he seems.” She realized she didn’t want to think of him that way. She wanted him to be a good man who deserved a transplant so he could continue helping others. “So what? Even if he profited by these drugs, he saved lives.”

“How would you feel if he’d stolen your idea?”

She thought about it for a moment and remembered how outraged she’d been when Aiden tried to take Total Trivia away from her during the divorce. “I’d be upset. Fighting mad, but I wouldn’t kill anyone, especially innocent people who didn’t have a thing to do with it.”

“That’s what’s so different about this case. That’s why I’m going to interview the woman myself.”

“The odds are it’s a man. They’re usually killers, not women.”

“Right,” Paul agreed. “But the cardinal rule of being a detective is never assume. Don’t come up with a theory. Then as you investigate you just try to find facts to support your idea. Keep an open mind. Most people would look for a man. I’m open to it being a woman. Nothing I’ve seen in any of these murders takes brute strength.”

“What about Erin?”

“She was very petite and buck-naked. That put her at a huge disadvantage. A strong woman could have done it. I’ve thought that all along.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Madison admitted. “In recent years, about five percent of serial killings have had women involved. Usually they are ‘black widows’ who kill their husbands or angels of death in hospital settings who send patients to heaven prematurely, but women seem to be ramping up their skills.”

Paul chuckled. “See? All that trivia does come to good use. Know what bothers me? This could be a duo. Most often women are accomplices and don’t act alone. Know anything about those stats?”

Madison thought a moment. She hadn’t visited the Murder and Mayhem section of Total Trivia in…who knew how long. “No, I don’t have any idea.”

“Serial killings with women as accomplices take on average eight years to solve. It’s half that time if it’s just a man, acting alone.”

She groaned. “I don’t want this to drag on that long.”

“It won’t. I’m not sure this fits a serial killer profile. This one’s weird, to say the least.”

Paul used his key to open the door to the bungalow. Aspen bounded out with his leash in his mouth. He danced in a circle.

“Somebody wants a walk,” Paul said, relocking the door.

“Isn’t he cute?” Madison snapped the leash on his collar. “Come on, boy.”

They went around the small swimming pool and out to the path by the ocean. Aspen bounced along beside her. The retriever was more comfortable with her, Madison decided. He was becoming playful. She imagined life in a cage and having stuff sprayed into his eyes had taken away some of his spirit, but it was coming back now.

“This is a very unusual case,” Paul commented, picking up their conversation again as she unsnapped Aspen’s leash and the retriever skipped along the trail cobbled with flat paving stones.

“Like the United States monuments. Most of them are the
same in that they are stationary except for one. It’s unique and different. Do you know what monument I’m talking about?”

He laughed, a deep sound that seemed to reverberate in her chest. Suddenly she wished they could laugh all the time instead of having to be so serious.

“I’m thinking the U.S. monument that moves must be San Francisco’s cable cars.”

“Oh my God,” she cried, and playfully punched him in the arm. “How did you know that?”

“I remember being told when I visited San Francisco.”

He was pretty amazing, she thought, surveying across the sand. The sea was calm, almost flat, but a full moon made it glisten as if some giant had tossed a handful of diamonds into the dark water. Corona del Mar was as close to heaven as you were likely to get while still on earth, she thought. She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of the sea and the aroma of gardenias floating on the air.

“Let me ask you about Rob Matthews,” Paul said quietly, a little too quietly.

Rob had been on her mind since he’d left her office. It wasn’t until he’d kissed her that she realized how he felt about her. Looking back, she should have seen the signs, but she’d been so consumed with her own problems that she’d missed the cues.

“What about him?” she asked.

“When the detectives checked up on him, regarding Erin—”

“Why? He didn’t kill her!”

“Passion and money are the main reasons for murder. Matthews had been involved with her for a year and a half. We wouldn’t be good detectives if we didn’t check him out thoroughly.”

“Well, now that you mention it…” She looked up at Paul. The moonlight glowed like a nimbus around his head. She tried to assess his unreadable features. “Rob came to see me today.
He’d called several times yesterday and I hadn’t called him back. He was worried enough to cancel his patients and come to my office. After we talked, I realized…he might be romantically interested in me.”

“What made you think that?”

She shrugged, then noticed Aspen at their side. If he’d left a deposit, she’d have to pick it up in the morning. She couldn’t hunt for it in the dark. She hooked the leash on Aspen’s collar.

“I think I’ve been stupid. I should have seen the signs.” She started walking back toward the house. “Rob called just after Aiden left me. He asked me to dinner. I thought he was just being friendly. I didn’t go that time but he kept calling to see how I was doing. We went out to dinner several times over the next few months. He asked me to go other places, like to a Dolphins game and a play, but I didn’t go.”

“Why not?”

“I hate to admit it, but I was wallowing in self-pity.” She shrugged her shoulders as if to say she couldn’t figure it out herself. “Why are you asking me about Rob?”

“We interviewed his partner, Dr. Wallace.”

“I know him. He treated Aspen the day I found Erin’s body. He seemed very good. Right away, he suspected something had been sprayed into Aspen’s eyes and gave him drops that really helped.”

“When Erin and Rob broke up, he claimed it was over her involvement with animal rights groups.”

“Unfortunately, that’s what split them up. She’d always been—”

“According to Wallace, that’s not what caused the breakup.” Paul unlocked the door to the guesthouse for them. The new security protocol was to never go anywhere—even to the beach—without locking the door. “He left Erin because you were now available.”

Madison stared wordlessly at him, her heart pounding. A shocked gasp escaped her. “You’re kidding!”

“That’s what he told Dr. Wallace. Question is why Matthews would lie to investigators.”

“Oh my God. Erin knew the real reason. That’s why she didn’t want to discuss the breakup. The poor thing must have been miserable but she hid it from me. Her pride kept her from saying anything.” She unhooked Aspen’s leash and dropped it onto the end table. “She was brokenhearted and all I did was whine and cry on her shoulder. What kind of friend was I?”

Paul slipped his arm around Madison and pulled her close. “Don’t be hard on yourself. If she didn’t tell you, how could you help?”

“True, but…” She tried to imagine how Erin must have felt. Disturbing thoughts raced through her mind. She vividly recalled how betrayed and hurt she’d felt when Aiden left her for Chloe. Madison had to battle a white-hot fury every time she saw that woman. She longed to scratch out Chloe’s eyes. Was that how Erin had reacted to her? In the end, had her friend actually hated her?

“Honey, can you think of any reason Rob wouldn’t have told the truth to the police?” Paul asked, breaking into her thoughts.

She considered the question for a minute. “I really don’t know the man all that well. Aiden didn’t get along with Erin, so we didn’t see them as a couple except when we threw a big party. Then I was too busy to spend time with them. Most of what I know about Rob, I heard from Erin.”

“Where did Erin meet him?”

“She volunteered at an animal shelter. Rob donated his services to help give animals shots and stuff so they could find forever homes.”

“Forever homes?”

“That’s what they call a home when a pet gets a second chance.” She thought a moment. “You know, Erin looked up to
Rob. She adored him. Truthfully, when I met him, I was a little disappointed.”

“Why?”

She thought about her initial reaction to Robert Matthews as she sat on the sofa and Paul sat beside her. “I’m not sure exactly. He’s good-looking—”

“Should I be jealous?” he teased.

“Nah, he doesn’t kiss worth—”

“Kiss?” He dragged her into his lap. His nose brushing hers, he asked, “You kissed him? What else did you do?”

He was jealous, she realized, and she couldn’t help being secretly pleased. “Just once. Today as Rob was leaving my office, he grabbed me, then kissed me. A quick kiss but not the kind a friend would give you. It was out of nowhere. I hadn’t expected it. I thought we were just friends, then I thought back—”

“You have no idea, do you? All that trivia in your head crowds out reality. You’re beautiful and sexy as hell. No guy wants to be friends with you unless he’s gay.”

Madison didn’t know how to respond. She honestly didn’t. Once, she’d thought herself to be attractive. She’d never had trouble finding guys to date, but the divorce had taken something out of her. Away from her. She hadn’t been pretty enough, smart enough or sexy enough to keep Aiden.

Until Paul.

Now she did feel pretty, not beautiful or glamorous like Savannah, but pretty and, most of all, desirable. Her heart swelled with a feeling she thought had died forever. She truly cared about this man in a way that she’d never cared about Aiden.

“You’re so sexy that I can’t possibly write my report tonight. It’ll have to wait until morning.” He threaded his fingers through the hair on the back of her head and urged her closer. An exchange of breath, soft yet electric. Again, even longer this
time. Madison’s mouth parted with a gentle sigh, inviting him to kiss her. His lips finally angled across hers.

She surrendered to the kiss, reveling in the way his powerful arms held her tight yet with such tenderness. His tongue nudged and played with hers, stroking it, coaxing it, imitating the act to come. A sweet ache developed between her legs and her breasts felt heavy and unusually full. She continued to kiss him, savoring every second as pulsing desire spiraled through her.

His free hand explored her bare back. Using the tip of one slightly rough finger, he traced the notches of her spine. The sensation made her breath catch for a second.

Her hands inched up his strong arms to his shoulders, then her fingers dug into his hard muscles.
Oh, my.
She detected the faint aroma of the woodsy aftershave he used. The moist heat between her legs intensified, then ratcheted up a notch when she realized the swelling rod under her bottom was his arousal.

Her head spun as her body did a slow burn while the throbbing between her legs intensified. She needed this, needed to be kissed and made love to by a man who seemed crazy about her. As crazy as she was about him.

The hand cradling the back of her head moved lower and found the clasp at the back of her neck that secured the halter top of the dress. With a snap, it released; he edged his hand between them and pulled down the silky fabric, exposing her bare breasts. She hadn’t worn a bra because the dress was backless and she wasn’t so busty that she needed one.

His hand fondled one warm breast. The nipple tightened and the breast swelled into his warm palm. He ran his thumb over the taut nub. A fresh rush of moist heat pooled between her thighs while an uncontrollable shudder of pleasure racked her body.

Paul broke the kiss, breathing like a racehorse. Desire shimmered in the air around them. Chemistry, lust and something
deeper. She could see it in his heavy-lidded eyes, feel it glowing inside herself.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her in a rasp of a whisper. “Drop-dead gorgeous.”

He stood, bringing her with him, and carried her in his strong arms. One shoe at a time hit the tile floor, but she barely noticed. Three steps behind them trailed Aspen. She marveled at the ease with which Paul carried her as she kissed the curve of his neck, a spot she’d already learned was extremely sensitive.