Disarming Detective (16 page)

Sean nodded, smoothed a hand over his wrinkled shirt. “Sure. You’re wondering about the girl who went missing a few days ago, right? The one whose friend was on the news last night? You want to know if I saw anyone sniffing around her at the bars?”

“Well—” Logan began.

“Yes,” Ella cut him off. “What can you tell us about that?”

Sean stepped a little closer. “I saw her at one of the bars. She was dancing with every guy in the room.”

“Did she dance with you?”

Sean’s head jerked back, then he looked Ella up and down. “No way. I like them a little older.”

“What about Theresa Crowley? Did you see her anywhere?”

“The one who was found in the marsh?” Sean glanced at Logan, then back at Ella, and his tone was cooler as he answered, “Sure, I saw her around town with Logan’s sister. Never talked to her, though. Like I said, I like my women a little older than that. Is that all? I’ve got places to be.”

Probably another bar, Logan thought. “Just one more question. It’s about your van.” He paused, watching Sean’s reaction carefully.

Sean looked at Ella, then down at the ground, then back at Logan. “What about it?”

“You let anyone else drive it?”

“No. Not really.”

“Which one?”

Sean seemed confused. “Which one what?”

Logan held in a sigh. “No or not really?”

“Usually not. But sometimes, if I have too many beers, I’ll let one of my friends drive.”

“You ever let anyone borrow the van?”

“Nah.”

Logan stepped closer, invaded Sean’s space. “Have you been to the Traveler’s Hotel recently?” It was the hotel where Ella had been followed by a blue van.

Sean backed up. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Sean barked. “You got anything else you want to ask me? ’Cause I’m getting sick of this.”

Logan locked a steady glare on Sean until he took another step back. “Nope, that’s it.”

As Sean spun and headed back the way he’d come, Logan called, “Stay away from the hotels, Sean.”

“What was that about?” Ella asked as they got back into his car.

“You don’t think he could have been the one following you at your hotel?”

Ella studied Sean, watching him out the window. “Maybe.”

Logan shifted into drive, going back to the station, frustrated. He was glad Ella was at a different hotel from the one where she’d been followed, but he didn’t like that she was now across town from the police station. If he thought there was any chance of talking her into staying with him, he would have tried. But he knew she’d refuse, so instead he said, “I know Sean’s not socially awkward, but how do you like him for a killer?”

Ella was silent for so long that Logan glanced over at her.

“Well, I guess
socially awkward
isn’t the word for what he is. I was just going to call him
creepy
. Do women fall for that?”

Logan shrugged. “Spring breakers at the bars? I think they do.”

“Ew.”

A smile hitched his lips, then faded. “Well? What do you think?”

“I’m not sure, Logan. Sean is predatory, but he doesn’t really fit the profile.
I
may find him awkward.” There was irritation in her tone as she added, “I mean, why did he keep talking about liking older women as though that was supposed to be charming? Women don’t like anyone to talk about their age.”

“Yeah, well, all his talk about liking women out of college is nonsense anyway. Why do you think he’s not working during spring break?”

“You’re kidding me. He takes off work to hit on college students?”

“Yep.”

Ella’s nose wrinkled with distaste. “Well, he definitely came off as slimy. And I’m not crazy about the fact that he specifically mentioned seeing Theresa around with Becky.”

Logan’s head whipped toward her, then back to the road, his hands tightening around the wheel. “You think he was watching them?”

“I think he noticed them. Enough that he knew exactly who you meant. But like I said, he doesn’t fit the profile. He may be creepy, but
he
doesn’t think he’s awkward at all. He wouldn’t feel compelled to lure anyone out to a secluded location to grab them. He’s more sure of himself than that. He’d take them right home from the bar.” She compressed her lips, as if she was considering, then shook her head. “We should keep an eye on him, but I don’t think he’s the killer.”

Logan’s hands relaxed. “Okay. What about the other interviews?”

“Well, Joe definitely doesn’t fit. His social skills aren’t there, but he was pretty forthcoming about everything. And he showed no interest in the investigation or concern about the questioning. As for Adam’s nephew or his shrimping crew? I don’t know. Adam was lying about the van, but I kind of doubt he knows whether someone who works for him is a killer and he’s covering for that person.”

Logan’s frustration grew, the frustration he’d been feeling ever since Theresa’s body had turned up and he’d had no idea where to look. All along, his gut had told him it was a serial killer who was so good at it that he’d managed to avoid detection until now.

Maybe the killer was so good he was never going to be caught.

Chapter Twelve

When Logan pulled his Chevy Caprice into the station lot, the first thing Ella noticed was Lyla Evans sitting on the front steps, no camera crew in sight.

As soon as Lyla spotted them, she stood and crossed her arms over her chest. She walked toward them like a woman on a mission. Even from a distance, she looked royally pissed off.

“Uh-oh,” Ella said.

Logan cursed. “She probably heard that I questioned Joe.”

“I guess now isn’t a good time to ask her to lay off the FBI references in her newscasts.” Ella said, only half-joking.

Logan’s eyes darted upward and he made a noise somewhere between amusement and frustration. “Somebody save me from strong-willed women.”

Ella gave him a look of disbelief, and he mumbled, “Or from myself.”

As Lyla neared Logan’s car, he said, “Why don’t you go inside? I’ll meet you in there.” He took the keys from the ignition. “I have a feeling this might get ugly.”

“Are you sure—”

“Yes. If I don’t join you in ten minutes, send out a rescue party, okay?”

Ella laughed. “You need rescuing from the supermodel?”

Logan’s forehead furrowed and Ella instantly regretted her smart-aleck response—and letting him know Lyla’s looks intimidated her. “I’ll meet you inside,” she blurted, then hopped out of the car.

Outside, Lyla glared at her, pretty features twisted in an ugly snarl, but she quickly redirected her anger at Logan when he stepped out of the Chevy Caprice, too.

Ella considered saying something, but figured she’d only make it worse. So, instead, she speed-walked toward the station.

Behind her, she heard Lyla demand, “You questioned my brother about a
serial killer
case like he was some kind of suspect? How dare you!”

“Lyla,” Logan said, “Just because I know Joe doesn’t mean I can—”

“Was this
her
idea?” Lyla spat.

“Look, we were running down a lead,” Logan said calmly. “If I only question people I don’t know, it would compromise the investigation.”

“A lead,” Lyla replied, then her voice faded as Ella got farther away. But she got loud again. “Just because you have a crush on the profiler and want to impress her—”

Ella stumbled. She quickly righted herself, hoping Logan hadn’t noticed, especially as he cut Lyla off loudly enough for Ella to hear.

“She’s in town for the case, Lyla. And she lives in Virginia.” There was such finality in his voice, as though there was no real chance for a relationship between them, and it should have been obvious.

Ella wrenched open the door to the station. Before it closed behind her, she heard Lyla say, “Yeah, believe me, I know that no one’s an option unless she lives right here in Oakville.”

The venom in Lyla’s voice surprised Ella. Why had Logan and Lyla broken up? She knew Lyla had moved somewhere else in Florida, but it couldn’t have been that far if she was here now, reporting on the serial killer story. Had Logan really been unwilling to compromise even that much?

If he hadn’t, then Scott was wrong. Long-distance with Logan wasn’t an option.

An ache formed in Ella’s chest and she pressed a hand to it, trying to will it away. Sure, she’d had strong hopes for starting something with Logan, something real. But she’d only known him for...

Ella’s steps faltered. She’d only known him for six days. It felt like so much longer. In some ways, it felt as if she had known him all her life, which made no sense.

As much as she’d hoped to jump into a serious relationship with Logan, maybe she’d been fooling herself. People didn’t form attachments this fast. Not attachments that lasted anyway. It wasn’t logical.

“How’s the case going?”

Ella blinked and looked up, realizing she’d stopped just inside the station. Hank was standing in front of her, holding open the door into the locked area.

“Uh, thanks.” Ella stepped into the part of the station reserved for police officers, where she’d been working with Logan over the past week. “The case is going slowly.” She frowned, thinking about all the contradictory evidence they had. “This killer is smart. Very smart.”

Hank nodded. He actually patted her on the back with his enormous hand as he said, “I have faith. Logan said you’re the key. He said that if we really do have a serial killer, you’ll be the one to figure out who it is.”

He had? A new tension tightened her chest—the pressure to figure out something she was starting to worry she no longer knew how to do. “I hope so,” she said faintly.

Hank looked at her oddly, maybe because he was used to her being a lot more aggressive and confident. “Well, let me know if I can help.” He headed out the door.

“Thanks,” she called after him belatedly, then took a fortifying breath and hurried into the conference room. Now was not the time to be having doubts.

Every killer left behind clues, no matter how hard he tried to disguise them. This one was no different. And with Logan’s help, she
knew
they could find him. She refused to accept any other possibility.

That decided, she got a coffee and settled at the conference table to wait for Logan.

She didn’t have to wait long. He pushed open the door and told her, “Lyla’s going to stop mentioning the FBI.”

“Really?” That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “Wow, you must be persuasive.”

Logan poured himself a cup of coffee, downed half of it, then sat next to her. “Hardly. Apparently whatever you said to her the other night made an impression. She wants to coordinate with the station on future stories to help us catch this guy. She wasn’t happy about us questioning her brother, but she seems sincere about this.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, seriously. She yelled at me for five minutes about us talking to Joe, and then she calmed down and said she wants to work with us.” He gave her a half grin. “So, apparently,
you’re
the persuasive one.”

He took another sip of coffee, then added, “Which doesn’t surprise me. You could persuade me into just about anything.”

If only that were true.

Ella forced a brief smile, then got down to business. “I feel we’re missing something that should be obvious. I think we should analyze what we’ve got again, see if it sparks any new ideas.”

Logan was looking at her quizzically, as if he knew she was considering some thought she hadn’t divulged, so she picked up the pad on the table and started jotting notes. “We know Theresa stayed in town past her scheduled departure. We
think
she told the woman at the gas station that she was meeting someone at your grandparents’ house, but it’s possible either the woman or Theresa was lying.”

Logan leaned in close as he braced his arms on the table, looking over her notes. “Why would the witness lie?”

“I have no idea. The killer works alone, so unless this woman knows who it is and is trying to protect him—”

“I doubt it,” Logan said. “She’s in her late seventies and she was my grandma’s friend. I mean, she does have grandkids in their twenties, but I have a hard time believing she’d make up this story to cover for one of them. Besides, if she was going to lie, why lie about my grandparents’ house? It’s not like I was the one questioning her. And even if I was, how would that help?”

Ella agreed with him, but she wanted to separate what they knew for sure from what they only believed. “What about Theresa? Maybe she was lying, either about where she was going, or why.”

Logan nodded slowly. “Well, we didn’t see any evidence she was at the house, so maybe that’s not where she was going. But that doesn’t explain why she was still in town.”

“I know.” Ella frowned at her meager notes. “And that has to be the key. Why was she still here?”

“Her cell phone records seemed like a bust,” Logan reminded her. “There were no calls besides Becky’s after Theresa left for the airport. Maybe this guy really did run into her along the way and then convinced her to stay, but to drive separately to meet him somewhere.” Logan shrugged. “Maybe he told her he needed to make a stop first and he’d meet her there? And I still have no clue
who
she’d possibly stay for.”

“Okay. What about Laurie? Were the officers able to track down where she went after she left that guy’s house? The one who picked her up at the bar?”

Logan shook his head. “Jeff told us that when she left, she planned to go back to wherever her friend Kelly was. And Kelly says she was at the hotel, so we can assume Laurie was heading there. Probably she ran into this guy along the way. But we haven’t come up with any witnesses who saw her after she left Jeff’s place.”

Logan lifted his coffee, but then set it back down. “What about the killer? I know we’ve been assuming all along it was a man. I thought that from the beginning, because I suspected sexual assault, but the autopsy didn’t come up with anything. The damage from the marsh and the alligator was too extreme to say for sure. Could I have been wrong? Could we be looking for a woman?”