Eyes (28 page)

Doug explained as quickly as he could, and when he'd finished, Connie shook her head.

“I just can't believe it. He was such a vital person, and now he's . . . gone. Poor Jill! I'm so glad you were with her, Detective Lake.”

“It's Doug. And I'm glad I was with her, too. Do you think she'll be all right?”

“I'll make sure she is.” Connie looked very determined.

“I'll call her doctor and ask him to come out. Don't worry. I'll take good care of her. Jill's like . . . well . . . she's like the big sister I never had.”

“I know she thinks a lot of you.” Doug stood up and shook Connie's hand. “I have to go now. They called me in, and they're waiting for me.”

Doug was at the door when Jill called out his name.

“Yes, Jill.” He turned to look at her. Although her face was pale and drawn, she was very beautiful.

“I know you have to leave.” Jill's voice was trembling. “When are you coming back?”

“I'll be here in the morning. Try to sleep. It'll help.”

As he drove to the crime scene, Doug's heart was beating fast. Jill needed him. That much was very clear. Even though Connie was there to take care of her, she had wanted to know when he was coming back.

CHAPTER 33

The voices seemed to come from a long distance away, but Jill heard them clearly. Doug and Connie. And they were talking about her.

There was a pause and then another voice spoke, a deeper voice . . . Doug's.
I'm really glad you were home, Connie. I had to get to the crime scene, and I couldn't have left her here all alone.

“Why couldn't I be alone?” Jill tried to speak the words, but no sound came from her lips. She opened her eyes and saw the sun streaming across the ceiling of the living room. What was she doing in the living room? And why were Connie and Doug talking so softly?

She turned her head slightly and saw Connie and Doug, seated in the swivel rockers her mother and father had used to watch television. But why was she on the couch, covered with a blanked? Had she fallen? Was she ill? What was going on?

Suddenly Jill remembered, and she drew in her breath sharply. Neil had been murdered outside his office building. Her husband, the man who'd married her and fathered her baby, was dead. She'd never see Neil again.

Jill swallowed hard and turned her face toward the back of the couch. Neil's couch. She'd never liked it, but he'd insisted it was perfect for the living room. Now the green and tan tweed material seemed to admonish her. They'd fought bitterly over the couch until she'd finally caved in and agreed that they could buy it. There were gold flecks in the tweed. She'd never noticed them before. They were like the gold flecks in Neil's eyes, and Jill stared at them for a moment. Shouldn't she be crying? Or screaming? Or exhibiting some powerful emotion? Her husband had just been brutally murdered, yet she was staring at the couch with perfectly dry eyes.

Last night, when Neil had left in the taxi, she hadn't even said good-bye. She should have kissed him and told him that she loved him before he left. That's what a good wife would have done. And she
had
loved him once, even though it was no longer true. It would have cost her nothing to send him off with a kiss, but she hadn't. Now it was too late.

Guilt, bitter and strong, washed over Jill in a powerful wave. Was honesty really that important? Wouldn't it have been better if she'd played the role of an adoring wife? Things certainly had been much easier between them after they'd hired Connie. And Neil had been trying. He'd been so considerate, he'd even moved across the hall so she could have the whole bed.

Jill sighed. Her husband was dead, someone should tell his family. Connie didn't know them, and the call should come from her. His brother and sister-in-law had to be notified. Someone had to tell his friends. And his students. They should know what had happened. His colleagues in the department—they should know, too.

Thank God for Connie! Jill gave a sigh of relief. Connie knew Neil's students and the other members of the department. She'd send her to the college today, to deliver the sad news.

There would have to be a funeral. It was up to her to arrange for that. And a memorial service on campus. Norma could plan the campus service. She'd want to do it, and everyone needed some type of closure to lessen their grief.

But Jill wasn't grieving. Her forehead furrowed in a frown. Why wasn't she grieving when her husband was dead? What kind of monster was she?

Perhaps it just hadn't sunk in yet. When it did, she'd start to grieve. Or perhaps it was because she'd come so close to divorcing Neil, once when she'd first found him in bed with Lisa and again right after Christmas party.

She'd have to pretend at the funeral. Everyone would expect her to be devastated. Neil's pregnant wife would have to cry or everyone would think she hadn't cared.

Was that true? Jill thought about it for a moment. Then she shook her head slightly. She
had
cared. She'd wanted the best for Neil and the baby. That's why she'd stayed with him and tried so hard to make their marriage work. She'd desperately wanted her baby to have a father.

The thought of the fatherless child in her womb made tears well up in Jill's eyes. That was better. She could cry for the baby who'd never know a father, though she had trouble crying for Neil. No one would know the difference. All they'd notice were her tears.

Poor Neil. She hoped he hadn't suffered. It was a terrible tragedy for the whole campus, a professor struck down in the prime of life, right outside his office.

“But what was Neil doing at his office?” Jill didn't realize she'd spoken aloud until they turned to her. She sat up to face them and repeated her question again. “Why was Neil at his office?”

Connie jumped up and rushed over to soothe her. “It's all right, Jill. I know everything's confusing, but just try to relax. Maybe it's better if you don't think about it.”

“But I
have
to think about it!” Jill declared. “That's what I was trained to do. And I know Neil wasn't supposed to be anywhere near his office last night.”

“Are you sure?”

Doug pulled out his notepad, and Jill released a sigh of relief. At least someone was taking her seriously. “I'm sure, Doug. His meeting was at the administration building, and that's on the East Campus. Neil's office is across the bridge on the West Campus.”

Connie perched on the arm of the sofa and put her arm around Jill's shoulders. “Don't worry about it, Jill. He probably went back to his office after the meeting was over.”

“But how did he get there? He went to the campus by taxi. I know because I called for the cab. Neil wouldn't walk across the bridge in the dark. His eyesight isn't . . .” Jill stopped and took a deep breath. She had to remember to use the past tense. “His eyesight wasn't that good. And if somebody gave him a ride, they may have seen something.”

Doug nodded. “Good point. I'll ask the other people who were at the meeting.”

“Norma Jenkins was probably there. She has an office in Neil's building.” Jill turned to Connie. “There's a faculty telephone book on the shelf in the library. Would you please get it and give it to Doug?”

Connie nodded. “Of course. But, Jill . . . you should be resting. I don't want you to get upset. It's not good for the baby.”

“I'm not upset.” Jill reached out to give Connie a hug. “But you've got to understand. It helps me to think about catching Neil's killer. I want to be a part of the investigation. It's less painful for me that way.”

Connie still looked concerned, but she nodded. “Whatever you think is best, Jill. I don't understand, but that's okay. My only concern is for you and the baby.”

“I think I understand.” Doug waited until Connie had gone to get the telephone book, then he smiled at Jill. “If you can think about something logically, it makes it less personal. Less personal is less painful. Right?”

“Exactly!”

“You said Neil took a cab. Do you know which cab company came?”

“Yes. It was CityWide. I saw it when it drove up—number seventy-three. The driver was an older woman, heavyset with dark hair.”

“Good.” Doug wrote it all down. “What time was that?”

“Seven thirty-six. I was in the bedroom, getting dressed for my baby class. I glanced at the clock when the cab pulled up, and I remember thinking Neil would just make it in time for the meeting.”

“His meeting was scheduled for eight?” Jill nodded and Doug wrote that down. “You're sure it was being held at the Administration Building?”

“Positive. It was a budget meeting, and they're always held in the board room.”

Doug glanced down at his notebook. “What was Neil wearing when he left the house?”

“A white shirt with a button-down collar, a dark gray tie, and his gray blazer. And jeans. Neil always wore jeans. He said poets and writers shouldn't dress in suits. It made them too conventional.”

Doug nodded. “How about a watch? Or jewelry?”

“No jewelry. Neil said it was too ostentatious. But he did wear a Rolex. He bought it right after he got his first royalty check.” Jill frowned slightly. “I told him it was an invitation to a mugging, but he insisted on wearing it. It's not missing, is it?”

“No. It's with his personal effects. I'll get those to you in a couple of days. His wallet's there, too, with forty-three dollars inside. How many credit cards did he usually carry?”

Jill thought for a moment, then answered, “Two. American Express and Visa. And a Triple-A card.”

“Then nothing's missing.”

“You thought there would be?” Jill raised her eyebrows.

“Not really, but it rules out a mugging.”

Jill looked surprised. “I thought you said it was another serial killing?”

“That's what we think. We won't know for sure until the lab results come in.”

“When is the autopsy?”

Connie came back just in time to hear Jill's question. “Jill! You're not going to . . . I mean . . . You wouldn't actually—”

“Of course she wouldn't.” Doug shook his head. “I know this sounds strange, Connie, but these are actually routine questions.”

Connie drew a shaky breath before turning to Jill. “Okay, if you say so. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Yes, dear.” Jill reached out for her hand. “Just tell me if this is asking too much of you—I know you're upset, too—but do you think you could drive to the college and tell Neil's students what's happened?”

Connie nodded. “Of course. I know most of them and they might take it better if they hear it from me. But how about you, Jill? I don't want to leave you alone.”

“I'll be fine. I have to call Neil's brother, and I'd better notify his publisher in New York. Then there's the obit for the paper and the arrangements for his funeral. There's plenty to do. I'd better get started right . . .”

Jill's voice trailed off as a rush of hot tears filled her eyes. And then she was sobbing, crying like a baby as she realized that Neil was actually dead.

Time must have passed, but Jill wasn't aware of it. She was so cold, as cold as the morgue where they'd taken her husband. There was a buzzing in her ears, like the sound of the chainsaw her father had used to cut up the dead tree in the backyard. The chain saw massacre. Bloody. Horrible. But Neil had been killed with a knife. Why were they being so ridiculously strict about gun legislation? Knives were every bit as lethal, and you could buy them in any store. There was no waiting period, no registration, and for all they knew the serial killer had probably ordered it from a catalog and had it delivered to her house!

Someone was screaming, a high thin noise that sounded like a kitten in distress. Was it her? Then there was a sting in her arm and her doctor's face appeared, pale and bobbing like a balloon on a string, going in and out of focus.

She was warm again, covered with a blanket, as a blessed numbness took control of her mind. But she could still hear the voices, three of them this time.

I gave her a mild sedative. She'll sleep for at least four hours. How about the baby? So far, so good. Keep your eye on her.
She tried to say no, she didn't need an eye. What she needed was a husband, alive and warm, holding her tenderly because he loved her. Only her. No one else. And then there was a light kiss on her forehead, lips brushing her softly like a butterfly's wing
. I've got to go, Jill. They just paged me. But I'll be back tonight.

In this unreal place, events seemed to mark the time as minutes marked the face of a clock. There was the sound of a door opening, and she heard what sounded like Norma's voice.
I'm so glad you called, Connie. I'll sit with her until you get back.

And then there was nothing, just the lingering memory of Doug's warm lips on her forehead. It made her feel warm and loved. He would be back tonight. He'd promised. And the one thing Jill had learned about Doug Lake was that he always kept his promises.

CHAPTER 34

A month had passed, and Jill was back at work. Connie hadn't wanted her to go back this soon, but Jill had insisted. She'd packed up Neil's things and put them in storage, but the house still reminded her of him.

Doug had been very gentle when he'd told her what he'd uncovered in his investigation. That had helped, but it was still painful. Neil hadn't gone to the campus for a meeting. There wasn't any meeting. He'd gone to meet Lisa Hyland. That was why he'd been at his office.

Lisa had confessed everything to Doug. She'd come back to town to resume her affair with Neil, and she'd been sleeping with him for the past two months. He hadn't moved out of Jill's bedroom because he was being considerate; he'd done it because he was exhausted. Even worse, Lisa had told Doug she suspected Neil was cheating on her with a second woman.

Although she hadn't told Connie, that was the reason Jill had gone back to work so early. It took her mind off what Doug had uncovered in his investigation. And work would have helped, if everyone in the office hadn't been so terribly careful.

It had happened again this morning, when Jill had wandered into the coffee room. Her secretary, Mary, had been talking to several other secretaries who had gathered to share a break.

“It's going to be great!” Mary had been saying. “His parents are taking the kids for a week, and we're going to the Bahamas. It'll be like a second honeymoon. With the kids and all, I haven't been alone with my hus—”

Mary had broken off in the middle of a word and had put on a bright smile for Jill. “I was just telling them about my vacation. Have you ever been to the Bahamas, Jill?”

“Yes. Neil and I went there on our honeymoon. It's lovely, I'm sure you'll have a good time.”

An uneasy silence had set in while Jill had poured her coffee. And then Mary had spoken up again. “Sorry, Jill. I forgot all about that. I really hope I didn't upset you.”

“Not at all.” Jill had smiled and left with her coffee. She wished Mary wouldn't be quite so sensitive. It almost bordered on the paranoid, and she was getting tired of being treated as if she'd break down in tears at hearing the word “husband.”

But Mary wasn't the only one. It seemed all of her coworkers were walking on eggshells. They never spoke about their spouses in front of her, and they avoided all references to the serial killings. It would be much easier if they said whatever was on their minds and let her cope with it.

“Hi, Jill.” Doug stuck his head in the door. “Do you have time to talk?”

“Only if you make sure to use the words ‘husband' and ‘dead' and ‘murder.' I'm sick up people pussyfooting around me!”

It took Doug a second, but then he laughed. “What's the matter? Everybody being a little too considerate?”

“You said it!” Jill sighed deeply. “You're the only one who doesn't handle me with kid gloves;”

“That's because I know you.”

His voice was soft, and Jill frowned slightly. She wanted to ask what he meant, but she wasn't sure she could cope with his answer. “That's not it, Doug. Connie knows me, and she still does it. I don't think she's mentioned Neil since he died.”

“Then maybe I understand you better than anyone else. They don't realize how strong you are. You've never shied away from the truth for as long as I've known you. You're a survivor, Jill. And you don't spend much time feeling sorry for yourself.”

“Oh-oh.” Jill raised her eyebrows. “Don't tell me you found the other woman Neil was seeing!”

“No. We don't have a clue. But I do have some good news about the investigation.”

“Why didn't you say so?” Jill grinned at him. “What is it? Did you get a lead?”

“A big one. Rossini and Turner had kidney transplants. And Woodard got a new heart.”

Jill's eyebrows shot up. “University Hospital?”

“Bingo! Why don't you quit this lawyer stuff and come to work for me? You catch on faster than any of the guys on my team.”

“Thanks.” Jill smiled at him. “That's four out of four, Doug. It's a positive connection. How about other transplant recipients?”

“I don't know. We haven't been able to check that out. We're trying to get Judge Donnely to give us an order to unseal the hospital records, but there's a lot of red tape involved.”

Jill nodded. The patient-doctor confidentiality issue was a stickler. “Do you know if they had the same donor?”

“No, but Judge Donnely's scheduled a hearing. We should have access by the end of next week.”

Jill looked thoughtful. “Maybe it's the donor, but there are other possibilities. It could be someone who works at the hospital. Or a relative of a patient who's on the list and
didn't
get a transplant.”

“I'm working on that, too. I just thought you'd want to know we had a minor breakthrough.”

Jill shook her head. “It's a
major
breakthrough. You've finally found a connection between the victims. Now all you have to do is chase it down. Congratulations, Doug. You're getting close.”

“Thanks.” He looked pleased. “We're going to get her, Jill. You can make book on that.”

* * *

Connie frowned as Jill picked at her salad. “You seem really distracted. Can I help?”

Jill debated for a few moments. Doug hadn't specifically asked her not to mention the breakthrough, but she knew it was supposed to be confidential.

“Can you keep a secret?” Jill smiled as Connie nodded. Connie was practically family, and she deserved to know what Doug had learned. “The police got a lead, and Doug thinks it's only a matter of time before they catch Neil's killer.”

Connie's eyes widened in surprise. “Really? That's wonderful, Jill! Tell me all about it . . .”

* * *

Connie wished she'd bought a car with air conditioning as she rolled down her windows and let in the hot, muggy air. It was the middle of August, and it was a sweltering day. She was driving to Northern Minnesota to rent a cabin. It had taken some persuading, but she'd convinced Jill to take a long weekend, starting on Friday and extending to the middle of the next week.

“I won't forget, Alan.” Connie tipped her head and listened to the voice in her ear. “I'll make sure the cabin is isolated and the owner doesn't live in the area.”

“Of course.” Connie smiled in the direction of his voice. “I told her I needed to get away, and she agreed to come with me. She's getting close, Alan. She's due in three weeks.”

That's perfect timing, Connie.
Alan's voice was joyful.
Soon we'll have our baby.

“I know.” Connie was so happy she laughed out loud. Thank God for Alan! She'd told him what Jill had said about the investigation, and he'd warned her to move immediately. It was just as Jill had said, only a matter of time until the police caught the serial killer. There was another factor that worried both Alan and Connie, and that factor had a name. Doug Lake. He was the lead detective, and he was good. It was best to move Jill now and not take any chances.

“I think we're here, Alan.” Connie checked the address on the mailbox. “Yes, this is it. The rental agent said it had a river-rock wall by the driveway.”

Connie turned down the winding drive and smiled as a cool breeze blew in through the window. It would be pleasant to spend the next three weeks at the lake.

The moment she stopped the car, the rental agent came out of the cabin to greet her. The agent was a thin woman with dark hair pulled back in a bun, and she looked very eager. “Hi! You're right on time. I'm Marsha Hopkins.”

“Cynthia Woods.” Connie gave the same name she'd used when she'd spoken to the agent by phone.

“I'm glad to meet you, Cynthia. Come in and take a look around. From what you told me over the phone, I think it'll fit your needs perfectly.”

Connie climbed up the steps and walked into the cabin. It was much larger than she had anticipated, more like a lodge than a lake cabin. She let the rental agent lead her through the rooms, a kitchen, half-bath, and a huge living room on the ground floor, four bedrooms upstairs. The bedrooms all had balconies overlooking the lake, and Connie was glad to see that there was no outside staircase. Once she'd locked Jill in one of the bedrooms, there would be no way for her to get out.

“Lovely, isn't it?” The rental agent drew a lease out of her purse. “What do you think? Is it right for you?”

Connie nodded. “It looks perfect, but I do have a couple of questions. How about the other cabins? Are the neighbors quiet?”

“Absolutely.” The rental agent laughed. “It's the end of the season. The cabin to the north is closed up for the winter, and the place to the south is in escrow. There's only one place that's still occupied, and they're leaving today.”

“Then you can almost guarantee I won't be disturbed?”

The rental agent nodded. “The only company you're going to have will be the squirrels and the birds.”

“Wonderful. It seems to be exactly what I'm looking for. You did a fine job, finding it for me.”

The agent looked pleased with herself. “Thank you. When you said you needed solitude to finish your book, I thought of this place right away.”

“But how about the owner?” Connie frowned slightly. “He won't drop by every day, will he?”

“Heavens no! Mr. Marvin's in Spain. He won't be back until the first of the year. He bought this place two years ago, and he hasn't been here since. It's strictly an investment property.”

“It certainly seems perfect.” Connie smiled as she drew out her wallet. “I'd like to rent it for two months, with an option for a third if I need it. I'll pay you in advance.”

The agent's eyes widened as she saw the money in Connie's wallet. “You're paying in cash?”

“Yes, I stopped at the bank so you wouldn't have to bother with an out-of-town check.”

“That was very nice of you.” The rental agent glanced at the money again, then lowered her eyes. “There's only a slight problem. When I spoke to Mr. Marvin last night, he wasn't quite satisfied with the rent. I hope this doesn't change your mind, but he wants five hundred instead of the four I quoted you?”

Connie almost laughed out loud. She knew the agent would pocket the extra hundred a month, but she managed to look perfectly serious as she nodded her assent. “That's fine. It's still a bargain for a place that's so isolated, and I do need my solitude. I have a December first deadline, and it's impossible to work in the city.”

“I understand.” The agent took the money Connie handed her and counted it quickly. “What did you say your book was about?”

Connie was stymied for a moment, but Alan whispered the answer in her ear. “It's a textbook on genetics. I'm compiling the results of several independent studies. I'd tell you more, but I'm afraid it's quite technical.”

“I imagine it is.” The agent looked impressed. “Well, you'll have plenty of peace and quiet here.”

“You said utilities were included?”

“Yes.” The rental agent nodded. “The owner pays water and electricity, and I can arrange for your telephone service.”

“Thank you, but I won't need a phone.” Connie shook her head. “It disturbs me when I'm trying to concentrate.”

The agent nodded quickly. “I can understand that. There's a phone at Tony's Market. That's the little grocery store about five miles back at the turnoff. He closes down the first of September, but the pay phone's outside on the porch.”

After Connie signed her assumed name on the lease, she said good-bye and headed out to her car. As she headed back down the driveway, she heard Alan's voice again.

Connie shook her head. “She'll come. And once I get her here, I'll make sure she stays until our baby is born.”