The Green-Eyed Doll (12 page)

“No. No,” Maria admonished Matt when he slid into the booth. “You don’t sit opposite the lady. Sit beside her. No wonder she’s the first one you’ve brought in to meet us.”

“Sorry,” Matt whispered, sliding in beside Catherine.

“Catherine,” Antonio said and her name rolled off his tongue. “Welcome. You sit back and relax. Maria and I gonna take good care of you.”

“Thank you.” Catherine smiled at the happy couple before they disappeared into the kitchen.

“Aren’t they great?”

“They complement each other. Are they always like this?”

“As far as I know. I’ve never seen them act any different.”

Maria returned with two salads and two glasses of wine. She winked at Matt. “Enjoy.”

“Thanks.” Matt silently blessed Maria for forcing him to Catherine’s side of the booth when her thigh brushed his. Her nearness made it hard to think about food. This pull she had on him, the desire to feel her under him, damn, it spooked him a little.

“Did you preorder?”

“Not exactly. I might’ve mentioned to Maria you didn’t care for Chianti. But when those two say they’re going to take care of you, be ready. You’ll see.”

The stream of conversation and food kept pace with each other until Catherine pushed her plate back with a sigh. Talking with her came easy, and both shared stories of their childhoods. Matt found himself back on the subject of his father’s infidelity and the years of lying. “Strange, talking about him makes me sound bitter.” Matt paused and reflected. “But I guess all the lies my father told molded me into the person I am today. Nothing I hate worse than a liar.”

Catherine scooted away from him. The air between them chilled while she swirled the wine around in her glass. Had he said something that triggered a memory? He’d certainly revealed more about himself than she had.

“Tell me about your brother. Jack, isn’t it?”

“Yes. We used to be close. Back when we were kids and lived in the country. He was my best friend. It broke my heart the day he started school and left me behind, so my mother would tell me a few minutes before the bus brought him home in the afternoon. I’d be sitting on the fence post at the front gate waiting for him.”

She faced Matt, but she’d mentally gone to another time, somewhere in the past. The distant pain in her eyes forced him to ask. “What happened?”

“Marriage. Mine,” she said on a whisper. “Andy hated me spending time with Jack. My relationship with my brother was apparently a threat to our marriage. I broke off all ties to keep peace.”

“His way of controlling you.” Matt knew the color of hate. When Catherine’s eyes darkened to hunter green and met his, he recognized the look. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her how her husband died, but Matt held back. A lot of painful memories were buried in her past. He wouldn’t try to force her to talk.

“I know,” she said. “Maybe we should see what’s showing at the theater.”

A quick glance at his watch and Matt laughed in surprise. Neither the movie nor the investigation had crossed his mind since she’d grazed his lips with a kiss at six o’clock. “We’re too late. It’s nine.”

“I didn’t realize we’d talked so long. Maybe you should take me home.”

He didn’t respond since it wasn’t a question. She’d withdrawn, erected a wall he was sure he couldn’t scale. He wouldn’t bring up the subject of her family for a while. There was more to learn. Lots more. She had secrets, painful ones. Maybe she’d tell him when she trusted him enough. He had parts of his life he didn’t care to relive or discuss, reasons he wouldn’t get too close to her or anyone else.

Matt paid the check and made the obligatory promises to hurry back and be sure to bring Catherine. Maria must’ve noticed the difference in both their behavior, because she sent him a what-did-you-do look. He lifted one shoulder, kissed her on the cheek, and led Catherine to his pickup. Half the ride home they shared a stiff silence. He’d parked in front of her house when a poke in his ribs brought a quick rush of relief.

“I have trouble talking about the past. I’ve closed a few doors I don’t want opened.” Catherine’s hand rested on his arm.

“Don’t apologize. Sometimes I ask too many questions.”

“Do I get a rain check on the movie?”

“It’s my rain check. You invited me.”

“Right.” The lines between her eyes relaxed.

Matt held out his hand for her key, unlocked the door, and then reached in and flipped on the light for her. He didn’t go inside, now wasn’t the time. Instead, he cupped her face in his hands lightly. Not holding too tight, he kissed her. Nice and soft. He lingered, enjoying the softness and taste of her lips. His heart stumbled when she returned the kiss. “Lock the door.”

“Thanks for tonight. The restaurant, Mama and Papa, time with you, everything was wonderful.”

The warmth in Catherine’s eyes would be what he remembered while he drove home. Something had colored them with hatred earlier, and he’d replaced that look with desire. Rack this evening up as one-hell-of-a-success.

Before turning in, he fed and watered Benedict Arnold. Once again, Matt squatted down and waited until the dog finished eating. Once again, he extended a hand to try to pet him. Once again, he failed.

Chapter Nine

Wednesday, August 16th, 6:30 a.m.

Matt pushed himself to consciousness with great effort when his cell vibrated across the nightstand. He credited Catherine for his sound sleep. He’d dozed off with his mind full of pleasant, albeit inappropriate thoughts. Having her in his dreams helped him forget the outside world. For that small respite, he was grateful.

Caller ID read “dispatch,” meaning this wasn’t a friendly wake-up call.

Less than an hour later, he parked in front of the courthouse and jogged up the steps. Sue, in a prim black dress with a white collar, greeted him.

“They’re in your office.”

“One of these days you’re going to tell me how you manage to be here before me.” He made a mental note and filed it. Without fail, the woman stayed one step ahead.

Annie Travers’ husband, Ben, and her father, Will Brooking, waited for Matt in his office. After obtaining permission to record their conversation, he identified each person in the room, and tried to calm both men. “It’s important you take a deep breath and talk to me with a clear head. You’re worried and scared. I get that. But you’re no help unless you’re under control.”

“I understand.” Ben looked to his father-in-law for a nod.

“What time did you get concerned about your wife?”

“When she wasn’t home by eleven. Time never varies more than fifteen minutes. She’s the night manager at the Dairy Dream. I called her cell at eleven-thirty. Called again every five minutes. Never got an answer.”

Ben might've been in his early thirties, but as he rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced, his eyes looked much older. His thin body stretched over a six-foot frame gave him an Ichabod Crane look. With blond hair, his mustache was barely noticeable until he pulled a corner into his mouth and chewed on it.

“Annie.” A mental picture of the young brown-haired woman with green eyes formed in Matt’s mind.
Shit.
She’d served him lots of hamburgers.
“You always wait up?”

“Most nights I’m up grading papers. I teach sixth grade history at Curry Middle School. But yeah, even if I’m done, I wait up. We work different hours.” Ben shifted his gaze from Matt to Will and back. “Late at night is our time together.”

Matt studied Ben for a second. His eyes were rimmed in red and filled with tears. If he was faking his concern for his wife, he was a damned good actor. “Walk me through her end of shift procedure—if you can.”

“She and whoever’s working lock the door at ten. The other person cleans up while Annie makes out the night deposit. They always leave together. She goes straight to the night deposit drive-thru at the Republic Bank in Butte Crest. Then she drives home.”

Sue stepped in with a pot of coffee and three paper cups. She silently filled each one and then set them in front of the men. She gripped Ben’s shoulder before leaving.

“Go on,” Matt said.

“At midnight, I called Will to see if Annie had checked in with them.” Ben lifted the cup to his mouth with both hands and blew on the hot liquid. Steam rolled up and over his face.

Matt turned to Will who hadn’t uttered a word. “That’s when you got involved?”

“Yeah. And all this jawing ain’t finding my Annie.”

Ben flinched at Will’s statement. A slight movement the recorder wouldn’t pick up, but Matt made a note in his book. There was friction between the two men, maybe because of the “my Annie” reference made by her father.

Will leaned forward. In his mid-fifties, he’d spent years in the field trying to eek a living out of the unforgiving dry land. His weathered, ruddy complexion reflected his hard work. Chapped, rough hands rested on the arms of his chair.

“We couldn’t find her,” Will said around a wad of dip. “Now it’s time you did something about bringing her home.”

“You searched for her before reporting her missing?” Matt worked to keep frustration off his face.

“We weren’t sure. Not until we found her empty car at the drive-through deposit at the bank.” Will stood. His chair wobbled, came close to turning over.

“You found her car?” This was news Matt should’ve been told first. His jaw muscle ached from gritting his teeth, but he held his temper. He stepped to the door and met Sue on her way in. Her desk sat right outside his office. Nothing got by her ears.

“I’ve already contacted Jake and Rey. Said you wanted to see them. They’ll be in shortly.” This time, it was Matt’s shoulder she reached up and gripped.

“Always one step ahead of me. Maybe you do deserve detective pay,” he said softly before returning to Ben and Will.

“You didn’t touch anything in or around the car did you?” Matt looked from one man to the other.

“I needed to know if she’d had car trouble, didn’t I?”

“Dammit, Will.” So much for staying calm. “By trying to start the car, you touched the keys, the steering wheel, and the door handle? What else?”

Will’s mistake hit him quick and hard. He sank down on the chair as if someone cut him off at the knees.

“Not the door handle.”

“The car door was standing open?” Matt’s temples were on the verge of imploding. He pressed a headache back with the heels of his hands when Ben and Will simultaneously nodded.

“I need a photograph of your wife, Ben. Get it to Sue right away.”

“I’ll bring it by myself.”

Matt got the make and model of Annie’s vehicle. Rey went to ensure no one else touched or moved the car. Matt asked Sue to call San Antonio for a crime scene unit. Then he sent Ben and Will to check with friends on the off-chance Annie had contacted them.

“Jake, let’s make that run between the Dairy Dream to the Republic Bank.” They’d lost valuable time by not being called last night. Now they had a cold trail to follow.

****

Wednesday, August 16th, 11:45 a.m.

“You know the family?” Matt asked Jake during the drive from Curry to Butte Crest.

“They go to our church. Ben’s trying to hire on at one of the bigger schools in San Antonio. Pay’s better than Curry Middle School.”

“I can imagine.”

“Annie and Ben are newlyweds.”

“Shit.”

“Exactly.”

Newlyweds. That explained Ben being uncomfortable talking about his and Annie’s private time in front of her dad. Sex wouldn’t be a topic you’d discuss in front of a new father-in-law. Ben moved further down Matt’s list of suspects, but not off. Everybody was subject to scrutiny. Too many times murder led right back to a family member. Matt shook off the thought. For now, he’d count on Annie being alive.

Matt parked and went inside to question the Dairy Dream day shift manager and her team. Annie hadn’t mentioned anyone new hanging around, nor had she complained about anybody bothering her. He joined Jake who’d stayed outside to walk the perimeter of the building and lot.

“We can pull fingerprints from inside this squat and gobble if you want. Be a lot, but I’ll see to it,” Jake said on the way to the bank.

“Squat and gobble?”

“That’s what Kaye calls fast food restaurants. Doesn’t much care for them.”

“Hmm.” Matt wasn’t touching that one. “Too many people in and out. Don’t mess with prints.”

“Works for me.”

“Dammit, Jake. Where’s the bastard hiding these women?”

“Could be anywhere from an old storm cellar to under his bed. We keep turning over rocks, we’ll find him.”

Annie’s car sat inside a circle of yellow tape when Matt and Jake arrived at the bank. Two men were taking pictures. “You recognize either one of those guys?”

“Nope. Let’s find out who they are.” Jake was unbuckled and out of the cruiser before Matt killed the engine.

He caught up with the shorter Jake, amused by his impatience. Both relaxed and slowed their pace when the men flashed their ID’s from the ME’s office.

“Damn. Are you guys short-handed?” He waved off a response. “Sheriff Matt Ballard. This is Deputy Jake Foley. What have you found?”

The two men introduced themselves. Their hands were covered with latex gloves, neither Dave Foster nor Hector Ruiz offered to shake hands. Foster rocked back and forth on his Reeboks and slid his glasses on top of his head. He handed his camera off to Ruiz, pulled out his notebook, and read.

“We arrived on scene at approximately thirteen-hundred hours and identified ourselves to Deputy Rey Santos. He in turn identified the automobile as belonging to the missing woman. We taped the area around the car—”

“Okay. I get it,” Matt interrupted Ruiz. “You’ve been here twenty minutes, and I’m rushing you. Where’s Deputy Santos?”

Ruiz nodded toward the bank. “Inside.”

Matt walked a few feet away and punched in Dr. Reinhardt’s number. He slapped his phone closed after leaving a message.

“These guys will be here a while.” Jake looked up from his notebook and smiled when Matt leaned up against the cruiser.

“Pisses me off Reinhardt only sent two men. It’s unacceptable, and he’s gonna hear about it. Hell, he had a full compliment at Julia’s crime scene. And I’m still waiting on DNA and toxicological reports.”