The Touch (21 page)

The longer she sat in the house, the more uncomfortable she started to feel. 
It wasn’t anything she could put her finger on or lay a name to, but Lexi constantly felt the presence of the others in the house.  The ghosts didn’t go as far as to torment her with pranks the way they had with Chloe, but there was th
e
sense that she was being watched at all times. 
How did Allie do it all day long, day in and day out?  Whenever Lexi suggested going out, her sister was quick to shoot the idea down, pleading a headache or not wanting to deal with the public.  Not that she’d reached celebrity status by any means, but there were enough people in the community that knew her circumstances that Allie was reluctant to venture out in public.  Deprived of her art studio and usual distractions, Lexi was starting to climb the walls.

It didn’t help that she heard very little from Detective Ryan or anything about the investigation.  The more time went by, the harder it was to believe that they’d ever find out what happened to Chloe
,
or Neil’s killer. 
While Lexi understood that Gabriel was busy trying to find out those very same things, she found that she missed seeing him and couldn’t help but wonder if he was avoiding her.  When they spoke on the phone he was friendly enough, but rarely had more than a few minutes to spend talking. 
She did learn that they’d investigated Neil’s girlfriend Monica and eliminated her as a suspect. 
More encouraging was the fact that he
did
call every day, even if there was nothing more to say
excep
t that
there was
nothing new to report. 

Paul and Maddie alternated visits, Paul staying the night whenever he came to call, always sleeping on the couch.  Even with that thread to her home life, after several days had elapsed, Lexi was itching to get back to her own bed and escape the feeling of being watched.
  The trouble was, how could she abandon her sister?
 

Broaching the subject over dinner, Lexi waited for an opportune moment to bring it up.  “Allie,
maybe it is a good idea
for
you
to
come and stay with me
for a few days
?
  You haven’t left the house in over a week.”  Lexi was the one to do all the shopping and errands, with Allie spending more and more time in the study. 

“
I won’t be chased out of my own home, if you want to leave
,
you go ahead
,” Allie immediately shook her head, a flicker of annoyance in her eyes.

Tamping down her disappointment, Lexi resigned herself to sticking it out a bit longer.  “
No, I’ll stay here with you
if that’s what you want me to do
.
”

“
No, I think I’d rather be alone again
. 
Why don’t you go on home?” 
It was a statement, not a question.

It
was the freedom she
wanted, but Lexi couldn’t bring herself to ditch her sister for her own happiness.  “
Allie, I’m worried about you
…”

Allison dropped her fork with a clatter.  “Did you ever think that it’s making it harder for me, you being here underfoot all the time?  Having to worry about entertaining you, feeding you, listening to you chatter?”

Lexi blinked, taken aback by the vehemence in Allie’s voice. 
“I… didn’t think of it that way.”

“Yeah well
,
you don’t think sometimes, Lexi, that’s your problem.”

“I’ll get my things and go then.”
No longer hungry
,
Lexi picked up her plate, beating a fast retreat to the kitchen before she said something she might regret later.  While her mind spun all kinds of reasonable explanations for Allie’s rude rejection, it still stung after how she’d put her own life on hold to be there for her.  It was better to pack up and go before either one of them said or did something to deepen the rift between them. 

As far as she knew, Allie was still eating in the
dining room
by the time Lexi had her things all ready to go.  “Bye,” she called out
,
hovering near the front door for a long moment, but no response came.  “Whatever…” muttering to herself, she pulled the door shut, tossing her bags in the back seat of her VW.  Lexi was about to hop in herself when she spotted the car parked at the bottom of the driveway.  Unused to seeing anyone stopped there unless they had business up at the house, she walked towards the
dark
car
, eyes squinting in the early evening shade
,
to see if she could recognize it.  Once she did, Lexi nearly tripped over her own feet in surprise as she hastened her steps. 

“Gabriel?  What are you doing out here?”

“Hey Lexi,” he replied simply, making her wonder what the hell he was doing sitting there, looking so morose.  Had some bad news turned up?  So bad that he didn’t
have the courage
to come and tell them about it in person?

“W
hy didn’t you come up to the house?
  Is something wrong?” 
Oh God… had he found Chloe?

“No, nothing’s wrong.  Nothing new, I mean. 
I
just
didn’t want to disturb you.  I don’t have anything new to report
, same as always.”  His fingers picked at the leather cord wrapped around the steering wheel cover.  Now that she was closer, Lexi could tell
i
t had been badly frayed since the last time she
was
in the car. 

“
So what are you doing here then?
”

“I was…” Gabriel hesitated, changing his mind on whatever it was he’d been about to say.  “I noticed Paul’s been spending the night fairly often.  He and Allie friendly, are they?”

“No, not especially,” her brows went up at that remark.  “How did you know about that?”

“His car was here all night.”

“
You’re watching the house?
” 

Gabriel nodded.  “
As much as possible, though
we don’t have the staff for twenty-four
hour surveillance.  I asked th
e guys to keep an extra eye out and
I recognized his car on the report
.”

“
Oh
.”
Why did that surprise her so much?  There was an ongoing investigation and Allie’s husband had been killed. 

“
So
,
was he here all night?
”

“
Yeah
,
he wanted us to be safe
,” she nodded.

“
So
,
he
s
pent the night with you?
”

“
Yeah
,” Lexi replied without thinking much of it
,
until she saw him swallow uncomfortably and look away.  “
Not spent the night with
m
e
, spent the night on the couch,” she added hastily. 

“
Oh
,” Gabriel brightened considerably at that news but just as quickly his subdued expression returned. 

“Is that why you didn’t come up to the house?  Because you thought Paul and I were…”

“No, actually I came because
this is the same time of day that Chloe disappeared in th
e first place.  It’s crazy
, but I can’t help but think maybe I’ll catch something I missed before.
  Some minute detail that will repeat itself
,
or I’ll catch
a
tiny bit of insight… but it’s not working.”  His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the white of his knuckles standing out against the stretched skin. 
 

“
Hey, a
re you… okay?” 

The muscles in his jaw worked as he forcibly relaxed.  “
I can’t help but feel like if I’d jumped on this
sooner
,
pulled out all the stops the first day
… we would have gotten somewhere.”

“Y
ou couldn’t have known
…” she assured him quickly, though she’d wondered the same thing herself.  If she hadn’t assumed like everyone else that Neil had taken Chloe,
w
ould she
have
done anything differently? 

Gabriel looked up at her, “
I’m stuck Lexi, I’ve got… nothing
.  I’m no closer to finding her than I was the first day Allie called.” 
It was obviously incredibly hard fo
r him to say that to her
,
and Lexi
reached out to cover his hand with hers. 
He looked tired and stressed
out;
it was no wonder he wasn’t thinking clearly. 

“W
hen’s the last time you slept?
” 

A short bark of laughter left his lips.  “I… don’t remember exactly.  I caught a couple of hours last night at the office, but I don’t think that technically qualifies as sleep
.
”

“Come
on, you need a break.
”  Lexi let go of him, coming around the front of the car to insinuate herself into the passenger’s seat. 

“W
here are we going?” h
e fixed her with a bewildered look as she took the seat beside him. 

“Your place.”

Chapter
Thirteen

Detective Ryan’s place turned out to be a neat condo near
Twin
Lakes
b
each.  The modern complex was three stories tall and boasted a weight room, pool and sauna, all needing an electronic key card for entry.  The units were spacious, featuring one or two bedrooms with either a patio or a deck depending on what level you lived on.  Gabriel informed her that he’d chosen a unit on the third floor to stay away from the noise of the pool and because it had the best view.  The nine hundred square foot living space probably cost more than Paul’s entire Victorian, but she had to agree, the ocean view was spectacular. 

“How long ha
ve you lived here?”
Lexi asked, immediately drawn to the sliding glass door to watch t
he sun set across the ocean.
 

“About four years.  The best part about this place is that it’s less than ten minutes to walk to the beach.”
  Gabriel pulled the slider open, letting in the fresh ocean breeze.

“That must be nice.  Do you spend a lot of time at the beach?”  He wasn’t deeply tanned, but that could be the result of the regular use of sunscreen.

“I like to go for a swim on most days; it helps me clear my head.  The pool can get crowded, even in the evening.”

“Oh yeah?  I love to swim in the ocean.  Pools and I… don’t get along.”

“Why not?”  Gabriel shrugged out of his coat and she caught sight of
the
gun holstered at the hip. 
Guns didn’t scare her on principle, but she’d never seen one up close and personal before.

“People tend to stare when you wear gloves in the water,” she replied with a half shrug. 

“You pick up things from the water too?”  He paused in the act of hanging up his
coat
to stare at her
,
and she couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his face.

“No, but the sides of the pool and the ladder can be a real eye opener.  Trust me, you don’t want to know what people do in the hot tub,” she grinned. 

“Oh
,
I have a fairly good idea.  My balcony overlooks the spa,” he smirked back.  A
brawny
,
orange tabby cat appeared with a plaintive meow, slinking through Gabriel’s legs before approaching Lexi with a wary sniff.  “This is Jake.  Jake
,
be polite to Lexi, she’s not a scratching post.”  He leaned down to give the cat a pat on the head
,
but Jake was more interested in Lexi.

“Hey there Jake, I can only imagine what smells so interesting on me.”  Lexi crouched down and offered her gloved hand, which Jake sniffed with interest and then slunk off towards the kitchen without approaching her.  “He seems a bit skittish,” she commented, rising to stand again. 

“He was a stray, followed me home after a run
,
and he’s been here ever since.  I guess he’s not entirely socialized yet
,
but at least you got a sniff.  He won’t even come near Cooper.”

“So
,
he’s got good taste then,” she grinned. 

“Cooper might be a little rough around the edges
,
I admit
,
but I’ve known him for a while now, he’s a good guy,” Gabriel defended his partner. 

“I’ll have to take your word for it.”  T
he guy
seemed a little juvenile to her, and that was saying something
,
considering some of her friends
.
 

Gabriel came to stand beside her at the screen door, close enough for her to think he might wrap an arm around her
,
but he kept his hands to himself.  “See
,
the thing about Cooper is
,
he’s
so
smart
,
his social skills come off as… borderline retarded sometimes, but he’s a good cop.”

“Nice,” she laughed.  “I’d hate to hear how you describe your enemies.”  It was peaceful standing there looking out at the water, and she almost suggested they move out to take a seat on the small balcony
,
but curiosity won out.  “
So,” Lexi turned to inspect his apartment with interest.  “Do I get the fifty cent tour?”

“Yeah sure, I’m forgetting my duties as host, would you like something to drink?  Are you hungry?”

“No I’m good, you go ahead though.”

Gabriel retrieved a beer from the fridge and twisted the cap off, taking a deep pull as he leaned against the breakfast bar.  “This is the living room
,
which abuts the kitchen
,
as you can see.” 

“Very nice,” Lexi nodded, taking in the simple décor that favored blues and browns, much as the bedroom she’d seen in her brief vision.  There wasn’t much up on the walls, but she liked the simplicity of it; a contrast to her own clutter. 

“The bathroom is at the end of the hall
,
and we have my office and the bedroom.”  He moved to lean against the wall that separated the two.  Lexi peeked into the first room, expecting to see a desk or office furniture, but the only piece of furniture in the room was a rolling office chair
,
along with a large dry erase board that dominated the room.  Several
milk
crates were stacked along the wall by the window, filled with a haphazard collection of items
,
some of which looked completely out of place in an “office”. 

“What kind of office is this?”
s
he asked, stepping deeper into the room.  On closer inspection, Lexi was surprised to find her family prominently featured on the dry erase board
,
with Neil and Chloe’s pictures at the top and a series of branches leading off of them that included Allie’s picture as well as her own. 

“This is a mock up of the murder board we have down at the
station
.  It helps me piece things together to see them up on the wall like this
;
to spot patterns and connections I might ordinarily miss.”

“Murder board… does that mean that you’ve officially decided that Neil was murdered?
”
  In all the times he’d called with an update he’d never come right out and said the word.

“Yep, the official cause of death was by arsenic poisoning.”

“You’re joking…” Lexi spun around to face him, eyes wide, but he shook his head. 
How was she just now hearing this?

“Nope, not joking, he was definitely poisoned.”  He came to stand beside her, eyes on the board.  “Unfortunately
,
the poison used is commonly found in pest controls and can be bought at any home and garden store, so that lead gave us a big fat zero,” Gabriel scowled.

“Arsenic,” she repeated.  It didn’t sound real
;
it sounded like something out of a movie.  Nobody really poisoned anyone anymore, did they?  If they did, didn’t they usually find some kind of untraceable poison?  “What does this mean?”
s
he tapped the line going across the bottom with times and dates written above it.

“That’s a timeline of events starting with the last time anyone saw Neil alive and ending here… in limbo where we are now.  This red zone is the window our killer had.  These letters represent the various players and their verified whereabouts in that zone.”

“Ah
,
okay I see.” Lexi studied the timeline.  “So I’m the letter C and you have me at home during that time period?”

“That’s right.”

“How do you know that’s where I was?”

A single brow was raised.  “Are you saying you weren’t where you sa
id
you were?”
h
e asked mildly.

“No,” she laughed.  “But I’m assuming you can’t just take my word for it, right?”

“Not exactly, no
.  
But we spoke to both of your housemates and they verified your story.
”

That was news to her
, but it didn’t surprise her.  Turning back to the board she found the other “players”, seeing where they’d found alibis for Neil’s girlfriend, friends and coworkers.  There was one letter that was conspicuously absent however.  “Where’s Allie’s letter?”

“She didn’t have anyone to confirm where she was that night, so she doesn’t get a letter there.”  Gabriel tapped her picture to the left of the board and Lexi read the list of cryptic words scribbled beneath it. 

“What does
‘
prints
’
mean?”

He took a long drink of beer before answering.  “Allie’s prints were all over Neil’s car.”

“So what?  It was her husband’s car.”

“So nothing, I was just m
aking a note of it.”

“What does this say here… a woman scos… I can’t read your writing.”

Gabriel hesitated again, “it says a woman scorned.  But there’s a question mark after it, see?”  He pointed to a little squiggle that might have been a question mark or the atomic symbol for cobalt for all she could tell. 

“Is Allie a suspect?” Lexi’s head swiveled to face him, watching the play of emotions on his face before he
decided
how to answer that question.

“She’s a person of interest that we haven’t ruled out yet,” he said carefully.

“Am I a suspect?”  Her eyes found her picture up on the board, trying to decipher the words scrawled under them.  It looked like the word “hand” was there as well as
…
“psycho?  You think I’m psycho?” Lexi demanded. 

Gabriel turned her by the shoulders to face him square on.  “
It says psychic, not psycho and n
o, you’re not a suspect, you have been officially ruled out,” he replied evenly
and the bluster went out of her
.
  While she wasn’t really a psychic by her definition, she didn’t want to quibble over semantics.
  “Though I haven’t crossed you off as a person of interest yet,” the corner of his mouth tugged up into a smile that she couldn’t help but return. 

“So
,
you’re saying you’re still interested then?”  Lexi took the beer from his hand, stealing a sip.  “It’s been kinda hard to tell the past few days.”

“Definitely,” he nodded, eyes on her mouth as she drank from his beer.  “Sorry about that, it’s this case… it’s been taking up all of my free time.  Unfortunately it’s not the only one I’m working at the moment and the longer it goes on without a break
,
the more of a backburner it gets placed on by the senior brass.”

“T
hey’ve already given up on it?
 
Just like that?  What about Chloe?”

“No, it’s just that other cases have to be worked as well, and to be honest, there’s not a lot to do on this one until we get a break.”

“If there’s not a lot to do
,
then what’s been taking up al
l of your free time?”  Was it
her or was he contradicting himself? 

“There’s not a lot to be done as far as the routine investigation we do
,
but there’s always more research
I can do on my own time
.”  Gabriel picked up one of the milk crates and withdrew a fat manila folder.  “I widened my background search to find all of Neil’s living relatives.  I’ve contacted the local precincts in Miami, Culver City, Las Cruces, anywhere that Chloe might turn up, just in case.  I spoke to every single person who ever filed a grievance with the sales department at Neil’s company, and that was more than you’d think.  I talked to people we used to know back in high school to see if anyone knew of a reason why someone might have killed him.  Any tiny possible lead
,
I’m pushing to the limits to see what I can turn up, but so far I’ve got nothing.”

“What did you find out about my family?” Lexi was almost afraid to ask, but there was a file in that milk crate labeled Morgan, and she wanted to know if he’d managed to track down her mother.

Gabriel’s brows twitched together as if he was weighing how much to tell her.

“Oh come on, you can’t not tell me.  Don’t I have a right to know about my own family?”
s
he pleaded, gratified to see the change in his expression a split second before he answered.

“Alright then, but I’m only go
ing to
tell you what I found out, I can’t dig any deeper than what I’ve turned up already,” he cautioned her.  “Most of it you probably know
;
I’ve got c
opies of your birth certificate
, school transcripts, there wasn’t a whole lot there with the exception of some interesting notes from your school counselor in junior high.  It seems like you made quite an impression on Mr. Garcia.”