Vail 02 - Crush (33 page)

Panda shook his head. “You gave me a hard time about telling my corporation story and you bore these nice ladies with your company’s sales pitch?”

Cannon gave Panda another playful shove. “My sales pitch beats your ‘woe-is-me evil corporation story’ any day. Beats your consulting stories, too.”

“Speaking of which,” Dixon said, “what kind of consulting do you do? What industry?”

Panda placed a hand on the upright of the shoulder press machine. “Despite what Jimmy says, I think consulting’s a pretty good gig.” He fiddled with the iron plate. “I do critical thinking, strategic solutions. Pay’s damn good, so no complaints.”

“I’m into critical thinking, too,” Vail said. She pointed to her wrist, where there was no watch. “And we’d better get back to doing that. I’ll meet you in the locker room.” She extended a hand to Panda. “Good meeting you, George. Jimmy.”

“Same here,” Panda said.

Cannon quickly glanced from Dixon to Vail. “You, uh, you two doing anything for dinner?” He indicated Panda. “Maybe the four of us could—”

“Thanks,” Vail said. “I’m busy. But thanks for asking.” She made eye contact with Dixon and waved a thumb over her shoulder. “Meet you inside.”

Cannon tucked his chin back and watched Vail walk off. “I think I just got rejected.”

“New experience for you?” Dixon said with a laugh. “Don’t take it personally. She’s seeing someone.”

Cannon turned to Dixon. His face seemed to harden. “Yeah.” He bent down to pick up his water bottle. “Catch you later, Bear. I’m gonna hit the showers.” He tossed a tight nod at Panda, did not acknowledge Dixon, then left.

Dixon swung her gaze toward Panda. “I didn’t—I didn’t mean anything by that. You think I hurt his feelings?”

Panda waved at the air. “Bruised ego is all. He’ll be fine. He doesn’t take rejection well.”

“Who does?”

Panda grinned. “This is true.”

Dixon blotted her face with the towel. “You done with your workout?”

Panda glanced around at all the equipment. “No, I’ve still got another hour or so on the weights, then I’m gonna do some cardio.”

“Why don’t I call you when I have a better handle on what my work schedule looks like?”

Panda nodded. “Sounds good.” He gave Dixon his number.

She committed it to memory and told him she’d call him. “You want, you can always reach me through the DA’s office. We’re listed.” Dixon gave him a broad smile. “Or maybe we’ll meet up again here.”

“I’d like that,” Panda said.

Dixon winked. “Thanks again for your help.
Bear
.”

JOHN WAYNE MAYFIELD sat in his truck, slumped down in the seat,
watching the exit to the Fit1! gym. Waiting around was not something he enjoyed, but it was often necessary in his line of work. So he continued to sit and surveil the entrance as the minutes ticked by.

Several men had left the gym, as well as a couple of women, but not the ones he was waiting on. He had followed Dixon and Vail to the gym, so he knew what car they had arrived in and where they parked. He had positioned his pickup so that he had a view of both the entrance and their vehicle. If they left through another exit, he’d still see them when they arrived at their car.

Mayfield checked his watch.
How long can they possibly be in there? Don’t they have policework that needs attention? Haven’t I given them enough to do?
As he sat there drumming his fingers on the dashboard, the front door swung open and out walked Dixon and Vail.

About fucking time.
Dixon had a tote slung across her shoulder and a bounce in her step. He watched as the two of them walked to their car. Dixon shoved her key into the lock and lifted the trunk lid, then tossed her sport bag into the back and closed it.

Your time will come, Roxxann Dixon. Very soon.
This afternoon? Perhaps. Perhaps not. He had much to consider—least of which was what approach would provide him with maximum impact.

He would use the time while tailing them to mull his options. Maybe something would come to him, a plan of action.

Mayfield turned the key and started the engine. He’d continue following them for now to see where they were headed with their investigation. That might help him formulate a cogent approach, ultimately making his job easier.

He pulled out of the parking lot and maintained a discreet distance. A mile or so down 29, an idea began to form.
Take the local first. Dixon. It’ll throw everyone into a state of panic. I won’t leave them a choice—they’ll have to talk to the press. Because I’ll leave the body in a very public place, posed, in front of City Hall, right on the stairs. Late at night, so when the bureaucrats arrive in the morning, it’ll be like a blow to the throat. The press will swarm. Then I’ll do Vail, an FBI profiler, and leave her body somewhere else, somewhere public. A double header. State and Federal. They’ll fucking freak. The entire country will be tuned in.

He rolled down his window. The blast of cold air snaked around his neck and made him shiver—exactly what he needed. He had to cool down before he did something he was not yet prepared for, something he would later regret.

V
ail walked out of Fit1! feeling refreshed, clean, and, at least for now, invigorated. The exercise had sharpened her mind and given her a renewed sense of focus. They each downed nutrition bars Dixon had in her gym bag and were now headed to meet with the AVA board president.

Once she had turned onto Highway 29, Dixon said, “I thought George was kind of cute.”

“Really?” Vail faced the side window and watched the wineries pass to her right. “He didn’t do anything for me.”

Dixon laughed. “Well I can tell you that Jimmy wanted to do something for
you
.”

Vail chuckled. “Yeah he did. Did I blow him off properly?”

“That watch thing was a bit obvious.”

Vail feigned innocence. “Was I wrong? We’re on a schedule.” She smiled. “But seriously. Are you really ready to give up on Eddie? Is that over? For good? I thought you said you missed him, that you were just going to take some time off.”

Dixon sighed. “I don’t know. Sometimes I think it’s over, then sometimes I think it’s not. We love each other. That’s not the problem. We just, I’m just not sure we’re compatible.”

“Was he good to you, did he treat you well?”

“Yeah, that was never an issue.”

“So you two have some issues. All couples do. But you love each other, isn’t that worth something?”

“If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t still be discussing this.”

“So this guy in the gym—George. Is he better than Eddie?”

“Better? I just met him. How the hell do I know?”

Vail turned her body to face Dixon. “You’re attracted to him.”

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Of course not,” Vail said. “My take? He’d be a good workout partner. But he didn’t seem to have much depth to him.”

A moment passed. “That’s a pretty huge leap based on one short conversation.”

“I make my living reading people,” Vail said.

“And your read of Jimmy?”

“Please.” She scrunched her nose. “He may be a winemaker, but . . . I wouldn’t even want to work out with the guy.”

Dixon drove another minute before speaking. “Why’d you bring it up?”

Vail rubbed her eyes. “Because I had a shitty marriage. It didn’t start out that way, but it sure ended that way. So I’m pretty careful. No, I’m extra cautious. I wouldn’t even think of getting involved with someone unless I knew certain things about the guy, about his heart. And his soul.”

“And you know all this about Robby?”

Vail sucked on her bottom lip and thought a moment. “It’s funny. I haven’t known him that long, but we’ve been through a hell of a lot together. I trust him. Implicitly.”

Before Dixon could respond, her phone rang. She pressed the hands-free device on her visor and answered the call.

“Roxx, it’s Brix. I got an ID on the male. Where are you two?”

Dixon peered out her window. “Coming up on Opus One. We’re headed to a meeting with someone from the AVA board.”

“Fine. Pull into the Opus One lot. I’ll be there in five. I won’t keep you long. But you need to hear this.”

BRIX WAS A LITTLE LONGER than five minutes out, but Vail didn’t mind. When they arrived at Opus One, Dixon had phoned the board president and told her they would be delayed. During the call, she led Vail up to Opus One’s terrace roof, which afforded a 360 degree panoramic view of the immediate valley. Parceled vineyards stretched in all directions, with the peaks of Mt. Veeder in the near distance.

The terrace was an arbor-covered walkway and patio bordered by rough-hewn limestone walls and planters lining the path. Ahead of them, over the edge, was a lush lawn that sloped gently downward, from the lip of the roof all the way to the parking lot.

“It’d be fun to roll down that,” Vail said.

Dixon’s phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she brought it to her ear. “We’re upstairs on the roof.” She listened, then said, “Yeah, meet us up here.”

Thirty seconds later, Brix ascended the staircase and met them at the stone table. Off at the opposite end of the terrace, in a matching area containing tables, a couple stood beside one another at the wall, nursing a glass of wine and taking in the mountain view before them.

They took seats and Brix pulled out his notepad. “I’ve got a couple IDs for us. With all that’s been going on, this kind of got lost in the shuffle. The male victim was Isaac Jenkins. Private equity fund manager who lives in Sonoma.”

“And how did we keep
that
murder under wraps?” Dixon asked.

“Wife told his company, family, and friends that Isaac had a heart attack. Given what his business is like, and this market, there’s enough stress for ten heart attacks.”

Vail nodded. “Is he on the Georges Valley AVA board?”

“That’d be a ‘no.’ I had Ray check it out. He’s got no connection to the board that we could turn up. Ray also followed up on the question of how the UNSUB got your cell number. He said there was no breach of the department’s data backup, as far as the IT guys can tell. And all support personnel have been questioned. No one gave out our phone numbers, or any other information, to anyone.”

“Then how did he get my number?”

Brix put his forearms on the round cement table. “I love this view. You can see for miles. And it’s all gorgeous. This is a plot of land I wish we had for Silver Ridge.”

“Redd,” Dixon said. “The phone number.”

He shook his head and refocused his gaze on Dixon. “Yeah. So Ray and I were thinking where else he could’ve gotten it. How about the Bureau?”

Vail leaned back in surprise. “Whoa, I didn’t think of that. All he
has to do is dial up the FBI Academy and ask for my cell phone number and they hand it right over.”

“That’s cute. But what I meant was, do you list it on your Academy emails?”

“Yeah, it’s part of my signature, at the bottom of all my messages.”

Brix raised his hands, palm up. “Then who the hell knows how he got it. Sending email is like putting an open envelope in the mail.”

Vail nodded. She couldn’t argue that.

Brix yawned, threw up a hand to cup his mouth. “I also have an ID on the female we found this morning. Or was that yesterday? I’m so fucking tired I can’t remember anymore.” He forced his eyes open wider, then said, “Name’s Dawn Zackery. Thirty-two, single. And before you ask, no connection to the Georges Valley board.”

Dixon looked at Vail. “I’m beginning to think that board is a dead end.”

Vail stared out at the countryside. “Maybe, maybe not. If we haven’t got anything else to pursue, then we’ll turn over some rocks, see what we can find.”

Brix began bouncing his knee. “I was thinking there was an angle we should look into first, something we kind of overlooked.”