“Meet me in the lobby then if that works for you.”
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Alex nodded. She was no stranger to police procedure and from the look in his eyes, she knew the lieutenant had more questions.
Questions he didn’t want to ask in front of the group. And he wouldn’t want her to leave until he had answers. “I’ll see you then.”
“
We’ll
see you then,” Brad corrected.
He nodded, tossing some money on the table and strode toward the lobby but then turned back. “There are several reporters out front along with camera crews.” His glance encompassed the
group. “Except for Miss Leahy and Mr. Norton, the rest of you may leave whenever you wish. If you need someone to escort you to your cars, please let me know and I’ll see that my men waylay the press.”
“Thank you,” Kevin said. “That might not be such a bad idea.”
“As far as the two of you,” he said, looking at Brad and Alex,
“my team will be going over things for at least another hour or so.
The management has assured me that you can remain here if you wish.”
“I have a few questions myself,” Alex said looking up at him. “If it’s okay with you, we’ll meet back here?”
He nodded, walking away.
“Speaking of leaving, I’ve got to get home,” Carolyn said, rising and stifling a yawn. “I’ve cancelled office hours for today but I still have rounds to make at the hospital.” She put a hand on Brad’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re safe and sound.” Her gaze switched to Alex. “Both of you. Just keep it that way.”
“Thanks for coming, Carolyn,” Brad said, reaching up to take her hand. “My cousin is a very, very lucky man.”
“Just keep telling him that,” she smiled.
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Kevin rose to stand behind her. “I’ll go with you. I’ve already called Dad to let him know everything’s okay.” He caught Brad’s gaze. “You need me for anything, anything, you call.”
“I will.”
“Thank God you have this woman keeping an eye on you,”
Kevin said, motioning toward Alex. “Pretty smart lady.”
“She is at that,” Brad murmured.
Kevin shook his head. “Never in my wildest imagination did I think this whole thing would get dangerous.” He glanced at
Andrew. “I wonder if it’s worth it.”
“It could be,” Andrew said, surprising all of them. “I wasn’t willing to buy into Ellie’s death being the result of some multi-state serial killer. Looks like I was wrong. If that’s the case, then someone else might end up being the next victim.” He glanced at his son. “I sure as hell wouldn’t want that on my conscience if there was a way to prevent it from happening.”
Brad’s gaze shot to his father. Well, would wonders never
cease? His father admitting he was wrong was a first. He ran suddenly tense fingers through his hair. They needed answers and they needed them now. Unfortunately, all they had was a dead man instead of someone who could have supplied some of those answers.”
Carolyn crossed her arms, her brow furrowed. “If what you
believe is true, and after tonight I’m on the bandwagon, then the danger is still there until you find who it is that hired this gunman.”
“You’re right, Carolyn,” Alex said. “What’s frustrating is that for the life of me, I can’t figure out why an uncle would kill his own
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flesh and blood. The other women might have been hits but two sixteen-year-old boys?”
“You truly believe they were killed by the same person?”
Alex shrugged. “Looks like we need to do a whole lot more
investigating before we have the answer to that one.”
Carolyn yawned again and Kevin took her arm. “Let’s go before you fall asleep on your feet. Be careful, cousin.”
“You know it.”
“Bye Uncle Andrew, Maggie.”
“Tell your father I’ll call him…soon,” Andrew said.
Kevin’s brow lifted as he shot a quick look at Brad. “I’ll do that.”
Alex glanced at her watch and stood. “I’d like to have a word with the desk clerk before we have to meet Lieutenant Clark.”
“Alex, I’d like to speak with you privately for a moment,”
Andrew said, rising.
She raised a brow in surprise but nodded. “Why don’t you walk with me toward the lobby?”
“Now wait a minute,” Brad growled, rising. “We’re in this
together.”
Alex caught his gaze and shook her head slightly. He got the message. “Stay here with Maggie. We’ll be right back.”
Brad settled back in his chair, his expression dark as he
watched them walk away, putting a hand to his forehead in an attempt to ease the ache.
Maggie reached into her purse and palmed some white pills.
“Want some aspirin for that headache?”
He turned to her and then lifted his lips in a crooked grin.
“Why is it you always know what I need when I need it?”
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“Because I love you.”
He swallowed the pills to hide the emotion. What would he
have done without this woman? She and his aunt had been his
mainstay growing up. He eyed her speculatively, suddenly realizing how unusual it was for her to accompany his father anywhere. At least as far as he knew it was. “My father seems to be relying on you a lot more than he used to. Taking your advice, listening when you tell him to shut up. Pretty impressive.”
Maggie’s blush was faint although her blue eyes snapped. “I
never tell your father to shut up!”
He rubbed his aching head and eased into a more comfortable
position. “No, you wouldn’t. Personally, I think you’re too good for him but maybe I don’t give him the credit he deserves. After all, maybe he’s finally realizing what a special person you really are, Maggie Sullivan.”
The blush was more pronounced this time. “He loves you,
Brad. And it scares him. Really scares him. He turned to me and I didn’t have the heart not to be there for him.”
Brad felt the familiar anger and shoved it back. “You’ve always been there for him. And me.”
She reached forward and squeezed his hand, her blue eyes
pleading. “I’ve never seen him so shaken as when he got that call from Alex. He was so afraid to care, really care, for all those years.
Afraid that you would be taken from him just as your darlin’
mother was. He had convinced himself that if he didn’t care he couldn’t be hurt.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I can’t begin to tell you the number of arguments we had over that very subject.”
She smiled wryly. “It’s a wonder he didn’t fire me long ago.”
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He leaned back in his chair eying the woman across from him.
He remembered the day his aunt had taken him to live with her.
He could still see Maggie’s tear stained face in the window, waving a handkerchief as they drove away. That image had stayed with him for a long time.
“Why did you let me leave all those years ago, Maggie? I loved my aunt but you were my mother.” He took her hand in his. “I missed you for a long time after I left.”
Tears filled her eyes. “You can’t know how much it tore me
apart to see you go, laddie. But I couldn’t get through to Andrew. I couldn’t get him to see what he was doing to you. Your aunt and I had long talks about it. Finally she took matters into her own hands as was her way.” She brushed the tears away. “Himself
wouldn’t talk to her for long months afterward but he allowed her to take you. I think he knew it was for the best.”
“Did he miss me?” he asked and then immediately regretted
asking the question he had always wanted to ask. Afraid he
couldn’t face the answer.
“He did, more than you will ever know. He didn’t say it in words but I saw him in your room holding that baseball mitt more than once. He became more rigid, more unbending after you left. He was hurting, love, and yet there was nothing I could do to help him.”
“Do you think he has it in him to really change?”
“Aye, I think he does. Do you?” she asked pointedly.
He rubbed a hand across his forehead. “I can try, Maggie.”
She glanced toward the lobby. “I’d try hard, laddie. That young lady out there has family written all over her. She’ll be good for you, love.” Her eyes lit with amusement. “I’d be betting you won’t
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be having a choice but to reconcile with your father if she has anything to say about it.”
“I won’t argue with you there,” he replied, his gaze following hers.
Yet something was telling him they better keep their eyes open and their guard up or there wouldn’t be that happily ever after Maggie was hinting at.
And, for just a moment, a cold chill trickled down his spine.
Maybe Alex wasn’t the only one with premonitions he thought.
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Alex followed Andrew out, stopping just short of the hotel desk.
She raised a brow questioningly, looking up at him.
“I’ve thought of something that I wanted to run by you first before I mentioned it to Brad,” he began. “The boy can get pretty fired up on occasion. That, he inherited from my side of the family.”
“Along with your jaw and determination,” she added.
His gaze flew to hers. “Thank you,” he said simply. “I don’t know if this bit of information means anything but my sister knew Anna Ferron. Very well. Even though there was an age difference, they were both active in some of the same national committees and became friends. Got together at least once or twice a month for the past ten years or so. There were occasions when my wife and I were first married that we would socialize with Ellie and Anna at various black tie affairs. Anna’s parents doted on her and Ellie admired the fact that she remained unspoiled despite her wealth.”
His eyes softened at the memory. “I had no chance against those three women. They enjoyed letting me know in no uncertain terms that I was old-fashioned and they wouldn’t tolerate it. Those were some of the best years of my life.” He shook his head. “I know you’re searching for a link and this might be worth investigating.”
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“It is,” Alex said thoughtfully. “Now we just have to find a connection between those two and all the rest. It won’t be easy.”
“Somehow I don’t think you’re one to shy away from a
challenge, my dear.”
She smiled wryly. “Thanks for those encouraging words.”
“I say it like I see it.”
“That much I already know,” she said reaching up to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for being here. It meant a lot to Brad.”
“I hope so.” He sighed. “I’ve made a mess of things. Thank God I’ve been given a second chance. I intend to make the most of it.”
“I’m glad.”
Alex gazed at him for a long moment. His thoughts were
coming in loud and clear probably because she was so close to his son. She smiled.
“Yes, Brad does know I’m a very good investigator and yes, he thinks I’m pretty hot.”
Andrew’s eyes widened in surprise and then realization flashed across his face. “Ah, the clairvoyance. “Does my son know how adept you are at reading thoughts?”
“He does.”
“Then he should be afraid. He should be very afraid.”
She burst into laughter. “You know, Andrew Norton, I think I like you.”
“The feeling is mutual, Alex Leahy. Now I better get back to Maggie and Brad. The woman dotes on the boy. He’s probably had about enough.”
Alex’s lips twitched. “I’m betting you’re right,” she said.
After he left, she turned, walking toward the front desk.
“Can I help you?”
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The desk clerk was not the same irritated one who had
accompanied the police earlier and she was grateful for that. She reached inside her purse and handed him a business card.
“I’m Alex Leahy, a private investigator, and I’d like to ask you a few questions if you could spare a moment.”
“Certainly. Awful thing that happened. We’ve never had a break in of any sort at this hotel and for it to end in death…” He shook his head, frowning.
“Was the victim registered?”
“Not under the name they found in his wallet. At least that’s what I heard Joe, the night desk clerk, tell the police.”
“Do you have the names of the people who were registered on
each side of the room that was broken into?”
He nodded. “There was an older couple on one side and two
young women on the other. That lieutenant already asked about those rooms but he got called away in the middle of our
conversation.”
“How about above or below?”
He pulled up the reservations on his computer and scanned
them.
“The room above is registered to a Mr. Thomas Smith and the
one directly below to a Mr. Otto Sutton.”
“When were the rooms reserved?”
He flipped through another screen. “Mr. Smith’s reservation
was confirmed last week. He’s part of a small convention that is in town at present.” His fingers tapped the keys. “Mr. Sutton just reserved last night.”
“At what time?”
“Just after seven p.m.”
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She gave him her most beguiling smile. “I know this is a
strange request, Mr…?”
“David,” he said warmly.
“I know this is a strange request, David, but do you think you could ring Mr. Sutton’s room? I’m very interested to see if he answers his phone.”
A flash of doubt entered his eyes. “I really don’t think it would be appropriate to bother a guest this early in the morning.”
“If my hunch is correct, David, I don’t think you’ll be bothering anyone.”
His eyes widened as her words hit home. He picked up the
phone and tapped in the extension, frowning when the phone
continued to ring. He slowly replaced the receiver. “There’s no answer.”
“I assume you have a master key?”
About ten minutes later Alex stood in the hall along with David and Lieutenant Clark. Brad joined them just as David knocked several times and then unlocked the door. Roy Clark put a hand up stopping him from moving forward and drew his gun. They