NOVEMBER 26âSWENSON
Lark's alarm awakened him from a wonderful dream. He sat up on the side of the bed, ignoring a faint headache. He told himself he should be focused on the double murder case, not his middle-aged libido. He ran his hand through his hair and encountered two goose eggs. He groaned, remembering the fiasco in the kitchen last night and wondered how Lacey's lip was. He lurched into the shower, hoping that some hot water would soothe his headache and refocus his mind.
Lacey's alarm went off, waking her from the sleep of the dead. She was sure she hadn't moved a muscle since her head hit the pillow. Her lip throbbed and her right hip ached. The right side of her chest hurt like hell. She got up and tried to stretch out the soreness. She went into the bathroom, looked in the mirror, and got the shock of her life. The center of her lower lip was swollen to twice its normal size. She moaned and bent her face into her hands.
“Dammit to hell,” she said. The cut in her lip was gaping open about
an eighth of an inch. Reluctantly, she decided to stop at the ER on their way to the station and have her lip checked. She despised eating crow but, even worse, hated the thought of her lip healing poorly.
Hearing Lark's shower go off jolted her into action. She stumbled to the shower and stood under the spray, hoping it would wash away her muscle aches. When she washed her hair, she noticed that the pain in her right side got even worse. She tried to shrug it off, thinking it would go away once she limbered up.
Lark beat Lacey into the kitchen. He made coffee and thumbed through the paper. He was nursing his second mug when she came down. He did a double take when her saw her face.
“Does it hurt?” he asked, trying not to laugh at her pouting lower lip.
“Not as much as my pride.” She got the Tylenol with codeine out of the powder room. “Want some?” she asked, holding the bottle out to him.
“Already had some.” He watched her try to drink coffee and avoid the cut on her lip. “I'd offer you a straw but I don't have any.”
“I'll manage,” she said, attempting to sip with the side of her mouth. She swore as a few drops dribbled onto the front of her dress.
“Shit, now I need a bib. I'm going to run up and change clothes. Do we have time to stop by the ER so I can see if this needs stitches?”
“We'll make time.” He headed for the telephone as Lacey went upstairs. He let Flo know they'd be a few minutes late and asked her to have Jim Kryjack meet him at the ER in half and hour. She told him that Tetzloff was expecting a call from him about the Ransons' Explorer and the abandoned Taurus. Sighing, he realized the two cars had slipped his mind.
Lacey came down dressed in a red sweater and worn jeans, mumbling about how she needed to do laundry. They rode to the ER in silence. To distract herself from focusing on how bad her right side was hurting every time she took a breath, she read the Wausau paper.
The ER wasn't busy and Lacey got right in to see the physician. He took one look at her lip and told her that she should have come in the night before. He put in four small sutures. He noticed her wincing as she got down from the table and asked about her fall. An examination of her back revealed two bruises across her shoulders and a huge bruise on her
right rib cage and hip. A chest X-ray discovered two fractured ribs. He told her she should be off her feet for the day and wrote her a prescription for Tylenol with codeine.
She got dressed and went to the waiting room to find Lark deep in conversation with her doctor and Jim Kryjack sitting in the corner of the ER.
“I've told your husband that you need to go home and rest,” the doctor said.
“He'sâ”
“Come on, honey,” Lark said, interrupting her as he took her arm.
“I'm not taking the day off,” she snapped once the doctor left. “And what are you doing pretending to be my husband and soliciting private information about me?”
“I didn't solicit. He assumed and I listened,” Lark said, letting go of her arm as he saw her grimace. “I'm going to run you back to the house and have Jim bring me back into town so you can have the Jeep in case you need it.”
“No way.”
“No choice. Doctor's orders.”
“Asshole,” she said under her breath as she stalked away.
“Should I call Joel and let him make the decision?” he asked, walking up behind her.
“No,” she snapped. “Let's go.”
“You can use my Tylenol with codeine and I'll get yours filled later.”
“Fine,” she said as they walked out the door. Jim followed, concerned over their fighting.
They rode in silence. Lacey got out as soon as the Jeep pulled into the garage and stomped into the laundry room. Lark followed her, dropping the keys on the kitchen counter.
“Need some help?” he asked, seeing her flinch as she bent over to take off her boots.
“No.” she said, gritting her teeth.
“Take it easy and get some rest. We're going to Rhinelander tomorrow to interview Chevsky and I want you with me for that.”
“Fine,” she said, brushing past him on her way to the kitchen.
“I've cracked my ribs a couple of times, I know how it feels. There's a whirlpool tub in my bathroom. Take some pills and get in there and soak. If you take it easy, you'll feel better tomorrow.”
“Yes, Doctor Swenson,” she said pouring herself some coffee.
“Do what you want,” Lark said, waving her off. “I'll see you tonight.”
After he left, Lacey took a couple more Tylenol with codeine and wandered upstairs to check out Lark's bathroom. The tub was inviting, nestled underneath a window that looked out on snow-covered woods. While it filled, she laid out her nightgown and robe and tuned Lark's radio to the country station. When the tub was full, she slipped into the hot, soothing water. The whirlpool jets relieved some of the tightness in her back and side. The tub and the pain pills made her so drowsy she could hardly get out of the water. She wrapped herself in a towel and stumbled into Lark's bedroom. She turned off the radio and curled up under his quilt, comforted by the closeness of his smell.
NOVEMBER 26âSWENSON
Jim and Lark raced back to the station. Flo had delayed the Waltners until 10:30 and asked George Knutson to staff the interviews. Lark rushed through the back door of the station just before the Waltners came in the front.
Lark brought them into the interview room and explained the process. Sara requested to sit in on the interviews, but both children told her they would be fine. She threatened to bring in their lawyer, but Steve stepped in to say they would respect the children's wishes on the condition that Lark terminate the interviews if they wanted to stop. Lark agreed and Sara reluctantly left with her husband and Sandi, since Michael was to be interviewed first.
Michael was nearly as tall as Lark and very self-assured for a twenty-four-year-old. He had his father's good looks with dark brown eyes and curly black hair. He relaxed as if he didn't have a care in the world.
“How long did you know Gemma Patterson?” Lark asked.
“About a year,” he said, his face impassive, his eyes flickering over Lark, sizing him up.”She and Sandi met in class and became friends.”
“Did you ever go out with her?”
“No,” Michael said, laughing. “She was too young for me.”
“She was only two years younger.”
“She seemed much younger than Sandi. Almost like a kid.”
“Do you know who she dated?”
“I wouldn't know. Ask Sandi.”
“Know anyone who was angry with her?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head.
“When was the last time you saw her?”
He stared down at the table for a few seconds. “I figured you'd ask me that and I can't remember. It was either during one of her trips up here or in passing on campus.”
“Did she and Sandi ever have words?”
“Not that I know of. Sandi only had nice things to say about her.”
“Did she ever have a falling out with Katey Lowery?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Anything else you can think of to tell me about Gemma?”
“No,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.
“Where were you Tuesday, November twenty-fifth in'ninety-seven?”
Michael adjusted himself in the chair. “Studying my ass off in the law library in Madison. I've got a couple of study group members who can vouch for me. We were preparing for a pretty nasty exam.”
Lark waited while George took down his friends' names and phone numbers.
“How well did you know Terry Foltz?”
“Not very well. I only saw her a couple of times, once with Sandi on campus and once when we were up here together. I don't know anything else about her.”
“Where were you last weekend?”
“Same place as before. The UW law library,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Law school has not been easy for me. I've really had to hit the books. My study group will vouch for that. Nancy Schaub, my roommate, can verify that I was home every night until I came up here.”
George took the names and numbers of the study group and Lark thanked Michael for his assistance.
“What did you think?” Lark asked as he and George went over their notes prior to bringing Sandi in.
“I've known that kid for years,” George said as he sat back and stretched his legs. “He didn't seem any different. He's uncomfortable about spending so much time in the library. He was quite the jock in school. I don't think I ever saw him with a book.”
Lark nodded, a bit of a smile on his face. “Happens to a lot of us sooner or later if we stay in school. Was he ever in any trouble?”
“Nope. He liked the girls and they were nuts for him. As far as I know, he never got anyone in trouble either, if you get my drift,” George said.
Lark refilled their coffee cups and went in search of Sandi.
Sandi, dressed in black pants and a bright red sweater, brightened up the room just by her presence. Like her mother, she had masses of beautiful chestnut-colored hair and huge brown eyes surrounded by what seemed to be a double set of eyelashes. Lark had a feeling she was well aware of her effect on men, although nothing about her gave that impression. She accepted Lark's offer of a Diet Coke. They made small talk while they waited for George to return with it. Lark was amazed at how relaxed she seemed in the wake of the murders of two of her friends.
He started the interview by asking her to describe her relationship with Gemma.
“We met our freshman year at UWâMadison when we were taking history together. One of those cattle-call classes in an auditorium. A group of us got together to share notes when we couldn't be there. Gemma was in the group. We became friends.”
“Can you tell me about some of Gemma's other friends?”
“Katey Lowery also became a good friend, as did a couple of other girls from the class.” She beamed him a radiant smile.
“Any falling-outs that you know about?”
“None other than her freshman-year roommate,” she said, her face turning serious. “I believe her name was Jasmine Milton. I don't know if she's still on campus, but you could probably find out at the registrar's office.”
“What happened between them?”
“They were like oil and water. Gemma was neat and Jas was a slob. Gemma went to bed early and Jas stayed up till all hours.” Sandi rolled her eyes as she described Jasmine's behavior.
“Did Jasmine know Terry Foltz?”
“I don't know, I lost track of her when she and Gemma split as roommates.”
“Was she violent?”
“Not that I know of.” She folded her hands together. “She sure had a temper, throwing things, cussing and swearing. Gemma moved out halfway through the fall semester.”
“Anyone else who could have been violent towards Gemma?”
“I can't think of anyone.” She frowned over at Lark. “I know Ron Chevsky got mad at her when she wouldn't go out with him. He's got quite a temper, but I've never known Ron to be violent until recently. I ran into him in the IGA parking lot before Thanksgiving. He screamed at me and called me a fucking bitch and pounded on the hood of my car so hard he put a couple of dents in it. He reeked of alcohol and looked like hell.”
“You mean this Thanksgiving?” Lark asked, watching her face intently.
“Yes, just after the bodies were found. He scared the shit out of me. He's always been a drinker, but he's really gone downhill since he left school.”
“Did Ron know Terry?”
“I don't know. Ask Katey.”
“What about boyfriends?”
“Gemma dated occasionally, but she hadn't found anyone special,” she said, staring down at her folded hands. “She was busy in school. You should ask Katey or Gemma's old roommate, Shannon Tallman, the one she moved in with after Jasmine. I heard she went skiing with her parents in Colorado over Thanksgiving but she should be back on campus tomorrow.”
“Where were you on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving in'ninety-seven?”
“I was in class in Madison. Michael and I talked about this,” she said, grinning at him and waving her finger, as if to make a point. “We knew you'd ask us. We drove up together late Wednesday night. In fact, we got in after midnight on Thanksgiving morning.”
“Now let's talk about Terry Foltz. Can you tell me about your relationship with her?”
“Sure.” She grinned and crossed her legs as she took a big sip of Diet Coke. Lark had been flirted with by the best and marveled at how unaware
she seemed to be of her effect on men. “I met Terry in Madison. She knew Katey and we had some of the same classes.”
“When did you meet her?”
“Um, about two years ago, right after Gemma disappeared.”
“Can you think of anyone who would have wanted to hurt her?”
“No one,” she said, shaking her head. “She was a sweetie.”
“Can you tell us about some of her other friends?”
“She was pretty close to her roommate. That's about it. Ask Katey, they were much closer than we were.”
“Any idea about Terry's boyfriends?”
“I never saw her dating anyone other than a guy she knew from Wayzata. I've racked my brain,” she said, tapping her lower lip with a red fingernail that matched her outfit, “but I can't remember his name. Ask Katey, she'll know.”
“Where were you this past weekend?”
“Madison, studying. My roommate can verify that.”
“Can you think of anything else to tell me about Terry?”
“Nothing, but I hope you catch whoever did this. It's kind of spooky that someone is killing UW students in my hometown.”
More than spooky. Lark thought as he walked her out to her parents, thinking about her lack of emotion over the murders.
He quelled Sara's fears about needing to hire a bodyguard for Sandi and saw the Waltners out of the station. What Sandi lacked in emotion, Sara made up in dramatics. Steve seemed curiously detached from the whole situation, and Lark found it easy to believe the rumors he'd heard about his affair with his assistant.
Although they had started late with the Waltners, Lark still had thirty minutes before the Lowerys showed up at 1 P.M. He and George went to the Big Oak Diner for a quick lunch. On the way over, he found himself wondering how Lacey was doing. He restrained himself from calling, not wanting to wake her if she had managed to fall sleep.
They got back from lunch just as the Lowerys arrived. Katey was as blond as Sandi Waltner was dark, and as casual as Sandi was formal. She wore a dark blue ski parka and gray UWâMadison sweatpants. Black boots and blue ski gloves finished off her look. She didn't appear to be wearing any makeup. Her long blonde hair was pulled back with a dark blue hairband. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold and her deep blue eyes sparkled.
Her brother, Matt, was a tall, blond, Viking type. They agreed that Katey would be interviewed first. Matt made it clear that he didn't know much about either girl but he was willing to answer their questions.
“Tell me about your relationship with Gemma,” Lark said, studying Katey. He came to the conclusion that she looked like the Nordic version of a California surfer girl.
Katey sighed and fiddled with the cuff of her UW sweatshirt. “Sandi introduced me to her freshman year and the three of us became friends. She came up here to visit several times, staying at my house or Sandi's, and I went to her place a couple of times.”
“What did you two like to do together?”
“Hmm. We both liked to read, we went out to eat a lot and to the movies. We shopped and hung out together. That's about it.” Katey slouched down in her chair, plopping a ski boot across her knee.
“Did you know Gemma's roommate Jasmine?”
“Yeah, nice but very temperamental,” she quipped. An ironic smile crossed her face. “She and Gemma couldn't have been more different. They split up midway through fall semester.”
“Did Jasmine also know Terry?”
“Not that I know of,” she said without hesitation.
“Was Jasmine violent?”
“Um, I wouldn't say violent, more like very emotional.”
“Can you think of anyone who would have wanted to hurt Gemma?”
“No, I've racked my brain and I can't think of a soul. She was one of the nicest people I've ever known.” She looked over at him sadly. “I just can't believe this has happened.”
“Do you recall who she dated?”
“She went out with a couple of guys from here, Jim Kryjack and Ron Chevsky, and she had a few dates with other guys on campus, nothing serious.”
“How about you?”
“How about me what?” she asked, smiling at him.
“Dating. Do you have a steady boyfriend?”
“No. No steady boyfriend. I'm focused on school.”
“Anything else you can think of that I need to know about Gemma?”
“Nothing. Everyone who knew her liked her.”
“Where were you Tuesday, November twenty-fifth, that year?”
“That's easy,” she said, slouching further down in the chair. “I was up in Bessemer, Michigan, skiing with my family. It's tradition. We always go up Thanksgiving week.”
“What can you tell me about Terry Foltz?”
“I've known her since we were kids,” she said, her eyes teary. “Our parents know each other through the mills. We became good friends when we both ended up going to school in Madison.”