A Deadly Row (10 page)

“WOW, YOU’RE EARLY,” I SAID AS MY HUSBAND WALKED
into our hotel suite later that evening.

“It’s nearly seven,” he said as he looked around and whistled. “Man, this place is something else, isn’t it?”

“Just wait. Let me give you the grand tour.”

“Forget that. Look at that skyline. I can’t wait until it gets dark.”

“While you’re admiring the view, let me order something from room service.”

“I thought you wanted to go out,” he said, stifling a yawn.

“I’ve got a feeling you wouldn’t be very good company,” I said. “We’ll eat in tonight, and you can take me somewhere special another night. Did you make any progress since I saw you?”

“You know how it goes. I’m still trying to wrap my head around things now. It will take some time to digest it all.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” I said.

He rubbed his eyes. “I would have stayed later tonight, but I kept falling asleep reading the police reports. Order me a steak, would you? I’m going to take a quick shower.”

I doubted he’d be able to make it quick. I’d already taken one myself. The shower was like everything else in the hotel, first class all the way. I’d never had a shower with water jetting out from three sides and above, and I doubted that I’d ever be content with a plain overhead nozzle again.

Night was creeping in as I placed our dinner order and settled in on one of the couches facing the bank of windows. I hadn’t had a lot of luck with room service in the past, but I had the feeling that the Belmont would be different.

I lost track of time staring out the window at the lights of Charlotte, and I was surprised when Zach came out dressed in one of the hotel’s luxurious bathrobes. He wasn’t the type of guy to wear robes as a general rule, and after a few failed attempts at giving them at Christmas and one birthday, I gave up trying.

“I didn’t think you liked robes,” I said.

“Normally I don’t, but I could get used to this.”

There was a knock at the door, and as I started to answer it, my husband shook his head. “I’ll do it.”

He pulled his gun out from his bathrobe pocket and moved to the door. I hadn’t even known he’d fetched it, but he must have had it in the bathroom with him. This case clearly had him more spooked than I’d realized.

“Who is it?” he called out.

“Room service,” I heard the muffled reply.

“What’s the order?”

“Two New York Strips, both medium, garlic mashed potatoes, cream spinach, and chocolate mousse for dessert.”

He looked at me, and I nodded.

When Zach opened the door, I could see that his gun hand was now in his robe, no doubt holding it on the unsuspecting waiter.

“Would you like me to set it up for you?” the man asked as he pushed the cart into the room.

“We’ll take care of it,” Zach said. “Hang on, let me get my wallet.”

“That won’t be necessary,” the waiter said. “Everything, including tips for service you receive, has been taken care of.”

“Then give the owner our thanks.”

The man looked at Zach as if he’d lost his mind, and I understood why. If the manager of the place had only spoken with Barton Lane a handful of times over the years, there wasn’t much chance a waiter would be able to talk to him.

He didn’t reply, but I could swear he bowed a little as he left the room.

“That smells great,” Zach said as he started lifting off lids.

“Did you really think that he might be a bad guy?” I asked.

“Are we talking about the gun? No, I realized he was probably exactly who he said he was, but why take a chance if I don’t have to?”

We decided to eat in front of the window, and the food was just as marvelous as I’d hoped it would be. The steak nearly came apart at the first touch of my fork, and as we ate, I knew exactly what I was going to order tomorrow. With delicious food like this available in our room, why go out and face the crowds?

“Want your mousse?” Zach asked as he uncovered his.

“I doubt I could enjoy it, I’m so full.”

“Great. That means there’s more for me.”

“Hey, hang on a second. I didn’t say you could have mine.”

He dug into his, and after a quick bite, he said, “You wouldn’t like it. It’s too rich.”

“Not that I don’t trust your opinion, but now I’m going to have to try it for myself.”

He wasn’t eager to give it to me, though. “You’re full, remember?”

“There’s always room for mousse,” I said.

It was everything promised, rich and creamy, with waves of chocolate in every bite. When it was gone, I was surprised to realize that I still wanted more, though I knew I would never be able to eat another bite.

I smiled with contentment. “I hope this place has a first-class spa and gym. If we keep eating like this, I’m going to have to start working out, or I’ll never fit into my clothes.”

Zach just grinned as he leaned back in his chair. “I hate the reason we’re here, but I’ve got to say, I like the way your friend Barton Lane is treating us.”

“He’s not my friend,” I said. “We’ve only spoken once.”

“Evidently that’s more than most folks around here can say. You must have made some kind of impression on him.”

“Don’t kid yourself. We’re getting all this so he can make your life easier and you can focus on who killed his assistant. The man sounded like he was still in shock over losing her when we talked.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Zach said.

I could tell that my husband was distracted as he continued to stare out the window.

“I’m thinking about redoing my hair.”

“Good,” he said, and then I knew he wasn’t listening.

“I’m going to start with a blue base, and then add red and green highlights. It should be nice, don’t you think?”

“Nice,” he mumbled.

“Zachary Harlan Stone,” I snapped.

That got his attention. My husband hated it when I used his full name.

“What?” he asked, meeting my gaze.

“If you want to go back to headquarters, I completely understand. I know how you get when you’re getting your teeth into a new case.”

He looked tempted—I could see it in his eyes—but he just shook his head. “No, I need some time to digest the facts I’ve collected so far.”

“Would it help to talk about it?”

“Sure, why not?”

“Wow, I can feel the love in the air.”

“You know what I mean,” Zach said.

“I know; I’m not trying to give you a hard time. Just say your thoughts out loud, and I’ll pretend to listen to you.”

“Okay, here goes. What I know so far shouldn’t take long to tell. The crimes are related, that much is clear.”

“From the letters the police got, right?”

“That and the photos the killer sent. This wasn’t some casual killing spree. They were planned out pretty thoroughly, and the knife used on the victims was the same type, if not the exact same blade. Both murders occurred in the victims’ domiciles, and there were no signs of forced entry in either case.”

“What exactly does that tell you?”

“They let their killer in without a struggle.”

“So it was someone they both knew,” I said. “That doesn’t look good for Grady, does it?”

“Not really, but it’s not exactly proof we can use, either.” Zach tapped his chin, a sure sign he was deep in thought. “There are lots of other reasons Hank Tristan and Cindy Glass could have let someone into their places.”

“I can’t imagine letting a stranger inside my house,” I said.

“How about a delivery man with his hands full? Would you think twice about letting him in? Or a utility repair-man looking for a gas leak? If a police officer, or a fire-man, came to the door with a plausible story, would you think twice before you unlocked the door? The list goes on and on. You’d be amazed how easy it is to dupe people. I’ve seen it more than I could ever have imagined before I became a cop.”

“But you don’t believe that in this case, do you?”

“Savannah, I do my best not to jump to conclusions, no matter what I told Grady. Does it look bad for him right now? Of course it does. Does that mean he’s a murderer? I’m a long way from believing that. It will take more than an inkling or an instinct to convince me that a good friend of mine is a killer. I’m going to do my best to figure out who did it. Be sure of one thing, though. If it was Grady, I’m going to nail his hide to a wall.”

“But we’re hoping it’s someone else.”

“Of course we are,” Zach said.

“Any other clues?”

“Maybe, but I haven’t run across them yet. I’ve got to spend some serious time digging through those files.”

“Is Steve any help to you at all?”

“To be honest with you, he’s more like a puppy underfoot, but I don’t have the heart to throw him out. When he missed out on getting my job, he kind of fell apart for a few months. If I can help him, I will.”

“You recommended Davis, didn’t you?”

Zach nodded as he took a sip of water. “I had a hard conversation with Steve when I left, and I didn’t pull any punches. He’s got the makings of being chief someday, but he’s going to have to tame that temper of his. I told Grady the same thing and he made the final decision.”

“You don’t have to tell me about his temper. I heard him talking to his landlord, and he was really laying into him.”

“Then you know what I mean. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw him again, and I was relieved when he volunteered to help me. That’s a good sign, as far as I’m concerned.”

He yawned, and I matched it without realizing it.

As Zach stood, he said, “It’s been a big day, hasn’t it.”

“It’s hard to believe we were home this morning,” I said.

“Has coming back to Charlotte made you sentimental for the good old days at all?”

“It was great seeing Sherry and her girls today, but I can’t imagine living back here again. I love the mountains.”

“Believe it or not, I do, too. We’re close enough to Asheville if we need anything, but we’re still far enough away so it doesn’t feel like we’re closed in at all. I forgot what all this car exhaust smelled like, and I don’t even want to think about dealing with the traffic.”

“But a little excitement now and then is okay, too, right?”

“Everything in moderation, Savannah. Let’s call it a night. I’m going to get an early start tomorrow. What are your plans for the day?”

“I’ve got breakfast with Lorna in the restaurant, and then I’m coming back up here to create a puzzle. It’s not going to be a hard one; I can tell you that. My editor isn’t crazy about me sending him easy puzzles, but every now and then, I think the readers like them.”

“After you’re finished tomorrow, come to the station and we’ll grab some lunch. You’ll be done by then, won’t you?”

“I certainly hope so.”

As Zach headed for the bedroom, he asked, “Are you coming?”

“I think I’ll stay up a little, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course not. Just don’t stay up too long. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me,” I said.

He kissed me, and then Zach disappeared into the other room to get some rest. I moved back to the window and stared outside again. Charlotte was at its most beautiful, and I couldn’t get enough of the view. Though I loved living in the mountains and had lobbied for the move for years, it was still nice to visit the Queen City now and then. The view from this height made the city look clean and safe, like no harm could befall me there. I knew better, though. There were more murders being committed in the city than Zach was worried about, and I knew that injustices were being done with alarming frequency, but I wasn’t about to let that bother me. There was a great deal more good in the city—and the world—than there was bad, and even though Zach’s line of work focused on the evil people did to one another, I liked to think instead about the countless acts of unselfish goodness that went unnoticed in the paper and on the evening news.