Night Hunter (31 page)

She smiled. “Smells great.”

She watched him remove the loaf pan from the oven. He has such an easy, relaxed manner, she thought. Nothing seems to faze him. The night they had tangled on the floor at the back door, his mouth bloodied by the top of her head, he’d been able to joke. He was so unlike Leo. Serious, somber Leo, no words wasted, yet Leo had been a warm, caring man, showing his love in a multitude of ways.

John, she felt, was frivolous. Was he even capable of deep emotions? This is not a date, she reminded herself.

“
You make your own bread?”

He laughed. “Me and Pillsbury. Hungry?”

“
I wasn’t until I walked in the door. Now I’m starved.”

“
Would you like a drink first?”

“
Wine with dinner will be fine.”

“
We’re having salad, chicken soup, and bread.
The Guide to Serving Wine
dictates white with chicken. I like red, so that’s what I’m having. How about you?”

“
I like red too.”

He uncorked it and allowed it to breathe while he ladled the soup into a large bowl. He set out the salad and placed the bread on a small cutting board. The bowl in front of her had a chip on the rim. He switched with her. He sat down, poured the wine, and lit the candle. The bright kitchen light over the table stayed on.

They began to eat.

“
Wilma was helpful?” he asked,

“
Very.” She told him what Wilma had said,

“
Suicide?”

“
Or accidental.”

“
No acid?”

“
No.”

“
You were one of the last to see her alive. What’s your opinion?”

“
I’d have to agree with the police. She was terrified and depressed. She was up most the night drinking and pill popping. She confessed to being committed four months ago to a mental institution for a breakdown.”

“
Well, that’s that then. Looks like I jumped to conclusions.”

Regina resumed eating the soup. “This is wonderful. I’d ask you for the recipe, but I don’t spend much time in the kitchen.”

“
I love to cook. I’ll give you some to take home, else it goes out to the dog.”

Dog?
Dog.
Regina dropped her spoon in the bowl. “
Dog
.”

John stared at her curiously.

She was hardly able to contain her excitement. “Tammy was terrified because she was convinced her dog had been poisoned. God, how could I have forgotten that?”

“
Her dog was killed?”

“
Yes. Two nights before she died. That’s where I was going when you and I —when we met downstairs. She was hysterical and wanted me there.”

“
Okay. Back up. Tell me everything.”

She told him, beginning with Tammy’s phone call.

“
And there’s something else that bothers me,” she added. “When I called Tammy’s husband to check on the twins and let him know some of Tammy’s things were at our place, he told me she had called him from the center. He had gone to pick her up and found her in the pool, dead. She was crazy about that man. I don’t think she’d kill herself if she knew he was coming for her. Tammy was scared, but not suicidal.”

“
That doesn’t rule out accidental.”

She sank back in the chair. “No, it doesn’t.”

“
The dog, where was it taken?”

“
Daly City Animal Hospital.”

“
Do you want to call, or do you want me to?”

“
Let me. I know the details.”

“
Let’s finish our dinner,” John said. “There’s no hurry.”

Regina nodded, took a quick gulp of wine, and picked up her spoon. Their eyes met.

John tossed his napkin on the table. They both rose at the same time.

“
I’ll get the phone book,” he said.

A switchboard operator at the Daly City Animal Hospital put her through to the doctor on duty.

“
Dr. Phillips, my name is Regina Van Raven. A dog was taken there two days ago for an autopsy. The owner suspected intentional poisoning. I wonder if you have the results on that test?”

The owner’s name?”

“
Kowalski. The dog was a Labrador, I believe.”

“
A black lab named Warrior?”

“
Yes.”

“
I did that one myself this morning. It was poison, no doubt about it. The Daly City PD have my report.”

Regina felt her heart beat with excitement.

“
What type of poison?” Regina watched John’s attention suddenly become intense.

“
Ground beef laced with arsenic trioxide. A poison commonly used in rat poison, weed killers, and insecticides.”

“
I see. Thank you, Dr. Phillips.” Regina hung up. To John, she said. “Arsenic.”

“
Looks like your friend was right.”

“
About the dog, yes. But she didn’t get acid. How do you explain that?”

“
It’s possible she saw her attacker before he or she could use the acid. She may have fallen or jumped into the pool. She could’ve been held under.”

Regina sank into an overstuffed chair. John’s theory had merit.

“
C’mon,” he said, pulling her to her feet. “Get your purse and car keys. We’re going for a ride.”

“
Where?” she asked, allowing him to propel her to the door.

“
The Fitness Center. There’re some things I’d like to see for myself.”

A young, brawny man stood behind the counter when John and Regina entered the health club.

“
Hey, new faces,” he said, smiling broadly. “My name’s Brad. Brad Segal. I’m one of the trainers. Welcome.”

“
Do you mind if we look around the facilities?” John asked.

“
Heck, no. Go right ahead. The place looks kinda dead tonight. But it’s not always like that.”

“
Adverse publicity will do that,” John said.

“
Uh, yeah. Course that death had nothing to do with the center. She was havin’ personal problems and the cops think maybe she killed herself.”

“
No kidding? I thought they suspected foul play.”

“
At first they did. That’s why it’s dead here tonight. No pun intended. The center’d been shut down with yellow ribbon strung up all over the damn place. Didn’t do the business much good.”

“
Were you the one to find her?” Regina asked, knowing the answer, but wanting to keep the topic open.

Brad hitched himself up on the counter. He seemed to bask in the attention. “No, the husband did. I was in the office, though, I was right here when it happened, but I didn’t hear a thing. She didn’t call out or nothing. I would’ve heard.”

“
Was anyone else here?” John asked.

“
I don’t think so. I didn’t see or hear anyone.”

“
It’s okay if we look around?”

“
Be my guest.”

In the main room Regina stood in reverent silence staring at the pool and the cast-iron statue of Neptune. Regina was certain that was what Pandora had seen in the vision, supposedly through Tammy’s eyes. She shuddered.

John stepped to the door of the sauna and looked through the small window. The window was clear and dry. The steam had been turned off.

Regina walked into the women’s locker room. After wandering around aimlessly for several minutes, she went to the door and asked, “What are we looking for?”

“
I’m not sure,” John said. He tried the knob on a door marked Utility Room. Keep Out. The knob turned, the door opened, and John disappeared inside.

Regina stepped to the door and looked in.

John was squatting down. He lifted something and slipped it in his pocket.

“
Find something?”

He started at the sound of her voice. “Oh,” he laughed lightly, reaching into his pocket “I dropped this.” He held up a red pistachio shell. “Nothing mysterious.”

He rose and stood facing the shelves that held what looked like pool cleaning supplies and equipment. He seemed lost in thought. He reached out and lifted a plastic bottle of chlorine. He shook it. It sounded about half full. Regina watched him uncap the bottle and then sniff it. He tipped his head.

He turned to look at her, an odd expression on his face.

Regina felt the skin on the back of her head tighten. She stared back, puzzled by his strangeness.

His gaze slid from her face to a point behind her. She turned her head and looked at the wall. There was nothing there.

With the chlorine in his hand, his expression tense, he slowly crossed the small room.

Stopping within inches of her, he said, “Something splashed against this wall.”

She leaned in, moving so that a glare from the bulb reflected on the wall. Then she saw it. Clean spots. Splashes from some clear liquid.

He bent down on one knee and examined the stack of folded towels. He lifted the top one to his nose. “What’s that smell like?” he asked, handing the towel to Regina.

She sniffed. “Chlorine?”

“
Exactly.”

“
You think someone splashed chlorine against the wall?”

He moved Regina to the side and stood in her place, looking toward the shelf where he’d gotten the bottle of chlorine. His hands came up to his face. He turned, and with his eyes closed, one hand out in front of him, he headed for the open doorway. His knuckles rapped the door frame and he grunted, but continued on through the door, stopping within a foot of the pool. He stared down into the water.

Regina watched silently, fascinated. She realized he was acting out some weird scenario.

He came back into the room and busied himself shifting the towels to one side.

“
Well?” she said.

“
What have we here?” He held something in the palm of his hand. It was a fingernail, broken below the quick, torn skin lining the ragged edge.

“
It’s Tammy’s,” Regina said with excitement.

“
Are you sure?”

“
Positive. Look at it. See the glitter and the special de
sign—the
gold stripe? I remember seeing that very design on her nails the night before she died.”

“
Did you notice a broken nail?”

Regina shook her head, took the fingernail. “That would’ve hurt like hell. See, it’s torn off below the quick. Of course she could have lost this earlier in the week and had the nail mended and repolished.”

He looked thoughtful. “There’s only one way to find out.”

“
Hey, what’re you two doing in there?” Brad said behind them. “This room’s for employees only.”