Chasing Ghosts (14 page)

“
Hey!”

“
Thanks,” Sara said with a smile, then
tossed a “see?” at Dagger.

Padre pushed the plate away and downed the
last of the water. “Anything else you care to share with me? Any
new details come to mind on that guy who showed up at your gate
several days ago?”

“
AWK, DEAD MAN ON THE FLOOR. NEED A
CLEAN-UP IN AISLE SEVEN. BROKEN NECK. AWK.”

Dagger slowly gritted his teeth at the macaw.
Sara gasped. Padre leaned back and clasped his hands across his
stomach. And waited. Now the shit-eatin’ grin appeared
full-time.

After a few minutes of silence, Padre said,
“Luther and I have been to the quarry. We scraped up what we could.
Thought you might like to know Luther found some pretty interesting
things about the man in the quarry and the man who jumped from the
twelfth floor hotel window. They had the same blood type and the
same fingerprints. We are hoping they were twins because anything
other than that would be a little hard to fathom. I’m hoping you
can help sort things out.”

Dagger flicked his gaze to Sara who just
blinked. Padre was playing a strange game of poker. He just laid
all of his cards out on the table. Dagger had the choice of folding
or showing his hand. He decided on the latter and started at the
beginning. When he was through, Padre just sat there, either numb
or trying to determine how much of it was bullshit and just how
angry he should be.

“
Who are you trying to kid?” Padre
stood to leave. “I would have thought you’d be more forthcoming
after all we’ve been through. But lately I get more information
from your bird.”

“
Just give me a minute of your time to
show you the video.” Dagger retrieved the videotape while Padre
reluctantly sat back down. He shoved the tape into the player, and
dropped the remote into Padre’s lap. Dagger retrieved a beer from
the bar as the tape replayed the scene from the gate when Demko had
leaped over the fence with little effort. He stood behind the couch
as Padre replayed the video.

Padre rubbed his eyes and sank back against
the couch cushions. “I’m getting too old for this,” he said under
his breath. “And you never saw him before.”

“
Never,” Dagger said. “I do have his
laptop from the hotel.” Dagger held up a copy of the contents
Skizzy had burned onto a CD. “There are instructions from someone
named Connie to follow Cardinal Esrey and to get ‘the package’,
whatever the hell that is. Most of the documents on the computer
were coded. Since he failed to do whatever he was supposed to do,
his twin showed up to probably pick up where the first left off.
Maybe the package is the cardinal himself, but I doubt it. Instead
of following Esrey to the Tyler residence, he seemed to wait until
he was gone so he could search the hotel room.”

“
Or maybe being from out of town he
didn’t know the cardinal wouldn’t be in his hotel room that night,”
Padre said. “But that doesn’t explain what he wanted with
you.”

“
He was told to hire a private eye to
do his leg work and then to get rid of said person.” To show he was
cooperating, Dagger grabbed a paper from the desk and handed it to
Padre. “These are the prints off the guy I killed…in self-defense,”
he added.

“
I thought there wasn’t much left of
the guy in the quarry,” Sara said.

“
Luther found a finger or two. Still
don’t know how that guy blew up so thoroughly.”

“
I don’t either. I haven’t seen
anything like it,” Dagger admitted.

Padre gathered up the CD and fingerprint copy
and stood. “I am curious why you aren’t surprised that the man who
leaped from the window matched your guy’s fingerprints. Makes me
think you might have been in the hotel room.”

“
I saw what was left of my truck. It
looked too much like the damage done to the guy in the quarry. I
don’t believe in coincidences.”

“
Neither do I,” Padre said.

Sara looked at the clock above the desk. “I
have to get ready.” She started for the staircase.

“
Hey, congratulations on…” Padre caught
the signal from Dagger. “…your new car.”

Nick met Sara at the curb. She was surprised
he had sent a limo to pick her up. What kind of celebration was he
planning? Nick gave her a kiss as she stepped out of the vehicle.
He took a step back and held her at arm’s length. “Wow, you look
fabulous.”

Sara had chosen a knee-length turquoise
sleeveless dress. A multi-strand necklace in silver and turquoise
beads hung in tiers from her neck. She was surprised Nick was
dressed in a tuxedo and more surprised that people were snapping
pictures. This was normally not seen at the country club. They were
strict with security. But everyone appeared to be dressed formally.
Out of force of habit, she called on her enhanced hearing and
picked up certain phrases: “Beautiful couple…couldn’t have made a
better choice…”

“
What’s with the tuxedo?” Sara asked.
He did look striking. But then Nick would look great in anything he
wore, which was why he was in such demand as a model.

“
This old thing?” Nick laughed and led
her up the stairs to the canopied entrance. Sara stole a glance
over her shoulder at the onlookers who were still snapping
pictures. She was starting to get the uneasy feeling that something
wasn’t quite right.

More guests in formal attire lingered around
the lobby under the massive chandelier. Sheila and her mother
practically ran up to her in their exuberance.

“
Sara, you look absolutely stunning,”
Sheila gushed.

“
Just beautiful,” Anna Monroe echoed,
clutching a sequined handbag.

“
Hey, what about me?” Nick said. He
accepted a kiss from Anna.

Sheila wrapped her arms around Sara and gave
her a hug. Tiny pinpricks started to dance across Sara’s skin.
Sheila never touched her, much less gave her a hug. Something
wasn’t right. Maybe it was the sight of so many people gathering in
the dining room that was making Sara nervous. Crowds did that to
her. Maybe she could convince Nick to select a table outside, away
from the main dining room.

“
Where is the ladies room?” Sara
asked.

Nick pointed down a long hallway. “Don’t be
long.”

“
I won’t.” Sara hustled down the aisle,
past waitresses in black and white uniforms and couples reeking of
money. She found refuge in one of the stalls and took a deep
breath, closing her eyes to block out the sights and focusing
inward to block out the sounds. The door to the lounge opened and
voices, excited and bubbly, filtered through. She tried to ignore
them and focus on calming her panic attack. But certain words again
drew her attention.

“
It’s such a pity…he is so
gorgeous…”

“
I know...why does he want to get
married?” “I hear the ring is a shocker.”

“
He’s proposing tonight…”

“
In front of God and everyone. Even the
press is here.”

“
Look…today’s paper.”

Sara’s eyes snapped open. They couldn’t
possibly be talking about Nick! She heard them mention a gossip
column in the morning paper. Sara hadn’t seen today’s paper. But
who else could they be referring to? Nick was dressed for a big
event and had told her this was a special night. Then again, Dagger
would have made sure she had seen the column if it had mentioned
Nick.

The women continued exchanging rumors.

“
He could have any actress or
model…”

“
But why a local…?”

“
She is pretty. Native American I’m
told…”

“
But still, she isn’t from old
money.”

The voices drifted as Sara heard the outer
door close. She opened the stall door slowly. She was alone.
Rushing to the sitting area, she found the newspaper and quickly
scanned the column.

“
Oh no!” Sara’s heart pounded. Yes,
Nick was nice. Yes, she liked him. But love? The article didn’t
name her but did have a dated picture of her with Nick. The last
thing she needed was reporters and photographers following her to
find out where she lived, then uncovering her relationship with
Dagger which would ultimately lead to them trying to find out all
they could about Dagger.

She opened the door to the women’s lounge and
took a quick peek down the hall. She didn’t see anyone she knew in
the lobby. Staring down the opposite hall she saw a door marked
kitchen and another door with a red exit sign. She went for the
kitchen, grabbing her cell phone from her purse.

Sara dialed quickly and when the phone was
answered said, “Can you come get me?”

CHAPTER 18

Eunie set a cup of tea in front of Sara and
placed one on the table for herself before sliding into the booth
across from her. “It’s been a long time since I drove up to the
back entrance where the hired help go,” Eunie said.

Sara didn’t say anything, just stared at the
laminated table top. The diner was tucked between Cedar Creek Mall
and a strip mall. She rested her chin in her hands and finally
flicked her gaze to Eunie. The rotund woman was a mirror image of
her husband, Simon. They were both a bit top heavy and wobbled when
they walked, as though their spindly legs couldn’t hold them up.
Her hair was a nest of steel wool and hovered over eyes that were
the kindest Sara had seen since her grandmother’s.

“
I had to get out of there,” Sara
finally said. “I can imagine Nick having an orchestra there, him
with the microphone proposing to me and what could I have done?
With all those people looking at me I wouldn’t have been able to
say no. So I just left.”

“
Just left?”

“
Well, I gave a note to one of the
cooks to give to Nick asking him to come to the kitchen, that they
were having a problem. Then I told him ‘Sorry, but the answer is
no.’ Do you think that was insensitive of me?”

“
No, it was honest to tell
him.”

“
He looked so hurt. I felt horrible.” A
tear made a lazy trail down her cheek but she wiped it away
quickly. “I’m afraid if I stayed any longer I would have given
in.”

Eunie held her cup in both hands, elbows on
the table. “Somehow I think he’s going to bounce right back.”

“
But he’ll never speak to me again. I
sort of yelled at him for blindsiding me. I told him it wasn’t a
gentlemanly thing to do but he said that wasn’t the way he planned
it. It was Sheila’s suggestion that I…”

“
Sheila.” Eunie set her cup down and
shook her head in disgust. “She must be enjoying this, always
telling Nick he could do better.”

Sara sank back against the seat. “I can
imagine Nick’s humiliation when people started asking him where I
was. I heard the press was there. I’m sure Sheila made sure the
gossip columnist was invited.”

“
If Nick had proposed and you had
accepted, it would be exactly what Sheila would want…you out of
Dagger’s life.”

“
She knows Dagger and I are just
business associates.”

“
Hmmmm.” There was a twinkle in Eunie’s
eyes as she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a sip.

“
One thing Nick doesn’t know, which I’m
just going to have to tell him, is that I can’t have
children.”

“
That would pose a problem for a Tyler.
Robert Tyler can’t wait for more grandchildren.” Eunie studied Sara
with an intensity that made Sara uncomfortable. “I had almost
forgot about that case where you were injured. I’m surprised Dagger
places you in such danger.”

“
Did Simon tell you about the
killer?”

“
A little bit.”

“
I try not to think about it.” Sara
would rather not explain the Friday the Thirteenth case. Sara’s
wound had been self-inflicted in an effort to assure no other
shapeshifters would be born, especially if one were as evil as Paul
Addison. It had been a split second decision she would have to live
with.

“
I don’t plan to ever marry anyway. And
telling Nick I can’t have children will hurt less than to tell him
I feel absolutely nothing when he kisses me.”

“
Not even when you are out dancing at
those fancy clubs, a slow dance when he is whispering in your ear
or nibbling your neck.”

Sara smiled, surprised at Eunie’s playful
depiction. “Not even then.” Sara grew pensive and frowned. For all
the times she had been with Nick, she couldn’t remember one time
when she could honestly say she responded to him. “Do you think
there’s something wrong with me?”

Eunie laughed, her eyes twinkling in much the
same way Simon’s did whenever he was amused. “Not at all. It will
happen. One day it will hit you. You are going to feel as though
the loss of that one special person will literally pull your heart
out, that you would rather die than let anything happen to
him.”

A familiar scent wafted through the air. Sara
didn’t have to turn to know who had just walked into the diner. Her
enhanced sense of smell and hearing knew he was approaching their
table. Sara flashed a look of disappointment that Eunie had shared
her problem.

Eunie reached across and patted Sara’s hand.
“Sorry, child, but I thought tonight of all nights is when you need
the one person who knows you best.”

Color rose to Sara’s cheeks. She slid out of
the booth before Dagger could sit down. “I need to use the
restroom.”

They watched her hustle to the back of the
restaurant.