Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set (182 page)

He chuckled. “Thanks, Beck.”

* * *

Kate stuck her head into the kitchen and found Suki seated at the table, reading the morning newspaper.

“Suki, I have to hop in the shower and get ready. I called Ryan and he’s going to Boise with me. He’ll be coming to pick me up in a little while.”

“Really? He hardly knows you.”

“True, but I need his help,” Kate responded.

“It sounds like he wants something,
if
you know what I mean.”

“Suki, it’s not like that,” Kate replied emphatically, not liking the implication. “He’s being a friend. He knows I’m going to need some emotional support when I go in to identify the dead body. I can’t exactly call my friends in Los Angeles and have them travel all day. Boise’s only an hour’s flight from here. I asked Ryan if he’d go with me and he said yes.”

“Well, either way, it sounds like you must have had quite an effect on him last night.”

Kate smiled to herself and hurried to the bathroom.

She had a quick shower, partially blow-dried her hair and put a little make-up on. Then she slipped into her skinny jeans and a white long-sleeved knit tee, taking her black leather jacket for the ride to the airport, figuring Boise would be much warmer than drizzly Seattle. She packed her small carry-on bag in case they ended up staying overnight.

“Ryan’s here!” Suki called out.

Kate met him at the door and they left quickly, not wanting to miss their flight. They hurried the half block to where Ryan had found a prime parking space on the street.

“Listen,” Ryan said as they walked toward his Land Rover, “when I was coming to get you, I noticed that guy—the one with the blue ball cap—he was leaning against the far corner of the building.”

“You’re kidding?”

“No. At first, I wondered if it was him, but when he turned and saw I had seen him, he peeled away from the building and went down the street in the opposite direction. Sorry, but I didn’t have time to follow him.”

“We’ll have to let Patel and Porter know. That guy is turning up just a little too often.”

Chapter Nine

Ryan and Kate dashed to the airport. The traffic on the I-5 wasn’t too bad, and they were able to nab a choice parking spot in the long-term parking area.

They retrieved their boarding passes from the kiosk. Both Kate and Ryan took their small luggage on board instead of checking them, so they could breeze through the security line.

Once on board, they squeezed into their seats on the small commuter aircraft. Kate was unusually quiet, nervously awaiting take-off. Ryan couldn’t help but notice her fidgeting—crossing her arms, then uncrossing them, looking at her watch, shifting in her seat. Her eyes were moist with fear and apprehension.

The plane began to taxi on the runway. As the engines went into full thrust, Kate laid her head back, closed her eyes and gripped the armrests. Once the aircraft leveled out, she released her grasp and let out a long sigh.

“You okay?” Ryan asked.

“I’ll be fine,” she replied.

Ryan kept light conversation going, talking about the weather and his work. It relaxed her a bit. However, the closer the plane got to Boise, the less talkative Kate became. She felt tense again and kept drifting off, lost in thought.

Ryan must have sensed her anxiety because he reached over and took her hand in his. “Is there anything I can do for you?”

“You’re doing it,” she said.

With the slightest touch of his index finger, he wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

She met his eyes for a moment, managing a little smile, then turned and looked out the window. She sensed him wanting to keep her engaged in conversation, get her mind on something else, but small talk seemed frivolous right now.

Ryan appeared relieved when the captain’s voice came over the loud speaker instructing the flight attendants to prepare the cabin for final descent. Kate noticed him look down at his hand still holding hers. She had found it comforting and had not wanted to let go.

As soon as the plane was on the ground and taxied up to its gate, Ryan and Kate grabbed their carry-ons, disembarked, and hastily made their way to one of the car rental counters. After picking up the car, a white compact sedan, they drove straight to the police headquarters.

Ryan pulled into the parking lot, turned the engine off, and started to reach for the door. Kate laid her hand on his forearm to stop him. He looked surprised, glancing at her hand, and then into her watery eyes.

“Have I told you how much I appreciate you coming with me?”

“Only two or three times,” Ryan replied with a grin.

“Well, I just want to make sure you know,” she said, doing her best to manage a little smile.

She released her hand and they got out of the car. With his arm draped casually around her shoulders, they briskly walked into the police station and spoke with the receptionist working the front desk. Kate explained to her who she was and why she was there.

“Yes, they’re expecting you, Miss McAllister. And who are you, sir?”

“My name is Ryan Wilson. I’m a friend of Kate’s.”

“All right, then. Let me call an officer to take you to see the Medical Examiner.”

She picked up the phone. In a matter of minutes, a female officer appeared. “Just follow me,” she said, “and I’ll show you where to go.”

A couple of detectives were talking outside the door to the morgue as they approached. Their conversation ceased when they saw the trio coming.

“Miss McAllister,” the officer said, “this is Detective Gilbert and Detective Franklin. They’ll take you inside.” The female officer nodded at her colleagues and then left.

“And you are…?” Franklin asked, looking at Ryan.

“I’m Ryan Wilson, a friend of Kate’s. I’m here for moral support. I hope you don’t mind.”

“That’s fine. Let’s go inside,” the detective said.

He pulled open the glass door for them and Kate went through first. She was already a bundle of nerves, and the medicinal and chemical smells made her stomach turn. The County Medical Examiner was already inside the morgue, waiting for Kate to arrive.

“Doc, this is Kate McAllister,” said Detective Gilbert.

Dr. Wagner was a tall, bulky man with a pronounced curvature of the spine, obvious under his white coat, and a full head of gray hair.

“Yes, I’ve been expecting you,” Dr. Wagner said, peering over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses. “So sorry to have to make you do this, but we need to find out who this young woman is. The body is over here,” he said as he walked, pointing to the deceased, covered by a large white cloth, lying on a cold metal gurney. “I’ll pull back the sheet when you’re ready. Just give the word.”

Kate steeled herself for the possibility that it was Whitney’s lifeless body lying on the steel table. She breathed in slowly and leaned against Ryan for support. He sensed her need and put his arm around her shoulder once more.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

Dr. Wagner pulled back the sheet, and Kate gasped. Her stomach lurched. The cold, pale, dead woman was about Whitney’s age with similar blonde hair. She had bruises around her neck and a deep wound on her forehead. At first glance, the similarity was disturbing. Kate thought for a panicked moment that it might be Whitney.

“Is it your sister?” Gilbert asked.

“No, it’s not.” Kate shook her head slightly. “It’s not Whitney.”

Overcome with relief, her knees went weak and she started to collapse. Ryan grabbed hold of her around the waist to help steady her.

“Why don’t you take her out, son? We’re done here,” the doctor suggested to Ryan, as he covered up the lifeless body.

“Okay, Kate, I’ve got you. Let’s get out of here.” With this arm still about her waist, he led her out.

“Thanks, Ryan, I’ll be all right,” Kate said, as she let him help her out of the room, regaining some strength in her legs. She looked up at Ryan through a blur of tears. “It’s upsetting, but I’m glad it’s not my sister.”

“Me, too,” he responded.

Then she turned and looked again at the covered body through the closed glass doors. “It’s just so sad, though.”

“The girl?” Ryan asked.

“Yes. She’s not Whitney, but she was somebody’s daughter.”

* * *

“Now what?” Kate asked Ryan, standing in front of the police station in the bright sunshine.

“I’ll have to check for return flights. I didn’t make any reservations because I didn’t know what we’d find here and when we’d be returning.” He looked at his watch. “It’s almost three o’clock. There may still be an available flight back to Seattle tonight. Let me go online and check.”

“I need to sit down and get something to eat. I haven’t eaten anything since breakfast.” Her stomach had been in knots most of the day, and viewing the dead body had drained her emotionally.

“If I remember correctly, I think there’s a Starbucks or something not far from here,” Ryan said.

“A Chai latté and a slice of pumpkin bread would make me feel better.”

Ryan opened the car door for Kate and helped her in, before sliding behind the wheel.

Kate looked over at him, warmth enveloping her like a favorite blanket. She barely knew Ryan—it had only been two days—but he had stepped up and become her knight in shining armor. She normally liked to think of herself as strong and self-reliant, living on her own, running her own business, taking care of herself. Yet these last few days had thrown things at her that she had never had to deal with before.

They drove into the parking lot of the coffee shop and stepped inside.

“Why don’t you go up and order something, and I’ll find us a table and start checking with the airlines,” he said.

“All right. Can I get you anything?” Kate offered, as Ryan took a seat at one of the small tables.

“A bottle of water would be good.”

“Okay,” Kate said, “I’ll be right back.

Leaving Ryan to go online to check the various airline schedules on his smartphone, she went to the counter. As she waited her turn in line, she wondered if there would be any seats left on any of the direct evening flights back to Seattle, with such short notice.

“Any luck?” she asked, setting his water down in front of him. She hoped she wasn’t becoming a burden. Surely, he had worked to get back to.

“No. Not any direct flights, anyway. I don’t really want to go to Las Vegas and Portland just so I can get back to Seattle by midnight tonight.” A mischievous smile formed on his lips. “I have an idea.”

“What?”

“I’m going to call my parents. We can stay at their house tonight and catch an early flight out in the morning.”

“They won’t mind?” Kate asked.

“Mind? Heck no,” he chuckled. “They’ve been hoping I’d come home with a nice girl for years.”

Kate laughed for the first time all day, and it felt good. Then, the realization that her sister was still missing settled over her and she got serious again. “Do you think we should call Detective Patel, or Porter, and let them know the dead woman wasn’t my sister?”

“That’s a good idea. Why don’t you call them while I make these reservations real quick for the morning flights,” Ryan said, as he reviewed the screen on his phone, “and then I’ll call my folks.”

“Okay,” she agreed.

Kate dialed Porter’s cell number, and he picked up on the first ring.

“This is Detective Porter.”

“Detective, this is Kate McAllister.”

“Yes, hello, Kate.”

“I’m in Boise right now. I flew down here to identify a body the police found yesterday. They thought it might be Whitney’s.”

“Yes, I heard you were going there.”

“But, it wasn’t Whitney.”

“Yes, I heard that, too. The Boise Police already called here and talked to Patel.”

“Hopefully that means she’s still alive, don’t you think?” Kate was desperate for an encouraging word.

“Let’s hope you’re right. We have the computer tech going through Whitney’s computer again, in case we missed anything, although right now nothing seems out of the ordinary. We’ve interviewed co-workers and friends from the information her roommate provided, but we haven’t turned up anything yet.”

“I’ll be back on an early morning flight, and you have my number. Please, Detective, call me if you have even the tiniest bit of news. Okay?”

“Will do, Kate,” Porter assured her before hanging up.

Where are you, Whitney?

Ryan had overheard her conversation. “I’m sure Raj and Will are doing all they can to find Whitney. There’s nothing more we can do right now.”

“You’re right,” she reluctantly agreed, as she tucked her phone in her pocket, “but waiting is just so darn hard.”

“I made the flight reservations for seven-thirty in the morning, so that’s taken care of,” he assured her. “Now, I’ll call my folks and let them know we’re coming over. They’ll be thrilled. I’m sure my mom would love to make a nice dinner for us, and then you can kick your shoes off and relax.”

“That sounds so good right now,” Kate said, rubbing her temple with a couple of fingers. She could feel a tension headache coming on. Then she reached across the small table, put her hand on his and looked tenderly into his eyes. “I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”

“You’re welcome,” Ryan replied, putting his other hand warmly over hers. “I understand that this thing with your sister is not over. So, once we get back to Seattle, if you still need me…”

Chapter Ten

Ryan hit speed-dial 1 on his phone. “It’s ringing.”

Kate smiled and nodded.

“Hey, Mom. It’s Ryan. I’m in Boise.” He paused for her response. “Yes, Mom, I know I was just here yesterday.” He looked at Kate and raised his eyebrows playfully. “I’m coming over in a few minutes, and I’ll explain it then.”

Kate watched contentedly as Ryan spoke with his mother. “Yes, everything is all right. Nothing you need to be troubled about. I’ll see you in a little while. Don’t worry.”

Kate smiled, wishing she still had a mother she could tell not to worry. She gazed wistfully at Ryan.

“Oh, and, Mom, I have a friend with me. We’ll need to spend the night. Is that okay?” Ryan asked. Another pause. “Kate.” He winked at her. “Yes, Mom, a girl. But it’s not what you think. I’ll explain when we get there.”