Intrusions (Carpenter/Harding Book 4) Read online

  Their colleagues discreetly turned their attention to their work, though Jordan was pretty sure they were all interested in this scene. Her phone rang, and she could see it was from the ME’s office.

  “I’m sorry, sir, I have to take that.” Saved by the bell. The ME called to discuss preliminary findings. “I understand. Yes, we’ll be there. Sir, we need to go.”

  “This is not over. We’ll be lucky if Mr. Ashcroft doesn’t sue.”

  “For what?” Derek protested. “We didn’t do anything to give him a reason for that.”

  Seeing that the lieutenant was not in the mood to argue, and curious about the ME’s findings, Jordan ended the conversation.

  “Come on, let’s go.”

  * * * *

  “Obviously, we have to wait for the tox screen, but I believe there are some things you might find interesting,” Dr. Adams began. “Mr. Ashcroft here was in excellent shape. If we are in that shape, at this age, we can all thank the Universe. Guy worked out, ate well, didn’t smoke. I’d say he didn’t drink much either. Why are you flinching?”

  “Nothing. Go on.”

  “However, I believe the cause of death was cardiac arrest.”

  “He was taking sleeping pills. Could that have caused it?” Jordan asked.

  “We’ll have to look at the specific ingredients. There are studies that have linked a long-term use to a higher risk of a heart attack, especially in patients already afflicted with heart disease, but neither seems to have applied to Mr. Ashcroft. His heart was healthy—so we have to wait for those further results. They can cause sleep-walking though.”

  “You think this might be an accident?” Jordan couldn’t believe it. That would be too easy.

  Dr. Adams shook her head. “I might have, if it wasn’t for this.”

  “The cut on his leg.”

  “Correct.”

  Jordan took another look. Something didn’t fit…If Ashcroft had taken the sleeping aid, he probably wouldn’t have heard the noise and left his bedroom. If he had forgotten about it, what had caused his heart to stop?

  And the cut…They had searched the bedroom. There was no sharp edge anywhere, no nail sticking out in the luxury mansion that might have caused it—the cut was too clean anyway.

  “Wait. The way it looks like, it was caused by something very sharp—like he ran into it. There was something on the stairs that tripped him.”

  “That would be my guess,” Dr. Adams confirmed. “It doesn’t look like anything he could have obtained in a fight, or that he could have done to himself accidentally.”

  “There was no fight. He wakes up, is in some distress—gets out of the bedroom. He tries to get downstairs, maybe even try to wake Mrs. Santos before he calls a doctor.”

  “Possible.”

  “But then whatever tripped him, did the rest. He took a header down the stairs.”

  “Now you just have to prove it,” Adams said not without sympathy. “I would go back to the house and take another look at those stairs.”

  “Thanks for the tip,” Jordan said, and to Derek, “First thing tomorrow morning.”

  * * * *

  “First day, we made it. Yay!”

  Ellie greeted Jordan with a kiss, plates in hand. “You’re just in time.”

  “Great. Can I help you with anything?”

  Jordan sounded tired. Ellie thought it might not be the best of circumstances to bring up anything or everything that hadn’t gone so well on the first day.

  “No, everything is pretty much ready. Let me put these on the table, and I’ll get you a glass of wine.”

  Ellie had been home for an hour or so. After a long hot shower and getting into comfortable clothes, her spirits had lifted, and she was ready to write off her earlier reaction as a glitch, something that wouldn’t happen again. In any case, she had pushed through. It was nothing to worry about.

  “I’m sorry you got yelled at,” she said while pouring a glass for Jordan in the kitchen, where Kate was putting the finishing touches on a spaghetti sauce.

  “On the first day,” Kate said. “Ouch. Didn’t you feel like getting right back on that plane?”

  “Well, yeah, I did, but he was partly right. We should have taken care of the annoying sibling first, but…at least he’s not suing yet. What else is new?”

  “Kate’s been telling me about a new pub they discovered,” Ellie told her. “It’s a bit further from the precinct, but okay to walk to, especially from here. We could check it out some other time.”

  The Code 7, run by retired cop Carl Roth, had been most convenient and frequented by many of their colleagues. It was where Ellie had fallen in love with Jordan and decided she would take that chance no matter what. It was where indecent acts had once happened in the ladies’. Now, there were just ruins and a mountain of rubble where the charming building had once stood, and Ellie still couldn’t bring herself to drive past it in the morning.

  Roth’s son had once tried out for the police academy, but never made it past the first two weeks. Subsequently, while working in his father’s bar, he had nurtured a resentment against its customers and one day decided it should all go up in flames…It hadn’t been Danny Roth’s plan A. He had paid a junkie to attack, and another time, abduct Ellie, hoping he could play the rescuer and be hailed as a hero. When that plan didn’t work out, he proceeded to blow up the Code 7, the fact that no one had died in the explosion, his only saving grace.

  The Code 7 was gone forever. Now, Gerald Ashcroft was dead, an icon in the city for his charitable work.

  She felt like getting back on that plane, too. Maybe they could both ask for a transfer. To Hawaii. Right.

  “But that’s for another time. Now, let’s eat. I’m sure you never got to finish that muffin.”

  Jordan, too, was aware that there was a lot on her mind. At least they’d let it go for one evening.

  “You’re right about that. It was gone when I came back.”

  “Poor baby,” Ellie said. “Lucky for us, Kate is a great cook. You’ll love it.”

  After dinner, they finally got to watch vacation photos on Kate’s flat screen TV. Only a couple of days away, those memories seemed unreal already. Why was it that the bad things always seemed to stick, and you had to fight so much harder to let go of them?

  Jordan’s ex, the FBI psychiatrist, might have an answer to that question, but Ellie would appreciate not seeing her around for a while to come.

  Jordan stayed over. Everything was going according to plan. Having to find a new favorite hangout was really a minor detail, wasn’t it?

  * * * *

  Jordan hadn’t slept in this apartment, in this room, often enough to block out all small sounds, like the key in the front door after they’d turned in for the night, or the voices speaking in a hushed tone. She knew who the voices belonged to, but it didn’t really matter. With Ellie asleep beside her, she reflected on her day, the new case and its implications.

  Every family had their skeletons. Ashcroft had donated to various causes, though he wasn’t keen on spending money on his daughter’s rather flaky ideas that never worked out. The atmosphere in Craig’s office had been tense when they’d asked him how his father had reacted to his coming out—then again, Ashcroft must have come around, because one of his monthly checks went to a major LGBT rights organization.

  In pictures, he always smiled, engaged with the camera, and if it was all an act, he should have won awards.

  Eventually, she fell into a sleep that was surprisingly restful. Another day, another morning came much too soon. The bathroom door was locked, so she decided to make herself busy and get the coffee started.

  The machine came to life with a soft purr, much unlike her own. Finally, the bathroom door opened, and a yawning Derek Henderson emerged, wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

  So that was who’d been hogging the hot water. Jordan remembered hearing the front door bell last night, thinking this was a little more than what she wanted to see of
her partner. Too early in the day, anyway.

  “Would you mind putting on some pants?”

  “Don’t be a prude, Carpenter,” he said good-naturedly and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Hey. That’s not bad at all. Besides, you’re not wearing any.”

  “So many offensive things in a couple of sentences.”

  “Children, behave.” Kate walked inside, carrying a box of pastries, and someone’s stomach grumbled. If asked, Jordan would have denied it was her.

  “Oh, you made coffee, awesome.” Ellie who had joined the group, kissed her, and they settled around the kitchen table.

  This was…strange, Jordan reflected. Kate and Ellie were talking like this was no big deal, the four of them hanging out for breakfast. Was it? She cringed. Jordan liked her boundaries between work and home a little straighter. That’s why she was living in a house away from the city in a quiet neighborhood. That’s why she hadn’t moved in with Ellie yet.

  She and Derek had seen some bad situations together. They’d just never gotten this…private, except one night when she got drunk and he came to pick her up. Yeah, like that hadn’t been extremely private. The memory made her cringe even more. She had reason to get drunk that night, but still…

  “Hey, earth to Jordan. We’ll go straight to the lawyer from there? Maybe the lieutenant will be in a better mood if we bring him something.”

  “Sure. If I ever manage to get a hot shower around here.”

  “Come on,” Ellie said. “It’s early.”

  “Yeah. I want to stop by the doctor’s again. I want to know if he knew about the sleeping pills.”

  “You think he lied to us?”

  Before Jordan could answer, her cell phone began to vibrate on the table, and she quickly picked it up. “Sorry. It’s possible, but why would he do that? He knew that we would find out.”

  “I am so sorry if I’m bothering you, but all I know is that I have to keep trying. This might be my only chance, and I want to take it.”

  Jordan shook her head at the screen and tossed the phone back on the table. Like words could make any difference at this point. Kathryn still didn’t understand that she didn’t want anything to do with her.

  “Maybe just hear her out once. That seems to be all she’s asking…and then you can leave it behind you,” Ellie said softly.

  “No, thanks. I know how this would go. If I say yes to one thing, she’ll ask for another, and before I know it, she’ll be coming around for dinner.”

  “Would that be such a bad thing?”

  “You have no idea. Can I finally take that shower now?”

  She hated to see Ellie flinch, but she couldn’t help it. Kathryn had already worn down her defenses, and Jordan didn’t know how to deal with that fact. She had done what she could to save her from TJ Pratt, Kathryn’s one time lover who had wanted both of them dead. She had brought her clothes to the hospital. As far as Jordan was concerned, they were more than even.

  Jack and Pauline were her real parents. No words could change that. Or dinner.

  Halfway through dressing, she acknowledged that she would have to apologize to Ellie. Jordan would have liked to pay her dues right away, but when she came out of the bathroom, only Derek was waiting for her. Fortunately, this time, he was wearing pants.

  * * * *

  The man storming into the station didn’t mince words.

  “I need you to find my wife. Something happened to her!”

  Kate was already talking to him, trying to calm him down. Ellie spun around at the sound of the familiar voice.

  “Mr. Delaney,” she said.

  “Officer. I need your help.” His demeanor was a complete one-eighty from the day before. What did that mean?

  “Of course. Tell me what happened. We were there when you talked to her yesterday?”

  Kate shot her a surprised look, but jotted down some notes.

  “Yes, but she didn’t come home from work. Her colleagues said she took the afternoon off, wanted to come home earlier. I went out to get some supplies, but she never came home. And there was this weird text message.” He took out his cell phone and showed her.

  “I’m going out with some co-workers today, someone’s birthday. I’ll be late. Don’t wait up for me. Lil”

  “Weird?”

  “Weird because it wasn’t anyone’s birthday, and she said something else at work. I drove by there before I came here, trying to find her!”

  “Okay, I understand. How long were you out?”

  “A couple of hours maybe. Maybe she did come home and someone took her? Or she was in a car accident? You can check those things, right?”

  “We will check all of it, I promise. For now, I need you to think of the places where your wife might have gone, friends, family, anyone. Contact them. We will let you know as soon as we know more.”

  Part of her was still thinking of yesterday, his defensive behavior, the neighbor reporting a woman screaming. This was all too much to be a coincidence.

  “Thank you, Officer Harding,” he said. “I know I wasn’t very patient yesterday, but it’s the third time this bitch was reporting me for nothing. Nerves getting thin. I really appreciate your help.”

  Nerves getting thin…a woman screaming.

  “That’s our job. Let me make a few calls now, okay?”

  Ellie wanted to talk to the neighbor again, but she couldn’t reach her on the phone, so she decided to stop by. Marjorie Perkins seemed to be well informed as to what was going on in the neighborhood. She might have seen something that, in the best case scenario, would help prove that Delaney wasn’t involved in his wife’s disappearance. Ellie wasn’t yet sure if she’d be so lucky. She’d hate to find another man who hated a woman so much he became obsessed with her—wanted to hurt her. It wasn’t always a stranger. Sometimes, it could be the guy you saw almost every day, but never noticed.

  Or the nice guy who just sold you a house.

  Lillian Delaney hadn’t returned when she parked on the curb in front of Mrs. Perkins’ house later today. Perkins’ car was in her carport, and she opened the door to Ellie right away.

  “It’s you again. I swear I didn’t call you this time.”

  “Mr. Delaney called us. He’s looking for his wife.”

  “Oh, good luck on that. Maybe she finally ran away with that hippie who kept coming around. Delaney got in a fist fight with him once.”

  “Really?”

  “Oh, honey, the stories I could tell you. Why don’t you come in? I just made cookies, and there’s a fresh batch of coffee.”

  “I have a few questions indeed. I’m sorry I have to tell you no on the cookies. Do you know the name of Mrs. Delaney’s friend?”

  “No. I’m not interested in their affairs,” Perkins said as she led Ellie into a small cramped living room, where, despite Ellie’s protest, she poured two cups of coffee.

  “Did you see Mrs. Delaney come home from work yesterday?”

  “Yes, of course. I have no idea how they can pay the rent. He hides out in that garage all the time—there’s something creepy going on, I tell you. She comes home early all the time, and she can’t make that much. They don’t even have children to take care of.”

  “Do you remember when?” Ellie asked, finally getting a word in.

  “Around three. I wonder if he buried her in that garage.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? Did you see her go out again?”

  “No, and he was definitely there. I heard them fighting again. Makes you wonder why some people get married, don’t you think? Are you married, Officer?”

  “No, I’m not. Let’s go back to the Delaneys for a moment, please. You’re sure that she came home and never left, and they were both in the house.”

  “Absolutely,” Perkins insisted.

  “All right, thank you. I might need you to come to the station for a statement.”

  “That wouldn’t be a problem at all. I’d like to help. I normally don’t approve of th
e type, slutty, you know what I mean, but I don’t want her to get killed.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” Ellie said, trying not to let her resignation show. With neighbors like this, a person didn’t need enemies. However, Perkins’ observations were curious, and completely contradicted Delaney’s statement. Wasn’t he aware that Perkins was behind her window almost twenty-four/seven? He himself had mentioned it. Was there something that had made him so angry he didn’t care any longer?

  “Thank you. You’ve been a great help. We’ll certainly look into all of that.”

  “I hope you don’t find out he’s some sort of serial murderer.”

  You and me both.

  Back in the car, Ellie made a call to Kate at the front desk. “Is Delaney still around?”

  “No, he just left, said that no one he called had seen Lillian. Why?”

  “Well, the neighbor did see her, and she says Lillian never left the house after she returned from work. With the complaint yesterday and all…I have a strange feeling about this. The neighbor is a bit over the top, but she’s alleging something might have happened to the wife. We should get a search warrant for the house and garage, to make sure.”

  “I’m on it,” Kate promised. “I’ll call you back.”

  “Thanks.”

  Ellie sat in the car for a moment longer, then exited, unsure what to do next. She walked around the house, standing by the fence. Where was Delaney? What would they find in the garage, and could they get the warrant based on the testimony of an obviously hostile neighbor?

  “You’re still here. You’re sure you don’t want a cookie?”

  Marjorie Perkins’ sudden appearance made her jump.

  “No, thanks. I’m just waiting on a call from a colleague.”

  Perkins followed her gaze to where they could see the garage through the rackety fence.

  If Delaney was so handy, why hadn’t he fixed that yet?

  “Yeah, let’s hope there aren’t any bodies in there. The hippie also came around one time, and I didn’t see him leave.”