Memory of Murder. Ramona Richards
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And Ray’s right. I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
Ray muttered, “Oh, boy,” as Lindsey’s blue eyes widened.
She pushed a loose strand of blond hair behind her ear and stood a little taller. “I beg your pardon.”
Jeff felt the heat rising in his cheeks again. “That’s not what I meant! You look great. Always. But you’re hurt. I mean—the bandages—”
Lindsey nodded. “And the cuts and bruises.”
“Yeah...”
“And the limp. I twisted my ankle. Not bad. Just a mild sprain.”
“Yes...”
“They’ll heal. I really will be all right.”
Jeff shook his head. “Lindsey, that’s not all—”
“And the guy who did it is in a coma.”
“But he didn’t do it alone.”
A rigid silence hung in the air a few moments, then Ray spoke quietly. “So let’s go over it again.”
Jeff sat up straighter, wincing a bit from the pain of his bruised ribs. Ray took more notes as Jeff repeated his version of the night’s events. “I can’t get this out of my mind. The first guy was a kid. Not more than twenty, if that. And really strung out on something. Meth. Coke. Something.”
Lindsey nodded again, watching Jeff closely. “He was sweating like a pig. Muttering. Totally stressed out.”
“And that car.” He looked at Ray. “You know what a classic GTO in prime condition is worth?
“About fifty grand, last time I checked.”
“So would it be your first choice for a kidnapping? Why not a van or an SUV? Something more practical. Nondescript. Cheap.”
“You think it was stolen or that it belonged to the second guy?”
Jeff shrugged. “I don’t know. But I do think the second guy was in charge. The kid was a mess, but the second guy...he was cold, unfeeling. The kid used the stun gun on me because he had to. The older guy did it because he wanted to.”
“Turn, three miles.”
Both men looked at Lindsey. “What?” asked Jeff.
She watched him closely, curiosity lighting her eyes. “That’s what the kid kept repeating. ‘Turn, three miles.’ And...” She took a deep breath. “He didn’t know where he was going.”
Ray and Jeff exchanged looks. “How do you know?” asked Ray.
“He had directions written down on paper. Kept checking them, talking to himself. That’s how I knew he was about to turn left. How I knew when to try something. And that paper is what the other guy stole out of the car.”
Ray focused on Jeff again. “Well, Deputy Gage, looks like you have a lot of work to do on this one.”
Jeff stared at his boss. “You’re letting me take the lead on this?”
“Watching you two, I’m not sure I could stop you. Both of your minds are already clicking through the steps. But you do everything by the book. Document everything. No shortcuts that could undermine our case in court. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Now, I’ll get you and Lindsey home, and keep the guard on her tonight. I’ll bring her back to the station in the morning. Meet us there first thing, and we’ll get her statement and get the investigation up and running.”
“I have to open for breakfast at five-thirty.”
Jeff stared at Lindsey, her words sinking in. “You’re opening the restaurant tomorrow?”
Lindsey nodded, her eyes wide. “Of course, I am. The restaurant has only been open six months. The commuters have gotten into the routine of stopping for my coffee before work, and I’m getting a crew of regulars who come in for breakfast. People are expecting me to be there. I can’t close when I’m perfectly capable of opening. That would be ridiculous.”
“Lindsey, you are still in danger. What if he comes back to the restaurant and you’re hurt worse?” Jeff couldn’t keep the desperation out of his voice. He never wanted to see her hurt again.
“Do you really think someone would try again with a restaurant full of people?”
“The point is we don’t know what will happen.”
“Well, I’m not about to put my job on hold while you do yours.”
“Lindsey—”
“No.”
Jeff sighed. “Why is that everyone’s favorite word tonight?” He looked at Ray, whose mouth twisted into a smirk. “What are you smiling at?”
“Just thinking about how many times I’ve had a similar debate with my wife.” He looked at Lindsey. “If I didn’t know you were sisters, I would know you were sisters.” Ray’s wife, June, notorious for her quick temper and outspoken nature, had stood her ground against Ray and Jeff numerous times.
After a few moments of silent impasse, Ray cleared his throat. “Lindsey, let’s compromise. We’ll go to the station tonight and get your statement. Then Jeff and I can pick up the investigation in the morning while you make breakfast. Will you agree to having a patrol cruiser in your lot?”
She grinned. “Sure. Cops always know the best places to eat. It’ll be good for business.”
* * *
After a trauma, many people had trouble even remembering their own names. Not Lindsey. Jeff listened as she gave her statement, amazed at her clarity of memory and succinct descriptions of the evening’s horrifying events. As for himself, he could recall less now than earlier, and he remembered little of what happened after being stunned the first time. But even struggling to stave off exhaustion and the effects of the painkillers, he replayed the incident in his own mind as she talked, deconstructing every moment, every move. What could I have done differently?
His sense of failure knifed into his chest with a pain sharper than the blow to his ribs. He’d not only fallen short as a deputy but as a man. When Ray had asked for volunteers for the nightly escort—obviously a favor for his wife—Jeff had readily stepped up. He hadn’t dated since his mother’s bout with breast cancer two years earlier, and when he’d met Lindsey at Ray and June’s wedding, Jeff had been immediately attracted by her charm, intelligence and determination to make a success of her dream to open a restaurant.
And a little intimidated by that determination as well as her aloofness...until he realized that she worked hard to keep everyone at arm’s length—not just him. Even her own sisters didn’t know her well. When they both discovered he could make her laugh, a part of the shell fell away. They’d finally become close friends, and he’d hoped it would go further, but now...he’d failed her.
Lindsey glanced at him as she finished her official description of the car and her assailant.
He nodded his agreement; what she said matched what he remembered.
Lindsey paused, her eyes narrowing as she studied him closer. “Are you all right?”
Jeff sat up straighter, rolling his shoulders back. “Sure. The painkillers are taking full effect, but I’m all right. Go on.”
Ray glanced at him, as well, then turned as Lindsey resumed her statement. For the first time, Jeff truly absorbed what had happened to her, how she’d caused the accident. Her strength astonished him. “You took an awful chance.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I learned a long time ago that getting hurt is better than dying.”
Jeff’s eyebrows arched up, but he didn’t