A Bride By Summer. Rebecca Winters
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put on gloves and picked it up. After opening the flap, he pulled out a black-and-white glossy photograph of Kellie taken in a beauty salon. She was sitting in a chair with a drape around her neck. Her head had been cut out and it fell on the table. The word liar had been printed on the back of it.
“I don’t believe it!”
He gave her a probing glance. “Where was this taken?”
“At a beauty salon here in Austin where I go to get my hair styled.”
“How long ago?”
“Right before I left for Montana, about five and a half weeks ago.”
“You’re sure about the timing?”
“Yes. Normally I wear cowboy boots all the time and I always get my hair done later in the day. But that particular morning I had an early appointment and I put on those sandals before I left for the salon because I was in a hurry.”
“What time was your appointment?”
“Eight thirty in the morning.”
“Do you remember the date?”
“It was a Wednesday. I had to leave right after to make it to Glasgow in time for the rodeo on Saturday, August 2.”
“That meant you were in the salon on July 30. How big is the place?”
“It does a lot of business. The Blue Gardenia is on Third Street downtown.”
“I’ve heard of it. Do men get their hair cut and styled there, too?”
“Yes.” She shuddered. “That means he was in there watching me. He probably has dozens of pictures of me. It’s sickening and depraved.”
“Stay strong, Kellie. We’re going to catch him.”
A moan escaped her. “What about his twin?”
When she looked at him, the dark blue of his eyes seemed to have turned black. “Him, too. Go on up to bed and set your alarm. We’ll leave for the airport at five thirty. Before we walk out the door, I’ll turn on the camera over the kitchen door on the garage side.”
“You think he’ll come while we’re gone?”
“I’m not sure.”
He obviously had more work to do she wasn’t privy to, so she got up from the table. “I don’t know how to thank you for what you’re doing. Your life is in danger, too.”
“But this is my job. One I like, though no one in my family does.”
“What did they want you to be?”
“An attorney like my father and his father and his father before him.”
So Cy was the lone wolf... His own person. She liked that about him very much.
“When this whole ghastly ordeal is over, I’ll tell your family personally that you have the undying gratitude from me and my family for coming to my rescue.”
His intense gaze continued to hold hers. “That’s nice to hear. Now try to get some sleep and leave the worrying to me.”
* * *
THE SECOND SHE disappeared upstairs, Cy phoned the crew in the surveillance van. “Lyle? The stalker put an envelope in Kellie’s mailbox today. There are eight tenants using that box. Did anyone approach it you can’t identify?”
“Yes. A woman with dark brown hair. I checked with the landlord of the property. He’s never seen her.”
A woman. “Strange. What time did the camera record it?”
“Four twenty.”
That was after the mail had been delivered. “Send me a picture.”
“There are three of them. Doing it right now.”
As they came through his phone, he studied them. The person was dressed in a woman’s business suit with low heels. She would be the same height Kellie had described for the stalker. Any view of the face gave only a partial glimpse. The lab could magnify the images for a better look.
“Lyle? Send these to forensics for enlargements.”
“Will do.”
“Tomorrow I’ll be in Colorado Springs part of the day with Ms. Parrish. That’ll give the stalker time to case the town house. He may try to get in to find out if a man lives here with her. Maybe the stalker’s twin will show up, too. It’s possible they dress in drag part of the time. Keep me posted.”
“Sure thing.”
Cy ended the call and phoned Vic. “It’s possible one of the twins has been dressing up as a woman. I’m sending you the photos taken by Ms. Parrish’s mailbox. Go over to the Blue Gardenia beauty salon on Third Street when it opens tomorrow. Show these pictures to everyone who works there. I’m curious if one of the employees can identify our stalker, who likely used his phone camera to take a picture of Kellie getting a haircut.” Cy gave him the time and date. “If you get any information from one of the workers at the salon, let me know.
“Then I want you to call around to the places where you can buy a wig. Take those mug shots with you. The photograph taken of Kellie was snapped almost six weeks ago. See if our stalker purchased one or two wigs in different colors during the month of July and get a copy of the receipt. It’s a long shot, but do what you can.”
“I’ll try everything including places that sell theatrical makeup. He could have posed as an actor needing makeup and a wig.”
“Exactly. Thanks, Vic.”
“When will you get back from Colorado Springs tomorrow?”
“I’m not sure. Kellie needs to exercise her horses, so I’ll drive her to her parents’ after we get off the plane. But I’ll phone you.”
* * *
ON WEDNESDAY MORNING Kellie got out of the rental car and walked alongside Cy as they entered the building that housed the WPRA in Colorado Springs. She welcomed the warm seventy-nine-degree temperature. Conscious she was playing a part as Cy’s new wife, she’d worn a flirty skirt and dressy blouse with high heels to play up her feminine side. It felt good to put on something besides jeans and cowboy boots.
“May I help you?”
“I’m here to see a friend who works here,” Kellie told the attractive, twentyish-looking receptionist who hadn’t taken her eyes off Cy from the moment they’d walked in the foyer. In a business suit and tie, he’d drawn the attention from a lot of women during their flight.
“Her name is Olivia Brown.” Kellie prodded the younger woman in case she hadn’t heard her the first time.
“Oh, sure. She’s the one who moved here from Texas and works in the membership auditor’s office. I’ll ring her. You know? You kind of sound like her.”
Kellie happened to glance at Cy, who was smiling at her rather than the receptionist. Even his eyes smiled, sending a charge of electricity through her body.
“Olivia wants to know your name.”
Gathering her wits, she said, “Tell her it’s a friend from the Blue Bonnet Posse.”
The receptionist passed it on and suddenly red-haired Olivia came running down the east hallway. “Kellie!” she called out and ran up to give her a hug. “I can’t believe it!” She turned to the girl at the desk. “Janie? This is the very famous Kellie Parrish! She’s going to win the barrel-racing championship at Finals in Las Vegas this December.”
“Wow.” Janie’s eyes had rounded in surprise.
“One could hope,” Kellie murmured in an aside.
“Who’s the stud?” Olivia whispered.