Family in the Crosshairs Read online

  Leon pitched the ball again and Tiny took off, skimming the ground with a speed and agility incredible for his size. “I had a feeling the dog was giving me bad advice.”

  Leon wasn’t usually good at conversation. A severe stutter when he was younger meant talking had once been the worst kind of torture. Although years of speech therapy enabled him to get the issue under control, he was still painfully aware of the slight hesitation that remained. It left him self-conscious around new people. But talking to Flora felt okay. Light and easy. No pressure. He even felt the urge to do more of it.

  They drew close to Joy’s house and, still carrying his ball, Tiny darted toward the building. When he was out on his evening run, Leon occasionally stopped by and said “Hi” to his neighbor, but he didn’t make a habit of it. Although Joy had a heart of gold, she could talk for hours once she got started. No matter how much Leon enjoyed her company, he didn’t always want a lengthy analysis of everything that had gone on in Stillwater that day. Joy was one of those people who loved to share the details of town life, but she had gradually realized that Leon preferred privacy. And, since she knew his reasons, she generally respected his wishes.

  Tiny often had other ideas. The dog’s parentage was doubtful, but whatever his genetics, it was impossible to get him full, and he was always looking for more food. The treats Joy gave him were one attraction, but he also enjoyed the attention she showered on him. Now, he bounded onto the front porch, sure of a warm welcome.

  As Leon reached the house with Flora at his side, he was surprised to see Joy’s door was closed and her rocking chair—the one she usually occupied on the front porch at this time of day—was empty. This situation clearly unsettled Tiny, who abandoned his ball. Going back and forth from the steps to the door, the dog sniffed the air and whined as though searching for a clue as to Joy’s whereabouts.

  “He really wants those cookies.” Flora’s words were light-hearted, but her tone was slightly nervous as though she, too, sensed something off-key about the atmosphere.

  Leon could tell there was more to Tiny’s behavior than hunger. He kept looking over his shoulder as though urging his master to hurry. The dog was clearly anxious about their neighbor’s welfare.

  Leon quickened his pace, his heart rate kicking up a notch as Tiny started to scratch at the bottom of the door. When he reached Tiny’s side, Leon knocked on the glass panel, then stood back, surveying the house.

  “Could she have gone away?” Flora asked.

  “Joy has a cat. She rarely goes anywhere, but when she does, she lets me know. I have a key so I can come in and feed Bungee.”

  “Let me guess. He likes jumping?”

  “You have no idea.” The fact that Bungee had not appeared yet was another sign that things weren’t right. The large ginger cat was generally laid-back, but he hated dogs. Tiny’s presence was usually his cue to leap onto the porch in full-on hissing and spitting mode, ready to chase away the intruder.

  When Leon knocked again and there was still no answer, Flora tried peering through the glass. Since there was a lace drape on the other side, it was impossible to see anything. “Maybe we should try the door? It may not be locked.”

  After a brief hesitation—What if Joy is sitting inside watching TV and she tells me to get the hell out of her house?—Leon tried the handle. When the door opened, his heart sank even further. He entered the cool interior with Flora at his heels.

  “It should have been locked.”

  Tiny pushed past them, through the neat sitting room and into the kitchen. His single bark held a note of anguish that sent a trickle of ice-cold dread down Leon’s spine. Before he stepped foot over the threshold, he already knew whatever he found in the next room wasn’t going to be good.

  Sure enough, Joy lay on the tiled floor of the small room. As they approached, Tiny lay down, placing his head on his front paws and flattening his ears. Leon didn’t need to check her vital signs to know their friend was dead.

  He was a doctor. Seeing bodies was a sad part of his routine, but he experienced a moment of deeper sorrow as well as shock as he looked down at the woman he’d liked and considered one of his few friends. Heartbreak had been his constant companion for the last four years. He knew all the forms it could take, knew its viciousness and twists and turns. Just when he thought it had no more surprises for him, pain delighted in finding new ways to sucker punch him. Like now. What he felt when he looked at Joy was nothing in comparison to what he had experienced when his wife, Karen, had died. Didn’t even scratch the surface. No, what astonished him was that he was still able to feel fresh grief after he had been turned inside out by it for so long.

  A widow in her early sixties, Joy Valeski had to be one of the most popular people in Stillwater. She could be counted on to provide a hot meal in an emergency and a bunch of flowers in times of sickness. If there was a problem, Joy would be there with her sleeves rolled up, digging gardens, raking leaves, collecting newspapers, and providing home-cooked meals. Now, all that goodwill was gone and Leon wasn’t the only one who would miss her.

  As he squatted close to the body without touching it, it was obvious that his medical expertise would not be required to determine the cause of death. It was immediately and horribly apparent. Joy had been repeatedly stabbed in the neck.

  He clenched his teeth together hard, riding the twin emotions of shock and anger. When he spoke, his voice was tight with suppressed emotion. “The medical examiner will c-c—” his stutter hit hard, and he had to force the word out “—confirm the exact cause of death, but the wound on her neck looks particularly deep.” He drew Flora’s attention to a gaping injury on the right side of her neck. A deep crimson puddle surrounded Joy’s upper body, and the sweet, sickly tang of blood filled his nostrils.

  Flora placed a shaking hand on his shoulder, leaning closer to get a better look. As she studied the wounds to Joy’s neck, she was pale, but composed. “There’s bruising to the right side of her head, suggesting that the killer struck her with a blunt object, knocking her unconscious, probably before stabbing her.”

  Leon nodded. “The lack of defensive injuries to her hands supports your theory that she wasn’t conscious when she was stabbed.”

  Flora reached into her pocket, fumbling slightly as she withdrew her cell phone. “I’ll call the police.”

  “I don’t think that will be necessary.” Leon nodded toward the open door. Tiny was scrambling to his feet, his tail wagging in greeting as a dark-haired woman entered the house. She was accompanied by a tall man. “They’re already here.”

  Chapter 2

  “I don’t understand what’s going on.” Flora was genuinely confused as the two police officers entered the kitchen and viewed the scene. “We only just found the body.”

  “I was leaving the office about fifteen minutes ago, when I got a call that there had been a murder at this location.” The woman had an air of authority and, instead of answering Flora’s question, she looked at Leon as she spoke. “Why are you here?”

  “Firstly, I’m not the person you should be speaking to. Dr. Monroe is Joy Valeski’s physician and it was her decision to come here. I just happened to accompany her.” Flora took a moment to appreciate his professionalism. These people obviously knew each other well and it would have been easy for Leon to allow the police to sideline her. Instead, he was publicly acknowledging her status as the lead medic. “Secondly, maybe some introductions would be useful?”

  The woman officer held out her hand to Flora. “Leon is right.” She sent a quick smile in his direction. “He usually is. I’m Chief Laurie Delaney of the Stillwater Police. And this is my colleague—”

  “Dr. Monroe and I have already met,” Detective Joe Nolan said. When his boss raised her brows, he elaborated. “Her house was broken into last week and I attended the scene.”

  Flora had been in Stillwater for less than a month, b
ut she already knew of the formidable reputation of its police chief. Responsible for capturing a prolific serial killer who had made her one of his targets, Laurie was known for her no-nonsense approach. She was married to Cameron Delaney, the town’s former mayor. Cameron now headed up the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce and was one of the trustees of the new medical center where Flora worked.

  Laurie’s eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced from Flora to the body on the floor and back again. “Your new venture seems to have gotten off to a bad start, Doctor.”

  Aware of Leon’s eyes on her profile, Flora bit back the first answer that rose to her lips. My new venture is going just fine. It’s my luck that seems to be going to pieces. This wasn’t the time or place for an emotional response and she doubted Laurie’s words were intended as a criticism of her professional expertise.

  “In answer to your question about why we’re here, I was concerned because Joy Valeski missed an appointment this afternoon,” she said. “Before you ask, no, I don’t visit every patient who doesn’t show up. But the circumstances of Joy’s appointment were unusual, and she’d been good to me since my arrival in town. I thought I’d stop by and see how she was.”

  “Who made the call to your office?” Leon asked Laurie.

  The police chief was frowning as she looked up from the body. “It was anonymous. And it was to my personal cell phone, not to the Stillwater PD.”

  A shiver ran down Flora’s spine. It felt horribly coincidental that someone was calling Laurie around the same time she and Leon were heading to Joy’s house. “But you must know if it was a man or a woman? And surely you can trace the call?”

  The frown line between Laurie’s brows deepened. “No. That was also strange. He, or she, used voice-changing software. It was like listening to an alien. And the number was withheld. There’s no way of knowing who it was.”

  “The person who made that call went to a lot of trouble to make sure you didn’t find out their identity.” Leon’s words were almost an echo of Flora’s thoughts.

  Laurie nodded as she got her cell phone out. “Which is why we need to get Dr. Lamb’s team here urgently to collect the body.”

  While Laurie was making the call to the West County Coroner’s Office in Elmville, Flora looked down at the body, emotion coming at her in a rush. Three and a half years had passed since her husband, Danny, had been killed, but the same sadness hit her every time she came face-to-face with death. The emotional connection was part of her job, but she was reminded that this was a person. Joy had laughed and loved. She’d had hopes and dreams, too...

  “It could take some time for Dr. Lamb to get here, but we can wait on the porch.”

  Leon’s hand under her elbow brought Flora back to the present, his touch drawing her away from the memory of that awful night when she’d waited and waited for Danny to come home. Instead, his colleagues from the narcotics squad had turned up in the cold, gray dawn. Danny and his partner had been following up on a lead, pursuing a drug dealer. One bullet. That was all it had taken to end Flora’s hopes and dreams.

  When they got outside, Flora drew in a welcome breath of fresh air. She took a seat on the porch steps and Tiny joined her. She took a moment to consider the situation. Sitting down, the dog was taller than her and his bulk took up most of the space, but there was something comforting about his presence. Almost as though he sensed her distress and was trying to ease it.

  She reached up a hand to stroke his head, and he turned his whiskery face toward her, licking the inside of her wrist. None of the sloppy, exuberant kisses of earlier. Just that single, comforting touch. Maybe Leon was right, and the oversized puppy was trying to find a way to grow up.

  Looking up, she found Leon was watching her. His expression was hard to read. It could have been concern. There might even have been a hint of sympathy in the troubled depths of his eyes. If that was the case, it meant the Stillwater gossips had been hard at work and he knew her story.

  “It never gets any easier, does it?” The gentle note in his voice put her off balance. It was as if he really did understand what she was going through. Flora was grateful for the warmth and understanding she saw in his eyes. At the same time, she saw a reflection of her own pain in his gaze.

  “It’s always hard when a patient dies and we ask ourselves if we could have done more.” Flora searched for the right words of comfort for both of them. “But loss is harder for those of us who are already experiencing feelings of bereavement. It’s piling fresh hurt on top of existing pain.”

  Leon’s eyelids fluttered briefly, telling her she had struck a chord within him. It was clear that he had as many emotional burdens to carry as she did. Flora wasn’t sure she wanted to know any more than that. What she wanted was to get on with her job and make a new home for herself and her boys. The thought served as a reminder...

  “I have to make a call. I was expecting to be done here by now.” She reached into her pocket for her cell phone. “I need to call the daycare center to explain why I’ve been delayed.”

  “Ah, yes,” Leon said. “I’ve heard about the new arrivals who’ve been taking Daisy’s Daycare by storm.”

  Flora groaned. “Are you trying to tell me my boys already have a reputation?”

  That slight twitching of Leon’s lips was more pronounced this time. It was almost as if his smile muscles didn’t get much use and they needed to warm up before going for the real thing. In another situation, it might have provoked her into wanting to make him use them more often. But Leon was the one who’d drawn up the professional battle lines. He was the one who’d made it clear they were on opposing sides. Flora had no idea why, particularly as the trustees of the Ryerson Center had offered his boss a lucrative partnership.

  Before he could respond, Detective Joe Nolan, who had come out onto the porch without her hearing him, laughed. “Two little whirlwinds, that’s what they were when I came out to your place to investigate your break-in. How old are they?”

  “Almost three.”

  Joe shook his head. “Mine are eight and six. I don’t know how you do it with two of them so small. And you all on your own—” He broke off, his expression becoming a mask of confusion. Clearly, he had heard her story and didn’t know how to react.

  “I’ve never known it any other way.” Flora had never quite gotten the hang of this widowhood thing and how to spare other people second-hand embarrassment over mentioning her dead husband.

  She saved either of them need for further comment by making her call to Daisy Cain at the daycare center, explaining the situation. Finding Daisy’s Daycare had taken away one of the biggest headaches involved in making the move to a new town. And she liked Daisy. It was too soon to say she was becoming a friend, but Flora felt comfortable with her.

  “Not a problem. My staff and I have a few other late pick-ups today,” Daisy assured her. “Everything’s fine.”

  “Is that fine as in ‘fine,’ or fine as in ‘that’s what we tell the anxious parents’?” Flora asked.

  Daisy laughed. “I’ve dealt with twins before, but I’ve never seen anything like the way your two work as a tag team. While one gets your attention, the other one is behind your back stirring up something else.”

  “Welcome to my world,” Flora sighed. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”

  Laurie emerged from the house as Flora ended her call. “Bad news. Dr. Lamb has just been called out to attend an unexpected death and his assistant is on vacation. We could be here for a while.”

  As she spoke, tires crunched on the track outside. The vehicle that came into view was a coroner’s wagon with the West County Medical Examiner logo on its side. When it halted, the man who climbed out of the passenger seat walked straight toward the house.

  “Chief Delaney.” Dr. William Lamb was tall and gray-haired with a stern attitude. Flora recognized him, having driven over to Elmville to
introduce herself to him in her first week in the job. “I came as soon as I could.”

  Laurie regarded him with a bemused expression. “Dr. Lamb. I just finished calling your office.” Elmville was over an hour’s drive from Stillwater. “But they told me you were out dealing with another case.”

  He frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. When you and I spoke earlier, I put everything else on hold, so I could meet you here as you requested.”

  Laurie looked even more confused. “Dr. Lamb, I haven’t spoken to you in person today.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets, glaring down at her with an expression that Flora imagined would send any other police officer running for the hills. “Of course you have. You called me and gave me this address. Told me you had a stabbing case and asked me to come right over.”

  * * *

  “I’m going to get some lunch.” Leon paused in the act of picking up his jacket from the coat hook behind the door. The look on Tegan Jackson’s face told its own story. “I’m not going to get some lunch?”

  The receptionist shook her head. “I just got off the phone with Daisy at the daycare center. She’s got a kid with his arm stuck under the outdoor play equipment.”

  “Sounds like a job for the fire service.” Even as he voiced his doubts, Leon was returning to his office for his bag.

  “They’re on their way, but Daisy is worried the kid may have broken his arm. He could need some pain relief while they cut him out.”

  Daisy’s Daycare was at the opposite end of Main Street from the clinic, but it was a long road. That, the thought of a child in pain, together with the possibility that he might have to take the boy to the emergency room if his parents weren’t around, or didn’t have transport, factored into Leon’s thinking as he drove the short distance.

  The morning had been a quiet one, which was just as well because his mind insisted on replaying the events of the previous evening.