Читать книгу Full Tilt - Rick Mofina, Rick Mofina - Страница 14
ОглавлениеNew York City
Kate’s express train barreled north out of Penn Station.
As she stared into the darkness, her mind raced, absorbing the call about the necklace.
Could it be Vanessa’s?
Contending with the ramifications and questions, she felt a knocking in her heart that turned into apprehension.
Stop it.
Vanessa’s dead. She died twenty years ago. Why do I put myself through this? Why do I cling to the hope that she survived? And now this: a homicide.
The subway platforms blurred by until Kate reached her stop. That’s when her phone rang. It was Nancy Clark, her neighbor, who watched her daughter.
“Hi, Kate, is this a bad time?”
“No. I’m just about home. Everything okay?”
“Oh, yes, Grace really wanted to talk to you.”
“All right, put her on.”
The sound of the phone being passed to Grace was followed by “Hi, Mom?”
“Hi hon. What’s up?”
“Mom, can I get my own phone?”
“Oh, sweetie.”
“But all my friends have phones.”
“I’ll think about it. I’ll be home soon. We’ll talk about it then.”
“Okay, Mom, love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Kate touched her phone to her lips and smiled.
What a kid.
Grace was her sun, her moon and the stars in her life. She’d taken to New York City like she was born here. She loved her school, her new friends, Central Park, the museums, everything about the city.
Kate treasured her job with Newslead, given her long road to get to this point. It had taken a little luck and a lot of hard work, but she’d turned a corner professionally and financially.
We’ve got a good life here. They lived in Morningside Heights in a Victorian-era building where she’d sublet an affordable two-bedroom apartment from a Columbia University professor who’d taken a sabbatical in Europe. While walking the few blocks home from the station, Kate checked for any updates from Anne Kelly at the Children’s Searchlight Network.
Nothing.
Kate picked up her mail in the lobby, the place where she and Grace first met Nancy Clark, a retired and widowed nurse who lived alone on the floor above them.
She was so kind and warm she had practically adopted Kate and Grace. They had each other over for coffee and Nancy quickly insisted she look after Grace whenever Kate worked or traveled. Now, outside Nancy’s apartment, Kate noticed the aroma of fresh baking before Grace opened the door.
“Hi, Mom! We made cookies!” Grace hugged Kate then went back to the kitchen table and collected a small tin and her backpack. “Nancy says I can take them home.”
“Okay,” Kate said. “Thanks for this, Nancy.”
“Anytime. We had fun. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
* * *
At home Kate and Grace each had a cookie while settling in before supper. As usual, Grace emptied her school backpack on the coffee table. Kate set aside the mail, fired up her laptop to review emails, then changed into jeans to prepare chicken tacos, rice and salad. Before setting the table, Kate checked her phone again.
Nothing from the Searchlight Network.
“Mom, did you think some more about my phone?” Grace asked while biting into her taco.
“Still thinking on it, hon.”
“Maybe we could look on your computer for a good one?”
“Not so fast, kiddo.” Kate smiled.
After supper, Kate helped Grace with her book report on Horton Hears a Who!
“Mom, who do you like better, the Cat in the Hat or Horton the Elephant?”
“Well, the Cat creates a lot of mischief whereas Horton tries to help people, so I guess Horton, for that reason.”
“The Cat’s a lot of fun, though.”
“Yes, but he leaves a big mess.”
Later, when Kate got Grace into the tub for her bath, Kate’s phone rang. The number was blocked. Kate left the bathroom door open and kept an eye on Grace, who was singing to herself as she splashed. Kate moved down the hall to take the call out of earshot.
“Hello?”
“Kate Page?”
She didn’t recognize the man’s voice.
“Yes, who’s calling?”
“Detective Ed Brennan, Rampart Police, Rampart, New York. I got your name and number from the flyer you’d submitted to the Children’s Searchlight Network.”
Kate caught her breath and tightened her grip on her phone.
“Yes.”
“My call concerns your listing of a necklace your six-year-old sister was in possession of when she was presumed to have drowned after an auto accident in Canada, twenty years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Could you go over the details of the necklace for me?”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Kate cleared her throat.
“A month before our mother died, she gave Vanessa and me each a tiny guardian angel necklace with our names engraved on the charms. Vanessa wanted to trade them, so she wore the one with my name on it and I kept the angel bearing her name.”
“So, except for the engraving, they’re identical?”
“Yes.”
“Do you still have the other necklace?”
“Yes, I do.”
“I understand you live in New York City.”
“That’s right.”
Brennan paused as if to choose his words carefully.
“I know this would be very difficult, and I apologize for the imposition, but would you be willing to bring the necklace to Rampart to show us? It might help with an ongoing investigation.”
“Couldn’t I just send you a picture?”
“We’d prefer to see the actual necklace—we might have other questions.”
Kate’s stomach began tightening.
“Can you tell me more about the case, Detective?”
A few moments passed.
“This is confidential,” Brennan said.
“Of course.”
“We’ve found a necklace at a crime scene that fits with the description you gave. However, the engraving is unclear at this point. It’ll need further analysis because it was badly charred.”
“Charred?”
“Unfortunately, it was discovered in the remains of a fire at the scene of what appears to be a murder-suicide. We have a white female in her twenties deceased, who was burned beyond recognition. We’re doing all we can to confirm her identity.”
Kate put her hand to her mouth, then glimpsed her daughter happily playing in the tub.
“You say it’s a murder-suicide, what—what else can you tell me?”
“The male’s identity is also unconfirmed. We’ve not released many details to the public at this point. I am very sorry to put you through this. But we wouldn’t have imposed if we didn’t have reason to believe your cooperation might assist us. Will you be able to bring the necklace to Rampart?”
“Yes. Yes, I’ll be there with the necklace tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Kate got Grace to bed, then called Chuck Laneer’s cell phone. Although Reeka Beck was her immediate boss, and going over her head would create tension, Kate preferred to talk to Chuck about this. They had a good relationship going back to Dallas when she’d told him about Vanessa’s tragedy.
“That’s an incredible development for you, Kate,” he said when she filled him in. “I don’t see a problem with you taking a few days off to follow up. But to steer clear of any potential conflict, you’re not going up there as a Newslead reporter.”
“Right.”
“You’re going on your own cost and time, to follow up on a private matter. I’ll let Reeka know you’re off for a few personal days.”
“Thank you.”
“Good luck with this, Kate. It can’t be easy.”
Kate then made arrangements with Nancy to watch Grace. She used her points to book a flight and car and started packing.
Then she went to her jewelry box and took out the necklace bearing the tiny guardian angel with the name “Vanessa” engraved on it. She held it in the palm of her hand until tears rolled down her face.
I tried to hold you. I tried so hard.
