Cold feet(66)
Author: Brenda Novak

"I used to be."

"Then you’re a civilian just like me, which means you’re trespassing and you’ve got no right to be here." Caleb didn’t respond because it was true.

"I’ll tell you what I told the detectives who already came by," Tye said in a disgruntled voice. "I’ve never seen her before."

"Is that the truth?"

"What do you think?"

Caleb thought he was lying. He’d never considered Tye a real suspect in the killings, but there was something suspicious about his belligerent attitude and his reluctance to really look at Caleb.

"I have a woman who says she saw you there," Caleb said, folding the picture neatly. He meant Jennifer, but he was bluffing. When Caleb had met with Jennifer, he’d shown her a picture of Tye and been told she’d never seen him before. But that didn’t prove Tye wasn’t at the pizza place. She’d admitted she hadn’t been able to tell who Susan was arguing with.

A muscle jumped in Tye’s cheek. "What woman?"

"Someone who was there that night, too."

A door shut discreetly over at the neighbor’s, but Caleb didn’t even look in that direction. He was too busy studying Tye’s face.

"That’s bullshit, man," Tye said.

"Is it?"

Silence. Tye stood, obviously agitated, but his mouth remained firmly closed.

"Have you had possession of your father’s truck in the past few weeks, Tye?"

Now Madison’s half brother looked positively furtive. He curled his fingers into fists, and Caleb straightened, preparing for anything…just in case. "No, I haven’t," Tye muttered.

"I have a witness who says you drove your father’s truck to the pizzeria that night," Caleb said, taking it one step further.

Tye’s chest rose as if he’d inhaled deeply. Caleb got the impression he was about to reveal…something. But he didn’t. "Get out of here," he said instead. "Get out of here right now or you’ll be damn sorry you ever showed up."

Shit. Caleb’s bluff hadn’t paid off. He stared at Tye’s angry face another long moment, then turned to leave.

He was only a few miles from Tye’s neighborhood when an old Dodge came screaming up behind him. A chubby, middle-aged man honked and yelled for him to pull over.

Caleb rolled down his window. "What do you want?" he called above the wind as the man drove alongside him.

"Are you a detective?"

To keep things simple, Caleb nodded.

"That’s what I thought." The guy braked to avoid a collision with the car ahead, and Caleb slowed to stay even with him. "I live right next to Tye Purcell," he hollered when it was safe to glance over again. "Pull off the road. I have some information for you."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Holly asked the moment Caleb answered his cell phone.

Caleb grimaced at the sound of her voice and changed lanes so he could speed up. "Heading home." Racing home…

"Where have you been?"

"Nowhere important," he said. After her behavior at Lance’s last night, he was reluctant to share the grim information he’d just received. "Did you call for a reason?"

The phone went silent for a few seconds, then she said, "I left my purse in your car."

"I haven’t seen it."

"It has to be there. I had it with me last night, and I haven’t gone anywhere since."

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Caleb reached over to feel around the passenger seat. He found a few gum wrappers and a quarter wedged next to the console, but no purse. "It’s not here, Holly."

"Then I must’ve left it at your house."

Wonderful. Another excuse to visit. "If it’s there, I’ll bring it over later, okay?" he said.

"Caleb, I need it right now."

"Holly, I’m tired." And he had to talk to Madison…. "Why–"

"I won’t stay long," she promised.

He ground his teeth. He didn’t want to see his ex-wife; he wanted to deal with what he’d found out. But he thought he’d be able to get rid of Holly more quickly and easily if he just gave her the damn purse. "Okay," he said. "But don’t come for an hour or so. I’m in south Seattle and the ferry to Whidbey always takes awhile."

MADISON SCRUBBED HER FACE with her hand and blinked, trying to clear the blurriness from her eyes. Once she’d finally gone to sleep, she hadn’t stirred for hours, thanks to the natural letdown of her emotions, combined with the effect of those sleeping pills. But then someone had knocked at the door, and she’d dragged herself out of bed to find the sun peeking through rain clouds and Caleb’s ex-wife standing on her stoop.

"Can I help you?" Madison said, steadying herself with a hand on the lintel.

Holly didn’t answer right away. Her gaze traveled slowly over Madison’s robe to her well-worn slippers before returning to her face. "I left my purse at Caleb’s house last night, but he isn’t home."

Madison waited for her to make some sort of request, but Holly didn’t add anything else. "I have an extra key," Madison said, "but I’m afraid I can’t let you in without Caleb’s permission. Have you tried calling him?"

Holly smiled. "Of course. He said he’d be here in a minute. I was just hoping you and I could have a little talk while I wait."

"A little talk about what?"

"Just a few things I think you should be aware of."

There was something about Holly’s manner Madison didn’t like or trust. And she wasn’t eager to face any more unpleasant surprises. She felt sick every time she thought about her visit with Caleb at his parents’ house and how wonderful it had been compared to the confrontation that had occurred afterward.

But basic good manners demanded she hear Holly out. She was certainly curious. "Come inside," she said, because it was beginning to sprinkle.

Feeling she needed a jolt of caffeine to help restore her faculties, Madison led the way to the kitchen so she could make a pot of coffee.

"Nice place," Holly said, scratching one arm through her leather jacket as she came down the hall. "Did you decorate it yourself?"

"Yes." Madison motioned to the kitchen table. "Would you like to sit down?"

"No thanks." Caleb’s ex-wife circled the room, gazing at the cupboards and appliances, examining the magnets and pictures on the fridge. "How long have you lived here?" she asked.

"Not quite a year."

"Since your divorce from Danny, the engineer?"

Madison was about to fill the coffeemaker with fresh grounds, but turned to stare at Holly instead. "How do you know anything about Danny? Or my divorce?"