Chasing Secrets
Sounded more and more like the boyfriend was the attacker, but Ray didn’t want to make assumptions. “No medical alert listed.” Ray scanned the driver’s license. “ID confirmed as Sarah Mayfair.” He returned the wallet to the purse, zipped it up and set it on the edge of the stretcher. “Why do you think the bottle could’ve been the boyfriend’s?”
“Because Sarah’s never been a user. She wouldn’t. Maybe she confronted him before I got here. We were supposed to meet at that bench.” She pointed through the trees. “But instead—” Her mouth pursed, and her forehead creased as her gaze flicked to the lake.
The male paramedic injected Sarah with something, perhaps naloxone, the overdose medicine many responders carried, though sometimes was too late for it to work.
The female paramedic approached Karenna and began asking her questions, trying to assess her well-being. Karenna shook her head. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Just get her to the hospital.”
“Ma’am, we’re doing that. I need to make sure you’re okay, too. You said he stepped hard on your chest to keep you under water?”
Ray’s ears roared. He had no right to feel so protective, especially after all the years apart, but the surge in his adrenaline didn’t seem to care. Sure, her wealthy father had said Ray’s career wasn’t a fit for her future and that a cop could never give her the lifestyle to which she was accustomed. The man had even insinuated he would be forced to disown his daughter if Ray didn’t back off.
Her father wasn’t the main reason for the breakup, though Ray had never told Karenna about the threat. It was simply a wake-up call to all the other problems they’d been up against. First and foremost, she’d never understood his intense dedication to his job, but her father hadn’t died from an oxycodone overdose like his had.
Abby whined, staring at him, concerned at the change in his demeanor. He leaned down and patted the spaniel’s head. Maybe if he and Karenna had still been together, he would’ve figured out Sarah’s boyfriend was a potential dealer and caught him before Sarah or Karenna had been hurt.
Karenna waved away medical treatment, promising she’d go to a doctor if she had new symptoms. “But I’d like to ride with Sarah to the hospital.”
The paramedic shook her head in reply. “You’ll have to drive yourself since you refused treatment. They also might not let you see her without a family member’s permission until she’s conscious.”
“Ready,” the other paramedic called. They moved as one, rushing Sarah toward the ambulance—a challenge considering the bushes.
“I’ve got her statement,” Officer Holloway said to Ray. “I also requested a team to search the park. There’s not too much to go on, though. Tall, well-dressed, with sunglasses.” The guy pointed at Abby. “If you think this is drug-related, you want to take it from here?”
In other words, Holloway was all too happy to not have to be the one to write the report. Ray was grateful, though. He needed to see the case through if he was going to sleep at night.
“I need to contact her parents.” Karenna said it so softly Ray almost missed it.
“Yeah, I’ll take it from here,” Ray said.
The officer nodded and followed the paramedics, leaving them alone. They were silent at first, staring at each other.
“Why’d you think the attacker would come back?” he finally asked.
Karenna’s eyes glistened and she tilted her head to the sky. “I don’t…” Her voice faltered for a second and she exhaled before trying again. “While I waited for help, I realized the attack on Sarah didn’t seem planned. I mean if a person wanted to murder—”
Ray couldn’t keep asking her to relive the moment, but he thought he could catch her train of thought. “You think it was a heat of the moment crime.”
Karenna nodded.
“So when he attacked you…”
Her eyelashes fluttered as she wrapped the blanket tighter around her frame. “I think he was angry I stopped him from killing Sarah, but more important, I saw his face. And if that was the case…”
She didn’t need to say it. The man would want to clean up his mistake, finish the job. A promise rose to Ray’s lips in a heartbeat. “I’ll find him and make sure that never happens. You’re safe with me now.”
TWO
Safe with Raymond Morrow? The same guy who’d ripped her heart out five years ago by breaking up with her wanted to keep her safe? The promise sounded more dangerous than helpful.
After a year of dating him, she’d really thought they had a future, but after they’d gone to the next level of meeting each other’s families, he’d simply said it was obvious they weren’t going to work out. That was the last time she’d heard from or seen him in five years.
The lack of closure had almost turned her into a needy mess at first. Only her pride had kept her from seeking him out and begging for specific reasons. Instead, after a few weeks of daily visits to get a brownie from The Chocolate Room, she’d rallied and focused on what kind of person she wanted to be and the kind of life she wanted to live.
That painful time of reflection had emboldened her enough to step out from under her father’s influence and make her own way in the world. So far it’d been a hard but worthwhile transition. She’d changed a lot since she and Ray had broken up, but one thought still stung. If Ray had ever really loved her, wouldn’t he have stuck around long enough to explain his concerns, to give them a fighting chance?
Karenna couldn’t voice her thoughts aloud, though, or he might assume she wasn’t over him. His declaration, however, helped jolt her out of reliving the attack on an endless loop. She self-consciously glanced down at the yellow blanket draped over her before returning his gaze. “I never thought we’d run into each other like this.”
His hair, wavy and thick on top but curled on the sides, was on the verge of being too long for the job. Ray always waited to schedule a trim until the last minute, but she’d never complained because she loved trailing her fingers through his hair while they talked or watched television together. Take-out and relaxing after work had been a favorite way to spend time together. He’d always fidget with his dad’s army challenge coin, rolling and flipping it back and forth over his knuckles. After a while he’d unwind enough to talk about their day, their hopes and dreams…
She blinked the thoughts away. The dark blue uniform complemented his eyes, a dark brown that reminded her of chocolate. He’d only grown more handsome with age.
Figured.
Meanwhile, her mascara—since she hated the waterproof type—had likely created dark circles under her eyes, and she didn’t even want to think about the state of her hair. Shallow thoughts—especially given the would-be killer on the loose—but she couldn’t help it. In daydreams, she’d always looked attractive and happy when she bumped into Ray after so many years. Reality wasn’t as kind.
His expression, much like his posture, looked hard and unmoving as he hitched a thumb over his shoulder. “Can I give you a ride somewhere?”
She hesitated. Her pride wanted to prove that she didn’t need his help at all, but the sun dipped dangerously close to the horizon. Either she waited alone for a ride she couldn’t afford, walked home while constantly looking over her shoulder, or accepted his offer. “Yes, please.”
He gestured to the opening in the trees closest to her. The cute dog at his side, with fluffy ears, moved to Ray’s left as if knowing exactly how he would command, and they walked side by side on the path. Park-goers in every direction seemed to be paying attention to her now. Perhaps it was the combination of dog, officer and yellow blanket that did the trick, but in any case, she only felt more self-conscious and scanned the surroundings for his squad car.
“I need to track down this boyfriend. Marcus,” he said. “Has a last name come to mind yet? Did Sarah ever send you a photo of him or them?”
“Only once, after I teased her that he was an imaginary boyfriend because I still hadn’t met him. She insists on using the Now You See app—you know, the one that shows texts or pictures only for a minute before it disappears. So annoying because you can’t go back and reread what was discussed. I only have the app because of her.”
He nodded and made a note on his phone. “So if you saw a photo of him… Was the boyfriend the same one who attacked you?”
That seemed like an easy question, but she couldn’t answer with certainty. “It was back when they first started dating. The photo was far away and, if I’m being honest, I didn’t really care what he looked like at the time so I wasn’t paying much attention. He might not have even known Sarah took it.”
“Anything else you can tell me? Identifying details?”
“He seemed to have money. I can’t explain it, but I know he was wearing high-end stuff.”
He shrugged. “Well, I’m sure you would know.”
She stiffened at his comment. His tone was congenial and light, but something felt off.
“After a harrowing experience,” he continued, “the mind takes a while to calm down. So if you think of anything else in the next couple of days, let me know.”
The sounds of birds and nearby traffic didn’t overcome the awkwardness of walking together. She gestured at his dog, a breed that looked like a cross between a collie and a poodle. “I always thought K-9 dogs were German shepherds or Labrador retrievers.”
“Often, they are, but English springer spaniels have an incredible sense of smell. Police in the UK use them often.”
“Congratulations, then. A K-9 team was always your goal, right? Narcotics division, I assume.”
His expression hardened, maybe because of the implication that she used to know him so well. “Yes. Thank you.” They walked in silence a few more steps. “I was offered the job when more positions opened up in preparation for a new K-9 Unit in Brooklyn. I got assigned my furry partner several months ago.” He flashed a genuine smile. “We clicked instantly, and Abby and I have been inseparable ever since.”
The cute dog glanced up at Karenna and tilted her head down in a fast nod as if to say, “You’ve got that right.”
“Here we are.” Even Ray’s squad car had changed, now an SUV model. A sticker on the back door read Police Dog Keep Back.
Karenna took a step away from Abby and pointed. “Is she that dangerous?”
His eyebrows rose. “Abby?” He laughed. “No. She’s a soft-mouth dog, but all K-9 vehicles have the warning. We need the public to stay back, no matter the breed, when we get the dogs out. Especially if we need our partner to get right to work.”
He opened the backseat and Abby jumped in before he moved to open the passenger door for her. “I… Uh, I didn’t realize officers called the dogs their partners,” she said.
He helped her into the vehicle and closed the door behind her. She’d been in a patrol car before, as a ride-along once when Ray had worked in the traffic division. The computer system above the console seemed pretty similar. He quickly got in behind the wheel.
“I call her my partner because Abby is my partner.” He stared out the windshield. “She risks her life for me and the public. Referring to her as my partner reminds me of that.” He offered a slight smile and turned on the car. “I assume you still live in Park Slope?” His vowels grew longer when he was annoyed.
She glanced at him. True, there were swanky portions of the neighborhood, like her father’s company apartment she used to live in, but there were also apartments that were bare bones—still ridiculously expensive, but she managed to scrape by to make ends meet. “Yes, I live in Park Slope, but not at the same place I used to.”
He smirked slightly, but she didn’t owe him any explanations. Even though she had walked away from her father’s company and the cushy job and apartment it had provided, she didn’t want Ray to think it was because of him.
“Where to?” he asked.
She took a deep breath and tried to refocus. All that mattered right now was Sarah. Even if she came out of her coma, that man who’d tried to kill them was still out there. Karenna grabbed her purse and searched for her keys in the small zippered pocket. Sure enough, she still had Sarah’s spare key on the ring.
For the past few years she’d lived on her own but still wasn’t able to make ends meet without pulling from her trust fund. Her job focused on working with nonprofits, and she’d felt like a fraud whenever campaign budgets were discussed when she couldn’t even make her finances work without dipping into her father’s money.
So six months ago she’d made a drastic decision and moved into the smallest place yet. Sarah had taken one look and insisted on giving her a key to her bigger and nicer apartment, telling Karenna she could crash whenever she wanted.
Sarah was the closest thing she had to a sister, but Karenna had still been too proud to accept. She had used the key to take in Sarah’s mail and water her plants when her friend was out of town. Sarah hadn’t gone away lately, though, since Marcus had come into her life.
The thought of him made up her mind. “I want to go to Sarah’s place. She probably has a photo of her boyfriend in the apartment. I can confirm whether it’s the same guy and you can put an alert out on him. Right?”
“Theoretically, yes. But I don’t have a search—”
“No, I’m not asking you to. I’ve got her key and she said I could consider myself an unofficial roommate. I’m going to look for a photo and make sure this guy can’t hurt her again.” She rattled off Sarah’s address.
He frowned. “If the boyfriend is the attacker, it’s possible he has access to Sarah’s apartment, too. I can’t stop you from going, of course, but…”
“If it’s going to cause you problems, just drop me off. I feel like I’m failing her by not knowing whether the attacker is the same guy or not.”
He sighed. “Technically my shift is over. And since he could be there getting rid of evidence himself, I’d feel better if I went in with you. In an unofficial capacity. As a friend.”
She almost flinched at those last words. They were not friends, and the last thing she wanted was more time alone with Ray. Even the smell of his aftershave, like the smell of a forest after a rain, taunted her with memories. The fastest way to get him out of her life was to confirm the identity of the attacker. “Fair enough. I mean… I’d appreciate that.”
His left eyebrow raised but he didn’t reply.
Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of Sarah’s brownstone. Karenna left the emergency blanket and her damp jacket in the vehicle when Ray opened the doors for her and Abby.
Past the wrought iron front gate, she ran up the stairs to the front door and used the silver key. Once inside the building, they took the elevator to the third floor. Sarah’s apartment was the first one on the left.
Ray touched her shoulder gently. “Please let Abby and me go in first as a precaution.”
She gave Ray the key to the apartment. He unlocked the door then stepped inside and poked his head in the two rooms before waving her in. “All clear. We’ll wait while you look.”
Every piece of furniture looked brand-new, including the leather couch. Sarah had no qualms about using her modest trust fund to supplement her freelance art income. Although, Karenna wouldn’t have thought her friend could afford high-end new furniture, either.
She moved to the bedroom. While her clothes were mostly dry, her shoulders and arms were freezing. She grabbed a blue cardigan—one she’d actually loaned to Sarah ages ago—from the closet and slipped it over her arms.
The pink and orange shades from the sunset shone through the open blinds as Ray entered the bedroom with Abby. “Any success?”
His K-9 partner strained toward the nightstand and did a little dance before she sat down, her nose pushing against the drawer.
On the nightstand there was a photo of Sarah and her parents in front of the Eiffel Tower.
“Karenna?” Ray pointed to the drawer but made no move to open it. “I know you want to protect Sarah, but whatever is in there might help the doctors treat her.”
Her heart raced. She wanted to help Sarah, but what if whatever was in that drawer would actually ruin Sarah’s life if in the hands of a cop?
Ray saw the fear in Karenna’s eyes at his request. Despite her ruffled appearance, she had an ethereal beauty that had only magnified over the years. And right now she looked in desperate need of warm, comforting arms around her. If only he didn’t know how right it felt to hold her close.
She looked between Abby and Ray. “I told you I wasn’t expecting you to do a search. I had no intention to give consent. I agreed you could come because I was worried—”
“That the boyfriend might show up.” Ray blew out a breath. “You’re right. This isn’t an official search. Obviously, you have a key, but you’re not a regular resident. Even if I wanted to, claiming consent to search wouldn’t hold up in court.” He pointed to the drawer again. “Nevertheless, what’s in there could help Sarah get the right treatment, but as you said, you’re the unofficial roommate. It’s up to you.”
She crossed the room to get to the nightstand. “Or, whatever is in there might point to her boyfriend.”
Ray didn’t argue. Denial that friends and family had a drug problem proved hard to overcome, even with evidence.
Abby placed one paw out in front of Karenna’s path as if to say, “Wait your turn.” Ray almost laughed at the gesture.
Karenna hesitated then reached past and opened the drawer. Another pill bottle, mostly full, without a label, rested on its side next to discarded bobby pins, a bottle of hand lotion, a pair of sunglasses and a few pens.
“Please allow me, Karenna. We don’t know what’s in there yet.” Raymond had dealt with his fair share of illegal drugs and depending on the dose and chemical variations, the stuff could be lethal by touch or smell. “Just last month an officer searched a car that had cotton balls soaked in fentanyl. He passed out and hit his head.”
He held up the bottle to the light. The pills inside were stamped with a well-known antianxiety brand name, but the letters were crooked and some of the pills looked cracked and flaky. Lots of narcotics were made to look like legal prescriptions, though, and he knew this particular one like the back of his hand. Definitely a fake. “Either Sarah is messing with oxycodone. Or this mysterious boyfriend is.”
Karenna’s face fell and she crossed the room to the window. “No. I’m telling you, Ray, she wouldn’t.” Her voice shook. “I shared with her what happened with your dad and made her promise she would never touch the stuff.”
Something unfurled in his chest, but he didn’t take time to analyze it. “Why would you go so far as making her promise that to you?”
She slumped onto the edge of a pink wingback chair next to the other nightstand. She stared out the window and shook her head. “She was hanging out with some acquaintances from school who used to be into that sort of stuff and I was worried. I know people can grow up and change but…”
Unlikely. But he didn’t want to cause her more grief. “Let’s say you’re right and the pills belong to the boyfriend. She found his stash, took the bottle away and chucked it in here with the intention of flushing the pills later. If she confronted him at the park about it, then we would have a motive.” And if the drugs turned out to be Sarah’s, then there were a couple of other motives he could think of, too.
Her face paled, and she pulled back into the chair as far as she could. “Ray,” she whispered. “He’s here. Down there. Outside. Across the street.” Her entire body looked rigid, her fingers gripping both armrests.
“What?” He strode over and looked out. The sky had dimmed to the darkest blue shade right before the colors on the horizon disappeared and the moon took over the shift. Ray didn’t see anyone out there, but he didn’t hesitate to grab his radio and call in for backup.
Ray grabbed the cord and lowered the blinds. His radio crackled with confirmation backup was on the way. He turned to Karenna. “Tell me what you saw. Was it the man who tried to kill you? Describe him. What was he wearing?”
“Yes, yes. It was him. He had those horrible sunglasses on. Dark hair. Black jacket for spring but it looked kind of tailored to him. Crisp. Dark shirt, dark pants, but with dress shoes that looked expensive.”
That description probably fit half of professional New Yorkers. His frustration was probably evident.
“I’m not good at fashion like Sarah. I don’t know.”
“Did he see you? Did it look like he was leaving or coming?”
She threw her hands up. “I don’t know!”
He held his hands out. “It’s okay. We’re going to get away from the windows and stay inside until backup arrives. Officers are going to check the perimeter and make sure he’s not out there. If he is, we’ll get him. This will all be over with, and I’ll take you home.”
Her face looked paler than the eggshell-colored wall behind her. She pulled her shoulders back and attempted to smile. “That sounds easy enough. Thank you.”
His stomach flipped at her attempt to sound tough. She didn’t move from the chair, though. Her fingertips turned white and they pressed as far into the padding as possible. He fought the impulse again to hold her hand and pull her in for a hug.
She never did like asking for help, which was probably why he was so surprised after a year of dating to find out that she’d been raised by a wealthy investment banker who ran the biggest conglomerate on the east coast. Karenna was nothing like the stereotypes of rich girls. “Hey,” he said. “Let’s try to find a photo of the boyfriend while we’re waiting here for the officers to finish looking around outside.”
Her eyes shifted to the walls, a new hopeful gaze to them.
He reached over and rested his hand on hers. He tried to ignore the electric heat rushing up his arm. “Today’s been too much, right?”
She closed her eyes and exhaled before letting them flutter open again. “I’ll be fine, Ray.” Her voice had regained its business-like tone. She glanced at his hand with one eyebrow raised.
He removed it instantly and stood. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I’ll close the rest of the blinds. I’d like you to wait in the living room, away from the windows.”
His radio squawked and Ray answered, relaying what little detail he knew about the man they were looking for to the responding officers. The fact the attacker was at the apartment building seemed a strong indicator they were dealing with Sarah’s boyfriend. He hoped they could interview some of the neighbors to see if anyone had a better description of the guy.
Abby stayed at his side as he made the rounds, closing the blinds. He was in the small bathroom when she began to whine. Odd. He stopped for a second and watched her. Had she found more drugs?
She barked, looking straight at Ray then bouncing as if wanting him to follow her. He let the leash loose. She barked again and headed for the living room.
A faint beeping reached his ears. He followed Abby into the living room only to find Karenna, arms wrapped around herself, staring at the back of the kitchen wall.
The paint began to blister and pop with brown spots. “Ray? What do we do?” Her voice cracked with uncertainty. She held up a shaking finger. “I think the apartment next door is on fire.”
As if agreeing, the smoke alarm closest to them went off. A hiss from the ceiling immediately followed. Sprinklers descended and sprayed freezing water over their heads. For half a second, Ray’s muscles were paralyzed with indecision. A fire coming from the apartment next door had to be a trap, a way of forcing Karenna into the open. So the question remained.
Did they face death inside or outside?
THREE