“Tell my uncle? No. I think they’ve only met each
other once at a wedding, so, no.” He put another twenty in her bookbag. “Get
some food. Promise me.”
“Tom.” Overwhelmed, she had to say it once more.
“Thank you.”
Tuesday, February 23, 5:50 p.m.
Jack dropped a photo on Abbott’s desk. “We think we
found him.”
Abbott picked up the photo of a clean-cut
forty-four-year-old man. “Who is he?”
“His name is Axel Girard,” Noah said. “He’s an
optometrist in Edina. His car followed Christy Lewis’s out of the waffle house
lot on Monday.”
“Does he have a record?” Abbott asked.
“No,” Noah said. “Only one speeding ticket years ago.
He’s a churchgoing man and was volunteer of the year for doing free eye exams
in inner-city neighborhoods.”
Abbott sighed. “And our killer glues their eyes open.”
“Exactly,” Jack said and put down a series of
time-stamped photos. “Security video shows him waiting in his car for over an
hour. When Christy came out, she went to the gas station next door. He moved
his car so that he was closer to the shared exit. Christy filled up her tank.
She leaves, and a minute later, so does Girard.”
“You can’t see his face in any of these pics,” Abbott
said.
Jack showed him a close-up of Girard’s Minnesota
plate. “But we got his plate.”
“Then pick him up. I’ll get Ramsey from the DA’s
office to observe. Good work, both of you.” Abbott sat back in his chair and
studied Noah’s concerned face. “Isn’t it?”
Jack scowled. “Web thinks it was too easy.”
Noah shrugged. “For such a supposedly smart man, that
was a really dumb move.”
“Pick him up,” Abbott said again. “Then we’ll see how
smart he is. Noah, wait. We requested the files from Eve’s study a few hours
ago. Tell her I’m sorry.”
Noah nodded. Her life was now officially changed once
more. “Okay.”
Tuesday, February 23, 6:20 p.m.
“What’s the verdict?” Eve asked when David came in,
blowing on his cold fingers.
“You’ve got holes in your roof,” he said dryly. “I
patched the one over your bed and I’ll do the other tomorrow.” He perched on
the arm of her stuffed chair. “Who is that?”
“Gary,” Eve said with a nod toward the avatar on her
screen. Gary sat on a bar stool at Ninth Circle looking very out of place and
very geeky.
“He’s not your usual style.”
He was totally vanilla, exactly as Eve had wanted.
“He’s from the template.”
“Why?” David drew the syllable out, suspiciously.
“Because I saw that handsome avatar that was talking
to Christy in Ninth Circle the night she was killed. He was back in Ninth
Circle dancing with an avatar I don’t know.”
“And then you called Detective Webster, just like you
promised.”
“I did, but got his voicemail.” She’d wanted to rush
up to the woman dancing with the avatar and warn her. The woman was new, one of
Eve’s own designs. But she didn’t warn her, and it was eating at her. Instead,
she waited while Gary kept an eye out.
“So what’s up with Gary?”
“I don’t want Noah to get in trouble, but I wanted to
visit Claudio. Claudio designed the male dancer, so I couldn’t go using one of
my designs. He’d have spotted me right away and thought I was spying on his new
spring line. Claudio is very paranoid.”
“Claudio is very pricey,” David said.
“Spendy. That’s what they say here. Tell me you didn’t
buy from Claudio.”
“Nah, just went for ideas. I spend my Shadowbucks on
cars. Really fast cars.”
She smiled at him, delighted. “You’re a racer?”
“Occasionally. I had to upgrade my computer system. The
Monte Carlo expansion pack uses more RAM than my computer came with.”
“You should’ve gone with the poker expansion pack. No
additional RAM needed.”
“But racing is cooler. Do you play in the casino?”
“Used to. Now I just watch. One of my red-zones lives
at the poker table. Awhile back, I was the top winner for weeks. But racing is
cooler.”
“So why’d you go see Claudio?”
“I thought I’d find out about that avatar, see who
he’s sold it to.”
David looked skeptical. “He won’t tell you that, will
he?”
“He did. Gary asked for references. Claudio felt sorry
for Gary’s plainness, and was happy to help him upgrade, giving screen names of
clients, two of which bought the dancer. I’ll give them to Noah. He needs to
call soon. I have to work tonight.”
David frowned. “I don’t like the idea of you being
alone.”
“I work in a bar full of cops. I’ll be fine. If you’re
so worried, come with me.”
He shook his head. “I’m having dinner with Tom.”
Eve frowned. “Not fair. The only time I have the night
off, he’s at a game.”
“Take the night off. It’ll be like old times.”
It sounded sweet. “I want to, but I can’t. I missed
last night and I need the money.”
“Then I’ll drop you off and pick you up at Sal’s.”
“That’ll work. I think I’ll call Noah again. Sal’s
gonna be pissed if I’m late.”
Tuesday, February 23, 6:45 p.m.
“This is a mistake.” Joan Girard followed as Noah and
Jack escorted her husband from their nice Edina home, wringing her hands in
helpless misery. “A huge mistake.”
“Of course it is.” Axel Girard tried to soothe his wife.
“Call the lawyer, he’ll know what to do. Keep the boys calm. Tell them I’ll be
home in time to read their bedtime stories.”
“Now that’s a fairy tale, pal,” Jack said caustically.
“You shouldn’t lie to your kids like that. But then again, what’s a little lie
after three murders?”
“I’m telling you I have no idea what you’re talking
about. Joan, go back inside,” Girard said, his smile forced. He gestured toward
their picture window with his head, where two terrified children cried as their
father was taken away.
Jack wasn’t gentle as he helped Girard into the
backseat. “Keep your hands where I can see them or I’ll have to cuff you in
front of the kids. Come on, Web. Let’s go.”
“Wait.” Noah’s cell was vibrating for the third time
in minutes. “I need to take this.”
“Fine. Just hurry.” Jack got behind the wheel, turning
to watch Axel Girard.
Noah glanced at his caller ID. Eve. “What’s happened?”
“I tried to call you before,” Eve started.
“This isn’t a good time. Can I call you back?”
“No. I have some information and need to leave for
work. I don’t think you want me to be talking about this in the bar. I found
the male avatar. He’s in Ninth Circle.”
Still outside the car, Noah stared at the man in the
backseat. “Right now?”
“Yeah. I’m lookin’ right at him.”
So am I
,
Noah thought, but his gut wasn’t right. “You’re sure it’s the same guy?”
“As sure as I can be. You told me not to approach
him.”
“You mean you didn’t? Not even as Nemesis?”
“I didn’t want to get you into trouble. But I did get
into the user files. The avatars were changed and I have the dates and times
the codes were accessed. You ready?”
He pulled his pad from his pocket.
I didn’t want to
get you into trouble.
Noah cursed himself for not having told her they’d
requested the study files. He should have, but he hadn’t.
You’re a coward
.
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
She rattled off times and dates, all within the last
three days. “He didn’t access any of their files until after you discovered
Martha’s body,” she said. “I don’t know why. I also have user names for you on
the dancer. Don’t worry, nobody will know it was me.”
Noah wrote it all down. “This is incredible, Eve.
Thank you.”
There was a half beat of silence. “What’s wrong,
Noah?”
Everything
,
he wanted to say. Girard was sitting in the backseat, lips moving.
Praying
,
Noah thought. Joan stood on their front porch, crying. Neither of them had been
on the computer when they’d arrived. The family had been at the dinner table.
“I’m not sure,” he said.
“Look, Noah, this guy is hitting on women in Ninth
Circle left and right. If this is the guy, he could be hunting as we speak.”
But Girard was not hunting. “Yeah, I know. Do me a
favor and call Abbott. Tell him about seeing the avatar. He can go online and
monitor.”
“He knows how?”
“Ah, he’s a quick study. He figured it out. How are
you getting to work tonight?”
“I have my car back, but David’s scared to let me
drive alone, so he’s driving me.”
“Good for David. You got your keys back, then?”
“No. I looked, but didn’t find them. I’m still using
the set Callie gave me last night.”
“I’ll see if CSU found them at the scene,” he said. He
drew a breath. “Eve… we had to request the participant files from the
university. I’m sorry.”
There was another beat of silence. “I knew you would.
It’s not your fault, Noah.”
“I’m still sorry. I’ll stop by Sal’s later if I can.”
“That’s fine,” she said, but it was as if all the air
had been forced from her lungs. She disconnected and he felt as if all the air
had been forced from his lungs, as well.
Jack rolled down his window. “You okay?”
No.
“Yeah.
I’m coming.”
Tuesday, February 23, 7:55 p.m.
“Excuse me, Miss Wilson?” Eve looked up from the drink
she was mixing to see a petite redhead perched on a bar stool, her hands folded
primly on the bar. Eve had seen her before. She was Trina, married to Noah’s
cousin Brock, who occasionally sat with Noah as he drank his tonic water. Trina
sometimes came in with her girlfriends and they were pretty good tippers, but
somehow Eve doubted Trina was here for a drink today. Eve knew when she was
being scrutinized. And found wanting.
She smiled, despite the jitters in her stomach.
“Chardonnay, right?”
Trina didn’t smile back. “Right, but I’m not here to
drink tonight. I came to see you. What are your intentions regarding Noah?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“You kissed him today in the Deli. Don’t look so
surprised,” she added dryly. “You of all people should know how the rumor mill
churns.”
“Cops and firefighters,” Eve murmured. “Nosy bastards.
No offense intended.”
Humor flickered briefly in the woman’s brown eyes.
“None taken. So?”
“I could say it’s none of your business,” Eve said.
Trina’s eyes narrowed. “But you won’t. I care about
Noah. He’s a good man.”
“I know,” Eve said quietly.
“And for some reason he cares about you.”
“I know,” Eve repeated, brushing aside her irritation
at
for some reason.
Trina was protecting her family. That Eve
understood. “That kiss…”
Didn’t mean anything
, she wanted to say, but
that was a lie. “Was a mistake. I’ve told Noah I’m not interested.”
“
You
kissed
him
, where everyone would
see,” Trina said, her lips thinning in disapproval. “You never struck me as a
tease, Eve.”
“I’m not a tease,” Eve responded, indignant. But
several customers were watching, so she leaned forward. “Talk to Noah. It needs
to come from him. It was for his job.”
Trina looked taken aback. “You’re helping him?” she
asked.
“I’m trying. But you don’t need to worry. I don’t
intend to cling when it’s all over.” Eve’s tone was harsh, sardonic. Because
clinging was exactly what she wanted to do.
“I see,” Trina murmured. “You do realize that you can
hurt him?”
Eve swallowed hard. “Yeah. I got that part. I’m doing
my best not to.”
“And you’re not interested? At all?”
God, yes
.
“No,” she said. Firmly.
Trina sat back, all primness gone. “You’re as bad a
liar as he is.”
Eve blinked at her. “Excuse me?”
Trina pulled a bowl of salted peanuts closer. “You
want him. He wants you. He’s a good man. You seem to be a good person, too. So
what’s the problem here?”
Eve shook her head. “Wait. You
want
me to want
him?”
“I want you to cling like socks out of the dryer.” She
popped a few nuts in her mouth while Eve stared. “He’s overcome a lot. From
what I’ve read on the Internet, so have you. Two lost souls, both want each
other… Color me a romantic, but it could work.”
Eve’s cheeks flamed. “It’s not that simple.”
Trina’s red brows rose. “Why not? You dying? Six
months to live?”
Eve coughed. “No,” she said, stunned.