“What happened to stalling?” I asked, motioning Gwen to hurry up the staircase.
“Once I showed them a video of your boy assaulting me, they got rid of me as soon as possible.”
“I owe you one. I’ll give you first shot at Jones when we nail him.”
“It’s only going to take one. I’m going to kill that little punk.”
“Deal.”
We bolted up the stairs and out of the house, fairly confident nothing was out of place and no prints were left. I trailed her into the woods, using my cane to fight off branches and prickers. Our adrenaline warmed the cold night.
We arrived at the van, huffing and puffing. At least I was, Gwen appeared as if she was ready to run a 5K. She started the vehicle and we peeled out of the driveway like we were driving the getaway car at a bank robbery. As we turned onto Evergreen, it seemed we were home free, and I let out a sigh of relief.
But that’s when we saw the flashing aerial lights of a police car. We both knew who it was.
I braced as Jones stepped toward the van. Gwen rolled down her window.
“Are you lost ma’am?” he said with a plastic, obviously forced smile.
What a comedian.
He looked to the passenger side and his face gripped with jealousy. “Good evening, Mr. Warner. I’m glad to see that you’re still in one piece after such a brutal assault.”
I doubted that he was. “Thank you, officer. I never like getting my ass kicked on an empty stomach.”
Jones turned back to Gwen. “I thought you were going home?”
“After the fight, I brought JP up to the emergency room at New Milford Hospital. But it was the typical Friday night zoo and the wait was like three hours. He said he was feeling better, so I was bringing him home.”
Jones looked at me. “I didn’t know you lived around here?”
Gwen thought fast once again. “We were headed there. But first I wanted to stop by and see that you were okay. I doubted you’d be here, but I wanted to at least leave you a note. It was actually an IOU for another dinner. I really hope we can do it again soon, but I also wanted you to know that I understand the sacrifices you have to make for your job.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out a note in an envelope and handed it to Jones. He read the note and appeared satisfied. She had thought of everything.
“I didn’t want you to think I was one of those clingy girlfriends, so I decided against leaving it. I guess I’m kinda a wimp.” She smiled at him.
“I’m glad you gave it to me,” Jones said with a creepy smile, and reached toward her. She jumped back—a natural reaction, but one that might make him suspicious … if he wasn’t already. Jones picked a pine-needle off of her dress. I looked down and noticed that we were both covered in pine needles. She made up a lame story about stopping at my parents’ house so I could pick up my health insurance information, before heading to the hospital. “The place is practically in the middle of the woods, and with his parents at the football game, there were no lights on. I ran right smack into a pine tree.”
“I’ve been to the Warner house, and it is very remote. I hope that you’re alright.”
“I’m better than the tree.” She laughed nervously once again, and then attempted to change the subject, “I thought you’d be working all night, Kyle. Maybe it’s not too late to have that dinner.”
“I’m tired, Gwen. I’ve had a rough night. So we’ll have to take a rain-check,” he held up his IOU as proof of a future date. “But we’re still on for our trip next week, right?”
“Of course. I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks.”
“That’s good to hear, Gwen. And it looks like I might have some unexpected vacation time coming to me. I’ll call you tomorrow—drive safe.”
Before returning to the police car, he handed Gwen the jacket she’d left on the way to the restaurant. He also flashed me a quick look to kill. I couldn’t figure out if his point of contention was my close proximity to Gwen, or if he wanted me to back off my investigation into Noah’s murder. Or maybe he was concerned we might have broken into his home and touched his Batman action figures. I contemplated the possibilities as I watched him walk back to his vehicle.
The minute he was gone, Gwen blurted, “He knows.”
“He just thinks we were doing it in the woods,” I attempted to joke, while picking another pine-needle off her dress.
“The way he looked at me—he knew.”
“He knows
what
? That we broke into his house? That he thinks we’re having some kind of steamy affair? That we now know that he longs for some kinky three-way with you and Batman?”
“He’s starting to scare me, JP.”
“Starting? You’re not really going on vacation with him.”
“I can’t back out now. Besides, it’s a much better plan than this charade.”
“It wasn’t a question, Gwen—you’re not going.”
A lecture commenced about my right to have any opinion about her life, due to circumstances from years ago.
“C’mon, Gwen. That was like three lifetimes ago.”
“Those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
I leaned back, defeated, and rubbed my temples. I remembered from the past that this was an argument I’d never win, and I wasn’t going to repeat it.
Chapter 49
Ocracoke Island, North Carolina
October 1st
The small Piper propeller plane made a perfect landing on the small airstrip on Ocracoke Island. The only access to the small island off the coast of North Carolina was by sea or air.
Kyle Jones helped Gwen out of the plane like a perfect gentleman. She stood on the runway in her white buttoned down shirt tucked into mauve jeans that she wore with sandals. She breathed in the warm salty air. “Plan Gwen” was under way.
She was always more subtle than JP, which showed in their ideas on how to solve the case. They were in agreement that they believed Jones was a murderous vigilante who killed Noah. But that’s where the consensus ended. Gwen doubted JP’s breaking and entering plan would be productive, and it wasn’t. It only led to more questions. High risk/low reward.
She knew the only way to connect the dots was to find the motive behind Jones’ obsession, and the only way to do that was one on one, like a real reporter.
A couple areas of interest were his parents, whose death led to the settlement that helped him afford the home in Ocracoke, and the plane that delivered them here. Also, Kyle’s wingman from the photo. JP was working with Carter to get access to Air Force records to try to discover his identity, but Gwen thought her time alone with Kyle would be more fruitful in that search. The other point of emphasis was the girlfriend from Arizona named Lucy.
Jones’ extensive Batman collection fascinated her, and she’d researched the Batman tales since the break-in. Bruce Wayne and his parents were returning home from the theater after watching
The Mask of Zorro,
when Bruce witnessed his parents shot to death by a mugger in a dark alleyway. Bruce vowed to dedicate his life to fighting crime in the dark night. He did so with a relentless obsession and a burning passion to punish all criminals, disguised as a mythical figure called Batman. On some levels, it seemed to parallel Jones’ pursuit. But for all she knew, he could be just a Batman fan like millions of others around the world. She had her work cut out for her.
Jones put his arm around her and walked her across the small runway to a waiting taxicab. He held the door for her with a smile. He was very much like many zealots she had interviewed in the course of her work. Calm, smiling, and charming most of the time. But when their zealotry was questioned, even slightly, they would lash out.
He made no mention about the one-week suspension he’d received from the force. Her source told her that it was related to an incident where he was caught on video roughing up a DUI suspect, which Tolland had tried to keep quiet—although, it sounded more like the work of Maloney. Officially, Jones was on vacation. Her source was Jeff Carter.
She never pushed the issue. The last thing they wanted was to shine a light on Jones. He would have gone on high alert, and the odds of connecting him to Noah’s murder would decrease.
They entered the cab that advertised low rates to “all island airports,” even though there was only one. He instructed the driver to take them to a restaurant called The Back Porch. The familiarity of the island seemed to put him into a comfort zone. Gwen played the passive girlfriend, allowing him to feel in charge.
The taxi sputtered as it pulled away. Jones lightly set his hand on her leg. “You have been so quiet.”
Gwen came out of her daze, sporting a nervous smile. “I just have a fear of flying. I feel better now that we’re safely on the ground.”
“It’s completely safe, Gwen. I used to fly with people shooting at me … now that’s when someone should have a fear of flying,” he said with a cocky grin.
Gwen went into reporter mode. “I guess you were like one of those guys in
Top Gun
. I had the biggest crush on Tom Cruise.”
He appeared annoyed by the question. “We were Air Force—
Top Gun
pilots are Navy.”
Jones could spot a drunk driver three counties away, but couldn’t notice a sense of humor if it smacked him across his skull.
“Did you still get to have one of those cool pilot nicknames like Maverick or Ice Man?”
“I was Batman.”
“Did you have one of those co-pilots like Goose?”
“It’s a wingman—not a co-pilot. He was Robin … we were Batman and Robin.”
“I’m glad we had a couple superheroes keeping us free and safe. That must be an amazing bond, I can’t even imagine the connection.”
“What do you mean?”
“Wingmen. You put your lives on the line for each other every time you went up in that plane. It must connect you for life. Do you and Robin stay in touch?”
“I haven’t seen him since I left Arizona. We had a falling out—a girl came between us.”
“I’m sorry. Maybe I can arrange a reunion.” She smiled. “Your new girlfriend wouldn’t make you choose. If you give me his name...”
He put his arm around her. “I’m just concentrating on who I’m with right now. I’m very happy.” He kissed her on the cheek and she fought against her natural squirm.
“Then I’m going to concentrate on getting to know my brave pilot even better. Did you get the name because you were a big Batman fan? I used to religiously watch the TV show when I was a kid.”
He seemed to travel down memory lane. Gwen wondered what skeletons he passed on his trip.
“I got it because just when it looked like the bad guys would get away, I’d spring out of the darkness to save the day. Just like Batman. Plus, I flew in a swooping style like a bat.”
“For what it’s worth, Kyle, I think you are a lot like Batman. Always taking the law into your own hands to get the bad guys, so that Rockfield is a safer place. When I was a little girl I always dreamed of marrying a cowboy. You are a modern day cowboy.”
Jones’ mood switched on the dime. “I never take the law into my own hands! I’m a police officer. I took an oath to follow the law and that is what I do.”
Gwen took it as a sign to back off the conversation. As he brooded, she gazed out her window, taking in the view of Ocracoke. It was a quaint island with pristine beaches. It looked like it came straight out of a travel brochure.
A few miles later they entered the most populated section of the island that surrounded Silver Lake—motels, grocery stores, and gift shops seemed to appear out of nowhere. People filled the streets, walking and biking like they were in a fitness infomercial. Jones noticed that the Ocracoke Lighthouse, which stood over the village as if it were guarding it from intrusion, had grabbed her attention.
“The lighthouse was built in 1823 and can be seen as far as twenty miles out at sea. If you’d like, we can take a tour during your visit.”
She forced a smile. “I’d love to Kyle.”
So you can toss me off it like you tossed Noah off the bridge?
Chapter 50
Gwen reached into her overnight bag and pulled out a camera. As the taxi stopped at a sandy intersection, she snapped photos of the lighthouse. “This place is wonderful, Kyle. What inspired you to move here?”
“My family came here on vacation a few times when my parents were stationed in North Carolina. When I left Arizona, I was at a crossroads—unsure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. Ocracoke had always provided me with peace, so I figured it would be a good place to sort things out. I fell in love so much with the homey atmosphere that I bought a house on the beach and vowed I’d only leave if I could find a place that matched the small town feel. That’s why, when I decided to return to police work, I chose Rockfield over other offers. You should see the small store that’s docked in the harbor. It’s practically the floating version of the Rockfield Village Store.”
“What made you return to police work?”
“I enjoyed my life here, but I had always felt a calling to stopping the bad guys, so to speak.”
His answers sounded like cover stories to Gwen. His preparedness didn’t surprise her, and his intelligence wasn’t to be underestimated.
The cab driver pulled into the small parking lot of The Back Porch and dropped them off. The wait was short, and they were soon seated at a patio table—a light breeze blew, filling Gwen’s senses with the aroma of the ocean. She thought that this really would be a fantastic vacation spot under different circumstances. Jones took control, ordering for her—a fillet of flounder dredged in nuts, and an iced tea.
When the waiter left, Gwen instinctively rolled up her sleeve to scratch her itching arm.
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand.
“What are you doing?” she asked, nervously.
“You shouldn’t itch that—it will only make it worse.”
Gwen stared back, thinking there was no way he could ever have known how she got it. But there was something about the look in his eyes that scared her.