TICK TOCK RUN (Romantic Mystery Suspense) (15 page)

“Do you like your job?”

“Yes.  It can be a challenge at times, but I like that.  Where did you say you work?” 

“I’m a dental receptionist.”

“I remember now.”  He glanced over.  “That explains your thousand watt smile.  You should smile more often.”

“Thanks.  I’ll remember that.” 
If
I live long enough. 
“And you enjoy the cinema?”

“Sure do.  Thrillers, horror, sci-fi...”

“Nachos or popcorn?”

“Both.  But not together.”

“Steak or fish ‘n’ chips?” I said, trying to further lighten the atmosphere.

He winked.  “Fish on Fridays.”

I settled back into the sofa, but my fear never lay far away and I couldn’t relax.  Unable to stop twitching my toes, I nipped upstairs to freshen up and hoped it possible to wash my troubles down the sink. 

I flushed the toilet, then washed my hands and splashed my neck with cold water while staring at my tired reflection in the mirror.  I felt useless.  I couldn’t just sit and do nothing.  I slapped the edge of the sink, slipped Lee’s t-shirt on then darted down the stairs on a mission, just when he hung up the phone.

“The police phoned.  I tried shouting to let you know.  And the takeout arrived, too.”

Lee had poured glasses of white wine for us, and tipped the Chinese takeout onto plates. 

I perched on the arm of the sofa.  “What did the cops say?  Should I call them back?”

“They’ve yet to come up with anything concrete, and there haven’t been any similar reports of these emails.  They say the Coroner’s report about Daryl’s death being accidental still stands.  And Carl wasn’t one of his patients.  The fact that you replied to the email helped.  It’s registered to a fifty-three year old local man who died months ago.   The emails were sent from various IP addresses.  They’re monitoring activity on the account.”

So, it was shaping up to be just me, Daryl and Laura.  I had hoped someone else would know what this was all about.  “I’m not sure if I feel better or worse for knowing that.”

“They’re sending patrol cars to drive along the street outside both of our houses tomorrow night.  That’s some comfort for you, I suppose.”

I stuffed a few mouthfuls of noodles into my mouth then unzipped my handbag.

“Not sitting down?” Lee asked.

“I need to do... something.  Need to find...”  I grabbed the photo of Daryl from the fireplace and stuffed it into my bag.

“What are you doing with that?”

I slung the bag over my shoulder.  “Your brother had a mystery girlfriend, right?”

He nodded.

“Maybe she knows how I’m linked to him.”  I stalked toward the hall, then glanced over my shoulder.  “Coming?”

Lee grabbed his keys and followed me out.  We climbed into his car and he started the engine.  “Where to?” 

“A bar.  Take me somewhere that Daryl used to hang out.”

Lee pulled out of his parking slot and drove us to town.  He parked on a side street, round the corner from a bar with a green frog logo.  I’d been here numerous times myself, but under different circumstances.  On entering, we began flashing Daryl’s photo to punters in the bar.  After ten minutes, and no leads, we left and checked out the bar across the street.

“This isn’t working,” I said.  “Let’s split up.  Maybe people will talk to us more if we’re not together.  You try the girls, I’ll ask the men.”

“Flirt for information?”

“If that’s what it takes.”  I flicked my hair over my shoulder and stepped to the entrance of the third bar.  “I’ll keep the big photo of Daryl.”

“I’ll use my wallet picture.”

“Someone must know him, or this mystery girlfriend of his.  They must have gone out on dates at some point.”

I pushed the thick wooden door open and stepped inside, trying to stay positive.  We split up.  Lee walked over to a group of women at the seating area by the entrance.  I worked my way into the thick of the bar where people mainly stood in groups or couples.  I produced the framed photo of Daryl from my bag and thrust it in the face of everyone I walked past.  “Do you know this man?  Ever seen him in here with a woman?”

I gained little more than head shakes and frowns from my questions, but did get offered drinks from several men whose stares I could feel running over my skin from behind. 

“Don’t walk off,” one man said.  “Sit.  Have a drink with us.”

Barging my way to a table of men in the far corner, I bumped into someone who was trying to cross in front of me.  A beer bottle slammed into my stomach. 

“I’m so sorry,” a female said. 

I stared up.  It was my friend Jayne.  “Oh, my god!”  I hugged her.

“Hey, Chelsea.  I didn’t know you were coming out tonight.  I’m just about to leave.  Got work in the morning.”

“I didn’t plan it.  Spur of the moment thing.”

Jayne looked down at the photo frame tucked under my arm.  “What’s that?”

I showed her the picture of Daryl.  “I’m looking for a girl who used to date this guy.”

“Why?”  Jayne studied the photo, and her lips twisted to one side.

“Long story.”  I hugged her again then sidestepped her.  “Can’t stop to chat.  We’ll catch up soon.”

She touched my arm.  “That’s Daryl, right?”

I stopped dead, twisted around.  “You know him?”

“Vaguely.  He died recently, didn’t he?”

I nodded.

“He’s a friend of Phillip.  That guy I set you up with on Sunday.  Sorry to hear the date didn’t go too well.”

I moved so close to Jayne that I stood on her toes.  “Do you know who Daryl’s last girlfriend was?”

Jayne dragged her shoe from under mine and swigged her drink.  “I know who she
could
have been.”

“Eh?”

She raised her overly plucked eyebrows.  “You.”

I opened my mouth but couldn’t speak.

“I tried to set Daryl up with you last month.  He seemed interested... until I showed him your photo.”

My mind began bonging like church bells were inside my head.  “My photo?  What are you talking about?”

“The one on my mobile.  I show it to all the men I set you up with.”

I was taut, disturbed at having my picture flashed around town as though Jayne was pimping me out. 

“Don’t look so worried.  It’s harmless.”

“Harmless?  I.. er...”  I realised now how Phillip knew my face when I entered the bar on our date. 

She continued, oblivious to why I was speechless with my mouth agape.  “So anyway, Daryl stared at your picture on my mobile as though he thought he recognised you.  Then when I suggested setting you two up on a date, he said, ‘No.  Out of the question,’ and walked away.”

“Really?”

“Yes.  Really.”  Jayne pulled out her mobile and searched for my picture.  “The photo’s blurred, but I think you still look stunning as ever in it.  I don’t know what his problem was.  Perhaps I should take another photo.”

“Don’t bother.  And you can delete that one while you’re at it.”  My self-esteem took a hit.  I’d been rejected by a guy I’d never met.  The guy I was investigating.  How creepy.

Jayne slid her phone back into her pocket, pulled out a pink tube and spread gloss over her lips.  “I’ll tell you one thing though, whoever Daryl was seeing must have been truly something.”

“Why do you say that?”

“He’s not like most guys round here who dip their liquorice into every flavour of sherbert on offer.”  She nudged me with her elbow and winked.  “If you know what I mean.  He was picky.  Looking for love, not just a one-nighter.”

I stroked Jayne’s shoulder then stepped away.  “Thanks.  Got to go.  If you think of anything else, let me know.”

“Sure thing.  See you at Laura’s on Friday.”

The group of men I’d been heading toward, before bumping into Jayne, had disappeared.  I walked over and sunk down into a seat at their table, which was crammed full of empty pint glasses and soggy coasters.  I rested my elbows on the table, trying to avoid wet patches, and buried my face in my hands.  No one had given me a lead on Daryl’s mystery girlfriend, and he either knew me, or just didn’t like the look of my face.  My ears began buzzing.

“There you are.”

I raised my head.  “Lee.”

He carried a bottle of white wine, two glasses and bags of crisps to my table.  “Thought you might be getting thirsty.  Any luck?”

“Not really.  You?”

“No.”  He pulled a chair out and sat beside me.  He filled my glass to the top, but barely poured two fingers worth in his.  “Just a taster for me.  I’m driving.”

I took a sip.  “Let’s hope the police have more luck.  I hope they find a print or something in my bathroom.”

He moved the empty pint glasses to the end of the table.  “I doubt they’ll find anything.”

“What makes you say that?”

He took a deep breath.  “This person is clever.  Daryl’s death was made to look like an accident.  The emails aren’t something the average person could conjure up.  Whatever the connection is between you, Laura and Daryl, I guess this creep knows it’s not obvious otherwise the police would be knocking on their door.  Want me to continue?”

I shook my head, ate a few crisps, but something other than food stirred inside me.  Although I couldn’t place it, I knew it was the way he’d said, ‘I doubt they’ll find anything.’  It could easily have been missed, but it was there.  A perplexing trace of
hope
in his voice.

I sat pondering, glancing at Lee at intervals.  It became impossible not to pick up on his easy, gentle manner.  He devoured crisps and sipped wine as though it were a relaxing evening after work.  I got the impression that he wasn’t frightened by tomorrow’s deadline.  I sure as hell was.

“I’ll come up with a plan to deal with this asshole, Chelsea.  I’ve got a few ideas for tomorrow night.  I was thinking—”

“Ideas?”  I stared, trying to understand.  “The whole point of me going to your house was so that I wouldn’t be found.  So why would you need ideas for tomorrow night?” 

“I’m just thinking out loud.  Back-up plans to catch this creep, in case the police don’t.”

“Catch?” I coughed the word out.

He popped another crisp into his mouth and crunched down on it.  “Forget I said anything.  You’re right.  So long as no one knows you’ll be at my place, then this asshole can’t get to you.”

I pushed my wine glass away. 

Lee wouldn’t meet my gaze.  When I studied the side of his face and saw his jaw twitching, a light of understanding clicked on.  “You don’t only want to know who it is, do you?” I asked, pushing my chair away from the table.  

Lee faced me.  His eyes widened, but he didn’t speak.

“You actually
want
this person to find me.  You want to
confront
him, or her, tomorrow night.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

I raised my voice above a group of drinkers laughing on the table next to us.  “That’s it, isn’t it?  You want the glory of catching your brother’s killer.”