She looked surprised for a moment, as if his question had been unexpected. Then she shrugged. I didnt lie. I wasnt sure it was Nikkis. And I still cant imagine how it got on the roof last night.
He lifted a brow as he watched her move to the tiny kitchen and pour herself another cup of coffee. She held up the pot. Can I freshen yours?
He shook his head. No, thanks, Im fine. This is good, by the way. He toasted her with his mug, and she inclined her head slightly. She didnt move back into the living room, but remained in the kitchen with the bar between them.
John left his post by the window and crossed to her. She looked vaguely startled again as he looked down at her, and she averted her gaze as she sipped her coffee.
You still dont think your daughter left the doll on the roof?
She frowned. Of course I dont. You saw how shy she is, howeasily frightened. Theres no way she would have gone up to that roof alone, and I know Mrs. Lewellyn would never have taken her up there.
Maybe thats something we need to ask Mrs. Lewellyn.
I intend to, Thea snapped. Then, as if having second thoughts about her angry tone, she set down her coffee and gazed at him in earnest. Look, even if Nikki was up therewhich I know she wasntwhat is it you think she can do for you? She cant tell you anything, Detective.
John put down his own cup and leaned his arms on the bar, trying to appear relaxed and unthreatening. Has she always been like this?
For a moment he thought she wouldnt answer. That same fierce protectiveness hed witnessed earlier came over her features, and she frowned. No. Just since her father died.
I see. A widow. That might explain a lot, John thought, and not just the lack of male paraphernalia in the apartment. It might also explain the glimmer of desperation hed seen in Thea Lockharts dark eyes, and the fear. And the fact that she seemed to have a hard time looking him in the eye, acknowledging the unmistakable physical attraction that clung to their glances, their voices, the air around them. She might feel guilty about that, he decided, although there was no reason to. He didnt intend to act on his impulses and he was certain she didnt, either.
How did her father die? he asked carefully.
An accident. Atragic accident. Nikki hasnt gotten over it yet, and Idont like to talk about it.
I understand. But if theres even a slim chance that Nikki was on the roof last night, Mrs. Lockhart
Thea, she said quickly. Their gazes met for a moment, and then hers darted away. She poured the rest of her coffee down the sink and rinsed out the cup. You can call me Thea.
Thats a very pretty name.
Its for my grandmother, she said, and then looked as if she wished she could take it back.
He smiled, trying to put her at ease. Does your grandmother live here in Chicago?
She almost smiled, too, as if recognizing his tactic. My grandmothers been dead for years, Detective.
John. When she gave him a reluctant glance, he said, Im named for my father, Sean.
Youre Irish?
Very.
An Irish cop. Thats almost a cliché, isnt it?
In that case, my whole family is a cliché.
John had never seen a persons demeanor change so rapidly. Shed been wary before, even a little frightened, but now her expression took on a frozen look, as if shed donned a mask to hide her true identity, her real feelings. Hed wanted to put her at ease, but instead, her armor had grown thicker. She said stiffly, You come from a family of cops. It wasnt a question, but a flat emotionless statement.
John shrugged. Guilty.
I imagine you look out for each other. Take care of each other.
John frowned at her tone. Occasionally, he said, thinking about his brothers. Actually he would be the last person Nick would come to for help, and Tonywell, Tony was another story.
Thea said quietly, Id like you to go now, Detective. Theres really nothing my daughter and I can do to help you.
She was good, John realized suddenly. Too damn good. Shed distracted him from the questions hed been intent on asking about her daughter, and all the while, convinced him he was the one in control.
He stared down at her, forcing her gaze to meet his. Her dark eyes were deep and unfathomable, a mysterious blend of fear, guile and cunning. A very dangerous mix.
Just one more thing, Mrs. Lockhart.
One brow rose slightly, and he could see that the fingers clinging to the tiny gold chain around her throat trembled. His gaze dipped, in spite of himself, to the curves beneath her sweater, and an image of that lacy white bra leaped to his mind. He could almost see her in it, her breasts straining against the fabric, his thumb stroking her through the silk
I know what youre thinking, she said hoarsely.
His gaze shot to hers. I doubt that, he wanted to tell her. Then again, maybe she did know. Maybe that was why the blush on her cheeks had deepened, standing out starkly against the ivory of her complexion. Her brown eyes flashed with sudden fire, and John thought absurdly that if he hadnt met her under these circum-stancesif she wasnt a recent widowif his marriage hadnt made him more than a little careful
Youre thinking that if Nikki was on that roof, you might have an eyewitness to Gail Waterss death. It would be cut and dried. You could close your case. But youre wrong, Detective. My daughter wasnt on that roof. She couldnt have been.
But what if she was? John challenged, ignoring the flicker of fear in her eyes. What if Gail Waters didnt commit suicide?
She gasped slightly, her face going paler.
What if she was murdered and your daughter saw it all? What if she is the only one who can identify the killer? Have you thought about that, Mrs. Lockhart?
Chapter Three
After John left Thea that morning, he drove to the county morgue, housed in the huge Chicago Technology Park off Harrison. Hed called earlier and was expected.
Whats so important about this case that I had to come in here to do the autopsy on a Sunday morning? the assistant medical examiner demanded as she shoved a file in an already bulging drawer and slammed it shut.
John shrugged. I figured you didnt have anything better to do. Vince is out of town, isnt he?
Her eyes narrowed. How did you know that?
Heard it through the grapevine. John wasnt about to admit to his ex-wife that he occasionally kept tabs on her new husband. Nor was he going to confide in her the possible significance of the Gail Waters case. Meredith hadnt been very supportive when his father had disappeared seven years ago. Shed suggested Sean might have been involved in something shady or even a cover-up to protect his youngest son, Tony, from suspicion in his girlfriends brutal murder.
John had not taken kindly to Merediths insinuations, although, if he was honest with himself, hed have to admit the occasional doubt about his fathers disappearance had crossed his own mind. Sean Gallagher wouldnt have been the first cop to go off the deep end, nor the first man to walk out on his family. He and Johns mother, Maggie, had not exactly had a marriage made in heaven. And what with Tonys troubles back then
John forced his thoughts back to the present, letting his gaze rove critically over his ex-wife. He hated to admit it, but she looked good. So hows the baby? he asked with only a tinge ofwhat? Envy? Jealousy? Self-pity?
Meredith laughed softly. She shoved back her unruly hair as she sat down at her desk. The action reminded him of Thea. They were both small women, both had dark hair, but the resemblance ended there. Merediths skin was olive, Theas like porcelain. Meredith could be a real bitch at times; Thea wasstill a mystery.
What can I say? Her green eyes sparkled. Hes tiny and beautiful and absolutely wonderful. A perfect male specimen, if I do say so myself. Her gaze met Johns, and for just a split second, something that might have been regret flickered in her eyes. Then she said bluntly, You look like hell, John. What have you been doingliving at the station?
Lot of active cases, he muttered.
What else is new? She stood and pulled on a white lab coat that had been draped over the back of her chair. Her expression became sober and professional. So what are we looking for here? Anything specific?
The usual. The victim took a dive off a five-story building, so Ill want to know about brain contusions. Not many lay people, including some murderers now serving prison time, knew that the bruising of the brain from a fall was different from that of a blunt-force injury. If Gail Waters had been bashed in the head before she hit the pavement, an autopsy would reveal it.
Lets do it then, Meredith said wearily. Ive got a baby to get back to and a husband who promised to be home by dinner.
Her meaning wasnt lost on John. Hed missed more meals in the six years theyd been married than he cared to remember, and they both knew it had nothing to do with Meredith being a lousy cook. Even though shed had her own impossible hours to deal with finishing her residency, John had been the one, more often than not, to phone with the apologies and excuses. After a while he hadnt even bothered with those.
He shouldnt have been surprised, then, when shed announced one night that she was leaving him, nor when shed admitted toflung it in his facea two-year affair with the man she was now married to. A man who had once been Johns friend.
Why should you feel so betrayed? shed screamed at him that night. Im the one whos had to put up with your mistress all these years.
What the hell are you talking about? Ive never cheated on you.
Im talking about that damn job of yours. Youre a cop first and a man second, John. And being a husband isnt even a lousy third. I pity the next poor woman who falls in love with you.
John? Merediths insistent voice brought him back to the present. She gave him a strange look. You ready?
Just waiting for you. He strode toward the door of her office. Lets get this over with. Like you said, youve got a husband and a baby to get home to.
And you? Her gaze was more than a little curious.
He shrugged. Ive got a case to solve. Thats what Im good at, remember?
I remember you were good at a few other things, too, she said softly, her tone almost tender. It just wasnt enough.
AFTER BREAKFAST Thea left Nikki coloring at the dining table while she went down the hall to Mrs. Lewellyns apartment. The building, with its stained carpeting and peeling paint, was old and badly in need of refurbishing, but that was why Thea could afford the rent.
The newer lakefront high-rises on Lake Shore Drive were way out of her price range, as were the redbrick town houses cropping up near the parks. Thea had chosen the university neighborhood because of its relatively low crime rate, and because the diversity made it easier to blend in. Shed thought of everything when she and Nikki had moved in hereexcept the possibility of a woman being murdered in their building.
Standing in the dimly lit corridor, Thea kept an eye on her own apartment door while she waited for the elderly woman to answer hers.
When Mrs. Lewellyn finally opened the door, her eyes widened with pleasure. Why, Thea, I didnt expect to see you this early. You got home rather late last night, didnt you, dear? She had the barest trace of an English accent, which suited perfectly her prim-and-proper demeanor. In spite of her stooped shoulders, she was several inches taller than Thea.
It was just after midnight, Thea said. I want to thank you again for coming over on such short notice to stay with Nikki.
Mrs. Lewellyn brushed aside her gratitude. She was dressed for church, Thea noticed, in a dark blue suit and matching pumps. Her gray hair, as always, was pulled into a bun at the back of her head. It was my pleasure. You know I adore Nikki. Shes never any trouble at all. She glanced past Thea into the hallway. Where is she?
Shes in the apartment, coloring. Thea cast another glance at her door. I have to get back to her, but I wanted to talk to you in private for a moment.
Mrs. Lewellyns brows rose. About Nikki?
Thea nodded. I need to ask you something, Mrs. Lewellyn. Did you and Nikki leave the apartment last night?
Leave the apartment? No, dear. Why do you ask? A worried light dawned in her eyes, and she put a hand to her heart. You heard about that poor woman who jumped off the roof last night. Thats what has you so upset this morning, isnt it?
Thea shivered. How did you hear about it?
It was on the news earlier. And I saw Mr. Dalrimple in the laundry room. Evidently the police have enlisted his help. Hes strutting around like a rooster in a hen coop.
So that was where Detective Gallagher had gotten his tenant list and how hed known Thea had a daughter. That was also why hed been at her door first thing this morning.
Thea told herself it was foolish to blame the building manager for her current predicament, but truth be told, shed been uneasy about Morris Dalrimple ever since shed moved into the building. His gaze was just a little too admiring, his tone a little too interested, and once, when she and Nikki returned from grocery shopping, Thea was almost positive shed caught him coming out of her apartment.
Hed told her he had been knocking on her door, claiming a clause in her lease needed her initials, but Thea wasnt convinced. Hed looked guilty as she signed the paper, his face all flushed and his beady little eyes not quite able to meet hers. Thea knew he had a master key to all the apartments. What was to prevent him from coming and going as he pleased while tenants like her were at work or at school?
Shuddering, she said, Nikkis doll was found on the roof last night.
On the roof! Mrs. Lewellyn looked genuinely shocked and more than a little concerned. How on earth did it get up there?
I dont know. Thea paused. I was thinking that if you and Nikki had left the apartment last night, maybe to come over here for a few minutes, she might have dropped the doll in the hallway. Someone else could have picked it up and taken it to the roof. She knew she was grasping at straws, but there had to be a logical explanation. And Nikki being on the roof in the dead of night simply wasnt logical.
I think I may know what happened, Mrs. Lewellyn said slowly. She wrapped a strand of pearls around her finger as she gazed pensively down the hallway. Ill bet you that girl took her up there.