Next of Kin Page 6

  Del stared at her for a few seconds longer, then she abruptly turned and walked over to the dead man. "We'll need forensic confirmation on that, but my guess is he's one of the men who broke into the house tonight and raped Mrs. Parker."

  "And then he committed suicide in their backyard?" Kade arched a skeptical eyebrow.

  "He doesn't even have a gun. I think his partner in crime shot him," Del answered. "Maybe he didn't want an accomplice, or he didn't want to share the money they found in the house. It's even possible that the rape and murder wasn't part of their plan, and they fought about it."

  Kade nodded slowly. That sounded plausible. Del seemed to be really good at her job. "Anything you need me for?"

  "No, not yet," Del answered. "Maybe a little later when we identify this guy. If he has a record, we might need you to get a search warrant for the apartments of his usual accomplices."

  There was no need for her to hang around the crime scene any longer. She could finally leave this more than awkward situation behind. "All right. If you need anything, let my detectives know, and they'll contact me," she said.

  "Or I could save them the work and contact you myself," Del said, her eyes probing into Kade's.

  Kade bit her lip. "Or you could do that," she agreed after a moment of silence. She had worked too hard to be accepted in her job not to act like a professional in this situation. After one last nod that included Del and the two crime scene technicians, Kade strode back into the house.

  * * *

  Del stood in the pouring rain, her gaze fixed on the retreating Deputy DA. She had thought about Kade often in the two months since Kade had broken off all contact with her, but every time they had seen each other, Kade had been all business. Even now, Kade had kept their interaction strictly professional. Del knew she should just cut her losses and find herself another, more receptive object of her attentions. Yeah, right. She snorted. Like walking away from Kade Matheson is such an easy thing to do.

  For Del, it had proved to be nearly impossible. From the very first moment she had seen her in the courtroom, the cool, calm, and collected DDA had fascinated her, and she wanted to discover the person behind that mask of professionalism.

  With every meeting since then, her admiration had only grown, and tonight hadn't been an exception. Kade's dedication to her job impressed her. None of the homicide deputy district attorneys had shown up at the crime scene yet, but Kade had waded through the puddles in the backyard at three a.m. And the way her soaked-through jeans were clinging to her body was as impressive as her professional dedication, Del admitted to herself.

  Tonight she could sense that under the soaked-through, distanced exterior, a lot of confusion, uncertainty, and fear were hiding. The fact that Kade had been mortally embarrassed at their almost date on Valentine's Day was not helping either. Kade Matheson was a proud woman, and she didn't suffer humiliation easily. Kade had apparently convinced herself that her initial interest in Del had been a mistake and pulled back.

  The question is, do I just stand by and let her? Del stared at the house where Kade had vanished. "Secure the crime scene. I'll be back in a minute," she told the crime techs and hurried after Kade.

  Kade was nowhere to be seen, but Aiden Carlisle, Dawn's sweetheart, was riffling through the victim's briefcase.

  Great. Del grimaced. She didn't want Aiden of all people to get mixed up in her business with Kade. Her feelings toward Aiden were still a little mixed. She didn't dislike her, but she wasn't sure if the dedicated cop was the right partner for Dawn. Come on, give her a chance. It's the grasshopper's choice, not yours.

  Dawn wasn't the only issue that existed between them, though. Del hadn't missed the admiring glances Aiden had directed toward the long Matheson legs during the opening statement of Dawn's trial. Kade had repeatedly told her she was straight, but Del thought that under different circumstances, Kade and Aiden might have ended up together.

  "Find any ID on him?" Aiden asked, pointing in the direction of the backyard.

  "No. We'll probably know more once we run his fingerprints. Is DDA Matheson in the bedroom?" Del asked, trying not to sound suspicious.

  Aiden looked up from the briefcase. The glance she directed at Del was all too knowing for Del's liking. "No, she already left. If you want me to, I could call her for you?" She reached for the cell phone clipped to her belt.

  "No, it's all right." Del hesitated for a second, then quickly crossed the room.

  * * *

  Kade stepped around a puddle and tried to make out her car in the darkness. The police cruisers had blocked the Parkers' driveway, so she had parked farther down the street. With all the police officers at the crime scene, she should feel safe. Unless of course, the stalker is a police officer. She didn't want to think that about Del but couldn't help wondering.

  A cat yowled in an alley somewhere to her right, and Kade could hear quick steps on the wet pavement behind her. She pulled her damp coat tighter around her and quickened her steps.

  The footfalls behind her indicated that whoever followed her was falling into a jog.

  Kade whirled around. Relief, anger, and fear warred within her when her stalker stepped close enough to identify in the pouring rain. "Jesus Christ! Would you finally stop doing that!" she hissed at Del.

  Del lifted both palms. "Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to walk you to your car."

  Kade turned back around, away from Del, and ran a hand through damp strands of hair.

  "Hey, is everything all right?" Del stepped closer and gently touched Kade's arm, making her turn and face her.

  "I'm fine," Kade said distractedly. With Del so close and the worried gaze resting on her, it was hard to believe Del meant her any harm.

  Del studied her. "You sure? You seem a little... disturbed about something. I hope it's not me?"

  "No. I told you I'm fine," Kade answered again. What else was there to say? She was hesitant to confide in Del. Not only because she was still embarrassed and didn't want to ask Del, of all people, for help. She also wasn't completely sure if she could trust Del. Del could very well be her stalker. She didn't want to believe that, but she had learned to rely on the objectivity of evidence, and there were just too many things that made Del look a little suspicious. Her habit of hiding in the darkness of the underground garage instead of visiting her office in bright daylight, for example, and then the concurrence of her appearance and that of the stalker in Kade's life.

  "You might be a good liar but not good enough to fool an old warhorse like me." Del waited for a reaction, but when Kade just looked at her with an inscrutable expression, she sighed. "What happened to 'let's be friends'?"

  Kade looked at Del through the raindrops beading on her glasses like tears. "I don't know."

  "I'm still searching for a training buddy to help motivate me for the marathon. Tomorrow, six a.m.," Del said. "Let's meet at the Riverplace Marina."

  Riverplace Marina? Kade eyed her through narrowed eyes. Of all the places to suggest as a meeting place why the Riverplace Marina? Does she know I live right next to it, or is this all just a weird coincidence? "Why Riverplace Marina?" she asked suspiciously.

  "Because it's beautiful there early in the morning. We could jog along the river and up to Waterfront Park," Del suggested.

  Kade stared at her for a few seconds longer but couldn't detect any ulterior motives. "What makes you think I'd even be up at six, much less go running with you?" she tried to protest. A part of her longed to go running with Del, and that made the other parts of her even more hesitant.

  Del studied her from head to toe. "You're not a late riser."

  She wasn't. Kade sighed. "Not tomorrow. Make it the day after. I may not be a late riser, but I still need some sleep, and it's already four a.m."

  When Kade drove away, Del still stood in the middle of the street, her short hair sticking to her head in the rain. Kade could feel the gaze of the dark eyes rest on her all the way down the street.

  CHAPTER 6 />
  DAWN JERKED AWAKE with a gasp.

  Her gaze flew left and right, trying to pierce through the darkness. Everything was quiet in the apartment. There were no steps coming down the hallway, no rough hands grabbing her, no cold muzzle of a gun pressing against her temple.

  Dawn pressed a hand to her heaving chest and tried to calm the frantic hammering of her heart. You're safe, she told herself, over and over again. Her gaze fell on the sleeping woman next to her, and finally the terror retreated. Her heartbeat slowed.

  She usually slept better with Aiden by her side, but tonight not even her lover's presence had prevented the old nightmare.

  Her nightshirt was saturated with cold sweat and stuck to her clammy skin. Dawn turned back the covers and, careful not to wake Aiden, slipped from the bed. Quietly, she opened a dresser drawer and selected a dry sleep shirt. She padded to the bathroom without turning the lights on and changed. She stood on the cold tiles, staring into the mirror. She knew she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep anytime soon and didn't want to wake Aiden by tossing and turning, so she quietly turned back the security lock, pulled up the window, and slipped outside to sit on the fire escape.

  She sat there, watching the lights of the city, listening to the cars driving by on the street below. In moments like this, she wished she had taken up smoking.

  She had no idea how much time had passed when she heard the window being opened again. "Hey, what are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" Aiden climbed out and sat next to her on the top step of the fire escape.

  Dawn shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

  "It's cold out here." Aiden wrapped an arm around Dawn and pulled her against the warmth of her body. "You all right?" she whispered against Dawn's temple.

  Dawn cuddled closer and closed her eyes. Nothing could hurt her now. "I had a nightmare."

  "Same one?" Aiden's free arm wrapped around her too, holding her even closer.

  Dawn just nodded. There was no need to discuss the details. Aiden had been the one to take her statement after the rape – she knew exactly what happened in Dawn's nightmares. While her nightmares had become less frequent during the last few months, she still had one from time to time.

  Both of them had had to admit that their love, as wonderful as it was, was not the cure-all that would magically undo Dawn's rape or any of their other problems.

  "You're barefoot," Dawn noticed. She half turned in Aiden's embrace and put her socked feet over Aiden's bare ones. They were now huddled as close together as they could be without sharing the same skin.

  Aiden kissed her forehead and gently stroked one of her arms. "Hey, what's this?" She moved back a bit to look down at the resistance her stroking fingers had encountered in the bend of Dawn's arm.

  Both of them looked down at the small band-aid.

  "I went by the hospital today," Dawn said, her voice almost a whisper.

  "What? Why?" Aiden's strong arms clutched at her. "What's wrong? Did you feel sick?"

  Dawn stroked the tense back. "No, no, everything's fine. I went to get retested for STDs and HIV. It's standard procedure after... after a rape; you know that."

  Aiden was silent for a long time, processing what this meant for Dawn and for their relationship. "So that's where the nightmare came from," she finally said.

  "Probably." Dawn shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the cool air. The antiseptic hospital hallways had reminded her of having to go through the rape kit examination just six months ago. It had brought back a lot of unpleasant memories.

  Aiden lowered her head and pressed a gentle kiss to the band-aid, then kissed the soft skin all around it. "Why didn't you say something? I would have gone with you."

  A part of her would have loved Aiden's company, knowing she always felt safe with her, but she knew this was something she had to do on her own. Aiden was stressed enough at work without her adding to it. "It would have been too difficult for you to get a few hours off for a procedure that was over in under five minutes. You're too busy for that with all your new cases," Dawn said.

  Aiden let go of Dawn's forearm with one last kiss. "I'm never too busy for you. What happened to sharing our problems and fears? Isn't that what you're so patiently trying to teach me?" She smiled, but her amber eyes were serious.

  "Looks like I taught you a little too well, huh?" Dawn rubbed her nose against the underside of Aiden's chin and deeply breathed in her comforting scent. "I think I just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. I didn't want it to interrupt our lives."

  Aiden nodded in understanding. "When will you get the results?"

  "A few days," Dawn said.

  Aiden tightened her embrace for a few seconds. "It'll be fine."

  Dawn exhaled. "Yeah."

  "Come on, let's go back to bed." Aiden pulled her up and helped her climb back inside. She pulled back the covers and waited until Dawn had settled down before she slipped into bed.

  The sheets on Dawn's side of the bed were still a little damp from her sweating through the nightmare, and she squirmed closer to Aiden's side.

  Aiden helped her adjust the covers and then carefully wrapped her arms around her. "Is this okay?" she asked, indicating the loose embrace.

  Dawn loved her for her constant understanding. Aiden never assumed it was okay to touch her in any way she wanted just because it had been six months since her rape. She understood that it wasn't always possible for Dawn to be physically close after having one of the nightmares. "It's wonderful," she answered, wrapping an arm around Aiden's waist. "You're wonderful."

  "Go back to sleep, flatterer," Aiden said with a chuckle.

  Dawn smiled and closed her eyes, knowing that Aiden might not always be able to keep her nightmares at bay, but at least she would be there for her if she woke up in fear again.

  * * *

  "Your three o'clock is here, Doctor Kinsley," Mrs. Phillips, her office manager, announced. "Jamie Dean again."

  Dawn furrowed her brow. As far as she knew, she had no patient with that name. "Jamie Dean?" she said into the receiver.

  Mrs. Phillips chuckled. "The rebellious teen. Her mother is here too, and she wants to talk to you if you have a minute."

  Dawn glanced at her watch. Evan Whitfield and her foster mother were early again. "Tell her to come in, please."

  Not a minute later, the door to her office opened, and a small woman in her early forties entered. "Jill LeCroix," she said, offering her hand. "Thank you for taking the time to see me."

  Dawn gave her a polite nod and shook her hand. "No problem. Now, what can I do for you?" She knew exactly what Mrs. LeCroix wanted her to do for her. She had this kind of conversation almost every week, and it wasn't getting more pleasant.

  "I just wanted to make sure Evan has been talking to you. She wasn't exactly cooperative with the other therapists who tried to work with her," Jill LeCroix said. "She doesn't tell me much, so... you agreed to see her, right?"

  Dawn nodded. "I'd like to see her twice a week." That was as much information about Evan's therapy as she wanted to share with her foster mother.

  Relief washed over Jill's face before her features settled back into an expression of worry. "And did she –"

  "I'm sorry, Mrs. LeCroix, but I can't talk to you about this," Dawn said politely but firmly.

  Jill LeCroix blinked in confusion. "But... but you just agreed to help me!"

  Dawn stood from her place behind her desk, indicating that this conversation was coming to an end. "I agreed to help Evan," she emphasized. She waited a moment to let the difference sink in. "We can't expect Evan to open up to me if she thinks I'm reporting everything she says back to you. I have to earn her trust, so please don't expect regular progress reports from me."

  Mrs. LeCroix stared at her with wide gray eyes. After a few moments, she nodded. "I understand. What you say makes sense. It's just that I'm worried about Evan, you know? She's completely out of control, and I'm at my wit's end with her." She shook her head in e
xasperation. "She's neglecting school, and she hangs around some pretty tough-looking guys, only coming home to sleep. I think she's doing drugs, and I'm worried that she's having unprotected sex. What if she gets pregnant? She's only sixteen, Doctor Kinsley!"

  Dawn worked hard to keep her expression neutral. That's one thing you don't have to worry about, she thought, but of course she didn't say it aloud. "I'd tell you if she planned something that put her in immediate danger, but with everything else, you'll just have to trust me – and Evan. Don't make her feel like you're only expecting bad things from her. Do you think you can do that?"