Call Me Cat (Call Me Cat Trilogy #1)(28)

And because I wanted the person who had killed my parents to die, karma be damned.

I tapped my fingers on my pillow. "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded, her head resting on her hand.

"You know I got that call from my parents' killer. He was the reason we found you. He said he gave the rape drugs to Bradley. Do you think they were working together?"

"I think Bradley was too dumb to help get away with murder. But then again, I think all criminals are kind of dumb. A smart person knows they'll get caught."

"Maybe criminals are just confident." I rolled on my back. "They weren't partners. The Midnight Murderer tipped me off about Bradley, so he knew Bradley would get caught. He wouldn't have told him anything important." Which made feel better about Bradley's death and the answers I'd thought he held.

Bridgette finished my thoughts. "So he pretended to be a dealer and sold Bradley the drugs, knowing what he would do."

"He knows me," I continued. "He knows you. He knew Bradley."

"Better than I knew Bradley."

"He's someone close to us."

Bridgette shrugged. "Or stalking you."

"Or both."

She gasped. "Who keeps bumping into you again and again?" She clapped her hands. "Ash."

"No. He wouldn't… "

"…kill anyone?"

"He wouldn't hurt me." But then I remembered how Ash hurt Bradley, and I shivered.

"No, you're right. He's not the type. He's not calculating enough. He's a more raw anger, caveman, do anything to protect his woman kind of guy."

I sighed in relief. "Right. So who is?"

She stood and walked to her rosewood dresser, pulling out a sheet of paper from the drawer. "This is a list of everyone at the party, and everyone who worked at the party. I figured we could go through it and see if anyone made sense."

I sat up. "Where'd you get that?"

She shrugged and smiled an impish grin. "I copied it before my parents gave it to the cops."

"You're one sneaky almost-doctor. If the med thing doesn't work out, you could always become a P.I."

She wrinkled her nose. "Ew. No. That job would be so boring. All those stakeouts and waiting and dealing with people's stupid shit problems. No thanks. I'll stick to medicine."

Wind howled outside her bedroom window, and a tree branch snapped against the glass startling us both so much we screamed, then laughed. But Bridgette's smile vanished as quickly as it appeared. She held my hand and kissed my cheek.

"What was that for?"

"You saved my life. I never thanked you for that. You and Ash, both. I know it scared you, what he did."

I was about to object but she cut in before I could speak.

"I can see it in your eyes every time his name is mentioned, but Catelyn, he saved me. Don't punish him for that. I think you two have something special. I can see it every time you're together. It's like you orbit each other like planets magnetically linked. Don't lose that, you might never find it again."

"Are you using Twilight quotes against me now?"

"Maybe, but it's true. Just think about it, okay?"

I nodded and reached for the paper in her hand. I didn't recognize most of the names. "There's so many."

She handed me a yellow highlighter. "Mark everyone on the list you know or have met."

I did as she said, and when I was done we reviewed the names. "I put a star next to everyone I met that night, since I don't know if they count or not. I'm pretty sure we can eliminate all of these people though. I mean, none of them seem like a serial killer or psychopath."

"Isn't that what they always say about guys like these?" she asked. "They seemed so normal, so ordinary."

"I guess. But it's so hard to fathom anyone at that party could be responsible. It makes me sick to imagine. We're talking about people like my college mentor, the Davenports, your family. This all seems ludicrous." I handed the paper back to her. "What about the people I don't know? Anyone jump out as dangerous?"

She scanned it. "Maybe. I mean, there's some high profile celebrities here, a few powerful judges and politicians, and then your average rich investor or businessman. But I see what you mean, no one screams psychopath."

I sighed and flopped back on the bed. "Let's hope the police are better at this than we are." Something about my words tugged at my mind.

"No kidding."

My phone rang, and I picked it up. Three minutes later I hung up and stood. "We have to go to the police station. They have questions about our guest list."

"Will we see that detective again?"

The detective… I scanned the list and found an Aaron Gray. It had to be his name. With my headache at the hospital, I wasn't able to make the connection. But the detective had been at the party. And when the Midnight Murderer called, his phone had been busy.





Chapter Twenty Three


Rejection


DETECTIVE GRAY MET us at the front and escorted us to his office. "Where's Detective Reynolds?" I asked as Bridgette and I sat down.

"He had a heart attack while on leave and has been forced into an early retirement. I'm taking over his cases permanently." He sat behind his desk and opened a file with a list of names we'd already gone over.