Dead in Her Tracks (Rogue Winter #2)(6)

A car door slammed outside, and Zane squared his shoulders. Her heart went out to him. For a big, tough-looking cop, he was a bit mushy on the inside, and talking to the parents wouldn’t be easy. He took the crimes that happened in his town very seriously; her father had been the same way. It was a good quality for a chief to have, but he also had to know where to draw the line between his personal life and his work life.

In the seven months she’d been dating Zane, she’d learned the police chief position fit him like a second skin. Outside of the office, he was proving to be a man she could easily spend the rest of her life with. Patsy believed Zane was the one for her daughter, but Stevie was taking it slow, afraid of making a mistake. Last summer she’d refused to move in with him, but over the last few months, 90 percent of her clothing had migrated to his closet.

Maybe it was time to give up her apartment. Zane hadn’t mentioned her moving in since July, but he’d tripled the size of his cabin’s closet and added enough shelves and drawers to make a Beverly Hills housewife happy.

Sometimes Stevie felt like Patsy and Zane knew exactly what her future held and were simply waiting for her to open her eyes.

Soon.

Maybe.





CHAPTER THREE





Five minutes later Stevie and Zane faced Kay and Gerhard Phillips and their son, Ryan, over a small conference room table. Zane thought the parents looked as if they’d been awake for five days. Exhaustion and sorrow lined every groove in their faces. Ryan appeared to be in his late twenties and had blond hair like his sister. Anger spewed through his gaze and words.

“How can you have no leads?” His blue eyes glared at Stevie.

Zane’s defenses mentally stood up. Ryan could funnel all the anger he wanted at Zane, but Stevie was off-limits.

Stevie leaned forward, holding Ryan’s attention. “That’s not what we said.”

Stevie’s tone was soft and understanding on the outside, but inside was a steel core that warned Ryan to watch his step. She used it when she was pissed but holding tight to her temper. Zane knew to step carefully when that tone was aimed his way. He reconsidered his defensive reaction of a few seconds ago; Stevie was perfectly capable of handling Ryan Phillips.

“It’s the first day,” she continued in the same tone. “The autopsy isn’t until tomorrow and we haven’t completed the motel interviews.”

“Then why are you just sitting here? You should be searching for my sister’s killer.” Venom laced his voice.

“Ryan!” Kay snapped at her son. “They’re doing what they can.”

“We’re taking the time to update you,” said Zane. “Rest assured we’ll do everything we can to find out who did this to Vanessa.”

“I heard another woman her age died here last week,” said Ryan in a slightly calmer voice. “Are the murders related?”

“We’re considering that,” said Zane. He paused, weighing how much to tell the family. So far Gerhard Phillips was the silent one of the family, but the pain in his eyes spoke louder than Ryan’s anger. He met Zane’s gaze, waiting and watching.

He knows I’m holding something back.

Zane plunged forward. “We had a confession yesterday in the first woman’s murder. The suspect died before we could interview him about Vanessa.”

Three pairs of confused eyes stared at him. “Died how?” Kay asked.

“He was murdered. But we’ll take a hard look to see if he was connected to your daughter’s death.”

“Did you know Vanessa was here in Solitude?” Stevie deftly seized control of the interview.

“No,” said Kay, shaking her pale-blonde curls. “She’d told us she couldn’t make it home for Christmas. I don’t know why she was here. I thought she was going to Seattle to do some research.”

“She had gifts with your names on them in her motel room,” Stevie said quietly. “She was headed home to surprise you.”

Tears rolled down Kay’s cheeks, and Zane saw the resemblance to her daughter’s driver’s license picture. Her husband tightened his grip on Kay’s hands.

“That sounds like her. She’s very impulsive,” said Kay. “She changes plans on a moment’s notice and loves to surprise people.”

“Was she seeing anyone?” Stevie asked delicately. “Was she in a relationship where they might have planned to meet here for a few days?”

Zane leaned back in his chair, letting Stevie handle the questions. The Wayward Motel wouldn’t have been his first choice for a romantic getaway, but he understood students on a budget.

The three of them shook their heads. “She hasn’t dated anyone since summer,” said Kay. “At least not that I know of. Usually she tells me when she’s seeing someone seriously.”

That didn’t rule out a romantic encounter in Zane’s book.

“Was she raped?” Ryan spit out.

“Ryan!” Kay fanned her face. Gerhard looked ready to vomit.

“We don’t know the answer to that,” Stevie said quickly. “We’ll know more tomorrow. I’m really sorry we don’t have more answers for you right now.”

“Where’s a good place to stay for a few days?” asked Gerhard, speaking for the first time. “We don’t want to drive back tonight, and we’re hoping for some more information from you soon.”