Almost Dead (Lizzy Gardner #5)(72)

“Looks like you found the tea,” Hayley said. “What are you looking at?”

“A man.”

Hayley peered off into the same general direction she figured Jessica was looking. “Where? I don’t—”

“Not there. Farther to the right. But don’t—”

Hayley turned that way.

The man took off.

Before Hayley could run after him, Jessica put her tea down and stopped her. “It’s too late. You’re not even wearing shoes.”

“Why didn’t you go after him while you had the chance?”

“Because I was too busy memorizing his features. I need a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Quick.”

Surprisingly, Hayley rushed off to find what she needed, and she was fast.

Jessica began jotting down the description of the man she’d seen: blond hair, ears flat to his head, full upper lip.

Hayley took the pencil and paper from her and began to draw on the other side of the paper. “Keep going,” Hayley said. “Describe him.”

Frustrated, but knowing she needed to describe the man before she forgot what she’d seen, Jessica obliged. With each detail she provided—six-four or six-five, broad shoulders, plaid hunting shirt, heavy brow—Hayley scratched something new on the paper.

Fifteen minutes later, when Jessica picked up the piece of paper, she was looking at the man she’d just seen outside. “This is amazing. I never knew you could sketch.”

“You never asked.”

“Who is he?”

“A man has been following Lizzy for months, maybe longer. She has no idea who he is, hasn’t been able to get a close look at him. Maybe this will help to finally identify him.”

“Do we know if he’s dangerous, or does Lizzy think it’s just another kook who wants to scare her?”

“We know that he’s big, strong, and fast. He kicked a truck driver in the face—broke his nose. Definitely dangerous,” Hayley said. “Lizzy believes he took Shelby Geitner.”

“I’ve been keeping up on the Geitner case,” Jessica said. “I know Shelby. Is she the reason Lizzy is in jail?”

“Mind if we talk about this in the kitchen?” Hayley asked. “I’m hungry.”

Jessica followed her into the kitchen, watched her pour a glass of milk and grab a piece of chicken from Tupperware inside the refrigerator. They sat at the kitchen table, and Jessica listened while Hayley caught her up on everything going on, including the reason why Lizzy was in jail.

Jessica sighed. “I’ll go to the station and see what I can do, if anything, to help Lizzy, but first let’s talk about Kitally. How long did you say she’s been missing?”

“About twenty-four hours now. She’s not answering her phone and this is the first time she hasn’t come home. She’s a stickler for checking in.”

“How about friends?”

Hayley shook her head. “I checked the only two places she would go—her parents’ house and Tommy’s place. She wasn’t at either one.”

“What cases was she working on? Do you know?”

“She had three workers’ comp cases, but one particular case was giving her problems.” Hayley went still. “Chalkor.”

“Who’s Chalkor?”

“Just another loser claiming work-related injuries—” Hayley stopped midsentence. “We need to find the file and pay him a visit.”

Jessica followed Hayley down the hall to the office she’d seen earlier, watched her open the bottom drawer of the filing cabinet and finger through the files until she found what she was looking for.

Hayley turned the pages. “Here it is. Chalkor lives on Azevedo Drive in Sacramento. About twenty-five minutes from here.” Hayley looked at Jessica. “Want to come along?”

The last thing in the world Jessica wanted to do was go for a ride with Hayley. Some of her worst memories were doing surveillance and ride-alongs with her. But they were some of her best memories, too, and she found herself nodding.





CHAPTER 51

If looks could kill, Lizzy would have keeled over and died two minutes ago, right after they brought her into a holding room and shut the steel door with a clunk, leaving her alone with Detective Chase.

“Look at you,” he said, gesturing toward the cuffs around her wrists. “What the hell are you trying to prove? I already knew you were a bit of a nutcase, but breaking into people’s homes in the middle of the night? I don’t get it.”

“It was five in the morning when I knocked on Kohl’s door, practically lunchtime. If you would quit feeling sorry for yourself and open your eyes, maybe you could show everyone that you really deserved that Top Cop Award that I saw in your office.”

“Oh, I see—we’re going to talk about me, are we?”

“Yeah, why not? I’ve seen you more times this past month than I’ve seen my therapist, and yet I have no idea who you really are. I know you like to throw your weight around and act like a tough guy. I see that you don’t get much sleep, but I have no idea why since I sure don’t see you hauling in the bad guys. You got me,” Lizzy said. “Whoop-de-doo. Now what?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. When he looked up, he said, “You really do think you’re above the law, don’t you? You just love being America’s sweetheart.”