“Did he ever abuse Charlotte?”
She was silent.
“Parker was a little rough with her a few times. I was the only one she told and she asked me not to say anything to anyone. The last time he hit her she had a few bruises. She threatened to break it off and he never touched her again. And then she found out about the other women….”
“And that ended it for good,” I said.
“Yes.”
“I know about the altercation between you and Parker at the party. Was it over the abuse?”
“I’ve already said too much, I need to go.”
I had pushed too far.
CHAPTER 42
“Why isn’t anyone doing their job?”
“Calm down Audrey,” I said.
It was early on Sunday, my usual day of rest. I half opened one eyelid and looked at the clock on my nightstand. 5:53 AM.
“At least I give a damn; I guess I’m the only one who does.”
“Calm down, Audrey,” I said, again.
“Why should I? My sister is dead. No, let me rephrase that. My sister is dead because some asshole murdered her and that asshole isn’t locked up yet.”
“PCPD brought him in for questioning,” I said. “But without any proof, they couldn’t hold him, at least not yet. He’s still being looked at.”
“What do you mean?”
“Trust me Audrey, okay? I’m sorry I don’t have all the answers yet, but I will.”
“Two weeks already and no change. Do you know how it feels to sit here and wait?”
I was tired and irritated. Her lack of patience and my lack of sleep didn’t make a winning combination.
“Two weeks. Not two months, not two years, a couple of weeks. It takes time. Think of it like trying to fit all of the pieces of the puzzle together and finding out you have one piece that’s not there. As soon as I find that piece the case will fall into place.”
“Do you believe that?”
“I do.”
And I did.
“And the cops, do they share your sentiments?”
“I would like to think so. Believe me, the more eyes we have on this the better.”
I managed to find the end button on my phone and turned over on my side. Two eyeballs stared straight at me.
“What’s her deal?” Nick said.
I pulled the covers over me and scooted next to Nick.
“She hasn’t got a patient bone in her body.”
And with that I fell back to sleep.
Morning came again a couple hours later. I turned on my laptop and waited the six minutes it took for my applications to load and then went to the Salt Lake International Airport website and searched all flights with an arrival destination of New York City. I found three, and the first departed in three hours.
I grabbed a quick bite to eat with my two favorite boys and departed for the airport. Nick and Lord Berkeley left for some male bonding at the park. It took a deal of finesse, but I managed to convince Nick that a simple chat with Kristin required no accompaniment.
The first flight came and went with no sign of either of them. I took a gamble on the security gate and hoped I chose the one closest to the terminal she flew out of. Thirty minutes later, it paid off. The two of them walked hand-in-hand toward the security gate. They hugged and then kissed and then hugged again and he walked away and then paused and turned back and blew her a kiss. What a charmer.
Kristin was a tiny woman, several inches shorter than me and petite, and when she stood sideways she almost disappeared into thin air. She had long, flowy brown hair with blond highlights and an oval-shaped face. She didn’t look like the others, but then, the others didn’t look like the others either. It was part of Parker’s game that he played. One in every size, shape, and color. I imagined he had a hard time at the ice cream parlor. So many options to choose from, it would be impossible to limit himself to one.
Kristin looked more like a woman ready to hit the clubs in her bedazzled tank top, micro mini skirt, and four-inch studded heels. I guess she hadn’t noticed the temperature outside or the fact that she was in Salt Lake City in winter.
I waited for her to take her place in line and when there was no sign of Parker, I fell in behind her.
“Kristin Tanner?”
She turned around with a look of shock on her face but didn’t respond.
“Are you Kristin Tanner?” I said, again.
“Who wants to know?”
“My name is Sloane. Sloane––”
“I know who you are. Parker warned me about you. What do you want?”
Her tone was sharp and she didn’t smile.
“Can I speak with you for a few minutes? I have a couple of questions if you don’t mind. I promise you won’t miss your flight.”
She slung her carry-on bag over her shoulder and grabbed me by the arm and pulled me out of the line. I shook her off and we walked to an unoccupied corner of the room. She reduced her voice to a whisper as if someone could hear our conversation over the continual announcements going off overhead combined with the instrumental airport music.
“I have nothing to say to you and this is outrageous!”
“Because I want to ask a few questions?” I said.
“You followed me here, how ridiculous. You need to get a life.”
“I wanted a few minutes of your time and this seemed like a good way to get it.”
“Away from Parker, you mean.”
“If you say so,” I said.
“Well, I’m not talking to you so you’ve wasted your time coming down here like this.”
“I don’t think so.”
She placed one hand on her hip and sneered at me.
“Stay away from me and leave Parker alone.”
“And if I don’t?” I said.
“Then if I were you, I’d watch your back.”
“Is that a threat?” I said.
She flicked her hand through her hair.
“Count on it.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to protect innocent women from the likes of Parker Stanton,” I said.
“You’re so stupid. You don’t know anything.”
“I know you’re with a womanizing manwhore,” I said.
It wasn’t how I intended to conduct my Q&A session, but I needed her to talk, and it was obvious that her personality type required a steady amount of pressure to rev her engine. All I needed was one slip up.
“I won’t stand here another minute and listen to your outlandish lies.”
“You don’t believe Parker cheats?” I said. “Wake up.”
“How dare you.”
She stood her ground and I stood mine. I needed to press harder.
“How long have you been with him?” I said.
“What’s it to you?”
“You know nothing about the others I take it.”
“I find it pathetic that you need to make up a bunch of stuff in order to what, bust him? I know all about you. I know how you went to his house, physically attacked him, and then broke his fingers. You plan to break mine too?”
“If that’s the story you want to believe, it’s up to you,” I said.
“And you don’t even deny it.”
“It doesn’t matter what I say,” I said. “Your mind’s made up.”
“He offered his help to you with this investigation and what did he get in return? Harassed and physically assaulted. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.”
“And you shouldn’t be so naïve,” I said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“The woman, Charlotte. She was his fiancé and they had a relationship for the past couple years.”
She shook her head.
“You’re so full of it.”
I reached in my coat pocket and pulled out a photo of Parker and Charlotte that I lifted from her house. I handed it to her.
“There were others too, at least two that I know of besides Charlotte,” I said.