Guarding His Midnight Witness
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Anna J. Stewart
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HarlequinChapter 1
“Welcome back, Detective.”
Jack McTavish dropped out of his SUV and tried not to cringe at Deputy Scott Bowman’s guarded tone. He’d heard the same inflection from countless others during his long weeks of convalescence. So he’d been shot eight months ago. So one of the bullets had missed his heart by mere millimeters. And okay, yeah, he’d flatlined twice during surgery and once more in recovery. In the days that followed, he’d come roaring back by challenging his surgeon more than any other patient of his, ever, no doubt leaving him questioning his career choice. But none of that, at least in Jack’s opinion, gave his fellow officers and detectives permission to eye him as if he had just returned from the dead.
He wasn’t dead. Not by a long shot. But apparently he still had to prove it.
“Thanks, Bowie. It’s good to be back.” Jack reached into his car for his double-shot espresso and checked to make sure he’d clipped his badge to his waistband before verifying his sidearm was secure. He resisted the now familiar urge to scrub uneasy fingers over the still throbbing scars across his chest and side. Psychosomatic, according to his physician sister, Ashley. Ghost pain. Easy for her to say. He was completely healed, but knowing that in his head didn’t prevent the occasional panic attack and nightmares that continued to plague him. When he actually slept.
“So, what are we dealing with?” Jack fell into step beside the deputy as they headed down the dimly lit street. His LT hadn’t been very forthcoming with information about the call, only that the person had specifically requested a detective when she’d called 9-1-1. “Crackpot or attention seeker?”
“Jury’s out.”
Jack didn’t have to look at Bowie to know the legacy cop was grinning. A grin served as the kid’s default expression. The twentysomething deputy with a little more than three years under his belt was also one of the most organized and reliable officers Jack had worked with in his nearly twelve years on the job. Which was why Jack had specifically requested him as his partner while his usual cohort Cole Delaney finished his vacation. Besides, Bowie was looking to earn his detective’s badge, and Jack was happy to play mentor for the time being. “Tell me what you do know, Bowie. Who’s the caller?”
“Greta Renault. Resident across the street. Claims to have witnessed a crime from her window but wouldn’t give any details over the phone. The dispatcher couldn’t shake the feeling something was off, so rather than listing it as a nuisance call, the supervisor called the lieutenant who—”
“Who decided my first day back on the job should start with a bang. Awesome.” Jack’s first question was what this Greta Renault had been doing spying out her window at this time of night. In his experience, calls like this were a cry for help, in more ways than one.
“A patrol unit did a quick sweep, didn’t find anything amiss. I did a walk-around while I was waiting for you,” Bowie continued. “I didn’t see anything either around the caller’s building or the one in question. I did knock on the door of the office complex and spoke with the night security officer. He said as far as he knew, he was the only one in the building. Which makes sense as it’s still under construction in some parts.”
“Sounds like someone’s been watching too much Hitchcock.” Jack took in his surroundings as they headed toward the caller’s front door. Nothing like dead of night silence to ease a cop’s mind. This time of year in the Sacramento Valley, when April was sliding into May, the weather had yet to decide which direction to go. Cool nights and warmish days interspersed with surprise thunderstorms and retina-blasting sunshine. Personally, Jack preferred crisp nights like this. Nothing could hide in the silence. Even the quietest cough couldn’t go unnoticed while shadows caught in the beams of determined streetlamps.
A twinge of envy nudged at him as he looked up at the impressive structure that reminded him somewhat of a New York City brownstone. He’d always liked this part of town, the way historic Sacramento, California, meshed with newer, flashier and less interesting architecture. Such a stark contrast to his two-bedroom condo in the family-heavy suburb of Elk Grove. This recently restored landmark brick building where the witness lived was situated within walking distance to the new downtown arena, a nice neighborhood grocery, the capitol building, and the ever popular Old Sac, the tourist trap that had caught Jack up in its temptations on more than one occasion since he’d moved here almost three years before. This part of town, with its combination of corporate offices, hole-in-the-wall restaurants and reputation-building art galleries tended to be a bustling part of town during the day. At four in the morning? Not so much.
“What do we know about Miss Renault?” Jack sipped his cooling jolt of caffeine and tried to ignore the haunting sound of his sister’s disapproving tsks. He’d done everything she’d instructed during what seemed like his endless recovery, including cutting down on red meat and upping his intake of kale. He was not, however, willing to give up coffee. No matter how much Ashley grumbled at him.
“We don’t know much,” Bowie said. “She only moved to Sacramento last summer, but two years before she bought this building and had it renovated into loft apartments. She’s currently the only occupant, though. Must be weird, living in this big a building all alone.” Bowie craned his neck to look up. “Bet it would play with your head.”
Jack agreed. He knew how the solitude could push in on a person and keep them on edge. “You liking these early hours?”
“Not particularly, sir. But it’s part of the job.”
That it was. Knowing Bowie, however, the deputy had already rearranged the times and days he spent volunteering at local teen centers and the Y teaching self-defense classes to kids of all ages. “So what do you think?” Jack glanced up at the four-story facade. “Want to lay odds on what this turns out to be?”
“Ah.” Bowie glanced at Jack with a familiar twinkle in his always appraising eye. “I’ll put twenty on our witness having partaken in some recreational smoking products.”
Jack chuckled and pressed the one intercom button outside the custom wood and glass-etched door. “There’s that sense of humor that keeps us all sane. I’ll take that bet. But I’ll go with lonely. Someone needs some attention.”
“Safe bet,” Bowie mumbled.
Jack bit the inside of his cheek. He didn’t like the idea of anyone thinking he preferred to play anything safe, but the truth was...that’s exactly what he planned to do. He had to if he was going to convince his superiors that he was ready to be on the job again. Because he’d realized one thing while he’d been lying in bed, going out of his mind with boredom: without this job, he had nothing. He pressed two fingers against his heart as doubt surged. Doubt that had him considering putting in for a promotion if he didn’t think he’d die a lot sooner stuck behind a desk.
He hit the buzzer again.
“Yes?” A calm, slightly breathy, coherent voice drifted out of the state-of-the-art intercom speaker.
“Detective Jack McTavish and Officer Bowman from Major Crimes, ma’am.” Jack leaned in and pressed the button as he spoke. “We understand you’d like to report a crime?”
Silence echoed on the other end. Jack frowned at Bowie, who shrugged.
“Ma’am?” Jack said again.
“I didn’t think you were coming.”
Translation: they’d taken their time getting there. “I apologize for the delay, Ms. Renault. If you could buzz us up, we’d like to speak with you.”
Another hesitation. “All right. Fourth floor.”
“Thank—” his response was cut off by the shrill buzzer and the lock unlatching. “This should be interesting.” He pulled open the door and stepped inside.
“Elevator, nice.” Bowie gave an appreciative nod toward the restored, old-fashioned iron car.
Silence filled the space as the front door closed behind them. Impressive locks and security, Jack noticed. High-end marble extended across the expansive foyer. A large circular table sat in the center of the area, filled with a spray of flowers Versailles might appreciate. High ceilings, carved crown molding. Elegant and tasteful despite the odd trace of turpentine lingering in the air.
He headed for the stairs and ignored Bowie’s disappointed sigh. Jack hadn’t been burning up his treadmill every morning to take elevators. He wasn’t about to give anyone an excuse to doubt his fitness for the job. Not that Bowie, or any other officer he worked with in the Sac PD, would rat him out if Jack took the less stressful option.
“You hear from Cole and Eden?” Bowie asked as they rounded the second floor landing.
“Talked to Cole yesterday. They’ll be back next week.” Jack flinched as his chest twinged in protest, this time maybe not so imaginary. “Eden came across more evidence in that cold case she’s been chomping on and talked Cole into staying in Flagstaff a while longer.”
As much as Jack missed his partner, he was glad to be working this case without him. Even Cole had joined in the chorus of naysayers, suggesting Jack consider taking more time off.
When he pulled open the door to the fourth floor, his heart pounded heavy in his chest. He stepped aside to let Bowie pass and bent over for a moment to take a long, deep breath.
“Pull it together, man.” Jack gave himself a good shake and stepped into the hallway just as Bowie knocked on the only door in sight. It opened at Bowie’s touch and for an instant Jack wondered if Ms. Renault employed a ghost as a butler.
“Hello?” Bowie called, his hand heading for the snap on his holster.
Sweat broke out on Jack’s forehead. Instinct had him mirroring Bowie’s action even as his hand shook. He’d been caught off guard once—he wouldn’t let it happen again. “Miss Renault?”
“Come on in!” a voice from inside called.
The tension strangling Jack’s spine evaporated, and he patted Bowie on the shoulder as if he hadn’t been worried. “You spook too easy.” Jack sniffed the air. “No recreational smoking in here. Get ready to pay up.”
“You haven’t won yet,” Bowie mumbled and followed Jack inside.
“Miss Renault? Detective Jack...” Jack trailed off as he caught sight of the apparition moving toward them. Apparition seemed the only appropriate way to describe her, given the way Miss Renault glided across the room, light on her feet, dark silk pajamas flowing around bare feet. The deep V at the neck gave a hint as to lush, full breasts and creamy skin. Stark, silver-blond hair sat piled on top of her head, and she wore thick, black-rimmed glasses perched on her narrow nose. But her eyes, Jack thought. The eyes behind those glasses stole the breath from his lungs. Indigo. With sharp shards of gold that made him think of Van Gogh’s The Starry Night. She looked at him with those eyes now in a combination of irritation, suspicion and...interest?
“McTavish,” Bowie finished for him and elbowed him in the side. “Detective Jack McTavish.”
Jack pinched his lips tight and stepped forward right onto Bowie’s foot. The officer let out a whimper he attempted to cover with a cough.
“A pleasure. And it’s Greta, please.” She held out her free hand as her other held a stark white teapot, steam billowing from the spout. “I assumed when no one arrived shortly after I called...” She trailed off in much the way she had over the intercom. Her eyes glazed over just a bit, and she swayed.
“Ma’am?” Jack bolted closer, wondering if this wasn’t some sort of seizure disorder. Was it? She was still there, wasn’t she? “Greta?”
“Hmm?” She blinked, lifted her chin, and even in the dim light of her spacious loft, her cheeks exploded with color. “Oh, heavens! I’m sorry. I’ve been working, stuck, actually. You know, when you can’t figure out where...” She went quiet, turned around and disappeared around the corner, leaving the faint hint of jasmine and paint thinner in her wake.
“I’d like to amend the conditions of our bet.” Bowie moved in behind him. “I’m going with kooky.”
“Maybe.” Greta Renault certainly seemed unique, and unique had always fascinated him. Unique had also gotten him burned more times than he could count. He followed her as if in some kind of trance and found her, to his surprise, sitting cross-legged on her wide and deep kitchen island, doodling on a pad of paper. “Greta?”
“Uh-huh.” She held up a finger for a flash of a moment. A thin, embossed leather bracelet adorned her wrist. “Just a second. I had an idea, and I just...need...to...” Her fingers flew across the paper as if they had wings. The sharp lead scraped in the silence, an oddly comforting sound that drew him closer. “Okay, yeah. Yes. This will work. Oh, this is perfect.” She tilted her head up and smiled at him, a smile so wide and joyous, his knees went week. “You, Detective Jack McTavish, are a lifesaver. Definitely an inspiration. One look at you and bam!” She smacked her palm against the side of her head. “The ideas are flowing again. Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” Jack looked at Bowie as the deputy circled the kitchen and scanned the countertops, no doubt looking for medications or drug paraphernalia. Jack didn’t see a trace of anything in the room other than utter and complete organization. Not even a stray toast crumb to be found.
Greta hopped off the island and poured herself a cup of dark, aromatic tea. Nope, Jack told himself as he finished his coffee, kooky definitely wasn’t a bad thing. But he was here for a reason; a reason he was going to have to report back on soon. Which meant he didn’t have time to be entertained. “Greta, I don’t mean to be rude, but why did you call the police?”
“The police?” Her face clouded, her smile dipped.
“You called 9-1-1 at just after eleven.” Bowie clarified as he glanced at his notebook.
“Oh, right.” Her eyes flashed and cleared. “The murder.”
“The murder.” Whatever he’d been expecting to hear, that wasn’t it. Jack leaned an arm on the counter and kept his tone even as he saw Bowie roll his eyes so hard they should have fallen back into his skull. “You witnessed a murder?”
“Mmm-hmm.” When she nodded, a strand of long, silver-blond hair fell over one eye. “I was afraid when you didn’t arrive, I might have...” She trailed off again, pushed the unspoken thought along with her hair away. “Never mind.”
“Where was this murder exactly?”
Jack straightened at the strained patience in his deputy’s voice.
“Across the street. In that new building.” She sipped her tea. “I can show you.” She set her cup down and floated out of the kitchen before either of them could respond.
She reminded him of a sprite, Jack thought. Or perhaps a siren. He had the sneaking suspicion she could lure him into the afterlife and he’d gladly follow. And that, he told himself, would be a very bad idea.
“Don’t mind Cerberus.” Greta flicked dismissive fingers toward the sleek gray cat perched sphinx-like on the top of one of the bookcases. “He’s harmless. Mostly,” she added when Cerberus batted a paw at Bowie’s head and hissed as they passed.
Jack tried to focus on his surroundings as he followed her down the wide hall. The loft in its entirety was enormous, with a maze of copper pipes twisting against the ceiling. Expansive skylights allowed for a starry night view as the sun had begun its rise. Her furnishings for the living room, besides the array of neatly arranged bookshelves, seemed both comfortable and practical. The medium-sized flat-screen was off. An orderly stack of DVDs sat on a short sleek table below. To his right, floor-to-ceiling windows encompassed the entire north wall and were draped with a shimmery gray fabric with gauzy white overlay that pooled on the floor. The hardwood floors had been refurbished with just enough give he could hear her bare feet slap as she led him deeper into the unknown, to the narrow door at the end of the hall.
The smell of paint and turpentine grabbed him around the throat as he stepped inside an artist’s studio that would have brought the old masters to tears.
Thick, paint-spattered beige tarps had been spread across the floor. Built-in cabinetry with glass doors allowed a person to see the arranged brushes and paints and other supplies inside. A small speaker system was situated on the counter by the door along with a pod coffee machine and a collection of pristine white mugs. Jack couldn’t recall ever seeing anyone’s house look so tidy and efficient. Sparse even.
Greta stood in front of a half-finished canvas that was almost twice her height. The explosions of colors—blacks, purples, blues, with splashes and dots of pinks and red made him feel as if he’d stepped out of the earth’s gravitational force and into the spinning universe. She’d only covered half the canvas in paint, however, as if it had been cut off, waiting for whatever its creator deemed necessary.
Jack was about to clear his throat when he caught sight of a painting across the room. A seascape seen from atop cliffs. Pastels and primary colors intermingling in unnatural yet symbiotic waves. And there, standing at the very edge of the most delicate rock, a solitary female figure stood, arms outstretched as if embracing the coming storm.
A woman with shimmering silver hair.
“Crashing Waves.”
“Excuse me?” Bowie’s question broke through Jack’s trance.
“You know it?” Greta’s voice just over his shoulder should have surprised him, but it didn’t. He’d known she was there before she spoke.
“I—yes.” He nodded. Now wasn’t the time to admit he had a signed print of the painting over his sofa. It had been one of the few items he’d brought with him from Chicago. He could still remember the moment he’d first seen it in the gallery a little more than four years ago; the first showing for the artist responsible. His date for the evening hadn’t appreciated his shift of obsessive attention. His bank account hadn’t appreciated the purchase price. But something about the piece, about the woman facing the forces of the darkness closing in on her, had spoken to him.
Now, standing in Greta Renault’s studio, Jack glanced at the signature. “G. Renault. I should have realized.” Bowie had told him their supposed witness was an artist. “Your work is spellbinding.”
“Thank you.” The smile she gave him illuminated the dark spaces inside of him. “There’s little an artist enjoys more than the expression you’re wearing on your face at this moment, Detective McTavish.”
“Jack,” he corrected automatically.
“Miss Renault.” Bowie cleared his throat. “About this murder?”
Jack turned in time to see the light fade in Greta’s eyes.
“Yes, about that.” She managed a strained smile, crossed her arms over her chest and walked over to where she perched on a high stool by the long, narrow window. “I was just finishing for the night, so it must have been around eleven. I like to work late. Fewer distractions. Not as much noise out there.” She tapped the side of her head. “Or in here. You know?”
Jack nodded. He did know.
“I had just turned out the light to go fix some tea when one came on across the street. There.” She pointed to the steel-and-glass building. “Third floor, corner office. It stopped me cold.”
“Is that unusual?” Jack pulled his attention away from her paintings and refocused on his purpose for being here. Aside from the dim glowing lights in the building she indicated, no doubt for the janitorial staff, the entire space looked bare-bones empty. The stark steel and chrome seemed jagged and cold next to the warmth of the building he was currently in. “To see lights at night over there?”
“Other than the security ones, yes. That’s why I kept watching. I do that. Watch people. They’re fascinating.” Her voice sounded almost wistful. “From a distance, obviously. I’ve been keeping tabs on the construction, of course, but this was different.”
“Could you see who came into the office?” Bowie asked.
“Not at first.” Greta shook her head, squinted as if trying to remember. “There were two men. Both wore suits. One was a bit more tailored than the other. Polished, even. The other was older, heavier, especially around the middle. Rumpled. He wore glasses, round, with thin frames.”
“That’s pretty good eyesight,” Bowie said in a way that had Jack gnashing his teeth.
“The heavier man had a mark, here.” Greta touched her hand to the side of her neck, trailed it up her left cheek. “I wondered if it might be a wine mark? One of those birthmarks people are born with.” She shivered. “He was so angry.”
“The man with the birthmark?” Jack asked.
“No. The other one.”
“Angry.” Bowie continued to scribble. “And you know this because—”
Jack shot a look at Bowie who, near as Jack could tell, wasn’t even trying to hide his disbelief. If Greta noticed, she didn’t let on.
“People change demeanor when they’re angry.” Greta’s eyes remained pinned to the now dark office. “The body, it tenses, tightens, like a spring. It’s like it’s ready to strike. But he didn’t. The older man, I mean. But the younger one did. Fast. Next thing I saw, the first man was lying on the floor, not moving. Then the younger one was standing over him.” She turned glassy, shocked eyes to Jack. “That’s when he turned and looked out the window. I think.” She visibly swallowed. “It felt as if he looked right at me.”
“Looked at you?” Jack moved in to block her view, as if he could pull her out of the memory. “This man saw you?”
“I know how that sounds.” Her fingers brushed against the hollow of her throat. “My lights were off so I can’t be sure. I couldn’t, didn’t move. All I could do was stare back.”
“What did he do then?” Jack asked before Bowie could.
“He walked over to the window, put his hands in his pockets and smiled.”
“He smiled,” Bowie said.
“Yes.” Greta nodded.
“So you got a good look at his face,” Bowie pushed and moved in. “You could give a description to a sketch artist?”
“She’s an artist, Bowie,” Jack reminded the deputy with a bit of bite in his voice. “She could draw him herself.”
“I could,” Greta said without hesitation. “But I don’t have to. I know who it was.”
“You do?” Jack wondered if he’d ever stop being surprised.
“It was Doyle Fremont.”
The energy coursing through him drained in an instant. Jack sat on the edge of the table behind him. “Doyle Fremont as in the tech tycoon and real estate developer?”
“Yes.” Greta’s eyes went wide. “I know it sounds strange, and believe me, I debated calling, but with that man just lying there, how could I not?”
“You said the heavier man was just on the ground. Did he fall over or was he struck?”
It was a moment before she shook her head. “Not that I remember.”
“Is it possible he had a heart attack and collapsed?”
“I...maybe?” But she didn’t seem convinced. “If he did, why didn’t Doyle Fremont call someone? Why focus on me?”
Why indeed? Jack was both shocked and grateful Bowie refrained from responding, but he knew what the deputy was bound to ask. The same question Jack was obligated to. “Is there anyone staying here with you, Greta? Anyone who might be able to corroborate—”
“No. I live alone.” The way she folded in on herself, curled her arms tight around her waist, flinched into the darkness, Jack could all but feel the regret and uncertainty in her. She wasn’t happy about any of this.
“Just to clarify.” Bowie cut in before Jack could push further. “You’re saying you saw Doyle Fremont arguing with an older, heavier man with a birthmark and that when that argument got heated, Fremont killed him. How?”
“How?” Greta’s brow furrowed as she slumped a bit on the stool.
“Yes, how. Did he shoot him?”
“Ease up, Bowie,” Jack murmured. It was clear Greta believed something had happened. Jack looked back at the empty office building. But if he believed his eyes...
“No, he didn’t shoot him.” Greta shook her head as her cheeks began to flush. “No, I didn’t hear a shot. I didn’t see a gun.”
“Then did he stab him?” Bowie’s voice rose ever so slightly. “Was there a knife?”
“I...maybe?” She frowned. “I don’t know.” She seemed to be talking to herself now. Questioning herself.
Bowie sighed. “Ms. Renault—”
“You said you thought Mr. Fremont saw you. Looked at you and smiled.” Jack stood back up, stepped slightly in front of Bowie to take charge once more. “What did Mr. Fremont do then?”
“He turned and walked away. The next thing I knew, he turned off the lights. I couldn’t see anything after that. That’s when I called 9-1-1.”
“So the body should be there.” Bowie turned irritated eyes on Jack and mouthed the word kooky. “If there is a body.”
Jack’s normally expansive temper strained.
“You don’t believe me.” Greta’s voice went cold, as if Bowie’s accusation had doused a fire inside of her. “You think I’m seeing things. Making things up.” Her eyes sharpened with a glint of steel.
“We didn’t say that,” Jack answered before Bowie could. He would have thought the deputy would use a bit more diplomacy than was currently on display. Even if she was disturbed, even if what she’d seen wasn’t real, she didn’t deserve to be treated with anything other than respect. “Greta—”
“This was a mistake.” Greta jumped off her stool and, head held high, walked out of the studio. “I want you to leave.”
“What on earth is wrong with you?” Bowie whispered as he shoved his notepad into his pocket. “I expected you to be a little off after all these months, Jack, but don’t tell me you believe this ridiculous story. Doyle Fremont, one of the biggest money men in the country, murdered someone? Please.”
“I don’t know what I believe.” Other than Greta Renault was convinced of what she’d seen.
“So, you’re what? Going to humor her? Why? Because she’s a knockout?”
Jack didn’t appreciate the sarcasm or the accusation. “Because whether what she saw actually happened or not, she believes it did. Either way, she needs help, Bowie.”
“And you think you’re the one to give it to her?”
“Clearly, you aren’t,” Jack snapped before he followed Greta into the other room. He found her holding the front door open, eyes and jaw set as she intently stared at anything other than him. “Greta, I apologize—”
“Don’t.” She flinched, and try as he might, he couldn’t find a trace of the welcoming, bewitching woman who had let them into her home. “Just don’t. I made a mistake. I knew I shouldn’t have called. I shouldn’t...” She stopped, took a shuddering breath. “I shouldn’t have expected you to listen to me.”
“I did listen,” Jack tried again, but she inched the door closed. “Greta—”
“I did not imagine this.” She looked Jack square in the eyes, and he saw the hurt swirling in the blue depths. Hurt and disbelief and, surprisingly, anger. “I know what I saw, Detective. And if you aren’t going to do anything about it, I will.”
She closed the door in his face.
