Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

After Jeffrey left, Tony sat down and sighed. "Did we miss something? Could Nathan really be behind April's disappearance?"

"Then why come to us?" River asked. "It doesn't make any sense. I think Jeffrey just doesn't like Nathan. Maybe he was jealous of their relationship. A lot of fathers have problems with their daughter's boyfriends."

"You noticed that he likes to be called Jeffrey too, huh?" He shook his head. "I don't see any reason for Nathan to come to us. I mean, kidnapping April so he can get to her money? How would that work? I'm just not buying it."

The door to their office opened again and a police officer came in. "Chief Martin sent me to pick up some evidence."

Tony got up and handed him the bag. The officer took out a piece of paper that Tony signed. Chain of evidence. Crucial when passing off items that could end up as evidence in a courtroom.

"Hey, hold on just minute, okay?" Tony said. He pulled his pad of paper over and quickly wrote something. Then he removed the paper and slid it into an envelope. He handed it to the officer. "Please give this to Chief Martin, okay?"

"Sure. Not a problem."

River watched Tony hand the envelope to the officer, but she was still thinking about Jeffrey Bailey's accusation. She had confidence in her ability to read people, but she wasn't perfect. Could Nathan have fooled them?

"River?"

She looked up to find Tony staring at her. The officer had left.

"You're still thinking about what Bailey said, aren't you?"

She sighed. "Yeah."

"I thought we already decided that Nathan wasn't involved in April's disappearance."

"You're right," she said. "Sorry. I just want to make sure we're not dismissing the possibility out of hand." She met his gaze. "Why did Nathan tell Jeffrey that he was coming here?"

"Didn't he say something about trying to keep in touch with April's father?" Tony asked. "I'm guessing he thought it was the right thing to do."

"I guess so."

"It's getting late. I don't want your mother and Mrs. Weyland delaying dinner for us. Did you let them know I was coming?"

River shook her head. "I'll do it right now." She frowned at him. "Did the note you sent to Arnie have anything to do with our case?"

"I'm not sure. I told him about the reporter Brent Wilkins and how he was connected to the Casanova case. I didn't want to call him again in case it's a waste of time. It really is a stretch."

"But according to our mini-profile, not out of the realm of possibility," River said.

"That's why I sent it. Who knows? Okay. I'm going to run to the restroom. Be right back."

On his way to the bathroom, Tony passed by some of the other businesses on their floor. Some people were already gone for the day. One newer business, TSRS, still had its lights on. Just one guy worked there. When Tony walked by, he looked up and smiled. Tony waved at him, and the guy waved back. Tony wasn't sure what the guy did, but it looked boring. A lot of paperwork. A job like that would drive Tony nuts. When he was done in the restroom, he headed back to the office. Now everyone was gone, even the guy at TSRS.

He hoped they wouldn't get to River's house too late. He'd grown fond of River's mother and the kind and efficient Mrs. Weyland. Sometimes God sent angels in the form of people. Mrs. Weyland was one of those. Without her, River probably wouldn't have been able to partner with him in Watson Investigations. He couldn't imagine his life without her. Even with the specter of the Strangler's accomplice hanging over their lives, Tony was happier now than he'd ever been in his life. He loved working with River every day, and he also loved what they were doing. As behavioral analysts, they created profiles to help law enforcement narrow down their search parameters. But now, they were the ones looking for the bad guys, solving mysteries, and bringing justice. The only thing he still wanted was ... River. For more than a friend. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her, but he wasn't certain if she was ready to hear it. They'd danced around it for a while now. But with the threat of the Strangler's partner hanging over their heads, was this really the time? He took a deep breath before opening the office door and then smiled when he saw her. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. "Part of me wants to keep digging into these cases."

"Me too, but I don't want the gal at the doggy daycare to stay too late. It was nice of her to watch Watson so I could have dinner with you."

"She's a saint to put up with your hours."

He laughed. "Maybe not a complete saint. She's in love with my dog. She took Watson home with her on some of those nights we worked really late. And she took care of him when I was in the hospital and while we were in Iowa. I think if I was willing to give him away, she'd take him in a second."

River frowned at him. "You'd never do that, would you?"

He shook his head. "Absolutely not. We're bonded. I couldn't live with the notion that he might wait for me to come back to him but I never did."

He was surprised to see River's eyes flush with tears. River wasn't comfortable with tears, although she was getting better. He'd known her for years before he ever saw her cry.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he said.

"No, it's me. Watson's kind of grown on me."

He hesitated a moment before saying, "Maybe I should tell you that in my will, should anything happen to me, I left Watson to you."

She looked up at him in obvious surprise, her eyes still shiny. "What? I mean, what about your parents?"

"He doesn't really know them, and he's crazy about you."

"But your dog sitter..."

"She has several dogs," he said slowly. "Watson isn't the kind of dog that would do well around that many dogs on a permanent basis. He loves his time at doggy daycare, and he loves Sylvia, but by the time I pick him up there or at her house, he's had enough. He just wants to chill out with me. Get belly rubs and sit next to me on the couch while I watch TV. The only other animal I've ever seen him really connect to is your mother's cat. I think he's in love with Scutter."

River chuckled. "Scutter is crazy about him too. But let's not plan your demise for anytime soon, okay?"

He laughed. "I'm not planning on going anywhere for quite some time, but after the Strangler ... well, you can't help but think about the future."

"I know what you mean. And in that vein, I've left my mother to you in my will."

Tony stared at her for a moment, not knowing how to respond, until she burst out laughing. "You're a horrible person," he said, grinning. "A really horrible person."

"I know. Now, let's get out of here."

"Good idea."

As she put her coat on, River said, "I'm so excited that Watson will be here tomorrow. Don't forget his bed this time. Last time he was annoyed at you all day long."

"Yes, I know. He wouldn't even look at me on the way home."

River laughed again.

They left the office and went downstairs. As they got close to Tony's SUV, he noticed the owner of TSRS near the large trash bin at one end of the parking lot. He appeared to be upset, swearing, and looking at something on the ground. River and Tony went to check on him and found him kicking at trash next to his car. It looked as if someone had purposely chucked trash out of the open container.

"Everything okay?" Tony asked.

The man looked up suddenly, and Tony got the impression they'd startled him.

"Sorry," he said. "I get irritated when I find debris near my car. I think some homeless person was dumpster diving and just tossed trash everywhere. I'm afraid of finding scratches on the finish." He stopped pushing trash away with his foot and sighed. "I feel badly for them, of course, but I'm also tired of having my car damaged. This isn't the first time."

Tony could understand his feelings. The same thing had happened to him, and he told the man this. "I finally quit parking over here. I know it's closer to the door on our side of the building, but taking my car to the body shop was getting to be a pain."

"I'll start doing that. Thank you. I'm Thomas Sullivan, by the way. I own the Thomas Sullivan Recovery Service."

Tony introduced himself and then River. "We've seen you in the building. You moved in not long ago?"

"Yes. I run a debt recovery company. Not a very popular business but important to my clients."

"I can understand that. Well, nice to finally meet you."

"You too. And you, Miss Ryland."

River smiled. "River's fine. We'll see you around the building."

"Yes." Thomas walked back to his car, and Tony noticed he had a slight limp. Maybe that was why he wanted to park closer to the entrance near their side of the building. Tony felt bad for him, but there wasn't much that could be done to change things. He wondered if his limp was a temporary injury. If it was permanent, he would probably have a disability tag, and he didn't see one on his car.

Tony and River headed back to his SUV, and he unlocked the passenger side door for River. When they got inside, he apologized. "Boy, it's cold."

"Yes, it is." She smiled. "So, we get a Jeffrey and a Thomas in the same day. I always wonder about men who use their formal names instead of the commonly used nickname. He doesn't seem like a Tom though, does he? And Jeffrey doesn't seem like a Jeff."

Tony started the car and turned on the heater. "With Thomas it's probably a business thing."

"Debt recovery, huh? So, he's the guy who calls people and threatens them if they don't pay back a debt?"

Tony laughed. "I guess so. He's not very intimidating."

River was strangely silent and looked away from him, out the window.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. After my father left, we had some people like that call our house. My mother had to handle them. My father was the breadwinner, and he left us with the bills. My mother started working two jobs to keep us going. Eventually, Mom took him to court and got back child support. She was finally able to drop one of those jobs."

"That's the first time you've told me that," Tony said. "You only mentioned that she was very shut down."

"She was. She worked, came home, and went to bed. That was it. No time for Dan and me." River sighed. "I don't think I gave her enough credit for what she gave up. Maybe I was too focused on my own pain."

"You were a child, River. That's normal."

"Yeah, maybe."

Tony didn't say anything else. It had been a tough day. She needed to process what she was feeling. She'd always been that way. Ever since he'd known her anyway.

They drove in silence the rest of the way to her house.

HE SAT IN HIS CAR AND WATCHED them drive away. He couldn't stop laughing. Here he was, so close to them, but they had no idea. Tonight, he would deliver the old trunk to the place by the water where River Ryland would face her final moments. The clock was ticking, and soon he would finish what had been started.

He'd made other plans as well. As soon as River was dead, he would take his next victim. The little brunette at the antique shop would follow River into the water. They had to be washed clean. The way his mother had tried to wash his sins away. But he wouldn't use scalding water the way she had. He still carried the scars from her cruelty.

Then after River and Megan had been dealt with, he would keep going. He would finally unleash the beast that growled inside him. And that monster would force St. Louis to cry for mercy.

He started his car and headed to the place of River's execution.