Had a Great Fall (An Olivia Thompson Mystery) Read online

  “I was just being friendly,” Vince said. “You should try it sometime.”

  Nate strode ahead. “I don’t need to be friendly to random females. I need to do my job, and so do you.”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you need to get laid.” Vince stepped up to the door and rapped hard on it with his knuckles. “It’s a good thing Olivia doesn’t know she’s too good for you.”

  “Finally, something we agree on.” Nate smirked. He really was starting to like Vince Monroe, despite his sometimes annoyingly cheerful disposition.

  The door opened slowly, a suspicious face peering at them through a small opening. “Yes?”

  “Kristy?” Vince asked, sounding even more friendly than usual. He knew how to turn on the charm with the more reluctant interviewees. “I’m Detective Monroe. We spoke on the phone earlier?”

  “Right.” Kristy nodded. “You want to talk about Dani.”

  “Yes, if you have some time.” Vince flashed his perfect white teeth.

  Kristy opened the door wider. “Come in.”

  It was a typical dorm room in all respects. Two twin beds, two wooden desks, and two overflowing closets. The room was covered in more pink than an entire bubblegum factory. Nate felt like he was doing something wrong just being in the room.

  “You can sit,” Kristy said, gesturing to one of the beds. She perched on the edge of the bed across from it.

  Nate chose a desk chair instead while Vince sat across from Kristy. Since Vince was the one that could connect with the college kids, Nate decided to let him lead the questioning.

  “Kristy. Detective Tucker and I,” Vince nodded toward Nate, “are hoping you can answer a few questions for us that might help us find Dani.”

  “I’ve already spoken with the police,” she said, eyeing Nate wearily. “I don’t know anything. I wasn’t even here when Dani disappeared.”

  “Where were you?” Vince asked smoothly.

  Kristy twirled a strand of dark hair around her finger. “I was visiting my boyfriend for the weekend. He goes to Madison. I knew that Dani was having a friend stay here, so I figured it was a good time for me to go away.”

  “When was the last time you saw your roommate?” Vince took a small notepad from his pocket.

  “That Friday morning, before class. We went to breakfast together, downstairs in the dining hall. I had a test that morning so I was distracted. I don’t even remember what she was wearing.” Kristy blinked hard as she looked at Vince. “That’s the next thing you were going to ask me, right? That’s what the other police guys wanted to know.”

  Vince shook his head. “No. I wasn’t going to ask you that.”

  Nate knew that it didn’t matter what Dani had been wearing. She was being kept somewhere far out of sight. They couldn’t count on someone spotting her outfit somewhere. What they really needed to learn was where she was being held.

  “You’re nicer than the other detectives. They were mad that I couldn’t remember anything.” She glanced at Nate. “Is Dani dead?”

  “We don’t know.” Nate tried to sound sympathetic. It was direct, but he thought she deserved the truth. “We think she might still be alive, but we don’t know for sure. If she is alive, we need to find her as soon as possible.”

  Kristy nodded thoughtfully. “Dani is a sweet girl. I never even saw her raise her voice to someone. She went to class, studied in the library, and went to bed before ten o’clock every night. The fact that she even went to a party that night is shocking. It had to be because of her friend.”

  “Tell us about the friend,” Vince said, resuming control of the conversation.

  “Maddy. She and Dani were best friends in high school. I met her when she first arrived and we talked a little bit.” Kristy frowned. “She was the exact opposite of Dani. I don’t know how they ever became friends in the first place.”

  Vince made a note. “How was she different from Dani?”

  “She was… wild.” Kristy checked to make sure Vince understood. “She was a party girl, ya know? She wore skimpy outfits and said lewd things. Maddy was the last person I would’ve thought Dani would hang out with.”

  “Do you know anything about their plans for the weekend? Did they talk to you about that at all before you left?” Vince was doing a good job keeping the conversation light. So far, no hysterical crying.

  “Maddy really wanted to go to some clubs downtown, but Dani wasn’t old enough yet. She doesn’t turn 21 for a while. I told them about a party that was happening close to campus.” Her lip quivered. “I guess that’s where they were taken.”

  Nate cleared his throat, hoping to cut off any potential tears. “How did you hear about the party?”

  “A few girls in my marketing class were talking about it. It was supposed to be a pretty big deal, I guess.” She shrugged. “I figured it was a better option for Dani than getting caught trying to sneak into a club. Not to mention that she would’ve been miserable at a place like that. At least with the party, she would be able to get home easily if she wanted to leave.”

  Those words hung awkwardly in the air. Everyone in the room knew that Dani hadn’t gotten home at all. She had been taken just twenty yards from the party. Someone had found her purse on the ground and turned it in to campus security.

  “When did you realize she was missing?” Vince asked.

  “I got back Sunday night and neither of them were here. Maddy’s stuff was still there on the floor.” Kristy pointed to a purple suitcase. “I was surprised because it was pretty late. When neither of them had come back by Monday morning, I tried calling Dani. I knew she had a biology test that she never would’ve missed. She never answered her phone, and that’s when I called her mom.”

  Nate stifled a groan. They were coming up empty yet again. With low expectations, he asked, “Is there anything that you haven’t told us that might be important for us to know?”

  “No… well, there was this one thing.” Kristy hesitated. “I mean, it was probably nothing, but I was walking past the library yesterday and I remembered something Dani told me before she was taken. She said she thought some guy might be following her. She kept seeing him in the library, just watching her.”

  “What did she tell you about him?” Vince asked, ready to start taking notes again.

  Even Nate was intrigued.

  “She just said he was an average looking guy, but definitely not a college student. He was old. Like, early thirties.” She looked apologetically at Nate. “Sorry. I just meant that he was older than us.”

  “Do you remember anything else about this guy?” Nate chose to ignore her accidental insult. “Anything at all?”

  Kristy bit at her lip as she thought. “No. I’m sorry. When she told me about it, I thought she was just being paranoid. I didn’t really think some strange guy was stalking her.”

  “Of course.” Vince nodded encouragingly. “Why would you think something like that?”

  “I should’ve listened to her.” Kristy’s voice came out in a whimper. “She was trying to tell me something important and I just ignored her.”

  “You couldn’t have known.” Nate didn’t like the way her eyes were starting to glisten. “We appreciate you taking time to speak with us. This has been very helpful.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “It has? But I don’t remember anything.”

  “You remember enough.” Nate stood. “We’ll let you get back to your day. Thanks for the time.”

  Vince waited until they were back outside before saying, “Creepy stalker in the library? That sounds too much like a cliché.”

  “It sounds like a lead to me.” Nate slid on a pair of sunglasses. “It’s the first lead we’ve heard all day.”

  “It’s a pretty vague lead,” Vince countered. “Lots of creepy people hang out in libraries. They don’t all abduct people.”

  Nate ignored him. “Figure out where the library is. Make yourself useful.”

  After two hours of speaking to
everyone they could at the library, Nate was starting to agree with Vince. The lead hadn’t led them anywhere. The library had security cameras, but the footage was erased every three days. Their one possible chance at identifying the perpetrator had been ruined right on schedule.

  “We knew it wouldn’t be that easy,” Vince said cheerfully. The guy literally never had a bad day. “We just have to keep digging.”

  “Let’s move on.” Nate wasn’t feeling nearly as agreeable as his partner. “We still need to hit Randolph.”

  The second missing girl, Tina Larson, had disappeared from the Randolph University campus almost three weeks earlier. At the time, it had been uncertain whether she was taken or had left voluntarily. When her disappearance was tied to Melanie’s, Tina was officially declared a missing person.

  Unfortunately, her trail was the coldest of them all. Nate found himself engaging in a string of useless conversations with people that didn’t even know Tina’s last name.

  “This is pointless,” he said after a particularly bold sorority girl pressed her phone number into his hand. “We’re not getting anywhere.”

  “It’s late.” Vince checked his watch. “Let’s grab a bite and a beer.”

  Nate hesitated. “I’m supposed to meet up with Liv. She’s just finishing up office hours.”

  “Bring her along.” He didn’t seem to realize that in this case, he was the odd man out. “She might have some useful insights.”

  “She’s better company than you, that’s for sure”” Nate pulled out his phone.

  “Yeah, but I look better in heels.” Vince grinned his goofy grin.

  It was easy to convince Olivia to meet up with them. She was actually a big fan of Vince and was always trying to find an excuse to spend more time with him. For the first hour of dinner, Nate sat back while the two of them chatted like old friends.

  “He really made all of them cry?” Olivia looked at Nate with wide eyes. “What did I tell you about being nice?”

  “Girl, I’ve been telling him the same thing. But you know how stubborn he can be.” Vince exchanged a commiserating look with her.

  “I do.” Olivia nodded emphatically.

  Nate finally spoke up. “Okay. Enough of this. I didn’t arrange this little get together so the two of you could list my worst traits.”

  “We haven’t even gotten to those,” Olivia joked, her smile adorable. She patted his leg under the table. “Maybe we’ll get there over the next round of drinks.”

  “Keep this up and there will be no more drinks!” Nate tried to scowl at her, but she was moving her hand higher, effectively distracting him. “You don’t fight fair.”

  Vince was oblivious to her wicked ways. “Olivia is perfect. You should just listen to her and do whatever she says.”

  “You should listen to your partner.” She winked at him over her beer.

  “It’s a good thing you’re pretty,” Nate said with a reluctant smile.

  Despite his best efforts to alter the conversation, Vince and Olivia were clearly running the show. In fact, Nate couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Olivia laugh so much. He was surprised when she was the one to bring the evening to a close.

  “I have to grade midterms still,” she explained as she finished her beer.

  Vince drove the three of them back to the station so that Nate could get his car. It was a quiet night on the roads and they were back at Olivia’s place in less than fifteen minutes.

  “You’re not coming in?” she asked, surprised when Nate didn’t follow her inside her building.

  “You said you needed to grade exams,” he reminded her.

  She laughed. “I just said that so we had an excuse to leave. Get in here.”

  Looking at him with a sparkle in her eyes, Olivia took his hand and pulled him through the door. He didn’t put up a fight.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Olivia woke in the middle of the night with her heart racing. The nightmare was the same as always- tied to a bed with her attacker looming over her. Every time it was the same. He got closer and closer until she could feel his breath on her face, and that’s when her eyes would fly open.

  Nate was a deep sleeper. He never seemed to notice these sudden panic attacks. But tonight was different. When Olivia rolled her head in his direction, she found him sitting straight up, watching her.

  “How long have you been having them?” he asked.

  “Since that night.” She knew that she was caught. No sense in lying.

  “You should have told me.” He sounded hurt.

  She sighed deeply. “There’s nothing you could’ve done about it, Nate. One of us might as well get some sleep.”

  “You still should’ve told me,” he said stubbornly.

  Olivia slowly pushed herself into a seated position. Her head was still foggy from the dream. “Did I wake you this time?”

  “No.” Nate leaned his head against the headboard. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  “It’s the case, isn’t it?” Olivia knew that this case had gotten under his skin.

  “One of the missing girls, Dani, she reminds me of you.” Nate glanced at her. “Smart girl, mature, pretty. She reminds me of you at that age.”

  Suddenly it all made sense. That was why Nate hadn’t wanted to talk to her about it. “You’re a good man, Nathaniel Tucker. And you’re a good detective. You’ll find the bastard that’s doing this. I know it.”

  “Maybe. But probably not before he abducts or kills another girl.” Nate stared blankly ahead.

  Olivia hated seeing him so distressed. She wished there was something she could do to take away the look of pain on his face. When she scooted closer to him, he held out his arms. She snuggled into his warm embrace, her head on his firm chest. He sighed deeply and tightened his arms around her.

  “You should try to get some sleep,” she said.

  “This right here is better than sleep.” His hand softly caressed her back.

  Olivia agreed. She could spend the rest of her life in his arms. In fact, she was so content that it didn’t take long for her to drift back to sleep. This time, there was no nightmare.

  Nate was gone when she woke up for the second time. He woke up early almost every morning to take a long run. The sun had yet to appear and it was still dark in her apartment. She got a pot of coffee brewing and turned on the morning news. Just as she was filling her coffee mug, Nate returned.

  “A storm is headed this way,” he said, running a hand through his hair. His shirt was damp with sweat.

  “Coffee?” she asked, already reaching for a second mug.

  “Thanks.” He reached for her, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

  She was overcome by a rush of love for him. “Did you have a good run?”

  “Six miles. I turned back when I saw the dark clouds rolling in.” He took a seat at the island. “You should stay home today.”

  “Nate.” She gave him a stern look. “We’ve talked about this. I have to live my life.”

  He grinned sheepishly. “You can’t blame me for trying. I worry about you.”

  “I know. And I appreciate it.” She opened the fridge and reached for the carton of eggs. “Go take your shower while I whip up some breakfast.”

  “I have a better idea.” He took the eggs and placed them on the counter. “You should come help me take my shower.”

  She started to protest on principle, but then decided that his was definitely a much better idea. “Okay, fine,” she said, faking reluctance. “But you better make this worth my while.”

  “Are you questioning my shower skills?” He moved quickly, throwing her over his shoulder. Olivia yelped and laughed.

  After a long shower, and a nearly disastrous slipping incident, they ate a quiet breakfast at the kitchen table. Olivia found herself watching Nate as he sipped his coffee, his blue eyes catching the morning sunlight.

  “What?” he asked nervously when he caught her staring at him.

  “Nothing.” She bl
ushed and looked away. “I was just lost in thought.”

  “You were thinking about that move I did in the shower, weren’t you?” he teased.

  She almost agreed just so they could move on. “I was thinking about how stupid we were to wait so long for this.”

  “We were pretty stupid,” he agreed with a crooked smile. “Better late than never, right?”

  “As long as you come home to me every night, I’ll be a happy woman for the rest of my days.” She quickly looked away. “I need more coffee. You?”

  “Sure,” he said quietly.

  When she smiled and placed the full mugs on the table, Nate hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her into his lap.

  “All you have to do is smile at me and I’m the happiest man alive.” He gave her a long kiss, one that she hoped would never end.

  It ended when Nate’s phone rang, terminating their quiet morning.

  “Tucker,” he said into the phone, his arms still around Olivia.

  She saw a familiar cloud darken his face and slipped away. Boyfriend Nate had instantly been replaced by Detective Tucker.

  Olivia took her coffee to the living room and turned on the news. She caught the tail end of the traffic report and was just in time for the breaking news.

  “If you are just tuning in, we are going back to a story that has been developing over the last hour. A body has been found in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, about two miles from where a previous body was found yesterday.” The broadcaster made a big effort to look extra intense. “Sources are telling us that the two incidents are clearly related.”

  “Nate!” Olivia knew this wasn’t going to be good. A second story had been leaked from the police department.

  Nate appeared, still on the phone. His eyes immediately went to the television screen. “Damnit,” he said, seeing the live footage of the scene. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

  He hung up and turned to Olivia.

  “Go,” she said, before he could apologize.

  “Thanks for breakfast.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll see you after your night class?”

  “Of course.” She forced a smile. “Go easy on Vince today. He looks up to you.”