All the Deadly Lies Page 26

  In most of their searches, Louie held the video recorder, while Jake did the actual searching. Mark’s extremely organized closet gave Jake a glimpse into Mark’s personality. In Mark’s closet Jake found the diary and Shanna’s purse hidden behind two stacks of shoe boxes.

  I got you, you son of a bitch!

  Jake turned toward Louie. “Call in the APB, Louie. I want Cavilla’s ass in interview before this day is over.”

  Bagging the diary, Jake forced himself to continue the search instead of stopping and reading it on the spot.

  The team of officers in the rest of the house followed the same routine. Officer Burrows held the video recorder, while Sherman and Jones searched the different rooms. “Where’s Mark’s car?”

  “He drove it to work.”

  After they finished up, Jake let Mrs. Cavilla call her husband and explain the situation. After she spoke to him, Jake took the phone and explained to her husband if Mark called either one of them they needed to contact him for Mark’s safety.

  He stationed a plainclothes detective outside the house in case Mark came home. Satisfied, he and Louie went back to the station house.

  What they didn’t find at the house was the murder weapon.

  * * * *

  Jake closed his office door, settled into his chair and placed his feet on top of his desk as he grabbed Shanna’s diary and started to read. It broke his heart as he got inside Shanna’s head. She hated Mark and regretted her lapse in judgment at accepting a date with him. Shanna broke it off quickly but Mark wouldn’t go away. He followed her wherever she went. A smart girl, she outlined every instance where he had confronted her. Her feelings for Meryl were mixed. She resented how she tried to control her. And on other days when Meryl was acting like the friend she needed, she loved her. In the diary, she listed all the cities where she wanted to work. Shanna had made up her mind to move far away from both Meryl and Mark. She wanted to be in control of her life. An asterisk next to Chloe’s name caught his attention. Shanna had planned on asking her sister if she was game to relocate with her and start over. As he read the diary to the end, it was clear Shanna was under a tremendous amount of pressure and she resented it. She even listed the campus police number in the diary as well as Wilkesbury’s for when she was home. Ironic, the morning of her disappearance she’d written she had planned to place a restraining order against Cavilla the next day, after she finished taking her exams.

  He scribbled in his notepad questions he would toss out at Cavilla once he caught up to him. Meryl, he couldn’t do anything about. She was a mean, obsessive woman who had pushed Shanna away. Rubbing his eyes, he dialed Shamus’s extension. Once McGuire answered, Jake brought him up to date. Shamus agreed with him, both Chloe and Meryl should be notified and be on the lookout for Mark. Jake didn’t believe Cavilla would harm either one of them but he didn’t want to take a chance. A cornered man struck out at anything in his path.

  Sightings trickled in on Cavilla but nothing solid on his actual whereabouts. Louie combed the streets for a couple of hours toward the end of shift. Jake sent him home around eight.

  “I have the Adams file with me. If anything pops I’ll give you a call,” Louie said.

  “Okay. I’m going to hit a few bars around town. Maybe Cavilla’s holed up in one of them. His father gave me his list of relatives in and out of town. So far no one’s seen him. Or so they say. Tomorrow if he doesn’t turn up, we’ll split the list and see for ourselves.” Jake hoped something popped soon.

  “Okay, good night.”

  Jake hung up. After he finished scouting out the bars there’d be nothing left for them to do today.

  Chapter 29

  Jake spent three hours going from bar to bar, showing Mark Cavilla’s picture around. No one saw him or recognized him except the bartender from the night Shanna died.

  “He didn’t stop in here today,” the bartender said as he poured beer for a customer.

  “You sure?”

  “Yep, he’s a cheap son of a bitch. This one never tips.” The bartender flicked his finger on the picture.

  Jake left the bar. In the car, he put a call in to Mia. “I’m finishing up now with my interviews. Is it too late to come over?” He was exhausted but needed to see her.

  “No, did you eat?”

  “I can’t remember. Don’t put yourself out.”

  “I made extra, there’s a plate in the microwave for you.”

  “Thanks, give me a half hour and I’ll be there.” He was weary, but after talking to Mia he felt recharged.

  * * * *

  Jake knocked on Mia’s door. She answered it barefooted, wearing a pair of white shorts with a black halter top, her face bare of makeup. He’d never seen a more beautiful sight. As he leaned in for a kiss, she reached and pushed the door closed and locked it and kissed him back. He spun her around, pinning her back to the door, dragging her hands over her head as he explored her mouth. He ran his hands down the length of her, stopping at the small of her back, and crushed her to his body. He loved the smooth, soft feel of her skin. Mia lowered her arms and wrapped them around his neck. After a few minutes, they broke away.

  “I’ve wanted to do that since yesterday morning,” he said.

  “Was it worth the wait?” she asked, still holding on to him.

  “Yep.”

  They walked to the back of the condo. Jake noticed the one place-setting, a reminder that he’d missed dinner tonight. The pile of papers by the plate perked his curiosity.

  “What’s this?”

  “If you’re too tired don’t feel obligated…it’s my manuscript.”

  “I get to read it? I thought I couldn’t…”

  “It’s finished.”

  “Wow, I’ll read it while you’re gone.”

  “I…thought…you could read it tonight,” she said nervously.

  “Tonight? Mia, you’re killing me. I want every minute I can with you.” He couldn’t believe she wanted him to read it tonight. It had to be three hundred and fifty freakin’ pages.

  “No, not the whole thing, Jake, only the first fifty pages I sent out to the agent. I want your honest opinion on it.”

  “Do you mind if I read while I eat?”

  “I do. I want you to enjoy the meal. You need to relax. I’ll set you up in the living room after dinner while I do the dishes.”

  “I’d relax better in your arms.” He noticed her anxiety and then nodded his agreement.

  Damn, I had other plans for tonight. I’m a fast reader, but how long will fifty pages take?

  After dinner, he went into the living room with his coffee, careful not to spill anything on her white furniture. An hour later, his coffee untouched, he finished reading the first fifty pages and wanted to continue.

  As he walked into the kitchen Mia turned from the counter with an anxious look on her face. He gave her his best cop stare and blanked his expression.

  “Well?”

  “It’s great, Mia. From page one it grabbed my attention. Your main character’s funny, smart, and serious all at the same time. I like the storyline too.”

  “You’re not just saying you like it so I’ll be nice?” she said.

  “No, it’s good. This grabbed me right away. Can I take it with me, so I can read the whole story while you’re gone?”

  “Yes, if you promise to lock it up.”

  “I will.”

  He took the fresh cup of coffee she handed him and walked out to the deck to enjoy the mild spring night awhile longer. Conversation flowed between them. Around ten, Mia took his hand and led him inside and up to her bedroom.

  They spent the rest of the night making love, and fell asleep in each other’s arms. Jake woke with a start around one o’clock. He climbed out of bed and tried not to wake Mia.

  “What time is it?” she asked in a voice la
ced with sleep.

  “It’s after one, go back to sleep. I’m going home, so I don’t throw off your schedule tomorrow.” He reached over for her. “Good luck.” He leaned over and kissed her.

  “I’ll give you a call tomorrow night?” Mia mumbled and turned on her side away from him.

  “Reset the alarm,” he said and quietly, he let himself out.

  * * * *

  As he stepped outside, a man ran from the front of Mia’s unit and hopped into a dark four-door car, maybe a late model Ford. Jake had to jump over something on the doorstep as he ran after him. The guy had too much of a head start. Jake was able to get a partial on the license plate—356—but he was unable to get the letters as the man sped away. He walked back to Mia’s front steps and examined the package. Cursing, he dialed his friend Dave’s cell, hoping he’d pulled the late shift again. He hadn’t. Dave came out in his personal car. Together they opened the package. Inside was a dead squirrel. First a skunk, now a squirrel—why and who was doing this to her?

  “I’ll run the plate for you, Jake, while the lab processes the package. Any ideas on who is doing this?” Dave asked.

  “Mia couldn’t come up with anyone she’s had a fight or disagreement with. The car’s either black or blue. I can run the plate, if you like. I’ll start with Woodbury, Middlebury, Watertown, and Wilkesbury. Okay?”

  “Are you going to tell her about this package?”

  “No, she’s heading into New York for the next couple of days on important business. I don’t want to upset her. I’ll tell her when she gets back. Could you give her condo a few extra passes this week?” Jake asked, concerned.

  “I will. Relax, Jake, we country bumpkins know how to handle ourselves.” Laughing, Dave drove away before Jake could say another word.

  * * * *

  Louie looked up, surprised to see Jake there so early on a Wednesday morning. He followed Jake as he made his way to his office. “What, she threw you out?”

  “No. She had to leave early this morning, so I left around one.”

  “You look mad. What’s wrong?”

  “Last night, as I left her place, I saw a man running from her steps.” He filled Louie in as he started the run on the partial plates. “What did you find?”

  “Nothing yet, the search is still running.”

  “How’d Mia react when you told her?”

  “I didn’t tell her about this one. I asked Dave not to tell her. Don’t look at me like I did something wrong. I’ll tell her when she gets back.” He stared at Louie, added, “I didn’t want to worry her while she’s away.”

  “You’re being overprotective. She might be able to shed some light on it. It could be a disgruntled lover.”

  “When she gets back I’ll tell her. Some work here.” He tilted his head. “Did anything turn up overnight on Cavilla?”

  “No. I’m assuming you got nothing at the bars except a hangover.”

  “Nothing, not even a hangover. How’d you do last night on the Adams case?”

  “I thought of something last night. I called the lab, told them when the Jeff Adams sample comes in I want them to compare the DNA sample from Jeff to his kids, see if there’s any match in relationship there.”

  “Great idea, run with it.”

  Jake put a call in to Neptune, Florida, and spoke with Chief Beau Taylor.

  “How’d it go yesterday?” Jake asked.

  “As expected—Lola Adams is not a forthcoming woman. She refused to supply her DNA and called her lawyer. Her husband gave his sample immediately and then left her to fend for herself when he went back to work.”

  “He didn’t hang around?”

  “Nope, the man’s reached the end of his rope with his new improved model. Imagine.” Beau laughed. “Me, I would’ve tossed her back after a week. She’s as mean as a catfish on your arm.”

  Jake laughed. “Well, if my hunch is right, she’ll need it to survive in her new home.”

  “You feel that strongly about her?”

  “I do, but no solid evidence yet. And I’m not sure if the husband was in on it.”

  “Gotcha, I’ll keep a guard on her. She was antsy, and I wouldn’t put it past her to run.”

  “I appreciate it, Beau. I got one who ran this week. I don’t want another. The results are being rushed. I should have them before the end of the week.”

  “Take care, Jake.”

  * * * *

  The week dragged for him with Mia gone. The Wagner case was in limbo with Mark Cavilla on the run. The kid had disappeared. They’d checked with each of his friends and relatives and had turned up zilch. The Adams case had become a watch-and-wait game. They reviewed all the statements and facts again. Dissected individual statements and alibis but turned up nothing new. He needed the lab work if he was going to nail a suspect.

  “This case…it had to be someone close to her, someone who studied her habits. Everyone but the ex-husband and his new wife were fans of hers,” Louie said, frustrated.

  “Yep.”

  “Sophia wants you to come to dinner tonight. I have to warn you, she plans on picking your brain about Mia.”

  “Did she make gravy?” He called it sauce. His Italian friends called it gravy. No one made it better than Sophia, except for Louie’s mom.

  “Yes.”

  “She can ask whatever she likes. Did she make bread too?”

  “Naturally.”

  “I’ll be there. I haven’t seen the kids since the party.”

  “No, you’ve been too busy with your new girlfriend,” Louie said.

  “So, I have a good excuse.”

  “You bet.”

  * * * *

  Dinner at the Romanellis’ killed one night for Jake. On Thursday night he stayed home, read Mia’s manuscript from cover to cover. It was a rare thing for a crime drama to hold his attention, but hers did. Around eleven she called.

  “I didn’t wake you, did I?”

  “No, how’s it going?”

  “It’s…good. The agent is giving good feedback,” Mia said, though he picked up a hint of disappointment.

  “Mia, I finished reading the book a little while ago, it’s great. It’s real and it’s entertaining. You tell them a reader loved it.”

  “You loved it?” He could hear in her voice how much it meant to her.

  “I did. When will you be coming home?”

  “At this point it looks like Saturday.”

  “Oh.”

  “Something came up with the family.” Curious, Jake thought when she gave no details. Why did she always stop short when speaking of her family?

  “If I can, I’ll give you a call tomorrow night. If not, I’ll call when I’m on my way Saturday.”

  He told her the name of the restaurant, in case she got back sooner than expected.

  They talked for another half hour. He didn’t want to hang up but he heard the exhaustion in her voice. After the call ended, he wondered again what the deal was with her father. And once again, she’d reminded him how little he knew about her.

  * * * *

  All week tips poured in on Cavilla but nothing panned out. The seven-thirty reservation Jake made on Saturday night was a bit late for Louie and Sophia, but he hedged his bets—hoping Mia would get back in town by then to join them.

  He didn’t fool the Romanellis. They knew why he’d picked Woodbury, and the time, and they went along with it.

  The waiter had arrived with their dinners when Jake’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He checked the caller ID and then excused himself. Once out of the main dining room, he answered his phone.

  “Hey.”

  “Is it too late to join you?”

  “No. Did you eat?”

  “No, I didn’t have time. I’ll have dessert with you, don’t fuss.”


  Jake walked back to the table with a huge grin on his face. Sophia elbowed Louie.

  “Yeah, yeah, I see it.”

  “Oh, Louie, you’re such a romantic.” Jake sat back down.

  Sophia said, “So how is she?”

  “Great. She’ll be here in about fifteen minutes to join us.” He motioned for the waiter.

  “Can I help you, sir?”

  * * * *

  Mia walked in fifteen minutes later and caused all eyes to turn her way. She wore a royal-blue silk blouse and matching pants. The outfit set off her eyes and hair. Jake couldn’t wait to get her home.

  Under his breath, Louie said, “Wow.” Sophia elbowed him again. “What, don’t you agree? Wow,” he said again.

  “Yes, I do,” Sophia said.

  Jake stood, greeted her with a kiss. He held out her chair. As soon as she was seated, the waiter appeared at her arm.

  “May I get you a drink?”

  “Yes, Three Olives Cherry Vodka, with some seltzer,” she answered, looking back at Jake. She took his hand, smiled, and turned to greet Louie and Sophia. “I haven’t seen the two of you since the party. How are you?”

  “Great. How’d it go in New York?” Sophia asked.

  “They want me,” she said with a smile.

  “There isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t want you. What?” Louie said when Sophia elbowed him again.

  “It’s a good thing I love you, Louie, or you’d be mincemeat right now.” Sophia laughed.

  After dinner, Mia suggested they take the dessert to go and have coffee at her house.

  In the car Louie turned to his wife. “We’re not going right home? We have the house to ourselves until noon tomorrow. Remember? No kids. We don’t need dessert,” Louie complained.

  “Don’t worry, Louie, we’re still going to celebrate when we get home. I’m not going to pass up a chance to see Mia’s house.”

  Jake had decided earlier to ride with Louie and Sophia to the restaurant, hoping Mia showed up.