The Littlest Witness Read online

  “I’d like to help you,” he said.

  “We don’t need your help.” Still gripping Nikki’s hand, Thea turned toward the street.

  Behind her John said, “What are you so afraid of?”

  Thea didn’t respond, just kept walking. She prayed he wouldn’t follow, but after a moment he caught up with them, slowing his long stride to match hers and Nikki’s. She swore under her breath. How on earth was she going to get rid of him?

  “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to harass you,” he said, but he didn’t sound the least bit sorry. And why should he? He’d reason he was just doing his job, Thea thought bitterly. “I’m not trying to use Nikki. I’m worried about her. I’m worried about both of you.”

  “We can take care of ourselves.” My God, if you only knew what I’ve done to keep my daughter safe. And I’d do it again if I had to.

  “I’m sure you can under normal circumstances.” His dark hair glistened with moisture from the snow flurries. “But there’re some things about this case you may not be aware of.”

  “What are you talking about?” She stopped and looked up at him. He towered over her. Thea had never been as conscious of her diminutive stature as she was at that moment. And as if to prove her own strength, she bent and picked up Nikki, keeping her between them.

  Now who’s using your daughter? a little voice taunted her.

  John gazed down at them, his face a mask Thea couldn’t decipher. “Have dinner with me and we’ll talk about it,” he said.

  Thea frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?” Before giving her time to answer, he said to Nikki, “What kind of pizza do you like? Sausage? Pepperoni? I’m partial to just plain cheese myself.”

  No fair. Cheese was every kid’s favorite.

  Nikki looked at Thea, her expression almost hopeful. The fact that her daughter showed such a reaction at all was a positive sign, but did a miracle, even so small a one, have to be here, now, with John Gallagher?

  “Don’t tell me you’re not using my daughter now,” she accused.

  John shrugged. “I wasn’t going to. Here, let me.” He took Nikki from her arms before Thea could protest. And to her surprise, her daughter went with very little resistance.

  What on earth was going on here? Thea wondered in near panic. Nikki had always been wary of strangers, even before Rick’s death. It took her a long time to warm up to people, but she looked almost…relaxed in John’s arms and way too secure.

  She hadn’t learned yet, as Thea had, that a man like John Gallagher almost always had an ulterior motive for his kindness.

  “SO YOU DON’T HAVE any family in Chicago?”

  They’d finished a large pizza—half cheese and half sausage—in an alarmingly short period of time. Thea was a delicate-looking woman, but she wasn’t all that delicate when it came to eating, he’d discovered. She’d almost kept pace with him, consuming two large slices and relishing every bite. It made him wonder what other appetites she might have.

  They were sitting across the table from each other, he with a beer and she with a glass of wine while Nikki finished her hot chocolate. Thea had seemed to relax over dinner, but the moment he asked her a personal question, he saw her tense.

  Her gaze shot to Nikki, who seemed oblivious to the babble of voices all around her. The place was crowded with rowdy children and tired parents trying to unwind after a hard day’s work. Thea leaned toward him, lowering her voice so her daughter wouldn’t overhear. “I thought we were going to talk about the Gail Waters case. You said there was something about it I didn’t know, Detective—”

  “John,” he reminded her.

  “John…” She faltered over his name, glancing up at him and then away.

  He decided to come to her rescue. “She was a reporter who investigated unsolved disappearances and cases involving missing persons and fugitives. She aired some of the pieces on a local cable show called Vanished!”

  John wasn’t sure if it was the harsh lighting in the restaurant or his imagination, but Thea’s face seemed to pale all of a sudden, and she couldn’t quite meet his eyes.

  “I didn’t know that,” she said softly. “Nikki and I don’t watch much television.”

  He nodded, wondering about her reaction. She was okay now, but for just an instant, before she looked away, he could have sworn he saw fear in her eyes. He leaned toward her over the table. Nikki was busy using the crayon on a paper place mat the waitress had given her earlier. With her fist closed tightly around the crayon, she drew dark red streaks through the fairy-tale characters on the mat.

  Like Thea, he lowered his voice so that Nikki couldn’t hear him. “I think she may have been investigating someone in your building.”

  A frown flitted across Thea’s brow, but other than that, her expression was implacable. “Why do you think so?”

  “Because that’s what she did for a living. She went to that building to see someone. Someone inside had to have let her in.”

  “Not necessarily. She could have followed one of the tenants inside. It happens a lot.”

  “Yeah, it does,” John agreed. “But that still doesn’t explain what she was doing there. Why no one has come forward to say he or she saw her that night. She didn’t just pick that building at random to jump off. It doesn’t work that way.”

  “I guess not.” Thea’s voice sounded a little strained. She rubbed a hand across her brow as if she was very weary. She still had on her uniform from the diner, and John knew she’d probably been on her feet for hours. He was suddenly glad he’d brought her and Nikki out for pizza tonight, that the glass of wine she’d sipped all through dinner had brought at least a momentary glow to her otherwise pale complexion. “I still don’t understand what any of this has to do with Nikki and me. I explained to you about the doll. What more do you want from us?”

  He glanced at Nikki again. Her dark head was bowed over her coloring. He wasn’t sure if she was very adept at tuning out her surroundings, or if she was very adept at pretending to. He kept his voice lowered just in case. “I could use your help.”

  Her frown deepened. “I don’t understand.”

  “I have a feeling Saturday night wasn’t the first time Gail Waters went to your building. I want you to think back, try to remember whether you may have seen her there before. Who she might have been talking to.”

  “I told you before I didn’t recognize her.” But even as she said the words, something that might have been alarm flickered in her eyes. She hid it almost immediately. “Why me, Detective? There’re dozens of tenants in that building. What makes you think I’m the only one who can help you?”

  “It’s a wild shot,” he admitted. But there was something about Thea Lockhart that didn’t quite ring true. She knew more than she was telling, he’d lay a bet on it.

  She leaned across the table, pinning him with an accusing glare. “You said earlier you didn’t want to harass us, but I think you’re getting dangerously close. I told you I didn’t recognize the victim. I explained to you about Nikki’s doll. I don’t know what more you want from us, but I’d like to think this is the end of it, Detective.” She grabbed up her and Nikki’s coats and gloves, and struggled out of the booth. “Come on, sweetie. Time to go home.”

  Nikki glanced up, her dark eyes round and solemn. John had a feeling she hadn’t missed as much of their conversation as they would have liked. She crawled out of the booth and waited for her mother to help her on with her coat.

  John threw some bills on the table and followed them through the noisy restaurant. He caught up with Thea at the door and took her arm. “I’m not going to apologize for doing my job.”

  “I don’t expect you to. I just want you to leave my little girl and me alone. Let us get on with our lives.”

  “And if Gail Waters was murdered?”

  She challenged his gaze. “It has nothing to do with us.”

  “I wish I could believe that,” he murmured as he follow
ed Thea and Nikki out of the restaurant.

  WHEN JOHN HAD TOLD HER that Gail Waters investigated cases involving missing persons and fugitives, Thea’s heart had leaped to her throat and remained there. She’d used every ounce of her willpower not to react, but the information had blindsided her.

  Why hadn’t she known about this before? She’d seen the accounts of Gail Waters’s death on the news, but they’d only said she was a local newspaper reporter and TV producer. They’d said nothing about missing persons and fugitives. They’d said nothing about a show called Vanished!

  If Thea had known this earlier…

  Dear God, it was so obvious why Gail Waters had come to this building. She’d come to investigate Thea and Nikki. Who else could it be? The chances that one of the other tenants was also in hiding were slight.

  No, she and her daughter had undoubtedly been Gail Waters’s target. And it was only a matter of time before John Gallagher figured that out for himself. If he hadn’t already.

  But…who had let Gail into the building? And why had she gone up to the roof and thrown herself off without ever having spoken to her?

  Or had someone pushed her, as John suspected? Someone trying to protect Thea and Nikki?

  Another thought occurred to her. If she and Nikki had been the target of Gail Waters’s investigation, then the reporter would have files and notes somewhere that she’d compiled on the case, evidence that would link Thea to Rick’s death. But just as frightening, if Gail had been on to her, it would give Thea a motive for wanting her dead. The moment the police found something to link her to the dead woman, Thea would become their number-one suspect.

  She trembled violently as she unlocked the front door of her building. John waited out front in his car until they were safely inside, and then she reluctantly waved to him. Turning quickly from the glass door, she and Nikki hurried up the stairs. As they neared the top, a man was just starting down.

  He wore a dark heavy overcoat with the collar turned up, and as he moved aside to allow them to pass, his gaze touched Thea’s briefly. A chill raced up her backbone. For a moment she thought he was John. She even started to call his name, but then she realized she had just seen him drive off. There was no way he could have parked his car and beat them up here.

  Uneasy, Thea glanced back over her shoulder. As the man stepped onto the landing, he looked back up at her. There was something in his eyes, a cold familiarity that made her heart almost stop.

  He looked enough like John Gallagher to be his brother.

  Chapter Five

  That night, Thea tried to relax around Nikki. She didn’t want her own nerves and fears causing her little girl even more anxiety, but her conversation with John had left her badly shaken. Not only could her past come out, but she could also be charged with Gail Waters’s murder. It was almost too terrifying to contemplate, but she had to think about it. She had to consider every angle of the situation and try to figure a way out.

  When the doorbell rang shortly after she’d put Nikki to bed, she was almost glad for the distraction. After glancing in the peephole, she opened the door.

  Mrs. Lewellyn stood in the hallway, her face puckered with worry. “I’m so sorry to disturb you, Thea, dear, but may I come in for a moment? I need to speak with you.”

  “Of course.” Thea stepped back to let the woman enter, then closed and locked the door behind her. “Would you like some coffee? A cup of tea?”

  “No, thank you. I won’t trouble you.”

  “Please sit down.” Thea motioned to the sofa. “What’s wrong? Has something happened?”

  “I’m afraid so.” Mrs. Lewellyn’s mouth looked pinched around the edges. “A police detective was here earlier. He was asking a lot of questions.”

  Thea’s heart skipped a beat. “About Nikki’s doll being on the roof?”

  Mrs. Lewellyn nodded. “He was very persistent. I told him about Bliss and the picnic and what you and I suspect, but I’m not sure he was convinced.”

  “What was the detective’s name?”

  “I can’t quite remember. It was an Irish name,” she said with faint disapproval.

  “John Gallagher?”

  “Gallagher.” Mrs. Lewellyn’s eyes narrowed as she thought. “Yes, I believe that was it. Like I said, he came by this afternoon and then returned a little later. When I saw who it was the second time, I pretended I wasn’t home. I didn’t want to let him in again.”

  Thea thought about the man she and Nikki had seen on the stairs, the one who had reminded her of John. Could that man be one of John’s brothers? Did John have his whole family working on the case?

  Mrs. Lewellyn’s hand fluttered to her chest. “I don’t mind telling you, he frightened me a little. There was something…unsettling about him, and all those questions he kept asking about you and Nikki—”

  “What about us?” Thea cut in sharply. “What else did he ask you?”

  “How long you’ve lived here, where you’re from, if you have friends and family who come to visit you…”

  “Oh, no,” Thea whispered, her heart plunging. It was starting already. The questions and suspicions. Next would come a full-scale investigation.

  Her hand rose to her throat. She was already starting to feel cornered.

  “Now don’t you worry. I didn’t tell him anything,” Mrs. Lewellyn said quickly. She looked quite proud of herself. “Just the story you and I agreed on about the doll.”

  She made it sound as though they’d hatched a scheme together. Thea frowned. “It wasn’t a story. As far as we know, it’s the truth.”

  “Yes, yes, of course. Now if Bliss will just be cooperative, and Mr. Dalrimple can keep his mouth shut—”

  “What does Mr. Dalrimple have to do with this?”

  “I told you, he thinks he’s part of the investigation. He says the police have enlisted his help, and now he thinks he has the right to go prying into other people’s business.” She paused, gathering her indignation. “You know he has an eye for you, Thea, dear.”

  Unfortunately Thea had suspected as much. “I’m sure he means well.”

  “Yes, well, ax murderers sometimes claim they have good intentions, but their victims are still just as dead. I’m only giving you this advice because I’ve grown so fond of you and Nikki. You’re like family to me. Watch out for that man, Thea. I don’t care at all for the way he looks at you.”

  “I’ll be careful.”

  “You do that. There’s something almost sinister about that little man. He’s always very quick to speak so lovingly of his mother, but how long has it been since you’ve seen her?”

  “I’ve never seen her,” Thea said.

  “Exactly.”

  “You’re not implying Mr. Dalrimple—”

  “I’m not implying anything,” Mrs. Lewellyn said primly. “But I see and hear a lot of things around this building, and what I’m seeing and hearing lately disturbs me a great deal.” She gave Thea an enigmatic look. “That reporter came here for a reason, you know. She came here to see someone.”

  “Do you know who?” Thea asked shakily. Something about Mrs. Lewellyn’s demeanor troubled her tonight. There was a strange glimmer in her eyes, and Thea found herself wondering again about the older woman’s background.

  As if reading Thea’s mind, she said cagily, “Well, that’s what the police are supposed to find out, isn’t it, dear? But they’ll be all too quick to call it a suicide, you mark my words. That’s how they operate. Unless, of course, someone raises a stink about it, in which case they’ll be looking for someone to pin the blame on.”

  “Meaning?”

  Mrs. Lewellyn’s eyes were bright and knowing as she gazed at Thea. “Meaning you’d better get yourself over to Bliss’s apartment and find out what she knows about Nikki’s doll being on that roof. We’d all better get our stories straight before Detective Gallagher comes snooping around here again.”

  JOHN SPENT THE EVENING going through the police report on his father’s
disappearance, although he knew almost everything in the file by heart. He’d broken department protocol years ago by copying portions that were still restricted, and as he thumbed through the forbidden pages, he wondered briefly what his brothers, especially Nick, would think if they knew of his transgression. Nick had accused John once of caring more about rules than he did about the truth.

  “You know what your problem is?” he’d said. “You see everything in black and white, John. There are no shades of gray in your book.”

  Ever since their father’s disappearance, Nick, the middle brother, had carried a huge chip on his shoulder regarding John. As the eldest son, John had tried to step in and take care of the family, be there if and when they needed him, but Nick had never wanted any part of his help.

  The situation had worsened when John had once let slip his secret doubt that their father was really dead, that he might have just up and left because of the pressure he was under during the Ashley Dallas investigation, and maybe because of his deteriorating marriage.

  John and Nick had actually come to blows over that. Nick had always been a hothead, and he’d poured every ounce of his frustration and grief, every kernel of his hatred for the O’Roarkes, whom he swore were responsible for their father’s death, into his rage against John. Nick had wanted to kill him that day. John had no doubt about that. If their mother hadn’t stepped in and separated them, he wasn’t sure how far the fight would have gone.

  That had been seven years ago, just months after their father’s disappearance, and Nick’s resentment of John hadn’t lessened over the years. If anything, it had grown stronger, just as his hatred for the O’Roarkes had.

  Getting up to fetch himself a beer, John glanced out the kitchen window of his south-side bungalow. Cassandra rubbed against his leg, and he bent automatically to pick her up. He stood smoothing the cat’s soft fur as he stared out into the frozen night.

  His house was on a corner and the window faced a dead-end street. For a moment he thought he saw someone moving stealthily among the cars parked at the curb, but as John watched, the figure brazenly moved under the streetlight. He was bundled up against the cold, his head covered, his face shielded by a scarf. The man’s gaze seemed to touch John’s for just a brief instant through the window before he turned and headed down the sidewalk.