Chapter 7
Madison woke up early the next morning wondering how she got home. She shuffled to the window of her office and pulled back the shade to see if her car was there. It was not. “How in the world did I get home?” She suddenly remembered Josh helping her out of Rocco’s the night before. She glanced down to see how she was dressed, or if she was dressed. “Okay, I still have my clothes on, so I’m good there, but what else happened. Josh must have brought me home, but then what? Oh shit, I’m supposed to have coffee with him this morning. Talk about awkward. I’d better get showered and changed. I’ll act like nothing happened. Maybe if something did, Josh wouldn’t mention it.”
She walked back to her cubbyhole in the back of the office and tossed on her robe and then she stepped into the office section of the room and started a pot of coffee. “I’m going to need plenty of coffee to get rid of this headache and face Logan this morning.” She measured four large scoops of coffee into the filter. “This ought to do it.” The coffee started perking and she inhaled the aroma of the Folgers dark roast.
Madison turned on the hot water and waited. She washed her hair and then let the water run over her body on high pulse, hoping it would bring her back to life. “Too much liquor last night for this working gal. It may be Saturday, but this case isn’t going to solve itself.” It was back to business for Madison. Her mind was beginning to clear up, and her body was coming back to life under the pulsating hot water. She finished her shower, tossed on some clothes and headed for that first, hot cup of coffee.
She set her mug down on the table and stood back staring at the board trying to see if there was any pattern forming. Then she remembered Aspen telling her that Tyler Kincaid would be bringing a few more pieces of his art to the Center that day. It would be a great opportunity to meet him and see what she could find out. That nagging feeling was churning again in the pit of her stomach, and it wasn’t the alcohol she consumed the night before.
She hoped that by the time Josh picked her up, he would have some new information on the latest victim. If her cause of death was the same as Ms. Hill’s, then possibly a thread was weaving that would tie the two cases together. She grabbed her mug of coffee, stepped closer to the board, and picked up the marker. “Manner of death for Ms. Hill was a gunshot to the back of the head or drowning.” She jotted down the information under Margaret Hill’s name.
The identity of the latest victim was still unknown, so she just jotted down the possible cause of death, then started on a profile of the killer. “We have another woman in her mid-twenties, shot at close range, and dumped in the Maitland area, but what, if any, is her connection?” She didn’t have a name yet, so for the time being, it was Jane Doe #1. She wrote Jane Doe #1 next to Margaret Hill.
The more she looked at the board, the more eager she was to talk to Doc Webb. She paced the room until she couldn’t stand it any longer and called the coroner’s office to see if there was anything new. Much to her surprise, Detective Logan was there already. He picked up the phone, “Good morning, Agent Hart. Feeling better this morning?”
“I’m feeling fine. What are you doing there so early? Have you found out anything new?”
“As a matter of fact, I have.”
“Well? Are you going to share that information with me?”
“Why don’t I pick you up and we’ll discuss this over breakfast. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry, and I would feel a hell of a lot better with some food in my stomach.”
“Okay, that sounds good. When you finish there, just swing by and pick me up.”
“I can be at your place in about fifteen minutes.”
“Great.” She hung up the phone. “I guess I’m not the only early riser. Looks like he takes his work as seriously as I do. I think I’m judging him too harshly, but I don’t want him to think I’m soft.”
She straightened up her bed, pulled the curtain back that separated the room and then poured another cup of coffee. She thumbed through the files Jim had given her and spread them out on the table. She believed the latest body might be one of her missing women. The victim didn’t fit the profile of Erin, so that left one of the other three. There was still a lot of investigative work to do to find out more about them. Madison had planned to visit Winter and Cole that weekend, but this case needed her full attention. If the coroner could nail down the cause of death, it would further develop the murderer’s profile.
She was just finishing her coffee when she heard Josh pull up outside. She quickly walked out and got into his car. He had his hand on the door and was about to get out when she slid in, reached around, grabbed her seatbelt and snapped it. “Good morning to you too.” He watched her settling into the car.
“Good morning.”
“Thanks for bringing me home last night. I guess it’s been awhile since I had anything to drink, plus I hadn’t eaten. Do you mind taking me to get my car after we eat?”
“No problem.”
“I’ve got some news. Doc Webb said both our victims were shot at close range with the same type of weapon; most likely a small 45 caliber. They might have known their killer and probably felt comfortable with him.”
“I suspected as much. That’s going to help us build the profile. Now we need to find out as much as we can about these other missing women. Did you find out who our latest victim is?”
“Not yet. The lab is running the DNA on her now, but so far she’s not in the system. They’re also checking all of her clothing, but the water has deteriorated most of the evidence. They are also checking dental records. Hopefully, something will come up soon. Ready for breakfast?”
“I’m starving.”
Josh wasn’t sure how much he should say about last night since Madison was reluctant to talk about it, and Madison just wanted to forget that she had embarrassed herself with drinking too much. If she had said or done anything that Josh might interpret as a come-on, that was the last thing she needed.
As they pulled into the parking lot, Madison glanced over at Josh. “I think after we eat, I’ll call and to see how Aspen is doing. I’d like to run by and see her.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ve got a few leads I need to follow up on anyway. I’ll call you later, and we’ll touch base with the case.”
“I shouldn’t be long, and maybe after lunch, we can check out those other missing women. I’d like to talk to their friends and family if we could. I still believe there is a link between them. As soon as we can pinpoint what it is, the closer we are to finding out what happened to them.”
Josh opened the door to the café for her.
“Good Morning, Madison!” Lisa hollered out across the room. Madison was startled and surprised that Lisa remembered her name.
“Coffee?”
“Yes, please.”
“And you, Detective Logan?”
“Uh, yes, thank you.”
Lisa turned to get their coffee.
“That woman has a great memory. I’ve only been here once before, yet she remembered me.”
Madison was about to say the same when Lisa returned with their coffees. “Madison, did you like that spinach and mushroom omelet you had last time?”
“I can’t believe you remember what I ate,” Madison replied, amazed at Lisa’s recall.
Lisa just smiled and waited for Madison’s response to her question.
“Yes, I did, but I think I’ll just have some scrambled eggs and rye toast this morning.”
“And you Detective Logan?” Lisa asked as she pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose.
“I’ll have the same, except with home fries and bacon, Lisa.”
“Okay, I’ll have that right out for you.”
Madison and Josh watched as Lisa returned to the kitchen, then Josh turned to Madison, “I’ll bet she knows everyone that comes in here.”
Madison sipped on her coffee. “No doubt.” She tried not to make too much eye contact with Josh
, but now and then, when she glanced up, she found him looking at her. Good grief, I hope I didn’t make an ass of myself last night. I wonder why he keeps looking at me. I guess I’m just paranoid, but I sure wish I could remember what happened.
She is a remarkable woman, and certainly not a bad looker. I hope she doesn’t notice that I’m staring at her. I’ve got to get my head on straight for this case. The last thing I need is to get involved with a kick-ass federal agent.
Lisa smiled as she placed the plates on the table. “Here we are.” Neither, Josh nor Madison noticed that she had come up to the table. “More coffee?”.
“Yes,” they both answered, almost simultaneously.
They finished their breakfast but did not linger. Madison was eager to get her car and visit with Aspen, and Josh wanted to get going on his work. He drove her back to her car at Rocco’s, but just as she was about to get in her car, she turned back to Josh. She walked over to the squad car and leaned down by the window “If I did anything stupid last night, I hope you’ll forget it. Like I said before, it’s been a long time since I’ve had anything to drink, and I hadn’t eaten.”
Josh grinned. “You were the perfect lady. You didn’t do anything, darn it.”
Madison chuckled a bit and then turned back toward her car. That seemed to ease the tension between them.
Josh honked the horn as he drove out of the parking lot, and Madison waved. She sat in the parking lot for a few minutes and made some calls. The first one was to Aspen.
“Hello.”
“Aspen, this is Madison Hart. How are you feeling? I was wondering if I could run by and visit.”
“Oh, that would be nice. I’ll be here all day.”
“Good. I’ll be there in about an hour if that’s okay.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Madison drove back to her office, jotted down a few ideas and then checked the board again. She added a couple of things under Aspen’s name that might be relevant later, and then tossed some papers into her bag and took off for Aspen’s.
Madison pulled up to a perfectly manicured landscape that surrounded a small bungalow. Though it was a small, quaint place, it was well cared for. Madison couldn’t imagine that Aspen did the landscaping herself. She walked onto the small front porch that looked like it was just set up for a photo shoot for Home and Garden magazine. The furniture on the porch was sea green, with variations of succulents that cascaded over the sides of the planters that were strategically placed to balance the look of the outdoor room.
Just as Madison was about to knock on the door, it swung open. There stood Aspen in her PJs, a look that didn’t match the setting of her flawless entrance.
“Welcome to my humble abode.” Aspen motioned for Madison to enter.
Madison was not surprised at the well-organized décor of the inside of the house. It was quaint, but everything had its place and looked as though it had never been moved.
Madison scanned the room. “I love your place.”
“Would you like some tea?”
“Oh, no thanks. I just finished breakfast.”
“I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing since your fall.”
“I’m doing much better, but still having a few dizzy spells. The doctor said it might take awhile. I wanted to volunteer for Tyler’s upcoming showing next month, but the doctor advised me not to drive. At first, I thought I could, but when I make sudden moves, I realize it might not be safe for me. I was looking forward to going. I can’t believe I didn’t see that box lying in the doorway. I could have sworn that it wasn’t there earlier, but I guess I may have kicked it as I was leaving to paint in the courtyard.”
“Has anyone from the Art Center visited you, since your fall.”
“Yes, Alice came by and brought me a basket of fruit and a book. Oh, and Kim called to see how I was doing, and so did Tyler. I was very surprised he called. That was so nice of him. Damn, I sure wanted to be a part of helping with his exhibit.”
Madison started for the door. “Well, I can’t stay long, but if you need anything, just give me a call.”
“Thanks for coming by, Madison.”
Aspen was going to find out sooner or later that Madison was an FBIagent, and she wanted Aspen to hear it from her first. “Aspen, before I leave, there is something I need to tell you. My name is Madison Hart, but it’s Agent Hart. I’m with the FBI, and I’m investigating a murder. I’m working with the Maitland Police Department. I wasn’t at liberty to mention my position before, but due to some new evidence, I am officially working this case.” Madison waited for a response from Aspen.
Aspen put her hand on Madison’s shoulder. “I suspected you were up to something more than just writing a story, but I figured you had your reasons, and God knows we all have our little secrets. If there is anything I can help you with, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you, I will. Hope you feel better soon.”
“Yeah, me too.” Aspen walked Madison to the door and stood to watch as she headed to her car.
Madison found Aspen to be a bit mysterious but liked her.