Dixon's Duty (3 page)

“David Ames thought he and his wife may have been to Last Call once or twice, but it wasn’t a place they went regularly,” Mac told Dix.

“It might not be relevant.” Dix tacked a newly acquired, pleasant photo of Donna on their evidence board next to the one of her corpse. “I might be reading too much into it.”

“I trust your gut, always have. Hope you and Abby find something tonight.”

Dix made a face. “Not sure what I want to find. “

Mac chuckled. “Same thing we’re always after, my friend. Answers.”

* * * *

Dix picked Abby up at her house shortly after six. She’d changed into black slacks and a silken red blouse. Her long, shiny platinum hair, usually pulled back, flowed freely around her shoulders.

He stepped out of his black Lincoln Navigator and opened the car door for her. “Wow, I should have run home and changed, sorry.”

“Nah, you’re working, it’s cool. I always like to come home and rinse the pall of death off before going out.”

“Understood.” He climbed back in and drove to the Grille. “I’m not sure what’s bothering me about this place,” he admitted. “The owner’s name is Bryan Scott. Seems affable enough, but he didn’t really like talking to us. Thought the photo of the vic was disrespectful. That sort of thing.”

“We got lucky with Donna. Most nice folks don’t have prints in the system. Not sure there’s an easier way to identify her than showing the least graphic photo we have.”

“I agree.” He parked and got out, then opened her door for her.

“Damn, Dix. A girl could get used to this.” She took his arm as she got out.

He grinned. “Might as well go all out, put on a good show. Oh, and for the record, we try not to announce ourselves as cops until
after
we’ve gotten our food.”

Abby laughed. “What, afraid someone will hock a loogie into your dinner?”

“Or worse. Just sayin’.”

“Enough said, believe me. I’ve got it.”

He led her inside and scanned the room. The bar was much busier. Most of the stools were filled. About half the tables were also full. For some reason, Dix was happy to see it. “This table okay?” He pointed to one up front.

“Sure.” She allowed him to pull her chair out, and they both sat.

Dix glanced around but didn’t see the owner. A young, red-headed man tended bar.

“Nice crowd tonight,” Abby commented.

“There were a total of five people here for lunch, and I’m not sure the old guy at the bar was eating. At least he’s gone. I was afraid he might be a regular fixture.”

She chuckled, and they both looked up as their waitress approached.

Dix recognised the pony-tailed blonde from earlier.

Her eyebrows furrowed for a second as she seemed to question if she’d seen him before. Then she smiled. “Welcome. Menus are there on the table. What can I bring you to drink?”

“I’ll have a Long Island Iced Tea, please,” Abby requested.

“A virgin Bloody Mary,” Dix added.

“Be right back with those. Would you like an appetiser tonight? We’ve got a great chip and dip sampler. There are other choices on the menu, onion rings, chicken strips…”

He glanced at Abby. “Shall we try the chips?”

“Why not?”

He nodded to the waitress. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” She walked off.

He winced. “I hate that expression. I never asked if it was a problem. Since when did ‘no problem’ replace ‘you’re welcome’?”

Abby laughed. “At some recent point, when you and I were busy avoiding the ‘thirties door’ hitting us on the ass.”

“That’s for fucking real.” He picked up one menu and offered her another. They made small talk, and ordered steaks when the waitress returned.

“So where’s this owner guy?” Abby glanced around. “Only people working here I see are children. Infants, really. That bartender has honest-to-God freckles on his face.”

“Not here, unless he’s hiding in the back somewhere.”

“He was aware you’d be returning tonight?”

“He was.”

“Curious.”

“Yeah.”

The steaks were as good as the burgers had been. Before long they’d polished off their food, and were enjoying a cup of coffee after the meal.

“This place is a diamond in the rough,” Abby mused. “Not sure I’d come here alone, but the food was top notch and the drink was prepared well. Someone knows what they’re doing.”

Dix spotted Bryan entering through the back door, stopping to talk with the bartender. “
Someone
just walked in.”

She glanced behind the bar. “Oh. My. Yeah. I see your dilemma.”

Dix blinked. “Excuse me?”

Abby smiled. “Are we sure he’s gay? If he’s not, I might go after him myself.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Dix wasn’t following.

She leant back and crossed her arms. “I can see your hesitance in investigating this place. He’s cute, Dix. Did you two share some sparks this afternoon?”

“You’re out of your ever-loving mind. That thought
never
crossed my mind. He kissed our waitress, as a matter of fact. Mac called him a dirty old man.”

“He’s not that old, and I could get dirty with him. The waitress, huh? Definite competition. But either one of us could take her, hands down, in the maturity and experience department.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus.” Dix held his head in his hands. “You’re off the deep end, Abigail. This is
not
why I brought you here.”

“What? You always say I have a keen sense of observation. I’m telling you what I observed. The owner is hot. Smokin’. Don’t even try to tell me you disagree. I’ve known you for too long, James.”

He covertly studied the man from afar.
Cute doesn’t begin to describe him.
More like
hot, sexy stud.
Dix shook his head to clear it. “We’re working a case. He’s potentially a person of interest until we can rule him out. Quit stirring the pot, Walters.”

A wide grin split her face. “Man, are you flustered! You’ve gone from my nickname to my given name and now my last name. Confused about something, Detective? Because your face is turning red and I see a bead of sweat on your temple.”

Confusion was an understatement. Dix wasn’t sure what he was feeling, besides embarrassed. “You suck. We should go. Mac can come back and interview these people tomorrow.”

She reached out and clasped his hand. “Take it easy, Dix. So what if the guy trips your trigger? He’s not really a person of interest. More likely an innocent bystander. But you’re not sure if he’s gay? Talk to him.”

His heart leapt into his throat at the idea. “And say what? I know I saw you kissing the waitress earlier today, but I was wondering if you might be gay?”

Abby smiled. “Um, maybe not quite that direct. You could bring up the case, let him know the victim’s been identified. But you still need to ask if anyone saw her here last night.”

“Which is exactly what I came here to do.” He nodded, unsure why he suddenly felt like a school kid. He’d sensed something was up with the owner today. Could he have been projecting his own feelings into the situation? Mac had teased him about the beer deliveryman, and it had only taken Dix mere moments to acknowledge that guy hadn’t been his type. He hadn’t let his mind dwell on the owner. Of course not.
I was focused on my case.

And now he was focused on Bryan’s ass as he reached up to retrieve a bottle from above the bar.

When the man turned around, he spotted Dix, then took a moment to take in Abby. Setting the bottle on the bar, he approached their table. “Good evening, Detective Dixon.”

“Mr Scott,” Dix said politely. “This is Abby. Abby, Bryan Scott. He’s the owner of this establishment.”

“A pleasure.” Bryan shook her hand.

“Thank you. Your restaurant is simply charming, Mr Scott. Our food was excellent and my drink was divine.”

“So happy to hear it. May I bring you another?”

“Nope, one’s my limit. And Dix is on duty, I’m sure you recall.”

“Dix?” He glanced at them questioningly.

Dix waved him off. “You’ll be happy to hear we identified our crime victim, so I have a much nicer photograph to show your employees.” He pulled the picture of Donna from his jacket pocket and held it out.

“Better,” Bryan agreed. “A very attractive woman. I’m sorry, I still don’t recall seeing her in here last night. You’re welcome to ask my staff.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to do that. We appreciate your cooperation.”

Bryan appeared thoughtful. “You have a very understanding wife, Detective. Most women wouldn’t like their husbands mixing business with pleasure.”

Abby laughed. “I’m not like most women, Mr Scott. And I’m not his wife.”

Dix smiled at her. “Dr Walters is Chief Medical Examiner for the KCPD.”

Bryan blinked. “Dr Walters? Oh, this is an honour. I’ve read about you in the papers.”

“Don’t believe everything you read,” Dix teased.

She wagged a finger at him. “And don’t believe everything he tells you, either. He’s an ornery one. But he’s a dear, even if he doesn’t go for the female persuasion. Which basically means he and I sometimes go after the same guys.” She winked at Bryan.

Dix wished he could disappear through a hole in the floor.

“Is that so?” Bryan’s dark eyes flashed surprise for a second, before returning to something closer to indifference. Except he seemed amused.
Very amused
.

His smirk didn’t ease Dix’s discomfort.

The waitress returned with their check. Dix tried to focus because he needed to start questioning people about seeing Donna the previous night.

“Can I bring you anything else?” she asked pleasantly.

“No, everything was great.” Dix inserted a credit card into the vinyl ticket folder. “I do need to ask you a question, though.”

Bryan slipped an arm around the girl’s waist. “Sami, this is Detective Dixon from the KCPD. A woman was killed near here last night, and someone said they thought she’d come from the bar before it happened.”

Sami swallowed. “I didn’t work last night.”

Dix held up the photo. “Do you recall seeing her before? Might not have been yesterday. Could have been earlier.”

She studied the shot. “She looks vaguely familiar, but not really. I don’t think so.” Sami put her hands on Bryan’s chest. “She was killed near here?”

“In an alley a block over.” Dix watched their interaction.

“I’m sorry, sweetie.” Bryan kissed her forehead. “I didn’t want you to find about it, but I guess you do need to know, so you can take precautions.”

“What kind of precautions, Daddy?” She blinked.

Dix gulped
. Daddy?
He was her father?

Abby leant back with a satisfied smile.

Bryan said, “Like, when you get ready to leave at night, you girls should walk out together. Or have someone walk you out. Right, Detective?”

Dix pulled his thoughts together. “Absolutely. Stay in groups of two or three—more is better. Have your car keys in your hand, you can use a key as a weapon in case of emergency. Carry your cell phone and maybe even some pepper spray. But be sure of what you’re doing so you don’t spray an innocent bystander.”

She chuckled.

Dix heard his own words echoing back in his head.
Innocent bystander
. Abby had suggested that was what Bryan was. Had he got his vibes crossed earlier in the day? Had the niggling feelings of guilt and suspicion he’d sensed actually been something completely different?

Like
lust?

Dix cleared his throat, and tried to calm his thudding heartbeat.

When their gazes locked, Bryan licked his lips.

Chapter Two

“There’s been another murder.”

Dix had got the dreaded call early the next morning. This victim had been discovered by someone she knew, so her family had found out at the same time as the police. It had made for quite a scene—distraught family members and a squad of police officers standing together in an alley off Baker Street.

He returned to the squad room and tacked a photo of Norma Lear on the evidence board. She appeared much like the other victims, twenty-five, with long blonde hair and happy blue eyes. The second picture he posted didn’t show the happy eyes. Just a brutalized woman who’d been raped, burned and strangled.
Probably in that order
. Dix sighed.

“What do you think?” His captain, Rick Alvarez, leant back against the nearest desk. “Same guy?”

Dix shrugged. “Not much to go on, but the similarities are striking. The victims were all Caucasian with long blonde hair. The killer’s MO has been the same in all three cases. We’re crazy if we don’t think they’re related.”

“But no other connecting factors.”

“Not yet. We’re looking. Each of the women was last seen leaving a bar or a restaurant. No one remembers seeing them leave with any particular person, or even talking to someone who stood out. Mac’s running down Norma Lear’s final hours.”

Alvarez touched the latest photo. “So we’re looking for someone who doesn’t stand out. Imagine that.”

“Yeah. Go figure.” Dix rubbed his face with his hands.

“Hey, Dixon,” someone from the front of the office called. “You have a visitor.”

He glanced up and saw Bryan Scott looking at him. His heart skipped a beat.
What the hell is he doing here?
Dix’s mind went in several different directions, all of which caused the stirrings of another erection in his trousers.

He shook his head.
Don’t be an idiot.
He’s here about the case.
He motioned for Bryan to come back and met him by his desk. “Hey. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good.” Bryan nodded. “I hope you don’t mind my dropping in.”

“Of course not. Have a seat.” He motioned to the chair by his desk, then they both sat. “Is there something I can do for you?”

Bryan cleared his throat. “I, uh, wanted to let you know. I spoke with the rest of my employees. No one remembers seeing either of those two women at Last Call.”

“There’s three now.” Dix leant back and flexed his fingers together. “A third body found in another alley, last night.”

“Oh, my God.” Bryan appeared truly shocked. “That’s awful.”

“Yeah, it is.” Dix stared at him and for a moment, neither of them spoke.