Hide'n Go Seek (28 page)

"But we can't. No one here knows about your FBI connection at this point and we need to keep it that way. I wonder if anyone noticed the cameras?"

Grant opened his door, "And I wonder who's in charge with both Stan and Kali out of commission." Not that anyone here should have heard the news about Kali yet. Hell, this place would erupt when the news of Melanie and Julie trickled through. Another day. That's all they needed.

The two men exited the car and walked toward the fields. Two classes were going on in the yard. Grant recognized Sam working the left side of the field with a group of owners, their dogs at their sides. Sam was putting Colossus, a brindle-colored Great Dane, through the paces. Grant checked the opposite end of the field. There, Caroline, her diminutive stature almost obscured by the attendees, demonstrated obedience training with her Jack Russell terrier. His admiration went up a notch. Anyone who successfully commanded a Jack Russell had skill.

Returning to the white clapboard center, they walked into the general lobby. Shiloh raced over to Maureen. She bent and cuddled the dog. "Grant, any news on Stan? The place has been crawling with cops who aren't talking."

Good. Grant stuck to the question voiced and not the palpable curiosity in her voice. "He's doing better."

Joseph spoke from behind the two men. "That's great. Fresh coffee is dripping if you're wanting a cup."

Turning to watch the younger man approach, Grant said, "Great. I could use one. The day's been a little rough." And that was the truth. He'd caught a power nap earlier, but sheer adrenaline was keeping him going at the moment. Later he'd crash and burn but only after he had answers and knew Kali was safe.

"Were you two here this morning with all the chaos?"

"No. We teach on afternoons, evenings and weekends and drop in the odd time during the week." Joseph answered. Grant glanced over at Maureen, who nodded in agreement.

Walking over to the still dripping coffeepot, Grant thieved a cup for himself. "Thomas here," Grant motioned in Thomas's direction, "is trying to identify a couple of men. Maybe you two could help."

Thomas obligingly held up the first picture they'd recovered from the new cameras installed at Second Chance.

Joseph piped up. "Jarl. Jarl...Blackburn. He's worked here since forever. I heard he just returned yesterday or the day before."

"Any idea from where?" Thomas wrote Jarl's name on the back of the picture.

"Oregon, I think. I heard he moved part of a graveyard or some such thing for a church."

Thomas paused, pen in mid-air, a blank look on his face. "Uh?"

Maureen grinned. "Bizarre, huh? The longer you hang here, the more normal the bizarre becomes. The story I heard was the church lost a parcel of land when the land was surveyed for a new development. The land held old graves. However, some of the markers were gone, so Jarl located the bodies for removal and reburial on the new graveyard."

Grant raised an eyebrow. "He can do that?"

"Jarl specializes in it."

How did that fit into his investigation? They'd have to confirm the dates, but it sounded like the timing, if what Maureen said was true, gave him an alibi for the early kidnappings and murders. So many of these people were experts at digging and burying bodies. Kinda creepy.

Thomas spoke up. "Do you, by any chance, know how we'd be able to reach him?"

Joseph stepped up to answer. "He'll be on the contact list in the office." He motioned toward the hallway heading to the offices. "If you can't find it, contact Kali. She'll know where it is. "

Figures. Neither Stan nor Kali was in a position to help.

Holding up the second image, the sketch Kali had done at the police station, Thomas asked, "What about this guy?"

Maureen frowned. "I've seen him but don't know his name. I think he's one of Brad's friends."

Thomas adjusted the angle of the sketch so Joseph could get a better look. He studied it for a moment, then shrugged. "No. I'm not sure I've even seen him."

"No problem. Thanks for helping us identify the first one."

"Anyone else here have access to the office?" Thomas studied the almost empty center. "Someone who might be here now, so we don't have to disturb Kali?"

The two instructors exchanged frowns. "I don't know. Those two run the place. A couple of us have keys to this common area and the bathrooms, not the offices."

Grant exchanged a glance with Thomas. "Okay, I'll ask Kali. Thanks for the help."

Thomas and Grant reached Kali's office a moment later. Reaching out, Grant tested the knob. Locked. Pulling out his pick from his wallet, Grant opened the door in seconds. Glancing at Thomas first, he stepped inside.

The room appeared normal, untouched.

Walking to the far side of her desk, Grant booted her computer. While they waited for it to load, both of them perused her desk, drawers, and bookshelves. Unlike Stan, Kali's workspace was sparse and clean. Cold.

"Hardly looks lived in."

"Kali mentioned she came in infrequently and then mostly to work."

"Obviously." Thomas paced the small room, checking for anything of interest.

The computer requested a log-in and password. Grant frowned, sat down, and entered several possible log-ins. None of them worked.

"No luck here."

"Head to the hospital and Kali?" Thomas asked.

Grant sighed and rubbed his eyes. His cell phone said four o'clock. Time to try the hospital again, for at least the fifth time for the day.

This time Grant reached the nurses' station and as luck would have it, the doctor. "Hi, Dr. Sanderson. Have you an update on Kali Jordan? The shooting victim from the police station parking lot this morning?"

"Jordan? Oh, right. That's one lucky lady." The doctor coughed several times, clearing his throat.

Grant waited for him. "How's she doing?"

"I've put in close to thirty stitches. The bullet's path damaged the trapezoid and triceps muscles. The skin will take the longest to heal; however, everything's been repaired. Time will heal the rest."

"That's good news." He straightened as the load of worry sloughed off his shoulders.

"Yes. If that bullet had gone in at a slightly different angle, she'd likely be dead."

"I understand." Grant didn't dare dwell on what-ifs. "Is she awake? Can I speak with her?"

"Maybe in an hour or so."

Grant finished the call, updating Thomas. "She's still under. We won't be able to talk to her for a bit."

"Then let's try to identify this second man, then find Jarl."

"H
ey?"

Kali turned her head, rising up slightly onto her arms so she could see him. Lying on her stomach gave her a limited view. "Grant?"

His footsteps sounded first, then the sound of him moving a chair up to the front of the bed. He added a second one to it.

She twisted for another look, only the second person stood just out of view.

"Don't try to move, Kali. I brought Stefan."

"What?" Great, she couldn't even turn to sit properly. At least she wore a gown. Her back lay exposed, blankets covered her lower half. She'd been so looking forward to seeing Stefan, again. She must look awful. Swallowing hard, she said as nonchalantly as she could, "I'd say hello, it's good to see you again, except it's a little hard to see you now. Grant, can you give me a hand, please?"

Grant's strong arms grabbed her below the ribs and he lifted her free of both bed and bedding.

Kali shrieked as the world spun in a chaotic movement before righting itself. She snagged the blankets to cover herself as she settled down in a sitting position. "Unorthodox, but effective." She smiled up at him. "Thanks."

Arranging herself cross-legged on top of the bed, she looked up and lost her breath again. "Good God, I'd forgotten. You're too gorgeous to wander around loose, Stefan," she exclaimed, staring. Satan's angel stared at her, a barest smile casting a wicked glint to features already too stunning to assimilate.

His grin widened, his eyes flashing with appreciative humor. "And why would you say that?"

That made her sniff in disgust. "My mom didn't raise any idiots. And my Dad would've bought a shotgun after meeting you."

Stefan laughed outright. "I'd have liked them both. My face was a gift from God. My heart and soul are my own. We're obligated to do all we can to be the best that we can be."

Grant stretched his long legs out in front of his chair, drawing attention to his presence. "How profound."

With a quick glance at Stefan, Kali turned her attention on Grant. "Must be tough to watch the women fall all over your friend, huh?"

His eyebrows beetled together as he studied her. "Sometimes. How are you doing, Kali?"

The subject change gave her pause. Maybe her words had struck home. Tucking the information away for later, she answered, "Fine. I'm learning a new appreciation for drugs." She couldn't resist asking, "Did you two come to bust me out? And how's Shiloh?"

"You'll leave when the doctor says so and not a moment earlier. And Shiloh is doing just fine. I'll bring her when I pick you up - later."

Her face fell. "Bully," she teased gently, remembering how concerned he'd been this morning. Realizing she was staring, she glanced over at Stefan to find he'd been watching their byplay. Heat washed over her cheeks. He already knew where her heart lay. Stefan's look might blindside initially, but it was Grant who made her heart jump.

Grant's stoic voice interrupted her thoughts. "So, who's Jarl?"

She refocused on his question. "He's a big hearted goof who volunteers at the center when he's not out relocating grave sites."

"A big goof?"

"Yeah. In a good way."

"Dangerous?"

Kali frowned. Why was he asking that? What did he suspect? And was Jarl dangerous? She pondered what she knew of him. "Personally, I believe anyone is dangerous given the right circumstances. Jarl loves very strongly, and I would imagine he hates just as strongly."

Stefan nodded, a curious approving light in his eyes. "As do many people."

This time Grant made no attempt to hide his exasperation. "We'd like to talk to him."

"Then do so," Kali responded lightly. "He lives a couple of blocks from the center."

"Where?" Grant pulled out his notebook, tugging a pen free from his shirt pocket.

"I've driven him home several times. Let me think." Kali mentally traced the trip. "Turn left as you leave the parking lot. Jarl's house is two blocks ahead. I don't remember the number. It's a two story cedar shingled bungalow hidden behind a six-foot plus high cedar hedge along the front street."

"Any idea if he's struggling with any particular problems lately?"

"Not that he's shared. I know he's happily married with two full-grown sons."

"Money problems?"

"I don't know." Kali shrugged, then hissed in pain. "Stupid move," she gasped.

Grant leaned forward, concern on his face. "Do you need a nurse?"

"Hell, no." Kali breathed deeply, then exhaled slowly.

Frowning, Grant sat back, sending a quick questioning glance at Stefan. "That sounded emphatic."

Stefan never moved, except for the knowing grin on his face. He appeared content to watch and listen.

Kali twisted her lips. "Nurses poke and prod and do nasty stuff. I'll skip it, thanks." Kali studied Stefan, who smirked at Grant. Puzzled, Kali's gaze bounced between them.

Understanding struck. Grant was jealous! Okay, she was dense. Had to be the damned drugs. She didn't normally take so long to get undercurrents.

Her lips twitched at his male stupidity.

Grant kept the conversation on track. "Okay, so there are no financial or family problems that you know about? What about competitiveness? Does he like to be the top dog?"

It seemed impossible to imagine Jarl in that type of role. She shook her head. "I don't believe he does. I've never seen any sign of it. He teaches a lot and is well loved for his great of humor, but...I'm not always sure what's going on inside. He's very private."

Grant scratched down notes while Kali watched curiously. "Why the interest? Surely you don't think he's a suspect?"

"The cameras shot him trying to access your office."

"So? That means nothing. It's
the
office, not my office. Stan could have asked him to go in and get something or do some work on that computer? Anything's possible."

"Only Stan lay unconscious in his office at the time we've clocked Jarl's entrance attempt into your office."

"Maybe Stan asked him before he was injured? Jarl was at the center before we found Stan."

"What? He was?" Grant lifted his gaze to stare at her in surprise.

"Yes, I remember giving him a big hug. He'd been away for several days."

"I need to get into your computer."

"There's nothing worthwhile on my account, but you're welcome to my login." Kali rattled it off.

"That's not very sophisticated." Grant glared at the number and letter combination on his notebook, his voice sharp. "You need a more complex password than that."

"Why?" she asked reasonably. "Apparently even the difficult ones are hackable within hours, anyway." What could Jarl want in her office? She couldn't remember the books on the shelves, and her files were the financials. Then again..."

Leaning forward, she added abruptly. "My computer is the server."

Grant leaned forward. "What? Why your computer?"

"The budget didn't allow for a standalone server and Stan continually crashes his."

"So you use the server instead? That's not smart."

Kali grimaced, barely withholding a shrug. Lying in the hospital bed, she'd realized how that one simple movement dominated her expressions. Maybe the injury had a benefit, after all. Grant was waiting for a response. "Stan's motto is 'do whatever works.' Speaking of Stan, how is he?"

"Still unconscious but stable. The bleeding has stopped altogether."

"And Julie," she whispered, petrified to hear the answer. "Any progress?"

"We're on it, Kali. The FBI does function even without you." Grant's voice was even...almost too even.