A Love for Safekeeping by Gail Gaymer Martin

Author:Gail Gaymer Martin [Martin, Gail Gaymer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2002-10-19T20:00:00+00:00

At the station, Kyle bent over a desk, filling out his paperwork, but he couldn’t concentrate. Jane’s scare a few evenings ago sat on him with the weight of a sumo wrestler. He pressed his fingers against his temples and wished he could push Jane’s predicament from his mind so he could finish the work and go home.

He’d only settled one of her problems. He arranged to have the house locks changed…and insisted she leave no key outside. He’d hear about it, for sure, if she locked herself out, but he could live with that. What he couldn’t live with was someone harming her.

Jane disturbed his thoughts like a sliver. He couldn’t rid himself of the constant worry. He flipped over the report form and doodled on the back.

Kyle searched his mind, seizing every fact he could recall. He dismissed the vandalism situation. That was kids. But he jotted the other incidents on the paper: flat tires, library, cider mill, cat. All those notes but not one fingerprint.

Then he pried names from his mind. Celia, Len, Malik, Keys. Anyone else? The principal came to mind. Skylar? It seemed far-fetched, but Kyle shrugged and added his name to the list. Somewhere in his mind, other phantom characters jogged through his memory, but he couldn’t put a name to the faceless people.

“What’s up?”

Kyle lurched as a hand slapped his shoulder. “Whoa, George! I’m as bad as Jane.”

The other officer straddled a chair beside him.

“I can’t get her off my mind,” Kyle said.

George let out a loud guffaw. “Situation or woman?”

For a moment Kyle didn’t understand. When he did, a surge of awareness shot to his toes. He glanced at George without commenting. “I’m playing detective.”

“Why worry now? It’s on the books as a break-in.”

“Right. Break-in with a key.”

George snorted. “Right, those reports go in the circular file.” He poked the trash can with his toe.

“So I’m here, playing detective.” He pointed to the scribbled notations. “List of suspicious events. List of possible suspects. That’s all I have, and I’m sure I’ve left out suspects.”

George leaned over the desk, scanning his chicken scratches. “What about opportunity? Motive?”

Kyle gave a knowing harumph. “Thanks, George. Just get technical.”

“Listen, pal, you can’t have a crime without a motive.” He slid into a chair next to Kyle. “Once you get the list of suspects, check out possible motives and opportunities. At least you can shorten your list.”

“Like Celia. I can cross her off right now. She was at the open house with Jane. Plus I was talking to her when Jane was pushed at the cider mill.”

“Okay, your list is shorter already.”

“I’m forgetting a couple of people she’s mentioned, I’m sure.” He leaned back in his chair. “The night I met her, she ran into an old high school friend…Perry. I think that’s his name. I wonder.”

George eyed him. “Suspect list?”

“That…or his memory.”

“Memory?” George’s mouth pulled to one side.

“Maybe this Perry can recall something. I really think she needs to comb through her past. Redmond is where she grew up.

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