Carlene Thompson - Don

"And Oliver?"

"No. I mean, he wouldn't murder someone. He just couldn't…"

Nick's eyes narrowed. "You don't sound as sure of yourself as you did about Lily."

"I don't know him as well. Well, I really don't know him at all. He's rather cold and formal. I don't believe I've ever had a real conversation with him even though I was a friend of his daughters."

"And those daughters probably sounded a lot alike. Especially on the phone."

"You're back to the anonymous call I got after finding Tamara's body. Nick, Lily was at her father's when I got that call. I told you I tried to reach the number of the caller but I was blocked. I've called Lily at Oliver's, though. My father's number is not blocked from Oliver's phone."

"He might have more than one phone line, Natalie. Many people do now with fax machines and the Internet."

"Lily would not make a call like that or hang around The Blue Lady dance pavilion trying to scare me. What would be the purpose?"

"Maybe as soon as her sister was murdered, she knew who did it and she planned revenge. She thinks you know her so well she might give something away, so she's trying to frighten you into going back to Columbus."

"That's really stretching things. Besides, what about the person on the phone saying 'their throat is an open tomb' and 'open tomb' being written on the wall of the Charlotte just like in the note that was left with Tam's body? It's the same person using the same phrase."

"Is it? Lily saw that note and she knows you saw it. By the time you got the anonymous call, I'd had time to tell her and Oliver I thought it had been left by the murderer. By repeating the phrase, she could be covering her tracks by making you come to the conclusion you just did-that the same person who left the note on Tamara also called you, hid in The Blue Lady, and killed Warren and Charlotte."

Natalie stared at him as she absorbed his speculation and realized it did make a kind of sense. But she wouldn't accept it. "Nick, this all must seem perfectly plausible to you, but it's just absurd if you know Lily. She isn't capable of murder."

"Profound grief and shock can make you capable of things you never imagined."

"Not murder. Not Lily."

"If you did think Lily might have murdered Warren and Charlotte, would you tell me?"

Natalie glanced down at her hands. They were slim with long fingers and short, unpainted nails. The creamy pearl in her ring seemed to glow. Tamara had always loved the ring.

Natalie lifted her gaze to Nick's. "If I thought someone had committed cold-blooded, premeditated murder-even

Lily in revenge for Tamara-I would tell you. I'd have to. I couldn't let someone so dangerous walk around free."

Nick nodded. "Good. You know the people involved in this case. I'd like to believe I can count on you for information."

"That makes me uncomfortable. These people are my friends."

"One of them could be a murderer. Maybe not Lily. Maybe it's Oliver, and Lily is just lending her voice to the project."

"That's almost as bad." Natalie's face set stubbornly. "No, stumbling on information is one thing, but I won't be a spy."

"I don't want you to be a spy," Nick said earnestly. "I don't want you to divulge anything about these people's private lives that doesn't directly pertain to the murders. I wouldn't ask for any information of you, but I need help."

"You? The big-city detective?"

"Please don't plaster that local stereotype on me. The people in this town elected me sheriff, then they seemed to resent me because I come from New York City. I don't understand it."

"They elected you because they thought you had more knowledge and experience than anyone else running for the position. At the same time, a lot of them are intimidated by that expertise. And some, like Max Bishop, are simply used to calling the shots with guys like Purdue. I don't think that man made a move without first clearing it with Bishop."

"I know all about Purdue. I also know that some people think I run too tight a ship. And I admit to being a hard-ass lately. But Natalie, this department was a mess. I had to pull things back in line, institute some order." He sighed. "However, just because I was on the N.Y.P.D. doesn't mean I'm omniscient. I know investigative techniques, and I'm good at my job if I do say so myself, but I'm not a damned psychic." He leaned forward. "We have had three brutal, bizarre murders in less than three days. I'm afraid we'll have more. That's why I need all the information I can get. Can't you see that without getting up your hackles because you think I'm persecuting your friends?"

She twisted her ring, catching her lower lip between her teeth as she studied the salt and pepper shakers on the table. "You're right," she said reluctantly. "I know these people better than you do and I can't deny there's a connection among the killings. In that case maybe I can help in some small way." She raised her dark gaze. "So I'll keep my eyes and ears open but only for the sake of justice." She grinned. "God I sound sanctimonious!"

"Only to you."

"I doubt that." She frowned. "I'm having some trouble with guilt, but as long as I've agreed to offer information, I guess there is one other person I should mention. Alison Cosgrove. She's Viveca Cosgrove's daughter. Viveca has been seeing Oliver Peyton for a couple of years. Alison is twenty-one or -two and she's deeply disturbed. She's been under psychiatric care for years. Lately she'd been seeing Warren professionally, but Lily thought Alison had a fixation on him."

"Do you believe she's right?"

"Lily is pretty perceptive and I trust her judgment. If she thinks Alison had a thing for Warren, I'm sure she did. Anyway, earlier this evening I was speculating about all of this and…"

She looked troubled. "Go on," Nick urged.

"Well, you're the professional. I don't want to sound silly. But I wondered if Alison could have killed Tamara because she thought Tamara stood between her and Warren. Then she could have found out that Warren wasn't interested in her but in Charlotte. Maybe she followed him and saw them meet on the boat." Nick stared at her and she felt color coming to her cheeks. "It sounds outlandish-"

"It sounds perfectly reasonable, particularly if this Alison is as disturbed as you say. Why isn't she in a hospital?"

"She's been in and out of them ever since she was five. She's also been heavily medicated until recently."

"Why not now?"

"Because Warren was a psychologist, not an M.D. He can't write prescriptions."

"Then why was Alison seeing him?"

"Lily said Alison insisted on being treated by Warren."

Nick leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. "Well, I'll be damned. You just put a whole new spin on this case."

"I feel like I just committed slander."

"You merely presented a theory in a confidential context. You stated nothing as fact and I'm certainly not going to descend on Alison Cosgrove, although I'll be watching her. Do you think she's capable of imitating Tamara's voice?"

"I'm not sure. Alison's voice is higher and more childish than Tam's, but that doesn't mean she couldn't alter it. She'd certainly heard Tam's voice enough. Lily's, too. They weren't that different." She sighed. "Now I've just implicated two people."

"You didn't implicate anyone." Nick gave Natalie a long, direct look. "I know you're not a gossip. You only told me anything because you thought you should. That makes you invaluable to me."

That's not all you are to me, Nick almost said, but of course he couldn't. He wasn't even sure he meant it. He was exhausted and in need of some reassurance. She was beautiful and kind and smart. But he hardly knew her. Use your head, Nick, he reminded himself. Keep it light.

"One other thing," he said quickly. "Mrs. Bishop said that before Charlotte left the house last night, she was waylaid by a young slender man with dark blond hair. Does that sound like anyone you know?"