know you’re not coming in.” As soon as Skye was out of Xenia’s earshot, she phoned Wally, explained her theory, and asked him to check something with the ME. Although Wally wasn’t thrilled with her idea, he did agree that bringing Chase into the PD and formally interviewing him probably would not elicit much information.
When she pointed out that Chase was a long shot and they would be in a public place, in full view of dozens of witnesses, Wally finally acquiesced, saying, “The only reason I’m going along with this is because I know if I don’t, you’ll do it without me. At least this way I can be nearby to protect you.”
“True. And I appreciate your being there.” Skye smiled. At least he realized his limitations. “I’ll call you back once we find him, and if I need you, I’ll say, ‘Thanks for clearing that up.’”
“Fine. I’ll ask the medical examiner your question.”
As Skye and Xenia drove to the baseball field, Skye outlined what she wanted Xenia to do, then asked, “Any questions?”
“Duh. What part of shut up and keep quiet do you think I might not understand?”
Skye went over the plan in her head as she turned onto the park’s rutted gravel pathway. Chase was far from the sharpest cleat on the athletic shoe, and he was easily riled up. She just needed to poke at him until he lost his temper and blurted out something incriminating.
When Skye first got out of her car, she didn’t see Chase, but she finally spotted him sitting on a bench in the dugout among several other guys in their early to mid-twenties. Once she got Wally on her cell phone and reminded Xenia to keep quiet, Skye approached the young man.
“Hi, Chase.” Skye waved. “Can I speak to you for a second? It’s important.”
Instead of answering, he glared at Xenia. “What’s she doing here?”
“Actually”—Skye thought fast—“she’s the reason I need to talk to you. Xenia has told me some things that don’t jibe with what you’ve said.”
“She’s a liar.” His face was tight with indignation.
“I know Xenia has had some issues with the truth in the past.” Skye shot the girl an apologetic look, and Xenia rolled her eyes. “That’s why I want to hear your side before leaping to any conclusions.”
“Gee, Ms. Denison.” The young man pushed back his cap and scratched his head. “I can’t leave. We’re in the middle of a game.”
“How about we just stand over there in the parking lot so you can see when your team goes on the field?” Skye was used to coaxing teenagers, their parents, and sundry school personnel into doing what she wanted. “I only need a couple minutes of your time.”
“Well, okay, but I gotta leave as soon as my team takes the field.” Chase got up off the wooden bench and said to the guys sitting near him, “I’ll be right back.”
Skye and Xenia followed Chase across the gravel.
The three of them stopped near his SUV, and Chase jerked his chin at Xenia, asking, “What did she say?”
“Xenia tells me you started calling her as early as eight fifteen, but you said you started at midnight.” Skye thought she’d begin with the easy stuff.
“I’m not a clock-watcher.” Chase shrugged. “Maybe it was earlier than I thought. So what?”
“You also told me that you and Kayla were getting married later this month, right?”
“Yes.” Chase opened the BMW’s front passenger door, grabbed a can of beer from a cooler on the seat, and offered, “Want one?”
“No, thanks.” Skye edged back as he popped the top, not wanting to get sprayed. “Xenia says that Kayla changed her mind and was going to call the wedding off.” Although this wasn’t exactly what Xenia had said, Skye hoped it would make Chase angry enough to blurt out something incriminating.
“That’s not true!” Chase shouted. “We were going to get married, have kids, and settle down. She was going to forget all about making those stupid movies.” He gulped back a sob, then took a slug of beer. “I had it all planned out. It was going to be perfect.”
“But since you didn’t see her that night,” Xenia interjected, “you didn’t know if she was going to dump you or not.”
“No!” he roared. “Kayla knew she could never leave me.”
“But she had won a big award and had the chance to show her movie to lots of famous directors and producers.” Skye leaned against the rear passenger door. “Xenia, wasn’t Kayla going to Hollywood?”
“Yes.” Xenia stared at Chase. “She showed me the airline ticket.”
“You’re lying.” Chase jerked as if he’d been Tasered. “That was before. We talked it over and she wasn’t going.”
“Before what?” Could it be what she thought? Skye held her breath.
“Before she saw reason?” Chase’s tone was almost a question, as if he hoped that was an answer Skye would accept.
“Could she have changed her mind?” Skye persisted. His defenses were definitely beginning to crack. “Girls do that all the time.”
“No.” The young man shook his head wildly. “She promised me.”
“But a chance to go to Hollywood and work for a celebrity, maybe become a celebrity herself . . .” Skye let her voice trail off. “Scumble River and her high school boyfriend might have begun to seem like settling for bronze when she had a chance at the gold.”
Chase’s shoulders slumped, and he choked out, “Why would you say something awful like that?”
Skye flinched. She felt a little nauseous, as if she were burning ants with a magnifying glass. But they had no other leads, and it wouldn’t be fair to Kayla if her murder went unsolved.
Unable to meet his eyes, she glanced into the SUV’s window. What was that in the backseat? She tilted her head. It was a half-folded, superelaborate, heavy-duty baby stroller with a cracked blue plastic footrest. Various facts zipped through her mind in a matter of seconds.
Chase followed her gaze, and his mouth tightened.
“I’ll let you get back to your game.” Skye took a step away. “Looks like your team is about to take the field.” She gestured with her thumb to the men in the dugout rising from the bench.
“You know, don’t you?” Chase’s demeanor changed from sorrow to rage, and he lunged at Skye. “You figured it out!”
Skye stumbled back, but Chase grabbed her wrist in a viselike hold. “Let go of me this instant,” she ordered in her firmest teacher voice.
“It’s women like you who ruin everything.” Anger seemed to ooze from Chase like pus from a popped pimple.
He jerked Skye toward him, but Xenia launched herself at him, landing on his back and wrapping her hands around his throat, screaming, “Leave her alone!”
Chase’s gasp was an inverted howl; then all three toppled to the ground with Skye on the bottom of the pile. She pushed, but the combined weight of Xenia and Chase on her chest was too much. She couldn’t get free.
Just as she was feeling woozy from lack of oxygen and starting to panic, Chase was plucked off her. Wally pinned him to the ground and handcuffed him while reading him his rights.
Xenia hopped around, pumping her fisted hands in the air and shouting obscenities. Skye wasn’t sure whether Xenia was aiming the profanities at Chase for killing her friend, or at Wally for stopping her from beating the crap out of Chase. Probably both.
Skye tried to drop Xenia off at McDonald’s before going to the PD, but once again the girl refused to budge. However, even Xenia wasn’t able to get past Sergeant Quirk when they arrived at the station.
He blocked Xenia’s attempt to get through the door, while ushering Skye in, saying, “The chief is waiting for
