'Lovely,' she whispered.
'He likes to blow things up in a big way. He's partial to buildings, but he's done cars and houses. The thing is, no one's ever inside. He seems to go to great lengths to avoid hurting anyone.'
'Until now,' Dylan said.
Nate glanced at Dylan who nodded and then said to Kate, 'You've got a good fire department in this little town. They know what they're doing, and one of them noticed the similarities and called Charleston PD to find out who was in charge of the Charleston investigation. That's when I found out you were at the warehouse.
'No easy way to say it,' Nate said. 'Someone tampered with the gas line, but Kate, that wasn't enough to cause the damage done. We checked it out and discovered it was-'
She realized at that moment what he was telling her. 'Another bomb,' she finished.
'Yes, and you're the only connection between the two,' Hallinger answered. He could see the bewilderment in her eyes. 'So now we're wondering… who wants you dead?'
Chapter Eighteen
They gave her a couple of minutes to absorb the information. Nate was relieved she wasn't falling apart. He hadn't thought she was the type to become hysterical, and he was right. On the surface she was calm and in control.
Kate was screaming inside. She was thinking about the mess her life was in on every possible level, and said, 'I don't need this now.'
Dylan smiled. 'When exactly is it a good time to get blown up?'
She realized how crazy her comment was. 'I didn't mean… oh, never mind.'
'We're early into the investigation,' Nate said. 'And the leads could take us in a hundred different directions, but for your safety, we have to assume that you're the target and take the necessary precautions.'
'What do you suggest?'
Nate looked at Dylan. 'How long are you here?'
'For as long as it takes.'
'Okay then.'
'I'll need a weapon.'
'I know. I'll clear it with Bob Drummond, the chief of police here in Silver Springs. He'll check you out, of course, and he'll want to talk to you. I'll warn you, he's tough, and because he's getting ready to retire, he doesn't care who he offends. He'll give us a hard time, but-'
'Wait a minute,' Kate said. She felt like the world had just gone into warp speed. 'This is crazy.'
Nate turned back to her. 'Can you think of anyone who has a vendetta against you? Is there anyone who would profit if you were out of the picture, like a partner in your company?'
'I don't have a partner. I do have life insurance, but my sisters are the beneficiaries. The face value is quite small. The only person I can think of who would like to get rid of me is Reece Crowell.'
Nate nodded. 'Dylan told me about him.'
'This has to be a mistake,' she said. 'I've been away for almost a year, and I just got home. I haven't been here long enough to make enemies.'
Kate's back was beginning to throb. She had been sitting on the edge of the easy chair, too nervous to relax. Dylan didn't seem to be having any trouble, though. He looked very comfortable with his arm draped over the back of the sofa and his ankle crossed over his knee.
'Who owned the warehouse?' Dylan asked.
'I'm told it's a corporation,' Nate answered. 'I don't have names yet.' He asked Kate, 'How did you find out about it?'
'A Realtor called me. She showed me several spaces, but that warehouse was perfect for my needs.'
'How'd the Realtor know you were looking for a bigger space?' Dylan asked.
'Carl Bertolli suggested she call me.'
'That's interesting,' Dylan said.
'He asked you to get to the reception early,' Nate said. 'Isn't that right?'
'Yes,' she said. 'No, wait. Actually my aunt Nora took a phone message, and I just assumed it was from Carl, but now that I think about it, that can't be right because when I arrived and was walking toward the tent, Carl called me on my cell phone and asked if I would please hurry and help set up. He seemed surprised that I was already there.'
'He could be checking to make sure she was there,' Nate told Dylan.
'Did you interview him?'
'Sure did,' he said. 'And let me tell you, that was no easy job. He's quite emotional.'
'Yeah?'
'He didn't know anything, didn't see anything, and he says he was on his way to pick up the guest of honor. I checked that out with the limo driver, and he verifies the time. I'll be talking to Carl again after the feds and the ATF get finished with him.'
'They'll have to find him first,' Kate said.
'Find him?' Nate repeated.
'Isabel told me that Carl called earlier today and told her he was going away. He does that,' she quickly added so they wouldn't jump to any crazy conclusions. 'When life becomes too stressful, he goes into seclusion. When he comes back, he's refreshed.'
'I'm not going to wait until he's refreshed, whatever in God's name that means. I'll find him,' Nate said.
'How often does life become too stressful for Carl?' Dylan wanted to know.
'Three or four times a year,' she said. 'You might want to talk to his fiancee,' she suggested then. 'Carl doesn't go anywhere without telling her. She has a business to run, so she can't take off as often as Carl can.'
She gave Nate the name and phone number and added, 'She's a lovely woman but a bit… high-strung, I guess you could say, so please try not to scare her.'
'She's high-strung, and she's engaged to Bertolli?' Nate shook his head. 'Now that's a pair.'
'I think you're wasting your time with Carl,' she said. 'He couldn't have seen anything, and if you knew him as well as I do, you'd realize what a kind, sensitive, decent man he is. He's done so much for this community.'
'Tell me about the man who called you to come to the warehouse. Had you ever heard his voice before?'
'No.'
'Would you recognize it if you heard it again?'
'There was so much noise in the background I could barely hear him. I don't think I could-'
Isabel interrupted by calling Kate's name from the stairs.
'Uh-oh,' Kate said. 'Detective, would you like something to drink? A soft drink, iced tea, water…'
'Iced tea would be nice.'
'Excuse me for interrupting.' Isabel was standing in the foyer smiling at the men. Kate noticed she'd put on lip gloss and had taken the time to brush her hair.
Kate excused herself and went to her sister.
'Did you want something?' Kate asked when Isabel continued to stand there staring. Had Kate been that transparent around a good-looking man when she was seventeen?
Isabel took a step toward the living room. 'Detective Hallinger? Everything's all right, isn't it? Kate said that Dylan told her you're here to tie up some loose ends. There isn't anything more, is there?'
'I told you everything was all right,' Kate said.
'Kate's helping the detective with his investigation,' Dylan said. 'Nothing for you to worry about, Isabel.'
'That's right,' Nate confirmed.
'Now will you stop worrying,' Kate ordered.
'Who could blame me for worrying? You're so accident-prone…'
