“Where do you get your information?” Jamie asked on a forced laugh. “No. She . . . couldn’t go.” Jamie wasn’t about to tell her that Laura had called off the girls’ babysitting together. After the events of last night, she almost owed Cooper’s ex a thank-you. She’d thought about calling her today and checking on Marissa, but Laura would undoubtedly disbelieve Jamie’s motives were pure.
You just chickened out.
Vicky was rattling on about getting together with wine. Jamie demurred, suspecting they would all be pumping her for information, but Vicky was insistent. “If not Leander’s, somewhere else.”
“I have family dinner tonight,” Jamie said.
“Oh, pooh. Come on. Happy hour somewhere. I know. The Waystation. Say around four? Let’s slum it in the name of letting our hair down. Bring a friend.”
That last line was what turned Jamie to thinking maybe she would. “All right. I’ll see what I can do.”
As soon as she hung up, she called Camryn back. She told her about the women’s date and asked her to join her. “I know you said you were busy. Just thought I’d try,” Jamie told her.
“Oh, man. I just can’t. But next time, okay? I’ll break whatever plans I have, I promise,” Camryn pleaded.
“Okay.”
That took the wind out of Jamie’s sails, even though it was what she’d expected. She thought hard for a moment. Before she could debate with herself on the wisdom of her next move, she called Gwen Winkelman and invited her to join her.
“Thank you. I’m intrigued. Yes, I’ll come with you. What an unexpected treat,” the psychologist agreed.
* * *
Cooper had planned on calling Ted Ryerson as soon as he was back at the station, but when he’d walked in, he’d learned that Ryerson had already beaten him to the punch: There was a message waiting for him to call the man. Cooper punched in the number and Ryerson picked up right away.
“Cooper Haynes, returning your call.”
“I thought you wanted to interview me.” Ryerson sounded a bit peeved.
Cooper had checked the time and seen it was about eleven. Ryerson was raring to go. “My partner, Howard Eversgard, is lead on the case, but I’d like to talk to you, too.”
“I know Howie,” Ryerson said. “If you want to talk now, I could get away for an hour or two. My sister’s here and said she’d take care of the kids. Does it have to be the station? How about that coffee shop off Aspen Court?”
Cooper knew the place by reputation only. It was on the fringes of the city, closer to Jamie’s neighborhood than the city’s downtown area. “I’ll meet you there,” he said.
The Coffee Club was a throwback to the seventies, with rough wood siding in the interior and ferns hung in several skylights. They sold a limited variety of sandwiches, along with coffee and a surprisingly long list of teas, considering their name. Cooper, who’d skipped breakfast, ordered a turkey sandwich and a cup of coffee.
Ted Ryerson came in just as Cooper was taking a seat at a table for two toward the rear of the open room. It was about all the privacy he could hope for, given the surroundings.
Ryerson was in a white shirt, open at the throat, and slacks. He was as tall as Cooper and probably had ten to twenty pounds on him. His blondish hair was darkened from being slightly wet, and Cooper suspected he’d been working out and just gotten out of the shower. He had that kind of muscular build.
Cooper stood up and shook the man’s hand. Ryerson was about ten years younger, and he had a hard grip. Cooper wondered if he was telegraphing his strength.
He hadn’t taken a measure of him the night before; there’d been too much going on. But he did now. If you met him on a dark night, you might be glad to have some kind of defense.
“I’ve been thinking about last night full-on nonstop. Latch on the back door’s been a problem for a while, but I had it fixed. That’s a good, strong lock now. No one would have gotten in unless she let them.”
“She didn’t let anyone in,” Cooper said.
“Maybe not on purpose, but by leaving the door open? Maybe by mistake? I fixed that latch,” he said again.
Cooper wondered if he was worried Laura might sue should the door latch’s defect come to light. Ryerson was clearly making sure Cooper knew it had been taken care of . . . maybe to cover his ass. He seemed to want Cooper to know that he wasn’t responsible.
“Let’s get back to the fact that someone came in, dressed in ski gear, and threatened Marissa with a knife,” Cooper said.
“Yeessss . . .” He looked Cooper right in the eye. “I know that’s what she says and she’s very convincing, but isn’t it awfully coincidental, given what happened at my house with Emma Whelan?”
“Emma Whelan was attacked and it changed her life,” Cooper reminded him evenly.
“And it’s a horrible, terrible crime. My sister and I have been affected by it, too. All our lives. I’m just saying that I’m not sure I believe we had a second attacker at my house. Doesn’t make sense. I don’t know who Emma’s attacker was. Maybe you know more than I do.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You were there, man.” He spread his hands. “You and your friends. Hell, it’s part of River Glen lore now.”
“But none of us attacked her.” Cooper could feel himself growing hot under the collar.
“That was the department’s conclusion. I know. I’ve spent a lot of time on this, Detective Haynes. Was it the truth? Is it the truth? Maybe. But what if it isn’t? What if one of you guys came back and stabbed Emma Whelan? What if—”
“Everyone liked Emma. We all did. No one would hurt her,” Cooper interrupted.
“—Marissa invited some boys to come over and one of them thought it would be a great joke to come after her with a knife?”
“No.”
Ryerson just looked at him. Cooper knew he
