“I’m going to find Dug,” Cooper said again.
Race sighed and closed his eyes. “I loved her, man. I would have done anything for her. And I’d do anything to find the fucking psycho who did this to her. I’m on your side on this, Haynes. I’m just telling you, Dug didn’t go inside that house and hurt Emma. It wasn’t him.”
But Cooper was already outside the front door, yanking it closed behind him. Whatever the truth was, he was going to find out.
* * *
Jamie was late to pick up Harley from school and was relieved to see her waiting by the back doors that led to the parking lot, her back to Jamie. Jamie waved her over, but Harley didn’t see her. Her head was down, and Jamie belatedly realized she was texting. Muttering under her breath, Jamie slammed out of the car and hurried toward her. “C’mon,” she yelled as she reached her, circling her arm in a classic, let’s-get-going move. “I bought a new dishwasher and it’s getting installed today! I have to be back for when the guy shows!”
She glanced down at Harley’s phone, but Harley clicked off in midword. She’d been typing, “. . . just saying what she said. Tyl—”
“Who were you talking to?” Jamie asked.
A hesitation. “Marissa.”
“Good. I’m glad you two connected. It’s been a tough week. How is she?”
“Fine.”
“Glad to hear it. Okay, well, come on. We gotta go.”
Harley followed her to the car and Jamie rushed to get home. She was relieved the dishwasher repairman wasn’t there yet. He’d given her a two-hour window, which was fine. She was just glad it was getting done today.
Harley made kissy-face noises at Duchess, who returned the exchange with little barking sounds of delight as she quivered all over. Jamie hadn’t substituted today, so she’d been able to take care of the dog’s needs. According to Burton, Duchess could apparently make it from the morning till late in the afternoon, but Jamie told Harley to make sure Duchess was taken out and fed.
When her cell buzzed at about five-thirty, she thought it was a call from the installer, but it turned out to be Cooper. She answered with a smile in her voice that she couldn’t contain. “Hi, there.”
“Hi. I just wanted to . . . see you,” he admitted.
“Fine by me.” She heard the lilt in her voice and silently scolded herself for being so obvious.
“I’ve got a few things to do, but maybe later?”
“Sure.”
“It probably won’t be till after seven.”
“I could make dinner? Or we could go to Deno’s with Harley and Emma . . . ?”
“Any chance I could take you out?”
“Well . . . yeah . . .” She quickly ran through what she would need to do.
“I’ll text when I’m on my way.”
“Perfect.”
Jamie checked the time, then, with cell phone in hand, ran upstairs to put herself together.
* * *
Dug Douglas was out of town, according to his wife, Teri, who was also his girl Friday, apparently; she answered the phone calls for Douglas Insurance. Cooper explained who he was and that he wanted to get in touch with Dug right away. Teri wasn’t going to give him Dug’s number just because he was a friend and a police officer. Whether she knew something that kept her from divulging the information because Dug had asked her not to, or if she was just naturally reticent, Cooper didn’t feel like wasting time. He gave her his cell number and told her to have Dug call him ASAP.
He knew he needed to cool down. He was mad at both Race and Dug, and himself, too, for sensing there was more and not following up on it when he was younger, or any time in between. He didn’t believe Dug had hurt Emma, certainly not on purpose, but he and Race had lied and covered up and knew far more than they’d ever mentioned.
Because they were afraid of getting in trouble.
But that was no excuse.
He could easily get Dug’s phone number on his own, but maybe it was better to let Dug contact him rather than blasting into the guy, demanding answers in any way he could get them, which was what Cooper really wanted to do.
And . . . there was a chance Race was lying. About the ski mask and maybe more. There was also a chance that Dug didn’t know anything at all. That he had, as he’d said, just walked home.
But Cooper didn’t believe that. Dug had been Race’s right-hand man. He would’ve wanted to contact Emma for Race. To either appeal Race’s case to be her guy, or to give her a mean-spirited warning for being a disinterested bitch. Cooper could practically hear Dug calling her names.
Still, that was a long way from stabbing her in the back with a knife. Was that what last Saturday’s intruder had planned for Marissa? Coming into the house with a knife? The thought sent a cold chill down his spine.
It’s better you can’t talk to Dug yet. You need to think this through.
Cooper knew he was giving himself good advice, but he didn’t know if he would take it. He wanted to go after Dug Douglas hammer and tongs and pound the information out of him, if that was what it took.
Pushing his anger aside, he drove back to the station, where he had the file on Emma’s attack locked in a bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled it out and took it home with him. He looked at the clock and gave himself about an hour and a half before he would meet up with Jamie.
* * *
Jamie looked at herself in the mirror. Too much makeup? She would have liked to take a shower but didn’t have time. She worked a smudge of eyeliner off the corner of
