Dean's List Read online

  "Makes a lot of sense. You think it was a guy?"

  Tessa pushed her empty bowl forward and then sat back. "I guess it could've been a girl, but they said the killer was strong. Like, really built. There was a huge struggle, and Jen was way overpowered."

  Lydia leaned forward. "What happened? I couldn't find much online."

  "It was at her condo, and it looked like they'd had a date. There was wine spilled on the couch and stuff. The cops didn't really say a lot. They were hoping to keep the details quiet so they could use them to nail whoever did it, but I don't think they'll ever find the guy. They couldn't find any prints, at least none that didn't belong. Jen's were everywhere, but she didn't snap her own neck, you know."

  Lydia flinched. "That's how she died? Broken neck?"

  Sadness washed over Tessa's face. "Yeah."

  "And there weren't any other clues? Nothing in her car?"

  "It was still at the airport, so she drove home with the murderer."

  Lydia shivered. "Not a smart move."

  "Nope. Maybe she thought she knew the guy. Some people think it was someone who had traveled on her route enough times to make her trust him. Some smooth-talker with a nice smile or something. But none of her coworkers could think of anyone who fit that description." Tessa frowned.

  They sat in silence for a few minutes. Dean certainly fit the description of the culprit, but what was Lydia supposed to do? She certainly didn't have enough to turn him in.

  Tessa cleared her throat. "I wish I had more answers for you. There's nothing more I'd love than to find the guy and break his neck. But he knew what he was doing. He may as well have been a ghost for what he left behind."

  "I'd like to catch him, too." Lydia looked at the time. "I'm supposed to meet Angie soon. Thanks, Tessa, for talking with me. I really appreciate it."

  "Sure. It's good to talk about her. No one really wants to. Not anyone who actually knew her, anyway. Everyone else loves to gossip, but that's not the same. I don't want to gossip. She was my friend." Tears filled Tessa's eyes.

  Lydia got up and wrapped her arms around the girl. "I'm sure they'll get him eventually. He can't hide forever."

  "I hope you're right."

  "I am." Lydia pulled out her phone. "What's your email address? Maybe we can write each other after I'm back home."

  "Okay." Tessa told Lydia her email address, and Lydia then got back into her car to find the Mexican restaurant.

  She arrived a few minutes early, so she sat in the car processing everything Tessa had told her. Dean had every opportunity to commit the act. He had been in town at exactly that time, and he would have had a car available to him. Most of the time, the company either rented a car for him or had one for the employees.

  If none of the other flight attendants could think of anyone Jen had been flirting with, he obviously knew enough to keep everything low key so that no one would have remembered him.

  The thought of him breaking Jen's neck and cleaning up after himself made her sick. Her stomach twisted into tight knots, making her feel as though she might be sick. Sure, Lydia knew about the killings already, but talking to someone who had known one of the victims was like smacking herself in the face with reality that more than likely the man she married had done this. Multiple times.

  Nausea ran through Lydia like a wave. Lydia opened the door and threw up in a rhododendron bush next to the car.

  She sat back down and pulled a couple tissues out of her purse to clean up her face. Then she grabbed a handful of mints and threw those in her mouth. Her stomach still heaved, but she had to keep everything together. Angie was going to be there any minute, and maybe she would be able to provide additional insight.

  Lydia crunched the mints as she watched people walk into the restaurant. Just as she was about to pile more mints, she saw Angie walking toward the door.

  Clues

  "Are you sure you only want water, Ashley?"

  Lydia nodded. "I'm feeling pretty sick about what happened to Jen. I can't stomach any food right now."

  Angie sipped her margarita. "I couldn't eat for days after I found out. So, you really only just found out about her death?"

  "Yeah. It's silly, but we had a pact. If we both didn't have a boyfriend in two years, then we agreed to fly to the city of love together and find ourselves a match."

  "That sounds like Jen." The corners of Angie's mouth twitched, but didn't form a smile. "I take it you don't have a boyfriend?"

  "Nope. I hadn't heard from Jen, so I wasn't sure if we'd be on or not. I thought I might have to take someone else to Paris with me, but then I found out what happened." Lydia made the saddest face she could muster without being overly dramatic.

  Angie looked thoughtful. "How close were you two?"

  "Obviously, not that close." Lydia frowned. "We just grew close back then, but we were sent on different flights after we started working and lost touch, you know?"

  "It happens too easily," Angie agreed. "I had a close friend before having kids. We were tight—told each other everything—and then things got busy after having kids. I just assumed that she was doing fine like me, but then one day I heard that she was in hospice care. She had cancer, and it pretty much took her right away."

  "That's horrible," Lydia said, feeling sick. "How are her kids?"

  Angie looked out the window and shrugged. "I haven't been able to learn much from the grapevine. I didn't know her husband or kids, so I can't just call up and ask. Sounds like the kids have been passed around a lot between relatives."

  Lydia frowned. "I'm sorry about your friend."

  "Dying young sucks no matter how it happens."

  "It sure does." Lydia sipped her water, and then they sat in silence until the waiter brought the food.

  "Can you eat some of the chips and salsa at least?" Angie asked. "I don't really want to eat in front of you."

  "No problem." Lydia picked up a chip and dipped it in the salsa. "So, do you know anything about Jen that isn't in the papers? I've read what I can find, but it's really bugging me. It feels like there's more to the story, but I don't know what."

  "Are you some kind of private investigator?"

  "Who would've hired me?" Lydia asked.

  Angie shrugged. "You've got to understand, we've had all kinds of reporters and curious looky-loos bombarding my family. In a town like this, murder doesn't happen everyday. It shook up the whole community, and the only thing that really gives any of us any comfort is believing that it was someone Jen met while working—someone from far away."

  "It does make more sense. We see people everyday from all over the world. A flight from Seattle can hold people from twenty different countries going to twice as many destinations."

  "Is that what you think happened?" Angie gave Lydia a suspicious look.

  "Like you said, it's a lot more likely." Lydia squirmed, still under Angie's distrusting gaze. "Did she have a boyfriend that you knew about? Or someone that she'd been seeing semi-seriously?"

  "No. She wanted to meet someone that she could settle down with, she'd been hoping for someone within the airline who would understand her work schedule, but she never mentioned having met anyone."

  "Do you think it could have been a one-night stand type of thing?"

  Angie's eyes narrowed. "She wasn't that type of girl. I think if you really did know her, you wouldn't even ask that."

  "I think you're in denial. Everyone is capable of a quick fling like that. Especially in our business."

  "You need to go now."

  "What?" Lydia exclaimed. "We've barely—"

  "And I'm done. I'm not sure what your angle is, but I don't want to talk about my sister with you anymore."

  "I want to find out what happened to her. If it happened to one flight attendant, it can happen to others. What if the guy who did this has been doing this to other women? Don't you want to put a stop to him?"

  Angie's eye's narrowed. "Of course I do. If you know anything other than what you
're telling me, why don't you let me in on it? I'm not going to hand over information to a random stranger—and that's all you are. And just so you know, you're the first—and last—one I've even given the time of day to."

  "I did know her," Lydia lied so she could keep her cover. "But I do also know about other similar killings in other areas. I think someone who travels a lot is killing people in random locations in hopes to not get caught."

  "How would you know that?" Angie demanded.

  It was time for a new tactic. Lydia relaxed her face and then looked around, lowering her voice. "There have been a string of these killings in cities I've been in. I wouldn't have noticed, except that I usually watch the local news. They happen in places I've been, Angie—starting with someone I knew." Lydia took a deep breath. "I could be next."

  Angie's face was hard to read, but appeared to soften. "Do you think you're being followed?"

  Lydia leaned forward. "I'm not sure, but it seems like more than just a coincidence. Don't you think?"

  "How do you know they're not just similar cases?"

  "They're all isolated, or so the authorities think. Just some random killing of a girl who never bothered anyone, but worked in a place where she would have access to people who travel a lot."

  "So it's not just flight attendants?" Angie asked, looking curious.

  Lydia shook her head. "Whoever's doing this is being careful. No one would ever think to connect any of these."

  "Why do you? What makes you think they're related? Did you ever stop to think that maybe they're not?"

  "I wish more than anything that they weren't. But the facts stick out, making it impossible for me to ignore."

  "Have you tried talking to the authorities?"

  "Not yet. I need more. Some kind of proof that goes deeper than just what's been on the news and online. That's why I'm talking with you."

  "What do you think I can tell you that will connect all the dots?"

  "I doubt you can do that," Lydia said. "However, I was hoping that something you had to say could help somehow. Maybe something you don't think is important actually leads to one of the other cases. That would be more than I have now."

  "If that's the case, you should hire an investigator. You're not a very good one."

  Lydia couldn't hide her look of disgust. "Like I said, I'm not trying to be a PI. I just want to be able to find a link between the cases. Then we can not only put away the guy who did this to Jen, but keep him from ever doing this again. It's only a matter of time before he strikes again, and the longer he gets away with it, the more he's going to keep on killing people."

  Angie took a bite and chewed slowly before speaking. "What do you think I can tell you that you don't already know?"

  "I don't know, but there has to be something. A piece of evidence the police are holding back on because they think it could help solve the case if the public is left in the dark over it."

  "See? That's why professionals are needed. Not an amateur like you. Look, I'm getting a massive headache. I need to take care of that and then think about everything you've said. Can I have your number to call you later?"

  "Do you still have my friend request? You never replied, but if you didn't ignore it you can still send me a message."

  "I think you sent me a message, didn't you?" Angie asked.

  "Probably." Lydia knew she had, but she wasn't going to let Angie know.

  "If I think of anything to tell you, I'll find your messages and get a hold of you that way."

  Lydia nodded. "Okay, and I can do the same. If I find anything that I think would help Jen's case, I'll let you know too."

  Angie nodded, and then Lydia got up and walked across the street to a park so Angie couldn't identify her car. She sat on a bench underneath a tree. It only took a minute or two before the heat swarmed her. She started to sweat and suddenly wished she had drunk more water while in the restaurant.

  She kept her attention across the street, waiting for Angie to leave. Before long, her tongue was sticking to the roof of her mouth. Lydia would need something to drink soon, but she couldn't risk Angie taking down her plates. The last thing she needed was for anyone to start snooping around.

  Who knew what he would do?

  He could wind up killing both of them if he felt threatened. That was the last thing Lydia wanted, so she would wait until Angie left no matter how dry her throat grew. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through the pictures of the newspaper articles, while also keeping her attention on the parking lot across the street.

  People came and went, but not Angie. Did she own the place? Was that why she had invited Lydia there? Or was she simply a slow eater?

  She couldn't take the heat a moment longer, so she got up and headed back across the street to get something to drink from the restaurant.

  When Lydia got inside, Angie was in the waiting area talking to some guy. They both stopped as soon as Lydia walked through.

  "Ashley," Angie said. "What are you doing back?"

  "I went to the park across the street to clear my head, but now I'm thirsty. I keep forgetting how hot it is out there."

  Angie nodded. "I'm just on my way out. I'll see you around." She said goodbye to the guy next to her and went outside.

  "You want a pop?" asked the guy Angie had spoken with. "I can get you one on the house. Any friend of Angie's is a friend of mine."

  Keeping her focus on Angie, Lydia nodded. "That sounds great. Thank you."

  Just as Angie drove off, a waiter brought Lydia a glass with brown, bubbling liquid. Lydia thanked him and drank it as fast as she could, not realizing just how thirsty she was until she tasted the root beer. She handed the glass to the next server who walked by, and then went back to her car.

  If Angie knew the people who worked there, she could find out Lydia's plates if she really wanted to, but Lydia didn't care anymore. She just wanted to get home and figure out her next step. This trip had been nothing other than a waste of time. She hadn't learned anything that put Dean near Jen—aside from what she already had.

  Tired

  Lydia slammed the trunk, more than ready to get inside, eat, and then relax. Maybe she would even invite the girls over to play cards on the porch while the sun went down. She'd spent more than enough time by herself recently, and now, especially after all the driving, Lydia knew she needed time with her girls.

  She went straight for the fridge, but groaned when she opened it. She needed to go shopping. There weren't two ingredients she could throw together to make a meal.

  Lydia went into the pantry and grabbed a few bottles and put them in the fridge to replace the one she'd just finished off. If Bri and the others could come over, they would easily need at least three bottles.

  Her body ached from so much driving. The last thing she wanted was to drive to the store, but her stomach was on the verge of growling so she didn't have much choice.

  "Just run in and grab the bare essentials." Lydia gripped the steering wheel and forced her body into motion. She was so tired that she thought about going back home and climbing into bed without eating.

  The first thing she did when she got inside was to get an iced mocha from the stand outside. The caffeine helped to energize her as she walked along, throwing things in her basket. After she had it full, she headed over to the wine section to grab an extra bottle, just in case.

  Lydia stood there deciding between a couple flavors of dessert wine when someone bumped into her.

  "Sorry," she said, even though she hadn't done anything.

  "No, it's my fault." Lydia knew that voice anywhere.

  She turned and looked at Chad. They stared at each other for a moment before she finally found her voice. "It's good to see you again, Chad. How is it that we always manage to run into each other?"

  He smiled, looking at ease. "I'd say you're following me, but I was the one who bumped into you."

  She looked at his basket filled with healthy items for several meals. "Looks like y
ou can find your way around the health store now."

  Chad chuckled. "Not like the first time I was here."

  Lydia laughed. "Not at all. You couldn't have found your hands at the ends of your arms that day."

  "Wish I could argue that point. It was good to see you and Dean at the meeting. Things look like they're going better." It sounded more like a question.

  "Yeah. We'll see how long that lasts."

  "Dean would be stupid to keep ignoring you, Lyds." He cleared his throat. "I mean, Lydia. Sorry, old habits."

  "You can call me Lyds."

  Chad grabbed a bottle without looking at what it was. "I should get back. Alyssa and I are making dinner together tonight."

  Lydia's heart ached. She wished he was making dinner with her. Lydia forced a smile. "Sounds like fun. Tell her I say hi."

  He nodded. "Will do." He stepped back.

  "Oh, and Chad."

  He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Oh, he was hot…and she really missed him.

  She cleared her throat. "I'm really glad you're happy." She meant it, though it hurt her. He deserved to be happy, even if it wasn't with her.

  "Thanks, and I'm really glad to see things are getting better for you. No one deserves it more than you. Bye, Lydia."

  "Bye," she whispered, watching him walk away. What she wouldn't give to have a heart-to-heart with him. Nothing was better than their talks—except maybe what followed the talks—but those days were over. She grabbed an extra bottle and made her way to the registers.

  Lydia set the basket on the conveyor belt, removed the reusable bags from her shoulder, and set them on top. She looked around and saw Chad in the next line over. Lydia looked away, not wanting to think about him anymore.

  The line moved quickly, and soon the cashier told Lydia the total. She pulled a credit card from her purse, and handed it to the lady. She ran it through the machine, and then looked confused. She slid it again before handing it to Lydia. "I'm sorry, but it's not working for some reason."