Echo's Crusade Part 16

She was beyond tired; bone weary was closer to how she felt. Added to her arduous week was a body that wasn't at a hundred percent. She'd had to fend off several critical reviews of her handling of the case and her lack of judgment in not letting others in on what she knew. The fact she'd been instrumental in having a civilian almost killed wasn't sitting well with her superiors. No way would she allow Echo to find out that snippet of information.

When she'd checked her voice mail the night before and heard Echo's voice, she knew that no matter what the findings were, she'd be on a plane to see her. In the end, they'd given her a degree of lat.i.tude due to the extenuating circ.u.mstances. It had, however, placed a black mark on her career prospects, one that she might never recover from professionally.

"I understand. Are you okay? Do you need me...?" Echo felt a shiver run through her at what she hadn't said, hoping Roan might intuitively understand her need.

Roan faced Echo, gave her a serious look, and realized that whatever was in her professional future it had all been worth it. "Of course, but I didn't have the luxury of leaving work yesterday unlike a certain person I know." She gently touched Echo's cheek with her finger. "Will you thank your parents for a wonderful evening and please don't drink too much more, or you'll have a bad headache tomorrow. I'll call you in the morning and we can arrange to meet."

Disappointment hit Echo like a gripe in the pit of her stomach as she realized Roan was leaving alone. Feigning a buoyancy she certainly didn't feel, she replied, "How about breakfast? You can tell me about Douglas and we can put an end to that episode."

Roan smiled slightly as her jaw muscles were working overtime. "Breakfast it is then. Good night, Echo." She leaned over and with bravado that she never thought she'd need, she kissed the startled woman's lips that became pliant and responsive under hers until she pulled away abruptly and left the table and the room.

All Echo could do was place a hand to her lips where Roan kissed her and gaze at the departing woman. Regaining her equilibrium and unsure what to do next, she began to stand when a voice made her reach for her vodka gla.s.s. She wasn't going to be able to fulfill Roan's request. Josie Skein had her in her sights, and it was going to take the Dutch courage of alcohol to see her through the woman's advances.

True to her word, Roan called Echo at eight thirty a.m. "h.e.l.lo," Echo mumbled into the receiver.

"Good morning, it's Roan. Do you still want to have breakfast with me at the hotel?" Roan asked, slightly disconcerted at what reaction she might receive from Echo after leaving her so abruptly.

A sleepy voice replied, "Yeah...can you give me a half an hour?"

Roan felt rea.s.sured at least in part. "Sure. I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, no, I'm just slow to wake up. I'll meet you in a half hour, okay?" Echo shook her head and wished she hadn't as a searing pain hit her forehead.

Roan cheerfully replied, "See you then."

Echo held the phone to her face as she grumbled, "How can she be so chipper so early?" Her body and brain protested as Echo struggled to get out of bed. The party had cruised into the early hours of the morning, and she didn't get to bed until after four. It hadn't helped that Josie Skein had latched onto her like a limpet once Roan had left the room and attempted for the rest of the celebrations to try every line in the book on her.

Her mother in the end had solved the problem by coming to her rescue. "Josie dear, you missed the boat...Echo is already taken."

Josie finally accepted defeat as she winked saucily at Echo and moved on. Echo hadn't the heart or the inclination to deny it. Roan wasn't there, so what harm would it do?

Echo felt like her head was bursting and even though she brushed her teeth and swished with mouthwash, her mouth still felt like she needed a toilet brush to remove the fuzz.

Sitting opposite Roan, she focused on how remarkably refreshed she looked. That was until she noticed the dark circles around her eyes. "I take it sleeping in isn't one of your favorite pastimes on a Sunday."

Roan gave the question a reasonable amount of thought. "Depends on what I'm doing."

The suggestive words weren't lost on Echo as she felt her cheeks sting with color as she remembered their kiss. "I'm a late riser on a Sunday. If I had my way, I'd be in my PJs all day. You know I'm away for the next ten days." When she looked at the clock over the door of the hotel cafe, she shuddered; it was only nine thirty.

"Yes, I know. You told me on your message. Sorry to spoil your Sunday sleep-in. I'm one of those early-morning folks. I love the beginning of the day. By lunchtime, I tend to think the day is half over rather than just beginning." There was a ghost of a smile on her lips as Roan stirred the three sugars in the black coffee.

"Is that because of the job or have you always been that way?" Echo picked up her own coffee and wondered if she could get away with taking some painkillers for the headache. She grimaced as a bolt of pain hit her just above her eyes.

Roan covertly watched Echo and had to prevent the chuckle she felt bubbling up from inside begging for release-Echo had a humdinger of a hangover. "Job mostly. I think you've noticed since we've met, I'm on call a lot. Sleeping in is a luxury most detectives can't rely on. Although I remember when I was young, my sister would chastise me for waking up and going to watch TV and leaving her sleeping in bed."

Echo smiled at Roan's revelation of another family memory. "When I was a little girl, my mom had to drag me from the bed on school days. I guess a part of me is still like that little girl, but I save it up for Sunday."

Their breakfast arrived. Roan had ordered bacon and eggs on a couple of hash browns and Echo pancakes with maple syrup. Their approach to the meal contrasted markedly. Roan began to eat with gusto while Echo slowly dissected her pancakes and chewed each small forkful automatically.

Roan finished her meal before Echo was halfway through hers. It was a sure indicator that she wasn't feeling well. "You don't recommend the pancakes?"

Echo looked up from her concentration of every mouthful and saw the twinkle of amus.e.m.e.nt on Roan's face. She shook her head and instantly wished she hadn't as the shafts of pain intensified. "I'm just not hungry...too early, I guess."

"Okay." Roan sipped her coffee before she motioned to the waitress for a refill and ordered an orange juice.

When Echo had dutifully eaten three-quarters of her meal, she pushed the plate to one side. She wondered if she should ask Roan to her parents' home. At least there, she could be sick in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

"Have you brought painkillers with you?" Roan asked quietly.

"Yeah, but..."

Roan pushed the orange juice across the table. "Take a couple with the juice. It might help."

Dutifully, she did what Roan suggested. Although it really didn't help, just for a moment, the fact that Roan had showed concern made her feel better. "I actually feel sick. I was wondering if we could go back to my parents' house, and that way if I..." She didn't complete the sentence as her face contorted into misery, feeling the sickness about to erupt.

Roan instantly understood the dilemma. "I can do that. How did you get here?"

"I borrowed my dad's car." Echo was unprepared for the look of disbelief she received from Roan.

"You drove in your condition? If the police had stopped you, they might have arrested you for drunk driving. Did you think of that?" Roan retorted angrily.

Echo felt tears welling up at the censure, she closed her eyes tight as the nausea, and the headache vied for equal attention. "Can we argue about it later? Why don't you take the keys and I'll give directions?"

Still shaking her head at the idiotic notions people had, Roan took the keys and paid the bill.

Chapter Twenty-four.

Fifteen minutes later, they were inside Echo's family home. As they entered, Echo gave a groan, rushed down the hall, and shut herself in a room.

Roan gazed around the hall. It was pleasantly furnished and decorated in pale earthy colors. There was no appreciable sound from anyone, but they could be behind closed doors. There were at least three doors leading off the hall, one of which Echo had vanished into.

Then a door opened and Echo's mother peeked around the door, her face wreathed in smiles as she saw Roan. "Why, Rowena Anne, welcome. I told Echo it wasn't very welcoming of her to let you stay in a hotel. There was me thinking you young people were all promiscuous and slept together any chance you had. Unless that doesn't apply to lesbians...but I'm sure it does. It did in my day, and that was way back...yes, well. I've been watching that program on TV ever since Echo told us she was gay. Oh, what's the name...something beginning with an L. Anyway, come on inside, I'm making breakfast. Do you want any?"

Roan had to stifle a belly laugh. Echo's mother never seemed to stop for a breath. In an endearing kind of way, it was refreshing. She talked and talked and talked. Venturing into the kitchen, which was lit by the midmorning sunshine, Roan smiled. The room had a homey feel.

"Paul, look who's here, Echo's new girlfriend. Of course, you could be an old girlfriend, and we'd never know. Echo has kept that part of her life secret from us for years. Would you believe we only found out when we visited her last year? I was shocked, but you get over it. What do your parents think of you being a lesbian? I'm making bacon sandwiches. Want one?"

Paul Radar raised an eyebrow at his wife's constant t.i.ttle- tattle, then shook his head. With a mouthed good morning to Roan, he hid behind the newspaper.

Scratching the side of her face, Roan didn't know what to say other than she wished she had a newspaper, too. "Sure, I'd love one, thanks." She was full from breakfast, but she did have a plane to catch later that afternoon and maybe Echo would help her out...yeah, right.

"Take a seat beside Paul, dear. Paul, will you please be polite to our guest?"

He dropped the newspaper with a grunt.

As Roan watched him, she saw where Echo got her patience. She had an idea why some men of a lesser temperament murdered their wives. "Did the Lakers win last night?" Roan asked as she sat beside the man who she noted shifted uncomfortably.

She was pleasantly surprised as Echo's father said, "Ah, you're a Lakers fan...me too. They won...means we have another chance at the playoffs." Paul's face became animated as he talked of his favorite sport.

"My grandfather had two season tickets every year. Apparently, he and my grandmother met at a game." Roan shrugged. "I still keep up the tradition. I don't go as much as I want. If you're ever in town and there's a game, it would be my pleasure to let you have the tickets for you and your wife."

"Wife indeed...my name is Maggie," Echo's mother said as she placed a plate of bacon sandwiches on the table. "I told you when we spoke on the phone that you could use it. Right, here we go...let's eat. Where's Echo anyway? It's very rude of her to leave you to fend for yourself. Although it does mean that we can get to know you better."

Each took one of the delicious-smelling bacon sandwiches and proceeded to eat in silence.

Roan demolished her sandwich in record time. She really didn't want to listen to Maggie and her fantasy about her being intimately involved with her daughter. Not that it was abhorrent to her, quite the opposite. It was only a matter of time before Maggie asked a pertinent question that she couldn't answer. Roan took the view that if listening and saying nothing much at all made Echo's mother happy, it was bound to do the same for her daughter, at least she thought it might. Not everyone had the same acrimonious family ties she had. "Maybe it might be good if I checked on Echo. She wasn't feeling well."

"How lovely and caring. Echo's lucky to have you. Now don't tell me she has a hangover. You'll have to remember that, Rowena Anne...she really isn't a morning person, especially if she's been drinking. Mind you, I'm not surprised, although I suspect you've found that out already. However, I was amazed when you left her alone last night what with that DJ making advances and trying to kiss her...you really should have taken her to the hotel with you. I think that woman is quite smitten with her. I did, of course, reintroduce them last Thanksgiving, but I didn't know she was seeing you at the time. What's a mother to do?" Maggie shook her blond head and bit into her sandwich.

With a tight smile, Roan left the room and heaved a sigh of relief as the door closed behind her. She'd had enough of Maggie's revelations, especially about the DJ. d.a.m.n, I only left Echo for a couple of hours. She considered the option of taking the return ticket she purchased when she arrived and leaving. No, that wouldn't be right. I need to honor my promise and inform her personally of how her friend died. Then she moved to the door Echo went into when they arrived.

She knocked softly. "Echo, are you okay?"

There was a groan but no comprehensible answer.

"Echo, if you don't open the door, I might have to break it down to check on you." Roan grinned at the suggestion. It would be a shock for Echo's parents, she was sure of that.

Another moan and there was movement and the click of a lock as Echo opened the door slightly.

Roan gave her the once-over, taking in the sallow complexion and the miserable expression on her face. Feeling sorry for her suddenly made her jealousy over the DJ vanish. "Hey, why don't you go back to bed? When you get back home, we can talk. I think I promised dinner."

Echo went white at the mention of dinner and placed a hand to her mouth. Weakly, she replied, "I'm sorry. Just give me a few more minutes and I promise I'll be out...okay? I can't wait until I get back to the city before I know what happened to Karen."

Roan nodded. "Okay. I'll wait for you here."

"You think I might forget you?" Echo asked as a faint smile hovered around her lips.

"Nope, but I'd rather you be up close and personal to me than the toilet bowl when we talk." Roan smiled, lighting up her previously dark thoughts.

Echo was feeling queasy and didn't reply as she closed the door.

Five minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Roan touched the back of her hand to Echo's forehead.

"I've felt better. Why don't we go outside on the patio where we can talk? I need the fresh air." Echo bit down on her lip and moved toward the kitchen.

"Maggie was cooking breakfast. She insisted that I have some. Actually, if you had one of those bacon sandwiches, you'd feel much better. "

"Roan, don't! Please, are you trying to kill me?" Echo wailed as she forced herself to face the inevitable as they headed toward the kitchen.

As the door opened, her parents looked up and smiled. "Morning, darling, we've been getting acquainted with Rowena Anne. Your dad's over the moon...she's taking him to a Lakers game next time we visit during the season."

"Wonderful, Mom," Echo managed to say. "It's a beautiful morning. Roan and I are going to have a chat on the patio." She gave her mother a fixed smile before opening the door to the yard and sucking in the fresh air.

Roan winked at Paul as she followed Echo out. Closing the door behind them, she sat opposite Echo on the wooden patio furniture.

"I didn't know you were a Lakers fan. Must be a big-time fan if you have season tickets...they cost a fortune. Why do you have more than one...oh, G.o.d, no. I shouldn't have asked that," Echo said in embarra.s.sment. It was another facet of Roan's personal life revealed.

Roan glanced around the low-maintenance yard. It was functional but pretty with numerous pots of flowers and shrubs. Ignoring the question, she replied, "Aren't you?"

"I'm about as interested in sports as I am...in men! I do like watching the U.S. and the Wimbledon tennis championships."

"Guess I won't be having you at my side at a Lakers game then...that's a pity." Roan grinned and changed the subject. "Nice yard, is this how it's always been?"

Echo felt her stomach tighten, and it wasn't because she felt sick. It was her cra.s.s rejection of tickets to the Lakers game. G.o.d, that was stupid. Eventually, she said, "No, we used to have gra.s.s and I had a tree house until I was thirteen. Then Dad chopped the tree down and with it the house when it contracted some weird tree disease. When I left for college, they decided to go low maintenance."

Roan remained silent, then took hold of Echo's hand. "Look, I know you want all the details about the case, but maybe we should wait until you felt better. I can call you later when I arrive home."

Echo felt a surge of energy from Roan's flesh against hers. "I didn't know you were going so soon." Her mind kicked in. She didn't want to sound like a needy person Roan would hate that. "I'd like to know face to face. Please...remember you promised."

"I remember. Okay, if that's what you want." Roan dropped her gaze to their clasped hands. It felt natural, but then everything she did with Echo felt natural. With a wry smile, Roan began the sordid story of Robert Douglas.

"Apparently, he knew Shelby Cameron...had been one of her clients for some time. We eventually found via the vice squad a couple of witnesses from Cameron's time on the streets that verified seeing him with her. One of the ladies told us that he was s.a.d.i.s.tic to the point that he almost killed her once. We believe that's when she entered the Greystoke Project."

Echo felt the last vestiges of color drain from her face as she heard the mention of Greystoke. "That's when she met Karen."

Roan looked at Echo, narrowed her eyes, and blew out a breath. "Possibly. Do you want me to continue?"

Echo squeezed Roan's hand and nodded.

"Douglas went on a mission to find Cameron...he was infatuated with her. Then by chance, the chief had an invitation to a charity dinner for the project. He asked Douglas the next day to check it out. He said he saw Cameron talking with Thompson...sorry, Karen."

Roan had spent years perfecting reports. Names of criminals and victims had become just another detail to her. At the pale expression on Echo's face, she knew she had to correct her usual narration of a case. "Douglas followed Karen home and knew where she lived, in fact her regular pattern. He found out that Thomp...Karen had invited Shelby over for Thanksgiving."

"Who would know? I only found out moments before I left work for my flight home," Echo said in a thin trembling voice.

Roan frowned. "Greystoke...Layla Greystoke."

"But she was Karen's friend and mentor. Why would she tell him such a thing?" Outrage and anger filled Echo.

This time with her free hand, Roan touched Echo's cheek and smiled.

"Sometimes, even good people have a dark side...I told you that before. In Greystoke's case, she was struggling with the financing of her project. Without proper government aid, it was almost impossible to keep going. When Douglas said he could persuade the chief, the mayor, and a few other dignitaries to invest city funds, she trusted him. He used her, and she was like the rest of us...a flawed human being. He said he thought Cameron was a niece who had run away from home years before, and he needed to speak with her alone. All he wanted, he said, was an hour if she could arrange it. Of course, your friend Karen had told Greystoke her plans, and it had been easy to call Karen and persuade her to drop over to the project for an urgent meeting. Your friend trusted Greystoke, and it was her undoing."

Echo nodded and felt the tears sting her eyes as she asked tremulously. "Douglas isn't charged with Karen's murder, though, is he?"

Roan sighed heavily. "No, no, he isn't. From what Douglas implied, and we can't corroborate it, of course, because everyone is..."