Echo's Crusade Part 7

The words struck Echo dumb. She felt words filling her mouth wanting to jump out and verbally slash Roan to pieces. Instead, she drew a slow breath. "That's like the pot calling the kettle black. You're so bitter over the past, you dare not go back and revisit it for fear of what it might reveal."

There was a gushing sound in Roan's ears, and she felt the room spin for a brief second. Emotional conversation had that effect on her, but nothing compared to how she was feeling at that moment. The potency of Echo's words seemed to rip right through her like the bullet that ripped through her body. "I know what it will reveal. Pain, loss, and an ache so bad that it wouldn't serve any purpose other than to open old wounds. Then it would take another interminable length of time before it begins to heal."

"I...I...look, I'm sorry. I was upset by what you said about your uncle and that it was only because..." Echo stopped. She had no more words. She didn't have a barometer where Roan was concerned. Calculating her mood swings was as difficult as deciphering her own sometimes. What puzzled her the most was the hope that one day she'd have that gauge. If it meant that Roan's past remained exactly that, she could handle it.

"I accept the apology only if you do the same. To be honest, my uncle and I haven't really bonded as family. After my parents died, my grandfather took me in. When he died, my uncle was less than happy about taking on the guardianship of me. He'd gone through a bitter divorce and wanted his freedom. Being saddled with a teenager was hardly being free." Roan shrugged. "Let's say some things you never forget."

Echo impulsively rushed around the table and hugged her fiercely for a few seconds, until Roan murmured a slight protest. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like that kind of show of affection." Roan, with unshed tears in her eyes, grinned at Echo. "Nope, it wasn't that. I have a confession to make. You hugging me brought the pain..."

Echo's eyes widened and she waved her finger in Roan's direction. "Okay, what did you do today that you shouldn't? Have you hurt yourself? Do you need the doctor?"

Roan cringed. "It isn't that bad.

Chapter Twelve.

Roan called a cab two days later and headed to the morgue. Once there, she located Nigel Forester, who was as a.n.a.l as she was about detail. The man had been the coroner the day Karen Thompson and Shelby Cameron came to the morgue. He'd autopsied Shelby, and one of the other coroners had examined and carried out the postmortem on Karen Thompson. Roan had never admitted her own duplicity, as she saw it, in the investigation to Echo. It wouldn't have served any purpose and would have only alienated the woman. Her mission now was to find out the truth, whatever that might be.

"Well, if it isn't the heroine herself. Roan, my dear, what are you doing here? A little bird told me that you were convalescing and had pretty company to take care of you." His eyebrows rose suggestively.

Roan shook her head and gave him a hard stare. "Lyn never did know when to keep her mouth shut. I'm surprised you and she hooked up and have lasted so long."

Nigel Forester was a tall willowy man at least six-foot-seven and had bony, almost skeletal, features, not a good-looking man by most standards. What he lacked in the handsome department, he more than made up in intelligence and an old-fashioned manner, which seemed to wow the women. Whoever said chivalry was dead hadn't met him. "Lyn wasn't gossiping if that's what you think. I asked her how you were doing, and she said you and a friend were going to have supper together."

"Hmm and pigs might fly," Roan mumbled, then pa.s.sed him the case file. "Do you recall this case?"

Glancing at the contents and the pictures of the deceased, he frowned and nodded. "Yep. Pretty girl...she was beaten up and a.s.saulted. The other was a suicide, I believe." He frowned slightly. "Didn't they rule that she killed the girl, then committed suicide?"

"Yeah, we did."

Nigel's brow creased as he inspected Roan closer. "You don't sound happy about it. Aren't you convinced that it's the truth? You don't make mistakes. What gives?"

"At the time, it made sense. That day was busy with cases that were more complicated. The order came down to tie the case up quickly, so we cut some corners to meet that end. I noticed that some of the tox screens that were run weren't evaluated."

Nigel frowned at the insinuation that his department neglected to do a complete evaluation. "Yeah, I remember that. Guess when they told us the case was a slam dunk, no one wondered about the results...and as you said, it was a busy time. Do you want me to run them now?"

"You still have viable samples?" Roan smiled. She gambled that he'd have them, but even so, it was a long shot, particularly for the Thompson woman.

Nigel nodded. "You've known me for ten years, really have faith."

Roan smiled warmly. "I never had any doubts. Look, can we keep this between us for the moment? I'm supposed to keep it low-key...commands from above." Roan had a suspicion that if word got out that she was poking around in the morgue the evidence might go missing. There was the old saying about it isn't what you know, but who you know. Fortunately, it worked in Echo's and her favors.

"You got it. I'll have the information for you by tomorrow evening. Want to come over for dinner...you can bring a friend." Nigel grinned.

Roan rolled her eyes. "Dinner my treat, we'll go to Germaine's. Will Lyn be joining us?"

Nigel chuckled as he nodded. "Try and keep her away."

For an hour, Echo had been fending off a headache that demanded attention. She reached for the ibuprofen and washed them down with water. The door to her office opened, and her a.s.sistant popped her head in.

"Echo...there's a detective on the line who wonders if you can spare a minute."

The tension of the campaign she was working on seemed to disappear at the mention of a detective. "Sure, put them through."

"h.e.l.lo, this is Echo."

To Echo, there seemed to be a few seconds of silence followed by a rustle of papers before a voice spoke. "Hi, it's Roan."

Echo smiled and hugged the phone closer to her ear. "Hi. What do I owe this honor? You've never called me at work before. Want to meet up for lunch?"

"I haven't had the necessity to do so before now," Roan said automatically, forgetting for a moment that there had been a couple of narrow escapes in that first week of convalescing at home.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. How can I help you, Lieutenant Keating?" Echo wasn't sure if Roan was in the approachable or unapproachable mood. Their talk, if you could call it that, a couple of nights earlier had placed them on a precipice. Their budding friendship could go one way or the other, and she was going to keep her curiosity under wraps for the time being.

"I'm going to be working on the case tonight, so you don't need to come over after work. I'm sure you have better things to do with your time. Your friends must think you've abandoned them."

Echo paused before she answered. "Okay. I have a thumping headache, so I'd probably have called you and said I was going straight home."

Roan quickly replied, "No problem then. I have to go, take care of that headache."

Automatically, Echo said, "Bye," before replacing the receiver. She muttered, "Well, she was concerned...not! So much for me thinking she might actually like me. Get a grip. She's only helping you out to do the most important thing...to clear Karen's name and find out who did kill that girl."

The words rang in her head. She realized that she knew nothing about Shelby. All her focus had been on Karen. The poor girl needed a champion, too, and it looked like she was going to be that person for both of them. As she looked down at her campaign folder, an idea formed in her head. Clarity suddenly opened a tunnel through the blaze of her headache, and she began to scribble notes again.

Roan sighed and looked at the clock. It was a quarter after seven. Standing up, she left her study and headed for the kitchen as part of her wanted desperately to see Echo singing out of tune as she prepared their evening meal. She recalled the woman reading the mult.i.tude of magazines and newspapers she brought with her most nights. Echo had said it was necessary professional research.

As Roan thought about it, a smile curled her lips, then it disappeared as she entered the kitchen. It was empty and dark. Flicking on the light, she headed for the refrigerator that was full of good things. Selecting a slab of cheese, she decided a toasted cheese sandwich was about all she could muster.

Ten minutes later, she sat at the kitchen table and began to eat as her mind digested the short conversation with Echo that afternoon. d.a.m.n, I wasn't even sympathetic about the headache. All I gave her was an other than an automatic atake it easy'. What kind of friend am I? Then she considered whether they were friends or merely people who needed each other for mutual gain. What the h.e.l.l difference does it make? Friends are forged under stranger circ.u.mstances. With a half-eaten sandwich in her hand, she headed to the phone on the wall and dialed Echo's home number.

When the answering machine kicked in, Roan decided against a message. She'd call again in an hour. Maybe Echo was running late at her office; it happened to her all the time.

She recalled the first time Echo had been later than normal for her daily visit...

Roan confronted a surprised Echo, who had barely edged through the open door. "You're late, why bother coming at all?" She paced the hallway using up most of her energy.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry. My boss asked me to check the details for a new client. It took longer than I expected. Have you eaten?" Echo remained nonplussed at the confrontation for she'd half expected it.

Petulantly, Roan replied, "No, we usually eat together." As she said the words, she realized that in a little over two weeks, she'd allowed herself to become dependent on the woman. That wasn't fair for her or Echo.

"Then it's as well I've brought takeout. Are you hungry?" Echo remained cheerfully upbeat.

Roan frowned and found her anger waning. "I'm a little hungry."

"Great, come on then, let's eat. I'm starving. I've had to survive on stupid finger food all day. Trust me, a Chinese banquet is a marvelous antidote to the day I've had." Echo ignored her own inner voice wanting to placate Roan and her obviously bad mood.

Roan wondered what was happening. She'd been angry and selfish, and Echo hadn't taken the bait or even tried to mollify her.

"Are you coming? It'll be cold." Echo popped her head inside the kitchen door.

"Yes." When she entered the kitchen, she watched in isolated fascination as Echo took out each container from the bag. She was certain there was enough food to feed the whole neighborhood. "There wouldn't by any chance be beef in the dishes...it's my favorite."

"Thanks for seeing me again, Ms. Greystoke. I know you're a busy woman." Echo smiled warmly at Layla who motioned for her to sit in the chair opposite her in the small vestibule she used as an office.

Layla Greystoke smiled compa.s.sionately. "I know how important Karen was to you. Every day, I think she's going to come walking in the door with her head held high and that beautiful smile beaming. Karen was always the optimist, and she worked so hard. When I think of all the people I've met in my life, she's the one that had the most loving and giving heart of them all."

Concentrating on her clasped hands, Echo blinked back tears. In a voice m.u.f.fled by emotion, she said, "Karen would have said she didn't deserve such praise. She was the most unselfish woman I've ever met. I feel humble these days when I talk about her. Especially to someone who knew her like I did." She sucked in a breath. "What they said she did can't be true...I know it."

"Perhaps she had a side to her none of us knew about," Layla said quietly.

Echo lifted her head sharply and stared at the woman. Her earlier words were in marked contrast to what she'd just said. "Is that what you think? Is that why you didn't attend her funeral?"

"My dear, please, don't get angry. It was merely an observation of what might have been. Let me make us one of my special herbal teas, then we'll talk. Is there something in particular you wanted to know about Karen?" Layla walked over to the kettle and switched it on. She busily prepared an herbal mixture as she waited for Echo to reply.

Echo was angry. Once more, the woman hadn't answered her question in regard to her nonattendance at Karen's funeral; silence drew its own conclusion. Echo finally attempted to engage the woman in the real reason she was there. "I wondered if you knew anything about the girl who was killed...Shelby Cameron."

For a split second, the name reverberated around Layla but not in a good way. She walked over to the desk and stood beside the seated Echo. "I'm not really at liberty to talk about the people who cross my path here."

Echo looked up with a rueful expression. "You're not a doctor," she said in frustration. "She's dead. What harm can it do?"

"I'm sorry, Echo." The kettle whistled, and Layla moved away to pour the water over the tealeaves. Moments later, she placed the beverage in front of Echo.

Picking up the cup, Echo sipped it and was surprised to find it remarkably refreshing. "This is good. What kind of tea is it?" Layla hesitated for a fraction of a second and shrugged.

"I'm not supposed to say this...but a friend of mine from Africa smuggles several varieties in for me when he can. I know it's naughty of me. Don't tell your friend Lieutenant Keating...she might put me in jail."

Echo chuckled and shook her head. "Your secret is safe with me. I have to go. I have a deadline on a project and have to be at work early in the morning. Thanks for your time and the tea."

"You're always welcome here. I'm glad we finally had the chance to meet, although not in the best of circ.u.mstances. If you should have any free time and want to offer your services, I'd be grateful." She held out her hand, and when Echo put her hand in hers, Layla shook it gently, holding it longer than necessary.

Echo caught the sensual look that crossed Layla's face and pulled her hand gently away. "At the moment, my free time is limited. I'll keep in touch," Echo said automatically as she walked toward the door.

Layla let her eyes bore into Echo's back. "I'll look forward to our next meeting."

As the heavy door closed between them, Echo felt more at ease. Her steps retreated rapidly from the church until she paused at the top of the stairs. She whispered to the wind, which had whipped up since her arrival, and carried her words. "I wonder if Karen knew her mentor, the wonderful Layla Greystoke, had lesbian tendencies. I wonder if anyone does." She crunched her eyebrows together. "How does she know Roan and I are friends? I must mention that to Roan. It might be important." With a shiver, she rapidly retreated to her car and sped off toward home.

Roan paced her study. She'd called Echo three times, and the woman wasn't home. In frustration, she left several messages. The more she contemplated where Echo was, the more antsy she became. "Headache, be d.a.m.ned."

Roan walked back to her desk and opened a drawer. As she did, she glanced at a photo in an elegant frame hidden there. Absently, she picked it up and looked at the happy faces of the people in the picture. A sad expression claimed her as she dredged up the memory of when the picture was taken. Echo was right, she needed to face the past, but each time she tried, she could think of the sorrow of the loss and not the good memories.

"Who knows, maybe it might take a compa.s.sionate person like Echo, who cares and goes that extra mile, to help me find a way to handle the pain. I think you'd like her." She felt the tears well up as she gazed at the photo. With a heavy sigh, she was about to place it back in the drawer when the phone rang.

Roan rapidly picked it up. "Hi."

"Hi yourself, you've left me three messages. Is everything okay? I can come over if..."

The relief Roan felt at the sound of Echo's voice had a grin unconsciously forming on her face. "No, I'm fine. To be honest, I was worried about you. Did they keep you late at the office? I thought you said you had a headache."

Echo raised her eyebrows. Is that concern I hear in her voice? Wonders never cease. In as calm a voice as she could manage, she said, "Not exactly. To be truthful, I went to see Layla Greystoke."

A frown appeared like a dark cloud as Roan asked, "You did? Why?"

Echo heard the censure immediately. "I decided that no one was really interested in Shelby Cameron. It seemed to me that no one wanted the truth or the murderer brought to justice. I figured I owed it to Karen to make this quest of mine as much about Shelby as Karen. Does that make any sense to you?" She quickly added, "Not that I need your approval."

"I see."

"Look, I just wanted to know who the young woman was. I'm not interfering with your case." Echo wanted to explain further, but she heard the invisible door between them close.

"How could you possibly know if you're causing problems with the case? I'm glad you're home safe...good night." Roan didn't end the call, and as she waited for a retort, she felt her stomach churn.

"Hey, Lieutenant Keating, don't you dare dismiss me like I'm a piece of dirt under your shoes. I thought we were friends."

Roan chewed on her lip and blew out a breath of frustration. She thanked G.o.d that Echo didn't know the effect she had on her. Roan softly said, "I'm tired. It's been a long day. Good night, Echo."

Echo heard the deflated tone and pressed home the slight c.h.i.n.k in the armor of the dour woman. "When you first made the call, what did you want? Please don't say it was because you were worried about me...we both know your head is full of the case right now...people don't matter."

There was silence at the other end of the line, and Echo thought for a moment that Roan had gone, but then she heard a low soft voice. "I was going to ask you to dinner tomorrow."

Astonished, Echo said, "Dinner...where at your place?" She hadn't figured Roan for a dinner date kind of girl. They'd skirted the question of romance and Roan appeared to be somewhat androgynous when it came to working out her s.e.xual preferences. In fact, if Echo recalled, she'd been the only one to say anything, and that was low-key. She didn't actually mention she was a lesbian because she figured Roan had checked her out thoroughly. After all, Roan was the detective. She'd never give the key to her home to someone without checking out the person's background. "Yes and no. I've booked a table at one of my favorite restaurants. The reservation is for seven o'clock," Roan said in a clipped tone.

Echo pursed her lips and a smile of pleasure tugged at her lips. "Sure, I'd be delighted to have dinner with you. Want me to pick you up?"

"That's okay. I'll be in that part of town tomorrow. The restaurant is Germaine's on Fuller Street. Do you know it?"

"It's close to the precinct, isn't it? I saw the street name when I came there the day we first met. I'll see you tomorrow at seven. Good night and don't forget your meds."

Roan didn't immediately respond to the good night. Instead she whispered, "You matter, Echo, I was worried about you."

Echo moved the phone away from her ear in surprise and a warm feeling fluttered in her stomach. "I know I was just...do you know much about Layla Greystoke?"

There was a soft chuckle at the other end of the phone. "Only what you read in the newspapers, but I have an idea you know something they might not...do you?"

The change in their respective voices reflected an easygoing almost teasing quality. Echo realized it was just another facet of them getting to know each other. Their relationship was nothing short of tempestuous. "Before I tell you, how are you feeling? Please don't just tell me that you're fine because we both know I'll keep you on the phone until you tell me the truth. Or worse, I'll come 'round and check."

This time, there was a snort at the end of the line as Roan shook her head. "And I just bet you would, too. I've taken the meds today if that's what you're asking."

"Nope, I was asking how you felt generally."