Just Take My Heart - Mary Higgins Clark [115]
He had the treats ready for Bess. Now that Emily was pulling down the shades, he was pretty certain that she was getting ready to go to bed. She'll let Bess out that one last time. Her alarm will be off. Bess will start barking when she senses me coming, he thought. That shouldn't scare Emily for the first few seconds. Bess barks at squirrels.
And then I'll be inside. Even if the barking makes the cop check inside the house, it will only take seconds to kill her. If I get away, fine. If I don't, maybe that's okay, too.
I'm tired of running.
Just Take My Heart
82
Alice Mills called back at quarter of eleven. Emily, I reached my friend Jeanette Steele, the wardrobe mistress. She was with Nata?lie that night. She said that Natalie was radiantly happy about the final show. She received a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes."
“Was she with Natalie until she left the theatre?” Emily asked.
“Almost till the end. Jeanette said Natalie changed and was ready to leave. Of course she was exhausted and drained by then. She didn't want any visitors in her dressing room and had said so. But then the producer knocked on her door. A very well-known actor, Tim Moynihan, was there with friends and was terribly anxious to meet her. Jeanette said Natalie wasn't happy about it but she let Moynihan and his friends in. That was when Jeanette left.”
Moynihan, Emily thought. Tim Moynihan. He's a good friend of Ted's. I wonder how well he knows Billy. “Alice, I met Tim Moyni?han only last week. I swear I think this is the link we need. You don't have his phone number, do you?”
“No, but I wouldn't be surprised if Gregg has it, or could get it fast. I don't know if he knows Moynihan but I bet he knows some of his friends or the people on his television show. Hold on.”
A moment later, Alice came back on. “Emily, Gregg is calling someone who can give him Tim Moynihan's number. While we wait for it, I want to tell you that I am worried about you. Please be careful. Please.”
“You won't believe how many locks and whistles I have protect?ing me. To say nothing of having a patrol car sitting outside my door.”
“I read about your neighbor being murdered by that serial killer. It's awful to think that he lived on your street.”
“Well, he's gone now.” Trying not to alarm Alice any more, Emily did her best to sound matter-of-fact.
“Even so, I worry. Oh, wait a minute, Gregg would like to talk to you.”
Emily swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.
“Ms Wallace, this is Gregg Aldrich.”
“Mr. Aldrich, I really had no intention of trying to talk to you. I would only do so with your lawyer present or otherwise with his per?mission. I called to talk to Alice.”
“I know that,” Gregg replied. “But, at the risk of breaking any of the rules, I just wanted to tell you that I hold no animosity toward you. Jimmy Easton was a very convincing witness and it was your job to go after me when I testified. You were just doing your job. And, if I may say so, very well.”
“Thank you. That's very generous of you.”
“Do you honestly think that you may have some lead on Natalie's killer?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Will you share that information or hunch or whatever it is with me?”
“Mr. Aldrich, it's not right for me to say more now but I promise you, if what I hope to learn works out, I will talk to Richard Moore immediately.”
“Okay. You can't blame me for asking. Here's Tim Moynihan's phone number. It's 212-555-3295.”
Emily wrote the number down and repeated it. “I promise that you will know soon.”
“All right. Good night, Ms. Wallace.”
For a long minute Emily held her hand on the phone before she replaced it in the cradle. It was so odd to feel so close to these two people when she spoke to them. So familiar with them. But of course she had liked Alice from the first time that