The Next Accident - Lisa Gardner [22]
“I get the point. You’re the greatest police officer that ever lived and there is no evidence of a second person at the scene.”
“Why, yes ma’am, I think we’re finally in agreement.”
Rainie smiled thinly at him. Then she leaned forward. “Did you happen to try the passenger-side door?”
Amity’s eyes narrowed. She knew he followed her train of thought, because he started to nod. “As a matter of fact . . .”
“The door was operable, wasn’t it?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“And you looked down for footprints?”
“Too much undergrowth. Couldn’t get a sign of anything.”
“But you were looking, Officer. Why were you looking?”
Officer Amity grew silent. He said finally, “I don’t know.”
“Off the record.”
“I don’t know.”
“Way off the record. You followed up on this case, Officer, even after you knew the driver was dying. As you kindly pointed out, you state boys are much too overworked to randomly do such a thing. Something bothered you. Something’s still bothering you. I’m even willing to bet that you’re not that surprised I’m here.”
Officer Amity remained silent. Just when she thought he was going to continue to play hard to get, he said suddenly, “I didn’t think I was alone.”
“What?”
His lips thinned. He continued in a rush. “I was standing at the vehicle staring at that poor, poor girl and this guy is puking out his guts behind me and I swore . . . I swore to God I heard someone laughing.”
“What?”
“Maybe it was all in my head. Jesus, the sun wasn’t all the way up yet and it gets kind of hinky on those rural routes. All the trees and brush, half of it hasn’t been cleared in the last fifty years. Million and a half places for someone to hide, if they had the mind to. I looked around, checked things out. Never saw a thing. Probably was all in my head. The puking Samaritan didn’t help much either. He almost got my leg.”
“I want to see the car.”
“Good luck.”
“Come on, just a quick peek in the impound lot.”
Amity shook his head. “It’s been fourteen months. Sure the vehicle started in our lot, but only until the insurance company settled. They took it away months ago, probably towed it to some salvage yard where it’s already been broken down for parts.”
“Shit,” Rainie muttered. She worried her lower lip again, not expecting this and trying to think of more options. “I thought there was some rule that seat belts from a wrecked vehicle couldn’t be resold as parts. They’re no longer guaranteed after the first accident.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“So in theory, the salvage yard should at least still have the seat belts.”
He shrugged. “If they haven’t tossed them into a dumpster by now.”
“I’ll take my chances. Name of the salvage yard?”
“Hell if I know. The insurance company handles all that.”
“Officer . . .”
She gave him an intent look. He sighed heavily. “I suppose I could make a call. . . .”
Rainie summoned her charming smile again. Officer Amity was a smart boy, though, because this time he merely grunted and shook his head.
“You should’ve opened with that, you know,” he told her.
“With what?”
“That you used to be a cop.”
“I was just a local. I’m surprised you could even tell.”
“I got a good head for these things.”
She nodded grimly. “Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.”
6
Society Hill, Philadelphia
Bethie was nervous. She shouldn’t be doing this. She liked her solitary lifestyle; she was comfortable spending her evenings alone. What had she been thinking? And did these earrings go with this dress? Maybe the earrings were too nice. Maybe the dress was too nice. Oh God, she was going to have to start over again and she was already five minutes late.
She changed from her little black dress to a below-the-knees black skirt with an electric blue satin top. More coverage; she liked that. But she kept the same tall, strappy heels. At her age she was proud of her calves and figured it didn’t hurt to show them off. God knows she had a few extra pounds tucked in other locations, let alone what gravity had done to her butt. She had aged well, but on the eve of her first date in over two years, she still felt bitter about Father Time. How