Seconds to Live(39)
“We’re doing everything we can to find out who killed her.” Stella stood and picked up Gianna’s pasta. “I’ll put this in the fridge for you to heat up later. You know you can always call me for a ride.”
“Thanks.” The girl’s eyelids drooped. “You do enough for me.”
Mac jotted his cell number on the back of an envelope on Gianna’s table. “You shouldn’t be walking around alone in the dark. Call me if you ever need to go and don’t have a ride.”
She smiled, but her eyes were sad. She turned to Stella. “You have hit the mother lode, girlfriend. He is definitely not just a pretty face.”
Mac laughed. “I only have my Harley right now. So you’d have to ride on the back of that.”
“Seriously?” Her eyes brightened. “That’d be so awesome.”
“Anytime.” Mac wondered what would have become of him if Lee hadn’t straightened his ass out. Would he be dead or homeless?
“I wish I wasn’t so . . .” Gianna’s fist curled around the edge of the blanket. “Helpless.”
“Everybody needs help now and then. There’s no honor in going it alone.” A lesson Mac had learned the hard way. He pushed the piece of paper toward her. “Put my number in your phone. No more walking alone at night.”
She took the number, picked up her cell, and input his number with her thumbs. “Thank you.”
His phone chimed with a text. Mac’s screen read: Gianna :)
“We need to go. Lock up behind us before you fall asleep.” Stella led the way outside. They waited to hear the deadbolt turn in the lock before walking back to the car.
“How long has she been waiting for a kidney?” he asked.
“Probably only six months, but to her it seems like forever. Dialysis is miserable.” Stella glanced back at the apartment building.
“Can we go interrogate Adam Miller now?” Mac wanted to see this guy, badly.
“Oh, yes.” Stella slid behind the wheel and turned the key in the ignition. “It’s time.”
Mac opened the file on Dena Miller and checked Stella’s notes. “If he had something to do with his wife’s disappearance, why would he call the police?”
“Hard to explain his wife’s sudden absence.” Stella pulled out onto the street.
Mac looked up from the file and caught Stella’s glare. “Or he wants you to find her for him.”
Her brows shot toward her hairline. “That would be particularly devious.”
“It would,” Mac agreed. “No chance she ran?”
“Naked?” Stella’s brows rose again.
“Maybe they fought and she didn’t have time to grab clothes.” Mac scanned her perfect penmanship. “Your notes from his interview say Dena has no close friends or family.”
“According to her husband, she has no close friends or family.” Stella made a right turn and the car leaped forward. “But maybe Dena kept secrets from Adam. What time is it?”
“Just after one.”
Stella pointed at the case file. “Can you call the clubhouse restaurant and find out what time he paid his check? They were closed yesterday when I called.”
“On it.” Mac made the call. The hostess had heard about Dena Miller’s disappearance and cooperated. “She says he paid the bill with a corporate credit card at twelve thirty p.m.”
She banged a fist on the steering wheel. “That’s two hours before he said he left.”
Her phone rang. She answered on speaker. “Detective Dane.”
“Have you made any progress on finding my wife?” A man’s tinny voice emanated from the cell’s small speaker.
Stella lifted the phone toward her mouth. “Hello, Mr. Miller. Are you at home?”
“Yes.”
“I’m on my way to your house right now to give you an update.” Stella ended the call and glanced at Mac. “He’s already lied to me twice, so let’s go see what Adam Miller is hiding.”
Chapter Sixteen
Stella parked the car at the curb in front of the Miller’s house. “You need to keep a low profile. My boss specifically doesn’t want you going all rogue.”
“Rogue?” In the passenger seat, Mac lifted his sunglasses. Humor glinted in his eyes.
“His word, not mine. Please, just don’t do anything that will get me fired.” Exasperated, both with his smart-assery and her attraction to it, Stella got out of the car. “How should I introduce you?”
“However you want. Just don’t call me agent anything.”
She looked at him over the roof. “If you’re worried about your cover, you probably shouldn’t be with me.”