Seconds to Live(40)
“Probably not.” Another evasive answer.
Which she wasn’t going to accept. “Is this dangerous for you?”
He considered her question for a few seconds. “I’m not particularly worried about my cover in Brazil. But years ago, I was tight with a pretty nasty gang. They might consider my association with a cop as a betrayal.”
A real answer. She was making progress. “And if they found out you were DEA?”
“They’d kill me,” he said with complete certainty before walking off.
Stella rushed to keep up with his long strides. “Do you want to elaborate on that?”
“Not now.” Mac walked off, circling the house.
Stella swallowed her frustration. He’d opened up more than she’d expected. From the regretful frown on his face, maybe he’d shared more than he’d intended. She’d try for more information later. She’d need to be patient. Maybe sneaky.
They made a complete circuit and ended up on the front walk.
He scanned the ground and the exterior. “Any sign of forced entry?”
“No.” Stella studied the tall hedges that lined the property lines. “But the landscaping was designed for privacy. Once he pulled his car into the driveway, he’d be shielded from view.”
“Carrying a woman out of her house in broad daylight is still bold.”
“Yes,” she said. “Disturbingly so.”
Mac hung his sunglasses on the front of his T-shirt. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he assessed the scene. “He feels like he can’t be caught. Is he arrogant or self-righteous?”
“Maybe both.”
Adam answered on the first knock. His face was puffy, his eyes bagged, and his breath smelled as if he’d drank whiskey for breakfast then gargled with coffee. Wrinkles creased the front of his tan slacks, and his hair was mussed.
Stella would have pitied him if he weren’t a liar.
“Come in.” He gave Mac a questioning look.
“This is Mr. Barrett. He’s offered his assistance. He helped me find several people last fall.” That was close enough to the truth that saying it didn’t give Stella hives.
Adam shook Mac’s hand and led them back to the kitchen.
Stella stood at the counter in front of a stack of posters emblazoned with “Missing” and Dena’s photo.
Scanning the rooms, Mac wandered into the adjoining living room. He stopped in front the shelving unit full of pictures and studied at each photo.
“Have you found any sign of my wife?” Adam asked, keeping one suspicious eye on Mac.
“Not yet,” Stella answered. “We’re retracing her movements yesterday. Her photo has been distributed in a statewide bulletin. Every state, county, and local law enforcement officer on duty is on the lookout for her.”
“I put up fliers all over town this morning.” Adam spun. His lips flattened into a white line. “What about forensics?”
Everybody was an expert on police work. Damn CSI.
“Our techs are still sorting through the evidence,” Stella said.
Adam’s frown deepened as he continued to pace back and forth across the tile floor. “You don’t have any clue where Dena is, do you?”
“Not yet,” Stella admitted. “But I have a few follow-up questions for you.”
He paused, turning to face her again. “Of course. I’d do anything to find her.” But his shuttered eyes contradicted his offer.
“You kept very close tabs on your wife.” Stella leaned a hip on the counter and relaxed her posture. She didn’t want Adam on the defensive. “We’ve talked to a few people who commented that you frequently checked up on your wife’s whereabouts.”
“I love my wife.” He smoothed his disheveled hair. “Since her fall, I worry about her constantly.”
Stella zeroed in on his guilt. “Did you call the spa yesterday while your wife was there?”
He glanced away. “I might have. I don’t remember.”
“How about her physical therapy office?” Stella pressed.
“I did call them,” he admitted. “But they wouldn’t tell me if she’d been there, so it hardly matters.” Anger tightened his eyes before he reined it in. He smoothed a wrinkle from the front of his slacks.
“Except that you lied in your statement,” Stella pointed out.
“I was upset when I spoke with you yesterday.” He enunciated each word distinctly. “I didn’t lie. I forgot.”
Stella did not buy that for one second. “How closely did you monitor Dena’s activities?”
“I like to know where she is.” Adam’s eyes narrowed with suspicion and his upper body tilted toward Stella. “What are you implying, Detective?”