Summer's Indiscretion(Divine Creek Ranch 7)(89)
She nodded at him and caught Rosemary’s eye as she went with him. Rosemary winked and put her thumb and pinky to her ear and chin and mouthed, “I’ll call you.”
Rosemary turned to her men and announced, “I want to check in on Leah while I wait my turn to give a statement.” The men nodded, and she made a beeline for the store manager. Summer had to give Rosemary credit because she worked fast.
The other officer was already talking to Grace where she still sat in the chair stroking her abdomen. She nodded and answered his questions calmly, and her color definitely looked better.
The officer asked, “Were you in the vicinity of the armed man while he was in control of the store?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Can you show me where you were?”
She led him to the baby department and showed him the path they had taken, while trying to stay out of the shooter’s line of sight.
After she showed him, the officer seated her at a bench in the shoe department and then got out his notepad and pencil. “In your own words, can you tell me what happened, Miss Heston?”
Summer described to him exactly what had happened.
Chapter Twenty-three
Summer walked with Kemp out to the Escalade after paying for the shoes. When he’d seen what had happened to the pretty shoe she’d been forced to ruin, he insisted on buying her a replacement pair, so her shopping bag contained two pair. If she could repair the damaged one then she’d own them in yellow and hot pink. It was surreal to think on what a great deal they’d been in light of the morning’s events.
Ace was on his way to the Owens’ house to return the laptop and have a chat with Patrick. She sincerely hoped Mr. Owen would be able to keep his little boy. It was obvious he loved him.
Kemp opened the door on the Escalade and helped her in. Ace had taken her car since his Hummer was back at the house. Duke had picked him up there shortly after his call to Kemp earlier that day.
He started the vehicle and was buckling his seat belt when Summer said, “I’m glad we’re riding together because I wanted to ask you about what happened this morning. In all the drama and excitement I forgot to ask about Kathleen.”
Kemp caressed her knee and clasped her fingers with his. “What do you want to know?”
“Why did she show up out of the blue today?”
“She wanted to explain why she disappeared so suddenly.”
Knowing he was collecting his thoughts as he gazed out the windshield, Summer sat quietly and waited.
“Kathleen had a very difficult decision to make. She had a prior relationship that Ace didn’t know about with a very powerful man in Europe. She met him while working as a translator. He was considerably older than her, but they fell in love. Long story made short, she found out through a friend that he had a wife tucked away in his home country. The wife didn’t care what he did as long as he didn’t embarrass her or try to divorce her. Kathleen couldn’t abide feeling like an adulteress, whether the wife cared or not, and left him. She said he had some powerful, not totally legitimate connections, but she never feared for her life.
“What is her connection to Divine?”
“She had family here. She came back and started a new life and met Ace. That was a little over two years ago. Like I’d told you before, they dated for several months and I was beginning to feel this connection with her, too.” He turned his gaze on her and said, “Sorry, darlin’. It’s kind of uncomfortable telling you about my feelings for another woman.”
She imagined that it did and squeezed his hand reassuringly. “I appreciate you being honest, Kemp. I know you love me, so go ahead.”
“So, one day two years ago, she shows up at the house while we’re working. It was obvious she was upset. Kathleen said she had to leave and that she was really sorry she couldn’t explain. When Ace asked what had happened all she would say was that she was needed elsewhere and that she had to leave immediately. She begged us not to look for her and said that she would get in contact when she could. I didn’t like seeing her so upset but didn’t get the impression she was in danger.” He caressed Summer’s palm and said, “Kathleen broke his heart, darlin’. She broke mine, a little, too. Without even kissing him good-bye she ran out of the house and drove away. That was the last we saw or heard of her until today.”
“Did you look for her?”
“I did. Ace said to respect her wishes, but I couldn’t let it go. I hated seeing him so torn up. She dropped totally off the grid. I never found a trace of her, so I stopped looking. Her apartment had been stripped clean, and she’d left no forwarding address.”