Page 29 of In the Dead of Night

“I’m sure he’ll come skulking in as soon as he’s figured out you’re not going to pick him up and squeeze him.”

Sara laughed outright, surprised she could do so after the film they’d seen earlier. “I take it Homer is a cat?”

Nick grinned. “Don’t tell him that.”

As if on cue a large orange tabby shot out of the kitchen and began rubbing against Nick’s denim-clad legs. “Don’t let him bully you into petting him.”

“I love cats.”

“In that case.” Bending, Nick scooped up the cat and passed him to Sara. “I’ll put your suitcase in the extra bedroom.”

The cat purred like a small motor in her arms. She’d never imagined a tough guy like Nick Tyson with a cat. While he took her suitcase down the hall Sara strolled to a wall covered with framed photos. Nick with two men, all three of them shirtless and holding beers. In the background, the bungalow was in the throes of remodeling. Below, a shot of Nick with his mother. Nick in full uniform in front of a classroom full of kindergarten-age children.

Sara found her eye drawn to a photo of Nick with a woman. A blonde with mischievous eyes and a laughing mouth. They were close, wearing cutoff jeans and T-shirts. Nick’s arm was draped companionably over her shoulder. He was looking into her eyes, smiling as if she were the only woman in the world.

His late wife, she realized. Her sister, Sonia, had kept in touch with one of her friends here in Cape Darkwood and told her about the car accident that had stolen her life. Sara felt a belated twinge of guilt for not calling him to offer condolences, but by then she and Nick had lost touch.

She stared at the photo, the intensity in Nick’s eyes, and found herself wondering what it would be like for him to look at her that way….

“Looks like the rain is here to stay.”

Startled, Sara spun, only then noticing the din of rain on the roof.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I guess I’m still a little jumpy after seeing the tape.”

He grimaced. “I hope the lab will be able to glean enough information to help us.”

“I just can’t figure why my parents had something like that in their possession.”

“Richard Douglas was a movie producer.” Nick shrugged. “Maybe some crackpot sent it to him.”

“Dad wouldn’t have kept something like that. He would have sent it to the police.”

“You’re probably right.”

Troubled by the questions pelting her, Sara set the cat on the floor. “Do you think the tape has something to do with their deaths?”

Nick studied her for a moment, his eyes thoughtful. “I’m not convinced their deaths didn’t happen exactly the way the police said they did.”

Frustration rolled through her. That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. It wasn’t what she needed to hear. She needed Nick to believe her.

“Then why would someone call me out of the blue and state otherwise?”

“I can’t explain that.”

“Why won’t you at least consider it?”

When she started to turn away, he reached out and touched her arm. “I’m trying to be objective, keep an open mind.” He squeezed gently. “Okay?”

She nodded, then watched as he crossed to the dining-room table and switched on his laptop. She joined him as he brought up a law-enforcement site and typed in his ID and password. “What are you doing?”

“The State of California Department of Justice has a Missing and Unidentified Persons Unit. I thought I’d run the name Jenna Sherwood through and see what happens.”

“See if she’s missing?”

Nick nodded as his fingers played over the keys. “Hopefully, we’ll know something in a day or two.”