“Then where do we go from here?” Clay asked.
“Like I said yesterday, we start the investigation all over again. Hopefully we can look at things with fresh eyes. We all decided on Pierre’s guilt early on and now that he’s off our suspect list, we need to look hard at everyone else who was in Mystique’s life at the time of the murder,” Daniel said.
“And I don’t believe some stranger wandered in and killed her,” Clay said. “Her throat was sliced and that’s a very personal way to kill someone. Somebody was filled with a tremendous rage when they killed Mystique Santori.”
“Pierre was the perfect suspect for us to focus on, but with everything checking out with his alibi for that night, that leaves us needing to look elsewhere,” Daniel said. “So, we start all over again…at the very beginning when we first arrived at the shanty because of the frantic phone call from Angelique.”
Daniel began handing out assignments of people to begin reinterviewing. Luke hated to admit it, but they had all rushed to justice in staying focused on Pierre and they had really not thought about anyone else as a viable suspect.
He hated to think about all the time he and Dominique had wasted in following Pierre and often sitting in the swamp for hours upon end while the man had hunted his prize gator or fished.
Dominique…her very name was now a sad song in his heart, an unfulfilled dream that he’d entertained for just a short moment in time.
He couldn’t regret those hours wasted, for it had been those nights that had brought her into his life even if only for a brief time. He would remember the laughter in her eyes and the softness of her skin. He would forever remember their deep conversations and the fire in her kisses.
He could never regret falling in love with her, he just wished she had felt the same about him. And then what, a small voice taunted him. What was it she’d said to him?We’d be divorced before the writing on the marriage certificate dried.
“Luke, you with me?” Daniel’s voice sliced through Luke’s thoughts.
“I’m sorry, I drifted off for a moment,” Luke said with a touch of embarrassment.
“Okay then, Clay, you can go ahead and take off. Luke, I’d like to see you in my office,” Daniel stood.
As Clay headed out the back door, Luke followed Daniel down the long hallway. Was Daniel angry with him? Never, in all the years they’d been working together, had the two ever had words.
But his boss had evidently seen Luke daydreaming instead of focusing on the job. Once inside Daniel’s office, Daniel sat at his desk and Luke sank down in the chair before him.
“I’m sorry, boss,” Luke said immediately. “I’ve been having a little trouble focusing lately.”
“Yeah, what’s up with you? You’ve seemed a bit off your game for the last few days,” Daniel replied.
Luke released a deep sigh and stared at his friend. “I made a mistake… I got too close to her. I… I’m in love with her, Daniel.”
Daniel’s eyes widened slightly. “And what does she have to say about all this?” he asked.
“Not much,” Luke replied with a wealth of sadness. “I want to believe she’s in love with me, too. But we both know it wouldn’t work between us. At our very core, we are two different people who have very different needs in a partner. So now, I’m just a damn fool nursing a very broken heart.”
“I’m sorry, man,” Daniel replied with sympathy. “I warned you not to get too close to her, but I could see this train wreck coming from a hundred miles away.”
“I got embroiled in my own thoughts a few minutes ago, but I swear I won’t let that happen again,” Luke replied.
Daniel reared back in his chair, his gaze thoughtful. “Maybe I should pull you off this case and put you back on regular patrol.”
“Please don’t do that,” Luke protested as he leaned forward. “I’ve already put in so many hours on Mystique’s murder case. I know the details and the people better than any other patrolman you might use to replace me.”
“I’m assuming nothing more has happened with Dominique and the man who is after her. Otherwise, I would have heard about it,” Daniel said, an obvious change of subject.
“No, nothing more has happened. My fear is that this is somehow the calm before the storm,” Luke replied, his worry rife in his tone.
Daniel leaned forward, his eyes burning with a sudden anger. “Two damn cases, and we can’t get a break on either one of them. I know I have smart men working for me. I know for sure we’re all fine lawmen, but I’m so frustrated right now with both these cases.”
“That makes two of us,” Luke replied.
“Actually, I can’t afford to take you off these cases, Luke. You’re right, you know the details and the people far better than anyone else on the force, and you’re one of my best men.”
“I swear I’ll be at the top of my game, Daniel. I feel like I’m personally invested in both these crimes,” Luke said.
Daniel offered him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry about your love life, Luke. I know how much you want to find a good woman to marry. It’s unfortunate that the woman you fell in love with isn’t a woman who would be good for you.”
