Double Bluff

By Anne D. Alvin

Nick's hunting a murderer.   Kat's tracking a stalker.

Are they after the same person? Or chasing each other?
Kat and her boss David have been friends since college. He's agreed to give her a partnership in the private investigation firm he started, if she can solve the case of her own stalker. Kat is beginning to think her stalker is the Coral Killer, a serial murder leaving a coral lipstick mark at the murder scenes. Trigger warning.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anne D. Alvin
• Release date: Jan 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201119003

Anne D. Alvin

Anne D. Alvin writes from her home in North Dakota. She enjoys country living and seeing wildflowers and watching wildlife.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Kat patted Hank’s head as she led him out of the pet groomers toward her SUV. The St. Bernard’s hair shone from the bath and brushing he had just received.

Who’s so lovely? You’re so lovely, she crooned.

The dog followed her around the front of the black cab, until she stopped short at the sight of pink lipstick scrawled across the driver’s window. Not wanting to give the watcher satisfaction, and she knew he watched, she kept her face serene while her throat clogged up with a stifled curse. Hank barked, sensing her rage and fear.

YOU’RE SO LOVELY

Words that she used often. She shook her head in disbelief at the lipstick message. Her shade, Coral Ice. She scanned the cars, trucks, and vans lining the street for some hint of the stalker. No one seemed to pay any attention as she pulled open the back door of the SUV to let Hank jump in before she climbed into the driver’s seat and locked the doors. Her view improved with the ascent, and she opened the window a smidgen, careful not to smudge the note. Closer inspection of the area along the street and sidewalk yielded nothing significant.

A mother pulled a toddler out of the optometrist’s office across the street, and Kat could hear him screaming for a purple sucker. His wailing overrode the woman’s response. In a white Dodge Neon two cars in front of her, a scattering of dark hair showed just above the red headrest. She saw no one else, but a prickle of unease slid along her neck as if someone watched from a hidden spot nearby. If someone hid inside the optometrist’s office, the bank, or any one of the other businesses along the street, they stayed concealed.

The driver in the Dodge Neon pulled out of the parking space and proceeded up the street. Kat edged out of her own parking spot and followed. Not a likely suspect, but the only sign of life in sight. The chance the stalker would leave the area before her was remote, but she had solved cases on slimmer hunches.

The driver didn’t appear to be in any hurry but cruised slowly for another ten blocks before pulling into a grocery store. Kat drove around to get a glimpse of the driver and then parked a few spaces away to get an unobstructed view when the driver emerged. A teenage girl got out, and Kat felt a surge of disappointment. Not her stalker. In case the car later turned out to be a lead, she took down the license plate to check and got out of the SUV. Might as well pick up a few groceries.

Sean’s special diets always required extra shopping, and she never had any of his current eating supplies on hand. His latest craze centered on the low-carb diet of the moment. She picked up apples and grapes for herself and Julia and searched for low-fat meats for Sean. Just because he ate a high protein diet didn’t mean he had to pig out. She laughed at her own idiotic joke, and an older guy searching for peanut butter edged away.

She didn’t see the teenage girl from the Dodge Neon again until the checkout counter. The girl paid cash for her chips and soda, and Kat’s tiny hope of catching a name on an ATM card slipped away. So much for that avenue of hope.

She took her time exiting the store and putting her groceries into the SUV. Hank edged forward to sniff at the bags.

Kat pushed him away. Hank, stop.

The neatly trimmed mammoth settled back with a bark but quickly lost interest in the groceries in favor of the view outside the window.

Kat followed the Dodge Neon again. The girl drove slowly. Too slow for Kat. She breathed a sigh of relief when the girl finally parked in front of a white, two-story house complete with a real wooden picket fence. Kat continued and picked up speed when she hit the main street. Up ahead the traffic thickened but was still less than bigger cities she had lived in before Bismarck.

Her office was located on the east edge of town, past the main businesses but before the industrials began. The 2:00 p.m. appointment time with David had passed five minutes ago. Not a good start to the request she wanted to make of him.

Kat considered her arguments for the partnership. She’d been a private investigator in Storm Investigations for five years. Time enough for him to have accepted her as an equal. Her solve rate was high. Almost as high as his. She kept track. Her friend Julia continually chided her on her competitiveness. Kat laughed aloud, and Hank barked. Julia’s competitive nature in the marathons she ran far outstretched anything Kat ever pursued.

When Kat reached David’s office ten minutes late, he muttered a hello but continued typing on his computer keyboard. Whether the gesture denoted power or he simply wanted to finish his notes, she didn’t know. He wasn’t easy to read on the best of days.

She sat in the chair across the desk from him, admiring his neatly trimmed black hair and brown eyes while waiting for his attention. She found him attractive to look at but wasn’t attracted to him.  She knew David found her attractive, though. At times, she thought she should leave the firm, but he seemed to accept she had no romantic feelings for him, so it seemed a moot point. This part of their relationship made her uneasy.

He finally straightened up from his computer and looked at her. What’s up?

I’d like to be made partner, Kat said. Darn. There went the carefully constructed script to convince him.

His expression remained even, one of his assets as a private investigator. One she did not appreciate right now.

Do you think you’re ready?

I’m ready. She put all the confidence she could muster into those two words but couldn’t stop the nervous gesture of pushing her long blond hair behind her ear.

He shoved his chair back from his desk and stood.

She cranked her neck to look up at him, disliking how intimidated she felt by his height and wondering why it never bothered her before now. Because now she wanted something from him.

Okay. I’ll give you a case to work on. You have one week to bring it to a satisfactory resolution, and if you do, the partnership is yours.

For some reason she felt let down, like the big moment she’d waited for had turned out less than perfect. She couldn’t even say why or what response she wanted. He’d agreed to her request, and she had no doubt she could resolve the case in a week, no matter how difficult the matter turned out to be. Who’s the client?

You. His expression remained closed, but she wondered at the watchful look in his eyes.

Me? You don’t mean... Her eyes widened. But I gave that case to you.

And I’m giving it back. I’ll give you all the information I’ve found on your stalker, and you can pursue it to its conclusion.

She felt more bewildered than ever. But if you know who the stalker is, what do I do?

Confirm it and prove it. Get the documentation the police need to prosecute. You know that’s the hardest part of any case. He sat down again.

She wondered about his unusual restlessness. She didn’t like the way he’d already tied up the case and handed it to her expecting her gratitude, even if she was glad that he knew the identity of her stalker. It doesn’t sound like much of a case. Looks like you’ve already done the hard part.

Don’t worry about a handout. By the time this case reaches a conclusion, you’ll be cursing me.

She caught a glimpse of ruthlessness in his eyes and shivered. David had his own code of behavior, and she didn’t always agree with his choices. Nevertheless, he was effective at what he did. Fine. Give me what you’ve got. She smiled. A week from now, the stalker will be behind bars, and you’ll have a partner.

David smiled back, the first time his expression had relaxed since she’d come into his office. I’ll welcome you with open arms. Go get him, partner.

#

In addition to being the middle of the night, mist and fog obscured buildings and trees. Nick couldn’t tell how far he’d wandered from the main road. He staggered slightly and regretted those last few beers. But the farther he walked, and the more anger burned in his gut, the more sober he became. He vowed to get even. The guys had thought it was funny dropping him off on this dark path in the middle of nowhere. If he ever got back to civilization, he was going to kill them. One by one. Slowly.

His mood, which had improved slightly at these nasty thoughts, turned to irritation when he walked too close to a branch and scratched his face. When he lifted his hand to his face, he felt the sticky wetness of blood. He wiped his hand on his jeans. By the time he got through this forest, he’d have to wash them anyway.

He cursed and heard a woman’s laugh and stifled another curse of surprise. He looked around, furious Kat caught him talking to himself. Who’s there, and what’s so funny?

She laughed again. You.

He stood still. Where are you?

Over here. Her voice came from somewhere on his right, and Nick walked in that direction until he tripped over a log.

She laughed again. You shouldn’t swear all the time.

He grunted as he stumbled to his feet. Dimly he could see Kat perched on a huge stump in the middle of a clearing, knees hugged to her chest. A deep blue or black cape covered her shoulders, and she looked like a waif with her hair hanging limp in the humid air. He couldn’t see the color tonight, but he knew from watching her in the past few weeks that it was a lovely ash blond. Although her expression remained hidden in the dark and fog, he knew Kat was smiling at him. He smiled in return until he remembered how she had laughed at him. Nick wished he could regain his dignity.

It’s impossible, she said.

His irritation mounted. Just what he needed, a wise-cracking nymph. Maybe he was having a hallucination. Instead of getting more sober, he was getting drunker. A kind of backlash. Or maybe he was just going crazy. That was it, and on par with the strange happenings of the past two weeks. His plan morphed into this uncontrollable meeting, which he hadn’t anticipated and did not need in his condition. What’s impossible?

Impossible to regain your dignity, of course.

Nick sensed she was serious now. Her mood had altered in some intangible way. He felt it, and that cinched it. He was certifiably insane. Can you read minds? he asked.

No. I just know how I’d feel if I were in your position.

I doubt you would ever find yourself in my position. You don’t have friends like I do. He stood there awkwardly, cold and numb in the damp air. If he moved closer, would she run? She didn’t seem scared of him. Did that make her stupid? Maybe she knew something he didn’t. Did she have hidden friends waiting for her signal? Feeling foolish, he looked around and could only see the dim outline of trees. The branches looked like they would reach out to him, but not in a kind way.

You’re right. I don’t trust anyone enough to get stinking drunk and put my life in their hands. She moved the cloak enough so that she could straighten out her knees. She hopped off the stump. You can come with me.

Where are you taking me? He found it strange to be the one who was afraid. Why wasn’t she afraid? At six foot two inches tall and two hundred plus pounds, he outweighed her measly hundred thirty. With his special training, he could take her out without any problem.

To my cabin. It’s just a few feet away. Hank will be there.

Nick felt unaccountably disappointed at the mention of another man. He had hoped he was wrong, and that he could trust her. And, he admitted to himself, he felt a certain attraction to her. He followed behind her, careful not to trip over another log. Who’s Hank?

She turned to smile at him before continuing along the trail. You’ll see.

Can I at least know your name? he asked, pretending he didn’t know.

She didn’t stop or turn this time. Kat.

A faint light glowed weirdly in the fog ahead of them, and he could make out the shape of the cabin. Despite the muted light in one window, the square building had the appearance of abandonment. Dead vines twined around the door and along the roof and hung over the windows. Without unlocking the door, she turned the knob. Nick had only a moment to notice the small kitchen table and single chair before a huge Saint Bernard came at him, hair standing on end. The dog barked once and stopped when Kat grabbed his collar and held him as he panted, dripping saliva. Nick stood in the doorway, waiting for a signal that the dog considered him a friend.

She patted the dog’s head. Meet Hank. Hank, this is Nick.

Will he bite?

Not unless I tell him. She patted Hank’s head again. Good boy. She let go of his collar.

Nick stood poised to run if the dog came in his direction.

He won’t attack you. I promise.

Nick saw her hiding a smile, which didn’t reassure him. It finally struck him that Hank was a dog, not a man.

I think you need some food, and then a ride back to town. She rummaged around in a small refrigerator tucked in the corner. Pulling out bread and some butter, she asked, Is this okay? At his nod, she stuck the bread in the toaster.

He closed the door. You live here? He knew she didn’t, but he played the game.

Besides the table and chair, there was only room for a couch which he guessed opened into a bed, and a bookshelf piled high with books. All detective stories from the titles he saw, which made sense considering her P.I. license. He smiled to see she went for the hard-boiled detectives and not the cozy mysteries. The only spot of color in the drab