PART III Chapter Fourteen
Kate had finished the interviews at the advertising agency where Shannon worked. It was apparent that none of the employees there were close enough to Shannon to know who the mystery man was. The car wouldn’t even be any help in tracking the man down, there were just too many to search through to find the one. A license plate number would have been beneficial but without that it was just another massive search.
Kate would have to find out the identity of the married man another way. If they had someone they suspected they would have DNA to prove paternity. They knew what kind of car he drove as well. Kate needed to find other close friends who might know the identity of the married man. Kate would be anxious for Megan to get her the list of males found on Shannon’s phone. She also hoped to find a female friend that Shannon was close enough to, that would collaborate the story of the married man.
Megan had been busy compiling the list of phone numbers and who made the most frequent calls. While Kate and Megan were working on Shannon’s case so hard, Cindy was still working on Susan’s murder case.
Kate and Megan went back to Shannon’s house to try to find some other evidence that may have been overlooked. They would be checking banking and credit records to see if any irregularities appeared. Kate didn’t know what she was looking for but assumed she would know it when she saw it.
While going through Shannon’s financial records, Kate thought it was quite a coincidence that Shannon had her money in the Citizens bank. The same bank where Susan worked. She didn’t know which branch for sure and there were thousands of depositors at that bank, but there were plenty of other banks to choose from in their area. It was just one of those coincidences that Kate would make note of.
Megan thought it was an odd coincidence as well but of course it could be nothing at all. There were thousands of other depositors and it just could be unrelated. Kate reminded Megan there were thirty other banks and hundreds of branches. How likely would it be that one victim had an account at the same bank where the other one worked?
Kate hoped that they would be able to isolate the man Shannon was seeing from the phone records that Megan and the lab technicians were working. Kate also hoped for the names of possible friends that would know greater detail about Shannon’s personal life. There had to be someone out there that Shannon would confide in.
Kate and Megan had been busy all day and now they were ready to go home, but Kate suggested they grab dinner somewhere first. Kate called Cindy to ask if she wanted to join them but Cindy had already left and grabbed fast food on the way home. Kate thought Cindy had been keeping her distance from them, she hadn’t joined them several times lately when they reached out to her. Kate thought something was up but she decided not to dwell on the issue.
It was the unfortunate down side of being a detective, there were no regular meal times and the job was not a typical nine to five. Kate was tired and just wanted to sit somewhere and have someone wait on her. She would love someone to rub her feet, but she would settle for a nice quiet dinner.
Kate and Megan decided on an Italian place that was close to their house. It was small, quiet and not that well known to people who didn’t live in the neighborhood. Kate knew the owner there and she knew the menu well enough she didn’t require a printed one.
Kate and Megan were led to a quiet table in the back of the restaurant. It was in fact a table Kate sat at often, after having given the owner her preference many times. When Kate mentioned wanting a foot rub, Megan was quick to chime in.
Megan said, “Mom, maybe it’s time to start dating again. I am sure there are some guys out there who would love to give you a foot rub.”
Kate responded, “I wouldn’t even know where to start now. It has been so long. Besides, guys usually don’t want to stop and feet”
Megan said, “Just learn to go with the flow. It won’t be that hard, just pay more attention to the men who are checking you out. I have seen them but I think they are scared of you.”
Kate responded, “Scared of me, why would they be scared of me?”
Megan said, “Mom, you have been on the news after shooting a suspect between the eyes from a good distance. A lot of men are put off by things like that.”
Both women laughed at that and were still giggling when the waiter came to their table. It wasn’t really a waiter, it was the owner that Kate knew. Mario Russo was a forty something restaurateur. Dark complexion and handsome, Kate had always talked with him when she came to his restaurant.
Kate and Megan gave their order to Mario and resumed their conversation after he left the table.
Megan asked, “What about this restaurant guy, is he single?”
Kate answered, “You mean Mario? He is single, his wife passed away a couple of years ago. I don’t think he is over her yet. I am not ready either, I think relationships have passed me by”
Megan said, “I guess this is a good time to tell you, they haven’t passed me. I have a date this weekend.”
Kate said, “I think that is wonderful. You are young and there are a lot of experiences out there you should get involved with.”
Their drinks arrived and they momentarily shifted from talking to drinking. Kate had ordered a bottle of red wine and two glasses. She enjoyed being a mother, but she was beginning to enjoy having Megan as a colleague even more. It gave them lots to talk about at home and when they went out. They had some rocky moments when Megan was growing up but all of that was past them now. Kate was actually viewing Megan as a friend. It felt a little strange and foreign to her but it also felt comfortable.
Their meal arrived and any discussion about dating was put on the back burner. The talk at the table faded back to the cases that Kate and Megan were working on. Kate enjoyed the input from Megan, especially now that she had formal training. It was good to bounce ideas off of her.
The two Murphy women talked and laughed while they ate their meal. It was the break they needed but it wouldn’t last long. Megan would be back working on the phone list soon enough. The table talk centered around finding out who the married man was that Shannon was seeing. Mario came back to the table several times to check on Kate and Megan and engaged in polite conversation with each stop.
Megan gave Kate a wink every time Mario stopped by but Kate brushed it off and gave Megan a stern look each time. Megan gave Kate a mischievous grin every time. After they finished their meal, Kate asked Mario for their check.
Mario said in his very Italian accent, “As someone who serves and protects, your money's no good here. Everything is ‘on the house’.”
Kate responded, “Thank you, that isn’t necessary.”
Mario replied, “I insist, it is my sign of support, please accept.”
Kate and Megan finished eating and headed back to Kate’s car and finished their trip home. Kate enjoyed the little diversion with Megan, but she knew tomorrow would bring them back to normal and work on their murder cases would resume. It was good to have someone living in the same house that understood the job though.
Kate woke from a good rest ready for work. Megan was up, dressed in a jogging suit and waiting for Kate to come into the kitchen.
Megan asked, “Would you like to go for a run?”
Kate replied, “Sure, but what got into you? You never run with me.”
Megan responded, “It’s never too soon to start taking care of myself.”
Kate and Megan went for the run and laughed all the way. Kate had dreamed of Megan running with her and now it was coming true. Kate was in a happy mood. She loved running and today she got to do it with Megan. Kate always felt like the blood pumping helped to clear her head and give her a new perspective on the puzzles of the day.
After their run Kate and Megan came in to have breakfast. Megan gave a frown when Kate took out a skillet. Megan had trouble wrapping her mind around the fact that this very much in shape woman would still fill her system with fried foods.
Kate said, “What did you expect, a fruit smoothie. I just ran my ass off and a fruit smoothie won’t cut it. I need protein.”
Kate threw skillets on the stove and began cooking a traditional breakfast. Eggs, bacon, biscuits and hash browns were soon scattered on the plates of the two women. After breakfast, showers and make-up, before the two women were ready to go to work. Kate enjoyed sitting and putting on make-up beside Megan.
After getting ready the two women headed for the station and Megan had a message to come to the lab. After Kate came in and settled in at her desk she got a call from Megan.
Megan said, “You aren’t going to believe this. The number we isolated that we think is the married man, was a throw away phone. We can’t track the number and I assume he did that to keep his wife from finding out.”
Kate replied, “Crap! I guess that figures but it is disappointing to hear. I guess we will have to concentrate on finding some close friends who know about Shannon’s personal life.”
Kate lived by the knowledge that almost all women had at least that one person who knew all about her. That person knew all of the deepest thoughts and dreams. It had become obvious however that Shannon was not one of those women.