Los Angeles, he had gotten used to two-hour drives morning and night. Just to get from home to work and back. San Diego was better, but not by much. Even with packed traffic, there weren’t many places on the island he couldn’t get to in a reasonable amount of time.
Stanton parked in police parking again and sat back. He had half an hour left until Heidi Rousseau’s shift ended.
He read a book on his iPhone, David Copperfield , and listened to a few podcasts. He checked emails and texted Suzanne, asking if the boys were doing okay. She said they were and not to worry.
If she knew what he had seen, she wouldn’t say that, Stanton thought. She didn’t know what men were capable of.
At ten minutes to eight, Stanton got out of the jeep. Darkness hadn’t fallen yet and the sky was in that transition phase. Gray, with a golden glow from the fading sun. No breeze was blowing and it wasn’t cold.
He sat down on one of the couches in the waiting area and watched the people coming and going. Before too long, Heidi Rousseau walked out wearing the jeans and shirt she’d had on this morning. She smiled and said goodbye to the help desk and the security guard, and headed for the front entrance.
Stanton followed her outside. Once in the parking lot, he jogged lightly and caught up with her.
“Excuse me,” he said. He startled her. Her eyes went wide and she was clutching her purse. Something had happened to her in the past. Something that caused her to jump. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Oh…” He took out his badge. “I’m Jon Stanton. I’m with the Honolulu Police Department. I needed to speak to you about a few things.”
Her brow furrowed. “Like what?”
“Just some things I needed to clear up.”
She took a step back. “I’m going to have to ask you again what this is concerning. I’m not going anywhere with you alone.”
“I don’t need you to.” He glanced back to the entrance and saw that the security guard had risen and walked to the glass doors. “It’s concerning the deaths of Alex Waters and Hugh Neal.” He looked to her. “The two men you were with on the nights they were killed.”
Her face went white and her lip quivered. “Those… those men I saw on the news? They’d been…”
“They were killed. Yes. I just need a few minutes, Heidi.”
She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak, but the security guard had come outside and shouted, “Everything okay, Dr. Rousseau?”
“Everything’s fine, Harold. Thank you.” She looked back to Stanton. “I have nothing to say about that. I don’t know anything.”
Stanton looked into her doelike eyes. They were sweet and sensual in a way he hadn’t seen often. “Heidi, we both know that’s a lie. I know this sounds like a cliché from a cop, but I’m trying to help you. We don’t have to go to the station. Is there somewhere around here you’d feel comfortable speaking?”
She thought a moment, holding his gaze. “ A coffee shop around the corner. Cup of Joe’s.”
“I’ll be there.”
Stanton got into his jeep and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. This was the moment he had been dreading since making up his mind to come see Heidi. She could just speed off the other way. She could catch a flight before they got to her and just vanish.
He kept glancing into his rearview mirror. Her car, a black Mercedes, stayed behind him. He found the coffee shop and parked out front. She found a stall across the street.
As she walked across the street, Stanton watched her. The way she walked, the way she held her purse. He immediately caught himself and had to push the lustful thoughts out of his mind. One thing he never did was lie to himself. The people on the planet most adaptable were those that were able to look at themselves in a harsh light and be honest about what they saw. It allowed him to change personas, and even his manner of speech and movement, depending on the company he was with.
Stanton parked in police parking again and sat back. He had half an hour left until Heidi Rousseau’s shift ended.
He read a book on his iPhone, David Copperfield , and listened to a few podcasts. He checked emails and texted Suzanne, asking if the boys were doing okay. She said they were and not to worry.
If she knew what he had seen, she wouldn’t say that, Stanton thought. She didn’t know what men were capable of.
At ten minutes to eight, Stanton got out of the jeep. Darkness hadn’t fallen yet and the sky was in that transition phase. Gray, with a golden glow from the fading sun. No breeze was blowing and it wasn’t cold.
He sat down on one of the couches in the waiting area and watched the people coming and going. Before too long, Heidi Rousseau walked out wearing the jeans and shirt she’d had on this morning. She smiled and said goodbye to the help desk and the security guard, and headed for the front entrance.
Stanton followed her outside. Once in the parking lot, he jogged lightly and caught up with her.
“Excuse me,” he said. He startled her. Her eyes went wide and she was clutching her purse. Something had happened to her in the past. Something that caused her to jump. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to scare you. Oh…” He took out his badge. “I’m Jon Stanton. I’m with the Honolulu Police Department. I needed to speak to you about a few things.”
Her brow furrowed. “Like what?”
“Just some things I needed to clear up.”
She took a step back. “I’m going to have to ask you again what this is concerning. I’m not going anywhere with you alone.”
“I don’t need you to.” He glanced back to the entrance and saw that the security guard had risen and walked to the glass doors. “It’s concerning the deaths of Alex Waters and Hugh Neal.” He looked to her. “The two men you were with on the nights they were killed.”
Her face went white and her lip quivered. “Those… those men I saw on the news? They’d been…”
“They were killed. Yes. I just need a few minutes, Heidi.”
She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak, but the security guard had come outside and shouted, “Everything okay, Dr. Rousseau?”
“Everything’s fine, Harold. Thank you.” She looked back to Stanton. “I have nothing to say about that. I don’t know anything.”
Stanton looked into her doelike eyes. They were sweet and sensual in a way he hadn’t seen often. “Heidi, we both know that’s a lie. I know this sounds like a cliché from a cop, but I’m trying to help you. We don’t have to go to the station. Is there somewhere around here you’d feel comfortable speaking?”
She thought a moment, holding his gaze. “ A coffee shop around the corner. Cup of Joe’s.”
“I’ll be there.”
Stanton got into his jeep and pulled out of the hospital parking lot. This was the moment he had been dreading since making up his mind to come see Heidi. She could just speed off the other way. She could catch a flight before they got to her and just vanish.
He kept glancing into his rearview mirror. Her car, a black Mercedes, stayed behind him. He found the coffee shop and parked out front. She found a stall across the street.
As she walked across the street, Stanton watched her. The way she walked, the way she held her purse. He immediately caught himself and had to push the lustful thoughts out of his mind. One thing he never did was lie to himself. The people on the planet most adaptable were those that were able to look at themselves in a harsh light and be honest about what they saw. It allowed him to change personas, and even his manner of speech and movement, depending on the company he was with.
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