Love at First Sight - By B. J. Daniels Page 0,65

the grave, the stone, the doll—”

“Liz’s idea. It was rather her way of saying goodbye to the baby. She put one of her dolls in the grave with a cord around its neck.” The doctor made an unpleasant face. “I thought it was…morbid. But she insisted. She didn’t want anyone to know. Especially Johnny K. I guess you know him as Denny Kirkpatrick. She wanted the past put behind her. That’s another reason she insisted I sterilize her.”

Jack felt weak. “You’re telling me that was her idea?”

“She knew I couldn’t have children so I think it was her way of putting us on equal footing.”

Jack raised a brow. Did Vandermullen really expect him to believe this?

“You didn’t know my wife. She was quite… neurotic.”

Jack was having a hard time believing this and yet the doctor seemed to be telling the truth. “Then why was she suddenly looking for her baby?”

Vandermullen shrugged and took a drink of his bourbon. “It’s hard to say. Maybe after all these years and our breakup, she needed an anchor. Someone to love. It happens. It’s too bad. She would have destroyed whatever family Brad Baxter found for the baby. Liz was a very needy woman, as I’ve told you. She would have brought no good to her daughter.”

“If you feel that strongly,” Jack said carefully, “would you have tried to stop her?”

Dr. Vandermullen smiled. “As I told you, I washed my hands of Liz. And I certainly wouldn’t have committed murder to protect a baby that wasn’t even mine.”

“But you did perform an illegal adoption, fake a baby’s death and lie about it,” Jack pointed out.

Vandermullen didn’t even flinch. “I would have done anything for Liz. Whether you believe me or not, I loved my wife, detective. Sadly, I still do.” He glanced at his watch. “Tee time.”

Vandermullen left him to go golf with his friends, leaving Jack confused. He didn’t know what to believe. Vandermullen had had an answer for everything. He’d also seemed pretty calm when he’d headed off to collect his clubs and hit nine holes before dark.

Jack was just glad Baxter was behind bars and Karen was safe, because it appeared that Baxter was a consummate liar and more than likely a killer.

Jack couldn’t wait to get back to the lodge and Karen. He’d decided one thing for sure. He would tell her the truth. How he’d lied about their marriage. But everything else had been real. Something had happened to him the moment he saw her. He just hadn’t known what it was. He thought he knew now. But did he know what he wanted to do about those feelings if Karen gave him the chance? Right now, he was still running scared. Afraid that somehow he’d missed something…

The police radio filled with a burst of static, making him jump. He reached to turn it off but didn’t get the chance before he heard the bulletin.

Detective Captain Brad Baxter had escaped after being arrested at his home.

Jack swore. Karen! He turned on his siren and, with lights flashing, sped toward the lodge, praying he’d reach her in time.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Karen heard a noise, almost like the sound of a vehicle, and realized that hours had passed. She brushed dust and cobwebs from her shirt and glanced at her watch. Maybe it was Jack returning. She hoped so. She really wanted to talk to him. To try to get him to open up to her. Something was bothering him and she suspected it was more than this case.

She knew she couldn’t keep pretending that nothing was wrong with their marriage. She’d hoped that once they made love again, it would change the worried look in Jack’s eyes. She’d thought it must have something to do with her fall in the phone booth. What an odd place to fall down. It still puzzled her what they’d been doing there. Maybe she’d been calling her mother.

Jack had insisted she not call her mother and tell her the news of their marriage until after Karen’s memory returned and she was no longer in danger. He didn’t want to worry her mother. She’d thought that sweet. But she couldn’t help but wonder if Jack had her hid away up here because of Liz’s murder and a killer being after her. Or some other reason.

He was definitely hiding something from her. She knew him too well. Especially for as little time as she could remember knowing him. She’d never felt such a connection before. A closeness. As