Got Your Number

is no fire."

Chapter Thirty-three

    ROXANN SLAMMED DOWN the phone—Angora's line was still busy. Nearing panic, she tore downstairs and outside into the parking lot, praying that Capistrano had been delayed. It would take her forever to flag a taxi. She spotted the Dooley pulling away from her and her immense relief fueled a burst of adrenaline. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her, waving and screaming at the top of her lungs. "Wait! Capistrano, wait!" Just when her fear peaked, the brake lights came on. She stumbled, recovered, and flung herself toward the truck.
    He opened the door. "What's wrong?"
    She was too winded to talk. "To the hospital...fast." She yanked open the passenger side door and vaulted inside.
    Capistrano pulled out, following her hand directions. "Did something happen to Angora?"
    "I can't...be sure...but I think...she's in danger."
    "From whom?"
    "Nell."
    "What?"
    She took a deep breath and exhaled. "I found a page from the ME report that fell under the credenza in the hotel room. Carl's middle name is Chester."
    He frowned. "I don't get it."
    "Nell's favorite cat, the one she dotes on, is named Chester."
    He scratched his temple. "Okay."
    "I think she's been in love with him all these years. I think she put Frank Cape up to killing Carl."
    "That's a pretty big leap, Roxann."
    "No. I remembered something that Cape said when he told me he killed Carl. He said a lot of good it did him, and that nobody keeps their word. I think Nell struck a bargain with him—kill Carl, and she'd find out where Melissa was living."
    "Did she find out?"
    "No, but not for lack of trying. She asked me several times, and my supervisor said she'd even been in touch with him about the case. And I distinctly remember a conversation where she asked about Melissa and Renita." She shook her head. "I never mentioned their names."
    "But how would she have gotten in touch with Cape?"
    "I'm guessing through Elise James—she ran with a pretty bad element." She wet her lips. "Elise is dead, by the way. Overdose on prescription drugs that were laced with something. But I'm starting to wonder..."
    "Go on."
    "I wonder if Nell was the one who gave her the drugs. She's been ill, and I stumbled across enough prescription painkillers in her cabinet to take out a herd of elephants."
    He quirked an eyebrow. "What else do you have?"
    "She tried to divert suspicion in the Tammy Paulen case to Angora, tried to convince me that Angora was guilty and unstable. I'll bet she told others the same thing."
    "To protect Seger."
    "Probably."
    He pointed to the file between them. "Do you remember the date the Paulen girl was killed?"
    "Yeah, it was December second, 1992."
    "Look in that folder for a copy of Dr. Seger's bio. It's four or five pages stapled together."
    "Why? What am I looking for?"
    "Just a hunch, but check the dates on his list of speaking engagements."
    She found the paper, which listed Dr. Seger's accomplishments. A resume of sorts, including an exhaustive list of seminars he'd given. Roxann scanned the dates, then stopped. "November twenty-ninth through December third, Carl was giving a seminar in Philadelphia."
    Capistrano whistled low. "Think he loaned his car to anyone to use while he was gone?"
    "Someone who doesn't have a car." She closed her eyes. "I can't believe it. Angora said that she told Carl she'd seen his car leaving the scene."
    "So he knew that Dr. Oney had done it."
    "Right. Maybe he called Nell, threatened to blackmail her. Maybe that's when she contacted Cape and made the deal or sped up the deal they'd already made."
    Capistrano's mouth tightened. "If we realized that Seger wasn't around when the Paulen girl was killed, someone else will eventually notice, too. And without Angora around to testify..."
    She nodded, reeling. Nell...lonely Nell. Had she stayed holed up in her little house quietly going mad?
    He picked up the phone. "What's the name of the hospital?"
    "Holy Cross."
    He punched in a number and asked directory assistance for a direct connection. "Security please," he said. "This is urgent." Then he frowned. "What?...When?...Thank you."
    He disconnected the call. "The hospital has been evacuated for a possible fire. The fire department is on its way."
    "Think it's a coincidence?" she asked.
    He pulled a blue siren from beneath his seat, rolled down the window, and stuck it to the top of the cab. "Darlin', there are very few coincidences in this world."

Chapter Thirty-four

    ANGORA ALLOWED