Tessa Stark: Desert Heat

Chapter Eighteen

 "Its alright, Mr. Hank. Try not to get too upset," the middle aged nurse beside Hank Autry said complacently.

"Nurse is right, Hank," Richard Whitmore put in. "Let us not fall into melancholia. I'm sure Detective Stark will have the bad guy in cuffs before we can blink, if her reputation means anything, and then we can lay this darkness aside."

"Well, in an effort to hurry that along," Jodie began, shooting her brother-in-law a hard glare, "I'm sure Hallie's friends will be here soon, if they're not already. Cameran or Trista can help you find them." Both young women immediately got to their feet. "There's a bar set up in the back, if you're in need of water or a soda. Its a cash bar, but Cameran can see that you're served on our tab."

"Oh, that's not necessary--" Tessa began, but was cut off.

"Please, I insist," Jodie said with a kind smile. "Its terribly stuffy in here with all these people. A cool drink can only help."

Not wanting to be impolite, she gave a nod. "Thank you. We appreciate it."

"Good luck with your hunt, Detective Stark. I hope you find your prey," the senator bade as she and Cole followed the two young women out of the seating area and back into the milling guests.

"I'm sorry about my dad," Trista spoke as they pointed themselves toward the bar. "He seems to think he can fix anything if he can yell at it loud enough. But, he can't fix this, so he's kind of...losing it."

Tessa tried to put forth a sympathetic smile. "Don't apologize. I know how difficult it is when a family loses someone. Its almost impossible not to fall apart."

Three sets of eyes flicked toward her, but it was Cole's who lingered the longest.

"Trista, why don't you go and find out if Hallie's bunch are here yet. We'll be by the bar," Cameran told her cousin, who veered off into the ever growing assemblage.

"So, Cameran," Tessa began, waving away a silver tray that a waiter stopped to offer her, "now that your family isn't around, is there anything you can tell me about your sister that might be helpful?"

"There's not much to tell," Cameran shrugged. "There just...wasn't a lot to Hallie. I mean, she hung out with her friends, worried about her hair and nails, liked to drink and drop lines once in a while..."

"Had you noticed anyone new in her life? Or maybe anyone hanging around the group that hadn't been before, even if they weren't specifically hanging out with Hallie?" she questioned as they approached the bar and got in line.

Cameran gave her head a shake. "I don't remember anyone new. But, I didn't really see her all the time. We crossed paths at parties or clubs and that was about it. Her friends would know better."

"You said that Nathan Rutherford liked to hit. Did you ever see him hit Hallie?" was Cole's question.

"No," answered Cameran. "But, I have seen him slap Chloe across the face when he was drunk once. And a couple other girls he's dated over the years would show up to parties trying to cover up black eyes and split lips."

"So, Nathan Rutherford certainly has a propensity for physical violence." And also for being a phenomenal creep. "Did you have any inkling that Hallie might be rethinking her engagement to him?"

"I'm not sure. She was turning twenty five in December and I don't know if she'd have wanted to give up inheriting. I mean, unless she had some other guy in the wings that I didn't know about. Which probably would have pissed off Nate, if he'd found out about something like that."

They stepped up to the bar then, which was being worked by a middle aged man at one end, a younger man with a mop of slightly too long sandy hair at the other, and a lovely young woman who was buzzing around behind them, all three dressed in white shirts, black ties, and black aprons.