Part Five: Her Alibi

"What?!" Steve demanded into the receiver. "You've got to stop it!"

Mark's concerned deepened with the increase in his son's volume as he made his wishes known to the person on the opposite end of the telephone connection. He knew without at doubt that it had something to do with Amber. And judging from Steve's reaction it was bad.

"Steve? What is it? What's happened?" he asked, moving a step closer. Where normally he might have waited until his son concluded the telephone conversation, he felt that he had to cut in. Maybe he could help in some way.

Steve held up a hand, holding him off as he continued his conversation. "Yeah, you're my friend but you're going to print it anyway?"

Steve's volume decreased but the frustration and bitterness of his tone did not. But the words at least gave Mark a clue as to what was going on. If it had to do with print, there was obviously going to be a story in a newspaper or one of the many gossip rags that plagued the city. Mark blew out an exasperated breath. It was more of the same. First the radio interview, and now Amber had gone to the newspaper. But with Steve's next words, Mark was not so sure.

"Pictures? What do you mean? What kind of . . . " Steve trailed off and he suddenly paled. Unhappy realization dawned over his features. "She must have had someone inside at the radio station taking photographs." Steve turned and met his gaze. A look of tiredness and defeat shown for a moment as he continued to listen.

Mark took a half step forward, wanting to offer whatever support he could. But then, Steve's expression changed to one of determination. His entire countenance seemed to change as his shoulders straightened into his usual erect posture. His tone became brisk as he continued to speak into the phone.

"How would you like an exclusive, Meg? The other side of the story. Straight from the mouth of Officer Steve."

Mark felt the beginnings of a grin lighting his features. Steve was going to fight fire with fire. He wondered how Amber would react. That thought immediately sobered him. Amber was a very dangerous woman, despite the persona she projected. And she was a master at orchestrating events for her own purposes. . .

Mark was an early riser. He loved to get up in the mornings and enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the sky brighten over the ocean. He stood on the balcony, looking over the railing as the waves crashed against the sands, adding their music to the beauty of the surroundings.

The sounds and scenery were interrupted by a small sound from below. Frowning, he peered cautiously over the edge of the balcony. He knew that Steve wasn't home, as he'd left a note near the coffee maker saying that he had been called in because of activity on one of his cases. He had only missed him by several minutes, he knew, because he'd arrived in the kitchen just in time to hear Steve's truck pulling out of the drive.

He saw the top of a red head and immediately recognized it as belonging to Amber. She was carrying a wicker basket. He descended the steps to greet her. "Good Morning! Looking for Steve?"

Mark released a sound of dismay as she drew in a startled breath and dropped the wicker basket. Several items spilled out of it and a bottle of wine rolled across the patio into the sand.

"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you." He rushed down the remaining steps to help her gather up the items that had fallen from the basket. "I hope nothing is broken."

"It's okay," Amber smiled at him as she quickly gathered several of the smaller items that had rolled beneath a patio chair. Mark picked up the wine bottle, noting the label across the front. It was a California vintage that was sold locally at La Ciel de Vin. Having been recently featured on a recent news broadcast, Jesse had embarked on a scheme to sell it at BBQ Bob's. The idea hadn't gone over well with Steve. Just seeing the bottle reminded him of the often humorous debates that had gone on between the two men for days.

"Excellent choice," he told her with a smile, handing her the bottle. He held on to it when he realized that her hands were full of small brown prescription bottles. "What's that?" he asked, curious as to why she would have prescription bottles in her basket.

"These belonged to my mother." She explained, holding one of the bottles out to him. "I suppose I must have forgotten that they were there. We used to go to the park and talk for hours -- when she felt up to it, of course. I'd pack lunch and supplies in this old basket."

Mark smiled as the memories flitted across her face. He cast a cursory look at the bottle noting that her mother's name was Starla McPherson and that she'd been prescribed Coumadin -- an anticoagulant. He placed the empty bottle into the basket and added the wine alongside of it.

"You were very close," he observed. "Friends."

"We were," Amber confirmed. "Like you and Steve. We were all each other had for a long time. But those times together really helped in the end. We said everything that we needed to say to one another. That helped a lot. I really think I am at peace with her death now. I feel as though I truly have closure."

"Has working at Community General helped in that respect?" Mark asked. "No more fear of hospitals?"

A sheepish expression came over her. "Actually Dr. Sloan, there is something I need to tell you."

"What's that?" Mark asked.

"Well. . . I'm not here looking for Steve. I'm just leaving. I came over last night and brought the wine because. . . well because I found another job. I'm going to be giving my notice at Community General today. My new job starts in a week."

"Oh." Mark was a little disappointed. "I'm sure the records department will be sorry to see you go. I hear even Netta Meadows had good things to say about you."

"Thank you. I really appreciate your saying that." She glanced down at her watch. "And I really should get going or I'm going to be late on the day I give notice!"

Mark chuckled and watched her leave. He then stretched and headed back up toward the upper patio. It was time to get the day started.

Mark blinked away the memories to find that Steve had wandered out of the kitchen. He followed the sound of his voice into the den where the impromptu interview seemed to still be in full swing. He was preparing to leave, giving Steve privacy to finish up when he noticed movement through the balcony doors.

It was Jesse and Amanda, no doubt having come to offer moral support. He moved past Steve to let them in, noticing as he did so that Jesse was carrying a large brown bag emblazoned with the BBQ Bob logo.

"Hi Jesse. Amanda." Mark greeted them in a hushed tone as he gestured them inside and through toward the kitchen. "That smells wonderful." Jesse and Amanda returned the greeting imitating his quiet tone when they caught sight of Steve obviously deep in concentration as he listened to something over the phone.

Amanda and Jesse hesitated when Steve suddenly spoke. "There is absolutely no possibility of a reconciliation, regardless of any manipulative tactics to make things appear otherwise. Unconditionally, no. . . " Steve's voice faded as he stood and moved past them, deeper into the house.

"What's going on?" Jesse's eyes followed his friend's departure. "Is this a bad time? Should we come back later?"

"Oh, no." Mark sought to put his mind at ease. "There has simply been a new development," he confided. "But I'll let Steve explain the rest when he's done with the interview."

"Interview?" Amanda's brow creased in surprise. "Is that what he's doing? What made him decide to do that?"

Mark held his hands up, warding off further questions. "I'm sorry. We're all going to have to wait for Steve to let him explain it. I don't even have all of the details myself. Just what I've overheard."

"We'll do anything we can to help, Mark. You know we will." Jesse's earnest expression made Mark smile.

"I know you will, Jess. You both will." He included Amanda in his smiling gaze. He then gestured toward the stack of folders that had been left on the counter. "Steve brought his files home. I think he wants to go over everything again. See what we might have missed."

"Like something to do with her hometown maybe." Steve said, coming into the kitchen. "I never realized talking to a reporter could be so enlightening."

"She able to help you with the case?" Mark asked, noting the look on his son's face. There was an edge of excitement in his lean face. He obviously had a lead.

"In an off-handed kind of way," Steve replied, moving toward one of the bags of food and peering inside.

"Well don't keep us in suspense," Jesse chimed up. "Why were you being interviewed? What happened? What did you find out?"

Steve chuckled. "A friend who works at the LA Sensation -- it's a weekly gossip rag that --"

"We know what it is," Jesse cut in. "Tell us what happened. Why were you interviewing with them?"

"I'm getting there," Steve said, sighing in exasperation. "Anyway, Meg called to tell me that there was going to be a special edition this week that contains a story on Amber. She let me know that there was someone from the Sensation with Amber today at KKLA. They took a few compromising looking photographs of us out in the parking lot. The pictures are running front page with the article."

"How compromising?" Amanda wanted to know.

"Yeah," Jess added. "What were you doing?"

"Nothing," Steve said defensively. "She was. . . well, she was all over me, but I didn't reciprocate. I was too angry and it was over too quickly for me to push her away. But I can imagine how it's going to look on the newsstand tomorrow."

"Wow. She's wily," Jesse said.

"And in for a surprise," Steve responded. "I just gave my side of the story. Meg is pretty sure that they're going to run it front page, side by side with Amber's interview."

"She is not going to like that," Amanda said, a knowing grin on her face.

"No," Steve agreed. "I don't imagine she will."

"What did you find out from Meg," Mark asked, changing the direction of the conversation slightly. His curiosity was piqued by whatever offhand information that the reporter had been able to pass on. There had to be a reason behind Amber's going to the Sensation, more than just a desire to torment his son. He was sure of it.

The woman had been sly enough to come over to his home after killing two men. She had then proceeded to use the fact that she had spent that evening with his son as an alibi. But the fact was that there had been just enough time for her to leave the scene and arrive at the beach house. Her purchase of the wine that she had brought to celebrate with Steve from La Ciel de Vin had also been a careful manipulation. The winery was two blocks away from the area where the two doctors had been sent to their deaths. With Amber there seemed to be two purposes for everything.

"She gave me a preview of the story. Amber's going to be going back to her hometown. Says that there are a few things that she needs closure on. She even said that she was hoping that I would help her!"

Mark frowned. "So you think this person, whoever is going to die, is someone from her hometown?"

"I'm sure of it," Steve said. "Question is, who has offended her so much that she needs closure?"

"The drunk driver who killed her father and brother," Mark replied, the answer coming to him in a flash of insight.

"That's the obvious answer," Steve said. "But is there anyone else? I think I'll make a few calls out to Riverside . . . "

Mark was thoughtful. An idea was germinating in his mind. One that he felt sure his son wasn't going to like.

-- -- --

"Thanks guys," Steve was saying to Mick and Jamie as they moved across the empty darkened dining room of BBQ Bob's. "If you want to stay on the closing schedule, just let Jesse know. I'm sure he can work it in."

"Thanks Steve," the two college freshmen replied. Having come to the city together, the two shared an apartment and a major and now they both worked at Bob's. They were hard workers, and Steve felt sure after having worked with them only twice that things would work out well. And he certainly couldn't argue with the fact that the closing duties had gotten done twice as fast with their enthusiastic help.

He shuffled the bank bag containing the day's earnings in his arms and was preparing to close and lock the door when he heard the phone ringing. He thought to ignore it. It was just after eleven, and the restaurant was closed. The answering service would kick in after the sixth ring explaining their hours and a short review of their menu.

He paused, torn. His father had managed to finagle his way into going to Riverside to investigate Amber's past. Jesse had gone with him because it was his day off. While there, his father had discovered that there was an event going on in a community center in Amber's old neighborhood. They had decided to stay for it, which would put them on the highway an hour or so prior. Though he was sure his dad would most likely have called his cellular, he was probably expected to be at Bob's for at least another half hour. He turned and headed for the phone extension that hung on the wall near the register.

"Do you want us to wait for you?" Mick called through the door.

"Nah, you go on ahead," Steve called back as he weaved through the tables. "I'll see you in a couple of days." He snatched up the phone just as their response reached his ears.

"Hello, BBQ Bob's." He spoke automatically into the receiver. All he received for his effort was a burst of static so loud that he was forced to pull the phone a little away from his ear. Putting it back more cautiously, he tried again. "Hello?" Nothing but static.

Steve cut the connection, waited several seconds, then dialed his father's cellular. The older Sloan answered on the 2nd ring.

"Hi Dad. Did you or Jess just call me?"

"No. Why? Is everything okay?" Mark's voice had taken on a slight hint of concern. Steve could hear Jesse in the background inquiring as well.

"Everything's fine," Steve sought to reassure them both. After his rebuttal article ran in the Sensation the day before, they had been expecting some kind of reprisal. Aside from the typical radio discussion, none had come. Even the Steve loves Amber poll that KKLA had begun was dropping out of public interest. But Steve knew his father still worried about a response from Amber.

"I think it was just someone with a static-y line that couldn't get through," Steve said. "I was just closing up and thought I would check. How far out are you?"

"Oh, we left a little early. We're on PCH now. Should be to the beach house in about forty minutes at the most. We discovered some rather interesting things about Amber and her family. I'll tell you about them when you get home; it's too much to go into now. How much longer do you think you'll be?"

"We're just done closing. I'm going to swing by the bank, make a drop and I'll probably be home before you."

"Okay, son. We'll see you then. Be careful."

"I will. Bye Dad."

Steve hung up the phone wondering what his father and Jesse had discovered. During the initial investigation, they hadn't gone too deeply into her past as the murder didn't seem related. Shrugging a bit, he retrieved the bank bag from the counter and headed out of the restaurant.

As he turned to lock the door a huge yawn took him. It had been a very long day. Maybe he would grab a shower before his dad and Jess arrived. Shaking off the yawn, he turned toward the lot and his truck. He was definitely going to need to drive with the window down.

As he was searching through his ring for the truck key, he heard a step behind him. He'd just barely caught a glimpse of a dark blur before he saw the white of his truck rushing forward to meet him.

(to be continued)