Kate stepped inside the library and moved toward the private office of Mrs. Hayward. "Mrs. Hayward, can I ask you a few questions?"
"Sure, come in," Mrs. Hayward indicated the chair in front of her desk.
Kate closed the door and took a seat.
"Can I ask you what time Caroline came into work today?"
"Well, her start time is 8:00, but she strolled in here about 8:20."
Kate looked up from her notebook at the disgusted tone in Mrs. Hayward's voice. "Is it normal for her to be late?"
"I don't think Caroline has been here on time once since she was hired."
"And what is her role here at the library?"
"Caroline was hired to help transfer old newspaper and magazine articles over to microfiche; but I have had to use her for helping out at the check-out desk a few times a week because I am short staffed with the Southern California library flooding. I sent some of my employees to help them on-site."
"Was there any point today when Caroline was not where you expected her to be, or you couldn't find her?" Kate asked.
"Not that I am aware of. Most days she works I would tell you absolutely. It is not uncommon for Caroline to disappear for long stretches of time; or take three times as long on a project than it should realistically take. However, with the delivery of several damaged items last week most of us are doing very sensitive and detailed work and that has left Caroline covering the front desk primarily on her own. We are a busy library and it would be very difficult for her to slip away unnoticed."
"Can I ask you your opinion of Caroline?"
"I do not believe I have held my contempt in during this conversation. Caroline is routinely late, lacks respect for authority and believes the rules do not apply to her. She was hired by the Director of Library Services who appreciated Caroline's assets, if you know what I mean. Every couple of weeks, he stops in, she flirts with the man and her job is protected."
"Do you believe Caroline would be capable of property damage or injuring another person?"
Mrs. Hayward raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me if Caroline could have done this to her own car?"
Kate smiled. "I'm just asking questions, Mrs. Hayward. Do you think Caroline could cause property damage or injury to another person?"
Mrs. Hayward shook her head. "Caroline is immature, and irresponsible; but I have never seen her be cruel, or even rude to any of our students. I cannot imagine her actually physically hurting anyone, or breaking the law."
"Thank you for your time," Kate closed her notebook and stood up. She wanted to get back to the police department to call the elementary school and check on Megan Trask. She also wanted to check on the whereabouts of Kevin Costas.
E
"Davis, get me eyes on Kevin Costas," Kate called out as she walked into her precinct. She walked over to her desk and quickly flipped the phone book open looking for the number of Clover Elementary school. "Principal Haggerty please," Kate said, when a secretary answered the phone.
Kate waited a few minutes for Principal Haggerty to answer the phone.
"Principal Haggerty."
"Principal Haggerty, this is Detective Kate Stryker. Can you tell me if Megan Trask was teaching all day today?"
"That's a very odd question, Detective Stryker. Is there something going on I should be aware of?" Principal Haggerty asked.
"Nothing at this time; I am meeting with her related to information on Mike Stoker and just wanted to touch base with her," Kate sidestepped the question.
"As a matter-of-fact, Miss Trask is working on some items for the safety assembly we are having later this week and she left school about 10:30 AM. We have a substitute covering her classes. I can leave her a message."
"That won't be necessary," Kate said, as she noted the time in her notebook. "I'll talk to her later this afternoon."
Kate hung up the phone. "Davis, what can you tell me about Costas?"
"We didn't have eyes on him today; the team got pulled off for an armed robbery on a nearby block. But, he was at his apartment when they left and came home with groceries when they were back at the apartment complex."
"So we know that he left his apartment and got groceries, we just don't know what else he may or may not have done."
Kate looked at the clock. Megan Trask would be there in about an hour for her scheduled interview. Kate sat down to go over some questions she wanted to ask her.
E
Megan opened the door to the police precinct and looked around. A female police officer at the front desk looked up. "Can I help you?"
"I have an appointment with Detective Kate Stryker."
"Name?"
"Megan Trask."
The female officer picked up the phone. "Megan Trask is here to see you."
A minute later Kate appeared in the lobby. "Megan, thank you for coming to see me. Do you mind if I call you Megan?"
"Megan is fine."
Kate opened the swinging door that came about to her waist and indicated that Megan should come in. "Can I get you anything?"
"I'd love a glass of water," Megan said, surprised at how dry her mouth felt.
Kate smiled. She walked over to the water cooler and filled up a paper cup full of water. She handed it to Megan and walked her toward an office in the back.
"Please, have a seat," Kate indicated one of the chairs at the table and then moved to the other side of the table.
"I just had a few questions I needed to ask you."
"Is this regarding Mike?" Megan asked.
Kate raised an eyebrow.
"He told me that he was having some issues and I know they believe the attack on Ainsley's house was related to her being seen with Mike."
"How well do you know Mike?" Kate asked.
Megan shrugged. "We dated for a few weeks before my dad got sick. We continued to talk on the phone while I was taking care of my dad, although it decreased significantly when he met Caroline."
"What is your opinion of Caroline?"
Megan shrugged again. "I really don't know her very well."
Kate observed Megan's eyes were looking at the table and she was twisting her fingers. It was obvious she was not being completely honest in that answer.
"Can I ask you where you were earlier today?"
Megan looked up surprised. "I was teaching."
"All day?"
Megan shook her head. "No, I left around 10:30 AM to run some errands for the upcoming safety assembly."
"Did your errands take you near the UCLA campus at all?"
Megan furrowed her brow. "Yes, I suppose so. One of the companies that is providing the bags we are going to hand out to the kids is that way and one of the food vendors for the hot dog carts is out that way. I needed to drop off our final numbers and a deposit check."
"Caroline works at the Pearson Library," Kate said, watching for Megan's reaction.
Megan continued to sit and look at her.
"Did you know that?"
Meg shook her head.
"But you know where Mike lives," Kate said.
"Yes, I'd been there when we were dating."
"You've been there other times too, haven't you?"
Meg looked at Kate, but she moved her hands off the table and into her lap, kind of closing herself off.
"I got an interesting call the other day," Kate said, continuing to watch Megan's body language. "A person claimed that the night Mike's truck was vandalized, you were seen sitting in the parking lot for a very long time. After Mike got home, you left."
Meg dropped her eyes to look at her hands, her shoulder's slumping forward.
"So I did some checking on you," Kate said, pausing until Megan looked back at her. "Imagine my surprise to find out you've been charged with criminal mischief in the past for breaking a boyfriend's car window."
"It wasn't like that," Meg protested. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe this." Meg covered her face with her hands.
"Why don't you tell me what it was like," Kate said, leaning back in her chair.
"I didn't break Dan's window. I mean, I did, but not on purpose. Dan and I had been dating for a couple of months. He was a baseball player in my high school. One night he told me that he couldn't go out because he had to help his mom around the house. I ended up going out on my own to run some errands and I pulled up to the local ice cream shop and there is Dan kissing my best friend."
"That must've made you mad."
"It did. I jumped out of the car and started yelling at him, calling him a cheater and her a slut. I had a bunch of Dan's baseball stuff in my trunk. I opened the trunk and started throwing his stuff out. The first two bats I had tossed out where heavy wooden bats. The last one was aluminum and very light. It really flew when I tossed it out of the trunk. It hit the car window and the window broke. It was an accident."
"So why didn't you tell that to the judge?"
"I tried, but my parent's didn't have a lot of money and couldn't afford to hire a lawyer and Dan's dad, was a very prominent business man who golfed with the judge," Meg shook her head. "My parents told me to just be happy it was a misdemeanor."
"And why were you sitting in Mike's parking lot the night his truck was vandalized?"
"I didn't see anyone do anything to Mike's truck," Meg protested. "I'd have reported it, I promise."
"That isn't what I asked you," Kate said, her voice holding the stern quality of a seasoned police officer that didn't' want to be fed any lines.
Tears filled Meg's eyes, but didn't fall. She dropped her head and said something that Kate couldn't make out.
"What?"
"I was being an idiot," Meg said, louder this time, looking up at Kate. "I'd gone over to ask Mike to give us another chance."
"So why didn't you?"
"I'm so embarrassed," Meg said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Why?"
"I've been acting like such an idiot. I'm the reason my relationship with Mike ended, and I've been acting like a psycho ex-girlfriend. Do you know I actually have even been telling myself that I'm gonna steal Mike back from Caroline," Megan ran her hands over her face again, and then pushed them through her hair, "I'm so stupid?"
"What have you been doing to win Mike back?" Kate asked, arching an eyebrow.
"I intentionally went over to his place to give him a folder about the assembly that I could have easily given to Roy. I thought when I got there I'd have the nerve to make some bold gesture."
"Like what?"
Meg shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I imagined just kissing him. Telling him that he was making a huge mistake with Caroline and that I was the right woman for him."
"But you didn't."
Meg shook her head. "Ugh, this is so embarrassing. I was standing in his apartment, looking at the most amazing man I've ever met and trying to figure out a way to seduce him," Meg wiped at her eyes. "I took in a deep breath and he smelled like her perfume. He told me that we were friends and I realized I wasn't being a friend. I was about to put him in a position that was going to make him uncomfortable and if I kissed him and by some chance he kissed me back, I was going to put him in a position that he cheated on someone he was dating. Mike wouldn't do that; it isn't who he is. I couldn't go through with it. I told him I was sorry I'd ended things, but it didn't go anywhere beyond that. When I left I kissed him on the cheek and told him I hoped he was happy. That was my way of saying good-bye," Meg wiped her cheeks.
"So that's it. You're fine he's with Caroline now?" Kate asked.
Meg gave a small smile. "I'm not sure I could say fine. I honestly don't like Caroline very much; but I'm done acting like a love sick teenager."
"Caroline's car was bombed earlier today," Kate said, again watching for Meg's reaction.
"Oh my," Meg said, her eyes getting wide. "Is she okay?"
"Yes, she wasn't in the vehicle at the time. It was parked at her job."
"Wow," Meg said, shaking her head.
Meg suddenly locked eyes with Kate, "You think I did it," Meg's voice was shocked. "That's why you asked me where I was and if I knew where Caroline worked."
Kate said nothing.
"Look, I'll be the first one to admit I've acted a little crazy lately, waiting in Mike's parking lot, plotting to break him and Caroline up, but I did NOT do anything to Caroline's car, or Mike's truck, or anything like that."
"Can any of the vendors verify you were at their locations this afternoon?"
Meg looked scared as she shook her head no. "I just dropped off paperwork through mail slots they had in their doors."
"You've admitted to not liking Caroline and wanting to get Mike back."
"I didn't know I was being investigated for a crime," Meg protested.
"So you would have told me a different story, if you knew you were being investigated?" Kate said, trying to see how ruffled Meg would get.
"No, I just, no. I just…I didn't feel like I was talking to a police officer. I felt like I was talking to another woman who might understand that sometimes we do crazy things when we love someone who doesn't love us back."
Kate actually felt bad for Meg. She looked so devastated as she literally seemed to shrink into herself.
"At this time, Megan, I'm just asking questions and seeing where everyone was today. No one is being charged."
Meg looked up at her.
"And I'm not about to share any of our conversations with anyone else," Kate said, hoping Meg realized what she had shared would not be shared with Mike.
"Thank you," Megan whispered.
"I'll walk you out."
Megan kept her head down as Kate walked her out of the station.
E
Meg drove home in a daze. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Who had seen her sitting in Mike's parking lot, she wondered. Had they seen anything else? Meg pulled into her driveway and turned the car off. She just sat there, staring out the windshield not seeing anything.
Meg jumped when there was a knock on the window. Joe stood there looking at her.
Megan moved to open the door, and Joe offered her his hand to help her out. "Are you okay?" Joe asked.
Meg nodded, but didn't say anything.
"Hey, what's wrong. You look like you've just received some terrible news," Joe said, turning Meg to face him.
Meg shook her head. "It's just been a rough day."
"Why don't you let me help you make it better," Joe offered. "I know this amazing seafood place down by Redondo Beach; why don't you let me take you to dinner?"
Meg shook her head. "Thanks, Joe, but I'd be terrible company tonight."
"I hate to see you alone feeling sad," Joe said, reaching down and taking her hand.
"Does this have anything to do with that guy Mike who came with you to work on Mrs. Harper's house?"
"Sort of," Meg said.
"Hey, any guy that doesn't realize you're the most amazing woman on the planet is an idiot and you're better off without him," Joe said, trying to get her to smile.
"Mike's not an idiot."
"He is if he has made you sad."
"Thanks, Joe. I appreciate you trying to make me feel better."
"I'm being serious Meg. I think you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. You're sweet and caring. I would really like to get to know you better."
Meg blushed at this words. "I'm not beautiful," she said shyly.
"The fact that you don't know it, makes you even more beautiful. Have dinner with me, Meg."
Meg took a deep breath. She needed to move on with her life and put Mike behind her. "Can you give me like an hour? I need to get cleaned up and make a couple of phone calls."
Joe looked at his watch. "I'll pick you up in an hour." Joe lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. "Be prepared for an evening that makes whatever happened earlier today fade away as a distant memory for what turns out to be an amazing evening."
Meg smiled at Joe's enthusiasm. "See you in an hour," she said, moving toward her house.
E
Mike slammed the phone down in frustration. "Whoa, what'd the phone do?" Captain Stanley said from his position on the couch.
"I can't reach Caroline."
"You did tell her to go stay with a friend," Captain Stanley rationalized.
"But she didn't seem like she was going to and if she did I thought she'd call me to tell me where she was gonna be."
Captain Stanley personally thought Caroline knew exactly what she was doing. By not calling Mike and not telling him where she was going to be she had assured that he would be thinking of nothing else, but her.
"I even tried calling her work to see if she happened to stay at work but they confirmed she left not long after the police and security released her to go. No one had any idea on where she would've gone."
Captain Stanley watched his young engineer pacing the dayroom floor.
"She doesn't have a car, so she couldn't have driven anywhere."
Mike ran a hand through his hair. "What if the person doing this saw her walking and grabbed her? I should call the police," Mike moved back to the phone.
Captain Stanley frowned. Caroline had Mike wound super tight and pretty soon he was gonna snap. There was no doubt she was a beautiful woman, but he wasn't sure what else Mike saw in her. She hadn't talked much to any of the guys when they were at Ainsley's welcome home party. She didn't seem to fit in with the other women. She had clung super closer to Mike, and had kept him separated from the rest of them whenever she could. Captain Stanley wondered if he should take Mike aside and have a talk with him about what he saw in Caroline. He cared about all his guys and being a bit older naturally kept on eye out for them. Before Ainsley, Johnny had been his biggest concern, but he'd settled into the role of husband and dad remarkably well. Since then his attention had been focused on Chet, but now it appeared Mike was the one in need of some guidance.
Mike hung up the phone and hung his head, his hands resting on the table under the phone. "The police don't know where she is either. I should've driven her home."
"You were working," Chet said, as he walked into the kitchen and overheard the conversation.
"Who was working?" Johnny asked, walking in behind him and heading toward the kitchen.
"Mike was sayin' he should've driven Caroline home."
"You were working," Roy said, as he moved toward the coffee pot.
"That's what I was just tellin' him," Chet said.
"When Ainsley was in the accident Johnny stayed at the hospital with her," Mike argued.
"First, she was actually in the car when it wrecked, and second she was pregnant with my baby," Johnny said pointedly.
"So what, that makes Caroline less important?"
"You know that isn't what he's sayin'," Roy interjected, trying to keep the peace.
"That sounds like exactly what he was saying."
"Mike, we will most likely get another call tonight, I need to know, can you keep your mind on business?" Captain Stanley interrupted the exchange.
Mike turned, shocked his Captain would ask him that question. "I'm just worried about her, Cap."
"You're completely focused on her. I can't have a distracted man out there, that's how people get hurt or worse. If you can't stay focused tell me right now and I'll call in a replacement."
Mike felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. Captain Stanley had never questioned his commitment or his ability to do his job. Not even when they'd been going through all those attacks by Tim.
"I'm fine," Mike said.
Captain Stanley stood up and moved closer to his young engineer. "Be sure, because it's one of those guys that doesn't make it home if you're wrong," Captain Stanley jerked his head to indicate the four crewman now sitting at the table; his voice low so only Mike could hear him.
Mike looked over at his teammates. "I'm sure." Mike moved out of the kitchen and toward the dorm. He moved over to the desk and picked up the phone. He hesitated for a moment and then dialed Meg's number. He needed to get his head on straight and she was amazing at helping him see things differently. He let the phone ring over 20 times before he finally hung up the phone.
Mike moved over to his bunk and laid down staring at the ceiling. What was he doing? He closed his eyes and could easily see both Caroline's and Meg's face. Where were they?