Suspicions

Chapter 6

The doorbell rang, heralding the arrival of more party guests.

But Kate was oblivious to what was happening at the front door, the ongoing noises, or the murmurings of the party guests. In the middle of the party, Daniel suddenly had the urge to see her alone in the garden. Her breath shortened as she gazed back at him. She noted how his eyes now dropped to her lips, making her mouth tremble.

Serena had picked up on the undercurrents and attempted to give Daniel and Kate some alone time.

"Paul," she turned to her date and gestured with her head, "did you have a chance to see the punch-bowl set?"

"No," Paul seemed oblivious to the goings on, "Why? Is there a fish swimming around in it? What's so special about it?"

"It's vintage crystal," Serena forced a smile as she held on to Paul's arm, "..and I suggest we go admire it now..." She gave Daniel and Kate a secret wink as she started pulling Paul in the direction of the punch-bowl.

"What? Why are we going to look at a punch-bowl?" Paul's voice was fading fast as Serena dragged him away, " I never had any interest…"

After they left, it left Kate alone with Daniel again.

"You want me, Daniel, to go privately in the garden with you? Do you really think you should leave your own party?"

"You know me better than anyone else, Kate...and if I stayed here and mingled, that would be considered strange," he reasoned, "besides, as long as Lewicki continues serving alcohol, I think these people can well entertain themselves, don't you?"

Kate smiled, "Well, if you think so…"

Daniel smiled, looking pleased as they turned to exit through the back door. Their leaving was interrupted, however, when Lewicki appeared suddenly by Daniel's side and began walking in tandem with Daniel and Kate.

"Lewicki?" Daniel seemed surprised to see him.

"Doc! Kate!" Lewicki's voice sounded urgent as he leaned close to them, trying not to attract attention, "Something weird has happened!"

"Considering the last three days, that isn't exactly something new," Daniel commented.

But Kate was alarmed, "What is it, Max?"

"I was in the kitchen, getting the knife for the birthday cake," Max kept his voice low, "when I realized that…it was missing!"

"The cake is missing?" Daniel was whispering emphatically as Lewicki vigorously shook his head.

"No, not the cake!…The KNIFE!…I remembered it had been right in the drawer," Lewicki explained, as he nervously licked his lips, "but I had to go out to refill the punch-bowl and put out some more finger sandwiches. When I came back into the kitchen, the knife was gone!"

"Are you sure, Max?" Kate was saying, "Maybe you picked it up and just put it down somewhere else."

"No, no...I distinctly remembered seeing that knife right in the drawer before I got out the refreshments. I'm sure of it," Lewicki replied with certainty, "After all, Daniel only has one sharp knife, so I always want to keep track of it or I wouldn't be able to, later on, cut meat like steak!"

"We never have steak," Daniel pointed out.

"Do you ever notice on Tuesdays how I eat separately from you, Doc?" Lewicki asked.

Daniel eyed him, "You know how expensive steak is, Lewicki? Maybe I need to take a closer look at the grocery bill…"

"Believe me," Lewicki said, "We can afford it, what with all the money we save by you not taking your meds."

"Stop! Never mind about all that now," Kate said, remaining calm, "the more important thing is to find that knife! Let's go back in the kitchen and search a little more."

The three of them went into the kitchen and began their search. They opened every cupboard door and every drawer. They expanded their search to the main room with the displayed food, but didn't find it there either.

They met in the center of the kitchen.

"Someone must have taken it," Lewicki deduced.

"We need to search all the guests!" Daniel announced, "Kate, you're an FBI agent—you could make it official."

"Daniel, we can't do that!" Kate informed him, "There is something called the Fourth Amendment which protects private citizens from illegal searches."

"You've have been watching those Law and Order episodes again, haven't you?" Daniel noted.

"They keep me on my toes," agreed Kate sardonically.

Lewicki looked worried, "So Kate, should we be concerned about this lost knife?"

Kate tried to appear casual, but she felt an odd sensation at the back of her mind, "Let's just say we need to keep a sharp lookout for it, pun intended. Although I seriously doubt the knife would be conspicuously sticking out of someone's pants pocket or purse. Just be aware of everyone's movement. In the meantime, we'll enjoy the party."

From the next room, they heard the doorbell rang.

"I gotta go get that," Lewicki as he left.

Lewicki swung the kitchen door open to go out and Daniel and Kate could hear noise of the party coming from the living room. The kitchen door swung opened again and this time Paul stuck in his head into the kitchen where they stood.

"You've got any more of those stuffed mushrooms?" Paul asked them, "We're running low out there."

Daniel looked over at the kitchen table and saw the recently prepared tray of appetizers.

"Here Paul, take this out to be served," he said as he passed the tray to him.

Afterwards when Paul had gone and Daniel and Kate were once more alone, Daniel stated, "As I was saying earlier, Kate, I need to talk with you."

"So talk," Kate said.

One of the professors in the psyche department now swung the door open.

"The guest are getting restless for more chardonnay," she stated.

Kate looked around, spotted the bottle and handed it to her.

Daniel gestured to Kate in the backyard, "Like I said previously, let's go to the garden...we'll get more privacy there."

"I think you're right," Kate agreed.

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It was getting dark when they entered the garden in the back and the almost darkness was a comfort to their muddled thoughts as they walked past the shadowed greenery outside. Soft golden light spread in rectangular patches across the brick walls. After the boisterous babbling from inside, they welcomed the quietness and solitude. The only inhuman sound they heard was crickets chirping.

Suddenly a light appeared from an upstairs room, near enough to cast a beam of light that broke through the leaves of the trees and Daniel was able to get his first full look of Kate against the lights and shadows. He was looking at her with an intensity that made every inch of her skin burn.

"Kate, you really do look beautiful tonight."

He hadn't meant to be so complimentary to her, but a hot, searing feeling expanded in his chest at her nearness and he felt he had to say something or explode.

A scarlet color rose to Kate's cheeks at his words.

"You sure know how to make an entrance yourself, Daniel," she stated, recalling him at the top of the steps, but now she turned serious, "but I gather you didn't bring me out here to pile on the platitudes. What did you want to talk about?"

Now it was his turn to look overtly embarrassed at the way she had complimented him. "Actually, I wanted to tell you something about the case," Daniel changed the subject, "I think I may know who sent those anonymous letters, and it's not our stalker, Hilda Jones."

Kate watched Daniel intently, "Really? Go on, Daniel, I'm listening."

"There's always been something strangely suspicious about my next door neighbors—I think they are not what they seem," Daniel then paused, "I'm beginning to sound like the movie trailer from a teenage horror film, complete with creepy neighbors plot-line."

That made Kate smile, "Cliché or not, we can't rule out anyone as the ones who sent those letters. What makes you suspicious of them?"

"The husband, Tom, is so cold and callous, like he's hiding something. And the wife, Jenny, looks upset every time I implied that she is from a different area. I couldn't quite put my finger on it until Paul's girlfriend, Serena, was speaking. The Claytons have a Bostonian accent, just like her."

"And?" Kate looked interested.

"And…that's it," Daniel ended.

Kate expelled an unsteady breath, "Daniel, that is pretty flimsy evidence. I can't just go up to them and accuse them of sending strange mailings because they come from Boston, can I?"

"You could try," he said in earnest.

"Daniel..."

"I know, I know," he considered, "it's just that...they're acting so suspiciously."

"Yes, but at least 10 other people at your party probably came from other places, too, but I can't place them all under an umbrella of suspicion."

"But none of them tried to hide where they came from," Daniel theorized.

She could see the look of impatience on Daniel's face, "Daniel, you understand that I can't do anything because we have neither motive or evidence. An accent from another town is not enough to even question them!"

"But maybe you can do it in your FBI roundabout way," Daniel suggested.

"FBI roundabout way?" Kate questioned, "That's not even an official interrogation term!"

Daniel eyed her suspiciously, "Are you reluctant to pursue this...because it's me?

Kate tilted her head, "What is that suppose to mean?"

"You know...I don't exactly make the most reliable eyewitness," Daniel sounded bitter, being that I see that aren't really there!"

"I trust your instincts, Daniel," Kate insisted, "You've certainly solved enough cases for the FBI. I don't think you are being fair about my judgment."

"It's just you didn't seem to want to pursue stalker HIlda Jones and now you want to ignore this lying couple," Daniel vented, "Therefore I can only conclude that it bothers you that you are relying on someone who sees imaginary scenarios."

Kate heaved a sigh. She hated these times when Daniel would get down on himself. After all, he was the one who stubbornly refused to take the medication.

"That's you speaking for me, and I don't think that's fair, Daniel." Kate claimed, "I've never acted like it bothered me before, did I?"

"Actually you have before," Daniel stated as Kate looked surprised, "How about the horrified look you had on your face that time I stood in the middle of the police station doing my little conducting act?"

"I wasn't horrified, Daniel," she defended herself, "it was more that I was... surprised, is all. Back then, we had just reconnected as colleagues. And remember, Daniel, during that time you were not exactly forthcoming with your condition."

"Because...it's just...I didn't tell you because I didn't want to be different from anyone else."

"Daniel," Kate stated. "I accept you as you are. I think it's you who cannot accept yourself."

"So you're saying...my behavior doesn't bother you at all in public?" Daniel gave her a measuring look.

"Everyone is capable of acting unexpectedly, depending on the circumstances," Kate stated.

Daniel lifted a questioning brow.

"And when's the last time you did something out of character?" Daniel asked.

"What?"

"Tell me," Daniel turned the tables, "when's the last time you did something out of character?"

"Oh! well, I..." Kate was stumbling for an example, then at last she looked at him, "I'm here at a party, arguing with you in the garden. That's certainly unexpected!"

They both knew that argument was weak.

"You know what I mean," Daniel said.

"So you're saying I'm not spontaneous?" Kate questioned, "that I'm dull and predictable?"

The conversation was clearly getting out of hand.

"No, of course not, Kate," Daniel backed down. He looked down on the ground.

"Because I can be impulsive, you know," Kate was getting defensive, " for instance...I might show up at your place...dressed as a clown! That's right, Daniel, that could happen! So what would your reaction be if I dressed up as a clown and tapped on your kitchen window to prove to you I can be funny and spontaneous?"

Daniel didn't skip a beat, "That particular scenario would send me panicking and screaming into the night, Kate."

The visual was just too funny and it made Kate laugh out loud, lightening the situation immensely.

"Oh, you would have that reaction, wouldn't you?" she had a bemused smile on her lips.

Daniel looked relieved, "It's just I hate clowns because they have on all that makeup, with those drawn smiles and...and those fake tears streaking down, I can't tell what emotion they're trying to show. It's annoying. In fact, I'm willing to bet that clowns actually hate other clowns."

"Okay, Daniel, I get it," Kate smiled, "You hate clowns and I am not spontaneous."

"Kate I didn't mean it that way-"

But Kate was looking contemplative when an idea entered her mind and her eyes suddenly sparkled.

"You know, Daniel," she proposed, "I think there is something totally unexpected that I can do with you now to prove my impulsiveness. We can do it right here in the garden."

"What?" Daniel was baffled.

"We can do it right here, right now."

Surely she didn't mean..."

"Uh, ...no, that's not necessary, Kate," Daniel assured her, now regretting the topic of spontaneity.

But Kate was determined, "No, Daniel, don't back down now. You claim I don't do unexpected things, and now I'm willing to do something spontaneous with you. Aren't you even curious?"

Daniel realized getting into unknown territory with Kate was scary, yet the idea intrigued him at the same time.

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