Page 41 of Three Girls Gone

“I don’t know what else to say that I didn’t years ago. The guy was the nicest one I ever met. He’d go above and beyond, even hand stitching sequins until the last hour. He gave up sleep for Kayla, more than once.”

“And how was he with her?” Katherine inched forward, disgusted by the need to ask.

“If you’re asking if he ever gave me the creeps, the answer is never. He and his boyfriend ended up getting married last fall. He sent me an invitation, but there was no way I was going to drag myself to Florida. Too many old, wrinkled retirees down there. Though, now that Bert and I have separated, maybe it’s not a bad idea. I could marry myself a feeble, wealthy widower and be set for life.”

From that summation, Dustin Hawley was pushed off the suspect list. “Just one more question. Do you remember seeing anyone backstage at the NYC pageant that stood out to you?”

“The one from just before…?”

“Yes. Julie’s last. Anything or anyone at that pageant stand out?” The murder of a young child should be enough to earmark that time in the woman’s memory.

“Huh. Now you ask. There was one woman. The rumor was she was sleeping with Mr.Gilbert.”

Katherine was scrambling for a notepad and pen. Nothing supported Dawn Gilbert or her husband, Evan, having an affair. Assuming he’d hidden it well, what would have his mistress lurking around backstage at his daughter’s pageant? “What was her name?”

“Anne… Let me think. Oh, Harrington.”

“Anne Harrington?”

“That’s right.”

Katherine found paper and a pen and wrote the name down. “Why never mention her before now?”

“Why would I have? You were interested in any creepy men hanging around. The national news said that Julie was… Uh. Assaulted.”

“That’s true.”

“And that’s why. But Anne was a real psycho.”

“How do you mean?”

“Oh, she went right up to Dawn and played nice, even brought her a coffee. Me and the other moms half expected it to be poisoned. That’s why Laura knocked it out of her hand.”

The mess Dickson was called to clean up.

“Do you know if Dawn’s husband ended the affair?”

“I couldn’t say.”

Katherine drew a circle around Anne’s name and stabbed the tip of her pen to the page a few times for emphasis. “Okay, thank you, Christi.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to hear the NYPD is still on this case. Julie deserves justice.”

Katherine tensed at the assumption but didn’t bother correcting her. The woman’s wording had also struck close to the name of her website. “Yes, she does.”

She ended the call and stared at the name. Anne Harrington.

After all these years, this was the first time she’d come up. But Christi made a good point. Julie had been sexually assaulted.However…Katherine trembled. No DNA had been recovered from Julie’s body. Had she made a fatal mistake by dismissing that lack of forensic evidence? If so, the FBI had too when they created their profile of the killer.

All she knew was a burning in her gut toldher Anne Harrington warranted further investigation. She looked around the cubicle warren assigned to Homicide. The seats were all empty except for one.

Katherine walked over. “Excuse me.”

Natalie Ryan turned to face her. “Sergeant Graves? What are you doing here?”

“Well, not sergeant anymore.” Katherine smiled.

“That’s right. You retired your badge. I heard you’re working with your aunt at her coffee shop.”