Page 45 of Wild Frost

"Well, she told me she liked it a little on the rough side, if you know what I mean."

I knew what she meant.

"Nothing wrong with that, mind you, as long as it's between consenting adults. But she told me a few times her husband tied her up, beat her, then… Well, I don't even really want to say.”

“It could be helpful to the case,” I said.

“He let other men come in and… well, you know.”

JD and I both lifted an astonished brow.

"She told me she didn't consent to that. He let them have their way with her over a weekend.”

"Did she file a police report?"

"Not that I am aware of. I don't think she wanted her personal life exposed like that. Can you imagine your personal business flashed all across the news?” Stacy shivered at the thought. “Patients would never look at you the same way again.” Then she added, “And this wasn’t an isolated incident, either.”

"Her husband sounds like a real scumbag," Jack said.

Stacy replied, "Now this is all secondhand. Just what Miriam told me. What really happened, I don't know. But she had no reason to lie to me. It sounds horrible, unless you're into that kind of thing, which she claimed she wasn't.”

"We’ll have a talk with her husband," I said.

"The guy just gives me the ick. I don't know what she ever saw in him. Steve is a total douchebag. You'll see when you meet him."

I took her contact information, then gave her a card and told her to get in touch if anything else came to mind.

She sighed. "I guess I need to start calling patients and canceling their appointments. I can't believe this happened."

JD and I expressed our condolences, then started for the door.

Stacy called after us. “Do you think…" She stopped herself, then started again. "Do you think maybe Steve got afraid she was going to file charges? And that's what this is all about?”

I shrugged. "Sounds like as good a theory as any."

A prideful smile tugged the corners of her lips. "If that's true, I hope you nail the son-of-a-bitch to the wall."

This case just took a dark, twisted turn.

We set out to find Steve Renick and have a few words with him.

24

The DMV had Steve Renick still living in Whispering Heights, but we didn’t find him at the house. A neighbor said he moved out and was living on a friend’s boat in the Mangrove Bay Marina, or so he heard.

We drove over and found Steve’s black Lexus SUV in the parking lot. Jack parked the Porsche, and we hopped out. I called Isabella and asked her to track Steve’s phone.

With a few taps of the keys, she located the device and guided us to his phone. It was aboard a 50-foot sailboat namedTriple Leverage. Brand spanking new, with all the latest tech and gadgets—twin helm station, carbon fiber Bimini top, flush-mounted fully integrated solar panels, teak deck work. Stainless-steel rails glimmered in the sun.

I banged on the stern and shouted, “Coconut County."

A moment later, Steve climbed the wide companionway and poked his head out of the hatch. He looked at us with quizzical eyes.

Steve was an average-looking guy in his mid-40s with short brown hair, a slightly receding hairline, and a square face. Miriam was a little out of his league. "Can I help you?"

I made introductions and said, "I'm afraid I’ve got some bad news for you. You mind if we come aboard?"

Steve shrugged, then joined us in the cockpit as we boarded.