“Maybe. We’re still trying to figure out how the killer is getting the IP addresses. There was nothing on the servers at the school.”
Ethan had never told me so much before, and I wanted him to keep talking to me about it. I hated being in the dark, especially when it involved me in some way. “Were the other victims freshmen or new to the school?”
“No, they weren’t. They each had been students for at least a year.”
I kept thinking. “You know what’s weird?”
“What’s that?” He yawned.
“I had just started school not a month before. How did he find me?”
Ethan sighed. “I wish I knew. I really fucking wish I knew.”
“I mean, I hadn’t used my computer except at school and my condo during that time.”
“I know.”
“It’s just weird. Like he got my info from the school.”
“That’s why we checked the servers. There was nothing.”
We lay in bed for a long time while my brain worked. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. As dawn crested and the light was slipping in through the gaps in the blinds, a thought occurred to me.
I slipped out of bed, grabbed my laptop from my bag, and powered it on as I sat on the floor, my back against the edge of the mattress. After Ethan’s cybercrime unit scanned my computer, they deleted the program the killer was using to spy on me. As the laptop booted, the familiar chimes of its starting sequence pierced the quiet room. I pressed the volume down button repeatedly until it muted, but it was too late.
“Come back to bed, Buttercup. I can’t sleep without you.”
“One second. I need to check something.”
“Is everything okay?”
I didn’t reply. Instead, I opened the internet browser, pulled up my email, and searched all the emails from Lakeshore University.
“Reagan?” I heard Ethan sit up, but I didn’t turn to look at him.
My eyes widened as I saw that I still had the email I was searching for. I clicked the email open and stood, turning to face Ethan. His gaze moved from the screen and then back up to me as he squinted from the bright glow of the laptop.
I pointed at it, holding the computer in one hand. “See this link?”
“Yeah?” he questioned.
“I’m assuming every student gets it because that’s how we create our profiles to log into the school’s site for various things like grades, our schedules, whatever.”
“Are you saying you think that’s how he got your IP address?”
“It has to be. If there’s nothing on the servers at school, and that’s the Wi-Fi students use while on campus, this has to be the missing link. I don’t know how it all works, but maybe the guy is trolling students when they use the university’s unsecured Wi-Fi?”
“Holy shit.” Ethan grabbed the laptop from me and put it on the bed while he got up and moved to the closet. “You may be onto something.”
I grinned. If this was the key and he could trace it, then all of this would be over soon. “Do you think I’m right?”
“I don’t know,” he replied, slipping into black slacks. “But I’m going to take this into the station.” He held up my computer. I didn’t protest this time. I wanted him to take it because I was hopeful this would help.
Maddie and I went out for lunch. The entire time, I kept looking at my phone to see if Ethan had texted or called me with an update. I didn’t tell Maddison that we might have had a breakthrough in the case because I didn’t want her to think about the potential danger I thought about all the time. I just wanted her to have a nice Thanksgiving break with me.
“I’ll be home no later than 12:15,” I told Maddie as I grabbed my keys from the table by the door. “If you’re still awake—”
She chuckled. “I’ll be awake.”
“Okay.” We hugged and then I left, Pablo following behind me. I needed this link with the email to work out because, as it was, my daughter had more freedom than I did. Either Evan or Pablo drove me the two blocks to Judy’s, stayed the entire time at a table near the door until Ethan arrived to drive—or walk—me home.
Pablo followed me through the back door after I unlocked it. We weren’t hiding the fact that I had a security detail any longer. Ethan told Pablo and Evan to stay near me at all times, and I was okay with that. I didn’t want to be put in immediate danger; I just wanted it to end.
Hours later, I still hadn’t heard from Ethan. I hoped that meant my idea had led to a lead and they were tracking the guy down. I was trying to focus on work, given it was a Friday night and we were busy as hell because of the holiday weekend, but I just wanted to know. I needed to know if they had someone in custody so I could stop looking over my shoulder.
Moving to my next customer, I shook my head. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to have dinner with you,” Maddie replied, holding up a brown paper bag.
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her that she wasn’t safe, but then I thought better of it. I didn’t want her to worry. She wasn’t necessarily in danger. She wasn’t a student of Lakeshore University, and that seemed to be his MO. The killer might not know who she was or anything about her.
“You made us dinner?” I questioned.
Maddison grinned. “I did, but it’s just soup and Cheez-Its.”
“Perfect for this cold night.” Even though I was sweaty from working, I’d still eat it because I was hungry, and my daughter had cooked for me.
“Am I too early?”
I looked at the clock behind the bar. “Nope, let’s go into the back.”
After clearing the bar, I stopped. “Let me tell Pablo to take dinner too.”
“Okay, I’ll go set it up.”
Maddie went to the break room, as I turned and headed toward where Pablo was sitting. “Maddison made me dinner. We’ll stay in the break room. Why don’t you go grab something to eat?”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“I promise. I won’t leave the break room until you come back.”
“Okay. I won’t be long.”
“I have thirty minutes.”
He nodded and slid off his stool. I turned and went to the back, where Maddison had bowls set out on the table with steaming chicken soup. It smelled delicious.
“I make this in my dorm.”
I furrowed my brows in confusion as I sat at the small table. “I don’t remember a stove in your tiny dorm room.”
She smiled. “No, but you gave me your Crock-Pot, remember?”
I took a bite and instantly coughed. “Yeah, and this is spicy.”
Maddie’s grin widened. “Yeah.”
“It’s good, though. You made this in the Crock-Pot?” Apparently, my little girl had been busy for the past few hours.
“Yeah. It’s only four ingredients: chicken, chicken stock, salsa, and cheese.”
“It’s delicious.”
“You have to try it with the Cheez-Its.”
I dropped a cracker into my bowl and then grabbed it with a spoonful of soup. It was even better. “Wow. Where did you learn to make this?”
She shrugged. “Pinterest.”
We took a few more bites of the soup and crackers. “Thank you for making me dinner.”
“Of course. You have to eat.”
“And you have to leave me on Sunday.” I frowned. I wanted her to stay longer. I missed our mother and daughter time.
“I’ll be back in just a few weeks for Christmas break.”
“I know, but I’ll miss you.”
“I’ll miss you too.” She stood and gave me a hug. “You know that you can visit any time, right?”
“I might take you up on that.”
“Bring Ethan.”
I grinned. “Do you like him?”
She rolled her green eyes that matched mine. “Like is an understatement. He’s perfect for you.”
“He is, isn’t he?” I sighed dreamily.
“Are you going to get marri
ed?”
I blinked. Were we going to get married? That was always the plan when we were younger, but I didn’t know if that was still in the cards. “I don’t know.”
“But you’re in love, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then you’ll get married,” Maddie stated. “Can I be your maid of honor?”
I chuckled. “Yeah, honey. Obviously, you can.” We finished our soup, and then it was time for me to head back out on the floor. We walked back out to the bar, and I went to make sure Pablo was back. He was. “You’re sure you’ll be awake when I get home?” I asked Maddison.
“Of course. I’m a college student. I never go to sleep before two.”
“Right.” I smiled and gave her a hug. She turned and walked out the door, and I went back to work.
Three hours later, it was almost time for me to go home. I still hadn’t heard from Ethan despite the few texts I’d sent him, and that wasn’t like him at all. But just as I was grabbing my purse from my locker, he called. “Hey, I’m just grabbing my purse,” I answered as my greeting.
I heard a sigh on the other end. “I’m not there, Buttercup. I’m still at the station.”
“Oh,” I breathed.
“Have Pablo take you home, okay?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“I love you, and I’m sorry.”
“I love you too.” I shut my locker. “But this means that things are getting better with the case?”
“Yeah, the email got a hit. We’ve been trying to track down all employees today.”
“It was an employee?” I asked and started to walk out to the front to tell Pablo I was ready to leave, and he needed to drive me home.
“Yeah, we’re working on a few things, but I finally feel like this was the break we needed. Thank you.”
I grinned and stopped in front of Pablo. “Glad I could help.”
“Go home and spend time with Maddie. Don’t wait up, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Love you,” Ethan said again.
“Love you too.”
We hung up, and I looked up into Pablo’s brown eyes. “Ethan is still at the station, so he asked if you can take me home.”
“Of course,” he replied and motioned for me to lead the way to the back door.
Once outside, we got into a black SUV, and he drove us the two blocks to Ethan’s. I suppose it was my place too. I wasn’t paying rent because Ethan refused any money from me because his sister was cutting him a deal. It was actually my ex’s money, given that I was still getting spousal support, but whatever. If Ethan and I were to get married, that would change too. I didn’t need Grant’s money, but it was nice to get a monthly check in the mail after he’d cheated on me with various women for the greater part of our marriage. His secretary was the last one before I found out about it at his company’s Christmas party when they thought they’d be sneaky and have a quickie in the bathroom.
Pablo parked, and we rode the elevator up to my floor. The higher we rose, the more I sensed something was wrong. I wasn’t sure what it was. When the elevator dinged and the doors opened, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that Maddie wasn’t home like she said she would be. Mother’s intuition.
When I got to the door, I checked to make sure it was locked before slipping in my key. I had a weird beat to my heart like I could sense everything was about to change.
When I swung the door open and found the condo dark, the hairs on the back of my neck stood. I glanced up at Pablo. “Maddie said she was going to wait up for me.”
“Let me go in first and check it out.”
I swallowed, my mind already going to the darkest place. “Okay,” I whispered and stepped aside so he could enter. My heart was beating even faster as I waited and waited and waited for what felt like hours but was only mere seconds. Then dread washed over me when Pablo returned.
“It’s clear, but Maddison’s not here.”
It was the night.
The night Jack would know that he couldn’t play me for a fool. I’d never killed twice in forty-eight hours, but it was part of my plan. It was how I was going to be able to get Reagan alone. While Sergeant Valor was working Fiona’s case, I was getting my revenge on Jack, and Reagan was my pawn.
Since the night I’d seen Reagan and Jack laughing and flirting at Judy’s, Jack had come to my place almost every night to get laid. That would be no more. I was taking his obsession away from him. I was going to make him beg, to tell me that he was sorry, and then force him to watch as Reagan took her last breath. That would show him what it meant to hurt me, to think I was nothing more than a piece of ass for him. Actions had consequences, and when Jack saw me take Reagan’s life, he’d know not to mess with me.
Not to wrong me.
Not to fuck me over.
Reagan’s murder was going to be different. I had no key to her place any longer because she’d changed her locks, but I didn’t need one. I was going to follow her out the back door after her shift at Judy’s, force my way in to her apartment, and use the ether I still had from Fiona’s murder. Then I’d take Reagan to my place and wait for Jack to make his nightly visit. That’s when the fun would begin.
When I got to Judy’s, though, I saw Reagan with a mini Reagan and my plan changed. Mini Reagan would be easier to kill since I wasn’t using my usual method of incapacitation. I was still going to make Jack watch me, to show him that if he continued to betray me, I’d take Reagan away too. Show everyone that this was my game, my rules, and if they thought they were smarter, everyone had another thing coming.
Since I hadn’t been actively watching Reagan, I hadn’t known a mini Reagan had shown up. When I saw Reagan on campus, I heard her talking to someone that I’d assumed was her daughter because of words and little phrases I heard her say like honey, college girl, and that she was trying to be a cool mom. Little did Reagan know that her actions had consequences. If she didn’t work at Judy’s, she wouldn’t have been flirting with my man, and I wouldn’t be moments away from taking her daughter away from her.
Oh well. You win some, you lose some.
Mini Reagan walked out into the cold Chicago night. Our eyes met briefly, and she smiled politely. I started to follow her as she walked past me. When we walked next to my parked car, I took the ether and rag out of my coat pocket and soaked the rag with the liquid. As I crept in closer, I slipped the bottle back into my pocket and then made my move. My arms went around her face, her long, dark brown hair fell against my chest, and I held her as she tried to break free until she went limp, the bag she was holding falling to the ground. Luckily for me, since it was freezing out, there wasn’t anyone nearby. I was able to put Mini Reagan’s limp body into the backseat of my car and drive off.
At a red light, she started to stir. I took the damp rag from my pocket and placed it on her face, covering her nose. I needed her to stay knocked out. I’d learned my lesson with Fiona. Ether only worked for about ten or fifteen minutes after being removed from the face, and I needed at last twenty to get back to my house.
After pulling into my driveway, I parked in the garage, got out, and then grabbed the wheelbarrow I had set aside. I dragged Mini Reagan out of the backseat and into it. There was no way that I would be able to carry her all the way down to my basement from my garage. I pushed Mini Reagan out of my garage and into my house, the wheelbarrow barely fitting through the doorway.
Killing my victims in their own homes was much easier. I’d slip in, knock them out, drag them to their couches, kill them, and I was done. Since I was at my place and didn’t want to ruin my flooring or furniture, I did what I’d seen on TV and covered a portion of my basement in heavy plastic that I’d gotten at the same hardware store where I get my wood for my woodworking. Paid with cash, of course.
When I got to my basement door, I took the rag away from Mini Reagan’s face and slid her out of the wheelbarrow. Holding her under her shoulders, I walked down the steps backward as her feet dropped s
tep by step until we were at the bottom. Before tying her to a metal chair covered in plastic, I placed the rag to her nose again for good measure. I wasn’t ready for her to wake up yet because Jack was due to come over at any minute.
After I tied the nylon/polyester blend rope tight around her wrists and ankles, I left Mini Reagan tied up in my basement and went to wait for Jack.
The moment my foot hit the top step, my doorbell rang. My heart started to beat faster, knowing Jack was about to learn who I really was. I wasn’t worried that he’d tell the police. I was too good to be caught, and there was no evidence linking me to the previous murders. There would be no evidence of Mini Reagan’s murder either because when I was done with her, everything would be burned.
Including her.
I locked the door to the basement and hurried to greet Jack. With a huge smile on my face, I opened the front door to see him standing before me. It was always the same: he’d ring the doorbell, I’d open the door, and he’d push me back against the wall as though we hadn’t seen each other in months. The door would slam shut, our clothes would come off as we made a trail upstairs to my bedroom, and then we’d fuck.
It was fucking. There was no love in what we were doing. That didn’t mean I was okay with him flirting with other people. Okay, fine, I loved Jack, which was why I was going to show him what I was truly capable of. That was why I was going to show him my other side. The side that got my blood racing. The side that made me feel alive. The side where I was in control.
In the bedroom, I let Jack take the lead. He’d take me from the back, the front, every which way until we were both coming. And then he’d leave. At the office we’d grin at each other, wink, have the occasional brush of hands when no one was looking, and then at night, we’d do it all over again.
Except everything was going to be different once he knew the truth.
Jack still pushed me back against the wall when I swung the door open, the door still slammed shut as his mouth met mine, and we still left a trail of clothes up to my bedroom. Jack still fucked me hard, and we both still got off, but before he got out of bed to leave, I stopped him by grabbing his wrist.
Watch Me Page 17