Running Scared

by Shirlee McCoy

  “What?”

  “Derrick didn’t want kids. He told me that over and over again—No kids. No way. No how. But he never mentioned his high school girlfriend. Never mentioned the baby they were going to have together.” Maggie’s voice trembled, and she swayed.

  “You need to sit down.” Kane took her arm.

  “I’m okay.”

  “Maggie—”

  “I am.” But she took a seat anyway, settling onto the couch, her skin paper white.

  “Maybe we should continue this outside.” Sheriff O’Malley walked toward the door, but Maggie shook her head.

  “This is more my business than anyone else’s. I’d rather you stay.”

  Sheriff O’Malley hesitated, then nodded. “All right. What else have you got, Kane?”

  “Just that the girlfriend died in San Francisco, California. Her friends said her death was suspicious. She was a cheerleader, an honor roll student. By all accounts a good kid who’d never touched drugs.”

  “And the police report?” the sheriff asked.

  “No physical evidence to indicate anything but a tragic accidental overdose.”

  “Anything else?”

  “That’s it, but I think it’s enough. Three women dead, and Maggie scared for her life. The guy is a killer, and he needs to be put away.”

  “You informed Miami PD of this?”

  “I had an associate send an e-mail file. I was hoping you could give them a call and follow up on the information.”

  “No problem. Unfortunately, the information won’t help us find Lyons. We’ve issued an APB on the guy, but there are a lot of back roads in Deer Park, plenty of places for a guy to hide if he wants to.” The sheriff walked to the door and turned his attention to Maggie. “I’m going to run patrols down your street every hour, but if anything suspicious happens, call 911. We can have someone here in minutes.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff.”

  “We’ll do everything we can to make sure Lyons doesn’t get to you, and if he’s in town, we’ll find him.” The sheriff walked out of the apartment and down the stairs.

  Maggie stood with her hand on the open door, as if she were waiting for Kane to follow the sheriff out.

  He ignored her subtle hint and walked toward her instead. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know.” She closed the door, leaned against it, her hand trembling as she brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. “I knew Derrick could be mean, but…”

  “But what?” He took her hand, tugged her into his arms. She didn’t resist. Just burrowed close, her head resting against his chest, her hair soft against his chin.

  “Those three women. That unborn baby. How could anyone do such a thing?” Her voice broke, and Kane smoothed a hand down her back, wishing he had words of comfort to offer, some wisdom that would make a difference.

  “I don’t know.”

  “And how could I not have known what he was capable of?”

  “How could you have? He’s probably a sociopath. No conscience but plenty of charm.”

  “Still. I should have known. I probably would have known if I hadn’t been so lost in my addiction. I told you before that I wasn’t a good person, Kane. I wasn’t lying.” She took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped away, looking into his eyes, letting him see the sadness and shame she carried.

  “You’re wrong. You’re a wonderful person, Maggie. Everything I know about you tells me that.”

  “Everything? Do you mean the fact that I was an exotic dancer or the fact that I would have sold my soul for my next hit?” She turned away, her back stiff, her words tight.

  “Do you really think those things make a difference to me?”

  “They should. You’ve got a son to worry about. The last thing he needs is someone like me in his life.”

  “Someone who cares, you mean? Someone who knows what it’s like to struggle, who has been to hell and back, and can say ‘I understand’ and really mean it? I think that’s the first thing he needs in his life.”

  She stiffened, but didn’t respond.

  “Maggie.” He put a hand on her shoulder, urged her around, his heart shattering as he saw the tears on her cheeks. “I never meant to make you cry.”

  “You didn’t.”

  “No?” He brushed away the moisture, watched as more tears fell.

  “I had so many dreams when I was a kid. If I’d followed them, I could have been a different person.”

  “You are a different person.”

  “But my past is still part of who I am, Kane. Don’t you see that? The person you thought I was, she doesn’t exist.”

  “How could she not exist? She’s standing right in front of me.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “I understand that your past made you who you are. I understand that who you are is exactly who I need in my life.”

  “Kane—”

  “Have a little faith in that, Maggie.” And he leaned down capturing her lips with his, sealing his words with a gentle promise.

  “Knock, knock. It’s your landlady.” Edith opened the door and peeked inside. “Oops. Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”

  “You’re not.” Maggie’s cheeks were bright pink as she stepped away from Kane and scrubbed the remnants of tears from her eyes.

  “Too bad.”

  “Edith!”

  “Well, you’re both young and single, and you both love that little boy. What’s the harm in hoping God might have big plans for you?”

  “Speaking of little boys,” Maggie said quickly, “how has Eli been doing? Since I wasn’t at school today, we didn’t get a chance to chat about how things are going.”

  “Actually, he’s the reason why I’m here. He was upset when he found out you weren’t coming to school for a few weeks. Principal Mallory had to call me to come get him.”

  “I’m so sorry. I should have thought of that.”

  “I think you had plenty to think about without worrying about Eli.”

  “I am worried about him, though.”

  “He’s fine. My mother is making cookies with him, and I believe they were going to play video games together.”

  “That sounds like fun.”

  “It’s just normal family stuff, but I think Eli is going to enjoy it.”

  “I remember when I was his age, I wanted nothing more than ‘normal’ family stuff.”

  “Well, there’s absolutely no good reason why you can’t have some normal family stuff now,” Edith said, and Maggie frowned.

  “What do you mean, Edith?”

  “The obvious. Kane should invite you over to his place to bake cookies and play video games.”

  “That’s a great idea, Edith.” Kane smiled at the older woman, and she winked.

  “No, it’s not. Kane and his family need time alone to bond with Eli.”

  “Why that’s just about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard. That boy needs his family, but he needs you, too. You’re his stability, his anchor. You’re not going to deny him that, are you?” Edith grabbed Maggie’s coat from the closet as she spoke, then tossed it around Maggie’s shoulders.

  “But what about you? I can’t leave you here with Derrick on the loose. What if he comes looking for me and finds you, instead?”

  “You think I’m afraid of that scoundrel? I’m not. Besides, there’s an unmarked police car parked right across the street. The deputy came over a few minutes ago and introduced himself. See?” She gestured to a dark sedan parked across the street.

  “Are you sure he’s really a deputy?” Kane frowned, wondering if Edith had bothered asking for identification.

  “Do you think I’m daft, young man? Of course I’m sure. He showed me his badge, and I called the sheriff to confirm it. He’ll be here until dark, and then someone else will take his place.”

  “The sheriff said he was going to run patrols. He didn’t say anything about an around-the-clock guard.” Maggie glanced at the unmarked car, tensing as a man we
aring a deputy uniform got out.

  “That was before a few of his men volunteered for extra duty. We protect our own around these parts, don’t we, Deputy Peterson?” Edith called out as the deputy approached.

  “That’s right. We’ll do everything we can to keep you safe, Ms. Tennyson.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  “And so do I,” Edith added. “Now, off you two go. I’ve got some friends coming over in an hour, and I’ve got a house to clean before then. Be good, and be home before dark.”

  Maggie laughed, but Kane could hear the tension in it. “You’re incorrigible, Edith.”

  “I try. Now skedaddle.”

  “I’ll take my own car,” Maggie said, hurrying to her Ford and barely sparing Kane a glance. She was nervous or scared or both. Kane didn’t blame her. Derrick was out there somewhere, and until he was found, she wouldn’t be safe.

  He glanced around as he got into his SUV. The day was bright and sunny, the sky clear. Kane wanted to believe the beauty of it was a harbinger of good things to come, but the sun had been shining the day his wife had died of a coronary embolism. The sky had been clear and beautiful the day Eli had disappeared. Sunny weather didn’t mean that a storm wasn’t on the horizon. Kane would be watching for it, and he’d be praying that when it hit, they’d all survive.

  FIFTEEN

  Four double-chocolate chocolate chip cookies was two cookies too many, but Maggie didn’t care. She bit into her fourth cookie with as much enjoyment as she had the first, savoring the rich chocolatey taste as Kane and Eli battled aliens on a computer screen. For the first time in days, she felt completely relaxed, and she savored that as much as she did the cookie.

  “Want a cup of coffee or a glass of milk?” Kane’s mother asked from her seat in a rocking chair. Slim and young looking, Lila Dougherty had the kind of easygoing nature that could make anyone feel welcome. Her husband, Richard, and daughter, Jenna, were just as warm and hospitable.

  And Maggie did feel welcome.

  So welcome she was tempted to stay exactly where she was, sitting on the sofa in Kane’s living room, a warm fire crackling in the fireplace, laughter and conversation swirling around her.

  But she’d been there almost three hours, and it was time to go, no matter how much she didn’t want to face her silent apartment and her fears. “No, thank you. I need to head home.”

  “Can’t you stay for dinner?” Eli asked, not even glancing away from the television screen and the giant green monster he was trying to defeat.

  “We’d love to have you, Maggie,” Lila said, looking up from the quilt she was hand stitching with a beautiful star pattern. “I have a pot roast in the slow cooker, and there’s plenty.”

  “I wish I could, but I have a lot of studying to do. College finals are coming up, and I want to do well.” Everything she said was true, but Maggie had been studying consistently. She knew the material, and taking an evening off wouldn’t hurt. Except that staying longer would mean driving home in the dark, getting out of the car in the dark, walking to the house in the dark. Sure, there was a deputy stationed outside Edith’s house, but the thought still made her shiver.

  “Well, then how about tomorrow night?” Lila placed her sewing on the coffee table and stood.

  “I—”

  “You may as well say yes. My family is very persistent when they want something.” Jenna had been sitting in a chair close to the fire, conversing with everyone, her laughing, animated expression in sharp contrast to her pale fragility.

  “Persistent? More like doggedly driven.” Kane set the game control down and stretched, his T-shirt pulling against firm biceps and hard abs.

  Maggie looked away, her cheeks heating, her pulse racing.

  Physical attraction. That was all it was.

  Or all she wanted it to be.

  Because that she could deal with. That she could ignore.

  What she couldn’t ignore was the way she felt when she looked into Kane’s eyes. He knew about her past, knew about her mistakes, but he still looked at her as if she were the most beautiful woman in the world, treated her as if she were the kind of woman she’d always longed to be.

  “I’ll make chicken and dumplings, and we can have warm pecan pie and ice cream for dessert. I used to be a Southern girl, you know.” Lila smiled winningly, and Maggie saw Eli in her pale skin and freckled face.

  Maggie smiled. “No, I didn’t know that.”

  “It’s true. Southern through and through until I met Richard on a mission trip to Mexico City. He was a Yankee, but I forgave him.”

  “After you made me promise that we’d never live north of the Mason-Dixon Line.” Richard slid an arm around his wife’s waist and pulled her close. More than six feet tall with a runner’s build and the same clear green eyes as his son, he seemed quiet and steady, a man who could be depended on. Like Kane.

  “Yet somehow we ended up in New York.” Lila feigned a disgusted sigh. “Which just goes to show that God’s plans are often much different than our own. Now, how about dinner tomorrow? Richard and I are leaving Saturday, and we’d love to see you one more time before we go.”

  “I…” Maggie knew she should say no. She even felt the word forming on her tongue. Somehow it never made it out of her mouth. “Sure. I’d love to join you for dinner tomorrow night. I’ll bring the ice cream to go with the pie.”

  “Wonderful!” Lila grabbed Maggie’s hand and pulled her into a hug that was as easy and comfortable as it was unexpected.

  “She’s not going to be able to come tomorrow if you don’t let her leave today, Mom.” Jenna’s wry comment made Maggie smile as she stepped away from Lila.

  “Here’s your coat. I put something in the pocket. A little snack for later.” Richard handed Maggie her coat and winked.

  “Thank you, Mr. Dougherty.”

  “Richard.”

  “I’m going to escort Maggie to her place. I’ll be back in half an hour.” Kane’s words were like a splash of ice water in her face, and all the warmth Maggie had been feeling, all the contentment and peace fled. Derrick was in Deer Park. For all she knew, he was outside Kane’s house, just waiting to shoot whoever walked out the door first.

  “Kane, that’s not necessary. Stay here with your family. I’ll be fine.” And if she ran into Derrick, at least she wouldn’t take someone else down with her.

  “You know I’m not going to do that, right?” he murmured, as he pulled the edges of her coat together and lifted the collar to cover her ears, his knuckles brushing the tender flesh beneath her jaw.

  She shivered, knowing she should step away but stepped closer instead. “It would be better if you did.”

  “You may as well not argue, Maggie. You’re not going to win.” Jenna spoke into the tension, her easy grin doing nothing to ease Maggie’s fear or slow her racing pulse.

  “Can I come, too?” Eli asked, and Maggie and Kane both said no, their voices merging and overlapping, so that they could easily have been one. In agreement. For once.

  “Why not?”

  “Because you were supposed to show me how to fight aliens,” Lila responded. He frowned but didn’t argue.

  “I’ll see you all tomorrow night. I have a class from three to five. Is six too late to come by?”

  “Six is perfect.” Lila offered another smile, and Maggie couldn’t help wondering what it would have been like to be raised by a woman like her. A woman of faith and conviction and easy good humor, one who put the needs of her family before her own needs. Not a perfect mother, but a loving one.

  If Maggie were ever to get married and have kids, that’s the kind of mother she’d want to be. The kind of person she’d want to be.

  Married? With kids?

  No way was that going to happen.

  Maggie had made that decision years ago.

  But, then, she’d also decided to live a party life, to give herself over to the same addiction and sin her mother and grandmother had fallen into.

&nbs
p; And here she was in a small town, living a clean, God-honoring life, doing her best to be the kind of person He wanted her to be.

  Which just goes to show that God’s plans are often much different than our own.

  Lila’s words seemed to echo through Maggie’s mind as she followed Kane out the front door.

  “I’ll be right behind you all the way to your place. When we get there, don’t get out of your car until I come open the door, okay?” There was a hard edge to Kane’s voice, and Maggie nodded, looking up into his face and seeing the determination there.

  “Kane, I really wish you’d stay here. Eli needs a father, and I couldn’t live with myself if Derrick took that from him.”

  “Derrick is after you, not me. And based on the crimes he’s committed so far, I’d say he prefers to make things look like an accident. He won’t use a gun or a knife, and he won’t strike when there are witnesses around. He’ll wait until he thinks no one is looking. Then he’ll pounce.”

  “That’s…comforting.” She shuddered at the thought of Derrick lurking in the shadows waiting for just the right opportunity to attack.

  Kane smiled gently and ran his knuckle along her cheek, the touch tender and light. “It’s going to be okay, Maggie.”

  “I hope you’re right.”

  “How can I not be? God is in control. He’s performed miracles already, and I don’t think He plans to stop until He sees us through this.”

  Maggie tried to believe that as she got in her car and pulled out onto the road. She did believe it, but she was terrified anyway. Terrified of Derrick and of what she knew he was capable of. Terrified of her fickle heart and the way it leaped and jumped whenever Kane was around. Terrified of losing what she had, but even more terrified of keeping it and missing out on what she might gain if only she were willing to relax and let God lead where He would.

  The sedan was still parked in front of Edith’s house when Maggie pulled into the driveway, but she stayed in her car anyway, waiting as Kane knocked on Edith’s door. It swung open, and Kane jogged to Maggie’s car.

  “Ready?” he asked as she opened the door.

  “Sure.”