The Wreck

by Marie Force

  Carly had heard the rumblings in town since Alicia’s murder. People were frustrated by the lack of progress in the investigation and looking for someone to blame. Unfortunately, Chief Westbury was the most readily available target. “Hopefully it’ll all be over soon,” she said.

  “I don’t know how much more of this my dad can take. I’m afraid he’s going to drop dead one of these days from the stress.”

  “He’ll be fine. He won’t let gossip distract him.”

  Carly’s cell phone rang, and when she reached into her purse for it, she noticed a scrap of white paper tucked into her phone. Puzzled, she flipped open the phone, and the paper fluttered onto her lap. She gasped when she looked down to find the word “SOON” in bright red letters. “Oh my God,” she whispered.

  Brian looked over and startled, causing the car to swerve. A horn blared from the lane next to them. “Don’t touch it,” he said, his eyes darting back and forth between the note on Carly’s lap and the interstate.

  “How did he get a note into my purse?” she whispered.

  “Who was it that called?”

  Her hands shaking, Carly checked her phone to find the number unavailable. “I can’t tell.”

  Brian’s knuckles turned white from the grip he had on the steering wheel.

  They both jolted when the phone rang again.

  “Who is it?” Brian asked.

  Carly glanced at the caller ID. “It’s an out-of-state number.” She took a deep breath before she answered the call. “Hello?”

  “Carly! It’s Mrs. Townsend. I was so delighted to receive the invitation to your wedding and to get your mother’s note that you’re talking again. I’m just thrilled for you and Brian.”

  “Thank you,” Carly said, relieved. “I hope you’ll be able to make it to the wedding.”

  “That’s why I’m calling—to tell you I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I booked my flight from Baltimore just this morning. Mr. Townsend is living in Phoenix now, so I don’t think he’ll make it.”

  The reminder that Michelle’s parents had divorced a few years after the accident saddened Carly. Their marriage hadn’t survived the loss of their only daughter. “Well, I can’t wait to see you. It’s been too long.”

  “Yes, honey,” Mrs. Townsend said. “Yes, it has. Michelle would be delighted to know you’re finally marrying Brian.”

  “I think so, too. You didn’t call before, did you? A few minutes ago?”

  “No, why?”

  “I had another call that I missed.”

  “No, it wasn’t me. Listen, I’ve got to run, but I’ll see you very soon.”

  “Looking forward to it.” Carly closed the phone and sat perfectly still with the note staring up at her.

  “It wasn’t her before?” Brian asked as he flipped open his own cell phone to call his father.

  “No.”

  “Hang on, honey. We’re almost there.”

  They met Michael at a park-and-ride lot in the south end of town. When they pulled in, he got out of his car and approached the passenger side of the SUV.

  Opening the door, he stared at the note for a long moment before he used tweezers to put it in an evidence bag. “You didn’t touch it?” he asked Carly.

  “No. It fell from my cell when I opened it.”

  “I’d like to also take your purse to be analyzed for prints. We’ll do it as fast as we can.” When Carly nodded in agreement, he slipped the small purse into a larger evidence bag.

  “What about her phone?” Brian asked.

  “That, too,” Michael said, holding open another bag for Carly to drop the phone into. “Has your purse been unattended recently?”

  “Not that I can think of, but my mind is racing right now.”

  Michael reached out to put his large hand over both of hers. “Take a breath, honey, and try to think. Were you in a restaurant and left it at the table to go to the restroom, or in a store—”

  “I went to Miss Molly’s this morning to get coffee,” she said as she suddenly remembered. “I took money with me but left my purse at home.”

  “Where were you?” Michael asked his son.

  “In the shower.”

  The statement hung over them.

  “Jesus Christ,” Brian muttered. “He was in the apartment while I was in the shower?”

  Carly whimpered as she looked at Brian. “I didn’t even think to lock the door because I was coming right back. What if he had hurt you?”

  Brian rested his hand on her arm.

  “Did you see anyone you knew between your place and Miss Molly’s?” Michael asked.

  Carly thought about it, began to shake her head to say no, but then froze.

  “What?” Brian asked. “Who did you see?”

  “I saw … I saw Luke. He had just left Miss Molly’s.”

  Michael’s mouth tightened with tension as he exchanged glances with his son.

  “It’s not him!” Carly cried. “I know it isn’t!”

  “Carly, I know you don’t want it to be him,” Michael said. “Hell, I don’t, either.”

  Brian explained to his father about the gut feelings Carly had relied upon during her years of silence. “She thinks if she had something to fear from him, she’d know it.”

  “It’s not him,” Carly said again.

  “We might have another possibility. Did either of you know a kid named Randy Lowell in school? He was in Sam’s class.”

  “I knew him,” Brian said. “But just to say hi to.”

  “I don’t remember him,” Carly said.

  “We were so sure this was about you, Carly, that we never really looked at Sam’s class. I could kick myself for being so stupid. If it turns out to be him...”

  “What’ve you got so far?” Brian asked.

  Michael brought them up to speed on the DUI arrest and the warrant. “They caught him late morning, so he could’ve been in Granville earlier and put the note in your purse. We spent most of the day questioning him, and when I left to come here, Matt and Nate were trying to put together a timeline of his whereabouts for the last few years. Lowell claims he just moved back to Rhode Island in April.”

  “If that’s true, he wasn’t the one who attacked Tanya Lewis in January,” Brian said.

  “I know,” Michael said, sounding dejected. “He claims he was in Missouri and moved back here to be closer to his parents. However, he never registered as a sex offender, and he says the whole thing with the parole violation was a misunderstanding.” Michael frowned as he added, “The other thing that’s bugging me is he doesn’t fit the physical description the girls have provided. He’s tall, but not unusually tall like they all said.”

  “Still,” Brian said, “it could be a break. There’s a tie to all of us going back to high school and a record of similar crimes.”

  “Right,” Michael said. “But there’re still way too many ifs to say for sure that it’s him. So we have to operate under the assumption that our guy is still out there. Until this is over, you two are together every minute of every day, you got me? No more trips to Miss Molly’s or anywhere else alone. He’s much less likely to go after you if Brian is with you.”

  Carly nodded. “I know.” She took another deep breath in an attempt to calm her frazzled nerves.

  “He’s waiting for his chance, so you can’t give him any opportunity,” Michael added. “And make sure you always have your phone with you, son. You still have the pepper spray, right, Carly?”

  She patted the pocket of her skirt. “With me every minute.”

  “We need about thirty minutes at your place to work up the door—not that we’ll find anything,” Michael said. “Can I borrow your key?”

  Brian gave him his. “God, Dad, how much longer are we supposed to live this way?”

  The strain showed on Michael’s face. “I hope not much longer.” He gestured to the evidence bags on the floor. “He’s getting more brazen, which is a sign that he thinks he’s invincible. He’ll screw
up, and when he does, we’ll be waiting.”

  “Did you hear the stuff on the radio earlier?” Brian asked.

  Michael shrugged with indifference. “The mayor’s a putz. I’ve been ignoring his calls, so he’s pissed with me. He doesn’t bother me.”

  “You can’t let it get to you,” Carly said, resting her hand on Michael’s arm. “You have to think about your health.”

  Michael smiled and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry about me. I need to get back to town. This concert was a nice idea, but it’s causing us some major security and traffic headaches. Oh, I talked to Mom while I was waiting for you. She said to tell you she’ll get a ride into town with Steve and Carol, and she’ll meet you there.”

  “Okay,” Brian said.

  “You two be careful, you hear?”

  “We will,” Brian assured him. “I won’t let Carly out of my sight.”

  “Good. I’ll try to come by the common tonight to find you all if I can break loose for a bit.” Michael picked up the three plastic bags and left them with a wave.

  Brian and Carly watched him get into his car and drive away.

  “I can’t believe he was in our apartment,” she said. “If anything had happened to you… What was I thinking leaving the door unlocked?”

  “Hey.” He brought her into his arms. “Nothing’s going to happen to me—or you. I won’t let it.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. “I’ve been so focused on the wedding that I’ve let myself be lulled into a false sense of security. I guess I thought if I didn’t think about him, he might go away.”

  Brian pressed his lips to her forehead. “There might be a way to bring this whole thing to a quick end.”

  She lifted her head to look at him. A muscle in his cheek pulsed with tension. “What do you mean?”

  “Remember how they wanted to set something up with you as bait?”

  She nodded. “You wouldn’t hear of it. Have you changed your mind?”

  “Not really. But I’m starting to realize this could go on indefinitely, and that’s no way for either of us to live.”

  “So what’re you saying?”

  “I might be willing to hear what they have in mind—if you’re still up for it, that is.”

  “I’d be up for anything that would help catch this guy.”

  “Even if it meant putting yourself in danger? Real danger, Carly.”

  She swallowed hard. “I’d do it, if for no other reason than to get the guy who killed Sam and the others. He all but ruined our lives, Brian. I want him to pay for what he took from us and so many other people.”

  “Tomorrow we’ll talk to my dad and Agent Barclay. I’ll need to be 100 percent certain they’ve thought of every possible scenario before I agree to it.”

  “I’ll leave it up to you. You’ll know better than me if it can be done or not.”

  He started the car. “I can’t believe I’m even considering this.”

  “You were right when you said this is no way for us to live. If we can do something to end it before he hurts someone else, why wouldn’t we?”

  “Because if something went wrong, you could be raped … or worse. Dangling the woman he loves in front of a psychopath is not something a man does lightly.”

  “Let’s put it out of our minds for tonight and try to enjoy the concert. Can you do that?”

  He snorted. “Um, yeah. Sure. No problem.”

  Carly laughed and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

  Chapter 27

  By the time Brian and Carly pulled onto Main Street, the Granville town common had been taken over by concert preparations. A makeshift stage had been erected at one end. Behind it, a huge generator truck provided power to the stage and several elaborate light towers. In front of the stage, a cluster of curious teens watched the setup. On the grass, families had claimed their spots with plaid blankets and stadium chairs.

  Brian found a parking space on Main Street, six blocks past Carson’s. “Looks like we got back just in time.”

  Carly looked around with amazement at the hubbub of activity in the usually tranquil downtown. “And the concert doesn’t even start for an hour. I can see what your dad was saying about traffic and security.”

  Carrying the bags from their Providence shopping trip, they walked toward the center of town.

  At the apartment, the police were just finishing their work. One of the detectives returned Brian’s key. “We’ll be out of your way in just a minute.”

  Carly and Brian waited on her deck until the police cleared the scene a few minutes later. After they were gone, Carly stepped into the home that had been her sanctuary for so many years. That he had been in here, that he had invaded this place… She shuddered.

  Brian must have sensed how she was feeling. He crossed the room, flipped the deadbolt on the door, and put his arms around her. “Don’t let him in, honey. Don’t let him touch us.”

  “I hate that he was here,” she whispered. “In our home.”

  “He’s not here now. It’s just us.” Brian dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers. He skimmed his tongue over her bottom lip, trying to cajole her into participating. “Kiss me, Carly. Let me help you forget.”

  She looped her arms around his neck and leaned into him.

  He combed his fingers into her curls and tilted her face to receive a deep, passionate kiss.

  Carly felt all her worries and fears slip away, allowing her to concentrate on the rush of feelings he’d always aroused in her. It took only the simplest of kisses, the barest of caresses, and she was his—completely and totally his. Only his. She gasped when he scooped her up to carry her to the bedroom. On the way, she rested her head on his shoulder.

  He put her down next to the bed and kissed her neck as he unbuttoned her sleeveless blouse. “Sometimes,” he whispered, “I still can’t believe I can hold you and kiss you and make love with you anytime I want to.”

  His soft words accompanied by the feel of his lips on her sensitized skin made Carly’s legs tremble with desire. When she reached for the button on his shorts, he stopped her.

  “But—”

  He silenced her with a kiss.

  Carly didn’t protest when she felt her bra slip away or when her skirt slid down over her legs.

  He was still fully dressed when he urged her onto the bed and came down on top of her.

  She put her arms around him.

  Kissing her softly, he cradled her face with his hands.

  Carly arched into him, wanting more. But he was apparently in no hurry. She ran her hands over his back and under his shirt. Needing to feel his skin against hers, she worked his shirt up.

  He pulled away from her long enough to tug it over his head.

  “Brian…”

  “What, baby?” His lips made a path to her breasts.

  “Do you think you’ll still want me this much when we’re married ten years?”

  His tongue slid across her nipple. “I’ve wanted you this much since I was old enough to know what want was. I’ll always want you. Always.” He moved on to her other breast. “I love you so much. So very, very much.”

  Her heart raced with joy and relief and hope. There was so much to hope for. She had forgotten what it felt like to have hope during all the long years they’d spent apart. “Brian,” she gasped as he made her crazy with what he was doing to her breasts.

  “Tell me.”

  She tugged on his shorts. “I want you.”

  “Soon.”

  “Now.”

  He raised his head and found her eyes in the twilight.

  “Please?”

  His face softened into a smile. “Will you always know just how to get what you want from me?”

  “I hope so,” she said, running her fingers through his hair.

  He got rid of his shorts and brought her to the edge of the bed. “How about another first?”

  “There can’t still be more! You’re making this stuff up.”

  L
aughing softly, he bent to lay a trail of kisses along her inner thigh.

  “Brian…”

  “Shh,” he said, blowing lightly on the hair that covered her. He urged her legs further apart and knelt before her.

  “What’re you… Oh my God.” Carly’s mind went blank with shock as he parted her with his fingers and licked her there. Almost as if they had a mind of their own, her hips lifted into the intimate caress.

  He slid two fingers into her and focused on the spot that pulsed with desire, drawing it into his mouth and sucking hard.

  Carly came suddenly and explosively, crying out from the sensations that rocked her.

  Brian stayed with her until the last spasm had passed. Standing, he hooked his arms under her legs and entered her.

  The position gave him complete control, so she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the pleasure.

  “Good?” he asked.

  Carly could barely breathe let alone talk. “So good,” she managed to say.

  He kept up a steady pace for several minutes before he dipped his head and rolled her nipple between his teeth, making her come again with a cry that took them both by surprise.

  “Carly,” he groaned, pushing hard against her one last time before he released her legs and collapsed on top of her.

  She held him close, sifting her fingers through his hair over and over again.

  “Scoot up,” he whispered.

  They moved into a more comfortable position on the bed.

  He tightened his arms around her and smoothed his foot down over her calf.

  “That was amazing. Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For taking care of me, for knowing I was letting him invade our home, and for not letting that happen.” She felt her face heat with embarrassment. “And for showing me all the stuff we’d missed out on.”

  He brushed the hair back off her face. “I’ve never been happier in my life than I’ve been with you these last few weeks, Carly. Even the stuff with Zoë… It’s been so much more than I’ve had since we were together before. And that we can make love in a bed, any time we want, without having to worry about getting caught. If this was all I ever had, if you were all I ever had, it would be enough.”