Lethal Affair

by Noelle Hart

  It warmed him to know that she appreciated him. “I wouldn't want it any other way.”

  Dr. Lydia Barrymore came into the room. Without preamble she picked up Kylie's chart and asked, “How are you feeling?”

  “I've got balloon head. What kind of drugs are in this drip?”

  “The kind that make you rest and get better. Mr. Delaney, I'm going to have to ask you to vacate the room now.”

  Will got up. “When can she go home?”

  “I want her here for observation overnight. You can come and get her in the morning.”

  He squeezed Kylie's hand. “I'll be back,” he said in a Schwarzenegger voice, flashing her a grin. “I promise I'll smell a lot better.”

  As Will exited, Lydia sat next to Kylie's bed and took the hand Will had just released.

  “Rita and Joe told me what happened. Kylie, you're young and strong, and under normal circumstances you would have had a healthy child. The blow you were given dislodged the fetus and it self aborted. I performed a D&C, dilation and curettage. You're recovery will be fast. No reason why you can't have children in the future when you're ready. Which brings me to the subject at hand: birth control.”

  Absorbing, Kylie smiled weakly. “I'm ready for any suggestions, doctor.” She hesitated, suddenly feeling awkward. But it had to be asked. “How soon can I have relations?”

  Lydia's eyes twinkled. “I may be on in years but I've still got a pulse, and Will Delaney is probably your best medicine. You have a green light for one month from now, but we'll schedule an appointment for next week and if you're in good shape, we can shorten that time to two weeks. We'll discuss it when I see you next, alright?”

  “Yes. And thank you.”

  Rita knocked on the door. “Can we come in?”

  Lydia waved in Rita and Joe as she left the room. The rest of the evening passed in a blur of faces and good wishes as the room filled with flowers, balloons, and most important of all, support. Jolene stayed until the last visitor had gone and the nurse came in to say visiting hours were over.

  “You look like hell,” Kylie told her. She'd held her own with her other visitors but now pent up emotions overflowed as tears spilled down her cheeks. “I'd accepted the idea of being a single mother,” she sobbed. “Hell, I was looking forward to it! Now Mom will have to pack away all of my old baby clothes again and you'll have to cancel that stroller I know you have on order at Rock the Cradle.”

  “How did you know about that? It was supposed to be a surprise.”

  “I snooped.” Kylie sniffed miserably. “I saw the order form on your desk by your computer. Sorry.”

  Jolene's own fragile hold on things collapsed and she laughed and cried along with Kylie, and only got up when the stern nurse reappeared and tapped her watch in admonishment.

  “Goodnight roomie,” Jolene called out as she left. “I'll miss you at home.”

  Just before the door swung closed, Kylie glimpsed a uniformed policeman standing guard outside her room.

  *

  Her first solid food since the bread Drew had tossed at her, Kylie dug in and feasted on the full home-style breakfast Jimmy had brought from the diner where Lyle and Kim were doing early morning catch-up after having closed so abruptly two days before.

  She closed her eyes and sighed deeply. When she opened them, Julia McMillan stood before her holding Max's hand.

  Julia held out her hand. “Hi. I'm Julia, Max's Mom. How are you this morning?”

  It was easy to pick out which features Max had inherited from both Will and this lovely woman who currently wore an expression of bedazzlement as Kylie shook her hand. Max, who had been quietly standing next to his mother, rushed forward and leaped into Kylie's arms, hugging her fiercely.

  She hugged back. Fiercely. A bond had been formed.

  Finally Max unraveled himself and stepped back. “I'm sorry that man hurt you,” he said. “I heard you tell him you're pregnant. That means you're having a baby, right?”

  Julia bent over him. “Max, that's not an appropriate...”

  “It's okay,” Kylie stopped her. “Max and I are tight now, and friends deserve to know the truth. Isn't that right Julia?”

  Julia smiled wanly. “Yes. Truth is good.”

  “Well Max,” began Kylie, “the man who took us was someone who fooled me into thinking he was nice, and we made a baby together. Understand?”

  “Kinda.”

  “Okay, let's keep this simple. After I got pregnant I found out he wasn't such a nice guy after all.”

  “Is he the one who gave you that bruise on your face?”

  “Yeah, he's the one. I told him I didn't want to be with him anymore and that made him really mad.” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “If someone tells you they don't want to be with you anymore, you have to respect that person's wishes. It's not only the right thing to do, but it's the law. Are you still with me?”

  “Yeah. I get it.”

  “What that man did was wrong. He's a bad man who likes to hurt people. After you ran out of the cabin, he hit me really hard, and... and I lost the baby. That's why I'm here in the hospital now. But he didn't get us, did he? That's 'cuz we never gave up. Whenever you find yourself in a predicament you should always keep looking for a way out.”

  “What's pre-dic...?”

  “It means an unexpected situation that's hard to figure out.” Max's chest puffed out. “We figured it out, didn't we?” Julia nudged him. “Thank you for saving my life. My Dad said you didn't hes... hes-i-tate to come and get me.” His eyes brightened with excitement. “You whacked him over the head with that chair! Like a super-hero! I got away 'cuz of you!”

  “You would've done the same for me.”

  “I sure would'a tried!”

  Julia took his hand. “We should go, Max.” She turned eyes filled with gratitude to Kylie. “My thanks go on top of his. About a mile high stack in fact. Please don't hesitate to call me if ever you need anything. I mean it! That's not just fluff.”

  “Alright. You're both very welcome.”

  “Mom's taking me back to Vancouver,” spurted Max. “It's 'cuz that man is still loose. I can come back when the police find him.”

  “I'm sorry your visit here got cut short. We'll see each other again. Soon, I hope.”

  *

  Ethan Crane tugged on his mustache thoughtfully. His soulful eyes were the epitome of concern. Sitting opposite him in his office were Kylie Lambert and Will Delaney.

  “We've scoured the territory where Hammond was last seen by your group. Our tracking dogs followed his scent for two kilometers to a dirt road. Tire impressions indicate he made off in a large vehicle, most likely the camper owned by the hapless couple who owned that cabin. We're looking for that vehicle now.”

  Will frowned. “Hapless?”

  Crane's expression was grim. “Our dogs found their bodies tucked into a cave hidden by hanging tree roots.”

  Kylie thought she'd been prepared to hear whatever had to be heard, but things just kept getting more and more nerve-wracking.

  “What about the guy who owned the boat? Did he turn up?” asked Will.

  “Washed up on shore on one of the Gulf Islands. A sea creature got at him but we were able to identify the remains.” He shifted in his chair. “Sorry Miss Lambert, you're looking a little green. Is this too graphic for you?”

  Kylie felt nauseous. “I'm okay. Please, go on.”

  “Hammond has become a dangerous predator. He's lost all sense of morality, is on a private mission with you at its epicenter. Now that the pregnancy is no longer an issue there's no telling how he'll react. We can't have you going off on your own like that again, Miss Lambert.”

  Will snorted. “He didn't give her a choice.”

  “If Miss Lambert would have asked the officers on duty for help, she could have spared herself this ordeal.”

  “And my kid might be dead right now instead of on his way back to the mainland with his mother!”

&nb
sp; “It could have gone any number of ways. It's never a good idea to be cavalier when it comes to...”

  Kylie cut him off. “You think I was being cavalier? I happen to care for Max. A lot. Even if it had been a stranger I'd have done what I could to stop Drew. I know what he did to Lillian and Gina, and I don't even want to know what he did to those poor people who owned the cabin. He's got to be stopped, so let's focus on that, shall we?”

  Crane took a different tack. “We've had a profiler look at Hammond. I hesitate to use the term serial killer but it takes three kills to become one, and Hammond has already passed the mark. Five victims to date that we know of, six if you include your unborn fetus, as well as the attack on Rosemary Meesler.”

  He paused, letting them soak that in.

  “The profiler feels that Hammond's use of your pregnancy as a justification of his deeds is a self-delusion. What he really wants is to succumb to his inner calling. He has abandoned a conventional lifestyle and gone off the grid.”

  “How will he survive?” asked Will. “Is he going to keep killing other innocent people, just taking what he needs to get by?”

  “He has funds, a sizable amount from his bank accounts. It's enough to live on for quite some time, especially if he supplements his finances with stolen goods.”

  “Like boats, cars and cabins?”

  “To mention a few. We recovered the knife that was used on Rosemary Meesler at the cabin. He seems to favor sharp weapons as other, more lethal instruments were found. Torture devices. It's apparent that he likes to make his victims suffer.”

  Kylie blanched, overwhelmed by how close she and Max had come to experiencing just that.

  “I want you to avoid the press,” Crane instructed. “This is huge fodder for them. They'll hound you, but let us decide what we want them to know and put into print. If confronted just say, no comment.”

  “Believe me, I have no desire to have my name or business linked to a killer,” supplied Will. “Anything else we should know?” He looked at his watch. “The diner's opening soon.”

  “Other than the fact that this is a highly volatile case and that all and every precaution must be taken, we're good for now. We have Miss Lambert's statement. I'll keep you up to date.”

  *

  Olivia Hammond took a deep breath, then determinedly knocked on the apartment door. The peephole darkened, then the door was slung open with a flourish.

  “Mrs. Hammond! What a surprise,” Kylie sputtered. It was nothing less than monumental that she was here on her doorstep.

  “It's Olivia. Please don't tell me you've reverted back to formalities. Of course I'd understand, given the circumstances.”

  “Please, come in.” Kylie ushered her into the living room, offered her tea, which she accepted.

  The apartment was small enough to carry on a conversation without having to shout around corners. While Kylie put the kettle on, Olivia commented, “This is nice. You share with another woman? I did that back in my college days. Some of the best days of my life as I recall.”

  Kylie brought in a loaded tray. “Sorry, no goodies. Have to go shopping soon.”

  “I imagine you've been staying in, recuperating.” She watched as Kylie poured lemongrass tea into her cup. And yearned for a supplement of brandy for one quick, hard moment. The urge passed.

  “Why have you come?” asked Kylie.

  “Detective Crane filled me in. Kylie, I know the baby you were expecting was an accident, but a woman grows attached to a child well before it's born. I won't pretend to know how you're feeling about the loss, but I do want to say how very sorry I am for... for Drew. For all the pain he has caused you.”

  Kylie went still. Olivia's sincerity touched her. She couldn't begin to imagine what horrendous emotional pain she must be feeling, knowing what her son had done, had become.

  “You risked your own life for that little boy,” Olivia went on. “Drew has become a monster, and yet I still love him. I know now that he has needed help for some time. Probably his whole life.”

  “What does Stanley think?”

  She sighed deeply. “He's seeing a counselor. He tried to cover up for him you know, tried to lead the police astray. Since this last debauchery Stanley has found new meaning in the word humility. I know you went through hell in that cabin. It must have been so frightening for you.”

  “Felt like a horror flick with me in the starring role. Olivia, how are you handling this?”

  Olivia laughed dryly. “With a good stiff drink, I'm afraid. Only I'm finding out that liquor doesn't always soothe and it takes a whole lot of it to black out the things I don't want to think about.”

  “There's AA.”

  “Yes, it may have come to that. When I'm ready I'll look up a group, get a sponsor. But until they find my son...”

  “It's a crutch that doesn't keep you from falling.”

  “I didn't come here to talk about my drinking,” she snapped defensively. “I only wanted to say... to say...” Tears brimmed and fell. Olivia dug in her purse and pulled out one of her monogrammed hankies. “I know I have a problem. I'm just not ready to stop yet.” Quietly Olivia wept into her hankie while Kylie looked on helplessly.

  Dabbing at her eyes, Olivia was spent. “Oh gosh. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. I'm not even sure who I'm crying for!”

  “Maybe for yourself, for all that you've lost over the years. There's still time to change that, Olivia. You just need to take the first step.”

  “Go to AA?”

  “Come and work at Valley Farms.”

  Olivia stared at her, then shook her head. “I can't think about anything but Drew right now. I hope they find him, put him where he belongs. An institution of some sort. One with bars on the windows and good psychiatric staff.”

  “Work can be a salve. It takes you outside of yourself, forces you to cope, makes you stronger. My boss has already cleared the way for you and it sounds like Stanley might be more agreeable now.”

  “Yes, he just might be. On that note, I'm off. I have to pick up Stanley at his counselor's office.”

  After Olivia had gone Kylie sat for a long while staring at the hankie she'd left on the couch. She was Drew's mother. How would she herself feel if her own child was a stone cold killer?

  Like the worst parent in the world, that's how, riddled with guilt. It was eating away at Olivia, but had she really done anything wrong? It was a question with no real answer. Whether by way of avoidance or on purpose, Olivia had left out the very real possibility that when the police found Drew, he might not come back alive.

  It was a very sobering thought.

  *

  Taking her own advice, Kylie returned to work. Margie got it. She knew that work would keep Kylie's mind occupied.

  A two manned police cruiser followed her everywhere, her own personal body guards.

  Superficially everyone kept their cool, going about their business while surreptitiously looking over their shoulders. Even Dino barked at his own shadow.

  Days went by. Then two weeks.

  Kylie's visit with Dr. Barrymore gave her a gold star in recovery. They discussed different birth control methods and settled on an I.U.D., an intrauterine device that required nothing of Kylie.

  Already pretty stellar, Kylie and Will's sex life became a haven into which they could both crawl and forget about the outside world. Will had demonstrated his caliber as a man, one who would go to the ends of the earth for the ones he loved.

  On Kylie's day off he took her to the Esquimalt Lagoon in front of the Royal Roads University on the Hatley Park Estate, located in the community of Colwood. A long stretch of log strewn beach separated the lagoon from the ocean. They hunkered down between two logs to get out of the late summer breeze that swept across the Pacific waters. Soon autumn would be upon them; too chilly for picnics.

  Will had brought along a Lyle-prepared-and-packed basket that included a bottle of chilled Chardonnay to accompany the spiced lobster bisque poure
d from a thermos, and calamari salad with pecans and sweet chili lime dressing.

  Draining her wine glass, Kylie let out a long sigh. She put her feet up on a log and lay back on the blanket, staring up at the horsetail clouds in the pale blue sky.

  “How is Max coping?” she asked Will.

  He lay back with her, enjoying the feel of the late August sun on his face. “Julia took him to a child psychologist, some guy who specializes in emotional trauma. Told her Max is a bright little man with the ability to understand adult situations with uncanny insight. That last bit is a direct quote.”

  “Sounds like he's doing better than me. My own insight is a little clouded.”

  “We all want this to be over,” Will told her, “but it might not ever be over. It's not hard to disappear if you really want to. Hell, I think a good portion of Mexico is populated by the most wanted. Not to mention South America.”

  “People go to Mexico to get plastic surgery. Knowing how vain he is, Drew's probably there right now getting his face fixed.”

  “Yeah, or he could be the next log over, spying on us. God, this is frustrating, this waiting game. Why hasn't Crane found him yet?”

  Kylie's expression was bemused. “Never thought you'd see the day you'd be dating the object of a serial killer's desire, did you?”

  “When this whole thing went down with you and Max, I had an epiphany. I would have lifted heaven and earth to find you because you've been part of me from the moment I saw you standing on my patio looking like a forlorn waif.”

  She huffed. “Say what?”

  “You looked lost and preoccupied. And gorgeous while you were doing it.” He lifted a white gold strand of her hair. “The way you look is a definite turn on and it was enough to fuel my wildest fantasies. Now as I've gotten to know you, I see a woman with tremendous depth, someone I know I can trust with two of my most precious assets, namely my son, and my heart.”

  Anticipation took hold. “You have no idea how good it feels to hear those words.”