She’d already decided that if she wasn’t in a committed relationship by the time she was thirty-five she would either be artificially inseminated or adopt. She wasn’t going through her life without knowing the joys of motherhood.
“I’ve got a secret to share with you,” Portia said.
“You know I love secrets,” Layla replied. “Spill the beans.”
Portia leaned forward, her eyes shining brightly. “I’m pregnant.”
Layla stared at her in stunned surprise and then exploded with happiness for her friend. “Oh, my God, that’s wonderful news. I know how much you’ve wanted this.”
Portia nodded. “I love taking care of other people’s children, but I can’t wait to take care of my own.”
“I’m assuming you’ve told Caleb?”
“This morning, that was the only serious conversation we had. He was thrilled, but insists that we need to get married as soon as possible.”
“So, you’re planning your wedding. How exciting!”
“Nothing big,” Portia replied. “Both Caleb and I agree that we’re just going to have a quiet, intimate ceremony. Anything else would feel wrong with everything that’s going on right now.”
Layla felt a whisper of cold breath on her neck as the reality of what had happened once again slammed into her. Four missing women, and she had almost been the fifth.
“I have a huge favor to ask you,” Portia said, pulling Layla back from her fear.
“You know I’d do anything for you,” Layla replied. She and Portia had been best friends since grade school and it had been Portia’s friendship that had gotten Layla through her terrible childhood.
“Be my maid of honor at my wedding.”
Layla’s heart swelled. “You know I’d love to,” she replied. “Now, tell me all the details you’re planning for the big day.”
They talked about the wedding and were in the middle of talking about Christmas plans when Portia gazed at her wristwatch and frowned.
“I’ve got to get back to the daycare,” Portia exclaimed. “I’m already twenty minutes later than I intended to be. The kids will be wondering about me.”
The two women got up and headed to the cashier where they paid for their meals and then stepped out into the cold wind. Portia’s car was parked in front of the café but she looped an arm with Layla’s. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to the sheriff’s office.”
“Nonsense,” Layla exclaimed. “Your car is right here. Get in it and go. Besides, I’m going to stop in my office for just a minute. I left my cell phone there the night of my attack and want to grab it.” She untangled her arm from Portia’s.
Portia hesitated, a frown tugging across her forehead. “Are you sure? I don’t mind going with you.”
“You already said you’re late. Just go. I’ll be fine. It’s the middle of the day and I’m sure I can walk a short block without any trouble.” She gave Portia a quick hug. “Now get in your car before we both freeze to death.”
Before Portia could protest further, Layla started down the sidewalk. The wind seemed to have grown even colder while they’d been eating and she pulled her coat collar up around her neck as she headed toward her office. At least with her cell phone she wouldn’t feel so cut off from her normal life.
Two minutes, that’s all it would take her to run into her office and grab the phone off her desk. She passed a couple headed toward the café and exchanged a quick smile with them.
The candy cane decorations swung back and forth on the streetlights, buffered by the wind that almost screamed in intensity. They’d be lucky if this cold front and the heavy clouds didn’t dump a foot of snow by nightfall.
It wasn’t until she dug into her purse for her keys to her office door that the first stir of uneasiness whispered through her. The last time she had left here she’d been attacked. She’d tried to downplay the whole thing at the time that it had happened but now that she had more information about The Professional and the game he liked to play, the horror of how close she’d come to being one of his victims rose up inside her.
Her hand trembled slightly as she shoved the key into the lock. Get a grip, she told herself. The danger was past and she’d survived, just as she’d survived every bad moment that had ever happened in her childhood.
She opened the door and stepped inside, immediately spying the blinking light on her answering machine and the jeweled cell phone just where she’d left it.
As she dropped the cell phone into her purse she punched the button to play her messages. “Layla, it’s Ginny Sinclair. I was just calling to tell you that I’ve finally decided to put my mother’s house on the market and of course I’d like you to handle it. Call me when you get a chance and we’ll meet.”
“Yes!” Layla said and pumped her fist in the air. She’d been hoping Ginny would contact her when she was ready to sell. And she already had a couple of buyers in mind.
A second message began to play, the voice a deep, unfamiliar male one. “Yes, my name is Michael Fields and I’m thinking about making Black Rock my permanent home. I’d like to set up a time and place where you could show me some available properties. I’m staying at the Black Rock Motel in unit seven.”
He ended the message with his cell phone number, but there was no way Layla intended to plan a tour of properties with any male stranger, not until Mr. Professional was behind bars.
Deciding to make a quick pit stop, she left the main reception area and went down the hallway and into the bathroom. She should tell Jacob and Tom about the caller from the motel. They should check him out to make sure he wasn’t dangerous.
When she was finished using the restroom and had washed her hands with the orange-scented soap she loved, she stepped out into the hall and he was there.
She barely had time to process the ski mask that covered his features and the hypodermic needle he held in his hand before he lunged forward to attack.
She screamed and threw her purse at him, adrenaline spiking through her as she turned to run. She’d gone only two steps when he crashed into the back of her.
Her knees smashed to the ground as she fell and she cried out in pain at the same time she tried to scrabble forward like a crab, but he managed to grab her ankle and held tight.
She kicked and screamed again as terror crashed her heart against her ribs. Get away, that was the only thought that resounded in her head, obliterating any other thought or sound she might hear.
She had to get away! She didn’t want to be a missing person. She refused to go to his party.
Twisting onto her back she managed to break his hold on her ankle. She kicked both legs like motor pistons, gasping in relief as she connected with his hand and the needle flew out of it and skittered along the carpeting to the side of the hallway.
He roared with rage and once again managed to grab her leg. She twisted and turned in an effort to get free, but his hand was like an iron vise.
Slowly, with deadly intent, he began to pull her along the carpeting toward the needle that she knew meant her death. She knew screaming was useless, that the howl of the wind outside would steal away the sound from anyone who might hear and rush to help.
It was at that moment that Layla knew she was going to die. She was going to be the fifth victim. She’d be the guest of honor at his party. She was going to die because she’d come after her stupid cell phone.
Chapter 6
“We can’t assume that he followed me here from Kansas City,” Jacob said to his brothers seated around the conference able. “Kansas City is only a three-hour drive from here. It’s possible he could be a longtime local and came to Kansas City to commit his crimes.”
“That’s a scary thought,” Benjamin said.
“Were you working with any kind of a profile?” Tom asked Jacob.
“We’d profiled his age to be between thirty and fifty. He’s organized with above-average intelligence. He’s probably single and is either self-employed or works a job that allows h
im to work alone for long hours at a time.” Jacob leaned back in the hardback chair and frowned as he tried to remember everything they had learned about The Professional, which was damned little.
“You know, the usual stuff, maybe a bed wetter and a fire starter and he probably abused animals at some point in time in his youth,” Jacob added. “He’s probably narcissistic in personality and suffers from delusions of grandeur, that’s evident in the fact that he likes attention.”
“Just another garden-variety creep,” Tom said with a small smile at Jacob. The smile lasted only a second. “I got a report back early this morning that the drug in the needle found in Layla’s car contained a combination of Valium and Versed.”
“Versed?” Benjamin looked at him curiously.
Tom nodded. “It’s a drug most commonly used for minor health procedures. It would render a person unconscious.”
“So, we know our perp either has some medical training or has access to drugs,” Jacob replied.
“Nothing any of you have said has narrowed our pool of suspects at all.” Frustration was evident in Benjamin’s voice.
Jacob looked at Tom. “In all these missing women’s cases you didn’t find any kind of physical evidence at all?”
“A button,” Tom replied. “In Casey Teasdale’s car we found a button on the floor of the backseat. It’s a slightly oversize white button, but unfortunately there’s no way of knowing how long it had been there or if it had anything to do with her disappearance. We tested for fingerprints, but couldn’t lift any.”
“Right now we don’t even have a potential suspect. How are we going to find this guy?” Benjamin exclaimed.
Tom looked at Jacob. “I have a feeling he’s going to find Jacob. Didn’t you say he communicated with you by phone during the last case?”
Jacob nodded and his cell phone in his shirt pocket suddenly felt as if it weighed a thousand pounds. “To be honest, I’m surprised he hasn’t already called me. I never changed my number. I knew he was through with me after the Kansas City debacle.”
“Maybe the note that he sent you was just the first contact and the calls will soon start coming,” Tom said.
Jacob’s stomach turned at the very thought of having to endure another round with the killer. “Maybe this time during the calls he’ll make a mistake, give us a clue that we can use to find out his identity. One thing is certain, if he has four women and he’s working as he did last time, then he’s got them alive and stashed someplace nearby. Maybe an old barn or shed or an abandoned warehouse of some sort.”
“We’re in the middle of ranch and farming country, almost everyone outside of town has a barn or shed on their property. It’s going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack,” Benjamin said.
“And Brittany is the needle we’re hunting for,” Tom replied, a wealth of emotion in his deep voice. It was the first time any of them had mentioned her name, had acknowledged that she was in the hands of The Professional.
Once again Jacob’s stomach churned as he thought of his younger sister. Brittany, with her zest for life and easy sense of humor, had been spoiled by all of her brothers.
They were all different men under their skin, but they all shared a tremendous love for their only sister with her bright green eyes and long dark hair. The idea of her being in the grips of this psychopath made Jacob want to throw up.
As his brother began kicking around ideas and rehashing the details of the kidnappings, Jacob suddenly thought of Layla and how cold he’d been to her throughout the day.
He’d found comfort in her arms the night before and it had surprised him. He’d thought there was no place in the world he’d ever find comfort again. But Layla’s arms had been warm and welcoming and it had scared him more than a little bit.
He didn’t want to like her but he did. He didn’t want to respect her and yet he did. He definitely didn’t want to desire her but he burned with it. What he wouldn’t do was allow himself to care about her in any way that involved his heart.
Caleb’s cell phone rang. With a quick apology he answered, his face paling as he listened to the caller. “Be right there,” he said. “That was Portia. She’s at Layla’s office and Layla was attacked.”
Jacob was out of his chair before the words had fully left Caleb’s mouth. As he tore out of the office and into the winter air, a tumble of thoughts went around in his head.
What were they doing in Layla’s office? The deal had been she could have lunch with Portia and then return directly to the sheriff’s office. Irritation battled with fear as he raced down the sidewalk toward the real estate office.
He was vaguely aware of his brothers’ footsteps pounding the pavement just behind him but all he cared about was getting to Layla and making sure she was okay.
He told himself the frantic beating of his heart had nothing to do with his feelings for her, but rather because he felt responsible for her safety.
When he reached her office he slammed through the front door and found the two women in the hallway. Layla lay on her side, curled into a fetal ball and Portia knelt beside her, her pretty face pale with fear.
“He went out the back door,” Portia said as she rose to her feet and stepped back against the wall to get out of the way.
As Jacob knelt next to Layla his brothers ran past them to the back of the building. They could deal with the attacker; Jacob’s main concern was the woman who looked like a broken doll against the thick beige carpeting.
“Layla, are you all right?” he asked. She nodded her head. Her eyes were closed but silent tears trekked down her cheeks. “Can you sit up?”
He breathed a sigh of relief as she opened her eyes and pulled herself to an upright position. “What happened?”
“I thought I’d just run in and grab my cell phone. I left it here the night I was attacked. No big deal, right?” The words came haltingly from her. “I came in and got the phone off my desk and then decided to use the bathroom. When I came out he was here in the hallway waiting for me.”
“Who was here?” Jacob asked even though he suspected what her answer would be.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. He had on a ski mask and he had a needle in his hand. I threw my purse at him and tried to run, but he grabbed me from behind. I kicked him and I thought I was going to die. I thought for sure I was going to be another missing woman, and then Portia came in.”
She’d begun to tremble, first her lush lips, then her slender shoulders and finally her entire body. It was the tremor of terror.
“I knew she was coming in to get her cell phone and I got in my car and waited for it to warm up before I left. By the time the engine was warm she still hadn’t come out,” Portia explained. “I don’t know why, but I got worried and decided to come in and check on her.”
“Thank God you did,” Layla exclaimed. She looked up at Jacob, her eyes the color of midnight and haunted. “He wants me to be his number five. I thought maybe he’d just go after somebody else, but he came after me again. He must have been watching me…stalking me.” Her voice rose higher and higher in pitch.
Jacob yanked her up to her feet and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, afraid that she was about to get hysterical or go into some sort of shock.
She leaned against him and buried her face into his chest as the tremors continued to suffuse her body. At that moment Tom came back up the hall from the back door.
“Whoever it was, there’s no sign of him now.” Tom swiped a hand through his dark hair. “The back door lock is broken. We’ll need to get a locksmith over here to fix it.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Benjamin said from behind Tom.
Caleb shoved past the two men to get to Portia. When he reached her he pulled her into an embrace. “You could have been hurt,” he exclaimed, emotion husky in his voice.
“I’m okay,” Portia assured him. “I was never in any real danger. He was already gone by the time I got back here to Layla.”
Layla st
raightened her back and stepped away from Jacob. “This was all my fault. I was foolish to come in here alone. I’m sorry,” she said to Tom. “I’m so sorry,” she said to Portia as tears once again began to course down her face.
“Take her back to the cabin,” Tom said to Jacob. “We’ll take care of things here and I’ll come out later to talk to her.”
Jacob nodded and once again placed an arm around her shoulders and led her toward the front door. He didn’t know whether to be angry with her or feel sorry for her, but one thing was certain, he was afraid for her.
Everything had conspired to make it easy for The Professional to make a move to take Layla. The inclement weather had people staying off the streets, so there had probably been no witnesses. Even if anyone had seen a man in a ski mask they probably wouldn’t pay attention to him with the wind howling so bitterly.
He’d apparently jimmied the door lock in anticipation of her eventual return to the office and Layla had presented to him a perfect opportunity by coming in here all alone.
That meant she was right. He’d been watching her…stalking her. She was also correct in her assessment that he wanted to make her, in particular, his fifth victim.
Jacob’s heart felt like stone in his chest as he realized it was up to him to keep that from happening. It was up to him to make sure The Professional was caught before he had his party—with Layla as the guest of honor.
Jacob was quiet on the drive back to the cabin and Layla was grateful. For the first time in her life she didn’t feel like talking.
She found herself in a familiar dark place, like the one she’d often found herself in throughout her childhood. It was a place of danger, of uncertainty, and all she wanted to do was find a safe hiding place where nothing and nobody could hurt her.
She’d managed to process the first attack on her. She’d been at the wrong place at the wrong time, a convenient victim he’d thought would be easy to take. She’d been out after dark alone and had probably left her car door unlocked. She’d made herself an easy victim.
But this second attack spoke of something darker. He had to have been watching her, waiting for her to return to her office. He didn’t want another woman. He’d chosen her and he wouldn’t be happy until he got to her.
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