Web of Deceit

by Susan Sleeman

  “I suppose you’re right,” Sam admitted, although it was reluctantly. “Just promise me you’ll set your alarm and double-check the doors when you go to bed tonight.”

  She saluted and the doorbell rang. Sam’s hand shot to his gun.

  “Relax,” she said. “It’s just Nina.”

  “You stay here. I’ll make sure.”

  Kait turned back to the stove, but he caught the roll of her eyes before she did. She thought he was overreacting. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was, but after losing Stacie and his family, he wouldn’t take any chances.

  ANOTHER CONQUEST. Another step closer. The warmth spread through Fenton’s body, and he felt flushed all over. Across the booth sat J.J., the fool slurring his words as the roofie oozed its way through his blood stream.

  Fenton tossed a few bills onto the table and used a napkin to wipe fingerprints from his and J.J.’s glasses. Not that anyone would come here to check on J.J., but Fenton always believed it was better to be safe than sorry.

  And now, it was time to take J.J. home.

  Their waitress knew J.J. had only consumed one beer, casting suspicion on his altered state, so Fenton waited for her to schlep into the kitchen before helping J.J. to his feet. He staggered. Fenton slipped an arm under J.J.’s and walked calmly to the door.

  “Is he okay?” asked the hostess with hair as high as Mount Hood.

  Fenton rolled his eyes. “My brother just can’t hold his liquor.”

  They shared a knowing look, and she pushed open the door. He hurried J.J. through the cool of the night and found his sleek red Dodge Challenger. Within minutes, Fenton had J.J. shoved in the passenger seat and roared onto the road.

  “You played your part perfectly, J.J.,” Fenton said, noting the quick acceleration of J.J.’s car. “Much easier than Brian. He looks to be our size, but he’s deceptively heavy.”

  Fenton hummed for the remainder of the drive, enjoying the feel of the powerful engine under his hands and running through his night one more time to be sure he hadn’t screwed up anywhere. He’d arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes early, stashing Brian’s van down the street where it would take weeks for the police to locate it. Then he’d hoofed it to the dive he couldn’t believe dared to call themselves a restaurant. He’d chosen the dumpy little place due to their lack of security cameras. He’d ordered drinks, laced J.J.’s with Rophenol, and made sure he drank it down by toasting to his computer skills until the last drop had been consumed.

  All that was left to do was settle J.J. in the cuffs, hook up his IV and vent, then Fenton could bring Kait her little gift. Maybe he’d show it to J.J. first. He might not fully understand, what with his drugged state and all, but it was only fair for J.J. to see the important role he would play in this long-overdue revenge.

  KAIT HEARD SAM talking with Nina as they headed for the kitchen. Nina’s voice was tight, her expression dour.

  Kait started to pull down wine glasses, but stopped when she saw Nina carried the fixings for a Hamilton Cobbler, her new favorite cocktail. “I take it things didn’t go so well.”

  “On the contrary. As I was telling Sam, Quinn will head back to California today to see what he can find out about Rhodes.” Nina might claim her meeting went well, but the cocktail mix told a different story.

  Kait turned to Sam. “Dinner’s not for another thirty minutes. Would you mind if Nina and I talked alone? You could wait out on the deck.”

  “Or I could go back and play with Lily.”

  “Don’t think you have to.”

  “Are you kidding? And miss seeing her smile when she gets out of the swamp? No way.” He grinned and departed.

  “Oh, girl,” Nina said watching Sam leave. “A man who looks like that and volunteers to play with Lily? You cannot let this one get away.”

  Kait was thinking the same thing, but she wouldn’t speak it aloud, or maybe she’d start to believe she could actually have a normal life at some point in the future. She grabbed three mint julep glasses, a gift from Nina, and set them on the counter. “How did it really go with Quinn?”

  “Nice change of subject.” Nina started mixing the drinks.

  “And nice try at avoiding it.”

  Nina opened the bottle of sherry, her eyes fixed on the cap. “Remember that hostage rescue six months ago? The one where a SEAL was injured in an explosion? It was Quinn.”

  “Oh, no.” Kait came around the island to sit with Nina. “Is he okay?”

  “He says he is. His hand was pretty badly burned. The scars. Bless his heart, they looked so painful.” Nina’s eyes filled with tears. “He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, so I don’t know how high the scars go.”

  Kait took the sherry from Nina, set it on the counter, and held Nina’s hands. “I’m so sorry, sweetie.”

  “Look at me crying.” Nina sniffed. “I have no reason to be this upset. It’s not like we’re together or anything.”

  Kait hadn’t had a man in her life for years. She couldn’t really imagine the pain Nina experienced wanting Quinn in her life, but fearing his loss so badly that she couldn’t be with him.

  Sam and Lily’s laughter rang down the hallway, drawing Kait’s attention. She put aside Sam’s role as a law enforcement officer and thought of the man she was getting to know and respect.

  What if he was injured in their hunt for Fenton?

  The sweet, gentle, caring man who was strong when needed, and yet, seemed to know when to back off. To give her the space she required.

  It wasn’t difficult to imagine coming home to him and Lily. A life filled with laughter and fun, contentment that was missing from her life.

  But him getting hurt? Taking a bullet like Abby? Lying there, struggling for life then dying. That was a kick in the gut.

  So, great. She’d started to care for him. Not just a little bit like she’d thought, but more than she wanted. More than was good for her.

  Watch your step, girl, she warned herself. If she didn’t, she’d find herself in Nina’s shoes. In love with a guy when there was no hope of a future together.

  Chapter Eighteen

  KAIT RETURNED TO the family room after showing Nina to the door. She sat next to Sam on the sofa, being sure to leave a goodly amount of space between them. She’d put Lily to bed hours ago, and they’d spent the time since then discussing the case. Nina mentioned her team had worked all day tracking Congdon’s online movements, but hadn’t connected him to Kozlov or Fenton. A bust, but they’d also had a victory. They’d reviewed security tapes and confirmed Congdon had picked Fenton up at the airport. Since then, Kait’s mind was consumed with questions of what Fenton had been doing since he’d arrived in town.

  Sam’s phone chimed, and he jerked it from his belt. “It’s a text from Yates. Congdon’s doctor and dentist confirmed he didn’t have any procedures involving an IV.”

  “So Marcie’s theory about the roc is holding weight,” Kait said, her thoughts going back to Fenton’s time with Congdon.

  Sam shifted to face her. “You look deep in thought.”

  “I’ve been thinking about those two weeks after Fenton arrived, and hoping he didn’t keep Congdon shackled all that time.” She shook her head. “I mean, how did this all go down? Did he arrive at Congdon’s house under the guise of friendship, they settle down to share a drink, only Fenton has put a little surprise in Congdon’s glass?”

  “The Rophenol.”

  “Right, the roofie. When Congdon is out of it, Fenton installs the floor bolts then shackles Congdon with handcuffs. Before he wakes up, Fenton inserts the IV, gives him the roc, and puts in the breathing tube. Then leaves him like that for weeks?”

  “We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. It may not even be physically possible to keep someone paralyzed for so long.”

  “You could call Marcie.
”

  “I don’t want to bother her at home. I’ll call her tomorrow.” Sam propped his ankle on his knee and leaned back. “What I still don’t get is what Rhodes hopes to gain from all of this.”

  “Other than making me feel helpless as I try to catch him before he kills again.” She sighed.

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that, too. If Congdon was also a bot herder, then it could be about taking over his business while challenging me to catch him. At the same time, letting me know he thinks I can’t succeed.”

  “We don’t have anything that suggests Congdon was in the same business.”

  She grinned at him. “You’re such a technophobe you can’t even say the word bot, can you?”

  “Never.” He gave an exaggerated shudder.

  She mocked twisting the ends of a long mustache. “Spend enough time with me, and I’ll change that.”

  She expected him to laugh. Instead, he frowned. “I think it’s time you consider the fact that Congdon was just a tool in Rhodes’s plan to taunt you. That his ultimate goal is to pay you back.” He slid closer, quickly filling that space she’d purposefully left open and took her hand. “I won’t let him anywhere near you, you know.”

  “I know.” She tried to make it sound as if she believed it. But even with Sam holding her hand, after the way Fenton had planned this case to perfection, she didn’t know if anyone could stop him.

  “I should never have told you about Stacie. Now you don’t trust me to protect you.” He started to pull away.

  “What? No.” She reversed their hands and gave his a quick squeeze. “This has nothing to do with Stacie. I trust in your protection. It’s Fenton I don’t trust.”

  “And well you shouldn’t. Especially when we don’t know what his endgame is.”

  “But it sounds like you really think it’s to kill me.”

  “He wouldn’t need such an elaborate scheme if his goal was simply to kill you, but I do think he’ll try.”

  “It’s seeming more and more like he wants to watch me suffer first.”

  Sam pulled his hand free to rub his forehead. “Okay, so say that’s true and he does want to see you suffer. Then he has to be watching you to see the effect he’s having on you.”

  “Maybe he was at the crime scene.”

  “That would be risky.”

  “For a sane person, but not for someone like Fenton. The video at the phone booth says he’s unhinged. We need to look at the crowd photos.” Kait had reviewed the pics Dane had taken of the crowd—as was always done at crime scenes. Killers often returned to see the damage they inflicted, but she hadn’t been looking for Fenton, and it was worth another look.

  “If he really is watching, then the real shock and awe came at your office when you learned about the virus, and he wasn’t there to see your reaction.”

  “Or was he?” She shot to her feet. “The computer. The one we took in. He could have rigged up a camera or a recorder in the case, hoping to see or hear our reactions when the phones started ringing.” Wishing she could go check the machine right now, she started pacing.

  Sam got up and stepped in her path, forcing her to stop. “Get that gleam out of your eye, Kait. It’s almost midnight, and I don’t babysit, so the only place you’re going is to walk me to the door.”

  Surprised he could read her mind, her mouth dropped open. He laughed, deep and joyous, so different from the serious guy she’d seen so far. As she went to the front door, she found herself wishing she could see this side of him more often.

  She stepped outside and stared at the star-filled sky, letting the cool breeze wash over her face. “I love summer and how clear the skies are.”

  Sam snorted. “Tell me about it. I moved here in December. Talk about rain. I didn’t think I’d ever see stars again. I still miss sitting under the Texas sky.”

  The longing in his tone drew her eyes toward him. “What part of Texas are you from?”

  “Born and raised in Brenham. Went to college in Austin.”

  “You’re a long way from home. I thought Texans never left the state.”

  That shutter, the one that said whatever he was thinking was off limits, dropped over his eyes, the good mood instantly gone. But she wouldn’t let it go. “Why did you move here, Sam?”

  He pondered her question for a moment. “I needed a change. I saw the Keep Portland Weird website, and Austin has a similar slogan, so I thought it would be a good fit.”

  “Are we weird enough for you?” she asked, though she really wanted to ask if he came here to get away from the memories of losing Stacie and his wife.

  “I wasn’t sure. Until I met you.” He cocked an eyebrow and tugged on her ponytail. “But you are the epitome of weird. So, yeah. Portland fits all my needs.”

  She playfully socked his shoulder. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him. She rested her hands on his chest, the feel of him solid under her fingers. His gaze met hers and held. Pulling. Seeking. Heating up. His eyes darkened, and he lowered his head. Inch by inch. Closer. Hardly able to think, she waited for him to kiss her. She wanted him to. How she wanted him to.

  “Sleep tight, Kait,” he whispered, his breath soft against her neck. After running his hands down her arms and looking into her eyes for a long, heat-charged moment, he jogged to his car.

  She leaned against the doorjamb and watched him back onto the street. She swallowed hard, her body still tingling from his touch. Fenton wasn’t the only one tormenting her tonight. Sam Murdock knew how to drive a woman crazy, too. After the way he’d messed with her emotions, she’d be tossing and turning all night, wondering how it would feel to let go of her past. To forget her promise to Abby. To kiss him. To really kiss him.

  WHAT WAS THAT detective doing here again? Touching Abby that way?

  Fisting his hand, Fenton took a step closer to the house, but the loser detective backed his car onto the road, so Fenton planted his feet on the dewy grass to wait. The detective stopped and rolled down his window.

  “Go inside, Kait and lock the door,” he called over the idling engine sending a mist of exhaust into the foggy night.

  Kait? Fenton rubbed his eyes and looked again.

  Of course, it was Kait standing there. Not Abby.

  He shook his head hard to clear out the cobwebs.

  Foolish mistake. Unbelievable mistake. How could he make such a blunder?

  Kait and Abby were nothing alike. Kait was evil. Harsh. A career woman. Abby softness and light. Perfect. Dead.

  He melded back into the shadows and watched Kait wave at the man, then close the door with a simpering little smile on her face. A lovesick face. Sickly sweet.

  So Kait liked the detective.

  Not fair. Totally not fair with Fenton’s heart still a blistering mass of loss.

  He wanted to march up to her and end things now. Here. This moment. Seek his release. He looked down. Saw the cooler.

  No. Stick with the plan. So much more painful for Kait if he toyed with her first.

  Instead of getting angry, he smiled. A woman in love was more vulnerable. Absentminded. Fenton could use that to his advantage, and he could also do away with Mr. Cop first, letting Kait experience the ultimate in pain and heartache.

  The lights went out in her house, and Fenton settled in for the tortuous wait for her to fall asleep. Time passed. The temp fell—chilly at first, then downright cold. The pain in his leg grew. Unbearable. He could take it no more.

  He woke up his phone and remotely silenced Kait’s alarm system by logging onto her security company’s server. She thought the little box on the wall was keeping her safe. But why? She should realize nothing could stop him. He was the supreme hacker. And nothing, especially not an alarm provided by a security company he could hack in his sleep, would
keep him from his daughter and making Kait pay.

  He grabbed the cooler and moved his present to the tissue resting in the box he’d wrapped in Dora paper. With the package under his arm, he hobbled through the damp, chilly air to the front door, easing, stretching his leg with each step. He inserted his key into the lock and entered.

  He pressed the door closed, silently, and paused to enjoy the feel of invading Kait’s sanctuary. This would be the last time he’d enter her house. After tonight, she’d realize that Lily hadn’t dreamt his visits. Kait would try so hard to learn where he got a key. She’d wouldn’t figure it out. He’d been careful at the park as his mother-in-law played with Lily. So careful. Made an impression of Rosalind’s key when she’d left her purse in the car to play with Lily.

  He tiptoed to Kait’s room and watched her back lift and fall in the even breaths of sleep. His fingers itched to circle her neck. To put an end to this, but he retreated. Always retreated. Seeing her lying there, vulnerable, and then walking away was nearly the hardest part of these visits. Leaving Lily trumped it.

  He crept into Lily’s room and set the package on her nightstand, then took a small wireless camera from his pocket. He inserted the camera into the blinds. Using his phone to view the feed, he aimed the lens at the door. Perfect. Kait would discover the box in the morning. He’d capture Kait’s reaction. Savor every moment as if it were a meal in the finest of restaurants.

  Just like he intended to do tonight before he departed. He went to the kitchen, selected the most expensive wine and grabbed a glass. He took them, along with the Waterford crystal bowl Kait had inherited from her grandmother, and returned to Lily’s room. He pulled a plump chair up to the bedside and lit a cigarette.

  He shouldn’t smoke around Lily, but a few cigarettes while he enjoyed his wine wouldn’t harm her. Not like the second-hand smoke he’d been exposed to from birth until he signed on for an adventure in the Navy.