She shook her head and gripped the doorknob. As Caleb and Meagan followed her down the hall, Hunter’s voice drifted to her from behind the closed bedroom door. He was already on the phone with 911 dispatch.
Amber sank onto the couch, flanked by Caleb on one side and Meagan on the other. “We’ve been saying all along that the killer is someone who knows us. This is more proof.”
Meagan put her hand over Amber’s. “Do many people know about your peanut allergy?”
Amber gave her a wry smile. “Only the entire school. I was the one blamed for getting anything containing peanuts banned from school property.”
Meagan frowned. “That doesn’t give us a very workable number of suspects.”
Within minutes, a Cedar Key officer arrived. She’d just finished answering his questions when her cell phone rang. The muscles in her neck tightened. She could guess who was calling without even looking at the screen. She pulled the phone from her purse and confirmed what she already knew.
Liv ignored her greeting and launched into a high-pitched flow of words.
“Liv, slow down.”
“He called me.” The words were only slightly clearer. “He has my number.”
“Where are you?”
“Headed to Cedar Key.”
“Is the deputy following you?”
“Yes.” A sound came through the phone, half sob, half hiccup. “Can I come over?”
She glanced at Hunter, then Meagan. What could she say? “Sure.”
After giving her the address, she hung up the phone. “The killer called Liv’s cell phone. She was hysterical. She asked if she could come over.” She looked up at Hunter, her brows drawn together in apology. “I hope it’s okay.”
Hunter pulled her to his side in a brotherly hug. “It’ll do her good to spend the afternoon here. And I think Meagan would agree.”
Meagan nodded. “Absolutely.”
The couple headed into the kitchen to get dinner on the table. A few minutes later the bell rang. When Amber swung open the door, Liv stood on the porch, her face streaked with tears. She threw both arms around Amber’s neck. “Thank you for letting me come.”
Once Liv released her, Amber led her into the living room. Liv sat on the couch, her phone clutched in one hand. “I got a call from a blocked number.”
Liv angled the phone toward Amber. The call log was displayed. Amber’s number was listed several times. The call right before the last one read Blocked.
“He said he’s watching me, whispered it in a gravelly voice. He said he’s going to take out the deputies, then come after me.”
Caleb sat in Hunter’s recliner and Amber sank down next to Liv. “Did the voice sound familiar?”
“I think it might have been Logan.”
Bruno wandered into the room and sat at Caleb’s feet, wary eyes locked on Liv. Liv’s face lit up. “Aw, this is Hunter’s chocolate Lab you told me about.” After patting her leg, she stretched out her arm. “Come here, boy.”
Bruno sat unflinching. His tail was even still, a rare occurrence. Once Liv calmed down, he’d warm up to her. Bruno loved people. It was cats he had a problem with.
Meagan announced dinner was ready and Liv raised a brow. “I wasn’t intending to invite myself to eat here.”
Amber stood and motioned for her to follow. “It’s okay. There’s a whole Crock-Pot full.”
The five of them sat around the dining room table, and Bruno plopped down in the corner, his big head resting on his front paws.
As soon as Hunter had blessed the food, Liv put a large bite of roast beef in her mouth and closed her eyes. “This is wonderful.”
She ate everything on her plate and took seconds. Hunter had been right. Spending the afternoon with them was good for her.
After sopping up the last drop of gravy with her bread, Liv released a contented sigh. “That totally hit the spot. I haven’t eaten like this in forever.”
Meagan smiled. “It’s nice to have you.”
Actually, it had been nice. The agitation Liv had shown when she’d first arrived had completely disappeared, and dinner conversation had been pleasant. Of course, she’d been too busy eating to do much talking.
Liv pushed her chair back and stood. “Can you tell me where your restroom is?”
Meagan pointed. “Down the hall. First door on the left.”
When Liv walked from the room, Bruno followed at a distance. Amber stood to help clear off the table. Halfway to the kitchen, frenzied barking stopped her in her tracks. She spun as Tippy rounded the corner, Bruno right behind her. Large jaws clamped down on the cat’s tail and she let out an ear-piercing screech.
Amber screamed and the plates she held crashed to the floor. Hunter shot up from the table and dove for Bruno. While he restrained the dog, Amber chased a terrified cat through the house. Meanwhile, Liv stood in the open doorway of the dining room, eyes wide and hands pressed to her mouth.
Tippy finally flew back into the spare bedroom, a beige, brown and white streak. Amber followed her in, closing the door behind her and dropped to her knees. The cat was hunched in the corner, under the daybed.
Amber crawled closer and Tippy hissed. It took several minutes of coaxing before she was able to pull the cat from her hiding place without having her hands and arms shredded.
A couple of soft knocks preceded Hunter’s words. “Is Tippy okay?”
Amber laid the cat on the daybed and swiped a hand down her back, finishing with her tail. When she turned her hand over, a brownish-red streak marked her index finger. Bruno had drawn blood. It probably wasn’t bad enough to require a vet visit. But what if Tippy got out again?
She stalked across the room and spoke without opening the door. “Where is Bruno?”
“Closed up in our room.”
She stepped into the hall. “This was a mistake. I’m taking Tippy home.”
Before Hunter could respond, Liv hurried toward her. Tears had pooled on her lower lashes and her face was crumpled. “I’m so sorry. That was the last door on the left. What did I do wrong?”
Amber sighed. She couldn’t be angry with Liv. It was an honest mistake. “The bathroom is the first door on the left.” She pointed at the closed door nearby.
Liv gasped. “I misunderstood. Is the cat okay?”
“I think so. But next time she might not be. I’m going home.”
Hunter put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ve been through this. It’s not safe.”
“I’m not going to have my cat killed if she gets out again. Law enforcement can guard me as well at my home as they can yours. And if Liv stays with me, they can combine resources. Neither of us will be alone.” She blurted out the words before she could change her mind, then turned to Liv. “Are you okay with this?”
A slow smile spread across Liv’s face. “I would love to stay with you.”
Both Hunter and Caleb offered a few more arguments. She turned away and stalked to the bedroom. Within five minutes she’d be packed. Five minutes after that, she’d have everything loaded. Soon she’d be home, surrounded by her own things.
Moving in with Hunter and Meagan had been a mistake. It had lasted all of seventy-two hours.
Now she was moving back home. With Liv.
She only hoped she wasn’t making an even bigger mistake.
NINE
Moonlight slanted through the trees overhead and a damp mist rose from the forest floor. A heavy cloak of silence draped the landscape.
Amber crept through the woods, her feet sinking into the dead leaves with a soft, rhythmic crunch. Her scalp prickled with the sense that someone was watching.
“Hunter?” More silence. “Bobby? Gary?”
The other officers weren’t with her, either. Where was her backup?
/> She reached for her weapon and clutched a handful of fabric. Her shirt. She didn’t even have her holster.
Alone and unarmed? What had she been thinking?
Footsteps sounded in the distance and drew closer. She increased her pace from a walk to a jog to a full-out run.
But whoever pursued her continued to gain on her. The heavy tread pounded right behind her and massive hands clamped down on her shoulders, wrenching a terrified scream from her throat—
Her eyes flew open and she jerked in several jagged breaths. She was in her room. Red numerals glowed from the clock on her bedside stand and her comforter was bunched up around her feet. Tippy was gone.
Another scream rent the silence. It didn’t come from her. Maybe the other one hadn’t, either. Who... Liv!
She snatched her weapon from under the spare pillow and bolted from the bed, the last remnants of sleep banished from her mind. Outside Liv’s closed door, she hesitated. Another scream came from inside the room and she twisted the knob with her left hand, weapon ready.
She inched open the door. A beam of moonlight slanted across the bed, illuminating Liv’s contorted face. Amber released a pent-up breath. Liv was alone, the only threat in her dreams.
Amber flipped on the light and laid her weapon on the dresser. With Liv’s thrashing, she’d trapped almost her entire body in the twisted sheets. Only her right arm was free, her hand clenched into a white-knuckled fist.
“Liv, wake up.”
In response Liv released another scream, its shrillness shredding Amber’s nerves.
Amber approached the bed and spoke louder. “Olivia, it’s a dream. Wake up.”
Liv twisted her head side to side. A moan escaped between her parted lips. When Amber touched her shoulder, Liv lifted her free arm and swung, her fist narrowly missing Amber’s jaw.
Finally, Liv’s eyes snapped open. Instead of sanity and recognition, they held wildness.
Amber tried again. “It was a dream. You’re here with me.”
Liv bolted upright and scooted to the far side of the bed. Some of the madness had left her eyes. They were now wide pools of fear. Her chest rose and fell with jagged breaths.
Amber sat on the edge of the bed. “What did you dream?” As soon as the question left her mouth, she had second thoughts. Would talking about it only make things worse?
Liv drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. “I dreamed about Landon. It was awful.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I saw him in the distance, standing with his back to me. I walked toward him. When I finally got close, he turned around.”
Liv shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut. “His face was rotting off and I could see his skull on one side. He reached for me and his fingers brushed my cheek. Flesh was hanging from his hand and arm.”
She shuddered again and Amber resisted the urge to shake her head. Liv had seen one too many zombie movies. Amber patted her arm. “It was just a nightmare.”
Liv’s eyes met hers. “I dream about him a lot. They’re not all bad.” Her lips curved up in a soft smile. “In some, I find out it was a big misunderstanding, that he didn’t really die. But a lot of times, the dreams are like the one tonight.”
The smile faded and creases formed between her eyebrows. Her gaze settled on the opposite wall and several seconds passed in contemplative silence. “I know they were taking up for me, but I didn’t ask them to.”
Uneasiness chewed at the edges of Amber’s mind and the temperature seemed to drop several degrees. “What do you mean?”
Liv’s gaze snapped back to Amber, realization flooding her eyes. “I mean... I was referring to when we were all there talking and they were sticking up for me.” She forced an uneasy laugh. “That didn’t come out the way I intended it to.”
The uneasiness traveled lower to settle in Amber’s gut, which was turning into a solid block of ice. “Vince, Alex and Ray followed through with their threats to make Landon pay, didn’t they?”
Her friends had killed Landon. All this time she’d proclaimed their innocence and they were guilty of murder. She closed her eyes, fighting against the nausea rising up inside her. When she looked at Liv again, Liv was chewing her lower lip.
“Tell me what happened.” Amber’s tone was low but commanding. “I want to know everything.”
Liv scooted to the edge of the bed and let her feet rest on the carpet. For several moments she sat rocking back and forth, wringing her hands.
Finally she heaved a sigh. “After I dropped you off, I went home. But the other four stayed. When Landon arrived, the guys beat him bad.”
She crossed her arms over her stomach and leaned forward, as if in pain. Amber clenched her jaw. Maybe she should feel sympathy toward Liv, but she didn’t. “When did you find this out?”
“The next day. Raymond told me. He was pretty freaked out.”
“You knew they’d killed Landon and you lied for them.”
“No, they didn’t kill him. Landon got away. They chased him, but as drunk as they were, they lost him. A few minutes later they found him lying on the ground. He’d fallen and smashed his head on a rock.”
Amber frowned. Liv was lying. Or maybe the others had lied to her. “That doesn’t agree with what the medical examiner found.” Caleb had given her the details.
“What do you mean?”
“Someone smashed his head in with a rock. If he’d tripped and fallen, he’d have thrown his hands out to try to catch himself. He’d have fallen forward and there would’ve been dirt on his palms and knees.”
“He couldn’t catch himself. The guys had tied his hands behind his back with Mona’s silk scarf.”
Amber let Liv’s words sink in. If Landon had been running with his hands tied and stumbled, he could have twisted sideways to keep from falling on his face. The silk wouldn’t have left any abrasions, like a rope or wire ties. Except...
“The investigators never found a scarf.”
“Mona took it. They didn’t want to leave anything that could tie them to Landon’s death.”
She nodded. “When did you learn all this?”
“The next night. I wish they hadn’t told me.” Liv put her face in her hands. When she lifted her head, tears streaked her cheeks. “I wasn’t there. I never saw his body. But the image of him lying in the woods with his head smashed in has haunted me for the past ten years.”
Liv retrieved her purse from the nightstand and pulled out a chocolate bar. “Want some?”
Amber raised her brows. Really? Maybe Liv needed comfort food. “No, thanks.”
“It’s dark chocolate, eighty-five percent. Healthy.”
Amber shook her head. The last thing she felt like doing was eating, comfort food or otherwise. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
Liv broke off a square and took a bite. “The guys thought the fewer people who knew the better.”
“Then why did they tell you?” Even then Liv had been ditsy, not the best person to keep such a weighty secret.
“They thought I’d be happy about it, because of the rape. I wasn’t.” She returned to wringing her hands. “If I’d been there, I would’ve stopped them. If you hadn’t gotten sick, we would have both been there to stop them.”
Or if she’d texted Landon and told him not to come, there would have been nothing to stop. A double dose of guilt pressed down on her.
She stood and retrieved her pistol from the dresser. At the open door she turned. “There are a lot of things I wish I could undo.”
She stepped into the hall and pulled the door shut, leaving Liv alone with her chocolate. Sleep was likely to be a long time coming, for both of them. Before Amber even tried, she had a call to make.
She picked up her phone and crawled into bed. Tippy joined her, having ventured from wherever she
’d hidden during Liv’s nightmare. For several minutes Amber stroked the cat’s back, letting her soothing presence still her churning thoughts.
Landon’s death had been an accident. There was no brutal killer running around unpunished. His family and friends could finally find closure.
Would it make a difference to the killer? Maybe. Maybe not. But she and Liv weren’t involved. That had to count for something.
She brought up her contacts and touched the phone icon next to Caleb’s name. There weren’t many people she could call at 3:00 a.m. But Caleb would be in the middle of his shift.
She waited through two rings. She’d give him this newest information. Levy County and the FBI would decide what to do with it.
If they could make the information public, maybe it would reach the ears of the killer. Maybe he’d decide justice had been served with the deaths of the four involved and no one else needed to die.
And maybe they’d eventually learn his identity and bring him to justice.
* * *
Caleb stepped onto Amber’s porch and cast a glance over his shoulder. The sun was still so low in the sky the house’s shadow stretched all the way to the road. But the heat and humidity already gave hints the day was going to be another scorcher.
He scanned the area, as he’d done before getting out of his truck. A car sat parked in front of the wooded area catty-corner from Amber’s house, a deputy inside. Two more deputies would be nearby, much less obvious, patrolling on foot. Other than that, the area appeared deserted.
Caleb reached for the doorbell. Amber’s middle-of-the-night call had come out of the blue. But he couldn’t say the information had surprised him. It had only confirmed what he’d known all along—Liv and her friends had kept secrets.
Maybe Amber asking Liv to move in with her hadn’t been a bad idea. It had only been two days and it was already loosening her tongue.
The door swung inward and Amber invited him inside. She was dressed in jean shorts and a pink T-shirt, her hair drawn up into a high ponytail. Tippy smacked happily at her food dish. Although Amber had apparently been up for a while, Liv was nowhere to be seen.
Reunited by Danger Page 13