Killer in The Woods: A Psychological Thriller

by Flowers, R. Barri

  “What happened?” Selene asked Maria Lopez.

  “I don’t know,” she stammered. “I think someone smelled smoke and figured out it was coming from the basement. Next thing we knew, everyone was being told to get out of the house.”

  “Thank goodness no one was hurt,” Selene said. The same could not be said for S.A.W. House. She wondered if the shelter would still be structurally safe after this, assuming the fire department was able to save it. Or would the women who so desperately needed it be left out in the cold and at the mercy of their abusers?

  Selene felt Quinn’s protective arm around her, providing needed comfort after what had been a nightmarish few hours. First there was the anonymous caller linking Quinn to The Woods murders. And now this. Could the two possibly be connected?

  “I’m so sorry,” Quinn said. “It’s a hell of a way to begin a new day. But we’ll get through it—together.”

  “I know,” Selene muttered. She needed Quinn now more than ever and was grateful that he was there for her. She wasn’t going to allow some unknown caller to question Quinn’s character.

  A few minutes later, Selene conferred with Harriet about the fire. They hugged and shed some tears.

  “These things happen all the time,” Harriet said sadly. “But you just don’t expect it to hit you where it really hurts.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Selene moaned, as they watched the fire being brought under control. “Was someone in the basement smoking or something?”

  The basement was used mostly for storage and a place to hang out, though an occasional guest slept down there when all the rooms upstairs were full. Smoking was strictly prohibited at S.A.W. House, but that didn’t stop some occupants from breaking the rules every now and then.

  “I can’t answer that,” Harriet said. “If so, nobody was down there when we discovered the fire. My guess is that it was faulty wiring or some other electrical problem. Even though the place has been refurbished, it’s still really old. Who knows what’s going on behind those walls that no one can see?”

  Selene acknowledged that, and hoped the problem wasn’t one that would be too costly to fix. She was thankful for the smoke detectors.

  Quinn and Julian McKenzie joined the two women.

  “Look who I found,” Quinn said. “Or maybe it was the other way around.”

  “Ladies.” Julian nodded solemnly.

  “I’m glad you guys showed up so quickly,” Harriet said.

  “Yeah, so am I. A few minutes later and, well, let’s not even go there...”

  “Do you have any idea how the fire started, Julian?” Selene asked.

  “That’s what I was coming to talk to you about.” He ran a hand over the stubble on his chin. “The full investigation is yet to come, but a witness reported seeing someone—possibly a male—running from the building.”

  Selene winced, glancing at Quinn and back. “Are you saying the fire was deliberately set?”

  “I’m saying it’s a possibility, pending further investigation. Do you know anyone who’d want to set fire to the shelter?” Julian asked.

  Selene looked at Quinn and Harriet, imagining what they were both thinking.

  Michel Giovanni.

  Selene certainly could not dismiss the notion outright, given Michel’s threatening and weird behavior. Then there was the strange call she’d gotten early this morning. Was his warning about Quinn foreshadowing the fire at the shelter?

  Selene wondered if the caller’s intention had been to burn down S.A.W. House to get back at her for providing refuge for battered women.

  Or could this somehow be tied to the murders of women in The Woods by an unknown killer?

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Later that morning, Selene was still at the shelter, doing what she could to cheer up the staff and residents after the fire. Quinn had gone back home at her insistence. She didn’t want to appear too helpless in her role as director of S.A.W. House, though she did feel very vulnerable and unsure at the moment, especially where it concerned her ex.

  Her cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her purse. Detective Cramer was returning her call from earlier this morning.

  “Thanks for calling me back, Dennis.”

  “No problem,” Cramer said. “Heard about the fire. Are you all right?”

  “About as well as can be expected,” she replied. “I do have another growing concern, though, and it may or may not be related to the fire—”

  “What’s that?”

  Selene tensed. “I’d like to get a temporary restraining order for my ex.”

  “Is he still harassing you?”

  She told him about her recent experience with Michel sending the roses to the shelter and their subsequent phone conversation.

  “You think he could have set the fire?” Cramer asked.

  “I don’t know,” Selene admitted. “The timing is pretty suspicious.”

  Not to mention the proximity to the anonymous phone call she received this morning. But Selene decided not to bring that up. Otherwise she would have to draw Quinn into the equation, based on the caller’s outrageous allegations that he was The Woods Strangler. Besides, Quinn was home with her all night and definitely couldn’t have had anything to do with the fire.

  “I’m reading the preliminary report right now,” said Cramer. “At this point, it’s still too early to tell if we’re looking at arson, an electrical fire, or an accident. That will be up to the fire investigator to determine.”

  Selene flinched, remembering that Julian McKenzie had said a witness reported seeing a male leaving the scene.

  “If it was arson, then I’d say Michel would have to be the number one suspect,” she said pointedly. “He’s threatened me, and it seems like his goal is to ruin my life.” But would he go that far and set fire to the shelter just to intimidate her?

  “Once we establish whether or not it was arson, we can go from there in pointing fingers,” he said. “In the meantime, I think getting a temporary restraining order against your ex is probably a good idea. In fact, it’s a great idea until a permanent restraining order can be issued. I’ll do what I can from my end to get your ex to lay off. Trouble is we still haven’t been able to locate Michel Giovanni. Do you happen to know what kind of car he’s driving? Apparently there’s more than one Michel Giovanni in the DMV database.”

  “A beat up old Cadillac,” Selene replied. “I’m pretty sure he drove it here from California.”

  Cramer muttered to himself. “Well, that definitely narrows it down. We’ll see if we can find him. If he shows up again, maybe you can ask him where he’s holed up. Or stall him till we can get someone there—”

  Selene made a mental note, though the idea of knowing more than she cared to about Michel’s whereabouts or spending one moment longer around him than necessary went against the grain. She wanted nothing more to do with him. But he obviously had no intention of honoring her wishes.

  Selene couldn’t help but recall something Michel had said to her: I’ve got a few leads I’m working on regarding The Woods Strangler.

  What leads? Did they include making false accusations against Quinn?

  Or setting fire to S.A.W. House?

  * * *

  Cramer sat at his desk, studying the preliminary report on the fire at S.A.W. House. This was not exactly under his jurisdiction, but he took an interest in it, as Selene Herrera was his friend and neighbor. He admired what she’d done with the shelter to help local battered women. He didn’t take kindly to the notion of someone trying to burn the place down, if that’s what happened.

  It was apparent to him that Michel Giovanni had become a thorn in Selene’s side. But did that amount to arson?

  Cramer thought about his investigation and what Selene had said previously about her ex being after the reward money. Was it possible that he did know something regarding The Woods Strangler case? Or was he nothing more than a con man blowing hot air?

  At the very least, Giovanni had ste
pped over the line by harassing Selene. It was time to have a talk with him.

  He picked up the phone and called records. “This is Cramer. I need the plate number for a Cadillac, and a criminal background check—”

  Cramer put into motion an effort to try to track down Michel Giovanni. With any luck, he’d run a red light and be pulled over. Otherwise, they’d have to check all the motels and rooming houses dotting Bluffs Bay. Hopefully they would find him before he went after Selene again.

  Cramer buzzed his secretary. Eager to learn the source of the basement blaze at the shelter, he ordered, “Get the fire inspector on the line for me...”

  * * *

  Far away from the shelter, the arsonist cursed his rotten luck. When he had entered the basement window and set a few choice items on fire, he had fully intended to see the place burn to the ground. More importantly, he had hoped it would no longer provide a sanctuary for the likes of Selene Herrera and the women she sought to protect.

  But his plans had nearly blown up in his face. The damage had been limited to the basement. S.A.W. House had lived to see another day.

  And so had the woman responsible for keeping it open—for now.

  He’d been careless to allow his emotions to dictate his actions. Someone had seen him, nearly ruining everything. That couldn’t happen again.

  Next time he wouldn’t be thwarted from his goals. Or prevented from getting out the message he wanted Selene Herrera to hear loud and clear...

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Ashley Leighton winced as she sipped her tea. It hurt to even move her lips. Her face was still swollen and she could only imagine what her colleagues would say if they saw her now, which is why she had taken a few days off. She didn’t need the added pressure of twenty questions, and she didn’t want to tell so many lies that she lost track of the truth.

  Ashley felt like she was letting down the department at a time when they needed everyone working to solve the Woods Strangler case. And she desperately wanted to be part of the team, believing that police work was in her blood.

  But she wouldn’t be much use to anyone in her current condition.

  Ashley sat in the Great Room of her house, surrounded by Palladian windows, hanging ferns, and more loneliness than she’d ever thought possible. Nobody knew how she truly felt. Certainly not her husband. Robert only cared about himself, and keeping her under his control.

  And though she knew it was wrong, Ashley had been unable to break away from the cycle of violence that had plagued so many other abusive marriages. She hoped things could still work out between her and Robert, without having to sacrifice the career she had worked so hard at. Or incur his wrath whenever the mood struck his fancy.

  Glancing at the TV, Ashley saw a news report on the fire at S.A.W. House. The anchor was saying that the cause of the fire had yet to be determined, but arson was suspected.

  That caught Ashley’s attention. Someone set S.A.W. House on fire? The mere notion made her sick. She had considered going back there. Now this. Why would anyone try to burn down the shelter? She wondered if Robert was capable of such a cowardly act. Would he stoop to such lows to punish her? It seemed beyond him, even if he abhorred the thought of her seeking refuge there.

  Ashley decided to give him the benefit of the doubt—for now. Thinking otherwise was simply too painful.

  She took another sip of tea and shuddered at the prospect of Robert coming home this afternoon and using her as a punching bag again to release his anger.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Selene admired her husband from the office door as he worked almost effortlessly on his latest novel. Her mouth curved into a gentle smile, even as some thoughts weighed heavily on her mind.

  It had been a few days since the fire at S.A.W. House, which had pretty much destroyed everything in the basement, including old records and some of the residents’ personal belongings. Fortunately, the firefighters had succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading beyond the basement, and there was no damage to the structural integrity of the building. Aside from limited smoke damage upstairs, S.A.W. House had dodged a fiery bullet.

  Authorities had confirmed that it was arson, though no arrests had been made yet and no clear-cut motive had been established.

  Michel was still out there, and at the top of Selene’s list of suspects who could have set the fire. What better way for him to intimidate her than by striking at the very core of her passion to protect women from the kind of domestic violence she’d experienced firsthand? She’d even decided that he was also the anonymous caller who had tried to convince her that Quinn was the man strangling the women in The Woods. Selene was sure it was all part of Michel’s master plan to somehow frighten and disillusion her enough so that she would end up back with him.

  Well, it wasn’t going to work. She wasn’t about to let Michel Giovanni ruin what she had with Quinn. She would not turn her back on the man she loved dearly.

  Selene smiled again as she watched her husband work.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked.

  Quinn stopped typing and glanced at her over his shoulder. “Come to think of it, my stomach is empty.”

  She wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders and kissed the top of his head. “That’s good because lunch is ready.”

  Quinn grinned. “Say no more!” He rose to his feet. “That’s enough writing for now. Let’s eat.”

  He slipped his arm around Selene’s waist and they headed for the kitchen.

  * * *

  “Any more news on the fire?” Quinn asked as they sat in the breakfast nook.

  “None that I’ve heard,” Selene said.

  “And you really think your ex is responsible for starting it?”

  “At this point, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  “Then I hope the police don’t either,” Quinn said. “If he did set the fire, there’s no telling what else he might be involved in.”

  “There are plenty of others who could’ve set the fire,” Selene offered. “After all, there are more than a few abusive men who resent what S.A.W. House represents.”

  “Yeah, but only one man who seems willing to do just about anything to get you back. No matter how reckless—”

  “I just don’t know what to think,” she said. “Chances are whoever set the fire is probably not the same person who’s killing local women.”

  “Are you willing to bet the house on that?” Quinn asked. “I’m sure as hell not.”

  Selene wondered if he was going to bring up the gun issue again. She hoped not. She was still very much against it.

  “Why don’t we just let the police sort it out?” Selene said. “That’s what they get paid for.”

  Quinn remained mute on the subject and continued to eat.

  She tried to downplay any personal threat they faced. “Didn’t we spend a small fortune on the security system that Marvin installed? He promised that it would keep the bad guys out and have the police at our doorstep practically in seconds if we had an intruder.”

  When Quinn finally opened his mouth, he said, “You’re right. There’s no reason to believe you’re in any imminent danger in here. It’s out there that has me concerned. As long as there are arsonists and serial killers on the loose, along with batterers, I’ll be worried. What man wouldn’t be if he were in my shoes?”

  “I’m a little worried, too,” Selene admitted. “Maybe even more than a little. But we can’t control everything in our lives no matter how much we want to, especially when there are evil people out there with their own agenda. We just have to be careful and use common sense to stay safe.”

  Selene doubted that was what he wanted to hear, but she believed wholeheartedly that it was better than living in an armed fortress.

  * * *

  Quinn didn’t argue the points Selene had made, particularly when she was right to some degree. He couldn’t guarantee her safety any more than he could his, no matter what steps were taken to protect them. He’d
learned that the hard way. His decision-making under duress had been questionable at best and downright gut wrenching at worst.

  But he had come away from his past experiences with a greater resolve to keep from repeating mistakes that would forever haunt him. There were times when a man had to be a man. And this was such a time. He would do everything in his power to protect Selene. That included getting Michel Giovanni out of her life for good—one way or the other.

  * * *

  An hour later, while Quinn was out running, Selene loaded the dishwasher and then spent the next twenty minutes at the kitchen table paying bills. She had just written her last check, when the power suddenly went out.

  Oh no, don’t do this to me now.

  Selene knew wishing it away wouldn’t change a thing. All she could think of was that now she would have to reset all the clocks. And the dishes wouldn’t be washed right away. Fortunately it was late afternoon, so she had no trouble seeing what she was doing.

  She got up and looked out the window at the Bonet’s house. She could see their TV was on, indicating that it wasn’t a street-wide power failure. She’d have to head to the basement and check out the circuit breaker.

  Selene grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen drawer and headed down the darkened steps. She shone the light around the walls and moved across the tile floor past the custom-made pool table.

  She heard a noise and whipped the flashlight around so the beam lit the stairs. There was no one there.

  She breathed a sigh of relief and proceeded through the basement, past the washer and dryer, to the circuit breaker box.

  Selene shone the light inside and saw that a couple of the breakers had tripped. She turned them back on.

  Like magic, she heard the dishwasher start running again.

  “You go, girl,” she said aloud, pleased it was such a simple fix.

  When Selene turned around, she realized it was anything but simple. She screamed when the beam of her flashlight shone right into the smug face of Michel Giovanni.