Her fear of being abandoned challenged them. He hoped convincing her of his love would alleviate the insecurity. He was a man who held on. When she came to understand he wasn’t going anywhere, surely she’d begin to rely on him fully.
He padded back to his room, lay on his bed, and listened.
A fierce, protective instinct rose within him.
Clark Burgess was a worry. They’d have to take care of him. He had a buddy down at Metro Police, and he respected the way Ragusa and Murphy had handled the surprise Kate found.
No way he’d allow that sick fuck to hurt Kate or Suzanna. Burgess thought he was crippled due to his vision, but that wasn’t the case. He kept up with his training and was in the best shape of his life. Skills the Rangers ingrained in him were not something he’d forget. And he wasn’t waiting around for the next incident.
Time to do a little recon of his own; maybe have a chat with the sick fuck, encourage him to back off. Yeah, tomorrow, first on his agenda would be One Hundred Police Plaza. Next, after leaving Kate at her office, would be to call in the big guns and a marker still open. He had good friends in shadowed places. If the locals couldn’t pull Burgess in, his buddy could.
Not finding comfort, he rolled, determined to rest. But it was pointless. Burgess was somewhere out there. He could smell him, feel him. His evil lurked beyond the walls. Cash wouldn’t get a good night’s sleep until the man was behind bars.
His lover and his daughter slept safe beneath his roof. He could do nothing more until morning, and, finally, the night claimed him.
The next morning, Kate and Suzanna bumped hips and joked through the brushing of teeth, accompanied by the sound of Homeboys—Suzanna’s favorite band. Oh, to be young again. Young enough that a skinny teen could jump-start her heart, and a happy life boiled down to cute guys and good grades and girlfriends.
Kate brushed the girl’s still-damp hair, approved her T-shirt selection, and thoroughly enjoyed the routine of the morning. She could get accustomed to having Suzanna around. Playing mommy was fun when the daughter was easygoing and downright cute.
Not willing to go further with her self-examination, she dressed in a soft gray pencil skirt and toed into her snazzy, studded heels. Classy yet approachable.
“Wow,” Suzanna exclaimed when she saw the shoes. All girl, shoes were, without doubt, the ultimate consideration. A shared understanding. Shoes were the bomb.
“You like?” Kate twirled, showing the elegant lines of her footwear.
“I love. When do you think I can start wearing heels?”
“Not up to me, darlin’. You need to talk to your father about those kinds of things. I started dressing up and wearing heels when I was thirteen, but again, I don’t set your rules, he does,” Kate said.
“Yeah. But he’s a guy…and he doesn’t think I’m ever going to grow up.”
“I’m not sure that’s true. Your dad’s a pretty savvy man. When he looks at you, I’ll bet he’s painfully aware you’re quickly becoming a young woman. He may not want to admit it, but he does.” She held out her hand for a squeeze, and Suzanna promptly complied.
Going to the kitchen, Kate found Cash attending the coffeepot. She grinned at him as she took a mug from his hand.
“Morning.” He surprised her by leaning in for a quick kiss. Suzanna giggled in the background.
“Umm. Good morning. Do we have a plan for the day?” she asked, her gaze running appreciatively over his body. He was as yummy in the morning with tousled sleep hair and facial scruff as when dressed and clean shaven. Both looks worked just fine.
He sipped his coffee. “Take Suzanna to school, check in at Police One, head toward your office. If you have the time, we can go over your candidates—you mentioned the Turner family?”
“Sounds good to me. You ready, Suze?” she asked, trying not to dwell on what lay ahead. Kate grabbed her keys. No bus for Suzanna today. She’d drive her to school.
Cash leaned down and murmured in an undertone, “Mind if we talk to the principal? Not that I think it’ll happen, but it might be a good idea to alert them, just in case Burgess shows up at school.”
Alarmed, Kate straightened to face him. “You think he might actually do that? Threaten Suzanna?”
“Don’t know what to think. But I don’t take chances with my daughter’s wellbeing. Not panicking, just taking precautions,” he assured her.
“God, I’m so sorry for all this. I hate that I brought this insanity to your door. If I talked to Clark, maybe I could reason with him.”
He shook his head. “We’ve been over this—it’s not an option. It’s not safe. He’s crazy. I don’t want him anywhere near you. If anyone talks to him other than the police, it’s going to be me. He doesn’t consider me a threat. Thinks I’m blind as a bat, though we both know that isn’t the case,” he reminded her. “I could get closer than anyone.”
Kate stared into his eyes. “You’re seeing better, aren’t you? The last surgery helped?”
His face softened. “Yeah,” he replied quietly. “The doc said it could improve slowly or all at once. Everyone heals at a different pace. Sitting this close, I can make out your features, though they’re a little blurry. But I can see a lot better than I did before the surgery. Last week you were pretty. Now, you’re downright beautiful.”
Tears welled in her eyes, then streamed down her cheeks. How she wished those beautiful blue eyes could see again.
“I’m so glad—so very, very glad,” she breathed, her voice betraying the depth of her emotions.
“Come on. Let’s get Suzanna to school. We can talk on the way to Metro Police.” He guided her out the door.
Kate maneuvered through morning traffic and pulled into line to drop Suzanna at the school’s drive-through entrance. Mothers and fathers jockeyed cars and SUVs ahead of her until finally it was almost her turn.
“Suze, we’re going to talk to the principal and your teachers. Ask them to be extra cautious about visitors. I don’t want to scare you—but I want you to be alert. You are safe at school—this is just a precaution.”
Suzanna took his warning in stride. “So I shouldn’t accept any deliveries for white roses.”
Kate was shocked. At first, she didn’t react. The kid was cracking a joke. Then she giggled with Suzanna.
Cash guffawed.
Suzanna cut loose with a belly laugh, and before long, they were laughing so hard, tears were running down their faces, the release just what they needed.
Thank God.
Kate fell completely in love with Suzanna Montgomery right at that moment.
Suzanna hopped out of the car with a lingering grin and turned back to wave as she went in the school door.
“Shall we do this?” Kate asked Cash and parked the car in a visitor’s slot.
“May as well.” As they walked to the entrance of the school, his hand hit hers, and she clasped his fingers. They’d face this together. Whatever Clark had in store, they’d get through it together. In this, at least, they were a unit.
After speaking with the principal and receiving assurances that the campus would be on alert, Cash seemed relieved.
“Let’s take care of the restraining order and get this meeting with Ragusa and Murphy over, and then we’ll get you to your office,” he said.
Kate nodded and buckled her seatbelt. She wondered if the policemen had gotten a lead on Clark.
Cash’s cell rang, and he answered as she merged into traffic.
“Montgomery…Yeah, we’re headed over to you now.” He raised his brows in question, and Kate immediately nodded. “Okay, sure. Be there in fifteen…”
“Do you know what’s up?” Kate asked when he’d ended the call.
“All Ragusa said was that there was a new development, and since we were headed there eventually, they want to meet at your office.”
“Then I guess that’s where we should go.”
Her voice was strong, but her hands gripped the steering wheel with knuckles cle
nched so tightly they were white.
At least, whatever she had to face, she wouldn’t face it alone.
Chapter Sixteen
As her office appeared at the end of the block, Kate sighed and then pulled into the parking garage and her assigned spot. God, she dreaded this. Her stomach muscles clenched, and her mind refused to focus. She was tired. Scared. Anxious. Who knew what this latest development was?
Oh, well. Whatever it turned out to be, they’d deal with it and then move on to Metro One Plaza. The restraining order. Interviews, forms, judges, and cops. If not for Clark, all her associations with city government would be on behalf of Stars of Hope.
They rode the elevator to the fourth floor, holding hands like teenagers. Cash kept firm pressure on her digits. Such a sweet guy. Half tough guy, half sweetheart. The bell sounded, and her assistant, Sarah, glanced toward the waiting room as soon as the doors opened.
Ragusa and Murphy both stood as Kate and Cash approached, and all shook hands. “Did you find him?” she asked.
Ragusa shook his head. “No, but something else turned up. If you have a few minutes, we have something to show you. Could we step into your office?”
“Certainly,” Kate responded. “Coffee?”
“Not for us, ma’am. We’ll get out of your hair as soon as possible.” He directed his attention to Cash. “You take care of your girl this morning?”
“Kate and I dropped her at school, then had a talk with the principal. They’re going to take extra precautions around the campus. We didn’t want to alarm them but wanted to make sure they were aware of the situation.”
Murphy adjusted his stance. “Good move. Just so you understand, we’re having a couple of community liaison officers assigned. There’s been a development.”
Alarmed by his tone, Kate put her hand to her throat, and she dropped into her chair. “Oh, no,” she moaned almost under her breath. Cash stood behind her.
Ragusa passed her two photographs. “Have you ever seen either of these two women?”
A gasp escaped her mouth as she examined each photo.
Two women, dead and bloodied, peered up from unzipped body bags. Bruises on their faces. Identical wounds, from what could only have been a knife, marring their chests, necks, and shoulders.
Sickening and horrible. But most alarming: both women resembled her. Bone structure. Hair color. Build, height. Her heart plummeted. No way could this be a coincidence.
Shocked, Kate stared at the three men. “My God!” she ground out, bewildered. The blood drained from her face, and cold dread crept over her.
“What?” Cash barked.
Ragusa kept his gaze on Kate but filled Cash in. “Women. Murdered. Beginning around the same time Ms. Sanders says she broke up with Burgess. The latest two days ago. Pretty grim. Multiple entry wounds. Stabbed.”
She stared at Ragusa and Murphy, then down at the glossy images shaking in her grasp.
“You’re here at my office. Obviously you think Clark Burgess had something to do with the deaths of these two women.”
Ragusa took the photographs from her hand.
“I’m afraid there’s no doubt. The knife left beside the roses on your table contained the DNA of Clark Burgess—in the blood and on the knife. No surprise. What we didn’t count on was retrieving DNA identifications from other dried matter found on the knife. That led us to these missing women.
“We pulled up the files, and once we had a good look at them, it was a no-brainer to warn you as soon as possible. Not only do the victims look like you—they were both in a previous relationship with Mr. Burgess.” He waved one photo in the air. “Marjorie Willis, a grad student in Pennsylvania. She dated Mr. Burgess for about three months.” Ragusa colored. “Found out she had a scare with cancer. Three weeks later, her body was found in a dumpster outside her apartment.”
He shuffled to the other photo. “Corinne Alphonso, also a grad student. University of Miami in Ohio. Same M.O.”
“Did she by any chance have cancer, Mr. Ragusa?”
The look on his face said it all. A pattern. The loaded glances between the three men left no question in her mind. Her ex-fiancé—a murderer.
Clark. Cancer. Ms. Willis. Ms. Alphonso. Her. Both women apparently cared about him. Both tainted by a ravaging disease. The pattern was unmistakable. She was lucky to be alive.
“He said he wanted to stay but couldn’t,” she whispered. “Said he loved me. Got me settled in bed, made soup, kissed me goodbye, and left. My God! Why didn’t he kill me? Why let me live and not these two?”
“Could be he did care for you. Could be his M.O.—to return after the fact. Could be it wasn’t the right time. Could be any number of reasons in his sick mind. Did he say anything, do anything that made you wonder about him?”
“I don’t think so. I never had any indication, not the slightest inkling Clark was anything other than…Clark. He’d been sweet and loving, attentive. A bit possessive, but never harsh. My friends didn’t care for him, but I…I loved him. Or thought I did.” She glanced apologetically at Cash.
He sensed the movement of her head and squeezed her shoulder before he walked to the door and called for her assistant. “Sarah, we need a water in here, please.” A sense of urgency colored his tone. In less than a minute, he handed a cold bottle to Kate. She shook as she took it from his hand, and he placed a comforting hand on her back.
“You okay?” he quietly asked.
“No. I’m not okay. Are you telling me Clark—the Clark I was engaged to marry—targeted women who looked like me? Who had the same disease as me, and murdered them?” Her voice rose in hysteria. “This is my fault? Two innocent women are dead because of a sick fixation on me?”
Cash squatted, his arms wrapping around her. “No way this is your fault. Get that out of your mind right now. It’s all on Burgess. You can’t blame yourself. He is obviously psychotic. If it wasn’t them, it would have been another unsuspecting woman. He preyed on them, and remember, it could easily have been you.”
“My God! This is unbelievable.” Then another thought crossed her mind.
“Cash—Suzanna?” Kate panicked.
His gaze shot to Ragusa and Murphy. “My daughter?”
The two exchanged loaded glances. “Look. The department has an APB out on Mr. Burgess. We’ve increased surveillance on your homes. You were a Ranger, Mr. Montgomery—you want extra help, or are you confident you’ve got Miss Sanders covered?”
“I’m not letting her out of my presence.”
Murphy inhaled a deep breath and glanced at his partner, then to Cash.
“Your daughter—she’s eleven?”
Cash nodded.
“It may be overkill, but if she was my girl, I’d take her someplace safe. Out of town. A place where Burgess can’t find her.”
Cash glanced at Kate. “My folks are gone. I wouldn’t want to endanger my friends—though they’d be more than willing. My deceased wife’s mother lives in Oklahoma City. Is that a degree of separation that’s far enough?”
Murphy didn’t smile. “Burgess is beyond dangerous. He’s killed twice, that we know of, and could have killed more.”
Cash nodded. “I’ll call Ray’s mom. I’m sure Rush and Jake will get Suzanna to Oklahoma. I can have her out of harm’s way before midnight.” He turned away to make the call.
“Ma’am.” Ragusa focused his attention on Kate. “I can’t stress how important it is for you to be protected at all times. You, unfortunately, are the primary target. If what we suspect turns out to be true, he’s killed at least two women who look like you and have survived cancer. I don’t know about you two, but I’d feel better if I knew Mr. Montgomery shadowed you. Otherwise, you might consider a bodyguard.”
“We’re good. I trust Cash, though I wouldn’t want him to get hurt.”
Murphy and Ragusa spared a grin. “Don’t think that should be a concern. From what I’ve learned of Mr. Montgomery, his particular skill set is adequate for protect
ion detail.”
Men. So sure of themselves. Invincible. So Alpha. Cash had been out of the service for years. As strong and fit as ever, he had his eyesight to contend with. She wanted him safe. The mere thought of someone harming Cash sent her fear factor soaring. She’d hide in a cave before letting Clark hurt him or Suzanna.
The grim look on his face screamed, “Don’t even think of arguing with me.” A lost cause; she’d make him swear to be careful. Now that she’d found him, she didn’t want to lose him. Couldn’t bear to think of losing him.
Ragusa and Murphy interrupted. “If that’s all, we’ll get back to headquarters. Don’t be alarmed if you see Burgess’s face on the six o’clock news. This is one bad dude. The entire community needs to be on alert. Anything happens, you call. We get any more information, we’ll call. Okay?”
Kate and Cash shook their hands and walked them out. Back in her office with the door closed, he wrapped his arm firmly around her waist, and pulled her in close.
“I’m going to take care of you. I know you’ll worry—can’t help that. But you don’t have to live in terror. Give me time to take care of Suze, and I’ll meet you back here before five.”
“Don’t you need me to help pack or something?” she asked.
“You afraid to stay here?”
Kate shook her head.
“Speak to me, Kate.”
“No. I’m not afraid.”
Cash grinned. He liked to hear a little sass in her tone.
“Then try and get some work done. It’ll take your mind off Burgess. The police are doing everything they can. It’s almost lunch time. Send Sarah home for the day, and I’ll make sure security has a man posted just outside your door. Lock it behind me, and stay put. I’m going to make my calls, clear things with the office, and get Suze on a plane to Oklahoma City. She’ll be fine with Ray’s mom. They love each other. Haven’t seen much of each other lately, but they get along great.”
“I’m relieved to get her out of this mess. The farther, the better. I can’t imagine Clark hurting a child, but then I couldn’t imagine him being a murderer, either. It’s still hard to swallow. A coward, a bully—maybe. But a killer? Never.”
A Little Night Music Page 16