"Well, we haven't eaten, either. I got caught up in some work at the bookstore that we'll fill you in on. I'll throw some food together for all of us while you three discuss why you're really in the neighborhood.” Lillian headed toward the front door. The three men followed.
Lillian defrosted a London broil and some hero rolls she had tossed in the freezer a few nights ago. She got out a frying pan, an onion to sauté with some butter and took steak seasoning out of the cupboard. She planned to make cheese steak sandwiches with home fries.
The three detectives spoke in the living room while Lillian cooked.
"So we get a call from Mathew an hour ago, saying that Martin called him. He claims to be in New Jersey. Martin told his friend that he knew he spoke to the police, that he was pissed off for him doing that, and he hung up the phone,” Miller told Michael.
"Do you think he's really there?” Michael asked.
"That's the tricky part because thirty minutes ago, we got a call from the Spring Valley P.D. that an officer investigating a traffic accident saw a guy matching Martin's description walk by the accident scene and get on a bus. The officer called it in immediately. They located the bus, searched it, and found no sign of Martin. The officer swears it was him,” Miller told him.
"We've got to try to wean this guy out. Set something up with a decoy or something. We were thinking about trying to find a female officer who could pass for Lillian,” Jacks began to say when Lillian entered the living room.
"My plan would be even better. Why use a decoy when you could use the real thing."
"Lillian, I told you I don't like the idea at all. It's too dangerous,” Michael began to say.
Lillian told everyone the sandwiches were ready, so they went into the kitchen.
"This is fantastic, Lillian. Thanks,” Jacks told her. Both Miller and Michael added similar comments.
"So what's this idea of yours that Michael's not too keen on?” Miller asked, taking a slug from a can of beer.
"I've been asked last minute to do a book premiere at Lillian's Love next weekend. The publicity people for a best selling author Liz Babcock."
"Liz Babcock who wrote Surrender?” Miller asked. Jacks looked at him kind of funny.
"My wife loves her work. She even traveled to California one time to see her in person, to get a book autographed,” Miller added.
The guys seemed to be satisfied with his answer.
"Well, you can see how huge this is. Anyway, there'll be a lot of people and this is the opportunity of a lifetime for me. I figured if you guys are there along with as many undercover officers you think necessary, maybe we could get Martin to show up."
"The problem is trying to control security and keep a close eye on you when you're doing your hostess thing. He could show up in a disguise...."
"You would be by me or at least near me at all times, Michael."
"It could work. Or he could not show up at all, really be hiding out in Jersey as suspected,” Miller began to say before Jacks interrupted.
"It could work really well especially if he's in the area. But, Lillian, your safety is the most important thing. No heroics!” he warned her.
Lillian smiled. She would be able to have the premiere next weekend plus possibly help catch Martin Crane.
Michael didn't hide his annoyance, but he didn't argue, either.
Around eleven in the evening, Jacks and Miller headed out and Michael set the alarm.
* * * *
Lillian felt tired yet full of energy as she made her way upstairs with Michael. He hadn't spoken a word to her. She knew he was angry.
When they entered the bedroom, Michael completed his end of the day routine by placing his nine-millimeter in the top dresser drawer along with his badge. He proceeded to get undressed, never saying a word as he went into the bathroom to take a shower.
Lillian couldn't help but feel bad. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, she didn't want to feel controlled. That was exactly how Michael made her feel.
She got undressed, wrapped a towel around her body, then walked into the bathroom taking notice of Michael's body structure and muscle tone. Even though she could see the steam from the hot shower he took, it didn't seem to loosen the muscles in his neck or shoulders. That made it obvious to Lillian, as did Michael's facial expression, that he remained angry.
Lillian stood by the shower looking at him while the water sprayed against his chest.
"Are you angry with me, Michael?” she asked him softly, wondering for a moment if he would ignore her.
"I told you I didn't think it was a good idea, that I wanted to talk to you about it first."
"But Willy and Troy brought up the idea of a decoy, so it made sense to me to bring up the premiere."
"Oh, of course it made sense to you. You weren't going to listen to a word I had to say about it. You were too busy selling the idea of the premiere to them, batting those eyelashes to get your way."
"Whoa ... I wasn't batting my eyelashes!” Lillian placed her hands on her hips.
Michael looked away from her and exhaled.
"I wasn't, Michael. There's no need to be jealous. I want this over. Maybe the premiere will help."
The towel around her waist loosened and fell to the floor.
Michael took Lillian by the arm, pulling her into the shower with him.
He gently placed her body against the tile wall, held her arms by her side as he looked her in the eyes. Water sprayed off his body, onto Lillian's. He had the most serious look on his face.
"You drive me absolutely crazy, do you know that?” He leaned forward allowing his body to crush hers.
"I don't mean to,” Lillian whispered just as Michael's lips covered her own. He let go of her arms to cradle her face in his hands kissing her more deeply, pressing his body against hers. She remained lost in him, blocked by the water from his eyes and the worry they revealed.
She wrapped her arms around his waist, wedged her leg between his, moving her hips against him.
"I'm sorry I upset you, Michael. There's no way I'd make it through this without you."
As she held onto his shoulders, nibbled on his neck just perfectly, there was only one thing to concentrate on....
Michael held Lillian's hips in place. It appeared every muscle in his body worked as he positioned her, then entered her, strong and hard.
Their hips rocked together, their mouths covered one another, fighting for control but neither budged.
Michael moved faster, harder. then looking concerned, he eased up a bit. In response, Lillian inched closer, pushed harder letting Michael know she needed him, wanted him like this to satisfied both their needs.
The water sprayed over them, both sweating despite the cool water against their skin.
Michael couldn't hold off any longer, neither could Lillian as they came together and embraced.
* * * *
Michael and Lillian snuggled together in bed. Holding her close, he realized he was getting used to sharing his life with Lillian. She was easy to get along with. Their interests were similar. The more they talked, the more they found out they had many things in common.
He thought about the time they spent together, the danger she had experienced and triumphed. He could tell by her breathing, she remained wide-awake but silent. He couldn't help but think about Lillian's life. He wondered how she met Martin. How things had gotten so intense and so wrong that she nearly died. He squeezed her tighter, then felt her snuggle closer against him. He kissed her earlobe, her cheek, then whispered against her ear.
"Lilly, are you awake?"
"I can't sleep. I have the premiere on my mind. Everything I have to do."
Lillian turned over, now, facing Michael. His hand lay flat against her hipbone.
"I know the decision is made. You know I'm not happy about it. I want to make sure you understand just how dangerous Martin has become. He tortured, brutally raped, and killed three women. One, only a few towns over in Nyack. Th
e crime scene was horrific. He made it perfectly clear that he wants you. You're his main target and I'm scared."
Lillian touched Michael's face with her hand. She gently traced his lips with her thumb.
"I love you so much, Michael. I know you're worried. So am I, but Martin has to be stopped. This could be the way to do it. He ruined my life once before. I'm stronger now. He won't win this time."
Michael let his hand glide over Lillian's hip to her backside. He pulled her hips closer to his. Their gazes locked.
He wanted to know more about Martin. He wanted her to tell him everything. He hadn't asked any questions just went by the police report. He never pushed for answers for anything.
Does she trust me?
As if reading his mind, Lillian began to speak.
"You've been so patient with me, Michael. You haven't asked me about my relationship with Martin...."
"Baby, you don't have to tell me. It doesn't matter."
"Yes, it does matter. I want you to know everything about me, that way, you can decide ... if you still love me."
Michael leaned in, kissed Lillian softly on the lips as his hand caressed her backside.
"I'm going to love you forever."
She appeared touched by his words by the tear that instantly formed and escaped from her eye.
She leaned her forehead against his chest and softly drew circles on the sheets as she began her story.
"I met Martin at a party my friend Stacey had. It was a I've-got-a-new-apartment party. She invited everyone she knew. The apartment was huge. It was actually a renovated loft, with three floors. I remember being envious. I just landed a good job working for a marketing firm involved with publishing companies. I had to start at the bottom, but was quickly moving up the corporate ladder, you know?” She glanced at Michael only for a moment.
"Anyway, I met Martin, a friend of Stacey's boyfriend at the time.
"Martin worked for a small advertising firm, dealt a lot with computers, and through conversation, I found out he was some kind of a big shot.
"We started dating a week after the party. We hit it off pretty well. Things got complicated as Martin got busy with work and I needed to work longer hours to please my boss. We started drifting apart. I liked him, a lot. He was handsome, funny, and we shared some of the same interests. We both played Lacrosse in college, enjoyed outdoor activities. We hung out with the same people, but.... I had more guy friends and that upset Martin.
"At the time, I couldn't see it coming. The over protectiveness, the constant questions, the third degree. He always twisted things around, made me believe that I was to blame."
"That must have been tough. What set him off? When did he first start hitting you?” Michael cautiously asked.
"The abuse was verbal for a while, maybe six months or so. One night, while we were taking a break from one another, I met Stacey and a few friends at a bar in Pennsylvania. I met this guy, a friend of Stacey's. They worked together. He was the pushy type, if you know what I mean and things got out of hand. I handled it, though. But Martin showed up after the fact, and started a fight with the guy. Martin beat him up, told him never to come near me again.
While we were heading home, he told me I wasn't allowed out with Stacey anymore, that our time apart was over.
We headed back to my apartment. I thought he had calmed down, but he didn't. We were intimate already, he was a bit rough that night. I was concerned. I should have stopped things, but once again, Martin twisted things around."
Lillian took a deep breath. Michael could feel her body shaking.
He caressed her hair, kissed her forehead.
She continued, but still didn't look at him.
"In the middle of the night, he woke me up in a rage. It scared the hell out of me. He carried on about the guy at the bar, about Stacey being a slut, a bad influence. I stood up for my friend and he slapped me across the face, pinned me down on the bed. That was the first time he hit me."
Lillian sighed heavily.
"You didn't tell anyone, not even your friend?” Michael asked.
"The abuse continued for a few months until I confided in my friend Stacey. She convinced me to leave Martin and I did. I lied, told him I had a business meeting in Virginia for four days. Instead, I moved everything out of my apartment into storage. I moved into another friend's apartment, and filed an order of protection against Martin. But I couldn't leave my job. I had worked so hard to stay focused and excel in my field.
"I relied on that order of protection more than anything. It was my lifeline. It made me feel in control. It got me to go to work, to try to live my life.... It gave me false hope. They told me that the police would arrest Martin if he came within a certain distance of me. What a fool, to believe such a thing.
"The order of protection should be renamed an order of illusion. Martin got to me. I nearly died that night. You saw the pictures, so I won't get into the details. His lawyer got his sentence lessened. He would be released early for good behavior. I changed my name, left my family, my life behind to start a new one here. Now here we are."
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that. No one deserves that. You were smart to receive counseling, rebuild your life, move on."
Lillian moved closer to Michael, snuggled her face into his neck. She definitely loved the smell of his cologne, the strength of his embrace.
"Can't you see, Michael, how important Lillian's Love is to me? It's everything. It's my life. It's all of me. If I lose it, if I allow Martin to scare me so much, to make me fail, he wins and I'm dead. I can't allow that to happen. I had everything ripped away from me. My family, my life, the hopes of one day falling in love, being loved, respected and being successful. It's all happening right now, Michael. Lillian's Love, its success is about to surpass my wildest dreams. A famous author wants to have her signing at my little bookstore in Stony Point. I've fallen in love with you ... you complete me, Michael, and Martin Crane, or whomever, is not going to take away all my dreams.” Lillian held Michael's face in her hand.
"Aunt Mabel was right, you are my guardian angel. You'll keep me safe. Everything will work out fine.” Lillian kissed him, embraced him before she laid her head back down against his chest.
Michael held her tight, silently promising himself he would never let Martin Crane get his hands on Lillian again.
* * * *
Starting first thing Tuesday morning Lillian had planned out a whole list of items and preparations that needed handling. Just as she and her staff began, the doorbell rang. Liz Babcock had sent her staff along with Mr. Ludwick and his assistants. Luckily, Michael's mom, Janet, had a friend who ran a Bed and Breakfast in Pearl River. Lillian arranged, with the owner, for Miss Babcock, Mr. Ludwick, and his staff to stay there. Other workers for the event stayed at a hotel nearby. Lillian did not know how much Miss Babcock liked Bed and Breakfast inns until Mr. Ludwick arrived elated at the accommodations.
Lillian worked non-stop past lunchtime. Realizing she missed lunch, feeling dizzy and tired, she hurriedly drank a diet shake and ate a protein bar. What a combination?
Five minutes later, the heartburn kicked in.
Mr. Ludwick wanted to rearrange the back porch, add some pieces to the gardens before the tent people arrived. He also had a professional lighting system and stage electrician come over to make major changes to Lillian's current circuit box. They were worried about a fire.
Lillian started heading out of her office, to the porch, when her cell phone rang.
"Hello!” she answered abruptly, stopping in her tracks when she heard Michael's voice.
"How's it going? I heard you had some unexpected visitors?"
"You spoke to your mom? Thank her again for me. She's a Godsend."
"I'll tell her. I'm on my way to her house. I've been so busy lately I haven't had the chance to stop by."
"Apologize to her for that, as well. How's the case going?"
"Nothing new, which has me a bit worried. Mar
tin hasn't been seen. He hasn't made any other moves."
"Well, get ready for Saturday night. Are we going to discuss the security measures or what?"
"We'll take care of everything. You focus on the premiere and keeping Miss Babcock happy. I'll pick you up after work. I love you."
"I love you, too.” Lillian hung up the phone, smiling to herself just as she heard her aunt yell something about her daisies. Instantly brought back to realty, she sprinted back down the hallway to the porch.
* * * *
Early Thursday morning around three, inside the Rockland Rehabilitation Center, the killer entered silently, undetected through the window next door. He had always been an avid cliff climber, athletic, strong but silent. He scoped out the room. It remained empty, as detected earlier. Now he had to get by the cop stationed outside Mrs. Sampson's room. He focused on his mission. The old bitch would die. She wouldn't be able to speak. Then he could move on with his plan. He needed to tie up all the loose ends, make sure no one would find them before getting Lillian.
He slowly opened the door, noted the nurses station located way down the hall at the other end of the hospital ward. He could see only one cop on duty in the hallway, but he knew there were three others by the exits. The one unit that patrolled the outside perimeter would be taking his scheduled coffee break.
The killer knew he had four minutes, fifteen seconds to get the job done and get out of there.
He tiptoed down the hall only two more steps, but the cop looked up. Busted. The killer went to Plan B, stabbing the cop with the syringe. A half a second later, the cop lay sprawled out on the floor.
He quickly entered the room. The old lady sat up, awake. He saw her hit the panic button. Alarms were going off, monitors blared. The killer started cutting wires and lunged toward his victim, stabbing her in the stomach. She screamed out in pain, rolled off the bed onto the floor.
He hoped he had killed her, but there was no time to check. He could hear numerous footsteps. People were running down the hallway. Quickly, he attached the connector to the bedpost, then the rope. An instant later, he leaped out the window. He sprinted, feeling the adrenaline rush, making it halfway across the lawn into the trees before the other officers arrived. He thought he made it until he saw another patrol car coming from the direction he headed. They spotted him as he ran back through the woods.
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