Murder Stalks

by Sara York

  Murder Stalks

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  Murder Stalks

  By

  Sara York

  Murder Stalks

  Published by Sara York

  Copyright Sara York 2010

  Cover Art by Sara York

  Smashwords License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and not to be confused with any fact. Any resemblance to living persons or events is merely coincidence.

  All rights reserved, this material may not be reproduced, used, or redistributed in any form without explicit consent by the author or artist.

  Murder Stalks

  Chapter 1

  A hollow thud echoed behind Marissa Santos. She picked up her pace, not wanting to be caught alone in the dark stairwell. Had there been anyone in the lot when she pulled in?

  Her pulse quickened when she hit the top step. She ran to her door, pulling the keys from her purse. Nervous energy caused her hand to jerk. The keys fell to the cement floor with a jangling clatter. She scooped them up, sifted through the ring, and found the one to her apartment.

  Relief pulsed through her body, she was almost in. The grocery bag split as she slid the key into the lock, spilling the box of microwave popcorn onto her sandal clad foot.

  “Ouch.”

  The thud sounded again, closer this time. The skin on the back of her neck prickled and her hair stood on end. Grasping the bottom of the bag to her chest, she held on tight. Marissa pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold, kicking the box of popcorn as she moved. She was almost home free when two books from the library fell out of her purse.

  Damn it. She should have been home before dark.

  Her knees weakened and droplets of sweat beaded on her brow as she pushed the books into her apartment.

  “Hurry. Hurry.”

  Tony had told her not to move here, but had she listened? Of course not. She should have moved to the gated community on the other side of town. Not that this place was the worst neighborhood in Juniper, just one of the less desirable ones.

  With blood roaring in her ears, she gave the door a shove. It bounced back, popping her in the nose. Stars swam before her eyes, and the room grew dim around her. She shook off the pain, reaching down for the mangled popcorn box. With a flick of her wrist, she pushed it out of the way. The door closed with a thump. Her fingers, clumsy with nerves, slid the bolt home.

  She flopped back against the door, her breath coming in gasps. Silently, she cursed Tony and his tales of murder.

  Marissa turned and looked out the peephole. Mrs. Shultz would be home soon. The landing was clear, but what about the stairwell? She fished a can of pepper spray out of her purse then dropped the heavy bag on the carpet.

  With pepper spray in hand, she swung open the front door. Fear reached down to the tips of her toes and her knees shook. She wanted to slam the door closed and hide, but she didn’t.

  Inching towards the stairwell, Marissa looked over her shoulder, checking that her door still stood open so she could make a break for it if Mrs. Schultz wasn’t coming up the stairs.

  With only inches to go, Marissa stopped and breathed in deeply. This was crazy and she knew it. ‘Call the police,’ echoed in her head, but that would bring Tony. The girls on the switchboard would call the ever-important detective Tony Santos if there were a hint of trouble at her apartment. But he was the last person she wanted to see. She reached down and felt for the cell phone in her pocket. On second thought she pulled it out and punched in the emergency numbers. All she had to do was hit the green call button.

  Silently, she counted to three and jumped out into the open, screaming as loud as she could. Nothing. The stairwell was empty.

  “Is that you, Marissa?” Mrs. Schultz’s gravelly voice sang from below.

  “Yes ma’am.”

  The gray-haired octogenarian climbed the stairs quickly. If Marissa lived to be eighty, she wanted to be as fit as Mrs. Schultz. “What was all that screaming about?”

  “I thought I heard something.” Marissa flipped her phone closed and shrugged. Her imagination had been playing tricks on her lately. She hated the fear that had taken up residence in her life since she walked out on Tony. After three weeks in this apartment, she should be used to the strange noises, but she wasn’t. If anything, her fear was worse.

  “There wasn’t anybody when I pulled into the lot. Maybe it was the cat.”

  “You’re probably right.” Marissa sighed and rolled her shoulders. The tension had been building before she walked out on Tony, now her muscles were aching knots. She moved towards her door, embarrassed that she had almost scared the life out of Mrs. Schultz.

  “Oh dear.” Mrs. Schultz wrung her hands together.

  “Is something wrong?” Marissa stepped closer to the older lady and smelled a faint hint of baby powder and chocolate. Bittersweet memories of Ashley made her eyes water. Marissa bit her tongue, stopping the tears that threatened to fall. She pushed away the pain and focused on the older woman. Later, once she knew Mrs. Schultz better, she would tell her about sweet Ashley, but not yet.

  “I left my bible down in the car.”

  “Wait. I’ll go get it.” Marissa pulled her door closed, locking it in the process.

  “Oh honey, you don’t have to.”

  “I know, but I will. Give me your car keys. I’ll be back in a second.”

  Marissa ran down the stairs. Her stupid imagination was working overtime, but she wouldn’t hide in her apartment. Before Tony, she’d been independent. Well, as independent as a nineteen year-old college student could be.

  She ran to Mrs. Schultz’s car and popped open the door. The bible was on the front seat, an easy grab. Marissa hopped out of the car, slammed the door, locking it with a quick punch to the key fob. Her body was already in motion before she realized that a short, stout man blocked her path. His dark brows raised and his eyes bore into hers. A gasp escaped her lips. She saw the corners of his mouth turn up. He was laughing at her. She backed away then turned quickly towards the stairwell. Straightening her back, she lifted her
head and walked with purpose. A shiver snaked up her spine, and she looked back. The strange man was gone.

  It was nothing, she told herself. The noise on the stairs had probably been one of the neighbor’s cats. The guy was just passing through the parking lot. Or had he been watching her the entire time? She shook off the creepiness that had taken hold of her. There wasn’t anything to worry about.

  Mrs. Schultz stood at the top of the stairs waiting for her. “Thank you dear. Anything you need, all you have to do is knock.”

  “You’re welcome, and I’ll keep that in mind.” Marissa handed her the bible. “Are you going to watch the fireworks? They should start in about twenty minutes.”

  “No, seen enough in my lifetime. I’m going to watch a movie. Care to join me?”

  “No thanks. I think I’ll stay in tonight.”

  “Thank you again.” Mrs. Shultz flashed a smile before disappearing into her apartment.

  Marissa turned the key in the knob, and waited. She didn’t want to go into the empty apartment. Earlier, she’d left the door open when she had almost scared the living daylights out of Mrs. Shultz. What if someone had snuck in? A spot right between her eyes started to ache. Standing out here wouldn’t get her the painkillers she desperately needed. Her heart beat out a staccato rhythm as she swung the door wide, revealing the empty living room.

  Grabbing the wine coolers and a few painkillers, she ran back to her bedroom and slammed the door. She clenched the phone hard, stopping her hand from shaking. If she heard any strange sounds she would call the police, but silence filled her dinky apartment. With a sigh of relief, she sank back against the wall and cracked open one of the wine coolers. She looked at the bottle for a long moment before taking a swig.

  She hadn’t drunk anything since leaving Tony. Maybe she shouldn’t drink this one. What the hell. One drink wouldn’t hurt.

  Doubts about moving out still filled her mind. Why couldn’t it be easy? Disgust over her indecision filled her. She turned the bottle up, emptying it. Tony wasn’t the only man out there. She could find someone else to spend her life with. But damn it, she didn’t want to.

  With a second wine cooler opened and halfway empty, her stomach gurgled. Downing the two drinks on an empty stomach had been stupid, but her resolve was strengthened with the buzz she’d achieved. She wouldn’t call for Tony. She could take on life without him.

  After finishing the second drink, Marissa pulled herself onto the bed. The dull boom of the fireworks at the beach cut at her heart. This was the first year she and Tony weren’t there together. Pulling a pillow over her head, she blocked out the noise. Fat tears burned her eyes and dampened the sheets.

  They had been together for years, long good years filled with happiness, and now this. If Ashley were still alive they would be a family. But she couldn’t blame this breakup on Ashley’s death. Tony had messed up. Hell, she’d messed up too. Their breakup had as much to do with her pushing Tony away as it did with him being distant. After an exhausted sob, she fell asleep, thinking about how different this summer would have been if she’d stayed with Tony.

  ****

  A tickling sensation trailed down his neck, setting off alarm bells that shook him to his core. Detective Tony Santos treaded water in the middle of the deep end. His heart pounded against his ribs as he swiveled his head, searching for the source of his unease. Beads of water dripped down his neck. He reached back, wiping the moisture from his skin. The strange sensation still held him, making him wish the natatorium wasn’t empty today.

  Something had caught his attention, perhaps a bird running into the window, but he’d heard something. He was sure of it. Or maybe not.

  Splashing at the water, he listened for the dull echo that bounced off the hard white tile, distorting the sounds. Damn echoes. A harsh laugh escaped his lips before he plunged under the surface, blocking out all sounds, cocooning himself in the cool water.

  Diving deeper he flipped and pushed hard off the bottom. Slicing through the water, he broke the surface and gasped for breath. The chlorine-tainted air was an elixir to him, calming his mind. The noise was just that, a noise. No one was here, only shadows and echoes filled this place.

  Tony attacked the water, stroking up the lane, letting the burn of his muscles take over. When his thoughts turned to Marissa, he pushed his body harder, forcing his mind to think stroke, stroke, stroke.

  Sleep hadn’t been worth shit since Marissa walked out three weeks ago. His hands moved of their own accord at night, constantly searching her side of the bed for the sweet warmth she brought to his life. He came up empty, just like his heart.

  He spent the next hour pushing his body to work harder, swim faster. A welcome exhaustion overtook him, plunging him into a fatigue that emptied his mind. He stopped and reached for the cold metal railing, pulling himself out of the water into the heat of the empty natatorium.

  Closing his eyes, he draped a small white towel over his head and scrubbed at his short military cut. A firm hand on his shoulder brought him around. He almost lost his balance, but his arms swung wide and his hand fisted around the sleeve of Rex Hague’s shirt.

  “Damn it, Rex. What are you doing here?”

  “Why are you so jumpy? Maybe you need another hour in the pool.”

  “Shit.”

  “Whoa there, buddy, I’m just the messenger today.” Rex held up his hands and flashed a smile.

  Tony relaxed, letting his muscles uncoil. “A little more warning next time.” He pulled his hand down his face, wiping away the last beads of water.

  “You’re tight today. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

  “Damn it, Rex, what the hell do you think?” Tony gripped his towel so hard his fingers ached. Rex had nailed Tony’s mood. He was jumpy. A bad habit he had sunk into, one that needed to die soon. When Marissa left, his problems became too hard to hide. His anger had surfaced like a fire breathing monster more than once, making him wish he could go back and change the past.

  “Sorry dude, wrong choice of words. Still smarts huh?”

  Tony’s heart clenched, sending a burst of pain through his body and making him want to punch the nearest thing, which happened to be the overly chipper Rex. Maybe he’d take a vacation next week. No, he’d never taken one without Marissa, and he damn sure wasn’t about to start. Hell, he needed to keep his mind off her. Work should be his focus.

  “I’m fine. Why are you here?” Tony relaxed his fingers and draped the towel around his shoulders.

  “Duty came calling early today. Night officers found something.”

  “Oh God, I don’t want to know.” Tony shrugged off the towel, letting it fall to the ground as he pulled a dingy white ‘Don’t Mess With Texas’ t-shirt over his head.

  “This ain’t something you’ll want to miss,” Rex said.

  “Somebody run over a fence and upset the neighbors?”

  “No, this is bad. An apartment manager found a body.”

  ****

  Marissa snorted as she shook herself awake. Sweat soaked sheets twisted around her ankles, trapping her in place. She pushed the pillow to the floor then groaned. Covering her eyes with her hands, she blocked out the light pouring in from two small windows where thin, wispy white curtains did little for privacy.

  She searched the bedside table for the phone, punching in the first three numbers of their home phone before remembering why she couldn’t call Tony. “Damn it,” Marissa swore as she kicked at the covers, pushing them off the bed with a whump.

  With the bright sun streaming in, doubts about last night nagged at her. Someone could have been outside her apartment, creeping up the stairs behind her, but it could have just as well been the neighbor’s fat cat. Mrs. Schultz hadn’t seen anyone and neither had she, except for that man down in the parking lot.

  In the stark light of day her fear seemed stupid. No one had been behind her on the stairs. The guy in the parking lot was just passing through.

  Marissa stumbled to
the bathroom and growled at her image in the mirror. You can be tough, she told her reflection. Hell, who was she kidding? She needed help. But calling for help would have brought out the cavalry, and they all would have laughed at her ridiculous imagination. Worse, they would have assumed she had been drunk and wanted to see Tony.

  Drunk. Damn, she shouldn’t have had that drink last night. The pregnancy test had turned out negative, but something still didn’t feel right.

  Defeat sucked at her spirit. She rejected the feeling. The last few years she’d spent too much time being wimpy, and wimpy wouldn’t help her now. One hot tear trickled down her cheek. She swiped away the wetness. The time had come for her to be strong without Tony. There was no reason for him to find out how scared she was. She wouldn’t live in fear.

  It was time to change.

  Chapter 2

  Tony slid his car into the spot beside Rex’s black Hummer. Familiarity caught him in the back of the throat, bringing a rush of memories he wished would have stayed locked away.

  He and Marissa had lived in this complex before Ashley. It wasn’t the first place they lived, maybe the second. The apartments were near the school where Marissa had taught fifth grade. She’d been ecstatic. The kids had walked with Marissa to school, letting her know that even though she wasn’t one of them, she was still cool in a way that only a fifth grade teacher could be cool. The memory brought a quick smile to his lips. He shook his head and pushed away the unwanted thoughts, turning his mind back to work.

  The briny scent of the Gulf of Mexico didn’t reach this place. Instead, the sickening sweet smell of jasmine mixed with the unpleasant odor coming from the apartment sent out an odor that repelled him. A wave of disgust washed over him, turning his stomach sour and making him wish he had taken that position in community policing. Then again, he never was into glad-handing and babysitting a bunch of overly concerned citizens. On most days, he loved his job, just not today.