by K. J. Dahlen
Nick grinned and retrieved the tissue. “That’s the easy part. The hard part will be revealing the connection if there is one. Did you notice the look on the Judge’s face when you mentioned Richard’s name?” Nick asked.
“He knows more than he’s willing to tell us, and that’s a fact.” Sable said.
“I’m beginning to understand why Micah left.” She got to her feet. “I’ll walk that sample over to the lab. I need to give a sample of my own anyway.”
Chapter Eleven
It was almost dark when the phone rang again. Sable dreaded what was to come, but she knew she had to pick up the phone. “Hello.”
“My, my, my, you are piecing the story of my life together aren’t you?” Oscar asked.
“What do you mean?” Sable tried to stop the shivers racing up her spine.
“You got to the Judge, didn’t you?” Oscar chuckled. “And I’ll just bet he was more than a little surprised to see you, wasn’t he? Or was he disturbed by your sudden appearance? Maybe that’s a better word for his reaction.”
Sable gripped the receiver a little tighter. “How do you know what his reaction was?”
She heard him chuckle. “I was watching your office when he stopped by. He seemed more than a little put out.”
“What do you want?” Sable asked.
“I just wanted to let you know my plans are coming along nicely. You know all those loose ends seem to be coming together.” He paused then he told her, “Soon I’ll be finished here, and then it will be our time.”
“What do you mean our time?”
“It will be our time to get reacquainted. We have so much to catch up on,” Oscar told her.
“I don’t think so. I don’t even know you.”
Oscar chuckled. “You mean you don’t remember me?”
“Why would I want to remember you?” Sable tried to sound calm even though the terror wouldn't leave.
“Well its true I never had time for kids and when we were together, all you did was whine about going back to your mother, but I mean every once in a while a man has to get in touch with his family.”
Sable had to ask even though she dreaded the answer. “Are we related?”
Oscar hesitated before he dropped the bombshell. “I was told we were, and we have the same colored eyes so I guess it’s more than possible we are related, yes.”
Sable wet her lips with her tongue. “Are you my father?” she finally asked.
“That would be telling now wouldn’t it?” Oscar told her. “I don’t want to give away the whole game. All you have to know right now is that very soon it will be just you and I playing the game.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sable pushed him for answers, answers she knew wouldn't be forthcoming.
“I have to take care of someone that denied me my birthright and then I’ll come to you.” Oscar promised. “You’ll understand everything soon. When you know the whole truth, it will all make sense to you.”
When the line went dead, Sable stared at the phone. She glanced up and saw Nick looking at her. She replaced the phone and shook her head. “I think he’s going after the Judge and his family.”
Nick picked up the phone on his desk and called the Reardon house but there was no answer. He put the phone down and nodded toward Quentin and Max. Sable got up to join them but Nick motioned for her to sit back down. “Not this time. You and Brandi stay here.”
Sable bristled at his tone. “Nick, I’m a part of this team.”
Nick stepped closer to her and taking her by the arms he looked at her. "I can see the tension in your face and the dark circles under your eyes. When was the last time you had any sleep? When did you eat last? I know we’re all tired and under the gun here, but you have got to keep up with the rest of us and right now you aren’t. Stay here and get some rest. We can handle the Judge.”
Sable felt near tears. She had to admit Nick was right. She certainly couldn’t handle much right now. She watched as they left to warn the Judge. Sable looked at Brandi and saw concern in her eyes. “I think I’ll try and rest.” Sable went to the conference room and closed the door. She went over to the couch and lay down. Closing her eyes she expected to see the faceless man again, but this time she didn’t. She drifted to sleep without the nightmares.
About a half hour later Sable began to toss and turn. The nightmare was back only this time it was different. It was more real. It was so dark she could barely see. She could hear what sounded like fighting nearby. Someone was screaming and cursing them. Suddenly every sound stopped and she couldn’t hear anything. She was curled up in a corner holding something in her arms. She saw the faceless man holding the knife coming for her. Sable screamed and tried to get away but he held her too tightly. Then she felt a blast of pain in her head and everything went blank.
The next thing she remembered was being cramped in a tight space. She couldn’t move and the stone walls that held her were cold and damp. She tried to turn around but there was something in the small cramped place with her, and she couldn’t move. She tried time and time again but exhaustion set in and she slept for awhile.
When she woke up, it was lighter inside the stone walls and she could see better. Her arm hurt and when she touched it, she saw blood on her fingers. Sable screamed but no one heard her. Again she tried to move around. She could turn her head just enough to see what was behind her. She screamed again at the sight of vacant cobalt blue eyes staring back at her.
Sable screamed and sat up on the couch. Her hair was plastered to the side of her face and she was sweating. A few moments later the door to the conference room opened and Brandi came running in.
“Are you alright?” Brandi asked.
Sable nodded slowly. Fear was making her heart pound in her chest. She took a deep breath and slowly the fear subsided. She looked over at Brandi and closed her eyes for a brief second.
She couldn’t share her nightmare with the other woman, not yet anyway. She needed time to figure out what it meant. Had it been just a nightmare or had she lived through that horrifying event?
Sable looked at Brandi and asked, “Are the guys back yet?”
Brandi shot a quick look to the door as if wishing they were there. “No, not yet. Are you sure you’re alright?”
Sable slowly let her breath out. “I think so.” She got up and stretched. Her whole body ached and her eyes felt like dust bowls but she knew she wouldn’t be closing her eyes again anytime soon. “I need something to drink. Is there any coffee left?”
“If you can call that rot-gut coffee, yeah, there’s some coffee left,” Brandi told her as she followed her out of the room.
A few minutes later the door opened and Nick, Quentin and Max came in. Sable looked hopefully at Nick, but all Nick could do was shake his head.
“That old man is crazy, did you know that? We told him there might be a serial killer after his family and he told us he could take care of his family just fine and that they didn’t need outside help.” Max shook his head.
“Did you get any new information from him?” Sable asked.
Nick slammed his fist down on his desk. He was seething. “We didn’t even get to the front door. The Judge was standing on the front step when we arrived, and he told us to get off his property.” Nick began to pace. “If he has no fear for himself he should at least have a care for his wife, son, and daughter-in-law. They are his family too. And it doesn’t sound like Oscar is going to leave any of them alive when he gets done. The Judge is a damn fool.”
Sable sank down into her chair. Emotionally she was spent. She didn’t know how much more drama she could take. She jerked when the phone beside her elbow rang. She couldn’t take anymore, she jumped up and ran from the room. She raced down the hall and slipped into the ladies room. Tears ran down her face and she wanted to scream. Nothing made sense anymore and she couldn’t get the nightmare out of her head.
The door opened slowly and Nick came in. “Are you alright?” he asked as h
e looked her over carefully.
“No I don’t think I am.”
“What happened while we were gone?”
Sable took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t know how to tell him about her dream, if it had been a dream. Right now it seemed more of a nightmare. “I have a feeling Micah is dead and has been for a long time.”
Nick leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. “Why do you say that?”
“I remembered as a little girl I was trapped with someone in a stone structure,” Sable told him. “His eyes were open but there was something strange about them. They were staring off into space and they were cold as ice.” She looked at Nick and said, "His eyes were the same color as mine."
Nick moved away from the wall and grabbed her by the arms. “What did you say?”
Sable closed her eyes and whispered, “Please don’t make me repeat it.” Her voice was shaky at best and he could feel the tension in her body. All he could do was haul her close to him and give her the comfort of human touch. Sable wrapped her arms around him and sobbed. Nick let her cry for a few minutes then he put a few inches between them.
“What did you remember?” he finally asked.
Sable wiped the tears away from her eyes and told him about the dream she’d had. When she finished, she walked over to the sink and ran the warm water while he thought about what she said.
“Is that all you can remember? I mean do you remember where this place is or how you got away?” Nick asked.
Sable splashed water on her face. “When I saw his eyes staring back at me I screamed and Brandi came running in and I woke up.” She shrugged. “I don’t remember any more than what I told you.”
The door opened and Brandi stuck her head inside. She gave Nick a look and told them, “We have more bad news.”
Nick nodded and told her, “We’ll be right there.” Turning back to Sable he noted her calm demeanor was back in place. “Are you ready to face the world again?”
With a paper towel she patted her face dry. “I don’t seem to have a choice, do I?”
He ushered her to the door and back down the hall to their offices. When they opened the door they found Emma Reardon waiting for them. The front of her dress was smeared with blood and she was shaken.
Sable rushed to her and knelt in front of her. “Mrs. Reardon, are you alright?”
Emma raised her face and looked at Sable. She reached out a hand and gently cupped her chin. “You look so much like Micah that you have to be his daughter,” she told Sable. Emma looked up at Nick. “Something terrible has happened. Just after you left this morning I went to see Jill, and I found her lying on the floor in her bedroom in a pool of blood.” Emma shuddered as she remembered the sight of Jill lying on the floor. “I screamed and Gabriel came running but it was too late. Jill was dead.”
“Where is your husband now?” Nick asked.
“He went to the hospital with her body. He told me to stay at home but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t stay there alone,” Emma insisted.
“He’s going to have a fit when he realizes she came here,” Sable told Nick.
Emma raised her head high and glared at Sable. “I don’t care what he does. He can’t control fate anymore than he could control Micah twenty years ago. I think its time the truth was told.”
“What truth would that be?” Nick asked.
“Emma!” Gabriel growled from the doorway. “Don’t you say another word.”
Emma Reardon stood up and glared back at her husband. “Don’t you tell me what to do or say. You gave up that right when that monster killed Jill. You said you could protect us. You said you didn’t need any help from anyone to protect your family.” She had walked toward him while she spoke and when she got right up next to him she poked her finger into his chest. “Well, damn it, you were wrong. He came into our home and murdered her in her own bedroom.” Emma hissed at him. “For god’s sake, Gabriel, tell them who this Richard person is. Our family honor be damned.”
Gabriel stared at his wife and without a word turned and left. Emma's gaze was riveted on the door as it swung closed behind him. She choked back a sob and walked over to the sofa then sat down. The air was thick with tension and no one said a word.
Max handed Nick a report and pointed out something of interest out to him. Nick read the report and looked over at Emma Reardon. He went to the sofa and sat
down beside her. “Mrs. Reardon, do you know a young woman named Lisa Kline?”
Emma frowned and thought about the name for a moment. “I haven’t heard that name in a long time. Lisa Kline used to go out with our Greg. Of course that was before he married Jill. Why do you ask?”
Nick showed her the report that Max had handed him. They were financial reports and Max had highlighted several payments to Lisa Kline. Emma looked at the reports and frowned. “Why would he make these payments to a girl Greg went out with a few times?”
“That’s a very good question. Why don’t we go ask him?” Nick suggested.
Emma glanced at Sable. “I think the time has come for some answers. Of course you realize you might not get the answer you want, don’t you?”
“At this point the more we know the better chance we have of discovering the identity of the murderer.” Sable told her. “I have so many questions already that I don’t have answers for.”
Emma stood up and handed back the report. Nick nodded and ushered Emma and Sable out to his car. A little while later they pulled up to the Reardon home. Emma glanced briefly at the west wing and then she faced her own door.
Reaching for the doorknob she entered the house. “Gabriel, would you come out here please.” She called out. She glanced at the door to his study and found it open.
When Gabriel joined her a moment later he had a drink in his hand. He frowned at the sight of Sable and Nick standing next to his wife, but he didn’t say a word.
“Gabriel, do you know who Lisa Kline is?” Emma asked without warning.
Gabriel choked on the liquor he’d just swallowed. “What did you say?”
Emma raised her eyebrow. “I asked you about Lisa Kline. Do you remember her?”
Gabriel frowned. “Of course I remember her. She used to go with Greg before he married Jill. What has she got to do with anything?”
“That’s what we hope to discover,” Nick told him.
“Why would you remember a girl that went out with your son a few times so clearly?” Sable asked.
“Yes Father, how the hell would you remember Lisa?” the question was asked by a voice behind Sable. She turned and found herself looking at who she assumed was Greg Reardon.
Gabriel swallowed the last of his brandy and turned to his son. “I remember her so well because she came to me about a month before you married Jill and told me she was expecting your child. I knew the moment I saw her what kind of woman she was, and I made it very clear to her she would never be the type of woman that married into this family. She was nothing but white trash and that’s all she would ever be.”
Greg looked stunned by the news his father had given him. “Lisa was pregnant with my child?”
“She took my money quickly enough when I told her that’s all she would get from us,” Gabriel told him.
Greg just stared at the man he thought he knew. “You turned her away without even telling me about the baby she carried?”
“Jill was better for you in every way compared to Lisa,” Gabriel said. “I gave her $5,000 and she turned and walked away. I gave her enough money for her and the baby to live on each month and that was it.”
“Was the baby a boy or a girl?” Sable asked.
Gabriel shrugged. “A boy, I assume. She named him Richard. I didn’t care one way or the other back then and I still don’t.”
“Gabriel, how could you?” Emma asked shocked. She had known Gabriel could be a cold man, but she never knew until now just how cold he could be. “How could you turn her away so callously?”
Gabriel spun around to face his wife. “I did the only thing I could do. He was engaged to marry a woman that would be an asset to this family. I wasn’t going to let him throw away his future on some little tramp.”
“Don’t you think that should have been my decision, not yours?” Greg asked. “Richard was my son.”
“How do we know that?” Gabriel asked. “She could have been carrying someone else’s child and found out you had money and claimed the baby was yours.”
Greg shook his head. “You didn’t know Lisa as well as you think you did, if that’s what your reasoning was at the time. She was a caring person, and she knew exactly how much money we had and she didn’t care.”
“Do you know what happened to Richard and Lisa?” Nick asked.
Gabriel shook his head. “I didn’t want to know and after about five years I cut off all contact.”
Sable looked at Nick and asked. “Do you think Oscar is Richard?”
Nick nodded. “He very well could be.”
“Who is Oscar?” Greg asked.
“He could be the man who murdered your wife,” Nick told him. “He’s the man we’ve been looking for in a number of other murders.”
Sable turned to Gabriel. “Did Richard have the Reardon eyes?”
Gabriel looked at her eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know; I never asked. Why?”
Greg stepped toward Sable and really looked at her for the first time. He too saw that she bore the Reardon eye color, and she had the same features as Micah. “Who are you?” he asked her.
“That doesn’t matter at the moment. All that matters is we find Richard and stop him,” Sable told him.
“We need all three of you to come with us, until we find Richard. If he got into your home before, he can do it again and I’d rather not give him that opportunity again,” Nick advised them.
Greg pushed his hand through his hair and nodded. “I think there’s something you should see before we go anywhere. Follow me.” He turned and walked back through the door that led to his part of the house.
He led the group through the living room and into the bedroom. Everyone avoided the blood stain by the bed and once they were all assembled in the room Jill died in, Greg reached for the door and swung it closed. There on the door was a message written in blood, “He knows who I am and what I want.”