Color of Danger

by Alexa Verde

  “I’d take you to him, but I can’t walk.” She pointed with her head to her tied feet.

  “Nice try.” Derek scowled. “I don’t need you to walk. I just need the name.”

  Sure. And then he’d kill her.

  Her heart thudded in her ears as she painstakingly tried to free her hands. The small pebble she’d felt behind her helped a little, but the rough rope didn’t want to give in. She also had to be careful so Derek wouldn’t see what she was doing as she was facing him. At least it was getting darker by the minute. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and the air was heavy with rain.

  She needed Luke’s help badly. But he was probably flying to Dallas at this time. The image of Luke flashed in front of her eyes. She remembered his gentle touch, his kind eyes, and even his annoying protectiveness which she could use right now.

  If Derek killed her, would Luke mourn her like he’d mourned Cynthia?

  She shivered. No, she was going to find a way out. Mari squared her shoulders and continued working on the rope. Chief Dawson could be already reading the e-mail she’d sent him. Maybe if she stalled long enough, she’d survive. She never gave up.

  Ever.

  * * *

  “Lydia, open up, please!” His heart pounding, Luke knocked on Lydia’s door. “Where’s Mari?” he asked as soon as Lydia appeared in the doorframe.

  “She left with Derek,” Lydia said. “Why are you looking for her?”

  “Derek? I tried to call her many times, but her phone seems to be off.” Luke stopped. “Derek. Of course. It wasn’t Aidan who killed June and Josie. Why would Aidan keep the murder weapon in his desk? Derek was the one who processed the crime scene of Josie’s murder and could’ve hidden the evidence.”

  Lydia gasped. “It can’t be. We’ve known him for years.” Her phone rang, and she picked up. “Yes, Chief? No, I don’t think she’s at home. She left with Derek. What?” For several minutes she listened. “I’ll let you know if I hear from her.”

  Lydia disconnected and stared at Luke with a blank expression in her eyes.

  “What did the chief say?” Luke resisted the urge to shake her. He’d never treat a woman that way, but worry for Mari made his hands fist.

  “Mari sent him an e-mail where she explained why she thought Derek was the murderer. Chief said he had doubts and tried to contact her. She didn’t answer her cell phone. He wondered if she was with me, and if not, if I could walk to her house and check up on her.”

  Luke groaned. “Why didn’t she call me? Of course. She didn’t want to stop me from being with my father.” He grabbed Lydia’s hand, and they ran to his motorcycle. “Where could he take Mari?”

  Lydia wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t know. The burned log cabin maybe? It’s in the woods, with no houses for miles. And Mari hates that place. I’m sure the chief is tracking Derek’s cell phone by now. Would you like me to call the chief back?”

  “No. Derek probably turned off his phone,” Luke said.

  Tires screeched, and a second later, River jumped out of the car. “I was trying to call Mari. She’s not answering. Is she here?”

  “We believe Derek Ryan took her to the burned log cabin. Derek might be behind the murders of June and Josie.”

  Her long hair flowing in the wind, River narrowed her eyes. “I know the shortcut there. The car won’t make it. But the motorcycle will.” River explained the shortcut.

  Nowa shot out of River’s car. “Nowa, back!”

  The dog reluctantly returned.

  Luke gunned the engine on the motorcycle.

  He hoped and prayed that he wasn’t too late.

  * * *

  Mari loved life with all her heart, and she wasn’t going to surrender without a fight. And if she survived, she’d tell Luke how she felt about him. Her heart pounded. If she kept Derek talking, it would give her precious time to untie her hands.

  Dear Lord, please help me. Amen.

  “Did you hold a grudge after I broke up with you?” she asked.

  “Nobody dumps me without paying for it. You thought you were too good for me, didn’t you?” His eyes sparkled with an unhealthy shine in the approaching darkness.

  “Not at all. We simply didn’t click. But why kill June and Josie? Let me guess. You wanted to become the next chief of police here. But Aidan would take that spot.”

  “It was always about Aidan,” Derek snarled. “He got better assignments. People treated him better than they treated me. And soon he’d be up for the promotion that I deserve.”

  That would be because Aidan was good-natured and hardworking. Mari kept the thought to herself and fought a new wave of nausea. “That’s when you came up with copycat killings? That was a clever idea. The best way to solve a murder is to create one. You could become a hero. And you could get rid of Aidan by blaming him for the murders.” She licked her dry lips. Frankly, it was a horrible idea, but this wasn’t the time to be honest.

  Finally, she managed to untie herself. Mari suppressed a yelp.

  “Yeah, it was pretty clever. I couldn’t be traced to June’s murder. And Josie… She looked so much like you, I couldn’t pass it up. I even enjoyed the process.”

  Carefully, Mari rubbed her legs against each other. She felt the knife in her right boot was missing, but there was a backup knife taped to the inside of her left boot. Keeping her hands as if they were still tied, she turned to her side and, with effort, managed to sit up on her knees, facing him.

  “But why kill several girls? Why not one?” Still a bit light-headed, she tried to slide a finger inside her boot, but it looked like she’d have to untie her legs before being able to do it.

  “After what your brother had done, one murder wouldn’t have been that big of a deal. It would be too small of a scale.”

  She shuddered inside. How come she’d never seen this side of Derek? “Of course. But why did you send hateful messages to me?”

  “Don’t you get it?” Pure hatred flashed in his eyes. “I wanted you to suffer. I wanted you to be afraid.”

  So he needed to torture her and to claim his power over her. Still working the rope on her legs, Mari closed her eyes. It was about resentment, jealousy, revenge, anger, envy, and hatred, all mixed in one. She opened her eyes and looked at Derek.

  So far, she was doing a good job at stalling. Surely Derek would want to brag about his cleverness and bravery, if only to her. She had to take advantage of it. “Did you put the knife in Aidan’s desk? That was very smart.”

  “Yes. One of the easiest things I’ve ever done.” Derek shrugged nonchalantly. “Your murder isn’t going to be difficult, either. It’s not a secret you blamed yourself for your brother’s death. So you came to the place where he’d died and shot yourself.”

  Cold spread through her body. At least she wasn’t putting Luke in danger. But a small part of her wanted him to drop everything and come to her rescue. Apparently she wasn’t as independent as she’d thought she was.

  She managed a smile. “No wonder I didn’t want to date you. Life is too short to spend it with people like you.”

  “You’re right about one thing. Your life is going to be too short. Enough talking. I need the name of the person who has the evidence.” He stepped forward and pointed the gun at her head.

  “Why would I tell you? You’re just going to kill me afterwards. You said so yourself. You’re not so clever after all.” She finally managed to loosen the rope on her legs. Thankfully it was now dark enough for him not to notice her careful movements. She reached inside the left boot and slowly got out the knife. Apparently, Derek had been in a hurry if he’d done such a sloppy job searching her. But she wasn’t complaining. The drug he’d probably injected her with was wearing off, but she still wasn’t sure she had enough strength to throw the knife.

  “If you don’t tell me the name, I’ll kill Lydia. Do you want to have that on your conscience?” Derek asked.

  She didn’t.

  A faint purring of a motor sounded in th
e distance. Yes! Lightning lit the sky, and thunder echoed from afar.

  Squinting, she distinguished a small dot on the country road in the distance. Heartbeats thudded in her ears. She needed a diversion.

  “Oh, no!” she screamed. “Don’t you see it? The snake. Right behind you.”

  He shook his head. “You don’t expect me to believe it, do you?”

  “It’s the truth. There’s a snake! I’m afraid of snakes!” She gasped for air and rolled her eyes. Then she dropped to the ground. Of course, it would’ve been more effective if she’d been standing instead of sitting.

  Footsteps neared her. She wrapped her fingers around the knife’s handle. He shook her, so she flung her eyes open. The growling of the motor became louder, and Derek jerked his head in the direction of the noise. She used the moment to strike him with the knife.

  While Derek staggered back, he didn’t drop to the ground, and she didn’t have the opportunity to deliver a second strike.

  His eyes sparkling, he raised the gun and pointed at her. “Good-bye, Mari.”

  She rolled to the side but not fast enough. The gunshot went off in the air, and sharp pain erupted in her shoulder.

  Derek ran toward the nearest tree, looked back, and shot at the figure on the motorcycle. She recognized Luke, even with a helmet on.

  With a huge effort, she scrambled to her feet. Earth moved in front of her eyes.

  “Derek!” she screamed with the remnant of her strength. “The police!”

  He moved his head in her direction. Apparently, the “trick” worked the second time.

  At that moment, Luke hit Derek with the motorcycle which sent Derek flying into the air. Luke slid from the bike, holding his side, and her heart plummeted.

  Luke was wounded.

  Mari took an unsure step forward and sank to the ground. Her feet wouldn’t hold her any longer. But she couldn’t pass out. She needed to help Luke.

  Dear Lord, please save Luke. Amen.

  Lightning lit up the sky. Lying on the ground, Derek reached for his gun.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Mari searched the grass for the knife. If she could throw it far enough… No, it wasn’t realistic. She gathered whatever strength she had left.

  Tires screeched, and a dark-blue sedan, similar to the one River drove, came to a halt. A door opened, and a German shepherd jumped out and ran to her.

  “Nowa, get Derek,” Mari whispered. Of course, her dog wouldn’t be able to hear her.

  But Nowa turned in Derek’s direction, shot like a cannonball, and, moments later, went airborne. Her sharp teeth stopped short of his carotid artery, and Derek finally dropped the gun.

  Mari’s adrenaline rush started to ebb away, and pain was taking over. She touched her shoulder and found a sticky substance under her fingertips. She was losing blood.

  Sirens wailed in the distance. Finally Chief Dawson came through. She didn’t have the strength to keep her eyes open, so she let her eyelids droop. Somebody’s strong hands lifted her, and she breathed in the scent of Luke’s cologne.

  “Luke, are you okay?” she managed to say. “You were wounded.”

  “I’ll be all right. And Nowa is fine.” His voice betrayed the pain he was feeling.

  As if to confirm his words, a loud barking joined the sound of sirens.

  Down came the rain, and she welcomed the fresh water to wipe away the old wounds.

  “You’ll be okay, Mar.” Despite his words, Luke’s voice sounded worried.

  Somehow she managed to move her tongue. She’d promised herself she’d tell him how she felt. “I love you.”

  “Sir, please step aside,” a stern voice, probably that of a paramedic, commanded.

  She was placed on a gurney, but the scent of Luke’s aftershave didn’t go away.

  “I love you, Mari.” Luke’s voice came through a thick fog in her mind.

  Her heart stopped for a moment. Was it true?

  “I said it first,” she whispered.

  “Always arguing.” There was relief in Luke’s voice, as if he was happy to hear her say anything.

  “Just a habit.” She fell into a slumber.

  * * *

  Mari opened her eyes. This wasn’t her room. White walls, a large window, and the scent of disinfectants and medicines. A hospital? And what was that yellow flower with a faint scent? She tried to focus.

  “Hi, Mari.” Luke’s low voice made her turn her head.

  He was sitting near her bed, his smile as bright as a snow-white bandage over his shoulder.

  “Hi, Luke. Did you bring me… a cactus?”

  “A blooming cactus. Prickly pear. The only plant that can survive you.”

  “You do get me.” Her lips curved in a grin the size of Texas. Luke was here. Alive. And she was alive. It was incredible.

  Had he really said that he loved her before she’d passed out? Or was her memory playing tricks on her?

  “Mari, they gave me several minutes before everybody else comes in here. How do you feel?”

  “Like I’ve been through a washer and dryer. You know, thrown around and wrung out. A bit in pain, but it could be much worse. I’m not dead.” She pondered over that amazing fact. “Thanks to you.”

  He searched her eyes. “You didn’t do so bad yourself. How did you figure it all out?”

  “Lots of good it did me.” She sighed. “We’ve seen Josie’s body. Most of her wounds were on her left side. Some on the right, but at an angle.”

  “I see. Aidan is left-handed.”

  “A huge misstep on Derek’s part. Derek put the knife in Aidan’s desk. And probably used one of the papers Aidan had touched to write the note. That’s how it got Aidan’s fingerprints. I have a gut feeling the police would find a black SUV with tinted windows and a license covered in mud in Derek’s double-car garage. But it’s not important right now. What’s important is, why are you not in the hospital?”

  “I left it. My wound wasn’t that bad. I wanted to be here with you.”

  Mari lifted an eyebrow. “In a hospital?”

  “With you. Anywhere, but with you. By the way, I talked to the fire marshal. With Derek in custody, they are wrapping up the arson investigation. You should be able to file the insurance claim soon and receive a full payout. And I brought you a little gift.” He handed her a black velvet box.

  A ring? Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t ready to get married, was she? Holding her breath, she opened the box. It had a silver cross on a silver chain. Grateful tears welled in her eyes. “Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

  She leaned forward, and he slid the chain around her neck. She straightened and touched the cross, finally at peace.

  “I meant what I said. I love you, Mar.”

  Her heart swelled, and she studied the man she’d fallen in love with. Was there a chance for them? A long-distance relationship with him being in Dallas and her… in Rios Azules? Did she dare to believe it?

  “I’m glad you’re not devastated over… over what Derek did.” He touched her face, a fleeting gesture that she enjoyed too much.

  Her throat tightened. She was going to miss him when he returned to Dallas. She stared at the white ceiling. “I am devastated. But I’ll deal with it.”

  “How did you know it wasn’t Antonio?”

  “The clues weren’t subtle enough. Derek took Tony’s template because he didn’t have enough imagination to come up with his own. Plus the orthodontist identifying Tony’s teeth on the charred corpse in the log cabin. And knowing I’d knocked Tony out and left him in the burning cabin.”

  Luke leaned closer. “Do you still feel guilty about that? It was self-defense.”

  She felt his breath on her cheek, and her pulse tripled. She had trouble concentrating on the conversation. “I gave my statement to the police, and yes, it was determined self-defense. But I still have nightmares sometimes. Do you still feel guilty about Cynthia? I almost wished it’d been Tony so you could catch him and finally forgive yours
elf. That was what you came here for, wasn’t it?” She searched his handsome face, hoping he’d found peace, too. More than anything in the world, she wanted Luke to be happy.

  “I came here to stop the murderer. But mostly, you did that. You should’ve called me. You should’ve told me about your suspicions. We were in this together. You kept a very important secret from me.” His blue eyes darkened.

  With a sting of guilt, Mari looked away. “It’s not that I kept a secret. You needed to help your parents. I didn’t want to stop you from doing that. But you’re right. I should’ve told you. And I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted.” He brushed her bangs away from her eyes, sending a wave of awareness through her body. “You’re too important to me, Mar. It’s hard for you to say sorry, isn’t it?”

  “You have no idea.” She paused, delaying the moment he’d say good-bye. He had to return to his nice life in Dallas, didn’t he? “I still can’t believe Derek hated me that much.”

  “So you didn’t suspect him?”

  “Well, I knew it was somebody close to me. Nowa didn’t bark at the intruder. And it had to be somebody who had access to my purse. Who knew me well enough to have information about the shark’s tooth. I figured it might be someone I’d dated.”

  “That didn’t narrow it down much, did it?” There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

  “I believe in giving everybody a chance. So it took Aidan’s arrest for me to figure it out. Derek had access to Aidan’s desk. He was also the only policeman, besides Aidan, who I dated. And Derek is right-handed. I figure Josie met Derek when he visited the steakhouse some time ago. He probably asked for her number and continued communication. When she came here for the festival, he saw the opportunity to have a second victim with clues leading to me.”

  He brushed his knuckles along her cheek. “Have I told you how amazing you are?”

  The corners of her mouth lifted. “Yes. But it bears repeating. Because I am amazing.”

  Luke laughed. “And very modest, I see.”

  “Of course.” She looked into the eyes of the man who’d become so important to her. In several days, he’d changed her life. “I know now that to trust other people, I first need to trust myself. Deep inside, I was afraid one day I’d turn out like Tony. You didn’t just show me the light. You showed me the light inside me. I’ll be forever grateful to you for that. Well, for saving my life a couple of times, too.”