“Plucky, aren’t you,” he asked with a smile.
Sue curtsied and shouldered a broom. “When’s Nathan arriving?”
“Any moment. When he and Zara get here, we’ll discuss restraining orders and other steps we can take to keep you and Danny safe.”
Sue nodded. Together, they went through the house, making sure the doors and windows were secure. Side-by-side, they looked behind the furniture, under the beds, and in the closets.
“No one here but us,” Sue said in relief. Walking past the hall mirror and seeing their reflection, she laughed. “How ridiculous we look!”
Sam grinned and flourished the bat. “Regardless, I’m glad we did it. I’ll go outside and patrol the grounds while you freshen up. Don’t take too long. I’ll be lurking on the curb, and I’m liable to be picked up for loitering if you go all typical female on me.”
“Don’t worry.” She laughed. “I’ll hurry.”
Sue felt her heart race as Sam brushed her fingertips and picked up her phone.
“I’ll make my cell number speed dial one, so you can reach me at a moment’s notice,” he said. “If you need me, call.”
As she watched him programming her phone, her eyes clouded. “All right.”
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Sam asked softly.
Sue hesitated and raised her eyes to his. “Why are you being so helpful?”
“What do you mean?” he asked, looking startled.
“I appreciate everything you’re doing, but you’re going way beyond the call of duty—even pastoral duty. I got into this mess because I didn’t question Rick’s motives. I don’t want to make the same mistake again.”
Sue watched as Sam began to blush. “For now,” he said, “why don’t we chalk it up to Christian charity?”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe Christianity has anything to do with it.”
His blush became even more pronounced. “That’s funny, neither do I.”
“Why, then?”
“I think we both know why,” he said softly, “even though it’s too soon to put it into words. Trust me, my intentions toward you are pure.”
Sue’s face turned rosy pink. “I’m sorry I questioned you, but I had to know.”
“No problem,” he replied, “but turnabout’s fair play. Are you only spending time with me because you’re afraid of Rick?”
Silence fell.
Sue felt her blush deepen as Sam coaxed softly, “Come on, Sue. Tell me why.”
Looking up at him from beneath her long lashes, she gave him a glance that was both shy and teasing. “How else am I gonna learn how to drive a car?”
Sam roared with laughter. “I hope it isn’t just my driving ability you’re enjoying.”
“I also like beating you at dominoes.”
“How about my company?” he asked. “Do you like that too?”
She grinned and tipped her head to one side. “Well, maybe just a little.”
“Glad to hear it.” After a moment’s hesitation, Sam gently put his arms around her and pulled her into a tender hug.
Laying her cheek against his chest, Sue sighed. “I really should get ready.”
“Don’t get too gussied up—if you get any prettier, you’ll have an unfair advantage at dominoes. That blue blouse you had on last night made you look so lovely I had a hard time keeping my mind on the game. Give a guy a decent break and put on a potato sack, will you?”
As Sam held her close, Sue’s heart began to flutter. She held her breath as he gently kissed her forehead and murmured against her hair, “Not that a potato sack would make any difference. You’d be a beautiful distraction no matter what you put on.”
Sue tried to speak, but couldn’t manage it. As Sam smiled at her, she was captured by the gentleness of his eyes. When she was growing up, her mother told her to be on the lookout for people with Jesus eyes—people whose kindness, compassion, and decency could be seen through the windows of their soul.
Sam has Jesus eyes, Sue thought in amazement. He really does.
Stepping back a pace, Sam cleared his throat. “I’ll see you in fifteen minutes, all right? Fifteen minutes, or I’m coming in after you. I want you safe at Grandpop’s.” As she nodded, Sam stepped onto the porch. “Lock the door behind me, and call if anything worries you.”
“I’ll be fine,” she murmured, flashing him a smile and closing the door.
Sue put her eye to the peephole and watched as Sam walked to the curb and scrutinized the street. She smiled.
He looks awfully handsome.
For a moment, she allowed herself the luxury of reliving the memory of his lips on her forehead. Her heart fluttered and beat faster. The last thing she’d expected to find in Charlesberg was love. Truth be told, she hadn’t looked at a man in a romantic way since her husband died. It felt strange to be looking now, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.
She wondered what Bill would say about the situation. Suddenly, she smiled—she knew exactly what he would say. He’d tell her to go for it. Kicking off her shoes, she began singing Some Enchanted Evening as she strolled to her bedroom.
* * *
As Sue passed Danny’s doorway, Gil smiled at the woman’s obvious happiness. Knowing that at the moment everything was under control, Gil went to Danny’s hideout to examine the files. The first file she grabbed covered the homicide of a woman named Jenny Lou Parklyn. Gil quickly flipped past the crime-scene photos, but then she turned back to them, studying the pictures despite her squeamishness.
* * *
Sue pulled bobby pins out of her hair and tossed them in a tumbled heap on her dresser. Singing little snatches of song, she opened her closet and thumbed through the hangers. She paused when she saw a lovely purple dress. She knew if Sam thought she was pretty in blue, she’d knock his socks off in purple. She contemplated the dress. It was made of light, airy material that was ultra-feminine, but casual enough to be appropriate for a neighborly visit. Other than her hideous uniform, she hadn’t worn a dress in years and the only reason she’d do so now would be to catch Sam’s attention. She hesitated, smiled, and then hung the selected dress in her doorway. Singing cheerfully, she went to her bathroom to touch up her makeup. Fifteen minutes wasn’t much time to get ready to dazzle a man, but she thought she could manage it.
* * *
As Sue vanished into the bathroom, the bush outside her window began to quake. The branches parted, and Rick’s face appeared behind the glass. He stood for a moment, staring into Sue’s bedroom, and then he expertly inserted a knife between the window and sash. Quietly and patiently, he worked with the blade until he was able to open the lock. At his touch, the well-oiled window slid up with barely a sound. Listening to Sue’s singing, he drew on black leather gloves—he’d learned from experience that women, just like cats, liked to scratch…
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Feeling nervous about the possibility of being caught, Crystal walked “nonchalantly” across campus. She was going crazy with curiosity and worry, and she was sure it wouldn’t hurt anything to snoop a bit. Taking a deep breath, she pulled open the door to Hawking Hall.
NSU’s Genetic Research Division occupied the ground floor of the building, and as usual, it was full of activity. Mingling with the crowd, Crystal made her way to the marble staircase leading to TEMCO’s Center of Operations.
Seeing that the stairs were empty, a feeling of intruding washed over her. That feeling intensified when she reached the second floor and saw a heavy metal door blocking her way. She knew TEMCO was capable of high-security lockdown, but she hadn’t envisioned vault doors and retinal scanners as being part of the process. She descended the stairs with a heavy sigh. Suddenly, a briefcase bounced past her.
“Blast and botheration!” Zeke’s voice exploded.
Looking up, Crystal saw Zeke trying to descend the staircase carrying a teetering stack of papers, three laptops, a backpack, and a canvas bag. His thick-lensed glasses were sliding down his nose, a
nd his hair was sticking up in unruly tufts. As she stared at him, his papers started to slide. He grabbed at them, almost dropped a laptop, and nearly pitched down the stairs.
“Hey, can I give you a hand?” she asked, running to his side.
“Cris, you’re a sight for sore eyes. Grab the laptop, will you?”
Crystal nodded and took it from him as he stumbled down the steps.
“Thanks. Can you shove it under my arm and hand me my briefcase?”
“I’ll do better than that,” she said as he tried to readjust the pile of papers and ended up dropping the canvas bag. “I’ll help you carry things. Where are you headed?”
“Student Union. The director asked me to substitute for him. I’m giving his Computer Theory and Technology class its final.”
“How on earth are you gonna do that? That exam’s taken on TEMCO computers.”
“The dean gave us permission to use the supercomputer in the basement of Student Union. I’ll link it to the GAP computer core. The sophomores won’t be able to access the majority of GAP’s files, but they’ll be able to access enough of the computer to take their exam.”
“Would you like some help setting things up?”
“That’d be great. Substituting wasn’t on my radar today, and I feel totally unprepared.”
“Glad to do it,” she replied, taking his canvas bag and another laptop. “I didn’t realize Student Union’s supercomputer could be linked to the lab.”
He flashed her a smile. “That’s because it’s never been done before.”
“Stop walking a minute, will you?”
“What for?”
“Cosmetic imperative.” Pushing Zeke’s glasses back up on his nose, Crystal smoothed down his hair with her fingers. “You look like you ran through a bush backwards.”
Zeke blinked. “I didn’t realize.”
“Your students would,” she replied, straightening his collar and twitching his jacket into place.
“Thanks.” He chuckled. “Better?”
Giving him a critical glance, she nodded. “Now you look like you ran through a bush forwards—it’s a vast improvement.”
As he laughed and shifted his papers, she asked in a deliberately casual tone, “By the way, can you tell me what’s going on?”
“No.”
“Oh,” she replied in a deflated voice. “I don’t have high enough clearance?”
“I don’t. The second floor’s open to Alpha-Blue, but the hallway leading to the lab is locked to almost everyone. I don’t know what’s happening any more than you do.”
“I thought Alpha-Blue had full access.”
“It does—mostly. I guess this is the exception to the rule. Only a handful of people really know what’s going on, and I’m not one of them.”
“Can’t you tell me anything?”
“Only that whatever’s happening is serious. When he talked with me just now, the director looked awful. I don’t know what’s taking place, but it’s big.”
As soon as he spoke, Zeke looked conscience-stricken. Seeing his troubled expression, Crystal pulled him to a stop. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have said what I did.”
“But you didn’t say anything. I wish you’d talk with me.” When Zeke didn’t reply, she sputtered, “You can at least tell me what you’re thinking, can’t you?”
He paused for a moment. “I’m thinking that your curiosity’s a good thing when it comes to scientific research, but in cases like this, it’s a character flaw.”
Feeling as if she’d been slapped, Crystal gasped and tried to decide if she was offended. Zeke was like her big brother, and she knew he’d never deliberately hurt her. If he saw a flaw in her, it was probably because it was there.
Hunching her shoulder, she asked slowly, “Do you really think so?”
He nodded. “I don’t mean to be harsh, but TEMCO’s locked down for a reason—a good reason. Even if we don’t know what’s going on, we can trust the people in charge to do what’s best for the program—and for us.”
“Just asking a few questions won’t hurt anything.”
“That’s not true, at least not when it comes to our line of work. TEMCO deals with people’s futures. It’s not like we are researching butterflies or examining mold in a petri dish. If we mess up, people die. The people in charge don’t need your interference. After all, some mysteries are mysteries for a reason.”
* * *
“I think you’ll do,” Sue murmured to her reflection as she finished reapplying her lip liner. Blowing herself a kiss in the mirror, she went to her bedroom and slipped her dress off its hanger. She couldn’t wait for Sam to see her in purple.
“Hi, baby doll.”
Hearing Rick’s voice, Sue gasped and spun around. The dress fell from her hands as she lurched back toward the closet and asked in a frightened voice, “H-how did you get in here?”
“Through the window. I removed your screen weeks ago for an opportune time just like this.” His eyes turned cold. “I saw that preacher of yours searching the yard. As a protector, he leaves a lot to be desired. He forgot to check all the bushes.”
Sue backed up another step. “What do you want?”
“What do you think?”
She watched with frightened eyes as Rick slowly—like a snake uncoiling—moved away from the wall and took a long, red cord out of his pocket. As he twisted the cord around his hands to shorten its length, he smiled the same smile that had once made her think he was kind.
“You know, darlin’, considering our history, I’m gonna enjoy this a bit more than usual.”
Sue tried to scream but couldn’t get a single sound out of her throat.
Suddenly, Rick lunged toward her. Darting out of the bedroom in her stockinged feet, Sue ran down the hall.
* * *
Thinking she heard a noise, Gil glanced up from the coroner’s photo of Jenny Lou Parklyn. She paused and listened, but the house was quiet, so she turned back to the file.
* * *
Rick ran behind Sue as she sprinted toward the front door. Swiftly, he threw his red cord around her neck. “Let’s take this nice and slow,” he whispered, dragging her back toward the bedroom. “I could kill you quick like the others, but what’s the fun in that? After all, this is special day for me. In a way, it’s my thirtieth anniversary. You make number thirty, you know.”
Rick smiled as Sue frantically scratched at his gloves. His smile faded when she reached back further and viciously dug her nails into his neck.
“That isn’t very ladylike,” he growled, jerking his head away. “And after all I’ve done for you. Why, just today, I called the hospital and told them you were sick, so you could come home and play with me.” Smiling at her fear, he slowly tightened the cord. “Where’s my thank you?”
Seeing she was about to black out, he loosened his grip and let her catch a partial breath. “You know,” he murmured, “a man has to be an expert in something, and I’ve perfected this. The main thing is the kill, and in order to keep killing, you can’t get caught. Some killers choose their victims first. I choose the towns. Did you know, sweet babe, that your little town of Charlesberg has the lowest arrest rate in Colorado? I had this town all picked out before I met you—you were just a special bonus. The day I came to town, there you were in the diner—just as pretty as a picture—all ready to serve me eggs with a smile. The perfect date for my anniversary.”
Rick tightened the cord. Sue beat urgently against his hands. Pressing his lips to her temple, he whispered, “After we play a while, we’ll go out the backdoor to the shed. Last week, I installed a shiny steel rod in your honor. There should be someone hanging from the rafters—clicking her heels—when a special party’s underway. I think it’s fitting that we finish our business while your preacher’s standing like an idiot on the curb.”
Rick loosened the cord, and when he felt Sue getting ready to scream, he tightened it again. Sliding his mouth down her cheek,
he hissed, “People talk about the joys of motherhood. A strange thing that—a bloody cord being used to give life. People say life and death are in God’s hands—that makes me God. I take life with my red death-cord, and soon you’ll be swinging on the end of it.”
Seeing Sue starting to faint, Rick loosened the cord and shook her. “Hey, none of that! I want this one to last a while.”
When Sue began to struggle again, he twisted the cord and hissed, “Women are like cats, I think. I used to practice on cats when I was little. Cut into them while they were still alive and try to see the spirit inside. They taught me there’s nothing inside but blood and bones. No spirit. No worth. Just blood and bones. They also taught me patience. Cats like to scratch too.”
Rick put his lips to Sue’s ear—his hot breath curling around the side of her face. “Women are so vain. Always grooming. But secretly so desperate for a little attention. That’s what always gets them in the end. That’s how I used to catch my cats, and that’s how I catch my women. Just show a woman a little kindness, and she’ll follow you right to the hangman’s noose. You were like that. So tired. So troubled. Just wanting a little love.” Rick gave the cord an angry twist. “Well, you found love, didn’t you? But not with me. I wasn’t good enough for you, was I? You snuggled up with that preacher!”
Rick spat his words against Sue’s neck. “If you were a cat you wouldn’t be a Persian or a tabby—you’d be a Siamese. Inscrutable and traitorous. You didn’t let me touch you, but you let him touch you. The Siamese—so proud and clean—waiting for her preacher to save her. Well, he won’t save you. He doesn’t even know you’re in trouble.”
Rick violently tightened the cord. “Preachers are worthless. They’re fish, opening and closing their mouths with nothing really to say. Thumping their little fins against the current. They’re yammering parrots. Speaking things they’ve heard, but don’t understand and pecking incessantly at your mind. They’re annoying, but powerless.” Grabbing Sue’s hair, Rick yanked her head around to face him. “You’re a fool. You chose a fish over a tiger, and now the tiger’s gonna show you the improvements to the shed.”
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