A Killer's Watch

by Tallulah Grace

  With his eyes boring into Jeri’s, he grabbed Aubrey’s hands, and wrenched them to her back. Holding them securely with one hand, he used the other to turn the collar so that the spikes were positioned over each major vein in her neck.

  “Not that it makes much difference. She will perish no matter where the spikes enter her throat. I assume that you care whether or not Aubrey lives or dies, hmm?” Graham smiled as he looked between Ethan and Jeri.

  “I thought that you cared for her as well. Hasn’t all of this been so you can be with Aubrey?” Jeri didn’t lower her gun, or change her stance. But she tried to focus Grant’s attention on her. Ethan had the best angle to shoot through the chain, eliminating Grant’s threat. The fact that the bullet would also go into Grant’s side was of little concern.

  “Very perceptive, Ms. Forbes. But I wouldn’t expect any less from a former star of the FBI.” Graham’s smile broadened as Jeri raised her eyebrows. “Ah, you didn’t think that I would do my homework? I can assure you, I know all about you, and your friend, Mr. Barnes. I considered Howard Anson as more than a tutor, you see. He was a like-minded soul, who opened a world of possibilities to me. His death, at your hands, created a void in my life, and the lives of many others. A void that I have tried to fill, in my own way.”

  “Howard Anson was a narcissistic psychopath who deserved what he got. My only regret is that I couldn’t prolong his agony. It would have been my pleasure.” Jeri baited Grant, hoping to throw him off guard.

  “Yes, I watched his unfortunate passing, saw how you chose the coward’s way out. Really, Ms. Forbes, throwing a knife into his skull was so predictable, and highly unsporting of you. I would rather have liked to see you and Anson in hand to hand combat. My feeling is that you would not have walked away, unscathed, from such an event.”

  Jeri’s gaze didn’t flicker as Monique and Chloe resumed their slow walk toward Grant. If they could surprise him, one of them could grab the chain, preventing Grant’s gruesome plans for Aubrey. The other three could then focus on taking Grant down.

  It was a much safer scenario, than Ethan shooting the chain. Not that she had concerns about his aim, but if Aubrey made the slightest move, she could be shot as well. Neither options were fool-proof, but they had to do something. Letting Grant get away with her was not up for debate.

  “Perhaps not, Grant, but I can assure you that Anson would not have left that house alive. Fortunately, your outcome can be different. Let go of the chain, and release Aubrey. We’ll make sure to tell the D.A. that you cooperated.”

  “Surely you’re joking, Ms. Forbes. I’ve waited years to have Aubrey as my own, I will not let her go so easily. She is mine. She has always been mine, she will always be mine.” With one quick motion, Graham whipped the butcher knife from his back pocket, and held it against Aubrey’s cheek.

  “Why do you need a knife, Grant, if the spikes are as deadly as you say?” Jeri asked, noting that Ethan moved, almost unperceptively, to his left.

  “Why, the knife is not for Aubrey, Ms. Forbes,” Graham laughed, then deftly moved the knife away from Aubrey. Raising his arm, he flung the knife, hard, at Jeri, aiming for her head.

  The next seconds were chaos.

  Ethan shot Grant’s hand a millisecond after he let go of the knife, the sound of the gunshot blocking out Aubrey’s petrified scream.

  Chloe and Monique raced the few feet to grab the chain, and Grant, hoping to keep the spikes from piercing Aubrey’s flesh.

  Grant howled as he registered the pain from Ethan’s bullet, blowing away half of his hand. His first instinct was to grab the searing wound, in an attempt to put out the fire raging through his arm.

  Jeri froze as the knife came toward her, so surprised at Grant’s murderous attempt that she almost didn’t get out of the way. Her training, and her instincts, kicked in just in time to send her sideways, out of the path of the deadly blade.

  Chloe held Grant in a chokehold, as Monique grabbed his wrist, the one attached to the chain, trying to hold it steady.

  When Grant grabbed his wound, he released Aubrey’s hands. She immediately reached for the collar, holding it away from her skin.

  Ethan looked to Jeri, saw that she was unharmed, before he refocused his gun on Grant’s chest.

  “If you move one muscle, I’ll put a bullet through your heart.”

  Ethan’s fierce growl silenced Grant’s moans. With his neck held tight in Chloe’s grip, he met Ethan’s furious gaze, then shifted his eyes to see Jeri, rising from the floor, and heading for Aubrey.

  Realizing that it was over, knowing that he was well and truly caught, he did the one thing he could, to end his quest for his beloved.

  It had always been his plan to take her life. If he had to die in the process, then so be it.

  The French woman had a tight grip on his wrist, but she wasn’t large enough to stop him from moving his arm. Summoning every ounce of strength he possessed, he jerked his wrist downward, simultaneously grabbing the chain as he did so.

  Ethan’s bullet hit its mark, but it was too late. Jeri reached Aubrey’s side just as the spikes went into both of her carotid arteries, ripping them open as Grant’s body fell to the ground.

  “Noooooooo,” Jeri’s scream mingled with Monique’s as both women tried to save the only victim in the room.

  Aubrey’s eyes went wide as her body sank to the floor. Jeri grabbed her before she could land, easing her down gently, one hand over the blood-spewing wounds.

  Meeting Jeri’s gaze, Aubrey uttered her last three words.

  “Tell….family….love…”

  Monique was there with dish towels before Aubrey’s eyes closed. Replacing Jeri’s hands with the towels, both women pressed hard against the slashes that gushed no more.

  “Call an ambulance,” Jeri screamed, her hands and arms soaked in Aubrey’s blood. She looked up to see Ethan’s face, filled with sorrow, as he knelt down beside her.

  “It’s too late for an ambulance, Love,” he told her softly. “She’s gone.”

  “But…” Jeri looked from Ethan, to Aubrey, and back again. She saw the truth in Aubrey’s still, lifeless body, saw Monique back away, her hands shaking, eyes filled with tears.

  “I tried…I had him…how could he…” Monique kept backing away, until she reached the wall.

  Jeri’s eyes held those of the dead woman for a few seconds longer. There was nothing she could do for Aubrey now, nothing any of them could do.

  Jeri stood, putting her own feelings aside to comfort Monique. Going to her, she grabbed Monique’s hands, Aubrey’s blood mingling between them.

  “This is not your fault, Monique. Grant was determined to kill her. His adrenaline was pumping, I doubt that even Ethan could have stopped him, if he had ahold of his wrist.”

  “You know that’s not true,” Monique looked at Jeri, then Ethan. “I had him, but I couldn’t hold him. Aubrey is dead because I wasn’t strong enough.”

  “What about me, I had him by the neck, why didn’t that stop him from moving?” Chloe came to stand beside them.

  “And me,” Ethan stood, but didn’t walk over. “If I had shot him, once second faster, then he would not have been able to jerk the chain.”

  “And if I had moved faster, reached Aubrey sooner, I could have helped hold the collar away from her neck, or even removed it. Grant saw me going toward her, he knew that he had to act, or lose his chance. Is it my fault for trying to help her?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” Monique straightened her shoulders, and squeezed Jeri’s hands. “I know what you are doing, what you are all doing. Thanks, but we have more important things to take care of, at the moment.” Sliding her hands from Jeri’s, Monique took a deep breath.

  “We have to tell her family that Aubrey is not coming home.”

  Epilogue

  “It was a beautiful service,” Chloe draped her arm through Monique’s as they walked away from Aubrey’s graveside. They counted among the hundreds of mourners who
came to support the family, and say goodbye to a friend.

  “It was,” Jeri agreed, walking hand in hand with Ethan, behind them. “This is the part of small-town life that we never see. The way everyone bands together in a tragedy gives me hope.”

  “I know what you mean,” Ethan dropped her hand, and put his arm around her. “As devastated as her husband, her children, her family are, it’s good to know that Clevestone is gathering around them.”

  “I wonder if Belinda Grant’s friends are doing the same for her?” Monique asked softly. “It wasn’t her fault that her son was a monster. I hope she has at least a few true friends to comfort her.”

  “Wasn’t it?” Chloe asked. “I think the parents of someone like Graham Grant are at least partially responsible. I’m not saying that she molded him, or taught him to kill, but maybe she could have done something differently along the way. Something that would have made him a better person.”

  “Hard to argue with that,” Jeri said as they reached the car. “But I do hope that she isn’t dealing with this alone.” Her telephone suddenly vibrated the pocket of her black blazer.

  “It’s a text from Jackson,” she explained. “He said he’ll meet us in a few days, if we need him. Jen is doing much better.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Ethan told her, reading a text of his own. “Jeri, do you remember someone named Celine Drew?”

  “Celine Drew?” Jeri closed her eyes and concentrated on the name. “Yes, she was almost killed by a serial we put away a few years ago in Montana. Why?”

  “She contacted the bureau, trying to get in touch with you. Says it’s life or death, but she won’t talk to anyone but you.” Ethan glanced up from his phone. “What do you make of that?”

  “No clue, is that from Nate?”

  “Yes.”

  “Tell him to send me her number. I’ll call her. Oh, ask him to forward me the case file, if he can. I remember a lot of it, but she may have a question I can’t answer.”

  Ethan nodded as he typed.

  “And ask him if Tyler Burgess is still on death row.”

  “Tyler Burgess? I’ve heard of him,” Chloe jumped in. “Wasn’t he a lawyer or something?”

  “Yes,” Jeri answered. “He called himself the judge. He managed to ‘try and convict’ six women before we could stop him.” Jeri shook her head at the memory. “He had a torture chamber set up in his basement. He would hold the women for days before finally killing them. According to the coroner, it was a blessing when they died.”

  Monique and Chloe shuddered.

  “Celine was a victim?” Monique asked.

  “Yes, she was the last one he took. He had her for two days before we caught him. I’ll never forget how she looked when we burst into the room.” It was Jeri’s turn to shudder. “Dylan and I were partners then, he’ll remember this case, too.” Jeri looked at Ethan. “I wonder why she’ll only speak to me?”

  “One way to find out.”

  Look for The Judge, An EJB Global Crime Thriller, coming this summer, 2014.

  If you enjoyed the story, please leave a review, no matter how brief. Thank you. For excerpts of my other works and for details of upcoming novels, visit http://www.TallulahGrace.com. Take a look at the Flashy Shorts page to read short stories and flash fiction created just for my fans.

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  Titles by Tallulah Grace

  Romantic Suspense with a Paranormal Twist

  Timeless Trilogy, Book One, Fate

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054QZNRA

  Is precognition a prescription for happiness or disaster?

  The good things in life are coming together for Kristina Collins. She’s found her ideal home, her career is on track for mega success and the man of her dreams has finally come back into her life.

  In Fate, the first installment of the Timeless Trilogy, Kris Collins discovers the benefits and risks of having precognitive visions while being stalked by a serial killer. Her friends can’t help her, the FBI can’t save her; she must save herself.

  The Timeless Trilogy heroines, Kristina, Veronica and Cassandra, each deal with paranormal abilities as they discover and rediscover eternal love.

  Timeless Trilogy, Book Two, Spellbound

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ECTLR2

  Veronica Myers is an herbalist with a potent talent that takes her by surprise. Follow Roni’s perilous journey as she discovers her authentic self in spite of forces that seek to steal her power and manipulate her destiny. Along the way, true love offers protection if she can only recognize and accept its magic.

  Timeless Trilogy, Book Three, Destiny

  Cassandra Locke’s dreams have the clarity of remembrances, the pain of love lost and the essence of future connections. Who is the man that haunts her, nearly every night? Could they truly have been lovers throughout centuries past? Where is he now? Will they have another chance?

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005MGP764

  All three books of the trilogy are also available as a Compilation:

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005U4CP9A

  Cliffs of Starsdale

  Stories of Starsdale, Book One

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DENSG9W

  Seeking a fresh start after her mother’s death, Chelsea Bates lands in the picturesque town of Starsdale, California. Nestled amid the peaks of the High Sierras, Starsdale defines the term ‘small town’ with its mish mash of well-meaning residents who always seem to know everyone else’s business.

  The one thing no one knew, could not have predicted, was the evil lurking beneath the surface of Chelsea’s ex-fiancé. Preston Beecher follows her to Starsdale with the intentions of taking everything she owns, including her life. Will Preston destroy her dreams before they begin, or will bonds forged in a small mountain town be the pathway to her future?

  Chelsea’s attempts to put the past behind her leads to a new partnership with one of Starsdale’s most respected citizens, John Mills, a man who harbors secrets and an agenda of his own. With the help of John and his talented son, Mac, Chelsea turns a dilapidated building into a bed and breakfast showcase.

  Join Chelsea as she learns the ways of a small town in this, the first book in the Stories of Starsdale Series.

  Precipice

  Stories of Starsdale, Book Two

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EXS3HLE

  Standing on the edge of insanity, one man’s quest for vengeance threatens the love and lives of a couple torn apart by secrets.

  In Precipice, Book Two of the Stories of Starsdale, Sharon and JB deal with old heartaches and fresh guilt as they find their way back to each other. Neither one realizes that the biggest danger they must face hides beneath the masque of friendship.

  Cascade

  Stories of Starsdale, Book Three

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GL6GXA8

  Jade Kingsley had run out of options. Surviving a disastrous marriage, and subsequent divorce, her life had dwindled to not much more than a shadow existence within the four walls of her tiny apartment. When her friends, Robert and Dana, invite her to move to Starsdale, she packs up and takes a chance on a new life.

  Nothing could have prepared her for the spellbinding attraction she feels for Justin Devereaux, a friend of Robert’s with plans to develop Starsdale. Jade and Justin discover that, sometimes, love is a free-fall; the only choice you have is to go along for the ride.

  Romance is not the only thing in store for Justin and Jade. Will an ordinary business trip turn deadly, ending their chance for happiness? Lives balance precariously as Mother Nature unleashes an unexpected storm, threatening to change relationships in Starsdale forever.

  Psychological Thrillers

  Casanova Killer

  An SSCD Crime Thriller

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008R2O1FI

  Catching the eye of a delusional serial killer known as the Casanova Killer si
gnals the end for certain beautiful young women of San Francisco. True to his name, Casanova offers the women a taste of romance and unparalleled adoration before sending them to a bloody death.

  The FBI Special Serial Crimes Division, SSCD, sets a trap for the killer with one of their own as bait. Agent Jerry Forbes pairs with Interpol’s Ethan Barnes to capture Casanova before another woman falls prey to his charms.

  Jerry and Ethan soon discover that pretending to be lovers may be more dangerous than catching a killer. Follow their story from the moment they set up house to the abrupt end that Jerry does not see coming.

  Is it love or certain death?

  The Littles

  An SSCD Crime Thriller

  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007TLVB7O

  The mountains of rural Georgia will never be the same after a series of vicious murders rock the area to its core. Not only does the killer target children, his gruesome murders are designed to inflict the ultimate agony upon their parents and to instill extreme terror within the small communities.

  An SSCD team, part of the FBI’s Special Serial Crimes Division, accepts the case and the conditional Governor’s liaison, a prosecutor with more baggage than anyone realizes. Travel with them over the hills of the mystical Blue Ridge Mountains as they hunt the psychopath stalking the innocent. Can they capture him before he strikes again? Will he turn the tables and ensnare one of their own in his devious trap?