Face Off

by Brenda Novak

  “Well, Andy isn’t here now.”

  “No, he’s probably halfway home.”

  Evelyn gestured toward the rest of the house. “What’s all the blood in the kitchen?”

  “The blood?” Brianne scowled in confusion. Then her face cleared. “Oh! I cut myself on a knife while I was unloading the dishwasher.” She lifted her hand to reveal a finger with a bandage on it. “I thought I’d cleaned up all the blood. Where’d you see it?”

  “On the floor.”

  “Was it a lot?”

  “Only a few drops, but—”

  “I must’ve missed them, that’s all. I’m sorry.”

  “No problem.” Evelyn pressed a hand to her chest to slow the beating of her heart. “So how’d it go with Andy?”

  “He wants me to stay another week.”

  “Are you going to do it?”

  “No.”

  “Why not? Amarok and I would love to have you here a little longer.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I can’t imagine Amarok would love that.”

  Evelyn remembered the promise she’d given Amarok at the trooper post but didn’t mention it. Hoping to catch Jasper and finally doing it were two entirely different things. Nothing had changed quite yet. “He wouldn’t mind.”

  “It would cost too much to change my plane ticket on such late notice. And I’m not that into Andy. I mean … it’s flattering that he’s so interested in me. It was a nice distraction from what I’m going through, but—”

  Evelyn gave her a wry smile. “He talks too much about himself?”

  Brianne smiled reluctantly in return. “That, and he doesn’t like taking no for an answer.”

  “When did you have to tell him no?”

  She pulled the blankets up higher. “He tried to get me to have sex with him again once you left. After what I did last night, I can see why he’d feel safe to make a move. But I told him how embarrassed I was that Amarok caught us in the truck, so he should’ve been able to understand why I wouldn’t want to risk that again, especially right here in Amarok’s house.”

  Since Evelyn didn’t care for Andy, she breathed a little sigh of relief that her sister wasn’t planning to continue the relationship. At least she wouldn’t have to suffer through having him at the dinner table on future holidays. “It’s his last chance to be with you, so maybe that’s understandable,” she said, trying to be generous.

  “I guess, but he seemed angry when I said no, and that bothers me.”

  “Angry?”

  “He’d hardly speak to me! He just got up and left.”

  “I’m sorry, Bri.”

  Her sister shrugged. “Like I said, I’m not that interested in him. If it wasn’t for how bad I was feeling about Jeff, nothing would ever have happened between us.”

  “Andy’s a handsome guy. I can see why he might’ve turned your head—until you had a chance to know him better.”

  “Yeah, I’m glad I had that chance, because now that we’ve spent more than an hour together, I can tell there’s something strange about him,” she added with a laugh, and Evelyn chuckled, too.

  “Someday you’ll meet the right person.”

  Brianne looked wistful. “I want someone who loves me the way Amarok loves you.”

  “Any man would be lucky to have you.” She got up to go to bed herself, but Brianne called her back.

  “Forget everything I said before, okay? You’d be crazy to leave here, leave Amarok.”

  Evelyn hoped she wouldn’t have to. For the first time in a long while, she felt she and Amarok might actually win the war they’d been waging against Jasper, which would do so much for her family, too. “We’ll see what happens.” She turned off the light. “Get some rest.”

  * * *

  Letting Brianne live was the most difficult thing Jasper had ever done, especially because, now that Amarok knew his DNA was at the scene of Charlotte’s murder, he’d have to flee the area, anyway. Gone were his dreams of capturing Evelyn and continuing to work at the prison, rubbing elbows with her boyfriend, while keeping her locked in the basement as his sex slave. Those plane manifests she’d mentioned to Brianne would show an Andy Smith flying from Phoenix to San Diego, from San Diego to Boston and from Boston back to Phoenix, just as Evelyn had guessed. Although he’d purposely chosen a common name, seeing it on those flights would be all Amarok and Evelyn needed to realize he’d been right under their noses for the past eight months.

  But he’d guessed Amarok would return to the house with Evelyn, and if he did that and found Brianne lying in a pool of blood the jig would be up even sooner. Jasper would already have played all his cards. He’d no longer have any chance of hanging around long enough to get to Evelyn before he had to disappear.

  He turned his headlights to bright so he could better navigate the narrow mountain passes on his drive home. Brianne should’ve lost her life for refusing to have sex with him. The bitch had led him on, only to reject him in the end. She deserved to pay for that, and he’d make sure she did—later.

  In order to seize the victory he craved, he had to handle first things first. For now, he needed to stay focused and put all his energy and ingenuity into creating a moment when he could get Evelyn alone, during which he’d have sufficient time to kill her and then slip away. Obtaining those flight manifests would take at least a week. Before Amarok could request them, he’d have to come up with a warrant, and even after he got a warrant, he’d have to wait for the files. After that, he’d have to analyze the data, and there’d be a lot of it, which meant Jasper still had a chance. If he remained calm, if he carefully planned out and executed his next move, he’d be able to accomplish some of what he’d hoped to before he had to flee. After having him over for dinner and the way he’d connected to her younger sister, whom he hadn’t harmed even though he’d had the chance, he’d be one of the last people Evelyn would suspect.

  All wasn’t lost yet.

  He just had to act fast—in the next few days.

  * * *

  Sunday was Evelyn’s best day yet with her sister. They had bagels and hot chocolate for breakfast, cleaned up the rest of the dinner dishes from the night before and watched Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, movies based on books they’d both loved while growing up. Since Amarok had done all he could with the investigation of Sierra’s and Katherine’s murders and was now waiting on lab results—including the analysis of the pictures he’d submitted of all the tires at the Moosehead on Friday night and the airline manifests that could possibly tie Jasper to Charlotte’s murder—he was able to join them.

  The three of them laughed and talked until it was time to leave for the airport. Then Amarok loaded Brianne’s luggage into Evelyn’s Land Cruiser and drove while they continued to chat.

  Once they reached Anchorage and her sister had cell service again, Evelyn used Brianne’s phone to call their parents.

  “When are you coming home?” her mother asked almost immediately.

  She heard this every call, hated the pressure she felt as a result, which was what made checking in so difficult. “I’m not sure.”

  “Can you come for Thanksgiving?”

  They’d know by then if the flight manifests were going to reveal what they needed them to reveal. “I’ll try. That sounds fun.”

  “And will you bring Amarok?”

  Evelyn glanced over to see him laughing at something Brianne had said about Andy. Evelyn was pretty sure her sister was mocking one of Andy’s more outrageous stories and was glad she wasn’t the only one who’d been put off by his grandstanding. “Amarok usually spends Thanksgiving with his father and his father’s wife in Anchorage, but I’ll ask him.”

  “It would be nice to meet him. You’ve been together for so long. I’d say it’s time, wouldn’t you?”

  Evelyn ignored the bitter note in her mother’s voice. “I’ll ask him, like I said. Anyway, it was great to see Brianne. I’m so happy she came. You and Dad should visit Alaska sometime. It’s beautiful h
ere.”

  “Maybe in the spring.”

  Not this spring. Brianne would be having her baby, but Lara didn’t know that and Evelyn wasn’t about to give anything away. “We can talk about that when it’s closer.”

  “Is Brianne still getting in at six tomorrow?”

  Lara and Grant were picking Brianne up at the airport. “Yes. Far as we know, her flight’s on time.”

  “Call us if that changes.”

  “She will.” Evelyn hesitated. She wanted to ask how her mother was doing, beyond the perfunctory, Hi, Mom. How are you? that was part of her initial greeting. But now wasn’t the time. She’d wait until Brianne had revealed her broken engagement and the pregnancy; then she’d call and try to offer what support she could.

  Lara asked about her work and what Amarok had found so far regarding the murders. After Evelyn had given an update on her research and shared what she could about the investigation, she considered mentioning that they’d found Jasper’s DNA at the house where Charlotte was killed and might be able to place him here in Alaska but decided against it. She didn’t want to set her parents up for more disappointment if those manifests didn’t reveal the information they thought should be there. So she kept her mouth shut and listened as her mother complained about a disagreement they were having with a new neighbor over a fence between their two properties that needed mending, plus the fact that her father was spending far too much time on the golf course (translation—her mother was lonely, which didn’t make Evelyn feel any better about her desire to stay in Alaska), and raved about how much she loved the new cheesecake-filled banana bread recipe she’d found on Facebook.

  They were at the departure curb and Amarok was getting out to retrieve Brianne’s luggage by the time Evelyn ended the call.

  “How’d it go?” Brianne asked as Evelyn returned her phone.

  “You’re right. She’s struggling. And I feel bad about that.”

  Her sister drew an audible breath. “I’ll do what I can.”

  “I know you will. And I know you have. Thank you for carrying the heavy end.”

  She nodded and started to pull up the handle on her suitcase so she could wheel it inside when Evelyn stopped her. “Bri?”

  Her sister waited to hear what she had to say. Brianne had been happier this morning than any other day since she’d arrived, but Evelyn could see that the pressure of returning home was beginning to weigh on her. “When will you tell Mom and Dad about Jeff and the baby?”

  “I don’t know. When I can face it, I guess.”

  “Sooner might be better than later. You won’t be able to pretend he’s part of your life for long, not if he isn’t coming around anymore.”

  She blew out a sigh. “True.”

  “It might be easier to get it over with. Then you won’t have to dread it anymore. Or are you holding out hope that you and Jeff will get back together?” Evelyn could see not saying anything about the breakup if Brianne thought there was a chance they might reconcile. Their mother would probably take longer to forgive him than Brianne would.

  Brianne called up her last text exchange with Jeff and turned her phone so Evelyn could see it. “I haven’t heard from him the entire time I’ve been here. I think it’s safe to say it’s over.”

  Evelyn embraced her. “His loss. There’ll be other men.”

  “That’s the kind of stuff Mom’s going to say once I tell her,” she grumbled. “I feel so pathetic.”

  Evelyn looked into her face. “Heartbreak happens to the best of us. So keep your chin up.”

  Brianne hugged Amarok. “Sorry about what you had to see at the Moosehead. I’m beyond embarrassed.”

  “Like I said, none of my business.” He grinned at her as if he’d already banished any negative opinions.

  “I can see why she loves you,” she said.

  Amarok slung his arm around Evelyn as Brianne took her luggage, but before she could disappear into the building he stopped her. “Actually, you’re a little early. Would you mind if I used your phone to check my voicemail before you go? I’m going over to rent a satellite phone after this, but—”

  “You are?” Evelyn asked. “You’ve mentioned wanting one before, but I thought they were outrageously expensive.”

  “They are. At this point, however, I don’t care what it costs. Your life could be at stake. I need to be accessible at all times.”

  “Where do you even get one?”

  “There’s a place here in Anchorage. A lot of hunters and fishermen use them.”

  Evelyn thought of Sierra and the terror she’d likely faced in the Barrymore cabin. “I wish Leland had had one.”

  “Me, too,” he said. “But at two dollars a minute, it’d be better for me to use Brianne’s phone while I can. I’d like to see if there’s been a change in the investigation. And I should find out if anyone’s trying to reach me sooner rather than later.”

  “I agree.”

  “I don’t mind.” Brianne pulled her cell back out of her purse.

  “It’s Sunday, so it might be too soon to hope for that warrant, but you never know,” Amarok said.

  She and Brianne talked while he dialed his voicemail and went through his messages. Evelyn was just suggesting that Brianne buy a sandwich to put in her purse for the long plane ride when she saw Brianne give Amarok a funny look and turned to look at him, too.

  “What is it?” she asked when she saw the grimace on his face.

  “Nothing,” he replied, but when she pressed him he punched a couple of buttons and handed her the phone.

  The message wasn’t about the warrant for the flight manifests or the investigation of the murders in Alaska, as Evelyn had expected. What she heard was Samantha’s voice. “Amarok, please. I’ve grown up a lot since we were together. I know I was immature before, but now … things are different. We’d be perfect for each other. Give me the chance to prove it, okay? I don’t understand why you’re wasting your time with Evelyn. She’s only going to break your heart. Come over tonight or any night. Let me show you what you’re missing. And if you need a little time to compare what you get from both of us? I won’t say a word to anyone.”

  Evelyn shook her head in disbelief. “Wow, she doesn’t give up, does she? How are you going to respond?”

  “I’m not.” He took the phone back and deleted the message before returning it to Brianne.

  * * *

  Where the heck was Jasper Moore? Samantha wondered. If he was so dangerous, why was Evelyn still alive and breathing? Surely if he was as smart a psychopath as he was supposed to be—as Evelyn said he was—he would’ve been able to figure out some way to kill her by now.

  “Must be a freaking idiot,” she muttered as she drove past Amarok’s house; she was so obsessed with Amarok, she couldn’t make herself stay away.

  Evelyn’s SUV wasn’t there, but Amarok’s truck was. Was he home alone? Had he gotten her message?

  If so, how would he respond?

  The thought that he might appear on her doorstep one night—if not tonight, then when he came to realize that his relationship with Evelyn wouldn’t last—made it difficult to breathe. It’d been ages since she’d been with a man, and after the many months she’d longed for Amarok she could hardly wait. She dreamed constantly of his mouth on hers, of lying beneath him.… Because she’d been with him before, she knew what she’d been missing, understood that not every man could make love the way he did.

  She’d probably climax the second he touched her, she thought with a laugh. But that was okay. She’d take as many orgasms as he’d give her—and she’d give him as many as he wanted in return.

  Tempted to drive by his place one more time, just in case he might be home alone, she slowed at the corner. But his house looked dark. It was possible that he and Evelyn were both gone.…

  She forced herself to head back home. She didn’t want anyone to see her hanging around his place. She’d finally worked up the nerve to extend the invitation she’d wanted to exte
nd. Now it was time to wait and hope he took her up on it.

  27

  Jasper had his flight all arranged. He’d be flying to Mexico City first thing Thursday morning. The various police departments that were looking for him would soon have his picture, and they’d publicize it, which would remove the benefit of the cosmetic surgery that’d served him so well for the past two decades. He had to get out of the States, but that wasn’t an entirely bad thing. After the cold of Alaska, he was looking forward to spending the next five or ten years in a warm, relaxed climate with plenty of sun, sand and cerveza. He could get a girlfriend who’d take care of him in Mexico as easily as anywhere else. He could also kill there as easily as anywhere else. And he’d have the memory of Evelyn to sustain him, since by the time he left she’d no longer be breathing. He had it all planned out. Everything would happen Wednesday night, and he’d disappear the next morning.

  Finished packing the only suitcase he was going to take, he left it open on one side of the bed so he could add a few things he wasn’t ready to put in yet and went to take a shower. He had to be at the prison in two hours. It was unfortunate that he was scheduled to work each of his final days in Alaska. He still had so much to do in order to be ready for Wednesday night. But if his plan was going to work, he had to keep up appearances.

  Just before he went into the bathroom, he walked out to take a final look at the furniture and other possessions he’d accumulated over the past eight months. Too bad he’d have to leave it all behind, especially his dungeon downstairs. That’d taken so much work and expense, and he’d never even had the chance to use it.

  Sacrifices had to be made, however. It was important he travel light and disappear the second he hit Mexico. Maybe he’d even work his way down to Central America, to some place like Costa Rica or Nicaragua. He’d heard they were both beautiful countries.

  Once he came up with a new alias and the documentation to go with it, which could all be had for a price, he could go anywhere.

  * * *