Midnight Fear

by Leslie Tentler

  “I want…” His words faltered. “I want my wife back.”

  The gun’s barrel trembled. His angular face and sharp chin flashed in Reid’s memory. He’d lost a lot of weight, the drenched clothes enveloping his gaunt frame, but recognition hit him with a jolt. David Hunter.

  The brutal image of Julianne Hunter, sprawled on the floor of the decaying factory, appeared in Reid’s mind. He’d first met her husband at the D.C. morgue, where he had offered his condolences and waited as a positive ID on the body was made. Throughout Joshua Cahill’s trial, Hunter had sat red-eyed and silent in back of the courtroom, waiting for justice to be served. But the man now gripping the gun was a mere shell of who he’d once been. He looked disheveled, his thinning hair slicked down against his skull by the rain. His fevered gaze focused on Caitlyn.

  “Your family destroyed my life! Julianne, she was everything to me, to my two girls…”

  Caitlyn blinked. “I don’t understand—”

  “You don’t know me? My wife? Your brother murdered her!”

  Reid spoke. “She had nothing to do with your wife’s death, Mr. Hunter.”

  “And why are you here with her? Kissing her?” Hunter waved the gun wildly. Spittle flew from his lips. “She should be your enemy, Agent Novak!”

  “Your anger’s misplaced,” Reid said quietly. “Caitlyn’s estranged from her brother. She helped in the investigation—”

  “You look like her, you know.” Hunter continued staring at Caitlyn. “She was blonde, pretty, like you… Why didn’t he kill you?”

  “I—I don’t know,” Caitlyn whispered.

  “You knew what he was all along!”

  She shook her head. “No! Please—”

  “Your family protected him. You let him go on killing! Do you know what he did to those women? What he planned to do to Julianne if the FBI hadn’t found them? Instead, he cut her throat!”

  Reid blocked him from coming any closer. He could feel Caitlyn sodden and shivering behind him. If he had to, he would make a move for Hunter’s weapon.

  “Stop this now,” he warned. “I’m not going to let you hurt her.”

  “I just want to understand why—”

  “She can’t help you.”

  “Get out of my way!”

  Caitlyn screamed as Reid rushed the other man, knocking him backward and falling with him onto the ground. Hunter’s arm struck the wet dirt, the gun discharging with a roar. He howled and kicked, fighting Reid for control.

  Another male voice ordered, “That’s enough!”

  In his peripheral vision, Reid became aware of a fourth figure, holding a shotgun.

  “I said that’s enough!” A split second later, pieces of the mill house roof rained down on them as Manny Ruiz discharged the rifle into the air. Clad in a rain slicker and baseball cap, he cocked the weapon again and aimed its long barrel at Hunter.

  “Give Agent Novak the gun! Now!”

  There must have been some shred of sanity left in Hunter’s mind, because he stopped struggling enough for Reid to pin his arm to the ground and pry the firearm from his hand. Gaining control of the weapon, Reid pushed himself backward, panting and sitting on the wet, moss-covered ground.

  “You okay, Caitlyn?”

  “Y-yes,” she answered Ruiz. Her eyes met Reid’s, her face pale.

  “Agent Novak?” Ruiz asked.

  Reid ran a hand over his features and nodded, wondering what the hell was going on.

  “So let’s recap. You were out here on some kind of booty call—”

  “I came out here to check on Caitlyn,” Reid corrected Mitch. “She didn’t answer her phone.”

  “Uh-huh. And you figured, hey, as long as I’m out here, why don’t we go into the woods together and shoot guns?” They were back at the stables, the scent of rain mingling with the smell of hay and horses in the stables. It was nearing dark and still coming down outside. Water rushed from the high-pitched roofline, creating puddles in the packed earth underneath the gutter spouts.

  Mitch continued his full-court press. “I mean, she is Braden Cahill’s daughter. That NRA guns and glory stuff probably turns her on.”

  Reid ground his teeth. Mitch was obviously enjoying himself, but he was wet and cold and he’d had enough of his partner’s smart-ass comments. Furthermore, he didn’t like being questioned as though he were a civilian.

  “I have to requalify on firearms. I had my service gun in the truck,” he recounted with forced patience. “Caitlyn told me about the practice range on the other side of her property. If she’s going to insist on living out here alone, she needs to be able to protect herself. So yeah, I suggested it. I wanted to see how well she could shoot.”

  Reid glanced toward Caitlyn, who stood with Ruiz at the far end of the stable’s open-air instruction area, giving a statement to Sheriff Malcolm and Agent Morehouse. Her blond hair was wet and matted to her head, and she’d wrapped a wool blanket around herself to ward off the chill.

  Following Reid’s gaze, Mitch leaned against one of the horse stalls. “Well, she’s not entirely alone. What I want to know is why Manny Ruiz is back here.”

  Reid had asked Caitlyn the same question while they’d waited for law enforcement to arrive. He didn’t approve of her having an ex-con around—especially one out of Springdale Penitentiary. But he had to admit Ruiz had shown up at an opportune time, possibly saving both their lives.

  “Caitlyn gave him his job back,” he said with a shrug. “He made an appeal to her, and she decided to give him another chance. Apparently, he knows a lot about running a working farm and stables.”

  “Or maybe she just has a soft spot for convicts.” Mitch nodded toward the patrol car parked outside the stables, its lights flashing blue against the darkening sky. David Hunter sat in its backseat, handcuffed, his head bowed. “Who knows? Maybe when that guy gets done serving time for assaulting a federal officer, she’ll hire him, too.”

  “He needs a mental evaluation.”

  “What he needs is a good, old-fashioned interrogation. I’m planning to reach down his throat and grab him by the balls, inside out,” Mitch replied. “We might’ve found our copycat.”

  Reid pressed his lips together. Clearly, Julianne Hunter’s murder had caused some psychotic break in her husband. Caitlyn herself had identified him as the man who’d been following her around the District. But whether he was guilty of anything else, Reid wasn’t so sure.

  “I don’t like him for it.”

  “Look. The guy’s been stalking her. Not to mention, he just threatened you and Ms. Cahill with a loaded gun. You want him to actually mutilate and strangle her before you’ll buy in? He obviously came out here to harm her.”

  “The bloody footprints at the first crime scene,” Reid recounted. “They were what, a size thirteen? Hunter might wear an eleven at most.”

  “So? Maybe those footprints aren’t even the unsub’s. Maybe some asshole contaminated the crime scene—like one of the Hispanic laborers.”

  “None of them had blood on their shoes.”

  “That doesn’t mean one of them—like one without the proper documentation—didn’t leave the scene before the cops got there. Hunter’s been following Ms. Cahill, waiting for an opportunity, and he nearly killed you both. That makes him worth talking to about the murders.” Mitch pushed off from the stall door. “Morehouse and I are taking custody of him. We’re taking him back to D.C. tonight. You want in on this or not?”

  Reid squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I want in.”

  “Good boy. Now before you bid a fond farewell to your ladylove, there’s something else you need to know.”

  Reid looked at him, waiting for the proverbial other shoe to drop.

  “Joshua Cahill is willing to give up another body. But he wants something in exchange.”

  Reid felt his lungs tighten. Although there were six confirmed victims of the Capital Killer, there had always been speculation about others. Five other women had gone missing d
uring roughly the same time—blondes with good pedigrees who had mysteriously vanished from locations around the District.

  Already fearing the answer, he asked, “What does he want?”

  “A visit with his sister. Alone.”

  As much as Reid wanted the other bodies, he couldn’t condone Caitlyn’s involvement. “That’s not going to happen.”

  Mitch sighed heavily. “You know what? As much as I need you back as my partner, I’m starting to think it won’t work out.”

  “Damn it, Mitch—”

  “You’ve changed. The Reid Novak I knew wouldn’t put anything in front of closing a case. Especially not some spoiled socialite—”

  “That’s enough.”

  “Then tell me you’ll deliver her to the Springdale Pen on Monday.”

  “What’s going on?” Both men turned to find Caitlyn standing a few feet away, a questioning look on her face. How much had she heard? The horse blanket slipped a little from her slender shoulders, revealing her soaked sweater underneath. Her eyes locked with Reid’s.

  He released a breath.

  “We need to talk.”

  18

  “Are you arguing because of me?” Caitlyn asked as Reid closed her office door behind him. Despite her attempt to appear calm, she looked pale and as skittish as a colt. It was clear David Hunter had rattled her.

  Reid rubbed the back of his neck, deciding to tell her the truth. “Agent Tierney thinks I’ve become too personally involved.”

  Her green eyes were uncertain. “Are you?”

  “I think you know the answer to that, Caitlyn,” he said in a low rasp. He’d had the stress of the MRI on his mind, and he had come up here craving the comfort of her presence. But Reid had allowed himself to get too caught up in his attraction to her, risking her life in the process. He’d been the one telling her to be careful and what had he done? He’d taken her out to an isolated area of her property. And instead of keeping himself on high alert, they’d been having a full-on make-out session. Letting things get out of hand.

  “What occurred between us this afternoon was my fault. I shouldn’t have let it happen,” he said. He hated the look of pain he saw on her features.

  When she finally spoke, her eyes didn’t quite meet his. “What was Agent Tierney saying about Springdale Penitentiary? Is there something I need to know?”

  She had to be filled in on the situation. Caitlyn had heard too much of their conversation and besides, Reid knew Mitch was right. If they had to use her to get the locations of the other bodies, that was what they’d have to do. Giving some peace to the families was too important.

  “There’s been speculation Joshua is responsible for murders beyond the six he stood trial for. Five other women who disappeared. You’re aware of that?”

  “But there’s no solid evidence. You weren’t able to make any connection—”

  “He’s offered to give up one of the bodies, Caitlyn.” Reid saw the impact of his words on her. She seemed to crumple in the knowledge that her brother was responsible for more deaths. He ran a hand through his damp hair and sighed. “He wants a meeting with you in exchange. Do you think you can do that?”

  “Will you go with me?”

  “I’ll take you there. I’ll be right outside the door, watching through the observation window. You’ll be completely safe.” He stepped closer. “But Joshua wants to see you alone. That’s the deal.”

  She was still for a long moment, then nodded.

  “I have to go back to D.C. We’re taking Hunter into federal custody.”

  “That poor man.”

  “He pulled a gun on us,” Reid reminded.

  “He’s out of his mind with grief. Can’t you see that?”

  He fell silent. His gut told him Hunter wasn’t their copycat, but Mitch was right about that, too—his actions made him a viable suspect. At the least, he was guilty of stalking Caitlyn and threatening her with a lethal weapon. If Reid hadn’t been there—if Ruiz hadn’t shown up when he did—he wondered if she would be dead right now.

  “Is there anyone you can stay with tonight, Caitlyn? I don’t think you should be alone, not after what happened.”

  “Manny’s a phone call away. He has a room upstairs.” She looked upward, indicating a second floor to the stables.

  “Someone besides Ruiz.”

  Caitlyn folded her arms over her chest. Reid’s statement had clearly brought up some well of thought within her. “Why didn’t you tell me Manny was imprisoned for beating up the man who was physically abusing his daughter?”

  Reid felt heat rise under his skin. “It’s still assault and battery. And kidnapping. He’s still an ex-con who may or may not have known your brother. In my opinion, that’s enough to keep him away from you.”

  “That’s not your decision.”

  “No,” he agreed, voice tight.

  The damp sweater Caitlyn wore had lost its shape, stretching out over her fingertips and below her hips, engulfing her and making her look small and childlike. He could see the empathy shimmering in her eyes for Ruiz, and also for David Hunter. It wasn’t fair someone with as good a heart as Caitlyn’s had been shackled to Joshua Cahill for life. Without his infamy, she would no doubt be married by now, probably have a child or two and be living the privileged lifestyle her parents had intended for her.

  But instead she was achingly alone. Reid recalled that she’d had a fiancé during the Capital Killer investigation, an up-and-coming senatorial aide with an Ivy League background. Their relationship had ended following Joshua’s arrest. Reid had ruined that for her, too.

  “You should go,” she said softly.

  Caitlyn stayed in the shower for what seemed like an eternity, using the hot spray to erase the chill from her body. She had escaped to the upstairs hall bathroom, leaving Sophie and Rob fretting in the living room about the man who’d confronted her in the woods at gunpoint. She wasn’t sure who had called them, but they’d arrived just before the police cars pulled away from the stables. Reid’s SUV and Agent Tierney’s dark sedan had been in the rear of the convoy.

  Finally, she turned off the shower, standing amid the lingering steam. She couldn’t get Reid out of her mind. Not his kiss or the undeniable heat between them. Nor could she let go of his words later, when he’d told her things had gone too far.

  He’s right, Caitlyn. She reminded herself that any chance of something developing between them was a fool’s dream.

  Drying off with a towel, she wrapped herself in her soft, fleece bathrobe, then used the palm of her hand to wipe the fog from the bathroom mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, haunted and pale. Outside, rain beat against the window and the wind howled, reminding her of the cold, bleak night ahead of her.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, she found Rob in the hallway. His presence upstairs surprised her. Caitlyn tightened the robe’s belt around her waist and adjusted its shawl collar.

  “Are you looking for me?”

  “You’ve been up here for a while,” he said, his big shoulders hunched and his hands shoved inside his pockets as he walked to her. “I thought I should come up and check on you. Make sure you’re all right.”

  She tucked the damp curtain of her hair behind one ear. “Where’s Sophie?”

  “On the phone downstairs. Her sister in New York’s been ill and she wanted to give her a call. She told you about Melanie, right?” Pausing, he pushed his wire-rimmed glasses higher on his nose. “The truth is, I really don’t think you should be alone tonight, Caitlyn. Why don’t you come back to the house with us—”

  “Thank you. But I’d rather stay here.” Rob and Sophie meant well, but she was tired and feeling more than a little depressed. Knowing how ungrateful she sounded, she tried to soften her words. “It’s been a tough day, that’s all.”

  He continued studying her. “The man who was here the other day when Sophie and I came by. He works for the FBI?”

  She nodded faintly. “He does.”

&nb
sp; “He headed up the Capital Killer case.” Rob said it more as a statement of fact than a question. “I thought I recognized him from the news conferences. Are the crazy things that have been going on around here tied to Joshua?”

  Caitlyn was unsure how much to tell him. So far, the press hadn’t reported on a copycat, but with two murders already committed, Reid had warned her it was only a matter of time. She focused on David Hunter.

  “The man who confronted me in the woods is the widower of one of Joshua’s victims,” she explained. “His name is David Hunter. They think he was here to seek some kind of revenge on me.”

  “And you and the FBI agent were out alone together in the woods when this guy came after you?”

  She felt a blush stain her cheeks. “How did you know that?”

  “Manny Ruiz. He called Sophie and me, gave us a quick rundown and said we might want to come over. You don’t harbor any ill will against the man who took down your brother?”

  “Agent Novak was doing his job,” Caitlyn said defensively. “And my brother is a serial murderer.”

  His curious eyes on her made her uncomfortable. Lit by the soft hallway light, Rob’s features appeared earnest as he took a step closer.

  “Look, honey. I worry about you out here. Being all alone.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. He laid a hand on Caitlyn’s shoulder. “I just want you to know that I can be over here anytime you need me, for anything. In two shakes of a lamb’s tail. To talk, or if you just need some company.”

  He bent his head and lowered his voice further. “You can call my cell instead of the house. We don’t need to worry Sophie.”

  She nodded faintly, feeling awkward as Rob continued staring at her. Did he intend that as it sounded? His hand lingered on her shoulder, gently squeezing. From downstairs, she heard Sophie calling for them, announcing she’d made sandwiches and poured them all a glass of port. Rob dropped his hand and straightened.

  “Coming, dear,” he yelled back.

  19

  “Look who’s here, my favorite son.”