Twisted Whispers

by Sheri Lewis Wohl

  “Four states?” Her heart ached even more, if that was possible. Some monster was out there stealing lives and destroying families, and no one was doing a thing to stop him. How could that happen? Why did it have to happen in her family?

  Katie blew out a long breath. “Yeah, four damn states, and we just now noticed the similarities. We have women missing in Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. If I didn’t know better I’d think someone buried the info.”

  A chill went straight to the bone. “Could someone have done that to all of them?”

  With a grimace Katie finally met her eyes. “Anything’s possible, but probable? It would be damn hard, and they’d have to have someone on the inside. Without law-enforcement connections it would be nearly impossible. Burying information in our system isn’t easy. Too many checks and balances.”

  “But it’s not impossible.”

  “No. Not likely either. Hopefully, this is more an instance of the cases being spread among small communities where the law-enforcement presence is likewise small. Most of the missing women lived on the fringe.”

  “But that’s not the case with Alida. This is a big city with a large presence of law enforcement at all levels of government. She certainly didn’t live on the fringe of anything.”

  “True enough. Alida’s sudden and unexplained disappearance fits the pattern we discovered, but nothing else about her does. If the same guy is doing all this, he’s getting cocky. He may have decided those woman weren’t enough and moved on to someone a little riskier.”

  Thea set her glass on the low table in front of the sofa and ran her hands through her hair. Her head hurt. If it was the same person, he’d been practicing for a while, and the possibility frightened her more than anything she could imagine. She closed her eyes and rubbed her scalp with the tips of her fingers. It didn’t help.

  As if sensing her despair, Katie slid across the sofa and put an arm around her shoulders. “I know,” she told her. “This is not good news.”

  The kindness of her gesture meant a lot to Thea. She opened her eyes and studied Katie. “Were you able to do anything with the plate number or the pickup truck?”

  Katie shook her head. “Not yet. We’re still working on it. Hopefully we’ll come up with something soon. We have a huge inventory of Ford pickups in this area and don’t have enough of a plate number to narrow it down to the truck. The guys working on it are good, and they’ll get it if it’s there to be found.”

  Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Good wasn’t anywhere in the conversation at all. Everything was bad and, instead of getting better, was getting worse. “I’m so scared.”

  Katie pulled her close and Thea let her. She welcomed the warmth of Katie’s body because her own felt so incredibly cold. “I’ll do everything I can to find her,” Katie said against her hair.

  Thea rested her head against Katie’s shoulder and for the first time gave in to the tears that had been threatening since the very first call.

  *

  Once the hotel room door closed behind her, Lorna grabbed Renee and pulled her close. Her mouth descended, and she kissed her as if it had been years since the last time they touched. The taste of her lips was so incredibly sweet. How she’d missed her. More than she could have ever imagined.

  Lorna’s hands slid down Renee’s back, and all she could think of was getting rid of the fabric barrier between her and bare skin. Her need to touch Renee overpowered her. If she was under any illusion that her attraction to Renee was simple lust, she gave it up. Jeremy wasn’t the only one in the family who was in deep.

  “I love you,” she whispered against Renee’s hair, the catch in her throat impossible to stop.

  Renee’s hands came up to cup her face. She stared into her eyes, a smile on her lips. “You have no idea how much I love you too. It’s been so lonely since you came over here. I’m awfully accustomed to waking up with you right next to me. The bed is big, lonely, and cold without you.”

  “I’ve only been gone a couple of days.”

  “It seems like an eternity.”

  “I missed you too,” Lorna said and drew her close again. “And waking up next to you is the best.”

  Renee’s hands slid beneath her shirt, then pulled it up and over her head. The heat of her hands on Lorna’s skin was intoxicating. She couldn’t wait and guided her to the bed.

  Chills raced up her arms as Renee tossed her own shirt aside and slid out of her jeans. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. How incredibly hot was it to have a commando girl standing in her room? Her heart soared.

  She still had on her jeans, and getting out of them was a chore. She very nearly toppled over trying to drag the stiff fabric off her legs. Renee lay stretched out on the bed watching her the whole time. She giggled. “Careful,” she said in a low, sexy voice. “You don’t want to hurt yourself ’cause then you’ll miss out on all this.” She ran a finger from her lips across her breasts and down her belly.

  Jesus, she barely managed to stay upright. Her foot was caught in the hem of her jeans, and she was tugging trying to free it. “You’re killing me here.”

  Renee’s grin turned mischievous. “Me? Oh, sweetheart, that’s nothing. I’m just getting started.”

  And she was. Lorna finally freed herself from the clinging jeans and launched herself to the bed. The second she stretched out beside her, Renee’s hands slid over her breasts and down to where the heat pooled between her legs. Her gasp was loud as fingers whispered across the tender skin. It took every ounce of effort she could summon not to come right then.

  “Not yet, beautiful. Not yet.” Renee’s mouth covered hers in a hot, demanding kiss before moving from her lips to her neck. The feather-soft touch of her lips against the skin of her neck made her shiver as though she was out in an ice storm. When Renee’s lips found a nipple, Lorna’s head fell back against the pillow. This was heaven, and she never wanted to come back down to earth.

  The combination of warm lips against her breast and stroking fingers was more than she could take. She wanted to make it last, but she was powerless under Renee’s loving touch. Her hips arched against Renee’s hand, and she came in an explosion of sensation that left her panting.

  Renee was laughing lightly as Lorna tried to catch her breath. “I’m sorry,” Lorna said when she could put the two words together. “I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

  On her side, with her head on one hand, Renee gazed down at her, smiling. “Sorry about what?”

  “That was what? Two minutes? Three tops. I came as fast as if I were a virgin. You got nothing out of that, and that’s not right. You deserve a lot more.”

  Renee was shaking her head. “You are so wrong. Do you have any idea how hot it makes me to know I can do that to you? Honey, you not only make me as horny as a teenager, but you do wonders for my ego.”

  “Really?” It was hard to believe she could have that kind of effect on anyone.

  Leaning down, Renee kissed her, slowly and thoroughly. “Yes,” she said when she raised her head. “I struggled for so long trying to find peace with myself and wondering if anyone would ever love me. I failed miserably as a straight woman, and even as attracted as I was…am…to women, until I met you, I wondered if I’d ever find a woman who could love me.”

  “I love you,” Lorna said and knew she’d never meant those three words more than she did right now.

  “That’s what makes this thing we have so special. Every doubt disappeared the day I met you. Stupid as it probably sounds, you complete me. The fact I can make you feel like a horny teenager is icing on the cake. It makes me love you even more.”

  Lorna rolled over and covered Renee’s body with hers. Everything she felt for Renee welled inside her, and her desire surged once more. “Well, then, it would be just plain rude to leave you both horny and unsatisfied. I’ll just have to do something about that, won’t I?”

  “Promises, promises.” Renee grabbed her head and pulled her close to kiss h
er.

  Lorna made good on her promise.

  *

  Really? Did he think he was so out of it he wouldn’t notice him following…again? This was getting old. He had work to do, and his personal Peeping Tom was getting in the way. The adventure into the local gay bar should have sent him on his way, but apparently not.

  Though he was loathe to admit it, he was curious what made him interested in him enough to start following. He hadn’t left any trace of himself anywhere, and his behavior was nothing but boringly normal. As far as he was concerned, the mask he was forced to live behind was still in perfect condition. So what was different now?

  He shook his head and smiled. It was really a rhetorical question. He knew exactly what was different this time. Each and every time before it was all about his important work. Then a most unexpected element pushed him outside the box. He still wasn’t sorry. All things in life happen for a reason. It might have been nice if it had turned out a little different with her, but he also knew from experience that people didn’t always respond to reason. They didn’t take the path of least resistance. A subject that put up a little fight made it more fun.

  Except for her. Even though it was hard to admit even to himself, he loved her. Or loved her in his own way. He was smart enough to realize his emotional makeup was a touch different from most other people’s. He was fine with that. Comfortable in his own skin, as the saying went. It didn’t, however, mean he was devoid of emotional attachment. On the contrary, he felt deeply, especially about her, and when she betrayed him, well, little choice was left to him. She picked the path, he simply followed it.

  If his father taught him one thing, it was the undeniable right to hold onto the things that belonged to him. No one could take from him that which he was unwilling to relinquish. Or, in her case, who he was unwilling to let go of. Once his, always his was the motto he’d been taught. Thank you, Father.

  Now, he had a different kind of problem on his hands: his unwelcome shadow. Usually disposing of a nuisance wasn’t a big deal. Not so this time. This one could prove problematic for a variety of reasons. Not the least of which, all the wrong people would notice his disappearance fairly quickly. It didn’t mean it couldn’t happen; it just meant he needed to plan everything down to the tiniest detail to make sure nothing, absolutely nothing, came blowing back his way.

  Actually, he welcomed the challenge. The unexpected ups and downs that came with each job were part of what made his work so enjoyable. Until things died down, he would need to stay quiet on the other front. So, planning the demise of the one who surely thought he was invisible was quite enticing. He could have a great deal of fun with it. By the time he finished, one problem would be eliminated, and enough time would have passed that he’d be able to commence once more with his good work.

  Yes, the more he thought about it, the better it was. A plan was coming together in his head by the time he put his truck into drive and pulled away from the curb. As he knew it would, a dark-colored sedan also pulled into traffic several car lengths behind him. It kept pace without closing the distance. Vehicle Surveillance 101. Like he hadn’t taken and passed that one himself. When it came right down to it, most people really were stupid. If it weren’t for the blessed few like himself this truly would be a sad world to live in.

  He was whistling as he pulled onto I-90 and kicked up his speed to seventy miles an hour as he joined the smooth flow of traffic.

  Chapter Twenty

  Katie, what the hell are you doing? The little voice in her head was screaming, yet Katie chose to ignore it. Thea was part of an active case. Even if Thea was ruled out as a suspect, a professional did not get involved with someone in a case. Especially not one as close to the investigation as Thea was.

  But damn, holding her in her arms was like something out of a fantastic dream. Her despair was clear in her tears and trembling body, yet holding her felt more natural than anything Katie had done in a long time. Hell, it had been so long since she’d even wanted to be around another woman that this was crazy for a whole host of reasons.

  After a few minutes Thea sat up and pushed hair away from her face. “I’m so sorry. That was uncalled for.” Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes sad and watery.

  With her thumbs, Katie wiped lingering tears from her face “Are you kidding? You’re more than entitled to a good cry. Your twin sister is missing and we’re not making much ground finding her. You should feel sad and, if it was me, pissed as hell at law enforcement for not bringing her home. You have every reason in the world to be upset, and you don’t have to apologize for feeling that way.”

  “I’m not angry with you.”

  “You should be.” She sure as hell would be if she were in Thea’s shoes. In her mind they were doing a pretty crappy job so far and should be held accountable.

  “Why?” Thea actually looked a little puzzled.

  “Because I haven’t done a very good job.” Might as well be honest.

  Thea studied her closely and then shook her head. “You’ve given us everything you have. I believe that.”

  Katie would love to believe it too, but in her heart of hearts, she felt that she was missing something. Not a little something either. No, it felt like a big, fat neon sign was flashing something that would break this thing wide open. Not just so they would be able to find Alida but the other missing women as well. Her gut instinct screamed they were all related, despite what Chad and Vince believed. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, the two, who rarely saw eye to eye, seemed to think she was chasing her own tail. Then again, at least where Vince was concerned, if it wasn’t his idea, it was a bad idea. Chad was a little more gracious and receptive most of the time, today not being one of those times.

  When Vince had asked for her gut feeling, she’d thought he might finally have an open mind. So, she’d shared her initial thoughts with him and Chad, and then when she found herself mired in their skepticism, she’d kept the rest of it to herself. By and large, she seemed to be investigating this case by herself instead of with the help of the two guys who were supposed to have her back.

  No big surprise, she was used to it. Things for women were way better than they used to be, but that didn’t mean they were perfect. The good-old-boy mentality still made an appearance now and again. In this case, it was a now.

  That Thea held faith in her meant a lot. It also spurred her to try harder. She knew she was on to something, and by God, she’d figure it out with or without help from the guys. It would be easier if they actually helped. She just couldn’t count on it.

  Of course, she and Thea also had Lorna in their corner, and strangely, she was pleased to have her there. Oddly, as the day wore on her feeling about Lorna’s vision complemented her own research. The woman was on to something, and if they could put two and two together, they might find the answer.

  Who would have thought she’d be happy to hang out with a so-called psychic? It was, however, the first time she’d ever allowed herself even the tiniest thread of belief. In this case, the thread was approaching more of a rope. She was buying in. Nothing about Lorna screamed deception or fake. The woman was real, sincere, and honest. That counted for a great deal, in her book. Maybe she was psychic. Maybe she wasn’t. Katie only knew for certain that Lorna was here to help, and in this case, she was going to take Lorna’s offer whatever she turned out to be.

  She brought her thoughts back to Thea. “I have given you my all,” she admitted. “Sadly, so far, it just hasn’t been enough.”

  Thea touched a hand to her face, her dark eyes intense. “It will be. You and Lorna will find her. I feel it here.” She took her hand away from Katie’s face and laid it on her heart.

  The trust she saw reflected in Thea’s eyes made her all the more determined. “I can promise you I’ll try.”

  For a moment Thea continued to stare into her eyes, and then she shocked Katie by leaning close. Thea’s voice was as soft as she pressed her lips against Katie’s. “I know
you will.”

  *

  He taxied the small plane across the tarmac and into the hangar rented in the name of Johnson Valor. Of course, he was Johnson Valor, but he was the only one aware of that minor detail. The smucks here at the airport only needed a copy of his ID to complete the rental. It wasn’t a fake ID either. No, it was the real deal. Easy enough to get when a person knew the right people, and he did.

  The real Johnson Valor had died at the ripe old age of two in a little town called Connell. One birth certificate later and voila, he possessed exactly what he needed. Like the hangar, the plane belonged to Johnson. His plan worked flawlessly, and he could go about his business with no one the wiser.

  True, he should be keeping a low profile, but the urge to hunt was too great. After he lost his tail, he planned to do nothing more than go home and work on the old place. But after an hour of sanding a table he wanted to restore, his restlessness got the better of him. The manual labor wasn’t quieting the need rising inside his chest. In the end, Johnson needed to make a little trip, and so he did. Was a good one too. A little over an hour in the small plane and he landed in Boise. An hour after that, he had her. They were so easy. A couple drinks, an offer of a quick plane ride, and they were putty in his hands. So terribly predictable.

  All it took once he buckled them in the plane was the offer of a drink. Nobody turned down the coffee and Irish cream. They all loved it, and not one of them ever noticed the oxy he laced it with. Enough of that crap combined with the alcohol in the Irish cream and they were lolling in the seat long before he ever made it back to Spokane. Oxy was a great drug and easy to get his hands on without breaking a sweat.

  His latest conquest was no exception. She drank so much of the drug and alcohol-laced coffee he actually worried a little that she’d OD and his fun would be over before it even started. The only thing that let him know she hadn’t checked out was the snoring. She was pretty hot, he’d give her that, but the snoring was far from appealing. How could a woman who looked that good sound like an old fat guy when she was passed out? Then again, given her line of work, sleep wasn’t usually part of the package.