In the Night (Darkness Falls Book 1)

by Melissa Sinclair

  11

  When they walked into the conference room, they were met with the grim faces of Cathy, Brett, Bob, Shirley, and DA Gloria Finnegan. Surprised at the small gathering, Caleb moved farther into the room. He knew instantly that this briefing would be for their ears only. Which meant that right now, they were going to try to keep a low profile to keep the chances of leaks to the media out of play. Caleb knew it was all hands on deck for this case. Therefore, many other officers and detectives would be involved; they just wouldn't be in on certain information.

  "Sit down," Bob said sharply.

  No one in the room took offense to his sharpness because everyone knew that this case was personal to him. The only reason he hadn’t been removed as well was because he was the captain and he had friends in very high places. But he was skating on thin ice for the moment. If he crossed the line, he would most likely be removed from the case, and they would bring in an outsider to run the show.

  Everyone in the room would hate to see that happen. The team worked best with each other, and no one wanted to see the team split up. Even if some of the team was only allowed to be involved in a cursory manner.

  "All right. So, we have some new developments. Shirley, do you want to take the floor?" Bob asked.

  "We’ve confirmed time of death as approximately twelve hours before her body was dumped. Which is what I thought. She died from strangulation. I believe she was with the killer since the night she disappeared."

  "Why do you think that?" Ethan asked.

  "There were many cuts over her body. The cuts were methodically placed, and both the cuts and bruising on her body were in different stages of healing. I would say she was held for the full four days before she was killed."

  “So, it follows the timeline, then. That will make what Kara has to tell us even more important.”

  "Want to fill everyone else in on what you told me earlier?" Bob asked.

  "As I told you earlier, my sister will be coming in to help us out. She might have information that’s pertinent to this case. She and I both feel that she’ll be extremely important to the investigation."

  "She’ll be coming in this afternoon," Caleb said.

  "This is huge and for our ears only,” Ethan said, looking around the table. Once everyone nodded in agreement, he continued. “Kara was held for four days before she escaped on the fourth day. She escaped in the evening and was found by a middle-aged farmer that was on his way home. The farmer called for help. She was evacuated by air. In the air, she flatlined before they got her to the hospital. She flatlined at ten p.m.”

  “So, the killer is following the timeline of her abduction and escape,” Bob said, making it more of a statement than a question.

  “To the letter,” Ethan said. “My thoughts are this: whoever is doing this is very ritualistic in his killing process, and he knows detailed information that only Devon Bristol should know. He’s trying to make a point—that she should have died all those years ago, and that he’s going to make sure she knows he’s coming for her. Kara also felt we should look for similar cases in other states, and I’ve already found another one.”

  “The man responsible died. I remember he was killed in a car accident. So, who would be behind these murders?” Cathy asked.

  “Kara always suspected someone else was involved.”

  “Why don’t I remember that?” Bob asked.

  “I’m sure it had something to do with my father trying to close the book on it all. Once she was found, and Devon was dead, he didn’t want to discuss it any further. But she always swore that she had heard Devon talking to someone on the phone. And that he had an accomplice. Not in all the torture, but in the kidnapping itself. Our father and the investigators were certain that with all the drugs he injected in her, she was confused—that she had heard him talking to himself and not on the phone. So, my father convinced her that there was no accomplice. And she seemed to accept it and move on.”

  “Or did she?” Caleb asked. Everyone looked at him. “Something tells me she never gave up on the theory. It might account, at least in part, for why she stayed away. It might also account for why she’s still so terrified.”

  “Wouldn’t you be terrified if this happened to you?” Cathy asked.

  “Yes, but this is different as if she’s looking over her shoulder. At first, I just thought she didn’t believe Devon died. But this makes more sense. The idea that there’s someone else out there, this has caused those memories to resurface,” Caleb said.

  “Makes sense to me. I know there was a falling out with our parents all those years ago. But she never told me about what caused it. Maybe this is what it was. Maybe she wouldn’t let it go, and they gave her an ultimatum. In their eyes, it was open-and-shut, and there was no use crying over spilled milk.”

  “Harsh,” Brett acknowledged.

  “Hopefully she can shed some light on it all today when she comes in,” Gloria finally spoke up. “Before we leave, Ethan, this other murder that you discovered, what makes you think it’s the same unsub?”

  “Disappeared on the same day two years ago, found four days later, and there was a note sealed in a bag and left in her vagina, as well. The note said #10, now and then, I wonder where you been.”

  “Shit. All right, time to start digging. If we don’t count Kara, that means we have nine other bodies to link to this sadistic SOB.” Bob said.

  “And that means she wasn’t the first victim,” Caleb said, and his stomach felt like there was a rock in it.

  Kara knew that not everyone would be thrilled about her being the new attending—some because of rumors they’d heard and others because of her age. But eventually, they would have to come around or find a job elsewhere. It sounded harsh, but that was the reality of the situation. She would be a fair boss but hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone undermining her.

  The drive over to Mercy wasn’t as long as she thought it would be, but she had gotten distracted getting ready and lost track of time. She’d wanted to come during shift change so she could meet as many people as possible, but shift change had already happened. So, she would meet who she could. Walking into the ER brought back a lot of memories. Kara had spent over a week in this hospital recovering from her injuries. She probably should have spent longer at the hospital, but as soon as the doctors said she was able to go home under the care of a private nurse, she did. No one wanted to mess with the Vanderbilts. However, two doctors certainly did their best to keep her there. It was against their opinion for her to leave the hospital so soon, but they couldn’t force her to stay, and her parents wanted her away from the doctors that cared about her more than they did.

  When she had heard they were looking for an attending doctor for the ER, she jumped at the opportunity, hoping she’d be able to give back to them the way they had for her. It had been Dr. Brenner who had performed lifesaving surgery, Dr. Chiglo who had been there the moment she was brought in and assessed her injuries, and a nurse named Heather who had been like a mama bear protecting her cub when it came to Kara’s care. Those three people made her feel like there was hope. Dr. Chiglo was the one who had called to tell her they were looking for another attending, and if the job hadn’t become available, she would still be in Baltimore with her head in the ground, hiding.

  She expected some people to recognize her when she walked in. But no one seemed to look at her twice, and that was just fine by her. Of course, someone would eventually remember who she was, and then the rumors would fly, but she could handle it. She had to; her future depended on it. There would be no way she could ever have a life of her own if she couldn’t handle a little idle gossip. She wasn’t sure if anyone had announced that she was taking the position, but she’d assumed there was a formal announcement. If that was the case, then the talk had already started.

  “Kara? Kara Vanderbilt?” she heard a familiar voice from behind her say. She turned around to find Dr. Vanessa Brenner smiling warmly at her. “I thought that was you
. I didn’t know you would be starting today.”

  “Vanessa, it’s so good to see you. I start on Monday, but I thought I’d stop by to see if I could meet some of the staff. I thought shift change would be a good time to meet a lot of those I’ll be working with, but I seem to have come late for that. How have you been?”

  Hesitating only briefly, Vanessa approached her and hugged her. Kara hugged her back. The hug was fierce, and it felt good. After a moment, Kara regrettably backed away and was shocked to see tears in Vanessa’s eyes. She looked away quickly and then looked back when Vanessa spoke.

  “Well, I’m good and you, something is different, you’ve never been able to...” the statement hung in the air.

  “Hug you? Ethan said something similar when he hugged me this morning.” She shrugged and breathed deep. “I’ve been so closed off; it’s just time not to be. How are Tom and the kids?” Kara had gotten to know Vanessa over the years and considered her a friend on an exceptionally short list. In all honesty, there were times Vanessa was like a surrogate mother to her. Hell, Vanessa was more involved in her life than Kara’s own mother, making her one of a handful of people Kara trusted.

  “They’re doing just fine. It’s hard to believe, but our oldest is graduating this year,” Vanessa said. “I think I can help you meet some people if you would like? That way we can do a little catching up. I haven’t heard from you in so long.”

  “I’ve been doing a lot of soul-searching.”

  “And what did you find out?”

  “That I didn’t much like the way my life was turning out, so I decided to change that.”

  “And that would explain the big move back home. How’s it going so far?” Concern furrowed her brow.

  “I’ll let you know in a few days. I just got here yesterday. I met a man, Vanessa.”

  Vanessa hesitated for a moment before responding.

  “And how do you feel about that?”

  “Apprehensive, terrified, hopeful, and excited.” The words were spoken quietly and to the ground.

  “All normal emotions.” She paused. “Are you ready for tonight?” she asked, changing the subject. For now. Kara knew she’d ask her more later when she had time to assimilate her feelings.

  “I think so. I can tell you this much, I’m bound and determined to make this center work. It isn’t just about the grand opening tonight; getting people willing to fund it is crucial. But there is more to it. This center is my hope for a future, not just for me, but for so many others. Care to give me any last-minute advice?”

  “Kara, you are going to do just fine tonight and fine here. Most of the people here have no idea who you are; a lot of them are transplants. And those who do know who you are, are not of the kind of nature to give you a hard time.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Kara murmured.

  “I know I’m right. Anyway, any talk will be of the curious nature, not the vicious kind. And you might have to endure some gossip, but I have faith you can get through that. It’s not like you haven’t had to listen to people whispering before, right?”

  “I guess you are right about that.” They walked quietly for a little while, and then sucking in a deep breath, Kara prepared herself to meet the staff she’d be working with.

  About an hour later, exhausted from the effort of meeting new people, she was about to call for her protection detail to pick her up, when her cell phone rang. She didn't recognize the number and assuming it was Caleb or Ethan calling to check on her, she answered the phone sharply.

  "I'm fine. You don't have to check in on me."

  "Are you sure about that, Kara? Welcome home, bitch; I have been waiting a long time to have you here, in my hunting ground. You better watch your back."

  Before Kara could respond, the line went dead. She pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it a moment. Shaken, she sat on a nearby chair. She’d known there were no coincidences when it came to everything that had been happening, and after the impromptu call, she was less likely to argue about her overprotective brother arranging for protection for her. The fact that only a handful of people had been given her phone number was not lost on her.

  She was still staring at her phone when it rang again. Jumping, she looked at the caller ID and once again didn’t recognize the number. Second-guessing whether she should answer the phone, she squared her shoulders and tapped the answer button.

  "Who the hell is this?" she demanded.

  "Kara? It's Caleb. What's wrong?"

  "Nothing. I just got a strange phone call. Why didn’t I recognize the number you were calling from?" she asked, feeling stupid.

  "I called from my desk phone.”

  “Oh, yeah, that makes sense, I guess. I will need to program that in, as well. What did you need?”

  “Are you done at the hospital? There’ve been some developments on our side, and it sounds like there may have been some developments on your side, too. Care to fill me in?"

  "Not really, but I will when you get here."

  "I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes. Where can I meet you?"

  "I’ll just wait outside where you dropped me off this morning."

  "No way! Under no circumstances should you wait outside. Wait inside, and I will meet you there. Understand?"

  When she didn’t respond right away, he asked again.

  "Do. You. Understand?"

  "Yes. Geez, calm down. What happened?"

  "I don’t want you alone, and Ethan doesn’t want you alone. We’ll fill you in when we get there."

  Kara stood, confused as the other line went dead again. What was with people? She wandered to the entrance by where she’d been dropped off this morning. After about ten minutes, she had had all she could take of people staring at her and decided to go outside. Once outside, an eerie feeling fell over her, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that her mystery caller was there, hidden somewhere, watching her. Deciding it might be better, after all, to wait inside, she turned to go back in the building.

  Something in her peripheral vision caught her attention as she turned to look, and before she could use her ten years of self-defense classes, she was pushed to the ground, her head making a loud thunk as it hit the concrete.

  12

  Kara’s head hit the ground with a sickening crack. She connected so hard, she saw stars. On the outer edge of her awareness, she sensed someone standing over her as she struggled to sit up. Her stomach rolled with nausea, and she slumped back to the ground, as if an afterthought, and before the figure ran off, he grabbed the purse she’d been carrying.

  She was still struggling to sit up when she heard tires squealing to a stop behind her. Blinking back what she initially thought was tears, but was actually blood, she struggled to see. Her medical training kicked in, and she had enough presence of mind to lift her hand to her head to stop the bleeding. Delirious, she was on her knees swaying, trying to stand when someone knelt beside her and softly touched their hand to her shoulder and then scooped her to their chest.

  "Kara! What the hell happened? What are you doing out here? I told you to stay inside."

  "I-I don't know. I came out to get some air; it was stifling inside. I got a little weirded out like someone was watching me and decided to go back inside. I had just started to turn to go inside when someone threw me to the ground. I hit my head and was dazed, so I didn't get a look at him, but it was a man. He took my purse."

  She was about to stand up when his hands urged her to sit back down. Thankful, she fought back another wave of nausea.

  "Sit down. Ethan is inside getting help. Why did you go so far from the entrance? No one can see you over here. If you were set on going outside, you should have stayed within distance of someone’s vision."

  "I needed to get away from all their stares. I know it was stupid."

  Caleb had taken a handkerchief out of his pocket and gently removed her hand from the wound and placed the cloth to the cut. Kara leaned against his strong frame, still dizzy fr
om the blow. She had her eyes closed, but she could hear footsteps approaching. No doubt Ethan and a nurse to bring her inside to get the cut looked at.

  "Kara, what the hell happened?"

  "I fell. When someone pushed me," she finished, knowing he would have asked how.

  "Ethan brought a wheelchair for you to get a ride inside."

  "I can get there on my own two feet."

  Kara stood up and almost went down again when everything got fuzzy. Clearly, her head wound was worse than she had thought. Strong arms steadied her.

  "Okay, tough girl. Want that ride now?" Caleb asked.

  "I guess I don't have much choice." She allowed herself to be guided to the chair and wheeled inside.

  Thirty minutes and six stitches later, she was feeling better and had been given the green light to go, if she took it easy. She promised she would, but she didn't believe for a second that anyone in the room bought what she said. It wasn't like she didn't have some work cut out for her. She was in a race for her life to uncover the mystery that surrounded her abduction. And it wasn’t as if Kara didn’t know what to watch for when it came to head wounds and mild concussions.

  "All right, time to go to the station. Have you heard anything about the alarm system progress?"

  "How about we just take you home?" Ethan suggested.

  "No way. I’m in this, and the least you can do is let me be involved. I’d think you would prefer that to my investigating on my own."

  Caleb chuckled softly at her outburst.

  "What the hell is so funny, Montgomery?"

  "Nothing. This whole situation sucks, but the lady has a pair of brass ones, and you have to admit, she sounds just like you."