Marcus smiled warmly at Gillian, thanked her for a wonderful evening and made arrangements to see her the next day. He walked Reggie to the car and Gillian spied out the window to see if they kissed each other.
Both Reggie and Marcus had offered to help her clear up but she’d insisted she’d rather do it herself. Gazing over remains of her little dinner party, she regretted her decision. Turning on the stereo for company, she got down to business. The house felt so empty. That strange feeling of uneasiness returned but she refused to examine it
She’d barely started loading the dishwasher when her phone rang. Welcoming the interruption, she moved to answer it. It was Marcus.
“Thanks so much for dinner this evening Gillian. It was perfect and I loved seeing Regina again.” She waited for his next words. “Unfortunately, when I picked up my messages I found out I need to get back to the hospital tonight. A patient needs me.”
“Oh Marcus, I’m so sorry. You never have a moment to yourself.”
He apologized again for having to cut short his visit and hung up. She was sorry she wouldn’t have more time with him but understood the dedication with which he approached his work. He was needed, so he’d be there.
Sitting down on the couch, she tried to relax. It wasn’t easy. Meditation was something she’d never been interested in before her attack. Now it was something she relied on. When she didn’t do it everyday, she was plagued, as she had been today, by unease or unwanted impressions. The long day had taken its toll on her. Her concentration was affected. She had a hard time letting go of the tight control she’d tried to maintain all day. It took longer than usual to reach the optimum state of relaxation and concentration, but she persisted.
* * * *
From a distance he watched. For now she was alone, but of course the sheriff would be there soon. He accepted that now was not the time, but consoled himself with the knowledge that it soon would be. Frustration ate at his guts like rats on flesh. He felt that now familiar rage rise within and knew he’d have to do something about it…again. He started to make plans.
Chapter 22
It was late when Travis finally put in an appearance. He looked drained; his tousled hair had obviously taken the brunt of his frustrating day. Gillian put her arms around him and held on as long as he’d let her. Eventually, he pulled away an inch or two and said, “Do you have anything to eat? I’m starving.”
She smiled wryly. “Travis Sinclair, you’re all about appetites aren’t you?”
He didn’t dispute it. “Yup. You got a problem with that, ma’am?”
“No, but I have a problem with you calling me ma’am.” She moved to the fridge and pulled out leftovers from dinner. Together, they built him a meal.
He flashed a fatigued but brilliant smile, “I called you the dreaded “ma’am” and still you give me food. What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“Just what makes you think you deserve me?” She arched a brow at him.
He took a huge bite and pointed to his mouth indicating that he couldn’t talk with his mouth full.
“Convenient.” She laughed.
He swallowed that bite, then took another, shrugging innocently. He hooked an arm around her waist and settled her on his lap. He ate in silence for a bit with Gillian’s head resting comfortably on his wide shoulder.
“How did your dinner go?” he asked finally.
“Good.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“What do you want to know?”
“Well,” he paused and shifted her on his lap. “I got the impression you were hoping to rekindle something between Stevens and Regina.”
“I was, but I think I’ve been expecting too much from a single dinner.”
Travis breathed a sigh of relief and made no attempt to hide it. “Don’t push it. Reggie would never want to live anywhere but here and I can’t see the good doctor ever settling for New Crescent, despite his family history.”
“You may be right. He had to go back to the city, an emergency. He has a very successful practice.”
“I remember his Dad was a good doctor, so I guess there’s no surprise there.”
Gillian took a deep breath. “What happened between you and Marcus?”
He didn’t look too pleased with the question and she moved from his lap to the chair across from him. “You have to tell me Travis. I insist.”
“It was a long time ago and it doesn’t matter.”
“It does to me. You both matter to me and I want to know the truth.”
”If you’re expecting to have some deep dark secret revealed, you’re going to be disappointed.” He took the last bite of food and put his elbows on the table.
“As I’m sure you’ve been told already, when we were kids, Marcus was a pretty good friend of mine. He wasn’t as easy as Sam and Chase or even Reggie, for that matter, but he was still my friend. He was smart in school and I had the good fortune to have him as my lab partner.” He laughed, “I was an okay student but I didn’t like to study. Marcus did and we’d cram for exams together. It became a weekly thing when I buckled down to get my grades up for college.” He smiled wryly. “We were at his place one day after school and he left the room for some reason and his mother came in to talk to me. Mrs. Stevens wasn’t the kind of mother who ever made small talk with kids. She clung to Marcus but never took time with any of the rest of us. In fact, I can’t remember ever having a conversation with Althea Stevens, until that day.”
Gillian nodded. “Marcus told me he was very close to his mother.”
“He was, but she was always distant with us kids. For the first time ever, she was friendly to me. Asked me if I wanted to hear some music while I studied. She made me feel like a grown-up. I was flattered she wanted to talk to me and, being your typical teenage boy, I tried to impress her with my maturity. I can’t even remember what we talked about but I felt really good about myself.
“When Marcus came back, he turned off the music and his mother left us to our work.” He heard a snore looked over at Maggie and Hank sleeping soundly alongside each other. Travis smiled and Gillian urged him to continue.
“Marcus cut it short, almost kicked me out. When I left the house, he surprised me by walking with me to my car. I could tell he couldn’t wait to say something. He was practically panting with fury and told me he never wanted me in his house again.” Gillian looked puzzled and Travis nodded, “He said I’d been inappropriate with his mother and he wouldn’t accept that behavior from anyone. I tried to calm him down, to explain to him, but it was no use.
“He called me every name in the book. Male adolescent tempers being what they were, and still are, we ended up throwing fists. He got a few good shots at me and I finally decked him. While he was still on the ground I told him he was a sick bastard and if he was so suspicious of his friends he didn’t deserve to have any. He said he didn’t need friends, especially like me. The whole thing was stupid and embarrassing, but there it is. We were never friends again, either, and it didn’t help matters when he broke Reggie’s tender heart.”
“You’re right Travis. I am a little disappointed. Okay, so I was expecting something more interesting than a stupid, adolescent misunderstanding. Why did you leave it like that? Surely he came around.”
“Neither of us came around. Oh, we were polite to each other, but never friends again. He said some pretty horrible things to me in his anger. I was hurt and proud and pissed. I didn’t do anything wrong. He never apologized to me and I never tried to explain again.”
“So Marcus was protective of his mother; a momma’s boy. That’s not a big surprise actually.”
“Yeah, they got even closer when his Dad died. That’s what broke up his relationship with Reggie. His mother’s demands on his time left very little for Reg. She ended up crying on my shoulder and I couldn’t forgive him for any of it.” Story told, he rose to clear away his dishes and Gillian gave him a hand loading the dishwasher.
He leaned a hip aga
inst the counter and asked, “Any negative effects from your nightmare last night?”
“Nothing earth-shattering. Just this nagging feeling I’ve missed something significant. It’s been bothering me all day.”
“Is it associated with the dream?”
“I’m not sure. I just know there was something I should have taken note of and didn’t. It could have been in the dream or something I saw or heard during the day. I’m hoping that if I stop trying so hard to retrieve it, it will come to me.”
“Maybe it will. Do you want to talk to me about yesterday? Maybe re-trace your steps?”
She smiled at his ever willingness to help her, and said, “No, I’m too tired right now. I think I just want to go to bed.”
“I can’t argue with that. I’m exhausted as well. Why don’t you go on up and I’ll take Maggie and Hank out.
“Thanks.” She gave him a quick kiss, patted each of the dogs and climbed the stairs to bed.
She was already fast asleep when Travis slipped between the sheets. Even in her sleep, she sought him out and rested her head on his chest. Her instinctive movements made him sigh with contentment. He brushed the hair out of her eyes and ran a gentle finger from her temple to her jaw line. She was exquisite. He’d give his life to keep her safe.
* * * *
She woke in the morning with a smile on her face. No nightmares last night. Travis was still sleeping soundly and she decided to let him rest while she made breakfast.
“I love the smell of coffee, bacon and eggs in the morning but I’d much rather wake up with you beside me.” He’d thrown on a pair of jeans but as was his early morning habit, he’d neglected to button the fly.
Standing there half-naked, unshaven and with war zone hair he was devastating,. In self-defense, Gillian forced herself to look away.
“Well, I figured you needed sleep. You’ve been working so hard.”
“Yeah, and for such meager results.” He poured them both a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table.
Over breakfast Travis filled her in on what progress he’d made with the case.
“We’ve pretty much checked out every man who even remotely fits the description, including every man on my staff. Hell, I even checked out Sam and Chase.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Surely, that wasn’t necessary.”
“It’s my job. They’re tall, strong and they both know their way around New Crescent. They have no visible scars or tattoos and they’re both clean-shaven. Their alibis are slim, at best. Lucky I can give them good character references.”
“What about Roger Paitken?”
“There we’ve had more progress. I interviewed him and put the pressure on, but he maintains his innocence. I had to let him go of course, because we don’t have any evidence. He did admit he’d worked construction on your condo and is still working at the building across the street.”
Gillian looked hopefully at him and he continued. “Tom Weatherby, the school principal is familiar with your work as a designer and has attended exhibitions and bought books you’ve designed. You could have run into him at a function.”
“I guess with so little to go on, the list is endless.”
“It pretty much is. I even checked on Smythe and Marcus.”
She looked at him with surprise, “I know about your suspicions regarding Dr. Smythe, but Marcus?”
“I’m not taking any chances. We traced Smythe’s whereabouts when the other attacks occurred and he’s covered, but just barely. It seems he’s just what he appears, a dedicated doctor who cares about you. Marcus has been easier to investigate since he’s had such a busy schedule. We’re not considering either of them at the moment.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I guess Paitken is the prime suspect.”
“You’re right and I’m not taking any chances. He’s under surveillance. In the meantime, I got permission from Marcie to bring you by for a visit today. She’s out of the hospital. Do you feel up to it?”
“Sure. I’ll get ready after breakfast. Alright?”
“Well, she’s not expecting us until late morning so we have a little time to ourselves and I have this need...” He grabbed her by the waist, planted her on his lap and kissed her with hunger.
Marcie Maitland lived in a small, white bungalow on the east side of town. She’d obviously had no interest in gardening because the flowerbeds were sadly neglected. Gillian took deep, calming breaths as they waited for her to answer Travis’s knock. The sight of Marcie’s battered face almost broke Gillian’s heart but she showed no reaction.
The living room was flooded with sunshine and she invited them to take a seat. At first, she looked a little intimidated by Travis’s dominant size but she recovered quickly. She was visibly pleased to see Hank and immediately started to stroke his hair.
“The sheriff has told me a little about what you can do, Gillian. Are you sure you want to do this? I know, I don’t want to re-live it, so I can’t imagine anyone else offering to experience it.”
“We want to stop this guy, Marcie.” Travis said. “He can’t be allowed to do this to another woman.”
“Of course, you’re right. I’ll do what I can.” Marcie attempted a smile but a badly cracked lip made it too painful. She brought her hand up to touch her mouth and winced. “What do I do?”
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. Why don’t I tell you a bit about myself and we’ll see how it goes from there? Gillian suggested.
Marcie nodded her agreement. Gillian proceeded to talk, answering questions patiently. During their conversation, Hank sat between the two women spreading his usual good will and comfort. Finally, Marcie was relaxed and acted normally.
When she was ready, Gillian reached out and took her hand. She opened herself up to the impressions and feelings that flooded her mind with the contact. She didn’t fight it. She rejected nothing. At first, she felt only Marcie’s warm personality but when she pressed a little deeper, it hit her.
It was not easy. All the color drained from Gillian’s face as pain and fear washed over her. Her chest expanded with each breath as she panted with reaction. When she finally broke contact, Travis was by her side. She looked at him with glassy eyes and gave him a wan smile.
“I’m fine, Travis.” She nodded her head at the other girl. “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”
Marcie looked at her in amazement. “I don’t know how, but you helped me. Reliving it with you, I didn’t feel so alone. Somehow, it makes it better to know that you understand. I feel less ashamed, less afraid. You took some of it away. Thank you so much.” She was crying now.
Travis put his hands on Gillian’s shoulders and said, “I have to take her home now, Marcie. Is there anyone here with you?”
“Yes, of course. My mom’s out back trying to tame my garden. I’ll be okay. Please, take care of her. She’s extraordinary.”
Travis almost carried Gillian out to the car. He put her to bed as soon as they arrived back at the house on the cliff.
Chapter 23
He did what he could to make her comfortable. Finally, she closed her eyes with exhaustion. Travis stayed with her while she slept peacefully. When she woke, he smiled down at her warmly.
“How do you feel now?”
She smiled weakly. “Like a twice baked potato. Someone squeezed my brains out of my ears and poured them back in again.”
“Great visual.” He smiled back at her.
“I’m a little scrambled at the moment, but I don’t feel too bad. Thanks for the help.” She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. “Have you been here with me the whole time?”
He nodded. “I saw the way you looked after you connected with Marcie. I wasn’t about to desert you. Besides, I checked in with Caroline. The town is still standing.”
“Nothing new on the investigation?”
“Unfortunately, not yet.” He changed the subject, “Are you thirsty? Hungry?” She reached for the bottle of water he’d placed clos
e by, but he beat her to it and held it to her lips. After she’d had enough she adjusted the pillows behind her and sat up in bed.
“I think we should talk about what I learned from Marcie.”
“If you’re ready.”
“We don’t have time to waste on this. He’s raped three women. There will be more if we don’t stop him and soon. He’ll kill someday. I’m sure that’s what he’s leading up to. Please, I have to talk. I’ll be fine.”
He kissed her firmly. “That’s my girl.”
“Poor Marcie. What he did to her…it was worse than Sandy. You were right Travis. He’s escalating. He was in a rage and he hurt her both mentally and physically.” She took another drink of water and continued. “He said the same kind of things to Marcie about how she was “his” now. He’s sick. And, just like Sandy, she couldn’t see him. He put a pillowcase over her head from behind. He raped her viciously then, when that didn’t spend his fury, he beat her and enjoyed it. With each blow, he said, ‘mine’. Even made her say she was his. That was almost worse than the beating. It was like he’d taken away her free will and she really did belong to him.” She winced, remembering the pain she’d felt while linked with Marcie.
Travis hugged her close. With her cheek resting against his chest, she said, “I’ve met this guy Travis. I know it. He lives here in town, I think. There’s something about him I recognize but I can’t put my finger on it.” She sighed with frustration, looked up at him with earnest. “I have to see Jessie Trout, the third victim. Maybe I can get something from her.”
He shook his head, “Jessie’s still in a coma. She’s in bad shape. He almost killed her. The doctors don’t know if she’ll ever come out of it. I’m not sure they’ll let you see her.”
“They have to. I might be able to help her. Who do we need to speak to about this?”
“I’ll talk to her parents and see what can be done. They’ll have to keep quiet about it though. I’d rather not advertise you’re helping me with this. I won’t throw you in danger’s path.”
Trouble [New Crescent 1] (BookStrand Publishing Romance) Page 17