Fifteen minutes later the front door swung open, and Cody and his electrician stepped out. A woman followed, presumably Mrs. Hutchinson. By that time the mower had moved to the back side of the house. Though Erin couldn’t see it anymore, she could still hear the rumble of the engine through her open windows.
After a brief three-way conversation on the porch, Cody and his electrician moved down the drive. Leroy got into the Silverado, and Cody continued to her vehicle. When he opened his door, a gust of wind swept through, heavy with the scent of rain.
Erin watched him slide into the passenger seat with a groan. Poor guy. The abuse to his body seemed to never end. She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Anywhere you need to go before my place?”
“Not today.”
“Good.” Heavy charcoal-colored clouds were piled on the western horizon, rolling closer. A bolt of lightning zigzagged downward. Maybe they’d make it home before the sky opened up, but it was doubtful.
Cody was watching it, too. “Once we figure out meals, I’d like to get a list together and pick up groceries. When you’re working, I’m happy to do meal prep. I’m a decent cook.”
She grinned over at him. “A jack-of-all-trades.”
“I learned out of necessity. After growing up with Gram’s cooking, TV dinners got old in a hurry.”
He didn’t mention the period of time he was married. Was his wife a good cook, or had he cooked for her? Erin shook off the thought. Why was she thinking about his ex-wife, anyway?
Cody pulled out his phone. “I’m letting my neighbor know what’s going on. I’ll ask him to watch the place, get the mail and so on. He won’t mind. I’ve done the same for him while he’s been on vacation.”
As she made her turn onto 41, the first fat raindrops hit the windshield. Cody pocketed his phone. A bright flash lit the sky to the right, and a boom followed a second or two later. By the time she began her climb up the Caloosahatchee Bridge, sheets of rain slashed against the car. The Edison Bridge lay a half mile to their left, visible on a clear day. But the summer thunderstorm had reduced visibility to about twenty feet.
She glanced over at Cody. One week had passed since his car accident. They were now one bridge over. But this one was the same height, and they were crossing it in pouring rain. Cody stared straight ahead, gaze fixed on the taillights in front of them. His white-knuckled grip on the door handle betrayed his uneasiness.
Erin turned on her signal and moved into the left lane. A concrete barrier separated them from oncoming traffic. Maybe it would be easier for Cody if they avoided the lane nearest the edge of the bridge. She understood trauma and how it could mess with the psyche, making simple things terrifying. She hoped his experience wouldn’t be the cause of too many nightmares.
She knew about those, too. It didn’t matter how much time had passed. Some traumas burrowed so deep into the subconscious, digging them out was almost impossible.
Finally, water gave way to land, and Cody relaxed.
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Sorry I had to put you through that.”
He frowned. “I didn’t expect it to bother me. As a kid, I had a fear of bridges, but I got over it. I had to, living here. But once you started driving up the incline, with water all around, all I could see was the world spinning, then the concrete barrier in front of me, and I remembered the helplessness I’d felt, wondering if it was going to hold.”
“It gets easier with time.” At least that was what everyone said.
A while later she turned into her driveway and killed the engine. Her place didn’t hold a candle to Cody’s, but it was home, and she loved it. Besides, the yard looked great.
But Cody wasn’t looking at the house or the yard. His gaze was fixed on the car sitting next to her.
“Is someone here?”
“That’s Mimi and Opa’s car.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why is it here?”
“They’re staying with me for a few days. Opa didn’t feel comfortable bringing her back to their home in LaBelle yet.”
Cody nailed her with a glare. “And you figured you’d keep this from me until we got here?”
“I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you.” Well, maybe she was. If she’d mentioned that Mimi and Opa were here, he’d never have agreed to come.
“Take me back home. You talked me into this, against my better judgment, convincing me you can defend yourself. I’m not going to risk bringing this creep down on a couple of old people.”
Erin winced, glad Mimi hadn’t heard that comment. She’d never considered herself old. Probably never would as long as she was on this side of the grass.
She heaved a sigh. “We’ll be in the house, and they’ll be in the mother-in-law suite. It’s two separate residences.” Sort of. There was an adjoining door between, one she intended to leave open, at least unlocked. “Unless you want to go into witness protection or leave the area, this is the only place you’ll be safe.”
He crossed his arms but didn’t argue. Maybe she should have given him a heads-up. She could have mentioned it when they were leaving his customer’s house. It wouldn’t have made a difference. He wasn’t happy. But he was safe. And that was all that mattered.
* * *
Cody leaned back in one of Erin’s dining room chairs. Alcee had made her rounds, lying next to Erin, then visiting her grandparents and lastly moving to him. They’d been finished with dinner for some time and had spent the past hour catching up.
Erin rose from the table and addressed her grandparents. “You guys take it easy. Cody and I will have this mess cleaned up in no time.”
The plates Cody carried to the kitchen were each scraped clean, a testament to how good the food had been. But he hadn’t cooked it. At least, not alone. Erin had called in and taken the rest of the day off. While her grandparents had napped, the two of them had whipped up a large dish of lasagna, oven-grilled brussels sprouts and a huge tossed salad. Putting away all the food he’d brought had involved some skilled rearranging, but they’d done it. Now they were all pleasantly full, and the refrigerator was a little less so.
Cody finished clearing the table while Erin filled a sink with soapy water.
“I have a dishwasher, but it doesn’t work. Fortunately, my stove and fridge are still limping along. I’m hoping they hang in there till you finish my remodel.”
“We’ll make the kitchen first on the list.”
Cody was anxious to get started. He’d always enjoyed building things. As a kid, it was models—cars, airplanes, boats, spaceships. Then at age sixteen he’d started working part-time with his uncle building houses. Though Gram and Pops had started a college fund for him, after one semester, he’d decided the college track wasn’t for him. His passion was working with his hands, his dream to have his own construction company.
Gram and Pops had supported his decision. In fact, they’d always been behind him 100 percent, even when he hadn’t been able to see it at the time. The familiar hollow feeling settled in his gut. Spending the past few hours with Erin’s grandparents had made him realize how much he missed his own.
He approached the sink to rinse the dishes Erin had washed. As he stood next to her, his chest filled with warmth, a sense of intimacy. It was the same thing he’d felt cooking with her. Years ago he’d been sure they were facing a lifetime of activities, both exciting and mundane, made special simply by the fact they were doing them together.
But feelings changed, and dreams faded. And nothing lasted a lifetime.
He took the towel hanging from the oven handle and dried the dishes he’d rinsed. The large breakfast nook was separated from the kitchen by a bar. On the opposite wall, someone had made several two-foot-long swipes with a roller, each in a different color.
He grinned and nodded in that direction. “Trouble choosing a paint color?”
“Apparently. But that w
asn’t me. The sellers had started remodeling but didn’t get very far. According to the Realtor, they ended up separating right after that. So I got a good deal on the place.”
“Tomorrow I’ll make some lists and work up prices.” Erin had already taken him through the house, portfolio in hand, and given him her vision of what she had in mind for each room. “By the time you get home tomorrow evening, I might have some samples for you to look at.” He paused. “Depending on what time I get my truck back.”
It was ready. West Coast Collision had called that afternoon to let him know. He’d been surprised to learn a few days ago that the frame wasn’t bent, so the truck was repairable. Apparently, the three-sixty he’d done on the bridge had reduced his speed enough that when he’d struck the guardrail, his front bumper had absorbed most of the impact.
But getting the truck wouldn’t be that simple. Erin and the others had come up with a plan. Someone in law enforcement would drive it while the others set a trap, keeping watch in unmarked units at various points along the route to see if anyone followed.
She frowned. “Regardless of when you get your truck, you shouldn’t go out any more than necessary. Let me bring you what you need and, if you have to do estimates, ride with your guys.”
“Fair enough. But Lowe’s is a mile away. I’ve got to pick up things as I need them, or I’ll be working on your project till Christmas. Two years from now.”
She let the water drain from the sink and put away the dishes he’d dried.
He waited till she’d finished. “Shall we join Opa and Mimi?”
Using Erin’s names for her grandparents felt odd. During their whirlwind summer romance, it had been natural. He’d thought they’d eventually be his grandparents, too. When he’d tried Mrs. Jeffries this afternoon, Erin’s grandmother had objected. They were Mimi and Opa to Erin, and there was no reason they shouldn’t be Mimi and Opa to him. Apparently, the fact that he and Erin were no longer a couple wasn’t a reason.
When he followed Erin into the living room, her grandfather had the TV remote in his hand, scrolling through the options Netflix offered.
He watched them cross the room. “Mimi and I were wondering about watching a movie. What do you think?”
“Sure.” Cody and Erin answered in unison.
As the opening credits rolled, Alcee hopped up to crowd into the space between Cody and Erin. Her tail beat against Cody’s legs, and her front paws rested in Erin’s lap. The tail slowed and stopped, and she eventually laid her head between her paws, eyes closed.
Over the past two months Cody and Pops had watched countless movies together. At least, they’d started them together. Pops had slept through the end of every one. They’d laughed about how Cody always had to tell Pops the ending the following day.
If only he’d known how little time they had left, he’d have made more trips back to Chicago over the past eight years. Or never left to begin with. And he wouldn’t have wasted so much of his childhood being at odds with the old man.
Pops had blamed Cody’s mother. Every time things would almost return to normal, she’d pop back into their lives with apologies and promises. Both were meaningless, because nothing ever changed. Eventually, Cody would wake up to find her gone, a note lying on the kitchen table.
In the weeks that followed, he’d be mad at the world, ready to pick a fight with anyone who looked at him the wrong way. Finally, Pops had told his mother that if she pulled one more disappearing act, to not bother coming back. Cody had been thirteen and hadn’t seen her since. At the time he’d thought he’d never forgive his grandfather. In hindsight, it had been the best thing the old man could have done for him.
When the movie ended two hours later, Opa rose. “We’re heading to bed.” He helped Mimi up and led her the few steps to her walker.
Erin pressed the power button on the remote, and the screen went dark. “How about leaving the door cracked? I want to be able to hear you if you need anything during the night.”
Cody watched them cross the living room toward the mother-in-law suite. Though Mimi had both hands on her walker, Opa walked next to her, an arm draped across her shoulders.
Cody smiled. His grandparents had had the same kind of relationship. Pops had been as tough as could be, stubborn to a fault. Gram had been the sweetest person Cody had ever known, but one stern look from her, and Pops had always caved. She’d even gotten him into church, over his adamant objections. Surprisingly, it had stuck. One of the first things he’d done on arriving in Florida was find services to attend.
After Gram passed, Cody had hoped Pops would find happiness again. But every time a widowed lady had shown interest in him, his response had always been the same—“She’s not Gram.” Maybe that kind of love happened only once in someone’s lifetime.
Would Cody ever find the same thing? He’d thought he had. Twice. And he’d struck out both times. He didn’t know how to choose them like Pops and Opa did.
While Erin set the alarm and turned out the lights, Cody headed down the hall in the opposite direction Mimi and Opa had gone. His room was the first one. The middle bedroom was set up as an office, with a desk, bookcases and a daybed. The master bedroom was at the end.
He’d just closed the door when two soft knocks sounded.
“Do you have everything you need?” Erin’s voice came through the door. “Extra pillows? Blankets? I keep the air set pretty low at night.”
He glanced at the double bed with its two pillows and what looked like a handmade quilt. “I’ll be fine.”
He opened the door. “I appreciate everything you’re doing for me. You started out the day living alone and ended it with three houseguests. You’re good at going with the flow.”
“You three are easy guests, not very demanding.” The edges of her mouth quirked up in a smile. “Besides, I’m getting a home remodel out of the deal.” After a short pause she continued, her tone serious. “You have no idea what that means to me, what a relief it is to have you here.”
He lifted a brow. He wasn’t the only good contractor in the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area. He was giving her a deal, but something told him there was more behind her relief than getting quality work at a reasonable price. Whatever it was, he’d probably never know. She’d stashed her secrets behind such thick walls it would take a chisel and crowbar to get to them. Or a jackhammer.
Much later Cody lay in bed, still awake. He’d flopped from one side to the other for the past hour and a half, unable to get comfortable. It wasn’t the bed’s fault. The mattress was the right firmness. The temperature was perfect, too. He just couldn’t shut down his thoughts. If he was home, he’d have a bowl of cereal, maybe watch some late-night TV.
If he was home, he wouldn’t still be awake.
Here, there were too many things to occupy his mind. Opa and Mimi were totally different from his own grandparents. But they reminded him so much of them, he couldn’t talk with them without the void Pops had left almost consuming him.
Knowing their beautiful granddaughter was sleeping at the end of the hall didn’t help. Several times over the past few years, he’d have given anything for an opportunity to spend so much time with her. Now it was bittersweet torment as he fought the emotions her nearness resurrected. Emotions he had no business feeling.
The mental battles kept sleep from coming. He’d gotten close once. His thoughts had grown random, and he’d slid down the slippery slope of unconsciousness. Then the squeal of tires and the image of his truck slamming into the concrete barrier had jarred him awake. The trip back over the bridge this afternoon had shaken him more than he wanted to admit.
He flopped onto his other side and rearranged the sheet. When he grew still again, a soft, high-pitched whine broke the silence. He held his breath and listened. A few seconds later it happened again.
He tensed, every sense on full alert. The doors and windows were
locked, the alarm set. But was Alcee trying to alert them to danger?
He threw back the sheet and sprang from the bed. When he opened the door, the dog was whining in earnest. She was in the master bedroom. There were other sounds, too, thrashing, as if someone was struggling.
Then a moan and a whimper sent his heart into his throat. Something was wrong with Erin.
He charged down the hall at a full run. Her door was open. Two night-lights illuminated the room with a soft glow. The same glow came from the bathroom.
He cast frantic glances around. Except for her dog, Erin was alone. Alcee lay on the bed, paws on Erin’s chest. The dog’s head swiveled toward him, and her dark eyes begged him to do something.
Erin tossed her head side to side, another long moan escaping her mouth. It was only a nightmare.
“Erin.” He rushed to her side, grasped her shoulders and shook her. “Erin, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
A strangled scream escaped, and her fist connected with his jaw. He stumbled away from her until his back met the chest of drawers.
Erin bolted upright. She held the sheet clutched to her chest, which rose and fell with every jagged breath. Her green eyes were wide, her hair a tangled mass around her face and shoulders. She was unguarded, vulnerable. And absolutely beautiful.
He dragged his gaze from her face and fixed it on the nightstand next to her. A lamp sat in the center, next to it a water bottle and a book titled Jesus Calling.
“You were having a nightmare. I think Alcee was trying to wake you up.”
The dog plopped herself across Erin’s lap. Erin wrapped both arms around her and rocked back and forth, holding on as if she were drowning and Alcee was her lifeline. It was like dusk in the room, or the beginning moments of sunrise. Who slept with three night-lights?
Someone who was afraid of the dark.
His heart twisted at the fear lingering in her eyes, and he moved closer. When he reached her bedside, he stood still, arms tense with the effort of keeping them at his sides when he longed to draw her into a protective embrace.
Trailing a Killer Page 9