Troubled Hearts

by Jolie Cain

  “Sounds good to me.”

  * * * *

  Two hours later, Beau was shaking his head in frustration. They had watched as the police interrogated Aaron Maxwell, and with each question it had become more and more apparent that this was not their man. “Damn, Beau. We’re wasting our time here. This kid isn’t the one who has been stalking Kat. And he sure as hell didn’t slit a man’s throat.”

  Clay nodded in agreement. “You’re right. Looks like we’re back to square one.”

  “I’m calling the condo to check on Kat.” Beau got up and exited the viewing room. Quickly dialing the number to Katherine’s condo, he waited impatiently as the phone rang and rang. Finally the answering machine picked up. He heard Katherine’s message and the beep. “Kitten, it’s Beau. Are you there? Pick up, sweetheart.” Nothing. Beau got a bad feeling in his gut. He reentered the room and told Clay, “No one is answering at the condo. I don’t like this, man.”

  Clay pulled his phone out. “Don’t panic, Beau. They were going to the pool, remember? I’ll call RJ on his cell.” Quickly pressing the code for RJ’s phone, Clay waited for him to answer.

  Beau didn’t like the look on Clay’s face as he hung up without talking. He shook his head, and Beau said, “Damn! Damn! Damn!”

  “Let’s go.” Clay didn’t wait any longer, but immediately started toward the exit.

  “Should we tell the cops?” Beau asked as he hurried to the SUV where Derek sat waiting.

  “Not yet.” Clay yanked open the door and jumped into the front seat as Beau threw himself into the back. Derek cranked the car and headed out, with Clay quickly explaining the situation. As soon as Clay had filled Derek in, Beau asked again. “Why didn’t you tell Detective LeBlanc?”

  “Because we don’t know anything yet. Could be RJ’s battery ran down. Maybe he forgot to take it to the pool. I just don’t know. If he did, I’ll fire his sorry ass for worrying us. Let’s just get there and see what’s going on.”

  As soon as they opened the door to the condo, Beau knew it was bad. For one thing, the door was unlocked, and it was quiet as a tomb inside. The beach bag and towels lay draped over the table. Clay and Derek pushed Beau back. “Wait here,” he was quickly pulling out his gun and moving forward. In the kitchen they found an unconscious RJ, clad only in a towel, lying on the floor with a trickle of blood running down his cheek.

  Derek bent down to check his pulse. “He’s alive.” He whispered to Clay. Beau stood in the doorway looking at them.

  “Katherine?” He turned to the hallway, but Clay caught him.

  “Dammit, Beau. Let me do my job. Just stay the hell out of the way until I tell you it’s safe. Do you think I want to have to pick up your bloody carcass off the floor?”

  Beau knew he was right, so he held himself back—barely. His fear for Katherine was almost paralyzing him. He couldn’t think of anything beyond finding her.

  He watched as Derek dialed 911 on his cell phone to report the injury, and Clay eased his way down the hall, peering into doorways, checking the apartment for any sign of Katherine.

  When he came back, he shook his head. “She’s gone.”

  Beau pounded his hand on the counter. “Bloody hell. I should have let her come with us. God, why didn’t I keep her with me, glued to my side?”

  Clay laid his hand on Beau’s shoulder. “Don’t do this, Beau. Don’t beat yourself up over that decision. We thought it was safe, or we never would have left her. Let’s concentrate on finding her.” He moved off. “Now, let’s take care of RJ.”

  Once the paramedics arrived, they quickly had RJ regaining consciousness. He was on the stretcher, his head in a bandage when he spoke to Clay about what had happened. “We’d just gotten in from the pool … and … and I went to the back to take a quick shower. When I got out, I heard … voices. I thought that … that you guys were back. But when I got to the kitchen, Katherine was opening a box that was on the table. She turned to say something … a name … Bill, I think … and … that’s all I remember. He must have hit me over the head with something. I just don’t know. I’m sorry, man … I screwed up.”

  Clay patted his arm. “No, you didn’t do anything wrong, RJ. Just rest and don’t worry about anything. We’ll find her.” He stood back as they lifted the stretcher and pushed him out the door and to the waiting ambulance. “Derek, go with him, all right?” Once they’d left, Clay turned to Beau. “Call Detective LeBlanc. Tell him what’s happened. I’m going to pull up that list of names Katherine gave us on my laptop. Let’s see if I can find this ‘Bill’. He’s got to be someone Katherine knows and trusts.”

  By the time Detective LeBlanc arrived with his partner, Howard Billingslea, Clay had found the information he needed. Once greetings had been exchanged, he filled them in on all that RJ had told them. Then Clay told them what he had discovered. “William Dunn. Former doorman at Harper Hunt’s apartment building. He was fired a few weeks ago after a complaint was filed against him by our Mr. Hunt. He’s been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for the past 30 years. Arrested for stalking and nearly raping a woman in 1981 and plea-bargained down to simple assault. Another arrest and conviction in 1995 for assault and battery on a young woman he worked with. He spent 4 years in Parchment. Nothing since. At least, nothing on record.”

  The detective shook his head. “How the hell did we miss him?”

  Clay said, “He was just a name on a long list of names. There just hasn’t been time to investigate them all. Until we knew the name ‘Bill’, no one would have thought twice about him.”

  “Do you have an address on him?” Beau wanted to know.

  “No.” Clay responded tersely.

  “Give me a minute.” Detective LeBlanc’s partner pulled out his phone and spoke into it quietly. A moment later they had the address of William Dunn and were speeding to an apartment building in downtown Jackson.

  As they sat in their cars waiting for the search warrant to be delivered, it was deadly silent. Finally, Clay said, “Beau, I want you to stay in the car.”

  “No way in hell.” Beau replied.

  “We’ve already had this conversation. You’ll just get in the way. If he is in there with her, we need to be able to concentrate on getting her out, not keeping you safe.”

  Beau balled his hands into a fist in frustration but finally agreed with Clay.

  The warrant arrived, and the cops and Clay went into the building while Beau waited tensely in the SUV. Fifteen minutes later, Clay came to the door and motioned him inside.

  “She’s not here, but … well, he’s definitely our man.”

  Beau asked, “What? Is there something in there?”

  Clay nodded. “Yeah, buddy, come on up and take a look.”

  When Beau reached the apartment, the others stood back so he could enter. They gestured him to the rear. Detective LeBlanc stood just at the entrance of one of the bedrooms. He stopped Beau briefly. “Don’t touch anything, all right? We’ll need our forensic team to go over everything.”

  Beau nodded and stepped into the room. Immediately, he saw what had everyone so convinced that this was the man who had harassed Katherine and killed Harper Hunt. In the back corner of the small room was a shrine. That was the only way to describe it. Pictures covered the wall. At first Beau thought they were pictures of Katherine, but as he got closer, he saw that they weren’t. At least, not all of them. There were some of her. Beau recognized one of her walking down the street and another of her entering the door of her apartment. Even one of her dressed in evening clothes on the arm of the man he now knew was Harper Hunt.

  But there were others, too. Redhead after redhead. All of a similar build and look. Girl after nameless girl. He shook his head. “What the hell is going on? Who are all of these women?”

  Detective LeBlanc indicated another picture in a frame on top of a table near the bed. A young girl, another redhead, in a high school photograph. She was wearing a white blouse and her arms were crossed. But what really
caught Beau’s eye was her wrist. Because dangling from her slender arm was a bracelet—a charm bracelet. He leaned forward for a better look. Careful not to touch the frame, he examined the bracelet and realized it held the same charms Katherine had been receiving: the bear, the ballet slipper, all of them. And more besides. He turned to Clay who just shook his head.

  Clay asked LeBlanc and asked, “Who is she?”

  He replied, “We don’t know. But we’re going to find out. Obviously there’s some kind of a connection here to Dr. Montgomery. We just don’t know what.”

  Beau shook his head. “I don’t give a damn who she is. All I want is to find Katherine.”

  LeBlanc looked at the two of them. “Come back to the precinct with me. We’ll do a computer search and see if we can find out anything else about our Mr. Dunn. Maybe figure out who this girl is. And the others.” He gestured towards the corner. “Don’t worry, Mr. Dalton. We’ll find her.”

  “I just hope it’s not too late.” Beau responded bleakly.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Katherine slowly regained consciousness, feeling disoriented and confused. Her head ached, and she tried to raise her hand to massage the temple. That’s when she discovered that she couldn’t move at all. Her hands were somehow tied above her head, and she was held immobile. Then it all came back to her. The knock on her door had been surprising. When she had looked through the peephole and seen Bill, she hadn’t even hesitated about opening it, though she had kept the chain on purely out of habit. He had quickly shown her the box he said was filled with some of her belongings that she had left at Harper’s. After he had explained how he had gotten his old job back and had helped clean out the apartment after Harper’s murder, she hadn’t hesitated at all in letting him in. God, she was such an idiot.

  When RJ had come in to see what was going on, Bill had hit him over the head with the butt of a gun. Then he had turned to her and … that was all she remembered. Now she was here … wherever here was. Bill! She could still hardly believe it. All along, it had been Harper’s soft-spoken doorman. The phone calls, the gifts, Harper’s murder. It was almost incomprehensible to her how this could have happened.

  She raised her head and looked around her, not recognizing anything at all. She was in an unfamiliar bedroom with dark paneling. It was stark and bare except for a large crucifix that decorated the wall in front of her.

  Tugging against her bonds, she tried to slip her hands through the loops, but it was impossible. They were too tight. Suddenly the door opened and Bill entered the room. “So you’re awake? Good. Good.”

  Katherine eyed him warily, not sure how to respond. So she just stayed silent. Bill shook his head and walked closer. “I know you probably have a headache. I’m sorry about that, sweetheart. It’s the chloroform.” He reached down to brush her hair off her face, and Katherine couldn’t prevent herself from flinching at his touch.

  His expression turned sad. “I know you’re mad at me, honey, but I had to do it. I had to protect you from those men. And from yourself. You know you never have been any good at making decisions for yourself. You just don’t see how those men are using you.”

  Again, Katherine stayed silent, but gradually she was starting to realize just how delusional he was. Her thoughts were confirmed by his next words.

  “Remember how Mama used to try to teach you? But even when you were a little girl, you were just so hardheaded. Mama always said you were just like Daddy.” He laughed. “She said he never knew what was best, either. That’s why she had to take him in hand. Teach him right from wrong. Of course, he had too much of the devil in him. When he ran off with that floozy from that beer joint, Mama said it was for the best. She couldn’t keep him from giving in to the sins of the flesh. And she saw the same thing in you. That same wickedness. She told me. Said you’d never be good for anything. But I know she was wrong. I’m going to save you from that sinful life you’ve been living. You know it’s for your own good, don’t you?”

  Katherine managed a weak smile and nodded. That seemed to content him. She’d play along with him. Maybe if he thought she agreed with him, he’d release her bonds. Then she’d at least have a chance of escaping. “Yes, Bill. I know. I’m sorry I’ve been so stubborn. I know I’ve done some bad things, but I want to change.”

  He smiled and patted her head. “You can’t help it. That’s just the devil that’s in you. But I can help. I can show you the right way, just like Mama showed me. Then you won’t do those bad things any more.”

  He continued rambling along in the same vein for several minutes while Katherine frantically tried to think of an escape plan. Finally he stopped talking and she asked, “Bill? Would it be possible for you to let me up? I really have to go to the bathroom.”

  He looked suspicious as he considered her request. “Well … I don’t know…”

  “Oh, please. I promise I won’t try to get away. I know you’re only doing what’s best for me. But I really do have to use the bathroom.” He studied her carefully before finally nodding his head.

  “I guess it’ll be all right. There’s no window in the bathroom, so you can’t get out.”

  He reached up to untie the rope that bound her, and she cried out at the pain of the blood returning to her hands. Putting his hands behind her, he helped her to sit up and escorted her unsteady form to the bathroom. He flicked on the light switch and said, “I’ll be right out here. Don’t take too long.”

  She nodded and shut the door. Leaning her head back against the wall, she concentrated on holding back the sense of hopelessness that threatened to overwhelm her. She was much weaker than she had thought, and the drug he had administered had her dizzy and confused. There was no way she could get away in the shape she was now. And even if she did, she had no idea where she was. She could be out in the middle of nowhere. And Beau… God only knew what Beau was doing right now. Probably going crazy trying to find her.

  That thought calmed her. Yes, Beau, and Clay too, would be searching for her. They wouldn’t give up until they found her. Somehow she had to manage to stay alive until they did. And what about RJ? Was he all right? Had he seen anything? Would he be able to help them find her? She didn’t think Bill had hit him hard enough to kill him. Oh, please God, she thought, let them find her soon.

  She started as Bill pounded on the door. “Hurry up.”

  “Sorry.” She raised her voice a bit. “I’m just a bit dizzy. It’s taking me a little longer than normal. I’ll be right out.” Deciding she should at least use the facilities, she took the next few minutes to attend to her personal needs. Washing her hands, she gazed at her reflection in the stained mirror. “Okay, Katherine. You can do this. You can handle this guy. You are a trained psychologist. Just go along with him for as long as possible. Make him lower his guard. Ease his suspicions. And pray to God that Beau and the others find you quickly.”

  With a last look in the mirror, she unlocked the door and opened it. Bill stood outside. He pointed toward the front of the house, opposite the direction from which they had come. “Go on down to the kitchen. I’ve got supper cooked. It’s your favorite—pork chops and mashed potatoes.”

  Katherine smiled. “Sounds good.” Carefully making her way down the hallway, she followed the smell of cooking into the kitchen. It, like the rest of the house, was very dark … dark paneling, dark cabinets. The appliances were olive green and very old-fashioned. It looked as if nothing had been updated or remodeled since the house had been originally built. She looked around as Bill entered behind her. “Just sit down. Everything’s already on the table.”

  She did as she was told. He joined her and reached for her hand, and then he bowed his head. “Dear Lord. Thank You for this food we are about to receive. And thank You for bringing my Kathleen back to me. Help her see the way to escape the path of sin she has been living. Give me the strength to teach her Your path. Amen.”

  Katherine echoed his amen and raised her head. Bill began filling his plate and look
ed at Katherine when she just sat there. “Come on, sis. Dig in.” Mechanically, she did as he ordered and was soon forcing herself to eat the meal he had prepared for her. Kathleen? Sis? Things were becoming a bit clearer to her now. Just what “sin” had this Kathleen committed that she needed saving from? Their names were so similar. That had probably been a trigger for Bill. But Katherine was still very unsure of her ground. What would pacify him? And what would set him off? From experience she knew that she was walking a very fine line here. And for her, it was a line between life and death.

  * * * *

  Beau paced back and forth restlessly in small office, waiting for Detective LeBlanc or Clay to come back in and tell him what was going on. He knew they were frantically searching through computer records trying to find out where Bill Dunn might have taken Katherine. The door behind him opened, almost crashing into him. It was Clay. “We might have something. Come on.” Catching the excitement in Clay’s voice, Beau rushed after him. The policemen assigned to the case, along with Derek, were gathered together around a table. They moved over to make room for Clay and Beau.

  Detective LeBlanc acknowledged them with a quick nod and continued speaking. “Dunn and his sister Kathleen were raised by a single mother who was described by several people as a very strict disciplinarian. Accordin’ to court records, there were some reports of abuse by neighbors, and there were a couple of brief investigations but nothin’ ever came of it. The sister ran away several times beginnin’ at age 12 but was found and brought back. The last time she ran away, she was 17. She was arrested for prostitution and drug possession. When she was returned to the home, the mother said the girl was no longer welcome there, so she was put into foster care.” His voice turned hard. “The foster family labeled the girl as sullen and reported that she had stolen money from them and finally ran off with another boy who was livin’ there at the time. That was the last anyone heard of her. Here’s a picture of the sister.” He held it up. Beau exclaimed, “That’s the girl from his apartment. The one wearing the bracelet.”