by Cade Brogan
“I don’t think anything,” Kenzie responded, momentarily locking gazes. She stepped into the hallway, forcing a thin smile. “Another time, maybe.”
“Kenzie,” Rylee said firmly, “she’s not my girlfriend. She was months ago, but not now.”
“Whatever,” Kenzie responded, sidestepping as Rylee reached for her, “it’s none of my business.” She took a quiet breath, determined to act normal. “We’ll have dinner some other time,” she added quietly. “Really.” She adjusted her purse strap, resolved not to look back as she made her way to the elevator.
Chapter Seventeen
Joanna leaned forward, positioning her binoculars for a better view of windows eight and nine on the second floor. As her fingertips adjusted the focus, her breathing became coarse. What was the biracial woman doing in Rylee’s bedroom? She zoomed in for a closer look. And who was she? What right did she have to rummage through her dresser drawers? She panned to the left, pleased that although the blinds were down, she could still see under. With that room unoccupied, she checked the bedroom once more. As she lowered her binoculars, she caught sight of Kenzie exiting through the front door. What a time saving coincidence, she thought, considering that her home was to be her next stop. She seemed preoccupied, troubled about something. Joanna cocked her head, watching her scurry to her car. For a second, she considered the absurd, that her target had somehow known the other biracial. Just because they’re both of mixed heritage doesn’t mean that they know one another, she told herself. As she prepared to raise the field glasses again, the detective skidded out the front entrance to her building. She came to a halt, looking one way and the other. Not a coincidence, she thought. Within seconds, the other woman exited, pausing to talk with Rylee. The detective’s gestures were animated and sharp. “Shame on you, Rylee Hayes,” Joanna muttered as heat flushed through her body. The woman slid under the wheel of a Cadillac. She’d parked in a fifteen-minute loading zone, but had been there much longer. When she drove off, Joanna followed her.
***
“Come on, Buckshot,” Rylee said, collecting her keys from the counter. She considered calling first, but ruled that out. There was no getting around that some conversations required eye contact. She paused, her hand resting on the knob. Maybe she shouldn’t go. Maybe she should give her time to cool off. She exhaled and returned her keys to the counter. “False alarm, buddy,” she said. “Go lay down.” She opened the refrigerator to study its contents. When she shut it, she studied the magnets clinging to its front. Kenzie said it wasn’t her business, but she’d meant quite the opposite. She had never seen her the way she was tonight. Of course, until now she’d never given her a reason to be jealous. Her stomach rolled, once again collecting her keys from the counter. She put on her cap, grabbing a bottle of Chablis as an afterthought. With her hand on the knob, she called out, “Come on, Buckshot.”
Rylee blasted south on I94 east, not the shortest route, but the one that would allow for the maximum amount of uninterrupted thought. She didn’t have a clue how she’d say what she wanted to say or if she should even say it. If she did, it could very well be the last that she saw of Kenzie. She sucked in a breath, knowing that that was a risk that she had to take. Maybe she’d given up too easily. Maybe Kenzie just thought she knew what she wanted. Maybe she hadn’t been straight, just scared to stand her ground. Maybe this was their second chance at love. With that being a possibility, she had no choice but to move forward. As she pulled into her drive, she turned off her engine, and remembered the Chinese food. Shit, she thought. She sat for a while before making her way to the door.
***
Headlights.
Kenzie pushed aside her bedroom curtain, peeking out. That’s what you get for acting the fool, she thought. The woman had taken her off guard, she’d lost control, and now, here Rye was, checking on her. She should’ve been prepared, but she wasn’t. The thought of Rylee sleeping with another woman had pushed her over. Of course, she’d have a girlfriend, she told herself on the way home. What’d you expect, that she’d be celibate? With looks and personality, Rylee could have her pick of the crop. She gnawed on her lip, considering her options. With her car in the drive and her lights on, she had no choice but to answer the door. She whipped off her nightgown, yanked up her jeans, and pulled on a t-shirt. As she reached the bottom step, the doorbell sounded.
“You home, Kenz?” Rylee asked, knocking. “It’s me, Rye. I need to talk to you for a minute.”
Kenzie turned the deadbolt. “Come in,” she responded with a thin smile.
“Sorry I didn’t call,” Rylee offered. “I just felt like I should come on over.”
“That’s okay,” Kenzie said, “I probably wouldn’t have answered if you had.” She met her gaze. “At least not tonight.”
“Yep, that’s what I figured,” Rylee responded, lifting the bottle. “Chablis?” she offered. “It’s chilled.”
“Yeah,” Kenzie said, “I’ll get us a couple of glasses.” She tipped her head toward the couch, adding, “Make yourself comfortable.”
Rylee made her way to the mantle. “Is this your husband?” she called out.
Kenzie stared into the cabinet, holding her breath for a long moment. “Ex,” she called back, lifting two long stems off the shelf.
“That’s what I meant,” Rylee responded, “ex.”
Kenzie set the glasses next to the bottle. “And we’ll need a corkscrew,” she added, returning to the kitchen. When she came back, she joined Rylee.
“That was our last family portrait,” she said softly, “just before I asked for the divorce.”
Rylee released the frame from her grasp, swallowing hard.
“I meant to put that away before you saw it the other night,” Kenzie continued, “and here it is, still out.”
“That’s not something you need to worry about,” Rylee responded, turning to look into her eyes. “It’s not like I didn’t know that you’d get with a guy.”
“I know,” Kenzie whispered, shaking her head slowly, “but…” She moved to the window instead of finishing her thought.
“But what?” Rylee murmured, coming up behind her, so close that she could feel her breath on the back of her neck.
“It’s just that I don’t want to hurt you any more than I already have,” Kenzie said, biting her lip.
“It’s behind us, Kenz,” Rylee responded. “We need to move on.”
Kenzie nodded, falling silent.
“You said you wanted to talk,” Rylee continued. “What about?”
“I thought I needed to tell you something,” Kenzie responded, “but now I’m not so sure.”
“If it’s about us,” Rylee said, holding her gaze, “then you need to.” Rain clattered against the front window as she waited for a response.
“Storm’s early,” Kenzie said quietly. “I didn’t think it was supposed to get in ‘til morning.”
“Just do it, Kenz,” Rylee responded. “Just tell me.”
Kenzie nodded, knowing that the easiest way to do it was to blurt it out. She felt as if she were falling when she uttered the first words. “When I said that what we had didn’t suit me,” she admitted, “I lied to you.” Her mind replayed that night with agonizing detail. “I lied to you,” she said, “and you believed me right off.”
“I don’t understand,” Rylee responded. She cocked her head and pinched her brow. “If what we had suited you, then why the hell’d you walk out?” She opened her mouth to say more, but thought better of it.
“Because it was easier,” Kenzie admitted, unable to meet her eye.
“It was that damn church,” Rylee spat, staring into the darkness of the neighborhood. “That’s what it was.”
“Rylee, please…” Kenzie choked.
“And your parents,” she went on, “man, I’ll bet they threw a friggin’ party.” Her mouth opened without words as she peered into Kenzie’s eyes. “How could you, Kenz? How could you act l
ike what we had was a mistake when it wasn’t?”
Kenzie sniffled, wiping her nose. “Because no matter what I said,” she responded, “it wouldn’t have been enough.” She pressed her lips flat, shaking her head. “You never did understand my faith.”
“Still don’t,” Rylee mumbled, crossing her arms as she disengaged from the conversation.
Kenzie sat down.
Rylee sat next to her. “Why?” she asked, her tone softening. “Why after all these years?”
Kenzie looked over, her head shaking slowly. “I guess because I’m in a different place now,” she said.
Rylee’s head tilted as she studied her. “So, what do want from me?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” Kenzie answered, her lower lip quivering. “I don’t know anything.”
As Rylee leaned back, her phone rang. “Hayes,” she answered, moving forward. As she listened, irritation was replaced by concern. “I’ll be right there,” she said.
“We can’t leave it like this,” Kenzie said, following Rylee to the door.
“No, we can’t,” Rylee responded, brushing Kenzie’s cheek with her fingers. “How about I take you to dinner tomorrow night?” Her eyes lifted, thinking for a moment. “Italian Village?”
“Mmm, sounds good,” Kenzie said.
“Damn,” Rylee said, looking out, “it’s really coming down out there.”
“Here,” Kenzie responded, “let me get you an umbrella.”
“Pick you up at six?” Rylee asked, stepping onto the porch.
“It’s a date,” Kenzie responded, smiling.
***
Probably staged the whole thing, Rylee thought. Wouldn’t even cross her mind that making a false police report was illegal. Spoiled rich girls wanted what they wanted when they wanted it. Unfortunately, this one still wanted Rylee. Two months since Rylee had ended their tumultuous seven-week relationship and still she was a royal pain in the butt. What was it going to take to shake loose of this woman? She slowed, turning into an upscale neighborhood known for its historic churches and gigantic houses. Why a single, twenty-nine-year-old woman would want a mansion like these for herself was beyond her comprehension. She guessed it was because she had the money and had to have something to spend it on. Inheritance could ruin a person. She drove down two blocks and turned into the widest driveway. As she switched off her engine, a brother in blue crossed the massive lawn in her direction.
“Burke,” Rylee greeted with a nod.
“Hayes,” the sergeant responded. “Sorry to have to call you out.”
“No problem,” Rylee said, shaking her head. “I knew what you were dealing with. When Chastity Carr want’s something, she wants it now.”
“I’ll say,” Burke responded. “I thought she was gonna call the mayor at home there for a minute.”
“She probably has his cell on speed dial,” Rylee said. “So what’ve we got?” she asked.
“Not a lot,” Burke responded. “No fingerprints,” he added, “just one muddy footprint.”
“Whereabouts?” Rylee asked.
“Where you’d stand if you were jimmying the front lock,” Burke answered. “Forensics ran it through their pattern recognition program. Said it was a…” He retrieved a small spiral notebook from his pocket, adding, “a Saucony Hurricane ISO 3.” He shook his head. “Never heard of that one,” he chuckled, “but I’ll bet my daughter has.”
“Hey, shine your flashlight right here,” Rylee requested, “in the middle of the print.” She took out her phone, adjusting her camera for a close-up. Two she’d seen before, but one she hadn’t. Dear God, she thought, fitting the piece into her puzzle. As she sucked in a breath, Chastity bounded to the porch.
“Oh Rylee, I’m so glad you’re here,” she whimpered dramatically. “I was so scared. I thought they weren’t going to call you for me.” Rylee had changed her numbers after they’d split, hoping to eliminate further contact.
Rylee peeled her hands from around her neck. “Go on back in,” she said, “I want to take a look around before we talk.” She nodded toward the door. “Go on now; I’ll be in in a minute.”
“Hurry, won’t you please?” Chastity responded.
“I’ll hurry,” Rylee answered, moving in the direction of the curb. Her stomach churned hard when she dropped into a squat next to the water meter. “You son-of-a-bitch,” she muttered, “you better damn well stay away from Kenzie.” She snapped a series of photos, zooming in on a new seed, before going inside. “I know you already gave a statement,” Rylee said, “but I want you to tell me again.”
“Okay, honey,” Chastity responded, tucking her bare legs underneath her robe, “whatever you say.” She sipped her nightly adult beverage before she began. “So, I’d just thrown in a small load of laundry,” she said. “You remember…Sunday and Monday are Sofia’s days off.”
“I remember,” Rylee responded, “go on.”
“So, when I came back down the main hall,” she continued, “I heard this sound, kind of strange and squeaky.” Her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. “And then I saw the door knob wiggle.” She crossed her arms. “Well, I didn’t wait for the alarm to go off,” she said, “I just started screaming.” She exhaled. “And I kept screaming until the police got here.”
“That was good thinking,” Rylee said with a thin smile. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
“I’m still shaky,” Chastity whimpered, meeting her gaze. “And scared.”
“Get dressed,” Rylee said, “and I’ll have an officer drop you off at your sister’s.”
Chastity reached to feather through Rylee’s hair, murmuring, “Unless maybe you just wanted to stay.”
“No,” Rylee responded, shaking her head, “I don’t think so.” She put on her cap with a nod, adding, “But thanks anyway.”
Chapter Eighteen
Rylee’s mind shifted into overdrive as she struggled to come up with a link between Chastity and her serial murder case. Anything. Absolutely anything except Kenzie. Anything, she thought. Absolutely anything. She wasn’t a churchgoer, so that wasn’t it. And she’d never been to the victims’ neighborhood. She bit her lip, thinking. Nor had she been into either of the two buildings. The woman moved in a completely different circle, the main reason that they never got along, so having friends in common wasn’t it. She was biracial, and she’d had recent contact with Kenzie, those were the only commonalities that she could see. And being biracial was most likely a factor, but not the link. If it were, the doer would have three percent of the city on his list. With the short timeframe, that’d be too much of a coincidence. So that’s pretty much it, she thought, the link has to be Kenzie. She’d met Chastity that evening and was targeted less than two hours later—while Kenzie was in her presence. She thanked God under her breath for that. She switched on her siren. If Kenzie wasn’t involved, then she was at risk. She came in quiet, turning off her lights before pulling into the driveway. A bedside lamp was on in what she assumed was the master bedroom. She sat for a few minutes until the downpour eased and then made her way to the water meter. She wasn’t sure what she expected to find because if there were prints, they’d have been washed away. Nothing. The bedroom light switched off as she came toward the property. She checked the perimeter, the front, and the back porch. No footprints or sign of an intruder. She closed her eyes with a soft exhale, unsure how to proceed. She didn’t have enough, evidence or resources, to support a request for round-the-clock surveillance. “We’re here for the night,” she said, clipping on her dog’s leash. “Let’s go now before it rains again.” Afterward, she adjusted her seat for comfort, but not sleep.
“What are you doing out here?” Kenzie asked, tapping on the glass.
Rylee squished her eyebrows together, stretching, and muttering, “SHIT!” She rolled down her window as Buckshot lifted his head. “What time is it?” she asked.
“Three,” Kenzie said. “What are you doing out here?”
she repeated, her eyes widening for emphasis. She wore a short cream-colored robe and maybe nothing else.
“It’s a long story,” Rylee answered, yawning.
“Come on,” Kenzie said, “I’ll brew us some coffee.”
Buckshot stood, wagging his tail.
“You too,” Kenzie invited.
***
“Don’t you have to work today?” Kenzie asked, handing Rylee a steaming mug of black coffee.
“Yeah,” Rylee answered, adding sugar before taking a drink. “Don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
“Uh-huh,” Kenzie said, shaking her head slowly, “not unless things have changed.”
“You’re probably right,” Rylee admitted, “I won’t be worth two cents today.” She shook her head. “Never could function on too little sleep.”
Kenzie lifted an eyebrow, making direct eye contact. “So, you gonna tell me?” she asked with a cock of her head.
“It’s a long story,” Rylee repeated with a breath.
“So you said,” Kenzie responded, leaning back. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”
Rylee went through many, but not all, of the details.
“You should’ve just come to the door,” Kenzie responded, with a hint of a smile. “Sleeping in my driveway,” she continued with a wiggle of her eyebrows, “what are my neighbors gonna think?”
“I didn’t want to wake you,” Rylee answered, the humor flying by her. “I didn’t really want to scare you either,” she continued, exhaling, “but I didn’t see a choice.”
“I’m not scared,” Kenzie answered softly.
“Well, you should be,” Rylee responded with direct eye contact, “because I am.”
“No,” Kenzie corrected, touching her arm, “I didn’t mean it that way.” She licked her lips. “What I meant was that whether or not I’m at risk, I feel safe with you nearby. It’s always been that way. You know that, right?”