A Carol for Kent

by Hallee Bridgeman

  She refused to meet his eyes. He set his cup down and walked around the bar until he stood next to her stool. With his elbow on the counter, he draped his other arm over the back of her chair and leaned down. She stared straight ahead.

  Very quietly, he said, “I’ve forgiven my parents and family for the secrets they kept from me – for keeping you and Lisa a secret – for the lies they told me and the way they manipulated me. It’s taken a lot out of me. Don’t think it’s been easy.”

  She whipped her head around and finally looked right at him. “Why would you think that I thought it was easy?”

  He allowed himself a small smile. “Because you’re obviously hiding something from me and I’d really prefer we have no secrets between us.” He raised a hand and ran a finger along her cheekbone. “What’s going on, Carol? Tell me. Right now.”

  Instantly, tears filled her eyes. She looked around, as if wanting to escape, but he’d pinned her in very effectively. “It’s me,” she whispered, then cleared her throat and said it again. “It’s me.”

  He felt his forehead come together in a frown. “Beg pardon?”

  “Last night, Jen said the killer was fixated on someone he was in love with. I think that it’s me.”

  Confused, he ran a hand down her arm until he could lace her fingers with his. “Why in the world would you think that?”

  “Well, the obvious clues are just circumstantial,” she said, waving her free hand in the air. As she spoke, he could see her gaining a little bit of control. “Every victim was tall and thin. Like me. Red hair,” she said, pointing to her head in an almost accusatory fashion. “Dressed for business.” She gestured up and down her body as if to draw attention to her black pantsuit with the bright blue blouse and matching silver jewelry. “He’s strangling women with violin string.”

  “Violin string?” His voice sounded shocked to his own ears.

  “We’ve kept that from the press. That was our little secret tidbit. But it’s me. How did I not see this before?”

  Bobby raised an eyebrow. “There are over 200 thousand people in this city, and you’re not the only well-dressed, professional, tall, thin redhead.”

  She took a deep breath. “Bobby, the killer dressed every victim and finished them off with some of my jewelry.”

  He felt his blood run cold. Immediately. He didn’t need her to clarify, but he needed to think, so he asked, “What?”

  “Something had been bothering me. Something from the first crime scene. I just couldn’t place it. I put the pieces together this morning. Every single victim was wearing a piece of my jewelry.”

  Feeling a little panicky, he shook his head. “That’s not possible.”

  “That’s what I thought, but it’s true. I just checked. I’m missing a bunch of jewelry. I just went through my own jewelry, and all of my pieces that match the jewelry on the dead girls are missing. Someone stole them from my home and placed them on dead women, dressed up and made up to look like me. Bobby, he even dyed one of the girl’s hair red.”

  He grabbed her shoulders with both hands. “Did you call Mitch?”

  “I don’t know what to do!” She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. “I don’t know who to call.”

  Bobby’s arms went all the way around her and hugged her to him. “Go see your boss. He’ll know what to do.”

  “I will.” She raised her head and looked at him. “Please take Lisa away for right now. Don’t wait for tonight to leave for Atlanta. Just go check her out of school right now.”

  “What good will that do?”

  “Take her. Five days has been the cycle. This is the fifth day. There’s going to come a time when he completely decompensates and comes after me. It’s just a matter of time. “

  “You want me to take Lisa away while you, what, make yourself bait?”

  “I don’t know,” Carol whispered, pulling away from him and pushing herself off the bar stool. She walked to the window near the table and looked out at the darkening sky and the approaching storm. “Maybe. Maybe that’s how we catch him.”

  Bobby walked up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll go pick her up now and we’ll leave for Atlanta. But I’d feel better if you went with us.”

  Carol shook her head before leaning back and resting it against him. “I can’t. One day I will. But not today.”

  He wanted to argue but didn’t have the right words. He needed time to think about how best he could convince her. He wrapped his arms around her and let her lean against him for the time being. He determined that, no matter what, she would leave with him today.

  Carol stood in the doorway of Maurice’s office. He finally quit typing on his laptop and looked up at her. “Carol,” he said, “I thought you were working from home today.”

  “Can I talk to you?” She walked in without waiting for his answer or permission and shut the door. Her stomach felt like a brick of ice, and occasionally a shudder ran through her. She lowered herself into a chair and wondered how she would begin this conversation.

  “Make yourself at home, Carol,” he said, staring at her quizzically.

  “Something’s been off to me since the first killing with this serial killer. I couldn’t figure out what it was until this morning.”

  He frowned. “Off? How?”

  Taking a shaky breath, she plunged forward. “A piece of jewelry that I own has been on every body.”

  Maurice’s eyes drew together. He stared at her, frowning, for several seconds. “What do you mean?” He asked, enunciating each word.

  “I mean,” Carol said, feeling queasy, “that every single victim was wearing a piece of jewelry; a ring, earrings, bracelet, something of mine, something that I own. I checked my jewelry collection this morning and my items are missing. Locked away in an evidence box somewhere in Mitch’s office, I’m sure.”

  Maurice turned away from his computer and faced her fully. Again, he stared at her for several seconds, as if digesting what she said. “I read the profile you obtained last night. Is that what prompted you to check?”

  “Yes. I mean, I saw the jewelry on the victims, but I just never realized it was mine. Nothing was really extraordinary, so I didn’t look too closely. It all matched other jewelry on the victims and their clothes, so looking at an individual earring or ring or something just didn’t really occur to me until I heard that profile last night.”

  He slowly nodded. “This is going to seem like a stupid question, but do you have any idea who could be doing this?”

  Carol felt her eyes sting with unwanted tears. She blinked them away. “I have been wracking my brain for the last hour, and I don’t know. I have no idea. Looking at the profile, no one comes to mind. Not unless it was someone I put away who was just released. That would make sense.”

  “So you think this is revenge instead of –”

  Interrupting him, she nodded. “Yes, instead of some romantic fantasy. Maybe it’s just someone killing me over and over because he perceives me as the person who ruined his life.”

  Maurice leaned back in his chair and rested his elbows on the arms, steepling his fingers. “I want you under protection. I’ll contact the mayor and talk to Mitch. I’ll also call in a special prosecutor. As of now, no one in this office has anything to do with this case. No exceptions.”

  “I understand,” she whispered.

  “In the meantime, take a few days. Go home, under protection. Or leave town if you have somewhere safe to go that no one knows about. Maybe start talking to your friends in DC. Start looking through old case files. See if anyone matches our killer’s description. If he does, call Mitch immediately.” Carol stood too quickly, causing her vision to gray. She swayed a bit on her feet. “Do you want me to have someone drive you home?”

  “No. I’ll be okay. I’m going to go get some water, then go collect some files from my office.”

  Maurice stood. “Carol, I mean it. You’re off of this
case. From this point forward, anything you do could jeopardize the prosecution when we catch this guy.”

  “I understand.” She had to escape. “Thank you, Maurice.”

  Her hand slipped off the doorknob on the first try. She finally got the door open and rushed out of his office, down the corridor, to her office. As the door closed behind her, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and slid down the wall.

  Silent sobs wracked her body so violently she thought her spine might crack. She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes and fought for, prayed for, calm. Calm. Peace.

  She had to function. There was no other choice. She started humming It is Well with My Soul, letting the words settle around her mind.

  When peace like a river, attendeth my way.

  When sorrows like sea billows roll…

  As the song rolled around in her mind, she felt calmer, steadier, more in control. On weak legs, she stood and went to her purse, pulling out a package of tissues. She blew her nose, wiped her eyes, and did the best hasty repair she could to her makeup with a compact mirror.

  She pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked through her contacts, finally finding Nick Williams’ cell phone number. She hit the button to dial it and put the phone to her ears. It immediately went to voice mail. “Nick, it’s Carol. I need your help. Please call me ASAP.”

  Feeling steady enough to face people, she opened her door again. Just as she opened it, Rhonda was raising her hand to knock.

  “Hi,” Rhonda said, tilting her head to look at her. “Oh, my. What’s wrong?”

  Carol gestured to the interior of her office. “I can’t talk about it.” She gathered her briefcase and purse, and picked up two stacks of files off her desk. “But I’m going to take next week off. Work from home.”

  Rhonda pursed her lips and walked over to Carol’s credenza, where the last of the flowers from her Mother’s Day bouquet still struggled to hang on to beauty. “Anything to do with the country star?”

  “What?” Carol frowned and stared at the bouquet. “Oh, no. Not at all.” She fit what files she could into her briefcase and carried the rest. “This is something else entirely.”

  “If you’re sure,” Rhonda said, straightening the jacket of her black suit. “I’ve never seen you emotional like this before at work. Is there anything I can do?”

  With a smile, Carol touched Rhonda’s arm. “Thank you for offering. It’s nice to know I have friends.” As she walked out the door, she said, “I have my cell if anyone needs to get me.”

  CHAPTER 29

  “I want you to come with us this weekend,” Bobby stated.

  Carol rubbed her arms and looked out into the back yard. The wind blew so hard that the swings on the swing set were swinging around like they were full of kids. “I wish I could, but I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  Feeling scared and very brittle, she turned until she faced him. “Because this is the day. There will be another victim today.”

  “And?”

  “And eventually he’s going to decompensate and come after me.”

  He shook his head while he spoke. “You aren’t seriously considering sitting around here acting like bait, are you?”

  Unsure exactly what she was doing, she shrugged. “I don’t even know who this can be, but I can’t leave. Please don’t ask me to.”

  He crossed the room in three strides and stopped in front of her. “You’re out of your mind if you think I’m going to leave you alone here tonight and wait for him to try to kill you.”

  “I won’t be alone. Jack and Mitch are guarding me until different arrangements can be made.” Which meant until Aria’s husband, Nick Williams, could come out here in the morning and set up her security. Nick was a former military commando who worked for a secretive branch of the US Government’s Intelligence arm for a number of years, the same Agency Jen Thorne now directed. If she trusted anyone to keep her and Lisa safe, it was Nick.

  Carol started to walk past Bobby but he grabbed her arm and swung her back around. “You need to stop and think about something other than your all important job, Carol. You have a daughter who relies on you,” he said forcefully.

  Her temper, as if made from a thin thread overloaded with too much weight, finally snapped, the ends flying in different directions. Though she fought to get it back, she couldn’t stop her mouth. “Yeah, and that all important job is what fed her while you were off in Nashville picking your guitar strings for swooning teenagers. Don’t try to tell me what I can and can’t do. I managed for all this time without you just fine.”

  Bobby’s eyes iced over and he gave a brief nod as he let go of her. “Is that right? Well, that’s kind of interesting because for three of those years, my house was on the Nashville’s Map of the Stars. For the last six years, my official website got over a million hits a month. And in addition to surrounding cities and military bases, I played right here in downtown Richmond for the last seven years because it’s my hometown, Carol. Don’t try to pretend you couldn’t find me if you wanted to.”

  Needing to take the words back, but unable to forge a coherent thought, she just stood there, shocked at what had just come out of her mouth. Carol crossed her arms and stared at her shoes. She wished she could take it back the second she said it, but now it was too late. “I’m just upset, Bobby.”

  He took a deep breath. “No, Carol, you’re not. You’re really not upset. What you are is scared. And you ought to be. Know how to not feel so scared? Come with us to Atlanta. That’s how.”

  She shook her head. “My mind’s made up. I’m staying here.”

  He left her office without another word. She heard his boots on the stairs and guessed he was going up to Lisa’s room where their daughter was busy packing for her trip to Atlanta.

  The phone in her pocket rang, making her jump. Then she felt foolish for being so jumpy. Carol dug it out and answered it. “What?” she answered harshly.

  A detective on the other line requested her presence at a crime scene. “I’m sorry, Detective Devore, I’m off for the next week. Let me get you the number of the attorney on call.”

  She hung up after providing the number, then sat at her desk and closed her eyes. She heard Lisa’s feet as they ran down the stairs, so she forced herself to stand and coax a believable smile onto her face.

  “I’m ready to go, mom!” Lisa yelled, running into the room. Carol knelt and held out her arms, and Lisa ran into them without hesitation.

  “You be good for your dad, dollface, and have fun. I wish I could go with you,” Carol said. She hugged Lisa tightly, then let her go and straightened. Bobby stood in the doorway of the room, holding Lisa’s suitcase, his anger still clearly evident on his face.

  “There’s a bad storm coming in. I’ll call you from the airport if we’re delayed taking off,” he informed her in a voice that carried no emotion.

  “I appreciate that,” Carol said. She put her hands in her pockets, and wished she could rewind the last ten minutes.

  “Go on ahead and get in the truck, Lisa. I’ll be right behind you with your bag,” he said. Lisa gave her mom one last hug and dashed from the room. Bobby stepped closer to Carol, but didn’t touch her. “I can understand that your job is important to you, and I can understand that it is more than a job. But you are stepping over a boundary here that is incomprehensible to me. Risking your life isn’t part of your job description.”

  “I’m not intentionally risking my life. I have Mitch and Jack outside. I’m not alone. Tomorrow, Nick will be here. Once he’s here, a Roman Legion couldn’t get near me.”

  “You would be safer if you packed your bags and left. That is an option you didn’t even consider. Stop being such a pillar, and let someone else take some of the weight. You can come with us right now and leave this all behind. We could go somewhere and never come back.”

  “I could, but the next time I read about another murder happening at his hands, I wouldn’t be able to live with myse
lf. If, and I stress the word, if I am the next target, this is the perfect opportunity. If I’m not his next intended victim, then this entire conversation is just a waste of time and energy.”

  He grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her. “Carol, don’t do this. Please.”

  She tilted her head back to look at him. When she spoke her voice barely rose above a whisper. “You didn’t see the bodies, Bobby. You didn’t see those dead girls dressed up to look just like me.”

  She wrenched away from him. “You don’t understand how important my job is to me, but you’re the one who’s leaving me alone so that you can go sing a song so a bunch of men can play a silly game. You tell me what’s important and what’s not.”

  Bobby held up a hand, his voice no longer exactly quiet. “Good Lord, Carol. It’s not just a song. It’s the National Anthem. And it’s not just a silly game. It’s the regular season, and baseball is America’s pastime. I really hope you aren’t being serious right now.”

  Realizing he was genuinely upset, Carol felt like giggling. He was such a guy. All that ridiculous fame and notoriety and at his core he was just an American guy who liked to watch the boys of summer play a few innings. In a much more calm voice, she said, “I can’t conform to be what you think I should be. I’m an attorney for the city of Richmond. If you don’t like that, you don’t have to stick around. You can go back to Nashville or wherever you think you need to go.”

  She started to walk past him so he wouldn’t see the tears she could no longer contain. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. She struggled but he was stronger, so she finally relented. He held her until she stopped crying, then stepped back and framed her face with his hands.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, kissing each eye. “I’ll see you Sunday.” He kept her head tilted back and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Carol.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

  He stepped back and ran his hands down her arms until he gripped her hands. “Pray with me,” he said, clearing his throat. “Father God, I’m asking You, I’m begging You to watch over Carol. Protect her against this madman, Lord. Guide the police in stopping him before he kills another woman, and, God, ease Carol’s heart. Remind her You’re with her all the time. Amen.”