Cut and Run

by Amy Elizabeth

  “We know he did,” Rebecca said. She sucked in a shaky breath as she and Alec headed for the receptionist’s desk. “We’re here to see Jeff Sheehan.”

  “Are you family?”

  “His sister and brother-in-law,” she replied easily. Alec gave her a sideways glance but said nothing as the receptionist clicked on her keyboard.

  “He’s in I.C.U., room 214. It’s not visiting hours right now, but if you want to go up for five or ten minutes, I don’t think anyone will mind. Just be very quiet.”

  Rebecca thanked her and headed for the elevator. Once the doors had closed, Alec leaned his face against hers. “Should it concern me that you’re such a good liar?”

  “No. I just wanted you with me.”

  When the doors opened, they stepped out onto the second floor. As they made their way to the Intensive Care Unit, a young nurse approached them. “You’re Jeff Sheehan’s family?”

  “Yes. The receptionist said we could come up.”

  “I’m glad you did. He just woke up.”

  Rebecca’s stomach lurched when the nurse opened the door to his room. Jeff was lying on the hospital bed, his upper body reclined, his left arm encased in a hard cast. Her chin began trembling when she saw that his entire head was wrapped in thick white gauze, leaving only his eyes and mouth showing.

  He stirred when she approached his bed. “Who’s there?” he croaked.

  Tears spilled down her cheeks as she took his hand. “It’s me.”

  “Bec. It’s about time you got here.”

  She grinned as she sat beside him. “Sense of humor still intact.”

  “Hi, Jeff,” Alec greeted, taking a seat next to Rebecca.

  Jeff was slowly growing more alert. “Hey, there, boss man. What are you and my sister doing out this late? Don’t make me beat you up.”

  Rebecca laughed and leaned over to kiss her brother’s bandaged cheek. She’d never been so happy to hear his cynical remarks.

  “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she said. “Do you remember anything?”

  “Not a thing. I got up to turn the TV off and heard something break in the kitchen. Next thing I know, I’ve got a terrible headache and I wake up in this place.”

  “We think we know who did this to you. Remember that incident we were reporting the day you saw us at the police station?”

  He looked alarmed as she told him about Kevin. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “I didn’t want you to worry about me. Of course, if I had any idea he was capable of something like this, I would’ve told you. But I had no reason to think he would go after you.”

  He tried to sit up but winced and stopped mid-motion. “You mean this guy purposely broke into my place to attack me? And he’s been threatening to do the same to you?”

  She nodded. “I’m so sorry.”

  Jeff turned his gaze to Alec. “You’d better take care of her, you hear me?”

  He wrapped an arm around Rebecca’s shoulders and gave a solemn nod. “I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  “For God’s sake, Bec, be careful. He almost killed me. I don’t want to think of what he could do to you.”

  The nurse tapped on the door and poked her head into the room. “I’m so sorry, but you’re going to have to come back during regular visiting hours.”

  “We’ll be right out,” Rebecca replied, turning back to her brother. “I love you, Jeff. We’ll be back later, okay?”

  He gave her a feeble hug with his good arm. “Love you too, sis.”

  Tommy was loyally waiting downstairs when they stepped off the elevator. “Well?”

  “We talked to him for a couple of minutes,” she said. “He’s pretty banged up and he has a broken arm, but he’s going to be okay.”

  “Thank God,” Tommy replied, sending Alec a curious glance. “So how did you get in if it’s family only?”

  He nudged Rebecca. “Our girl here is a good fibber. Apparently I’m Jeff’s brother-in-law now.”

  “Hey, you were just in Vegas. Anything’s possible.”

  Alec chuckled. “I had to see my mother about some legal matters. Rebecca came along to make sure I didn’t lose my cool.”

  “Oh. Well, fair enough,” Tommy said, looking up at the clock on the wall. “I’ll go pick Alli up and we’ll start morning chores so you two can get some sleep.”

  Rebecca was already exhausted yesterday after the first long drive. Now, after matching wits with Julianne, her whirlwind romance with Alec, her brother’s attack, and the second overnight drive, she was delirious with fatigue. They pulled into the ranch just as dawn broke through the dark clouds. Alec looked as tired as she felt as he turned off the engine and reached for her hand.

  They slipped silently into the farmhouse, their steps echoing on the hardwood floor as he led her upstairs and down the hallway to his bedroom. Like any bachelor’s room, it was sparse on decoration, but the antique oak furniture and periwinkle curtains added a cozy layer of warmth. She stepped out of her boots and wasted no time crawling under the flannel covers of the old four-poster bed. Alec drew the curtains closed and slid into bed beside her, enveloping his arm around her waist. In the quiet darkness, she fell asleep in an instant.

  *

  Rebecca’s head was thick with sleep as she drifted down the darkened hallway to the bathroom. She opened the medicine cabinet and mindlessly sorted through its contents, not even sure what she was looking for. Then she closed the cabinet door and screamed when she saw a blond figure lurking behind her.

  She jolted awake, her heart hammering in her chest. At first, she wasn’t sure where she was. Alec’s room, she realized, jumping as a crash of thunder rattled the walls of the farmhouse. The storm was back in full force, heavy rain battering against the windowsill. Muted daylight seeped through the crack in the curtains, casting eerie shadows across the floor. She glanced at her reflection in the tall mirror above the dresser, trying to push the frightful image from her mind.

  Alec stirred beside her. “Bec? You okay?”

  She dropped her head onto the pillow and turned to stare at the wall. “Yeah. Just a bad dream.”

  He scooted closer as she pulled the sheets tighter around her. “Are you cold or scared?”

  She gave a little laugh. “Both.”

  He chuckled, too, as he wrapped his arms around her. She melted into his warmth as he nuzzled his face in her hair and kissed the back of her neck. “You’re safe here.”

  Some time later she awoke again, alone this time. On the empty pillow beside her was a stalk of Indian paintbrush and a simple note:

  I didn’t want to wake you. We’ll be downstairs whenever you’re up. Love, Alec.

  Rebecca pressed the flower to her nose and inhaled its sweet aroma. She had no idea what she’d done in her short, turbulent life to deserve the affection of someone like Alec Westin. She stood from the bed and opened the curtains, glad to see that the storm had passed. As she studied the sweeping view of the ranch, she briefly allowed herself to entertain the notion of waking up in this room every day.

  The thought of it both thrilled and terrified her.

  Alec and his father were at the kitchen table when she emerged downstairs. At first she felt awkward, unsure what to expect. To her relief, though, they both smiled.

  “Good morning, Rebecca,” Walter greeted cheerfully.

  “Good morning, Walt.”

  Her heart skipped an anxious beat when Alec rose from his chair. To her surprise, he drew her close and kissed her on the lips, right in front of his father.

  “How’d you sleep?”

  She felt her cheeks burn. “Fine. How long have you been awake?”

  “Not long,” he said, taking her hands in his. “Have some lunch with us.”

  Between mouthfuls of chicken soup, Walter expressed sorrow over what had happened to her brother. “And I also heard about your encounter with Julianne. I can’t thank you enough for what you did for us. I’m eternally grateful to you.”
<
br />   Rebecca smiled. “It was my pleasure, Walt.”

  She was thankful for the silence as Alec alternated between feeding himself and his father. Out of necessity, she forced a couple bites of soup down her throat, but none of the flavors registered. She wanted to go back upstairs and crawl into bed for at least a week, and one look at Alec’s drained expression told her that he felt the same way. They’d both been awake for the better part of three incredibly stressful days, and it showed.

  Lucy claimed Walter after lunch to prepare him for his physical therapy session. Rebecca gave the old man a kiss on the cheek before joining Alec at the sink to clean the dishes. They shared the task in comfortable silence, and when they were finished, he set his towel down and embraced her.

  “Thank you for the flower,” she whispered.

  “You’ve very welcome,” he replied, sliding his fingers through her hair. “You’re the most unexpected thing that has ever happened to me, Rebecca. You have no idea the amount of joy you’ve brought back into this house.”

  She lifted her head to look at him, touched by his compliment. All of their worries vanished when he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, stealing a peaceful moment from what was sure to be a harrowing day.

  “This is the safest place you can be,” he assured her. “I have to run down to the barn, but you’re welcome to stay here and get some more rest.”

  “Sounds perfect,” she said, already half-asleep as she trudged up the stairs.

  She didn’t know how much time had passed when she felt someone sit beside her. Groggily she opened her eyes as Alec brushed a stray lock of hair off her face.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “Deputy Harris just called me. He wants to see us as soon as possible.”

  Half an hour later, they pulled into the parking lot of the police station and raced inside. The deputy motioned them into his office and wasted no time getting to the point.

  “We found Kevin.”

  Every ounce of tension drained from Rebecca’s muscles. “Oh, thank God!” she cried. “Is he in custody?”

  “No. He’s in Alaska.”

  Chapter 18

  “Wait…what?” Alec said. “That can’t be right.”

  “I’m afraid it is,” Deputy Harris replied, glancing down at the papers on his desk. “Kevin Frankton has been an employee of Glacier Bay National Park since the tenth of July. I spoke to both him and his supervisor and can assure you that he has lived in Alaska for the past month, knows nothing of the letters, and was not in Jackson yesterday morning to attack your brother.”

  Rebecca was reeling in shock. “But…but who’s doing all of this, then?”

  “It’s possible that your brother’s break-in is coincidental and has nothing to do with the threats you’re receiving. But either way, we’re working on it. Can you think of anyone else, anyone at all, who we could look to?”

  Miserably she shook her head. “Have you searched my brother’s apartment?”

  “Not at this point.”

  “Can I go?”

  “I’m afraid not, Miss Sheehan. We have it blocked off for now.”

  Once again, the deputy assured them that he would call with any new information. Alec and Rebecca exited the station in a daze, bewildered by the turn of events.

  “Do you think it’s your stepfather?” he asked.

  She leaned against the headrest in despair. “I don’t know what to think,” she said as he pointed his truck towards the highway. “Can you turn left?”

  “What for?”

  “Please turn left,” she repeated, more firmly this time. “Pull into Crestdale Apartments.”

  “Does your brother live in Crestdale?” When she remained silent, he let out a sigh. “Bec, the deputy just said not to go there. They have it blocked off, remember?”

  She shot him a defiant stare. “With a flimsy yellow piece of tape. They have no right to tell me I can’t go. I’m his sister.”

  Alec looked terribly uncomfortable as he pulled into the apartment complex. “You could get into trouble for doing this, you know.”

  “And I could be in Jeff’s position soon if I don’t,” she replied, slamming the door to emphasize her point.

  He followed a few paces behind her as they ascended the stairs and reached the door wrapped in yellow tape. “Do you have a key?”

  “Nope.”

  “So how are you getting in?”

  Rebecca dug through her purse and produced a hair barrette and bobby pin. “With these.”

  His mouth dropped open when she knelt to the ground and slid the end of the barrette into the keyhole. “You know how to pick a lock?” he whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was watching them.

  She frowned in concentration as she inserted the bobby pin. “Whenever we’d argue, my stepfather would take my keys and lock me out of the apartment,” she explained. “I made lots of copies, but eventually he got all of those, too. My mother didn’t have the backbone to stand up to him, so I had to learn to be resourceful if I didn’t want to sleep in the stairwell.”

  It took a few minutes of fiddling with the tumblers, but she smiled when she heard the lock click open. She removed her tools and rose to her feet, turning the doorknob to let herself into the apartment.

  Alec followed her inside and closed the door behind them. “I’ll wait here.”

  The living room was a disaster zone of broken glass and overturned chairs. Rebecca stopped in her tracks, trying not to envision the struggle that had taken place. She cringed when she entered the kitchen and saw a dark streak of blood on the tile. A snow-globe covered with faint red smudges lay beside the dishwasher, and she knelt to examine it, noting the mountains and a line of galloping horses.

  She stood and walked back to her brother’s bedroom, which looked untouched from the attack. A greeting card envelope with her name written on it was on his nightstand. When she opened it, she found an artist’s rendering of two Appaloosas grazing beneath golden aspen trees.

  Happy birthday, sis, he’d written. I’m so glad we had the chance to spend some time together this summer. I wish you weren’t going back to Boston, but I know why you are and I admire your courage. Besides, we’ll see plenty of each other from here on out. I hope this snow-globe will be a little window of Wyoming for you when you’re in your dorm at B.U. Love you lots, Jeff.

  She grasped the card to her chest and choked back a sob, unable to bear the thought of her brother being beaten unconscious with her birthday present. With trembling hands, she tucked the card into her jacket pocket and wandered back to her bedroom. When she opened the door, she shrieked.

  Alec was at her side in two seconds. “What is it?”

  They could do nothing but stare. It looked as if a bomb had detonated in her room. All of her belongings that she’d left behind were destroyed. The tall dresser was tipped on its side, its drawers emptied and stacked haphazardly in the corner. Shreds of clothing and pages of magazines were strewn across the carpet like confetti. The full-length mirror lay shattered in a million pieces on the closet floor. To her alarm, she saw a plain white sheet of paper lying quite purposely on top of her bed, all-too-familiar typewritten words running across it.

  Just in case you thought I was playing games.

  She shrank back against the wall, paralyzed by fear and rage. Alec had to half-carry her down the stairs and out to his truck. “Should we go back to the police station?” he asked.

  “And tell them what?”

  “They don’t have to know where the letter came from.”

  “I think it’ll be obvious. And what can they do, anyway?”

  A surge of anger flooded her veins as she envisioned her brother, always a pillar of strength, now lying helpless in a hospital bed. If she ever came face-to-face with the bastard that did this…

  Rebecca’s stomach churned as they drove back to the ranch. She had a horrible feeling that her stalker would make his appearance soon or, even worse, wreak more h
avoc on the ones she loved. She shuddered as she thought of Alec, Walter, Tommy, and Allison, desperately hoping one of them wouldn’t be next.

  The ranch seemed unusually quiet as they pulled into the parking lot. “Where is everyone?” she said.

  Alec killed the engine and reached across her lap, wordlessly retrieving his revolver from the glove compartment. He took Rebecca’s hand as they walked over to the main barn, searching for any staff or guests. It was empty except for a few horses. Then they headed over to the staff barn and found Roger at the end of the aisle, filling water buckets.

  “Roger!” Alec called, breaking into a jog. “Where is everybody?”

  “I left a message for you at the farmhouse. Didn’t you get it?”

  “No, I’ve been out all day.”

  “The big group that was supposed to arrive this afternoon had to cancel at the last minute. Bad storm in Georgia or something. Anyway, we don’t have anyone here ‘til Thursday, except for one couple in Cabin Six. Tommy and Allison took ‘em out on a trail ride about an hour ago. It’s gonna be a real quiet week.”

  “That’s a good thing. Perfect, actually.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  Rebecca began hauling the water buckets back to the stalls, if only to have something to do while Alec gave Roger the update. She was surprised when she reached Star’s stall and found the mare lying down. Star lifted her head and nickered briefly before dropping back onto the straw. With a frown, Rebecca entered the stall and knelt beside her horse. Star didn’t usually nap in the middle of the day. Nor was there any reason for her neck to be so damp with sweat.

  “Alec!”

  His face appeared over the top of the door. “What is it?”

  She turned to look at him, but her reply was lost. “Oh, my God.”

  Immediately Alec let himself into the stall. “What’s the matter?”

  All she could do was point with a trembling hand to the note nailed to the back of the stall door:

  You’re next.

  *

  “What did he give her?” Rebecca choked as she stroked her horse’s neck. Star’s eyes were half-closed and her breathing was strained, and her entire coat was slick with sweat.