The Ultimate Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Bestsellers)

by Perkins, Cathy

  “Where’s the phone?” the Lieutenant asked as he picked it up. “Twenty-five thousand,” he said as he dialed. He glanced over at Tara and furrowed his brows.

  Tara looked at Bowden and shook her head. “Wait till tomorrow.”

  “It’s okay. This way the lawyers don’t get anything.”

  The Lieutenant heard him and nodded vigorously, then said into the phone, “Lt. Mason… Twenty-five thousand and not a word to the press.”

  Mason hung up the phone and hand-wrote the conditions on a piece of paper that already had a bunch of legalese printed on it. He then handed the pen and paper to Bowden.

  “Don’t do it, Chase,” advised Tara.

  He scanned the page then laid the paper on his stomach and signed it. Mason opened the checkbook, wrote out a check and held it out for him. He took it from the Lieutenant’s fingers and dropped it on the desk beside the bed.

  Mason took the signed paper and slid it into a file. “It’s never that easy,” he said.

  “Not too many of us left who understand what goes on out there.”

  Mason nodded. “Thanks. Get well soon.” He headed for the door.

  “Be safe,” Bowden replied.

  Mason stopped and looked back at Bowden. “You’ve worked the streets before?”

  “A long time ago.”

  Mason nodded and stepped through the door.

  Tara rose from the chair and walked over to the bed. “Why did you do that?”

  “I still believe that cops are inherently good.”

  “Meaning?”

  “I think the guy made an honest mistake. You can’t crush him for that. If you do, other cops will hold back, and sooner or later one of them gets killed.”

  Tara sat on the edge of the bed without saying anything. She played with a string that hung from the edge of the bed. “That detective talked to me while you were in surgery.”

  Bowden nodded and wondered what she’d told him about her father’s death. He knew that she could present the story in a way that would implicate him. His brain was still fuzzy, but it finally dawned on him that he wouldn’t have been offered a settlement if Tara’s story didn’t exonerate him.

  He reached over and took her hand. It was small, soft and cold. He smiled when she looked at him, and then he squeezed her hand and let it go.

  “Why did you come after me?” she asked.

  “Training and instincts.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, everyone has instincts to survive. When they’re faced with a deadly situation they will do one of two things. They will run or they will fight. Training instructors call it ‘fight or flight.’ Cops are trained to fight, not run away… and not to let someone go.”

  “So you came after me because of your instincts?”

  “And training.”

  “That’s not very heroic.”

  He laughed and it felt good. It had been too long since he had laughed. With the narcotics in him he relaxed and let it flow. He dabbed at his eyes with the back of his hands and took in a deep breath as he finally brought it under control.

  “Ohhhh,” he sighed. “No one does anything heroic just to be heroic. If they do then they’re fools.”

  Tara stared at the wall and he closed his eyes.

  “Do you want me to turn the light off?” she asked.

  “Please,” he replied.

  Tara reached over him to get the switch for the light that was mounted above the head of his bed. The light went off darkening the room except for a small glow from the lights on some of the equipment.

  Tara leaned over and put her head on his chest. Her hair hung in his face and he brushed it away with his hand, tucking it behind her ear. He rested his hand on her back and felt it shake. That was when he knew she was crying. He held her for several seconds, wondering what he should say.

  He never came up with anything, until Tara sniffed and said, “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  She stood up and looked down at him. “What’s happening to my family?”

  He didn’t want to answer the question. He waited several seconds but Tara didn’t pick up the conversation so he said, “Some of them have gotten greedy.”

  “Do you think that my… that what Barry said was true? That he wasn’t my dad?”

  “I don’t know. Riley might.”

  “Did you know he was my best friend when I was growing up?”

  “Your dad?”

  “No. Sam. The ghost.”

  “Did you know he was a ghost?”

  “Yes. That’s why he could only come at night. He would always come to my room and check under the bed and in the closets for monsters, and he would watch over me while I slept. I always felt safe when he was there. When I got older, he stopped coming around. I never felt that safe or secure again.”

  “He’s back now.”

  “Yes. And my life is falling apart around me. I wish he could do more, but I am being selfish.”

  Bowden’s heart was pounding and bleeding with pity. He squeezed Tara’s hand and smiled. “I’ll help you through this.”

  She nodded. “Riley needs your help too.”

  Bowden’s eyes opened in surprise.

  “He’s lonely. He… I think he loves me. He wants to touch me so bad that I can see it in his eyes. But he can’t. He will never be free. He knows it too… unless he finds his killer.”

  “That was seventy years ago.”

  “I know. But seeing him with you…well, he’s different. He seems to have hope. I want you to help him if you can.”

  “If I can. I think our cases might be tied together through your great-grandfather.”

  “Thank you. Just try. That’s all I ask.”

  He looked into Tara’s brown eyes and suddenly realized that she loved Sam Riley. He laid his head back on the pillow and tried to comprehend that. Being in love and having never touched the other person? That was a life of hell. He couldn’t understand it. Then the phone rang and interrupted his thoughts.

  He found the receiver and picked it up on the third ring. “Hello?”

  “Chase?”

  He recognized Cooper’s voice and that Cooper was very excited. “Yeah, Cooper. What have you got?”

  “Prints, Chase. Prints and a hit. A positive ID on Kent Fonck!”

  “From where?”

  “The Honda you were chasing. The prints were all over the thing. We got an NCIC hit out of Pennsylvania and it gave a New York address. He has a license out of New York but it’s suspended. I’m putting out a BOLO for him now.”

  “What was the felony for?”

  “Um…”

  He knew that officers weren’t supposed to give out criminal records. “Come on, cut the crap.”

  “Burglary, first.”

  Bowden nodded to himself. “That fits,” he said into the phone. First degree meant that Kent was armed with a dangerous weapon or had seriously injured someone during the commission of the burglary.

  Cooper continued. “We lifted several other prints from the car but didn’t get any hits off it.”

  “William Fonck.”

  “What?”

  “Bill. Kent. That’s the first name of the two brothers. They just put them together when they rented the car. You got prints on Kent Fonck. His brother’s name is William, or Bill. His license is also out of New York. Bill Kent.”

  “I’ll run it. Thanks. Is…um…is Tara still there?”

  “Yes.” He could tell that something was wrong.

  “Tell her that Kay, um, her mom, slit her wrists. She’s in serious condition and was airlifted to Harborview. When we got here, to the house, she was unconscious and slumped over Barry’s body.”

  Chase looked over at Tara.

  “Bowden, you still there?” Cooper asked.

  “I’m not one of your boys, Cooper.”

  “I know. Look, at least you know her. One of ‘my boys’ might not be as sympathetic.”

  “All
right.”

  “Thanks Chase.”

  He hung up the phone and looked at Tara.

  “What?” she asked, when she saw his eyes.

  “Where are my clothes?”

  “What is it?” Tara stood up and backed away from the bed.

  He took the IV out of his arm, and slapped a Band-Aid over the little hole.

  “Let me get dressed. We need to keep pushing this case forward.”

  He swung his legs out of the bed and remembered that he wasn’t modest. Tara’s cheeks turned bright red and she turned her back.

  “Sorry,” he said as he stood up and walked over to the small closet. He found a white bag inside and sorted through it. He couldn’t find his underwear so he pulled on his pants. The right pants leg had been cut all the way up from the cuff. He used his belt to hold the top together then slipped into his shirt and pulled on his socks. “Okay.”

  Tara turned around and looked at him as he tied his boots. She laughed when she saw his pant leg.

  “I think I’ve got something in my purse.” She dug through it and found two safety pins. “Hold still a second.” She fastened the safety pins between Bowden’s waist and knee, holding the pants closed in that area.

  The pant leg flapped open above the knee when he tried to walk. “I wish you had one or two more.”

  “Hold on a second.” Tara snooped through some of the drawers in the room and found an elastic wrap.

  She bound it above his knee with the safety pin and stretched it out as she wrapped it around his leg. She tied it off near his ankle and successfully kept his pant leg from flapping open.

  “That’s going to be the next hottest style,” he said, trying to lighten things up a little before giving her the bad news.

  Tara smiled and stood up. She held his coat while he slipped his arms into it.

  “How’s the leg feel.”

  “Fine. Actually, I can’t feel it at all. Walking on it is kind of tricky.”

  “I’ll hold your arm.”

  They walked out of the room, and he looked around. “What hospital are we in?”

  “Harborview. Cooper said it was the best one around for handling gunshots and traumas.”

  “That’s convenient.”

  “What?”

  He silently cursed Cooper. “There’s someone here we have to see.”

  He found an elevator and went down a floor. He didn’t want to ask at the desk on his floor in case someone recognized him and tried to force him back into bed.

  They walked up to the counter and he spoke softly to Tara. “Cooper told me your mother was here.”

  “To see you?”

  “No, Tara. She’s here as a patient.”

  He felt the grip on his arm tighten.

  “I’m sorry. She tried to kill herself.”

  “How bad is she?”

  “I don’t know.” He stepped up to the counter. “I’m looking for Kay Miller’s room.”

  “Family?”

  Tara answered. “I’m her daughter.

  The man at the counter pulled out a keyboard and started typing. He looked at the screen for a second and scrolled down. “Is Kay her full name?”

  “Yes,” Tara replied.

  “She’s in ICU. Down a floor and to the right.”

  Tara wiped the tears away with her tattered, red sleeve and started to laugh.

  “What?”

  “Look at us.” Tara motioned to her torn clothes and the way Bowden’s leg was wrapped up, and started crying again. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong.”

  “It’s stress. It’ll get to you like that sometimes,” he explained as he led her to the elevator.

  They walked into ICU and inquired about Kay Miller. Her nurse came out to talk to them and led them into a quiet room.

  “Kay went through two hours of surgeries to repair the veins. Those were successful operations. She’s still listed as critical. She’s getting platelets right now and soon we’ll try to wake her up. That’s the critical point. If she wakes up, she’ll be on her way to recovery. If not, she could slip into a coma.”

  Tara sat silently and stared at the nurse whose gaze kept jumping from Tara to Bowden.

  “Any questions?” the nurse asked.

  Bowden glanced at Tara and saw that she was unable to speak. “Not right now,” he answered.

  “Would you like to see her?” the nurse asked.

  Tara nodded, and the nurse led them to a room full of buzzing and beeping equipment. The quietest thing in the room was the still form of Kay Miller.

  Tara looked down at her, and Bowden placed a hand gently on her shoulder. She leaned against him and then turned and buried her head against his shoulder. Her tears soaked his shirt as he held her gently. He peered over her shoulder and saw Kay Miller… thinner, whiter.

  “I don’t want to stay here,” Tara whispered.

  “What?”

  “I don’t want to stay here. Let’s go away. I need… I want to go.” Tara pushed away from him and looked into his eyes.

  He read confusion in them and something else. He saw fear and pain. He took Tara gently by the arm and led her out of the room. The nurse was waiting for them. He took a pen and wrote down his cell phone number and handed it to the nurse, and they left without saying a word.

  They found a cab at the hospital and climbed into the back and he told the driver to take him to the Sheraton. The ride only took a few minutes and they walked up to his room. He opened the door and let Tara go in first.

  She took one step across the threshold before he realized that the room wasn’t right. He grabbed her shoulder and jerked her back into the hallway, slamming her up against the wall.

  “Someone’s in there, or was. Let me check it out,” he whispered into her ear.

  He slid his hand up his side, searching for the Glock. It wasn’t there. He shook his head and let out his breath.

  “Let’s hope they’re gone,” he muttered as he stepped into the room barehanded.

  14

  Bowden crouched and tested his right leg. There wasn’t much feeling in it but it was responding better as the drugs wore off. He raised his hands and stepped through the door flattening himself up against the wall inside.

  He stood near the bathroom door and listened intently, trying to hear beyond the sound of his heart as it pounded madly in his chest. He stepped into the bathroom and took it all in, spinning to check behind the door and then crossing the room to look into the shower. It was done in one fluid movement and took less than a second.

  He spotted the shadow as he turned away from the shower, just a fleeting glimpse of a movement across the door. Tara screamed and he ran out of the room, bursting into the hallway. She stood there trembling with one hand on her chest, her face white.

  The fleeing intruder was already several yards down the hall, and the distance increased rapidly as he took off after him. The exertion applied to the wounded leg shot a blast of pain through his right side and into his brain. His body was telling him to stop, and he heeded the warning. He turned slowly and limped back to his room.

  He turned the light on and Tara followed him in.

  “Do you think there was only one?” she asked as she stepped cautiously past the bathroom door.

  “Yeah. He was looking for something, not laying for me.”

  With the lights on, Bowden could see what had originally tipped him off. His clothes had been dumped on the floor as the intruder searched the drawers. A pair of pants lay on the floor beyond the edge of the wall and appeared as only a shadow in the darkness. Bowden realized that the awareness of something being out of place had probably saved him from a thumping. The intruder was too young and athletic for him to deal with at the moment. He was glad the guy chose to run and not to fight.

  “Did you see what he looked like?” Bowden asked as he picked up the pants and tossed them onto the bed.

  “I… I thought it was Adam. I’m not sure that it wasn’t.”

&
nbsp; “Adam’s dead.”

  “So is Riley.”

  Bowden felt his leg start to collapse. He took a half step backward and sat down on the edge of the bed. He didn’t want to think about ghosts. Not another ghost anyway. Another murdered person running around looking for his killer? Looking at him? Bowden felt a shiver travel up his spine and he shook it off.

  “No,” he said aloud, shaking his head. “It wasn’t Adam. It wasn’t a ghost. His form didn’t weaken when he hit the lights in the hallway. It was a real person.” He glanced up at Tara and saw her nod, but realized she wasn’t convinced.

  “It looked so much like Adam.”

  Bowden glanced down at the floor and flicked a shirt out from under his foot and another thought hit him. “A ghost can’t move things. Riley can’t. He wouldn’t be able to dump my clothes out like this.”

  Tara’s eyes brightened. “Yeah. You’re right.” She collapsed on the bed, arms flailed out, and looked up at the ceiling.

  Bowden turned and looked down at her. Her blond hair was crushed behind her head and her face looked drawn, tired, and smudged with mud under her chin, but she was beautiful. The red shirt that she wore was stretched tight. He leaned towards her, putting weight onto his arms, wondering what to say.

  She rolled her head and looked up into his eyes. He pushed himself off the bed and grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt.

  “I need to get into some better clothes,” he stammered, embarrassed at the thoughts that had briefly entered his mind.

  Tara sat up and looked at the repair job she had hastily done on his pants and laughed. “That’s a good idea.”

  He disappeared into the bathroom and changed to a new pair. His shirt stunk and he peeled it off. He threw it onto the bathroom floor and walked back into the other room to get a clean one.

  Tara stood with her back to him, topless. Bowden froze, his heart pounding as he watched her pick up a shirt from the bed and pull it over her head. He realized it was one of his sweatshirts and as she started to turn around, he stepped further into the room.

  “Oh,” Tara gasped when she saw him. “I hope you don’t mind.” She tugged at the shirt she had just put on.

  “Not at all. I had the same idea,” he answered as he found another shirt on the floor.