“You were standing by the pool.” His eyes stayed on her, even as he was captured by the memory. “You had gone outside to get away from the crowd. I tried to tell you then.”
Images of that night flashed into her mind, along with a vague recollection of seeing Alan in her father’s backyard. He had handed her a red rose that he’d picked from the garden and had said he wanted to tell her something. Then her father had come out and insisted she rejoin the party.
“You remember.”
“I remember,” Kendra managed to say as prayers continued to rush through her mind.
“And you remember that you never came back to talk to me. You never cared to know what it was I needed to tell you, that I just wanted to love you and that I wanted you to love me. You never gave me that chance.”
Kendra stared at him in disbelief. Could it really be that a single careless moment had brought her to this? Her life was finally becoming what she wanted it to be, and now it might end before she had the chance to explore a future with Charlie. If only he had come with her today. Charlie would have stayed inside the bungalow. He would have insisted on being close to her. He would have been prepared to use his weapon to protect her. Then she remembered Charlie’s words. Anything you can reach can be used as a weapon.
Alan took a step forward, and his eyes glazed over. “Each girl, each time, it was as though I was asking you again, giving you a chance to fix what you had done. But they weren’t you. And I hated them for that.” Alan motioned toward the French doors, to the swimming pool beyond them. “We should take a walk.”
Kendra shook her head. “Alan, you need to leave,” she said, desperation humming through her voice. Grasping for words, she motioned to her dress. “I need to change.”
Alan ignored her words and kept moving forward. Kendra edged back until the night table was directly behind her. Without looking, she reached back, searching for something, anything she could use. Her fingers brushed against a thick decorative lamp and a heavy ceramic vase. She chose the vase.
Her teeth clenched together as her fingers curled around the base of it. He was only a few feet away now, and she knew she couldn’t let him get any closer. She picked up the vase with one hand, gripping it tightly as she swung it toward him. He jerked back instinctively, enough that the vase barely grazed his jaw.
His hand came up to his face and pressed against where her impromptu weapon had connected. Then his mouth drew into a hard line, and he shook his head slowly as he stared down at the vase still clutched in her hand. “That was not very wise.” His voice was distant as he added, “I only wanted you to love me.”
Fear spiraled inside her, panic clawing at her throat. Kendra lifted the vase again, this time holding it out in an effort to maintain the distance between them. Alan simply shook his head and stuck out his hand, knocking the vase to the floor.
Trapped, Kendra reached back again, groping for something, anything, but it was too late. He closed the distance between them and grabbed her arms.
Her scream pierced the air. “No!”
Then his hands were at her throat, squeezing so that no more sound would come. She gasped, her windpipe burning as she fought for air. She was vaguely aware of her surroundings, but all she could think of was that she couldn’t breathe.
Suddenly, Alan’s grip loosened, and something seemed to snap inside of him. In one fluid motion, he reached back, and his hand disappeared beneath his shirt. Understanding flashed through her—the realization that he was reaching for a gun. She remembered what Charlie had told her, that each of his victims had been shot through the heart. Panic, desperation, and courage melded together as she struggled against him, using both the force of her body and her flailing hands to somehow knock the gun free of his grasp.
She heard the gun drop, but before she could scramble for it, Alan grabbed her from behind and whirled her around so they were both facing the door. She caught sight of Charlie standing in the doorway and desperately wondered if her prayers had been answered or if Charlie was too late.
Chapter 33
“Let her go, Alan.” Charlie kept his voice steady, though terror dominated. His weapon was in his hand, but he already knew he couldn’t shoot. He couldn’t get a shot off safely while Alan was holding Kendra in front of him.
He took a brief moment to glance at Kendra’s face. She was pale, but she looked determined. She had already managed to knock Alan’s gun to the floor, and it was a few inches from her feet. Now Charlie had to find some way to help her get free of his grasp. With his weapon basically useless, he decided to try reason. “Come on. You don’t want to hurt her.”
Alan stared at him with pale blue eyes, his breath coming rapidly. Charlie could hear sirens in the distance and hoped that the backup Elias had sent wouldn’t spook Alan further. He considered the psychological profile, remembering the various memories of Alan that Kendra had shared during their time together.
“I know how much you love her,” Charlie began, a bead of sweat running down his back. “You’ve loved her for years. That’s why you sent those letters to her dad when she was a teenager.”
“She needed someone to watch out for her, to make sure no one took advantage of her,” Alan said.
“And when Steve started hanging around, you were furious.”
Alan shifted his grip, and his eyes darted down to the floor where the gun lay. “He was never good enough for her.”
“Of course not, but you protected her. You made sure he couldn’t hurt her.”
He nodded, his whole face tensing with a sudden fury. “I saved her from him, and what did she do? She pushed me aside.”
“I didn’t know,” Kendra managed weakly, her voice hoarse, her eyes on Charlie.
Alan seemed to forget that Charlie was there, instead focusing solely on Kendra. He loosened his grip slightly so he could look down at her face. “You picked Dustin over me. You let that old man watch over you when I should have been the one by your side.”
“It wasn’t her fault,” Charlie said now. “She didn’t have a choice.”
“It was always her choice.”
“No, Alan. It was her father’s. He didn’t trust anyone with his little girl.”
He shook his head vehemently, and his eyes went wild.
“Alan, look at me,” Charlie said. He could feel Alan’s fragile control slipping. “Let Kendra go. You’re supposed to protect her. You aren’t supposed to hurt her.”
“If I can’t have her, no one can.” Alan’s face was riddled with derision. “No one.”
Charlie saw his intent, and a silent prayer raced through his mind. Movement blurred as Alan leaned down to reach for the gun, pulling Kendra down with him so she was still shielding his body. Alan’s fingers gripped the weapon, and Kendra gasped as she practically fell to her knees before being jerked back up again.
Then Alan swung the weapon toward Charlie, and Charlie automatically shifted to the left. A dozen thoughts ran through his mind in that split second when he had to decide whether to retreat or shoot. His training told him to think of his own safety first, but his heart wasn’t listening. His gun was still raised, still aimed at the part of Alan’s head that was visible behind Kendra.
He knew he needed to take the shot, but the fear of missing, the possibility of ending Kendra’s life, terrified him. Then he let himself look into Kendra’s eyes, and the answers were all there. He saw the fear and a steely determination, but besides that, he saw her trust.
Kendra’s arm reached back toward the end table, just as another clear and sudden realization illuminated his mind. You can’t help her if you’re dead. The thought startled Charlie into action. He darted into the hall so he could use the wall as cover just as Alan fired his weapon. The bullet impacted in the hallway wall right behind where he had been standing.
He heard a muffled thud and quickly shifted back into the doorway, leading with his weapon. Alan was sprawled out on the floor, and Kendra was standing over him, a thick lamp i
n her hand. Alan shook his head, his left hand lifting to where Kendra had presumably struck him. Kendra took a hurried step back, but Alan managed to grip the bottom edge of her gown. The material ripped as Kendra tried to pull free, her breath coming in gasps.
Alan looked up at her, evil insanity filling his eyes. He lifted his weapon. Kendra screamed, and Charlie pulled the trigger on his gun.
* * *
Kendra sat in the padded chair in the hospital waiting room, her hands clasped together, her head bowed as she uttered yet another silent prayer. The elderly man beside her flipped the page of his hunting magazine, a teenage girl across from her stared openly at Kendra, and a thirty-something woman fiddled with her wedding ring while she kept her eyes fixed on the door.
The door opened, and the woman’s eyes brightened expectantly. Then she sighed and continued her steady stare. Kendra didn’t notice any of it. All she could think was that another woman might die because of her.
Angie Boyter had tried to stop Alan when he’d approached Kendra’s bungalow earlier that day. Her efforts had resulted in two stab wounds. One had been relatively minor: a slash across one of her arms. The other was the real concern: a knife straight to the abdomen.
Kendra started when a hand came down on her shoulder, and her eyes whipped up to see Charlie standing beside her.
“Any news?” Kendra asked, her hand instantly reaching up to cover his.
“Not yet.” Charlie glanced around the waiting room and then motioned to the door. “The nurse said she’s going to be in surgery for a while yet. Why don’t we go for a walk? You need some fresh air, and I bet you haven’t eaten since breakfast this morning.”
“I’m fine.”
“Kendra, please.” Charlie’s voice was low. “Come walk with me.”
She wavered briefly. Then Charlie linked his fingers with hers and helped her stand up.
“We won’t be gone long,” he promised as he led her to the door and out into the sterile hallway.
* * *
Charlie escorted Kendra out of the main entrance and walked down a path lined with benches. They passed by a couple talking quietly by the door, and Charlie could feel the waves of guilt rolling off Kendra. He understood the guilt. He shared it. If he hadn’t gone into the office that morning, it would have been him at the hotel room instead of Angie. He would have recognized Alan and might have been able to stop him before anyone had gotten hurt.
They continued on to the end of the path, and Charlie motioned to a bench where they could talk without the risk of being overheard. He waited for Kendra to sit before taking his place beside her. With his hand still holding hers, Charlie shifted to face her. “None of this is your fault.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do if someone else dies because of me.”
“You aren’t listening.” He reached out with his free hand and tilted her chin up so their eyes met. “This isn’t your fault.”
“Charlie, we both know that isn’t true. Angie is upstairs in surgery right now because she was trying to protect me.”
He recognized the truthfulness of her words and realized that the only way he was going to be able to help Kendra was to help himself first. “I never told you why I moved to Phoenix.”
Kendra’s eyes narrowed. “I thought FBI agents just went where they were assigned.”
“Usually, we do, but my transfer was deliberate.” He took a deep breath. “My first assignment out of the Academy was at FBI headquarters. FBI agents are usually sent somewhere new, where no one knows them, but somehow that rule was broken with me.”
“Why?”
“I’m still not exactly sure, but I’ve always suspected that someone pulled strings because of my father. Either someone thought having me around would help the FBI get what they needed from Capital Hill or someone figured they were doing Senator Whitmore a favor by keeping his son at headquarters where he would be safe.”
His shoulders lifted restlessly, and he forced himself to continue. “After almost a year of working a desk, I was finally partnered up with a guy named Brian Mueller. He was a field agent—a good one—and he took on the job of being my trainer.” The guilt sliced through him as though it had been yesterday, but he forced himself to go on. “A few months ago, we were following up on a lead. It was routine. Knock on some doors, flash our badges, and ask some questions.”
“What happened?”
Charlie let the images form and fought to keep his emotions in check. “We went into a warehouse where we suspected some contraband was being stored. Something wasn’t right from the moment we got there, and Brian called for backup. Then we heard shots fired.
“We drew our weapons, went in together, and total chaos broke loose.” A fresh wave of guilt crashed over him. “I fired a couple times, but the shooters were well covered. Then one of them worked their way up on some crates. He had me lined up in his sights, but right before he fired, Brian pushed me out of the way. He took the bullet meant for me.”
“Did he . . .” Kendra’s voice trailed off.
“No, he didn’t die.” Charlie shook his head. “But we’re still not sure if he’ll ever walk again.”
“And you feel like it’s your fault.”
“He went into the line of fire to protect the son of a senator, so yeah.” Charlie nodded. “I feel like it was my fault.”
“Maybe he was just protecting his partner,” Kendra ventured.
“Maybe, but either way, he might not walk again because he saved my life.” Charlie shrugged.
“Just like Angie was trying to save mine.”
“Exactly.”
“Does the guilt ever go away?”
“I don’t know. I hope it will.” Charlie squeezed her hand. “I pray that it will.”
“Me too.”
* * *
They had barely made it through the waiting room door when Ray approached them with a dopey grin. “Angie’s out of surgery. She did great.”
Kendra reached for Ray and gave him a hug, tears of relief in her eyes. “I’m so glad.”
“Any news about her prognosis?” Charlie asked.
“She’s going to be out of the action for a few months, but the doctor didn’t seem to think there would be any permanent damage.”
“I sure hope not,” Charlie said.
“Come on.” Ray motioned for the door. “The doctor said she’s going to be out for at least a few hours. Let’s go get something to eat, and we’ll celebrate the end of Kendra’s nightmare.”
Kendra looked from Ray to Charlie and nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a great idea.”
Chapter 34
“Kendra!” Sterling Blake rushed out his front door and scooped his daughter into his arms. “Thank God you’re safe.”
“I’m fine, Daddy.” Kendra’s arms encircled her father’s waist as she indulged in a long hug. For the first time in recent memory, she actually seemed glad to be home. She clung to him as he breathed in the familiar scent of her favorite perfume mixing with a hint of his own cologne, the same one that had been named after him. When she finally eased back, she motioned to the man who stood silently behind her. “Dad, this is Charlie Whitmore. He’s the one I told you about.”
Sterling had barely looked at the man until he noticed the easy smile his daughter sent him. In a smooth move, Sterling shifted Kendra to his side with one hand and reached out to shake Charlie’s hand with the other. “Good to meet you, Charlie.”
“You too, sir.”
“Come on inside.” Sterling started up the front steps. The moment they were through the front door, Monica came rushing toward Kendra.
“Oh, you’re home!”
Kendra was passed from father to mother, and everyone exchanged introductions once more.
Sterling led the way into the living room but didn’t bother waiting for everyone to sit down before he opened the dialogue. “Now tell me what happened in Phoenix. All I know is that someone from the FBI called and said you were safe and o
n your way home.”
“I’m the one who called,” Charlie said. He wisely chose the chair beside the couch instead of taking the spot next to Kendra. “There was an incident in Phoenix where we apprehended the man we believed to be the Malibu Stalker.”
Sterling’s eyes whipped over to look at Kendra again. She looked calm, composed, but all he could think about was that someone had tried to hurt her. Someone had gotten too close. “What happened?”
“Your daughter can share those details with you if she wants. What you really need to know now is who the stalker was.” He glanced over at Kendra, a silent signal passing between them.
Sterling lowered himself onto the loveseat beside his wife. Then Kendra reached forward and took his hand. “Daddy, it was Alan Parsons.”
“What?” Sterling and Monica said in unison.
Sterling shook his head and pulled his hand away. “That’s ridiculous! You must be mistaken.”
Charlie’s voice remained calm. “No, sir. We’re not.”
“How can you possibly think that the man who has been protecting my daughter all these years is the one who was trying to hunt her down? That’s absurd.”
“He manipulated you,” Charlie said bluntly. “He’s the one who wrote the letters, threatening Kendra when she was a teenager. He gave you a reason to need extra security, and he used the reputation of his father’s business to gain access. At first, being around her must have been enough for him, but when he was taken off her protection detail, something must have snapped.”
“I’m sorry.” Sterling pressed his fingers to his temples, and he looked at this man who had brought his daughter home, a man he had barely met. “I just don’t understand how Alan Parsons could be a serial killer.”
“He used his position in his father’s company to meet women who resembled Kendra in order to gain their trust. He had the skills necessary to bypass security systems and elude the authorities, and he also had the knowledge necessary to plant the bomb backstage at Kendra’s concert.”
“Wait a minute. He didn’t even have a backstage pass to that concert.”
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