“So what did he say?”
“He said he warned me before, and that if I don’t back off, I’m next.”
The fire turned to cold fury, lacing his words with flint. “Anything else?”
“He said he knows where I live.”
He clenched his fists, fighting for control. When he finally allowed himself to speak, the words came out sharper than he intended. “Are you ready now to go stay with your mom?”
She crossed her arms in a gesture of stubbornness. “I’d rather fight fire-breathing dragons.”
“Then stay with me. I have a guest room.”
“Look, he doesn’t know where I live. He’s bluffing.”
“Then how did he get your phone number?”
“The flyers we passed out. They’ve got my name and cell number at the bottom.”
He sucked in a stabilizing breath. What she said made sense. But still…
“Please go stay with someone.” He reached out to squeeze her shoulder. “Don’t take unnecessary chances. You don’t have anything to prove.”
She jerked away from him. “Is that what you think, that I’m trying to prove something? Look, Alan, this is my job. There’s risk. As a police officer yourself, you should understand it better than anyone.”
He did understand. He took those risks, too. But watching the woman he loved put herself in danger was a different story. “I’m just worried about you.”
“I appreciate that. But I’m well trained and I’m careful. You’re going to have to trust me.” She uncrossed her arms and let her hands lie in her lap. When she looked back up at him, her eyes were filled with sadness. “If you can’t cope with what I do, then maybe we need to end this right here.”
Pain stabbed through him at her words. No, he couldn’t lose her again. He would do whatever it took to make it work.
He reached out to cup her cheek. “I walked away once. I’m not making that mistake again.”
She put her hand over his and closed her eyes. “You’re not the only one who walked away.”
No, they had both made mistakes. But now they were being given a second chance. He just had to come to grips with the dangers she faced every day and the fact that he wouldn’t always be there to protect her.
He heaved a sigh of resignation.
Things were much simpler when she was just a business major.
*
Lexi walked toward the briefing room feeling almost weightless. Life was good. She had spent most of her weekend with Alan, each hour reminding her of all the reasons she had fallen in love with him to begin with. He even seemed to be coming to terms with the danger inherent in her job.
If all that wasn’t reason enough to celebrate, yesterday evening after Alan left, she had made some more phone calls and hit the jackpot. One of Lysandra’s sorority sisters had photos. Lots of them. Tonight she was tied up, but promised that tomorrow night she would be happy to pull out every album she possessed.
Lexi released a contented sigh. With actual photos to circulate, it would only be a matter of time until someone recognized the killer and called in a tip. They were so close.
Yes, life was good. Gratitude swelled inside and she sent a silent thank-you heavenward. Alan was rubbing off on her. And that wasn’t a bad thing. After all, she had spent so many years blaming God for the bad things in her life that it was only fair to credit Him with the good. That didn’t mean she was ready to go all religious. She knew the way. She had attended church enough times as a child. But she didn’t commit to something until she was ready.
She headed down the hall and several detectives filed into the briefing room ahead of her, Greg among them. Maybe she would suggest that Tomlinson let him accompany whoever Kaminski sent on the visit tomorrow night. She remembered what it was like being brand-new, longing to prove herself. Greg so wanted to catch this guy. Being part of the final interview that would bring him down would mean a lot.
She walked into the room and took a seat next to Kaminski. She hadn’t had a chance yet to bring him up to speed on what she had learned last night. Other than a brief, excited call to Alan, she hadn’t told anyone, even Tomlinson.
The sergeant took his place at the front of the room and delivered a quick rundown of the events of the past few days. Finally he stepped out from behind the podium and addressed Kaminski. “Anything new to report on your end?”
Kaminski shifted in the chair next to her. “Nothing new since last week. We pursued a couple of leads that turned out to be dead ends.”
“Simmons, what about you? Any luck locating those roommates?”
“Actually, yes, last night. I haven’t even had a chance to fill Kaminski in on it yet.” She flashed the detective next to her an apologetic smile. It wasn’t necessary. Secure in his years of service to the department, he didn’t view her as competition. They were working toward the same end.
“I made contact with Ashley Rittman. Talked to her for quite a while. She had some pretty interesting stories. She and her sisters always looked for some incoming freshman who had gullible written all over him, and then they went to work scheming. She remembers all these guys.”
Lexi leaned forward and continued, excitement in her tone. “She’s got photos, lots of them. All the guys they played tricks on. She doesn’t specifically remember the name Gary. She says she’s terrible with names. But the pink tutu was unforgettable.”
Some snickers rippled through the room and one of the detectives gave a grunt of protest. “We’re hunting for guys in ski masks and hoodies while you’re chasing nut jobs in tutus. You Homicide people get to have all the fun.”
She ignored the ribbing and continued, “She’s got great shots of all these guys. As far as I’m concerned, every one of them is a suspect. But based on what Lysandra said, I’m putting this Gary character at the top of my list. I’m meeting with Ashley tomorrow night. She lives way down in Bonita Springs, but something tells me it’s going to be worth the drive.”
Tomlinson nodded. “Good job, Simmons.”
When he dismissed everyone, Greg held back. After everyone except Tomlinson had filed out, Greg approached her.
“Congratulations. It sounds like you’ve made a breakthrough.”
“That’s what I’m hoping. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow night.”
“Would you like company?”
“Actually, I won’t be going.” She glanced at Tomlinson but knew better than to even ask. “You still might be able to tag along with whoever does, though. What do you think, Sarge?”
“I’ll talk to Kaminski, since he’s in charge. But I don’t see a problem with it.”
Greg crossed his arms, taking a firm stance. “I think you should do this last interview.” He shifted his gaze to Tomlinson. “This is our big break, and Lexi’s been with this thing from the beginning. It seems only fair.”
Tomlinson fixed narrowed eyes on her. “Did you put him up to this?”
Greg spoke before she had a chance to respond. “No, she didn’t. I’m sticking up for her on my own. She’s been awesome to work with. She’s a good detective and a great mentor.”
She offered him an appreciative smile, tamping down a twinge of guilt over the mental grumbling she had done when Tomlinson had first paired her with him. Not that she expected it to do any good, but it was nice of him to go to bat for her.
Tomlinson shook his head. “Greg, you can go, but Lexi stays. Until this guy is locked away, she remains behind the scenes.”
Greg nodded. “All right. But if you’ll consider changing your mind, I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.”
When she walked from the room, Greg followed. Within moments, he was next to her.
“Thanks for suggesting that I go along.”
She dipped her head. “And thanks for sticking up for me.”
“I hope Tomlinson reconsiders. But whoever talks to the girl, I’ll be happy to chauffeur. In fact, give me the address, and I’ll have it all programmed into my GPS.
”
She made her way down the hall with a spring in her step. She couldn’t help but feel the same excitement, regardless of who got to do the final interviews and eventually bring in the killer. After six long months, it was almost over.
“Follow me to my desk and I’ll copy it down for you.”
He walked through her cubicle opening and waited while she retrieved a pen and paper. “I’m as anxious to see those pictures as you are. We’re finally ready to bring this guy to justice.” He flashed her an easy smile. “After all, that’s what this job is all about, isn’t it? Justice.”
*
Lexi slouched against the back of the couch, feet propped on the coffee table and a distorted image frozen on the television screen. She had been half through her movie when Alan phoned. If he had a reason for calling, he hadn’t told her yet what it was. So far, it had all been small talk.
“I miss you.”
The lost-puppy-dog tone made her smile. “We were just together yesterday.”
“That was yesterday. This is today. After three straight days of seeing you, I think I’m going through withdrawal.”
“You know, you’re getting dangerously close to pathetic territory.”
“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m crazy about you.”
“You know what? I’m glad…even if you are pathetic.” As much as she teased him, she had been pretty pathetic all day herself.
“So what are you up to other than watching a movie, which I so rudely interrupted?”
“Tonight, that’s it. Then tomorrow night, there’s a slim chance that I’ll be going to see Ashley Rittman.”
“A slim chance?”
“More like microscopic. Greg is trying to talk Tomlinson into letting me go talk to her. I suggested that, whoever does it, Tomlinson let Greg go along. He seems like he wants to solve this thing as badly as I do.” She sighed and switched the phone to her other ear. “He was so convinced the killer was Wendell Moorehead that he was ready to go after him full-bore. His enthusiasm and determination are definitely there. He just needs a little direction.”
“Well, if anyone can give it to him, you can.”
The doorbell rang, cutting off her response. A hollow coldness spread throughout her body, holding her frozen in the chair as surely as if she had been bound. Despite the presence of all three of her cats, her solitude was more pronounced than ever.
“Was that the doorbell I just heard?” The fear in Alan’s voice reflected her own.
“Yeah.”
“Don’t open the door. Call 9-1-1. I’ll be there as fast as I can. Whatever you do, don’t open the door.”
She swallowed hard and pushed her body into gear. It could be a neighbor needing to borrow something. She glanced at her watch. At ten o’clock at night? Not likely.
“I need to at least look through the peephole before I get the police out here.”
“Just call 9-1-1.” His tone was filled with urgency. “In view of the threats you’ve gotten, you shouldn’t go anywhere near that door.”
“If it’s the killer, he’s not going to shoot me through the door. That’s not his M.O.” She stepped into the entry and moved slowly toward the door, then dropped her voice to a whisper. “Stay on the phone with me.”
She moved closer. Six feet to go. He was just on the other side of the door. But he wouldn’t know she was there. The porch light was on and the entry light was off.
Four feet. Shooting through the door wasn’t his M.O. But she wasn’t just another potential victim. She had been warned. Would he shoot her just to get her out of the way?
Two feet. The bell rang again and she stifled a startled shriek. Her hand went to her chest and she willed her heart rate to slow.
She took another step and leaned in toward the door. Peepholes were one way. And with the light off inside, there wouldn’t even be a shadow. She pressed her face to the door.
No police uniform.
Relief washed over her and her gaze swept upward to his face.
“Oh, it’s just Greg.” The last of the tension fled her body.
“Why would Greg show up on your doorstep at ten o’clock at night?” Her relief obviously didn’t transfer to Alan. Suspicion was heavy in his tone.
“Maybe Tomlinson gave in.”
“He could call to tell you that.”
“Maybe he wanted to tell me in person. I mean, I wouldn’t think anything of you showing up at ten at night.”
“That’s different.”
“Trust me. If he has anything in mind other than the case, he’ll find out really fast that I’m taken.” The possibility that he was there for any kind of romantic purpose was highly unlikely. He had made it clear that he was quite happy just him and his dog. Alan had nothing to worry about.
“I’ll call you back.” She disconnected the call before he could protest further and slid the phone into her back pocket. Alan would just have to stew for a few minutes. Whatever Greg’s reason for coming, he wouldn’t be there long.
She opened the door about twelve inches. Greg stood on her porch, a Jeep in the driveway behind him.
“You are here.” The smile he gave her didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I was beginning to wonder if you were home. Can I come in?”
A wave of uneasiness swept over her and she wasn’t sure why. She should probably have grabbed her weapon. No, that was ridiculous. He was a fellow detective.
“It’s pretty late. What did you need?”
“I had some things to talk to you about, things related to the case.”
Her gaze swept over him and her uneasiness intensified. He was turned just enough so she couldn’t see his right hand.
“How about if we discuss this tomorrow?”
“I was really hoping to talk to you tonight.”
He took a step closer and she tried to slam the door. Just shy of closing, it suddenly exploded inward. A scream rose in her throat but never made it to her mouth. With lightning speed, Greg burst through the opening, spun her against him and pressed something over her face.
A sweet-smelling white cloth.
Panic careened through her system and her pulse jumped to double time, pounding out its erratic rhythm.
Greg was the killer.
How could she have missed that?
She clasped her hands and thrust her arms out and up, breaking his hold. In one smooth motion she spun and kneed him in the groin.
She didn’t wait to assess the damage. A grunt and a muttered curse followed her as she flew into the living room. He should have known better than to accost a woman trained in self-defense. His other victims would have panicked and pulled on his hands, struggling unsuccessfully to loosen bands of steel. But she knew better. She wouldn’t try to use sheer strength against someone eight inches taller and a hundred pounds heavier.
Now if she could just reach the back door.
The vase in the entry crashed to the tile floor and heavy footsteps pounded behind her. The next second, rough hands against her shoulder blades sent her hurtling forward, facedown on the carpet. Before she knew what had happened, he had flipped her onto her back and straddled her, arms pinned beneath his knees. The cloth once again came down across her face, and no matter how she bucked and twisted, she couldn’t break free.
She held her breath, still fighting with every ounce of strength she had left. If she could just throw him off her, she would stand a chance. Not a big one, but more than she would pinned to the floor. But he was too strong and too heavy.
Her lungs burned, the urge to inhale overshadowing all else, until she finally gulped in those coveted breaths of air. But they were tainted. Sickeningly sweet. The room seemed to stretch and blur, shifting slowly to one side, then the other, as Greg’s face came in and out of focus.
Suki watched from the end of the hall. Lexi couldn’t see her, but she could hear her, yowling in the low, plaintive cry of the Siamese. Midnight and Itsy were probably hiding. What would happen to them when she was gone? Her
mother was too selfish to care for anyone but herself. Maybe Alan would take them.
She should have listened to him. All the times he’d pleaded with her to stay somewhere else and she’d stubbornly refused. Now what he feared most was coming to pass. He would be devastated. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I love you.
The grogginess intensified and the cat’s cries grew farther and farther away. Nausea swept over her, wave after wave, until she would almost welcome the sweet comfort of oblivion.
Her eyes no longer wanted to stay open. The room faded into the distance. And so did Greg. He was wearing a grimace. Or maybe it was a smile. She wasn’t sure.
Her eyes drifted shut and refused to open.
SIXTEEN
Alan sat in his recliner clicking through the channels. The thought of Greg being with Lexi shouldn’t bother him. But it did. What business did he have showing up at her house at ten o’clock at night? Sure, they worked together. But something about it just didn’t sit right with him.
Maybe if he knew the guy, it would be different. But he had never met him. He was just a name, a faceless man in a uniform.
And he was alone with Lexi. At her house. Late at night.
He laid down the remote and picked up his phone. After staring at the screen for several moments, he put it back on the end table.
No, she’d said she would call as soon as Greg left. It had only been ten minutes. If he called her back now, he would come across as a jealous boyfriend.
But he couldn’t shake the dread that had blanketed him the moment he’d heard the ring of her doorbell through the phone. Lord, please protect her. Help me to put her in Your hands and leave her there.
He tipped back his head and closed his eyes, willing himself to relax. When that didn’t work, he once again picked up the remote. If nothing sparked his interest during ten minutes of channel surfing, it probably wouldn’t now, either. But at least it gave him something to do.
But it wasn’t enough. He pushed himself up from the chair and started to pace. She should have called by now, if to say nothing more than that everything was fine and she and Greg were having a powwow. She knew how concerned he was. The least she could do was call.
Love Inspired Suspense June 2014 Bundle 2 of 2: Forced AllianceOut for JusticeNo Place to Run Page 38