DEFENGING THE EYEWITNESS

by Rachel Lee

  “I’m afraid,” she murmured a long time later.

  “Of what?” He ran his hand along her back reassuringly.

  “Of remembering more. That was bad enough. I don’t have to remember the murder, do I?”

  Even as the words were torn from deep within her, she knew it was a question no one could answer. She could no more stop the memories if they decided to return than prevent the amnesia after her mother’s murder had happened. Her subconscious was in control of this, had always been in control. She couldn’t flip the lever to guarantee forgetfulness any more than she could have prevented it in the first place. That single photo image that her mind had dug up had cast her back into a terror beyond description. She didn’t need any more of that. Or at least she didn’t think she did.

  “I don’t know,” Austin answered presently. “I hope not.”

  She chewed her lower lip. “But maybe I could remember something useful.”

  “I doubt it. You already told me what we suspected, about how he managed to leave no evidence behind. Since you said he was a ghost, my guess is that his face was covered, too. So what could you possibly remember? His eyes?”

  She screwed her eyes shut. “There was a screen over his eyes.”

  “Like a beekeeper suit?”

  “Yes.” Her eyes popped open. “Something like that.”

  “Okay. Corey?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t push at it. Please. I’m inclined to agree that you don’t need to remember the rest.”

  “Me, too. But I can’t seem to escape the image of him. It’s hanging there. How do I banish it?”

  He didn’t have an answer for that. Right now he was definitely feeling pretty useless. Finally, he said, “You’ve got to be exhausted. If you can sleep, sleep. It might help put some distance between you and the memory.”

  At least he hoped it would. Eventually she did fall into slumber, but he kept watch over her, anyway, alert for any sign of distress. After that blast out of nowhere, she might have nightmares.

  But eventually he slept, too.

  * * *

  When Corey opened her eyes, she found Austin propped on his elbow, watching her.

  “Feel any better?” he asked.

  It was like trying to find a sore tooth. She prodded around inside. The image of the “ghost” seemed to have receded. It was still there, but didn’t grip her as it had last night. “I think so.”

  She glanced at the clock. “Oh, man, I need to get to the shop.”

  “How about having someone run it for the day. Someone you trust?”

  “There’re so many people...”

  “Corey, do you ever get sick?”

  She sighed and turned back to him. “I’ll call Maureen. She fills in for me on occasion.”

  “Great idea.”

  “Except for one thing. This is changing the pattern you didn’t want to change.”

  “You’ve been sick before, right? Besides, I think you’re fragile today.”

  She didn’t like the idea of being fragile, but had to admit he had a point. What if she had another memory at work? She’d freak out all her customers and friends. She called Maureen, claiming she had a really bad headache. Maureen, as usual, was only too glad to fill in.

  “I ought to hire her,” Corey said as she hung up. “I’m getting to the point where I think I could afford an assistant.”

  “Tell me about her.”

  Talking about Maureen got them all the way out of bed and into the kitchen for coffee. Maureen had been a friend of the family forever, and now that she was retired she nearly lived at the shop. She taught some of the sewing and knitting classes because she enjoyed it, and participated in most of the circles. She also had four rambunctious grandchildren whom Corey adored.

  Gage called Austin before they were on their second cups of coffee, just about the time Austin was suggesting he go and pick up something from the bakery for breakfast. Corey was glad of the interruption because she didn’t want to be alone. Not at all. For some reason, that memory, abbreviated though it was, had scared her even more than the notes, and they were creepy enough.

  Maybe she was afraid that she’d remember something else, something awful, and feared that it might happen when she was all alone. Or maybe she was more afraid of that creep out there than she had thought.

  All the tough talk about dealing with him sounded like a whole bunch of bravado right now. Deal with him how? They didn’t even have a plan. Until he decided to act, there was no way to know who he was. How did you prepare for that?

  “Thanks,” Austin said into his cell phone. “Could you do me a favor and pick up some rolls or something at the bakery for our breakfast? Corey’s staying home today. I’ll explain when you get here.”

  Relief flooded her. At least for now she didn’t have to be alone. Then a thought occurred to her. “Won’t Gage coming over here let this guy know we’re worried about the notes? And that the police are involved? I thought we wanted to avoid that.”

  Austin shook his head. “There’s no perfect plan for this one. If Gage scares him off, we can’t prevent it. Somehow I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

  “Why?”

  She watched him think it over, waiting impatiently.

  When he spoke, he did so slowly. “The notes aren’t a threat per se. Not yet. Plus, it was Gage who brought me here. If he’s paying that close attention, then there’s no reason to assume Gage isn’t just dropping by to see me. If he thinks otherwise, it might push him to act quickly rather than withdraw. Whatever he’s up to, Corey, he apparently thinks it’s time to do this. If he was going to stop, why wouldn’t he have stopped when I moved in? When Gage brought me here. How would he know that wasn’t about his first note?”

  She nodded slowly. “You think he feels compelled?”

  “I’m wondering. Besides, none of it matters if he thinks he can get to you safely. And we’re going to make it look that way, aren’t we?”

  She felt her heart stop. “We are?”

  “I thought that’s what we were discussing last night. Tomorrow you go back to normal activity. Tomorrow you act like nothing’s going on. But you won’t be alone. Regardless, judging by his timing on these notes, you should get another one soon. They’ve been coming closer together.”

  “If you can judge by three notes, yes.”

  “Then if we haven’t scared him off, I think we can expect another one by the end of the week. If it doesn’t come...well, we’ll have to wait and see.”

  “I hate those words.”

  He smiled. “Most of us do.”

  Gage arrived twenty minutes later with a big bag of croissants, bagels and doughnuts. “Whatever you don’t want will make my deputies happy for the rest of the day,” he answered when Corey remarked how much he’d brought.

  She brought out plates and poured coffee, trying not to notice that her muscles pretty much felt like soft rubber. The croissant she chose and lightly buttered melted in her mouth. Gage and Austin went for the doughnuts.

  “I got the files from the Denver P.D.,” Gage said. “Everything they have, according to them. It’s way too much for me to bring over here, especially if you think there’s any chance this guy might be watching. You’ll have to come read them at my office.”

  “Did you review the documents?”

  “Last night. Nothing important that I could see. This guy was a ghost.”

  Corey dropped her croissant, and felt an icy shudder run through her.

  “What?” Gage asked.

  “Corey remembered something last night,” Austin answered. “She said a ghost killed her mother. From her description it sounded like the culprit was wearing a beekeeper suit.”

  Gage arched one eyebrow. “I’m sorry for
my choice of word, Corey.”

  She shook her head, but her mouth had gone dry and now her hands were shaking. “I don’t want to remember any more of it.”

  “Of course not,” Gage said swiftly. “Of course you don’t. There’s no need to. Some things are best forgotten. Are you okay?”

  She managed to lift her coffee without spilling it and wet her mouth. “I will be.”

  Gage hesitated, watching her, then turned to Austin. “Maybe we shouldn’t discuss this right now.”

  “No!” The word burst from Corey. “I’m right in the middle of this. How much protection does ignorance give me?”

  Neither man said anything for a couple of minutes. They waited until she was able to once again nibble at the croissant and drink her coffee. God, she hated feeling like this, as if she were in a dark tunnel surrounded by demons, unable to know which way to run.

  But even as she nearly caved to her fears, she remembered the little girl who had hidden in a closet and refused to talk for days. Was she going back to that? Did she even want to?

  “Hell, no,” she said aloud. “If this is the same creep who killed my mother, I want him caught. I don’t care what the risk is. I’m not going to let him ruin the rest of my life.”

  Coming in on the middle of her mental conversation must have surprised them, but both of them caught on quickly.

  “Well,” said Gage, “there’s one thing I can promise you. He won’t be able to run around town in a beekeeper’s suit.”

  “Which means,” Austin said, “that he’ll leave evidence.”

  “If he attacks me.” Corey could no longer even pretend that wasn’t this guy’s goal. The notes made no sense any other way.

  Silence fell again, then Austin spoke. “There’s no other way to get him.”

  “I get that. Believe me, I get that. I’ve had enough. I want this done and over with. God, I’m at risk sitting in my own house, working in my own shop, all because I don’t know who he is or what he’s planning to do. So let’s get on with it because I’m so sick of this. There’s no reason not to think he’s the man who killed my mother. No reason at all. These notes are too directed. Remember the first one? I remember you but you don’t remember me. That’s no joke. He meant it. He was there.”

  Austin nodded slowly. “That may be the most important of the notes, after all.”

  “Viewed from this perspective, I have to agree,” said Gage. “Nothing strong enough to take to the police. No evident threat. But maybe that first note said it all.”

  “I want him to pay for what he did,” Corey said. Strength had returned to her, and she stood up. “Oh, man, do I want him to pay. He killed her and locked me up in a cage of terror all these years. Living half a life. And now he thinks it’s amusing to taunt me? Scare me again? I don’t think so.”

  She faced the men. “I don’t care why he did it. All I want is to take him down. And if that means I have to wiggle like a worm on a hook and put myself in danger, then I’m damn well going to do it.”

  Austin was looking at her with something between admiration and concern. “Hold your horses there, Corey. We can’t go at this foolishly.”

  “Then give me a plan. I have had enough.”

  Chapter 12

  “The simpler the plan, the less likely it is to get screwed up,” Austin said. “We go with what we originally talked about. You and I appear to go our separate ways. Gage can’t heighten any kind of security around you because it might be noticed. No change there. I’ll have to keep a loose circle around you myself. I can do that by pretending to job hunt while you’re at work. If he was paying any attention to me at all when I first arrived, then he would have noticed I often went to Mahoney’s in the evening. I suggest that I resume that habit. I’ll look like I’m out of the picture, but I can slip out the back and start circling again. Besides, how many people can he keep an eye on at one time? He sees me go into the bar, he’ll assume I’m there for a couple of hours. I’ll arrange to do that right around your closing time.”

  Corey and Gage nodded.

  “He’s most likely to strike when you’re alone. Obviously. So let’s pinpoint the times of greatest risk.”

  “Sunday afternoon at the shop,” Corey said. “When I close up at night. Walking home late.”

  “Not so much walking home,” Gage remarked. “There are still a lot of people on the streets.”

  She nodded, thinking about it. “You’re right. I’m mostly alone in the shop on Sunday afternoon, although someone could walk in, and then again when I close in the evening. I usually spend about half an hour tidying up and taking out the trash.”

  “The alley would be a great place for him to wait,” Austin remarked. “I saw it when I took the trash out for you that one time. Be sure you don’t go out there unprepared.”

  “Should I get a gun?” she asked.

  Austin and Gage exchanged looks. “Unfortunately,” Austin said almost gently, “that makes the situation even more dangerous. You don’t want to inadvertently arm him.”

  “He’s going to come armed,” Corey said. “He stabbed my mother. That’s probably what he wants to do to me. Besides, if someone fired a gun in that alley, you could hear it all over town.”

  “People would come running,” Gage agreed. “Lots of people.” He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “I want to think some more about this. I know I can’t put any kind of watch on Corey, not officially. Hell, word would leak out. It always does. So even if he didn’t notice increased patrols, he’d probably hear about it. Damn grapevine.”

  Then he looked at Corey. “You still up on all that self-defense you studied in high school?”

  “She’s still plenty good,” Austin said. “As I learned at the gym on Sunday.”

  Gage smiled faintly. “Good.”

  “I’m going to work,” Corey announced. She was starting to feel as if she was waiting for her own execution. Maybe she was, but the only way to deal with this was to stay busy. In fact, it felt good to have the decision made, even if was only to wait for this murderer to act. Facing it all made her feel stronger than just worrying about what might be going on, what might happen.

  She really was fed up. She quickly cleaned up and changed into her work slacks and polo. When she came out, the two men were still at the table.

  Austin spoke. “We’re going to go to Gage’s office to review the file.”

  “Good idea,” she said briskly. “Let me know if you come up with any details or a better plan.”

  She stepped out the door, sewing bag in her arms, and headed for her shop. This time, though, she had one hand inside the bag and it clutched a very sharp, very strong metal knitting needle.

  There were different ways to be armed.

  * * *

  “What got into her?” Gage asked Austin as they drove toward the sheriff’s office.

  “Memory. For a while last night I was afraid it would get the better of her, but from what I’m seeing now I guess it galvanized her instead. Maybe a guy dressed like a beekeeper isn’t as frightening as not remembering him at all.”

  “Maybe. All I know is that I do not like this. Period. I would give my left arm to have a bead on the guy so she didn’t have to take this risk.”

  “I’d give more than that,” Austin replied.

  Gage shot him a sharp look. “Like that, is it?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve got a job to go back to. She’s got a life here. I just know I wouldn’t hesitate to step between her and a bullet.”

  “Whether she knows it or not, a few people around here pretty much feel the same. I just wish I knew how to put that to use.”

  “Grapevine?”

  “We put light to shame with the speed of gossip around here. And if anybody’s ever figured out how to keep a secret, I don�
�t know about it.”

  Austin laughed. “Well, you wouldn’t, if they kept a secret. But I get your drift.”

  * * *

  He thought of himself as a Righteous Man, devoted to fighting the worst of sins, saving his community from moral pollution. Since no one else would do it, the task fell squarely on his shoulders. Not that he minded.

  The time was approaching to cleanse the town. His neighbors were good people, and didn’t deserve to have to live with a pervert among them. Their children didn’t deserve to be exposed.

  Not much longer now.

  Briefly, that morning, he thought there might be a hitch, a need to delay. The sheriff had gone to her house. Was the law worried about his little notes? He was sure he hadn’t written anything to worry them. Worry her, yes, but not them. The notes looked like a prank. A little nastiness that had no meaning.

  He’d been very careful about that. But she knew who she was, she knew her own perversion, and her fear must be growing.

  If the sheriff was worried, though, he could wait a while. He could always wait if necessary. He was the arrow in the bow, ready, but until he unleashed himself, nothing need happen.

  He saw Corey come out and walk to work as she always did. Alone. The others didn’t come with her. A short while later the sheriff and his friend came out and headed downtown. He saw them laugh together in the car.

  So it was all right. It would happen.

  Back at home, he debated about the last note. He had intended to send it today or tomorrow, to put the last shaft of terror into her heart. But maybe it would give away too much. She would know why he had come for her. He could tell her.

  Maybe the note would have more impact if it arrived after she was dead. Then the whole town would talk about it and understand they had a protector.

  He studied the words on his screen. She deserved it. So do you.

  Maybe something a little stronger, if it was going to arrive after she died. Something clearer. Certainly the way it read now might be enough to get the sheriff’s attention.