Gwen was shocked by the calm in Andi’s voice. It was as if she had been preparing for this moment for years, and now that the time had come she knew exactly what needed to be done.
“You should go somewhere safe, Gwen. James doesn’t know about you, and you’ll be safe if you’re not with me. I don’t think he saw you in the courtroom, and if he did he won’t realize who you are to me. He won’t know your name, he won’t be after you.”
Gwen froze at the words. “No. That’s not what we agreed to last night. I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever.”
Gwen saw Andi’s resolve break, and tears flooded her lover’s eyes.
Andi nodded. “I can’t ask you to stay, but I promise I won’t ask you to leave.”
Gwen crossed the room and took Andi in her arms. “We’re going to get through this, Andi. We’re going to get through this together.”
*
“It’s been three days. Why haven’t we heard anything?” Gwen asked, directing her question to no one in particular as she paced the floor.
They had been at Andi’s house since the call about the escape, and there had been no news despite Mel’s law-enforcement contacts. There had been no sign of Kevin James since he had escaped a medical transport to the psychiatric facility where he was to undergo more extensive treatment after reportedly attempting suicide following the hearing, and experiencing apparent hallucinations. The only information they had was that there had been some sort of accident. An officer involved in the transport said they’d crashed when a truck had crossed in front of the transport van, pushing them off the road, causing the van to flip. Someone had pulled everyone from the vehicle and put James in the truck and called an ambulance for the officers before leaving with James. The truck the officer identified had been ditched a few miles farther down the road, and there had been no sightings since.
Melissa’s hands were clenched into fists and a muscle jumped in her jaw. Her anger was almost palpable and the tension was beginning to wear on everyone. “I don’t know. This is driving me crazy. We don’t even know what to expect. I mean, if James has someone working with him, why did they wait so long? They could have come after us anytime they wanted and we wouldn’t have seen it coming.”
Andi sat staring out the window at a cardinal that had perched on the telephone wire outside and was trilling its song with confident pride. The contrast of the peaceful melody and the conversation in the room was like mixing oil and water. She turned to Jimmy. “Something doesn’t fit,” Andi said quietly.
Everyone’s attention was instantly fixed on her.
Jimmy lowered the paper she had been reading. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t think this person was working with James.”
“What? Of course they are. How else do you explain it? Even the staged car accident was the same as last time,” Melissa said harshly.
“Think about it, Mel. There is no way James would alert authorities to his escape by calling an ambulance. He would want to get as far away as possible as fast as possible. It doesn’t fit. James wouldn’t care what happened to those officers. He would only be looking out for himself.”
Melissa rubbed her face with both hands. “We didn’t think Curtis Boyd had help either. Come on, Andi, we knew there had to be more people involved in the child porn ring. We didn’t know about James back then, and we don’t know who his contacts are now. This is just one more sick bastard who’s been hiding in the wind, waiting for his chance to get James out.”
“Maybe,” Andi sighed and went back to staring out the window. The cardinal was gone now and she was saddened by its absence. She returned her focus to the room.
Jimmy leaned forward in her chair. “According to the prison records, James hasn’t had a single phone call or visitor since his imprisonment, aside from his attorney of course. We know he smuggled out letters to Andi since being there, so maybe he was communicating with someone else the same way.”
Something seemed to click in Melissa’s thoughts and her expression grew pensive. “But James didn’t know he would be transferred to a psych unit, and even if he did, there wasn’t enough time for him to set this up by sneaking letters out.” She turned to the group, her eyes wide with understanding. “James was a cop. He might have someone on the inside. Someone working for the prison must be involved.”
“Or,” Jimmy added calmly, “James orchestrated the suicide attempt and the hallucinations to make sure he was transferred.”
Andi didn’t respond to the new theories.
Gwen crossed the room and placed her hand on Andi’s shoulder. “Andi, you okay?”
Andi covered Gwen’s hand with her own. Pain settled deeper in her heart. How had she allowed this evil to come into Gwen’s world? She had promised not to send Gwen away, but now she didn’t see any other way.
As if reading Andi’s mind, Gwen leaned down and kissed her cheek. Gwen brushed her lips against Andi’s ear and whispered so low no one else could hear, “I’m not leaving, so you can just get that thought right out of your head.”
Andi shifted so she could look into Gwen’s eyes, preparing her argument, but her words fell short when she saw the set of Gwen’s jaw and her determined gaze. The corners of her mouth lifted in a faint grin. She knew it wouldn’t do her any good to try to send Gwen away. They were a part of each other now. She would just have to make sure nothing went wrong this time. She knew that this time, she wouldn’t hold back when faced with the choice to pull the trigger. She would do whatever it took to keep Gwen safe.
*
Gwen bustled through the door, her arms full of groceries and a stack of mail. One of the Norris deputies had escorted her around town so she could check on Andi’s store, do some shopping, check the mail, and make a quick stop by her house for her laptop, so she could work while at Andi’s.
She found the rest of the group in the kitchen, helping Andi bake dog treats. The house smelled like peanut-butter cookies. In that moment no one would have guessed they were basically prisoners in the house, waiting for a storm to hit.
“Mission accomplished,” she said, piling the bags on the kitchen counter.
She saw Andi sigh as she stepped into the room. Her eyes looked strained with worry. She knew it had been hard for Andi to let her go out, not knowing if Kevin James was just waiting for an opportunity to strike. She brushed a kiss across Andi’s lips.
“I see you three have been busy while I was out.” Andi had flour on her cheek and Melissa was up to her elbows in dough. Jimmy’s job seemed to be decorator, since she was methodically using a small stamp to press hearts into each cookie before Andi placed them into the oven.
Gwen quirked a smile at Jimmy. “Nice.”
“Shut up.”
Gwen laughed. “I don’t know, Jimmy, maybe you should think of giving up the courtroom for a kitchen. You look good in that apron.” She ducked as Jimmy chucked a misshapen ball of excess dough at her.
“All right you two, cut it out. Gwen, you can take over with the cookie cutter.” Andi pointed to a sheet of freshly pressed dough.
“Uh…I have some work to catch up on. I think I’ll leave the baking to the pros. Keep up the good work there, Jimmy.”
Over the last few days, she and Jimmy had developed a unique bond and had turned to playful jokes and pranks to ease some of the tension. They understood each other. They were both trying to protect the women they loved and were trying to keep their own fear and worry from showing.
“How were things at the shop? Was Morgan doing okay?” Andi asked.
Gwen shuffled through the stack of mail that had accumulated over the week. “No problem. I got to see Zeek while I was there too. Morgan has been bringing her to work, and she seemed to be settled into her new job as shop dog.” Gwen slid a pile of mail to Andi. “I already tossed the sales ads and other junk. This is your pile.”
Andi groaned, digging into the stack of bills, notices, and pet-supply catalogs. A small white envelope caught her eye,
and she decided to open it first. She didn’t usually receive personal cards or letters, and this was obviously not a bill or business correspondence. The address had been typed and there was no return address. The postmark indicated the letter had been mailed here in town, and Andi thought it was probably from one of her clients.
She slid a finger beneath the flap, tearing the envelope along its edge. Inside she found a small folded piece of paper. Her skin tingled as the faint scent of sandalwood brushed across her memory. Perplexed, Andi drew the paper to her face and sniffed. The scent was unmistakable, but what did it mean? She opened the paper and read the words printed inside, and her breath caught.
“What is it?”
“Nothing,” Andi said stuffing the note back into the envelope. “Just a paper cut.”
When everyone returned to what they were doing, Andi went back to the note. In small, typed letters it said, I made it right. Forgive me. There was no signature. Andi swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. What could this mean? There was only one person that she associated with that scent, and she couldn’t think of any reason she would be in touch now, or what the words could possibly mean.
Andi felt the blood drain from her face, but a small thrill of hope blossomed in her stomach and she flinched, shocked by her callousness. If her theory was right, Kevin James wouldn’t be coming for her. But how was this possible? Why now?
Andi folded the piece of paper and stuffed it back into the envelope and put it into her back pocket. She went through the remaining mail as if nothing was bothering her and hoped no one had noticed her sudden change in mood. She couldn’t stop thinking about the note and what it might mean. She thought she knew who had sent it, and if she was right, everything she thought she knew about her past was wrong.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Andi sat in the darkness of her bedroom, listening to the sounds of the night through her window. She longed to be outside so she could watch the starlight glisten off the water of the pool and listen to the unobstructed call of crickets and other nocturnal critters. Being cooped up inside was beginning to wear on her. She felt as if the air was growing stale and the walls were closing in around her.
She thought back on the sound of the heavy metal doors slamming shut behind her as she entered the prison. She knew what it must have been like for Kevin James to spend years in a cell locked behind prison walls. She pulled the small envelope from her pocket and held it to her face. There it was. Sandalwood. She had thought she had been mistaken, but now she had very little doubt who had sent the note. Oh God, J.C. What have you done?
Gwen cleared her throat as she came into the room. “I left Melissa and Jimmy watching a movie. I hoped we could have some time to talk.” Gwen sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her hands against her thighs. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on? You’ve been quiet all evening and I can tell something’s bothering you.”
Andi stuffed the envelope back into her pocket and watched Gwen. Andi pressed her head against the back of the chair and sighed. “I’m just going a little stir crazy. I can’t stand being shut up like this.”
Gwen nodded. “I know. I thought maybe there was something I could do to take your mind off things for a little while.” Gwen grinned mischievously at Andi and patted her hand on the bed.
Andi laughed. “That might work,” she said, letting her worry slip aside for a moment to breathe in the simple joy of having Gwen close. She stood and went to Gwen, pushing her down onto the bed. She stretched her body out along Gwen’s and wrapped her arms around her, nestling her face against Gwen’s neck.
Gwen wrapped her arms around Andi and pulled her tight against her. She stroked Andi’s face with the tips of her fingers. “The thought of someone out there wanting to hurt you is driving me crazy. I just want to do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”
Andi could hear the worry and strain in Gwen’s voice, and she wanted to reassure her. She wanted to believe the nightmare was over, but she couldn’t dare share that with Gwen until she knew more. Andi brushed her fingers through Gwen’s hair and closed her eyes. “I know, baby. Me too.”
*
Andi saw Melissa jump when the phone attached to her hip began to vibrate. She grabbed the device, glancing at the screen before answering.
“Officer Stuart speaking.”
Jimmy muted the television and watched and listened, leaning on the edge of her seat.
“Yes, sir.” Melissa’s back was stiff as she listened intently to the voice on the other end of the line. “Has that been confirmed, sir?” Melissa began to pace the floor. “I understand, sir. We’ll be waiting.”
Melissa’s shoulders seemed to collapse in on her chest as she ended the call. She looked at Jimmy and then Andi in disbelief.
“What? Did they get James?” Andi asked. The anticipation and dread had been driving her crazy and she was desperate for news.
“Maybe.” Melissa looked up, her eyes wide. “You need to get Gwen.”
“I’m here—I heard the phone,” Gwen said, and she huddled with Andi in an oversized chair.
Melissa paced the floor and held on to her phone as if it were a lifeline. “The chief of police just called. They think they have James.”
“What do you mean they think they have him?” Jimmy said, standing and going to Melissa.
Andi sat unmoving. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, and her palms were sweating. Dear God, let him be dead.
Gwen’s gaze was riveted on Melissa, the desperate gleam of hope making her brilliant blue eyes sparkle.
“They received an anonymous tip this afternoon. The caller claimed to know the location where Kevin James was supposed to be hiding. Evidently this place is deep in the backwoods and was difficult to locate. When they got there, they found a body. They think it’s James, but that isn’t clear. The chief didn’t go into detail, but he said he’d let us know as soon as something was confirmed.”
Jimmy slipped her arms around Melissa’s shoulders, drew her to her chest, and brushed a kiss to the top of her head. “Come on, sweetheart, you need to sit down, you’re shaking.”
Melissa met Andi’s eyes across the room. Andi held her gaze with understanding. They had come so far from where this had all started. She watched Jimmy stroke Mel’s hair, her arm wrapped protectively around her shoulder. She was happy to see her friend allowing herself to be comforted. Andi let her gaze shift from Melissa to Jimmy, and then to Gwen. Despite the fear, heartache, and pain, she was forever grateful for the women in this room. This was her family now, and no matter how things turned out, she knew they would be okay.
Andi closed her eyes to the gentle touch of Gwen’s fingers in her hair. She could hardly bear the waiting. It seemed her life had been filled with waiting. Her memory flashed to her childhood, to a time when she was a little girl standing outside the school watching the cars moving forward, picking up the other kids and whisking them away, until finally she was the only one left. No one had come for her. Her parents were gone. She thought of all the times she had packed her things into trash bags and waited to be escorted to yet another home, another place where no one understood her silence. Then she thought of the endless days she had spent in her apartment waiting for Curtis Boyd to come after her, the hours waiting for him and Kevin James to kill her, the endless days of the trial, and the timeless years waiting for James to get out of prison and come for her again.
All this time, and she was still waiting. But this time she was waiting for the news that would tell her she was free. It seemed that was what her life had added up to, waiting to be free to live her life, waiting to be happy.
In a hoarse whisper, Andi spoke, her words directed to Melissa. “Do you think it’s him?”
Melissa met her eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know. The chief wouldn’t give any details over the phone, but his voice sounded like he thought it was James.”
Andi nodded. She hiked her leg over Gwen’s lap and curled her body around Gwen’s. Th
e rhythmic thud of Gwen’s heart was like a beacon keeping her on course, reassuring her that she was safe and loved. The faint memory of sandalwood tickled her thoughts, and she closed her eyes against what she thought she already knew. If she was right, Kevin James was dead, and she knew who was responsible. The question needling her now was what would she do about it.
*
It was the middle of the night before they received the news they were waiting for. Andi gripped Gwen’s hand waiting for the final word that it was over as she watched Melissa answer the phone.
Melissa put her phone on the table and faced Andi. Her expression was unreadable, as if she didn’t know how to feel. “They found him. The place had been torched and they found the body in the debris. It isn’t clear right now if the fire was intentionally set or accidental. There were items found at the location to suggest the cabin was used for the manufacture of methamphetamine. It’s possible James accidently set off some of the highly combustible chemicals. The important thing is that they confirmed it’s him.”
Jimmy grabbed Melissa in a hug. “Oh, thank God.”
Gwen was silent and Andi could feel her watching her.
Everything she learned just solidified her belief that someone had done her a grave favor. As much as she had wanted Kevin James dead, she always thought it would come down to a battle between James and herself. Killing Curtis Boyd had been an accident, a fluke, a one in a million shot, and she was still uncertain how she should feel about what she had done. She knew what it would cost her to take a life intentionally, and she couldn’t imagine anyone paying that price for her.
Jimmy was the one to ask the one lingering question. “Any leads on the person who helped him escape?”
“Nothing much. We’re lucky to have anything at all. The two officers that were injured in the crash can’t remember anything about the person who pulled them out of the van. Hell, they barely even remember being on the transport. They were given tox screens at the hospital and both tested positive to Rohypnol. It appears they were injected with the drug on the scene. If they saw anything, they don’t remember it.”
No Boundaries Page 23