by Mayer, Dale
Keeping a sharp eye on John's face, Kevin continued, "There is a strong possibility that the body we found in the city gardens could be your daughter. We'll need DNA tests to confirm."
"What?" John lurched forward before falling back into his chair. The color drained from his face. "That's not possible. I told you she was buried in the family plot in California. We actually gave her Glen's burial plot because he was here."
"And now she's probably here." Kevin studied John's face. There's no way John could have faked this response. He hadn't known. The man was shocked and devastated.
"I can't believe it. No one even knew about her. Who could possibly have dragged her from her resting place to dump her alone in the gardens?" He raised a trembling hand to his forehead. "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it."
"I need to ask for a DNA sample in order to confirm her identity as your daughter. She was found wearing the remnants of a dress with the letter M embroidered on the collar."
John shuddered. "Yes, of course. Anything you need."
"We're also going to need to talk to everyone in your family, particularly Charles." Kevin studied the older man. "We're picking him up now." He doubted that Charles had the wherewithal to be a killer. He wasn't the kind to get his hands dirty. Blackmail. Yes. Murder. No. But then how well did anyone know Charles these days?
A grave robber? Who knew?
John nodded. He opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated. In an almost pleading voice, he said, "I would like to keep Sandra out of this. She's not been very good lately."
"Sorry, John. That's no longer possible."
***
Alexis hoped Kevin and the mayor wouldn't be much longer. Even as the thoughts whirled around in her head, the door opened and John shuffled out. Dear God, what had happened in there? John looked like he'd aged fifty years and Kevin – well, he looked like the cold, detached detective she'd first met at the park.
Alexis waited until Kevin looked around for her, before getting up and walking over.
"Are you okay?" she asked in concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine. This morning is shaping up to be hell. Are you sure you want to stay?"
"I called Scott. He's rescuing me from the office for the morning. We're going to head to one of the parks."
"As long as you stay with him." Kevin had already returned to his desk to collect some papers.
Alexis quietly withdrew. He needed space and she needed freedom.
Ten minutes later, she stood inside the station entrance waiting for Scott to pick her up. She hoped to be gone before the officers returned with Charles. The thought of seeing him made her skin crawl.
"Hallo, beauty. Waiting for a ride are ya? Well, git in." Scott's cheery grin poked through the passenger window as he pulled up beside her.
Thank goodness for friends. Alexis hopped in. Within minutes, they were heading to his favorite coffee shop, and then on to their gardens.
"How was Moira when you left?"
"Ach, she was fine. Said she'd check in on your friend as soon as she arrived at work."
"Good." Kevin had called the hospital that morning, but there was no change. Alexis couldn't help but wonder if more was going on there than anyone knew. Determinedly, she shrugged off the negative thinking. Stefan would be fine. She refused to contemplate any other option.
For the next couple of hours, they lost themselves in the gardens. The place was deserted and there was a nice light breeze to combat the sultry heat. Alexis worked tirelessly, enjoying the return to a normal day.
Scott's phone rang. He checked the number and handed it over to her.
"I've been trying to reach you, but only got your voice mail," Kevin said. Alexis detected a fine tremor of tension threading though his voice. At his words, she dug into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Shit. She'd accidentally shut it off. Probably while it was in her pocket.
"Sorry. My phone was turned off. What's going on? Did Charles come in for questioning?"
"Hell, yes. He's definitely the blackmailer, but he's adamant about his father's guilt over his sister's death. This is going to get pretty ugly."
"Could he have anything to do with Daisy's death?" Alexis waited for Kevin's answer, uncertain about the odd energy she sensed, surrounding him.
"Not likely. He'd have been pretty young. We've confirmed Charles whereabouts at the most crucial times in regards to the kidnapping and Mandy's murder. But we have more to look into."
Alexis winced. She wouldn't want that job. At the prolonged silence on the other end, she felt her bottom drop out of her stomach. She asked, "Do you think, intuitively, that Charles is the murderer?"
"I don't know." Kevin spoke slowly and thoughtfully. "I can't read him. I get a black wall that seems impenetrable."
Alexis had just about rung off when a thought occurred. "Kevin, I need to ask. What was Daisy's real name?" In the background, she could hear papers being moved as if he were searching.
"It's here somewhere." Another pause as he read quickly, "Marie Leanne Prescott."
"Marie. Interesting."
"But also quite common," Kevin pointed out. "I have to go."
"Wait. I know this isn't a question you want to hear, but I wondered if it is possible to contact Mandy?" She bit her lip wondering if she'd gone too far.
Kevin spoke with great difficulty. "As far as we know, a person who has recently crossed over can't communicate right away. There's a period of adjustment required."
That made sense, sort of.
"Would Lissa be able to communicate with her?"
"There's a slim possibility, but apparently they can't direct their focus over there like we do here."
Alexis didn't know what else to say. They were playing a waiting game. Only it was a game in which one person seemed to make up all the rules.
***
Charles walked out of the police station smiling, Daddy's pet lawyer at his side. He'd given his statement. His father had, of course, refused to press blackmail charges in order to keep his only child out of jail, and out of the news. Charles had also freely admitted to pressuring Arnie to give up any information to help convict his father. Of course the District Attorney said they'd be filing charges for blackmailing a police officer. Charles would let the lawyers battle that out.
The police were idiots. What would it take for them to focus on his father? His dad didn't deserve to live after what he'd done to Daisy. It had taken a long time, but Charles believed punishment day had finally come.
His mom wouldn't understand. She didn't seem to be all there, even with the latest round of drugs – something else he could blame his father for. Rather than outright murdering her, he'd chosen to kill her slowly with medications.
At his car, Charles opened the front door and sat inside for a moment before starting the engine. Even as he smiled grimly in the rear view mirror, a shadow crossed his face.
He frowned. That shadow had been there for as long as he could remember. He didn't know when he first noticed it. Not that it mattered. The shadow wasn't separate and apart. It was part of him.
Maybe it was the weight of finding justice for his beloved sister all these years. Or maybe it was just another of his many drugs kicking in. Whatever. He didn't mind the shadow showing.
Shadows had dominated his life for the last decade on the inside. Longer even. Why not let them show where everyone else could see them too?
There'd been enough hiding going on.
It was time for the truth.
CHAPTER 24
It was late. Most everyone would be asleep, lost to dreamland at this hour. Until evil slid in their back door.
Evil didn't rip through, announcing its presence. It slithered in. He should know – he'd perfected the process.
He circled the outside of the house first, keeping to the shadows. Then he approached the back door.
But he was particularly careful now. This was a cop's house after all. For a cop, his alarm system left much to be desir
ed. Still, a crappy system made his job easier. Faster.
Moving stealthily, the intruder slid through the main floor, taking note of everything he'd need to finish this scenario. Like many plans hatched out of revenge, this one had taken on a life of its own. This meddling trio had shown more talent for causing trouble than he'd thought possible. Good thing, they didn't know everything.
And he intended to keep it that way.
***
Alexis had been fully prepared to spend another night at the station, but Kevin had been adamant. He'd already worked through one night – he couldn't go a second. As soon as he'd been able to, he hauled her out for a quick dinner, and then they'd headed home for an early night.
This time, he hadn't even shown her the spare bed. He'd gone for a shower and tumbled exhausted onto his own. She'd taken the initiative and climbed in beside him, following him into a deep slumber.
Until something woke her up. Something wrong.
A cold, clammy sweat covered her slim body. She looked over at the other side of the bed. She was alone.
"Shh, Alexis. I'm right here." His voice was pitched low and urgent.
Kevin stood next to the closed bedroom door, his bare chest gleaming in the pale moonlight. His every muscle tensed against an unseen foe. He'd pulled on jeans and held his handgun at his side.
She slid out from the crumpled blankets, pulling on underwear, pants and a t-shirt that she tugged down for some measure of warmth against the massive chill shaking her body.
"What is it?" she whispered.
"Use your other senses," Kevin whispered back.
The minute she understood what he meant, she could feel him.
The bastard was close by.
"He's here." Kevin already knew, she realized. She opened her mind yet another sliver. She could almost feel the evil clawing at her throat. She swallowed convulsively. He was so strong.
A soft thud from the downstairs had Alexis staring fearfully at an equally grim Kevin. Their intruder had entered the kitchen. "Shh. Stay calm."
Keeping Alexis an arm's length behind him, he opened the bedroom door to creep into the hallway. Alexis stayed close. She had no intention of being left behind.
Cautiously they moved down the stairs. Alexis swore her ragged breathing could be heard from the next room. Another step caught a creaking stair. The loud sound pierced the silence, freezing them in place.
Alexis could sense the evil blackness swirling in place below her. Seconds later, she heard the slam of the back door and the fainter echoing sounds of running footsteps.
Kevin jumped the last few stairs and raced out into the night after him.
Alexis made her way to the couch and collapsed.
Never before had she felt such malevolence. She needed to put a face to it. In her heart, she knew Kevin wouldn't catch him, although he'd give it his all. She glanced at the clock, it was almost three in the morning. She closed her eyes, resting against the back of the couch.
It was then that she felt it.
Stefan's signature.
She couldn't explain it. It seemed like he'd popped in and quickly left again, leaving a straggling trail. Though he was recovering, he'd tried to come to their assistance. But he hadn't quite succeeded – for reasons she didn't want to contemplate.
The impulse to call the hospital couldn't be ignored.
Several times the phone rang before someone with a harried voice answered.
"Hello, is Moira there?"
"No. Can I help you?"
"I'm wondering how Stefan Kronos from 207 is doing? I know it's an odd thing to call at this hour, but I woke up with him on my mind."
"His vitals were checked not quite an hour ago. There's still no change."
"Oh, uh, thank you." Alexis quickly hung up the phone. She didn't know if that was good news or bad.
"Who did you call?" Kevin walked through from the kitchen, breathing heavily from the exertion of the chase.
"The hospital." She looked around the room with her inner senses. The faint energy had dissipated. "I couldn't shake the idea that Stefan had been here or had tried to come." She shrugged in exasperation. "So I called the hospital. The nurse said there'd been no change."
Kevin closed his eyes and reached out mentally. Alexis watched, knowing exactly what he was doing. In this skill, he was more advanced than she.
"And?" she asked with raised eyebrows. "Could you feel him?"
"Yes," he answered quietly. "And no." She raised an eyebrow.
He explained further. "A mirror image of his energy, but not his energy as if it's only part of him." Kevin grimaced. "That's the only explanation I can think of for his energy pattern at this time."
"Didn't he say that to split his energy up like that it would make each strand weaker than if he'd stayed whole? And he's so weak as it is…" God, just listen to her. Sometimes this whole business was just too bizarre.
"Theoretically, yes." Kevin gazed in the direction of the moonbeams as they landed on the couch where Alexis sat. "Stefan seems to think that this is not only possible, but necessary in some difficult cases where we have to keep track of many problems at once. But it's taken a lot for him to develop the necessary skills."
Alexis heaved a sigh. "I can't even keep track of one thread." She studied Kevin. Damn, he looked good. There was an effervescent glow surrounding him. Instead of angering him, the nocturnal visitor had energized him. It made no sense. An intruder coming into his house should have pissed him off – only he looked grimly satisfied at this turn of events.
"Do you know how he got in?" Odd she felt so calm. The sense of evil had passed, leaving no lingering fear it would return. Instead, a sense of peace surrounded them. Definitely odd. "Why am I not more disturbed? Shouldn't I be scared, terrified even?" Her reaction bothered her a lot.
Kevin smiled down at her.
"What?"
"Look around you." His relaxed manner seemed almost amused. What did she not know?
"What?" Confused, she looked around carefully.
"Look again. This time, look with your inner eye." Now there was no mistaking his humor.
Immediately, colorful energy slid into her view, warm, protective, comforting, safe energy. Every window had been outlined in this protective alarm. All possible entrances had received the same treatment, with one exception – the back kitchen door.
"You did that on purpose." She turned to him in stunned understanding. "You left him an open door." Alexis couldn't believe what her mind was slowly realizing. "You expected him. Not only that…" She eyed the growing smile on his face. "You were waiting for him to show up!" By the end of her statement, she was almost shouting.
"Shhh." Kevin ran his hands soothingly up and down her bare arms, as if trying to calm her.
She didn't feel like being appeased. Instead, she snapped to her feet and paced around the room. Kevin took her place on the couch.
"How dare you set this up and not tell me!" she snapped as she stormed around. "Why couldn't you have told me?" He opened his mouth to answer her, but she spoke right over his attempt. "I don't get it. If you were expecting him, why weren't you waiting for him?" She spun around and stalked back to stand by the window, hands on her hips. She was royally pissed off.
Kevin once again opened his mouth to speak, only to shake his head, his face lighting with laughter as she walked right over him. "You had the perfect opportunity and you slipped up. I just don't get it." Alexis collapsed on the couch beside him and glared at his grinning face suspiciously. "What are you grinning at?"
"You. You're priceless. You won't even give me a chance to speak." He reached over and pulled her into his lap. "Now listen." His large hand slipped around to coax her head against his chest. Gently, he caressed her hair. "Let's see if I can explain. First off, you were never in any danger."
He ignored the half buried snort of disgust and continued. "Our bedrooms had a similar alarm. So he couldn't have snuck anywhere without waking us. Next, if I could
have caught him tonight, I would have. I did try," he reminded her. "But that isn't the reason why I left the kitchen door accessible. Obviously, it gave him a way in. 'But into what?' you may well ask." He waggled his eyebrows in a hilarious Groucho Marx imitation, startling a surprise giggle out of her. He explained further. "Into a video camera, which, with any luck, took his picture."
God, she must be tired, because it took her a minute to realize what he said.
"Oh my God! You set him up! Oh my God." Alexis couldn't contain herself. She bounced up and tugged him into the kitchen.
Kevin went to work immediately. Standing on a chair he attempted to retrieve the camera. Alexis waited anxiously, feeling positively wired.
"Can we check it now?" Alexis hopped from one foot to the next in excitement.
"No." The camera proved to be difficult to extract, tucked away as it was, inside the glass panel at the top of the cupboard. It took several intricate maneuvers to release it from its hidey-hole. Once safely down, Kevin looked from the camera to Alexis. "How do you feel about spending the rest of the night at the station?"
"Let's go."
A little later, Alexis looked seriously at Kevin as they whipped through the deserted streets. "Will I ever have a normal life again?"
Kevin smiled at her. "Nope, never."
Minutes later, they walked into the quiet precinct office. Several officers looked up in surprise. A couple made light comments. Alexis tolerated their well-meaning teasing – apparently, it went along with the job. Besides, the group seemed to be a fun-loving bunch. If this kind of teasing helped relieve the depression and tension that plagued their jobs, so be it.
Once inside, Kevin turned on his computer and downloaded the images while Alexis watched. He fast-forwarded to the time frame they wanted.
Alexis waited breathlessly.
Kevin slowed the film down to when they should have arrived home. It would get interesting soon. They'd gone to bed soon after.
There.
Someone was coming in the back door. There wasn't much light shining in the room, and that made it hard to see anything but shadows.
"Got him!"