“I heated up the leftovers from last night. I thought we could eat and then go for a walk around town,” he called out from the kitchen.
“That sounds great.”
“So, have you told Dr. Cox about meeting me?”
“Not yet. My appointments are on Tuesdays, so I haven’t seen him since we met. I’m sure he’ll be very interested to know all about you,” she said, poking his rock-hard abs as she came out of the bathroom. She feigned a broken finger and they both laughed.
They went to eat lunch at the kitchen island. “Mm. This is as good as last night,” she said.
***
Neil
Neil was still waiting for the report when he drove Kate back to her car. It was now seven o’clock and they had spent the afternoon and early evening walking around La Jolla. It had been a spectacular day.
He’d called Jack to find out what was taking so long, but Jack had been tied up with another case the firm was working on. He promised to have the information for Neil within twenty-four hours.
Neil kissed Kate good night at her car and they went their separate ways. He could tell she felt relieved the day had turned out so great even after sharing the details of her painful past.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Roger
Roger decided tonight was the night to end things with Rose. He was hoping for a simple breakup, but he was prepared to have things end another way if necessary. His duffel bag was tucked away in the trunk of his car. It contained everything he needed.
He met her for dinner up in North County at an out-of-the-way restaurant. He already had a table for them when she arrived. She came in and greeted him with a kiss.
“I went ahead and ordered spaghetti for us. It should be coming right out.”
“You’re always so thoughtful,” Rose said. “This is such a cute place. Thanks for coming up this way to see me. With the girls being sick, it’s been hard for me to get away.” She frowned, her gaze lowering to the table.
“Oh, no problem. Your daughters have to come first. Family’s very important,” he said, setting the stage for what he wanted to tell her.
“I’m glad you feel that way because I have something to tell you.”
Roger didn’t like the sound of that. He sat there, staring at her, waiting for her to continue speaking.
“Well, I guess I’ll come right out with it. I’m pregnant!” she said with a sparkle in her eyes. “I took a test earlier today and it was positive.”
Roger’s fists clenched beneath the table. He could feel his blood begin to boil. Breaking up wasn’t going to happen. Having a kid with her wasn’t an option either. If Rose wasn’t Catholic, he’d have suggested an abortion. But he knew she’d never agree to it. What the fuck? He wasn’t expecting this when he drove up here to end things with her. Now she was telling him she was pregnant with his child? He knew he needed to stay controlled if he was going to lure her to the motel he’d picked out in case he needed it.
A moment passed, but it seemed like ten. “Roger, will you please say something?” Rose pleaded.
“I’m a little shocked. I thought you were on the pill. How did this happen?” he asked with a restrained voice.
“No birth control is one hundred percent,” she said with a wry smile.
Roger didn’t say anything. Now plan B would begin. His mind flashed to his trusty duffel bag in the car with all of his supplies. All he had to do was get her to go to the motel with him willingly and then he could end this once and for all. She’d be easy.
“I’m sorry, Rose. This caught me off guard. It’s great news. I love being a dad, and with Jacob in Germany with his mother, I’ve really missed being one.”
Relief spread across Rose’s face. “I’m so glad to hear that. I was concerned for a minute you didn’t want the baby and might ask me to have an abortion,” she said.
“Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be all right. I’m going to take care of you and the baby. Why don’t we take our dinner to go and celebrate at the motel around the corner?”
“Perfect,” she purred.
***
Roger pulled up to the hotel. Rose had followed him in her car. “Wait here and I’ll get us a room,” he said. He asked for a room for one and paid the guy at the front desk with cash, as he couldn’t risk using his credit card. Feeling in his pocket, he had his gloves ready so there would be no traces left on Rose. The syringe was in his pocket too. He was prepared. He went out and pointed to the room he and Rose were going to stay in, unlocked the door, and motioned for her to enter first. He pulled out the drug-filled syringe as Rose was inspecting the room. When she was about to turn around and face him, he stuck it into her neck. Bewilderment spread across her face as she lost control of her body and slumped into his arms, her eyes locked on his.
“I’m sorry, but it has to be this way.” Within seconds, she was paralyzed. “I don’t want to be married and I don’t want to have another child. I was planning on being a good guy and just breaking up with you, but you’ve given me no choice. This is entirely your fault. Why did you have to make everything so complicated by getting pregnant? Damn it, Rose.”
He carried her motionless body into the bathroom and placed her in the bathtub. He was a master at not leaving evidence behind. It’s what had kept him out of prison all these years.
He needed the contents of his duffel bag to finish the job he’d started, so he went back to the car to get it. Turning on both the air conditioner and the TV, he made certain there was no chance of anyone hearing him.
***
Rose
Unable to move or speak, Rose could only watch in terror as he readied the bathroom for his grizzly task. He took out sheets of plastic and began taping them to the walls, floor to ceiling. It was a small space, so it didn’t take long. He put a plastic shower curtain on the floor and removed his leather case. When he opened it, she saw his tools. He had an assortment of knives. Tears ran down her face as fear struck her heart. Why is he doing this? He said he loved me. Had it all been an act? Her mind turned to her beautiful girls. She wouldn’t get to see them grow up, get married, or have children of their own. Would they end up finding out she was murdered, or would she be a missing person like Rick? How would they overcome losing their mother? She was going to die at the hands of the man she loved and had wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The only other man she’d loved had beaten her on a regular basis. She thought Roger was safe because he’d never laid a hand on her. How could she be so wrong?
Dear God, please watch over and protect my daughters. Don’t let them grow up to be abused and hurt like I’ve been. Help them to make better choices.
***
Roger
Roger didn’t want to inflict any pain upon her. He sat on the edge of the tub and stroked her hair tenderly for a moment.
“Rose, this isn’t going to hurt,” he said, and then he slit her throat. “Goodbye, Rose.”
He pushed her eyelids down with his hand. He couldn’t stand to look into her eyes. He hadn’t wanted to kill Rose. She was different than the others. This kill was bittersweet. She’d given him no choice. There was no way Kate would get involved with him if Rose were carrying his child. He knew Kate had integrity and had liked Rose.
Seconds later, Rose was gone, all of the life drained from her body. Now he could begin dismantling her with his bone saw. To ensure no one would see him, he’d take her body out in trash bags during the middle of the night. He had bleach to clean the bathtub so nothing was left behind. This was the easy part of his plan. The only downside was not being home to see what Kate was doing, or if she was home at all.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kate
On Tuesday morning, Kate knew she had to face Mark. She’d managed to sneak into her own apartment last night, somehow avoiding Roger—he must actually work sometimes. She was still feeling uneasy about their exchange of text messages, and resented he was trying to make her accountable to him. She
was going to have to let him know in a nice but firm manner she didn’t answer to him, but knew she’d have to think carefully about how to handle him.
She left her apartment, practically running down the stairs. As she rounded the corner at the bottom, he opened his door. He didn’t see her, which caused her to breathe a sigh of relief. This is going to get old fast. It irritated her to have to flee her apartment like a criminal on the run, but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with him. She wasn’t going to be so lucky when she saw Mark.
She arrived at her second class, Rhetorical Theory, with only a minute to spare since she’d hid in the ladies’ room and waited so she could avoid Mark. She felt like a coward. Again behaving like a wanted criminal. When did life get so complicated? Mark’s eyes were glued to her as she entered the classroom and took a seat. She didn’t make eye contact with him, but she could feel his eyes searing a hole right through her. Resigned to not participate in any discussion that might take place in class, she wanted to blend in and not draw any attention to herself.
The lecture was about effective and appropriate communication. How apropos. Mark raised his hand to ask a question.
“Yes, Mark,” Professor Miller said.
“Professor, I tried to warn a friend of mine that her new boyfriend wasn’t any good for her, but she didn’t listen. I couldn’t get through to her. What should I have done differently?” he asked, staring right at Kate.
“Well, you haven’t given me much to go on, but was your communication appropriate at the time?” Professor Miller inquired.
“No, I don’t think it was,” he responded, still looking at her.
She gave him a small smile.
He mouthed, “I’m sorry” to her.
She nodded in acceptance. Relief spread across her body. They weren’t going to have a confrontation after all.
After class, he made his way over to her.
“I still think it’s a bad idea for you to go out with him. He’s going to hurt you.”
“Like you hurt Melanie?” she said in her snarkiest tone. “Mark, it’s up to me who I go out with. Last time I checked, I didn’t hire you to manage my personal life. I can take care of myself.”
She turned and walked away. Who does he think he is?
At the end of their last class, she headed for her car, comforted by the fact the issue between she and Mark had been dealt with. A few minutes later, she pulled into her parking space at the apartment complex. She hadn’t been looking forward to the possibility of seeing Roger, but his car was gone. She could enter her apartment and not feel anxiety over it.
Then she noticed Mark get out of his car. He was walking toward her. She got out of her car with a clear frown on her face.
“What are you doing here, Mark?” she demanded with a gruff voice.
“I followed you so we could talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about. I’m with Neil and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
“Please hear me out and then I’ll leave you alone.”
As those words left his mouth, Roger pulled up and parked. This is a nightmare! She couldn’t believe it. Roger got out of his car.
“Kate, I’m glad to see you,” he said. “I was so worried about you last night. Who’s this?”
“Roger, this is Mark. Mark, Roger,” she said. “We’re going up to my place to talk. See you later, Roger.” She hoped he’d finally take the hint.
“Kate, I need to talk to you. It’s really important,” Roger said forcefully.
“We’ll have to talk later, Roger,” she said, her tone insistent.
All three of them walked up the stairs. Roger went into his apartment and Kate and Mark went into hers. Before Mark could say anything, Kate began talking. “Mark, I appreciate you think you need to protect me, but Neil’s not going to hurt me—we’re in a relationship. He cares about me and wants to be with me. You’re going to have to accept you’re wrong about him this time. He did tell me about his behavior with other women, but he doesn’t see me as another woman to fool. I believe him and I want him as much as he wants me. Plus, there are so many beautiful girls at school who’d love to go out with you. This isn’t going to happen between us.”
Mark let her words sink in. “We’ll see,” he said coldly. “Don’t blame me when you have a broken heart. I tried to warn you.”
She opened her front door. “Thanks for the warning, Mark. I need you to go now. I have an appointment.”
Mark walked past her without saying a word. She closed the door behind him and he headed down the stairs.
***
Roger
Roger grabbed the duffel bag he’d used last night from his bedroom closet and then returned to the front door. He stood at the door watching through his peephole waiting to see when Mark left so he could follow him and eliminate his competition. This must be the guy she was seeing. It seemed like nothing happened with that guy who sent her flowers. No one was going to come between him and Kate. She was his.
When he saw Mark leave the apartment, Roger carefully opened his door and followed him. He watched from around the corner as Mark got into his car. Roger wasn’t going to let this guy get close to Kate again. As Mark pulled out, Roger got into his car and followed him at a safe distance so Mark wouldn’t see him. Mark was probably heading home. This problem would be solved in no time, like Rick and Rose.
Mark pulled up to his apartment, and Roger parked down the street. Being daytime made this tricky, and he was easily identifiable. But, dealing with this immediately was the only way to ensure Kate wouldn’t spend any more alone time with Mark. He looked around to see if anyone was outside—no one, as far as he could tell. Hurrying to catch up to Mark, Roger stabbed him in the neck with the syringe as Mark put his key into the lock to open his front door. Mark went down as he turned the doorknob, hitting his head on the floor of his apartment. He lay unconscious.
Thankful for his own strength, Roger dragged Mark into the apartment and shut the door. He’d brought his duffel bag with him so he wouldn’t have to return to the car. After slipping on his gloves, he quickly found the bathroom, which would be the best place for what he had in mind. He dragged Mark into the bathtub and then went to check out the rest of the apartment. One bedroom meant no roommate. The coast was clear. Roger entered the kitchen, opened the pantry, and found a box filled with trash bags. Just what he needed—his duffel bag was running low. He’d used most of his trash bags the day before at the motel. Now, where would be a good place to dump the body? It couldn’t be anywhere near Rose. He had to come up with a plan.
***
Kate
“Hi,” she answered with a great big smile on her face as she entered Dr. Cox’s waiting room. Her appointment was in a few minutes.
“Hey, Kate. I got Jack’s report on Roger and we have a real problem. The police think Roger killed his best friend, Rick, but there’s no evidence to prove it or to arrest him. He also was having an affair with Rick’s wife, Darcy.”
Kate sat on the sofa in the waiting room and rested her head in her hand. “He told me Rick was missing and Rick and Darcy were having marital problems. He was very nonchalant about it.”
“When did he tell you this?” Neil demanded.
“A couple of weeks ago, when we were chatting. We’ve talked about a lot of things. Like I told you, I see him every day.”
“Okay, well, that’s it. You’re staying with me. You’re not safe at your apartment.”
“Don’t you think you’re jumping the gun a little? Just because the police think he’s guilty, doesn’t mean he is. You should know that.”
“Well, I don’t like that he’s watching you, texting you if you’re not home. He’s way too involved in what you’re doing,” Neil said, clearly exasperated. “We don’t know what he’s capable of.”
“I understand what you’re saying. I’ll admit, he’s scared me. But if I leave right now it might put Charlie in harm’s way. I’d never forgive myself if something
happened to her because of Roger’s obsession. She’s my best friend.”
Neil was silent for a moment. “You’re right. This needs to be handled with finesse. But the chances are good the police are on the right track. He could be a killer. I’m going to print the report and start going over it with a fine-toothed comb. I’ll call you back later when I have more information.”
“Okay. I’m going to my appointment with Dr. Cox. It’s at three o’clock. I’m waiting right now in his front room. I don’t keep my phone on during appointments.”
“Why don’t you call me when you’re done?”
“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you then.”
“Kate?”
“Yes?”
“Be careful around Roger. It would kill me if anything happened to you. You don’t know how badly I want to go there, throw you over my shoulder, and take you back to my place, where you’ll be safe. Call me as soon as you’re done with Dr. Cox.”
“I will. I’ll talk to you then.” They both ended the call. She sat there for a few moments, reflecting on his last statement. He wanted to protect her. Could they really be falling in love with each other this quickly? Dr. Cox called her in for her appointment.
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