A Killer's Prey

by M. J. Eason

  “I did do the same thing for you. What are you talking about? I told you what I was doing. I asked you to wait for me. But you ran away. You didn’t tell me where you were going. I assumed you didn’t want to see me. You weren’t honest with me either. You never told me about our child.”

  “You gave me no choice! I certainly couldn’t count on you being there for me.”

  “That’s a lie. You chose to run instead of waiting for me.”

  “Because you were married to the Bureau. You still are. You eat, sleep and dream about it. No woman could ever compete with that.”

  “Is that what you think?” he asked incredulously, taking a step closer.

  Kara answered his move with one of her own, stepping away from him.

  “It’s what I know.”

  “You know nothing. I haven’t stopped loving you since the day I met you. I’ll never stop loving you. You’re all I’ve thought about for six years. And nothing can ever replace you in my heart. Nothing—especially not the Bureau.”

  Chapter Four

  Kara turned and walked out of the room without another word. Before he could see how much his declaration of love unsettled her. She needed time to think clearly and she couldn’t while looking into his eyes. Davis could make her do anything he wanted with a single look. But it was too late for them. She couldn’t go back to that hurt.

  Ava must be the only thing that mattered to her. Ava’s safety. She would do whatever it took to stop that monster from hurting her child.

  She sat down on the bed and watched Ava sleep. Her baby girl slept peacefully in bed, unaware of the dark things being discussed close by. Kara prayed that sweet innocence would always remain and that Ava would never have to know about the gift she possessed.

  “Is she okay?” he asked her quietly once Kara returned to the kitchen.

  “Yes.” She poured more coffee mostly because she needed something to occupy her hands. She could feel him reaching out to her. It took both hands to steady the cup enough and bring it to her lips. Silently Kara recited the familiar words of an old hymn her grandmother Maggie taught her years ago. Always her last defense against the horror.

  The words of the hymn silenced his voice.

  “There are others aren’t there? Besides Rachel.”

  She turned to see him smiling a little sadly at her. God, she used to love that smile. It promised so many things.

  “I thought you didn’t have the gift anymore?” he said in an attempt to lighten the tension between them.

  She ignored it. “How many?”

  Davis grew serious once more. For the first time, Kara noticed he’d aged. Still just as attractive and seductive as before but time and his wife’s recent death had not been kind. She looked closer and saw that his dark chestnut hair showed hints of gray at the temple. Evidence of the horrors he’d witnessed. Fine worry lines fanned out around his eyes and mouth. The dark circles proof enough of the many sleepless nights.

  But to her, he’d never looked more handsome than he did at this moment.

  “Two.” Davis told her quietly. “Rachel became his third.” Davis sat down across from her. “He’s copying the Angel. There will be three more.”

  Kara didn’t know how much to reveal to him. “He’s not copying, Davis. He’s continuing.”

  “You still believe Frankie is alive, don’t you?” When she didn’t answer right away, Davis himself answered the question for her. “He still comes to you.”

  “Yes.”

  “You don’t believe we got him. You never did.”

  “I don’t know anymore.” She met those beautiful gray eyes so like her daughter’s. “I don’t know, Davis.” Kara still resented the personal connection she had with the Angel but she couldn’t deny it. In his mind, she belonged to him.

  “Maybe it’s not the Angel at all.”

  “It is. It is him. You know it is. This feeling has been growing stronger over the past few weeks. He’s back. I don’t know how but he is back.”

  Davis ran a weary hand over his eyes. “The first murder took place three weeks ago. The anniversary of the first Angel killing. There’s been one on each anniversary date since. He’s repeating his past history.”

  “Why now? Where has he been all this time? Serial killers rarely stop killing until they’re caught. They thrive on the publicity. He wouldn’t just stop killing, would he?”

  “I don’t know. But I think we have to figure this out before the next anniversary. Because if we don’t, he’s coming after you, Kara.”

  She fought back the nausea always there whenever she remembered that night and Kim, the woman who took her place.

  Frankie kidnapped Kara and took her to the vacant building. Then out of some sadistic game, he let her listen while he tortured and killed Kim Billings.

  At the time, Kara hadn’t realized she was pregnant. She’d come so close to death that night. At times, she could still taste the fear as if it were only yesterday.

  “It doesn’t make any sense. Were the other girls from wealthy backgrounds?” Davis confirmed with a single shake of his head what Kara knew in her heart already.

  “Then why switch signatures? It’s virtually unheard of.”

  “I wish I knew but none of this fits the profile. Which is why I think we have to start at the beginning. We missed something in Frankie’s past. Something important. We have to find it, Kara. Before it’s too late.”

  “What do you want to do?” She felt dread and unwillingness well up inside at what lay ahead of them. She knew the answer already but she wasn’t sure she had the strength to go through it.

  “Start at the beginning—back before Frankie made the decision to kill his first victim. We need to go back to the beginning.”

  ****

  Something woke Kara from a sound sleep. She glanced down to see Ava sleeping next to her.

  Quietly, she slipped out of bed without waking her daughter. Dawn had broken outside as she dressed in her bra and panties.

  Davis. So many unwelcome memories flowed back as she searched around the room looking for her clothes. They were lying neatly folded on Ava’s dresser.

  Kara dressed quickly, shoving aside the memories of Davis’s lovemaking. It had always been so intense between them. Why had she expected their reunion to be any different?

  In the kitchen, a fresh pot of coffee brewed but Davis didn’t appear to be anywhere in sight. She listened to the silence of the house and heard the shower running next to her bedroom.

  Kara poured coffee while the pot still dripped through then walked out into a different morning. Everything appeared the same. The desert heat had already reached an unbearable temperature even at six in the morning but everything had changed. Nothing would ever be the same.

  Buster joined her on the porch, lying next to her feet as she sat in her favorite rocker. She’d rocked Ava to sleep in it as a baby each night, while contemplating her future alone.

  “What are you thinking about?” The intensity in his voice startled her. It didn’t belong here in her quiet sanctuary. She couldn’t look at him but the scent of her shampoo, which he’d used, reached out to her through the distance separating them.

  She should be embarrassed that he had been the one to undress her. But there were no secrets left between them. The final one disappeared last night.

  And everything about him seemed familiar.

  “I’m trying to see the future.”

  Davis sat down next to her. “I thought that wasn’t your thing.”

  Kara reluctantly smiled at that reminder. Sometimes she used to wonder if maybe he didn’t possess his own version of the gift. He certainly understood her thoughts well enough.

  She looked sideways at him. Seeing him in the faint light of morning, confirmed the truth. Yes, he’d aged. Davis would be thirty-eight by now. But he wore it well, she decided.

  The hint of gray at his temples made him look more distinguished. A few more serious lines around those dove-gray eyes
and the groove close to his sensuous mouth reminded her of the way he used to sometimes smile when he wasn’t being entirely too serious. She sensed that Davis didn’t smile all that much anymore.

  “I really am sorry about Rachel. I can’t even begin to imagine your pain.”

  “It was hard to get through. I identified her.”

  Kara couldn’t keep her compassion from showing. “Oh, Davis”

  “I didn’t love her but she was my friend.”

  For some reason, this surprised her. She’d known how close Davis was to Rachel. She’d assumed when he didn’t come after her that he’d gone back to Rachel. Maybe because Davis always seemed to be the type of man to stick with things until there was no hope left. She’d been the only exception that she knew of. Maybe Rachel was as well.

  He read her thoughts as clearly as if she’d said them aloud. He didn’t like her opinion of him but he changed the subject without challenging it. Things were becoming too personal between them. Best to leave the past where it lay for now.

  “Ava will be going with Maggie to a safe place. They’ll stay there until this thing is settled. Sheriff Hanson is taking Justine somewhere safe as well. And that’s all you should know for now.”

  Kara didn’t answer. She understood. The less she knew about their location the less she could reveal to the Angel.

  “I’ll tell Ava. She’ll be thrilled that’s she’s getting out of school for a while. Our daughter hates school.”

  Before she could walk away, Davis caught her hand, keeping her there.

  “You’ve done a good job with her, Kara. She’s going to be okay. We’re going to be okay. We’ll figure this out. Don’t worry so much, babe.”

  The tenderness in his voice brought tears to her eyes. Kara pulled away before he could spot them. She remembered past times when he’d called her by that familiar name. She couldn’t think about those times.

  She found Ava wide-awake and sitting up in bed.

  Kara sat down next to her. “Ava, I have a surprise for you.”

  “I know. I’m not going to school today, am I? I’m going to stay with Grandma.” Kara searched her daughter’s innocent expression before answering.

  “That’s right.”

  “It’s because of him, isn’t it, Mommie.” For a second Kara thought Ava referred to Davis.

  “No, no, baby.”

  “Yes it is, Mommie. It’s the man I told you about last night. The man from my dreams. The bad man.”

  By Ava’s age, Kara had known about her gift for several years. Her grandmother insisted on being honest with her about the gift right from the very first manifestation. But there had been many times through the years that Kara wished she hadn’t been so open.

  “Yes, it is. Baby, have you seen this man before?” Ava didn’t want to think about the dream but reluctantly she confirmed Kara’s worst fears.

  “How many times? Does he always come to you in your dreams?”

  “I dunno. I can’t remember,” Ava added growing more upset as she tried to recall.

  “Baby, I need to know how he comes to you.” Ava’s five-year-old mind struggled to find the right words to describe her very adult gift.

  “I dunno! He just does! Sometimes when I am sleeping but mostly when I’m just thinking.”

  “Can you tell me what he looks like?” she asked and then became aware of Davis standing in the doorway. Ava’s gaze went to his for a moment before returning to her mother. This was the moment Kara had feared. But Ava would need to know the truth about her father.

  “Ava, I want to talk to you some more about the man before you leave to be with Grandma, but first I need to tell you about our visitor.” She turned to Davis for help. She couldn’t do this alone. He moved to her side.

  “Ava, this is Davis Martin. Davis is your father.”

  Kara held her breath, waiting for her daughter’s reaction.

  Please don’t let her hate me.

  Ava struggled with this information for only a moment.

  “I know, Mommie.” Her tentative gray eyes met Davis’s for a second, then she climbed out of bed. Kara stopped her before she could leave the room.

  “Ava, wait. Honey, what do you mean you know? How do you know?”

  Ava took a baby step closer to Davis before looking him square in the eye. As Kara watched father and daughter assess each other, she was amazed at the similarities she’d never noticed before. The personality traits Ava shared with Davis were all there, including the stubbornness. The way they both looked so intense at times, as if the weight of the world rested on their shoulders alone. Even the way Ava stood now reminded Kara of Davis. She was her father’s daughter.

  “I saw you!” Ava exclaimed, her solemn expression changing to accusation. “You were supposed to come before. I tried to tell you but you didn’t listen!” Davis’s shocked gaze slipped to Kara’s as Ava ran crying from the room.

  “What did she mean by that?” Davis sounded shaken.

  “I-I don’t know…”

  While Kara and Davis struggled to understand their daughter’s words, they could hear Ava returning to the room, carrying her stuffed dragon, Petie. Maggie had given it to her for her third birthday. Kara always thought it an odd gift for a child but Ava adored it.

  “Mommie, I’m hungry. Can we make pancakes for breakfast?”

  Stunned, Davis held her gaze, then he chucked softly at the innocence in Ava’s request. In the middle of utter chaos, after hearing truths that would confuse most adults, Ava reminded them both that life in its simplicity still existed.

  “Sure, baby. Why don’t you and Petie go find Buster? I’ll be right there.”

  Once they were alone, Davis sank down on the bed next to Kara. She’d never seen him look so at a loss.

  “God, I don’t know the first thing about kids. Especially not little girls. Especially not little girls with so much insight. You’re going to have to help me with this.”

  She touched his face gently and smiled. “I will but don’t worry, you’ll do fine.”

  “I think we should try to find out more about Ava’s dreams before she leaves, don’t you?”

  “Absolutely not. Hasn’t she been frightened enough already? She doesn’t understand what those dreams mean. She can’t help you identify him and I won’t have her gift exploited by the Bureau.”

  “You mean the way we exploited you?” he asked unexpectedly. Kara didn’t answer.

  “All right, believe it or not, I don’t want to see her hurt either. But right now I’m just desperate enough to go grasping at anything.”

  “I know that,” she said quietly.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve asked Ryan personally to escort Ava and Maggie someplace safe.”

  “Thank you.” She got to her feet then smiled down at him. “Come on. I think it’s time you spent some time with your daughter.”

  Kara ignored her daughter’s silent pleadings and left Ava and Davis sitting together on the front porch in an uncomfortable silence with Buster standing guard close by.

  Sharing Ava with someone other than her grandmother might prove to be the hardest thing she’d ever had to do. But Kara had made so many mistakes with Ava already, starting with the first, the biggest one of all—not telling Davis about his daughter. Whatever happened between them in the past, he deserved to be part of Ava’s life. Ava needed her father as well.

  While Kara prepared the pancakes, she listened to the silence outside until she couldn’t stand it any longer. She was halfway to the front door when Davis made the first move toward trying to win his daughter’s favor and his first mistake. He said something unflattering about Petie.

  Kara smiled to herself and then returned to the pancakes. Davis would need to sort this out alone. He’d learn in time.

  By the time the pancakes were ready, Davis and Ava had decided to make nice even though they were still far from being friends. But they both were stubborn. There would be many battles ahead.

  ****
/>
  With Ava gone, the silence between them became hard to take. They’d always been able to talk to each other about anything. But then, he couldn’t really blame her for this strain. The things he’d seen over the past six years and her absence from his life had made him hard. He knew how to be a detective; he didn’t know how to be with her anymore or even if they might have a future together.

  “What?” she asked when she spotted him staring at her.

  “Nothing, I’m only thinking how different you are from the young girl I knew in DC.”

  When her gaze met his, he fought to release air for his lungs. Something he imagined lost forever passed between them. Desire. Passion. Love. All there. And she felt it too.

  Davis stepped closer and watched Kara close her eyes, fighting it. His fingers brushed across her cheek and she trembled. Their bodies were close enough to touch but they weren’t touching.

  His lips touched the corner of her mouth. She slowly pushed him away.

  “No! No, Davis.”

  “Stop fighting it. You know you feel it, too.” He touched her arm and felt her pull away.

  “You’re wrong. That part of our relationship is over. We can’t bring it back. It’s too late.”

  He swore softly beneath his breath but moved away. Kara’s gaze found his once more. The space between them seemed to shrink along with the air in the room. Everything but the woman before him ceased to matter.

  “You know that’s not true.” He took another deep breath and tried to steady his voice. “You think I don’t feel how your body responds whenever I’m close?” She could no longer look at him.

  “That’s not true.”

  His gaze slipped over her body, her reaction confirming everything he’d said.

  “Well, it doesn’t matter,” she said in a less than steady voice. “That part is over for me. I’m helping you for Ava’s sake, Davis—nothing more. Once this is over, you and I will work out a schedule that’s agreeable for us so that you can see Ava but that’s it. There will never be anything more between us. That part of our life together is over.” She didn’t look at him as she turned and left him standing alone.