Killer's Prey

by Rachel Lee

Jake grabbed the kitchen phone off the wall and dialed. Rosa came to give her a squeeze on her shoulder, as if offering reassurance. So many good people, she thought. So many. She needed to think of them, not the two men who had demonized her life.

  They were outliers, she thought as she wrapped her arms around herself. Outliers. Exceptions. Of all people, she should know that. But her training in psychology wasn’t helping much with her emotional response.

  “Gage?” she heard Jake say. “I’ve had some trespassers this morning, and I may need your help. Fred Loftis and five of his cronies showed up to take Nora away. I didn’t get the feeling they’re ready to give up. You know she works at the library and she ought to be able to walk down the sidewalk to the diner without being molested.”

  A long silence. “Yes, I warned them against trespass, twice, but that doesn’t take care of the time she’s in town.”

  Another silence. “Okay, thanks. Now I need to make another call. Or you can just let my guys know I’m going to be a little late this morning. Thanks.”

  He hung up, and the next thing Nora knew he’d pulled a chair over to her side and wrapped his big arm around her shoulder. “You, lady, are about to become the most protected person in Conard County.”

  His arm made her feel so safe, as did Rosa’s quiet clucks of concern and the fresh cup of coffee that appeared in front of her. “I’m causing everyone so much trouble!”

  “You’re not the one causing trouble at all,” Jake said. “Believe me. Your dad is causing trouble. That Langdon creep is causing trouble. You’re not doing one damn thing wrong, except maybe breathing.”

  She gave a shaky laugh. “Breathing seems to be dangerous for me lately.”

  “Maybe all along,” he said gravely. His arm tightened. “I really don’t want to leave you here today. Not after that.”

  “I’d just be in your way.”

  “You mean you don’t want to ride in a patrol car.”

  She flushed faintly, glad that her shakiness was receding. “That, too,” she said in a nearly smothered voice. “But I’m getting used to your car.”

  “And me, too,” he said warmly. “That’s good. Little steps. But you can stay in the office. I’m sure we could put your talents to use there.”

  She thought about it. Pushing papers in his office all day or staying here to help Rosa with housework. Truth was, housework was a chore she didn’t especially like, something she did because she had to, not because she wanted to. But would doing odd jobs at Jake’s office be much better?

  Probably. Making her mind up she said, “I’ll go with you. Sorry, Rosa.”

  Rosa shook her head. “No apology. I’ll work faster alone anyway.”

  Nora was sure she was right. She’d have only slowed the woman down and interrupted her routine. She almost flushed again.

  “Help is always nice,” Rosa said, “but some help is better. What is best for you is better. So go! We will have a nice dinner tonight.”

  Nora raced upstairs to get dressed, realizing that for some reason she was actually looking forward to the day. It would at least be different, and she’d be behind a wall of cops.

  Jake was beginning to make her feel very different about cops.

  * * *

  The new police department did indeed share facilities with the sheriff’s office—right in the same building. Jake’s office was in the back, next to Gage’s, and cops in both uniforms came and went as if they were one big fraternity. They even shared the same dispatch.

  “It really is a cut-rate operation,” Nora remarked as she entered Jake’s office. It was a tiny room, outfitted with a computer, swamped in papers.

  “Believe it,” he answered. “Basically they created a payroll and the county was kind enough to share facilities. God knows how they would have managed this if they’d had to supply offices and dispatch for us separately.”

  “I thought you said they got a grant.”

  “Not that big of one. The sheriff got a bigger grant so he has all the nice, shiny new equipment.”

  “Teetering on ancient desks,” said a familiar voice. Nora looked up to see Gage Dalton. As a child she’d been fearful of his scarred face, but time had washed that away as she’d learned what a kind man he really was. “How are you doing, Nora?”

  “Pretty well, Sheriff.”

  “Gage, please.” He looked past her at Jake. “If ever we’ve coordinated, now’s the time. Your officers are going to have to keep an eye on Nora while she’s in town.”

  “You know I’m not going to squawk about jurisdiction.”

  “I know you won’t. But how much arguing do you want with the council? Did I ever tell you how grateful I am they decided to make a police department?” Gage sounded wry. “I have my hands full with the county commissioners. You took the council off my plate.”

  “At least somewhat. They’re always trying to get their fingers in the pie somehow.”

  Nora had settled into a chair facing Jake’s desk, and now Gage limped over to sit beside her. He looked at her, his expression kind. “Do you have a cell phone?”

  “Yes, when it works around here.”

  “Is it preprogrammed with the emergency number? And does it have GPS?”

  “I think so.” She picked up her purse and pawed through it, then handed him the phone.

  He scrolled through a few things before passing it back. “It’ll work in town. Outside things get more problematic. A lot of companies aren’t eager to build cell towers on millions of acres of basically empty ranch land.” He looked at Jake. “Do you have a phone for her?”

  “You bet. I started thinking about that this morning.”

  Gage nodded. He looked at Nora. “We have a satellite link for law enforcement. That should work almost anywhere, and it has GPS. Jake’ll show you how to use it. In the meantime, I guess we need to start keeping an eye on Loftis and his friends.”

  Jake shook his head a little. “I don’t want Loftis to become a distraction. Langdon is still out there.”

  “Oh, he’s not going to become a distraction. I’m going to pay him a visit about trespassing at your place. I’m sure we can add some hints about what awaits him if he or anyone else bothers Nora in town.”

  “I can do that part. It’s my job.”

  “I already think Loftis is angry enough at you. He’ll probably be calling the city fathers before lunch. No, I’ll put the bug in his ear. For example, he wouldn’t want anyone to think he was colluding with Langdon, would he?”

  Nora gasped, but Jake laughed. “I wasn’t going to go that far.”

  “No, but you were never a fed. I know how to use these little things from long experience, and in that regard he’s more likely to listen to me than to you. It’s time he learned that he’s not the only one who can intimidate people, and that you and I have the law behind us.”

  He rose and patted Nora’s shoulder. “Jake’s a good cop, Nora. A fine one. I was sorry to lose him even though I could understand why. Stay close.”

  Which was exactly what she was doing, she thought as Gage limped out. Staying close.

  * * *

  An hour later, Jake left on patrol, after teaching Nora how to use the satellite phone—which he referred to as “the brick.” It was certainly bigger and heavier than any modern cell phone, but easy enough to use with some direction.

  He’d also given her a stack of paperwork to file after a brief explanation of the filing system. He’d taken her at her word about keeping busy, and she was grateful.

  There were times when thinking could be your worst enemy, and this was one of them. Not that she could entirely avoid it. Filing didn’t require her full concentration.

  She still couldn’t believe her father had come after her like that. Had he really thought he could drag her home? Or had he merely been trying to impress some of his flock? Probably the latter, she decided. He must have known that short of physical force he couldn’t take her anywhere, and must have realized after their fir
st confrontation that Jake would intervene. Unless he had thought Jake wouldn’t be there.

  Unless he had thought she would give in to her old training and the pressure of six people. Something in her spine had stiffened in her years away from home, though. She wasn’t nearly as easy to push around now.

  She did feel surrounded. That creep was probably steadily making his way here, and now she had her father to contend with. Neither of them was likely to give up, because neither of them would tolerate defiance.

  The thought caught her, freezing her. Had she misinterpreted Langdon, seeing him through the lens of her father? What if he were a different sort of beast altogether?

  It was certainly important to know. Very important to have the measure of her enemies when so much hung in the balance. If she had misunderstood what motivated that creep because he’d reminded her in some twisted way of her father, that wasn’t going to help at all.

  For the first time she wished she could remember more about the attack. She’d been grateful for how much had been erased by trauma, but now it might prove to be her undoing. She sat down slowly and began to dredge the wisps of horrifying memory.

  She wasn’t sure this was wise. Not sure at all. The brain had its ways of protecting people, and trauma alone, the kind of physical trauma she had endured including blows to the head, could affect the brain’s ability to create memories. Some of it would probably never, ever come back.

  But if she could get at some of the remaining pieces... Well, they might be useful. Then again, they might tip her over another cliff of terror.

  She sat there for a long time, wondering if she might be making a big mistake. A very big mistake.

  * * *

  Jake took his four hours on patrol in stride. There wasn’t much to do, but he was used to that. Most of the time it had been quiet when he was working as a deputy, too. The scenery just changed more on the longer roads than it did in town. As he drove past the pharmacy for the third time, he saw Gage’s vehicle parked out in front. Probably dealing with Loftis, and in a public venue. Unless Loftis was smart enough to take him into a back office.

  Jake would have liked to be the one doing the dealing but he recognized the wisdom of Gage taking over. On the trespassing issue, Gage had jurisdiction. In town, though, Jake had it, and he was making sure his handful of officers knew what the threat was.

  They were already on the lookout for Langdon, but now they had to make sure Loftis didn’t accost Nora. The funny part was—and it struck Jake as funny—his guys looked delighted to have a big mission. Well, of course. They probably got awfully bored handing out parking tickets, pulling over a few drunks and making sure the kids got home from school safely.

  It kind of amused him that they were so glad to have something new to deal with, but the cause of the amusement didn’t make him smile at all. He almost felt as if Nora was dangling out there like bait on a hook between Langdon and her father.

  It was important that she be able to have some kind of normal life. Absolutely essential to her recovery, he would think, but here she was dealing with all this crap. Too much.

  He almost thought it was unfair, but he’d given up on that concept a long time ago. Life wasn’t fair. Period. If there was any fairness, he had to make it himself, for himself and for others. People made things fair. Overall, the universe didn’t give a damn. Random things happened to everyone, sometimes seeming to defy the odds, but they happened.

  Fact: bad things happened to good people all the time. He didn’t blame God for it; that was just the terms of life. You took the cards you were dealt and made your best play with them.

  But sure as hell, Nora had been dealt enough rotten cards. It was her turn for something good.

  Big philosophical questions, ones he didn’t ponder often because mostly life had been decent to him. Beth had been the major tragedy of his life, and her leaving hadn’t turned out to be so tragic after all. Once he’d gotten past the sting of being rejected, he’d been relieved. No more fighting. Nor more complaining. No more demands that he change this or that about himself or the way he lived.

  He’d been one of the lucky ones. Someday he’d get his share of bad times—it seemed everyone did—but he felt damn lucky overall.

  Right now, if he could have, he’d have willingly shared a lot of his luck with Nora. Just a break, he found himself thinking. Just give the woman a break.

  He hoped to hell he could help provide it.

  * * *

  “Well, that was boring as hell,” Jake remarked as he returned to the office. Nora was stuffing some papers in a filing cabinet, trying to look as if she had been busier than she had been. Opening the can of worms about her attack had left her feeling drained, even though she hadn’t come up with much more than she already recalled.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked almost immediately.

  “Nothing really. Memories.”

  “I guess the filing wasn’t enough to keep your mind busy. Not that it would have been much busier if you’d been with me.”

  She managed a smile. “I was doing it on purpose. Trying to get a better handle on that creep.”

  He frowned. “Want to talk?”

  “Not now.” Definitely not now, she thought. She’d tried to worm her way down the rabbit hole and right now she just wanted to shovel the dirt back in. Forgetting had begun to seem wiser by the moment.

  Before he could reply, Gage rapped on the door frame. “I had that discussion with Fred Loftis.”

  Nora froze, then turned, feeling her hands tremble a bit. Quickly she put the papers back on Jake’s desk. “How angry did he get?”

  “Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Gage said with a crooked smile. “That’s one man who doesn’t like being told he has limits.”

  “No kidding,” Nora murmured. She leaned against the filing cabinet to steady herself, wondering just how much worse things had become.

  “Anyway,” Gage said, “I told him he’d already been warned twice about trespass at Jake’s place. I gave him an official notice in writing. If he shows up out there again, he or any of his church followers, they’re subject to arrest. But we went a little past that.”

  “Oh?” Jake said.

  “Oh, yeah. I informed him that legally Nora is an adult. That if he bothers her verbally or physically he’ll be subject to possible arrest for assault or battery. That if he attempts to coerce her against her will into coming with him, he could be subject to charges for kidnapping or illegal imprisonment.”

  “Oh, my,” Nora breathed. “He must have been furious.”

  “He got a little red in the face. Then I told him your attacker jumped bail in Minneapolis, might be looking for you, and Loftis had damn well better make sure his nose stays clean and that he keeps his mouth shut about you. Wouldn’t want it to look like he was an accessory.”

  Nora sucked a deep breath of air. All of a sudden she couldn’t breathe. “Dangerous,” she gasped finally. “He’s a dangerous man to make mad.”

  “Maybe for you,” Gage said. “The man’s a paper tiger. He didn’t like the sound of that at all, and when I left he was swearing that he’d make sure that guy never found you, if he had anything to say about it at least. I advised him the best way to do that was to keep his mouth shut about your whereabouts and make sure anyone else who knows doesn’t say anything. He seemed pretty eager to do that. He also agreed to keep an eye out for strangers.”

  Astonishment rippled through Nora. “When did he get so protective?”

  “When his own butt looked like it might be on the line,” Gage said. He shrugged. “We’ll see. He knows I’m going to be watching, and so is Jake. Hell, all the cops around here are going to be watching.”

  Then he limped back to his office. The silence seemed deep, freighted with things Nora couldn’t identify. She was frightened of her father, but maybe this once, to protect himself, he’d do the right thing. Maybe?

  “Amazing,” Jake said, “how a person can change their view
point when they feel at risk. Gage did a good job.”

  “I hope so.”

  He looked at her sharply. “Let’s get you home. You look whipped. Want to get lunch at the diner or wait?”

  She chose to wait. Jake’s ranch had begun to feel like a haven. Eventually she’d lose that and have to move on, and she was aware that her feelings were likely to cause her pain, but right now she didn’t care. She needed that feeling of security.

  And while Gage might feel he’d put her father in the corner for now, she wasn’t at all sure herself. Loftis didn’t like to be thwarted.

  She knew what that meant.

  Chapter 10

  Langdon had long since left his expensive car in an out-of-the-way ditch and had changed through two cars. Now he was driving an ancient pickup that wouldn’t look out of place, and he’d also switched out the plates. Nobody was going to pick him out easily along the roads.

  He took a dirt track across the state line from North Dakota into Wyoming and headed toward Conard County.

  And nearly every damn minute he thought about the lessons he was going to teach Nora Loftis. Long, slow, painful lessons. More than he had given her last time, because that obviously hadn’t worked.

  He was going to enjoy every damn minute of it, too. He got hard just thinking about it. He hated her for the powerlessness she’d made him feel when he was arrested, as much as he hated her for surviving, defying him by living.

  Endangering him when if she’d just died where he’d left her they still wouldn’t have found her remains. Of that he was sure.

  So not only had she defied him, but she’d also threatened him. He was going to take his satisfaction, then move swiftly on. Even after Nora, he was beginning to realize the pressure would return, the need to take another woman and teach her would come back.

  He wondered how he’d kept this in check for so long, this need. But he was going to control it now only until he got Nora. Then he was going to satisfy it all he wanted.

  The power was growing in him, making him feel really good. He’d escaped, and they hadn’t been able to find him in all this time. He could evade pursuers forever. He was invisible.