Sudden Danger

by Sharon Sala

  “Then I’m glad to be going back with you because I want to thank him personally.”

  Scott looked at her and then frowned. “Just don’t go and ruin my tough guy image.”

  “You can count on me,” she said.

  Scott’s gaze darkened and for a moment it seemed difficult for him to speak.

  “I always could, couldn’t I, honey girl?”

  She nodded. “Just like I’m counting on you.”

  A huge groan came from the back seat. “Lord, save me from all that sugar.”

  Scott glanced up into the rearview mirror and grinned.

  “Partner, if you hadn’t shared your sugar with someone besides your wife, you wouldn’t be doing your own laundry.”

  “Touché,” Tucker muttered, then chuckled. “Point taken.”

  “Buckle up,” Scott said, and made a U-turn before moving back into traffic.

  Unknown to them, the news crew who’d shot the film had been broadcasting live from the scene, and anyone who happened to be watching their channel had witnessed the touching reunion of the big cop and the pretty red-haired woman.

  For most of the viewers it had been a touching and heartwarming moment, but not for Andrew McMartin. He’d been heating a bowl of soup in the microwave when the news bulletin had interrupted regular programming. He’d turned to watch out of curiosity, but when he recognized the woman coming out of the crowd and running toward the big man in a dark blue overcoat, he’d started toward the set, as if he would be able to stop the man from embracing her. But he couldn’t. Instead he was impotent to do more than watch her fall into the man’s arms. It took another minute for it to sink in that he’d seen the man before. It was the cop who was working her case.

  The microwave dinged, signaling that his soup was heated, but he walked away, no longer hungry. His plans had changed—drastically. But he wasn’t quitting. Not when he’d invested this much time into a relationship and not before he made Kristie Samuels pay for breaking it up.

  * * *

  Kristie was sitting at Scott’s desk and trying to remain inconspicuous, but found it difficult not to stare. Lieutenant Fisk had not only welcomed her to their department, but had brought her a cup of coffee and a jelly doughnut from his personal stash. She’d thanked him kindly, sipped at the coffee that tasted curiously like battery acid smelled, and eaten enough of the doughnut so as not to hurt his feelings.

  Now she was left with nothing to do but watch the unfolding proceedings. A detective on the other side of the room was interrogating a woman wearing two small pieces of pink satin that were supposed to pass for a blouse and skirt. Her coat was some sort of fake fur and looked as if someone had skinned a big wet dog and made some wild kind of coat. From the expression on the detective’s face, Kristie couldn’t help but wonder if the coat didn’t smell like one, too.

  There was a female detective across the room. The man sitting in the chair beside her desk was crying. Kristie felt guilty for even noticing and quickly looked away. She didn’t want to think about what news he might have been told. It reminded her too much of how her own parents would react if they received the news of her demise.

  No sooner had she thought it than she remembered she had yet to mail the baby gifts to Midland, and she needed to check her messages. She hadn’t told her mother anything about what was going on, or that Scott Wade was living in Chicago, never mind that they were already involved again.

  She glanced up, checking Scott’s whereabouts, and saw that he was still in the lieutenant’s office. She took out her cell phone, dialed her home number and then waited for the answering machine to come on before she punched in her code. According to the machine, she had six messages. As the first one started to play, she grabbed a pen from Scott’s desk and held it poised above a pad of paper, ready to write.

  I know you’re gone. It doesn’t matter. You still belong to me.

  Startled, Kristie dropped the phone and then realized what she’d done and scrambled to pick it up before the message was over. She got the phone just in time to hear the click as the call disconnected. Her good mood was swiftly disappearing. The second call began to play and she took a deep breath, making herself concentrate. To her relief, it was her dentist, reminding her of an appointment that she realized should have been this morning. The third one was a hang-up. The fourth was from the girls at the office, asking if she was okay. The fifth was from her mother, as she’d feared, and she made a mental note to call her as soon as she hung up.

  Expecting that the last one would be as innocuous as the other four, once again, she was taken aback when she heard her stalker’s voice. What bothered her the most about this call was the undisguised fury in his voice.

  You cheated on me, Kristie. I don’t like that. I don’t like that at all. I saw you today on television, running toward that man…throwing yourself in his arms. How do you think that made me feel?

  “Honey…what’s wrong?”

  Kristie looked up, only now aware that Scott was standing by the desk. Pale and shaken, she handed the phone to him.

  “Who is it?” he asked.

  “Just listen.”

  He put the phone to his ear.

  You’re a whore…cavorting with that cop. You thought I wouldn’t know, but I saw it. The whole world saw it. And now you’re going to pay.

  The call disconnected, but not before Scott slammed the phone closed in anger, then turned and yelled at his partner.

  “Tucker! Was there a news crew at the fire scene today?”

  “A couple, I think. I know I saw Mel Stewart from Channel 19 doing some on-scene stuff.”

  “Son of a bitch,” Scott said.

  He and Mel Stewart had gone head-to-head a couple of years back and Mel had come out the loser when Scott had forbidden him to air some footage he’d gotten in a place he shouldn’t have been. It would have meant busting a case wide open before they were ready; as a result of Scott’s order, Stewart had been scooped by a rival station two days later. He hadn’t gotten over it and Scott figured he’d just been paid back.

  “Can you find out if there was some footage of me with Kristie that aired?”

  Tucker frowned. “From the fire?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Damn,” Tucker muttered, then headed for the phone as Scott turned to Kristie.

  “Okay, Kristie…this is not a big deal. So he knows where you are. So what? We’ll fool him again, okay?”

  Kristie’s voice was barely above a whisper.

  “But how?”

  “Just because he found out where I live doesn’t mean we’ll be there again.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just trust me,” he said, and then headed for the lieutenant’s office again. When he came back, he had a look on his face that she’d never seen. “Honey, get your coat.”

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Where is the last place he’d think to look for you now?”

  Kristie wondered if she looked as defeated as she felt.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Home. I’m taking you home.”

  “Back to my apartment?” she asked.

  Scott smiled, but it was the coldest smile she’d ever seen.

  “Only long enough to get some of your clothes, then I’m putting you on a plane to Midland. I want you out of this city until we find McMartin and put him behind bars.”

  “But if he knows I’m gone, he’ll—”

  “We’re putting a female cop in your apartment and—”

  Kristie froze. “You’re going to put someone else in danger because of me?”

  “It’s what we do,” Scott said. “Her name is Melissa Franks. She’s about your height and size and has long red hair. We’ll set her up in the apartment and she’ll be waiting for him when he makes his move.”

  “I won’t do it,” Kristie said. “What if he hurts her?” Her voice broke. “What if he kills her, thinking it’s me?”

  “And if we
don’t, he could kill you,” Scott said. “I couldn’t live with myself if I let that happen.”

  “But you said—”

  “I said I’d keep you safe, and I’m going to do just that. We still have a couple of leads to run down and a possible suspect to question.”

  “Like who?” Kristie asked.

  “Like the maintenance man in your apartment. I’ve seen him hanging around your place more than once. We’ve got a couple of men out looking for him now, but we haven’t been able to find him.”

  “Why don’t you just talk to him at work?”

  “Because he hasn’t been seen since the day of the elevator incident, and because the address he gave the building superintendent doesn’t exist.”

  “But he doesn’t look much like that picture you showed me of Andrew McMartin.”

  “They’re the same height and have the same facial structure. McMartin’s head was shaved in the mug shot, but he could have grown his hair back and lost a little weight. Criminals do it all the time.”

  Kristie shook her head in disbelief. “It’s the twenty-eighth day of December. In four days, it will be a whole new year. I should be planning my new year’s resolution, not my getaway.”

  “As long as it’s not your funeral, I don’t give a damn what you plan,” Scott said. “Now let’s go. We’ve got a lot to do and not much time to do it.”

  Kristie frowned, still battling her own feelings about what he’d just said, and then surprised herself and him by what she said next.

  “No. I don’t think I should leave. He’ll find out, I just know it. Then that would just delay the inevitable, or worse yet, it would drag this ugly mess home to Midland, and I won’t have it. I won’t have my parents or any members of my family put in danger by this nut.”

  “Damn it, Kristie, you don’t—”

  “Wait. Before you get mad, just listen. Please.”

  “I’m listening, but this better be good.”

  “This female cop…”

  “Yeah, what about her?” Scott asked.

  “She can stay with me…like a bodyguard. And no one will know she’s there, see? This McMartin will think I’m alone and when he makes his move, she can make hers.”

  Scott hesitated. It wasn’t the best of the plans, but he understood her not wanting to put her family in any danger, even if there was only a remote chance of it happening.

  “Maybe. I’ll have to talk to my lieutenant.”

  “So go talk. Tell him I’m not budging and he has no choice.”

  “You are nuts…you know that?” Scott growled.

  Kristie laid her hand on Scott’s arm. “Maybe so. But I’m also getting mad—real mad. I’m tired of being afraid. I’m tired of hiding behind the walls of my own home. And most of all, I’m tired of him being in charge. Now go make your speech, get the policewoman in place, and then take me home.”

  * * *

  McMartin was sitting in his car across the street from the police station when he saw Kristie and the cop come out and then get into a car. He started the engine and followed them into the traffic, taking care to stay a few cars behind. He guessed they were going back to the cop’s apartment, but when they passed it and kept on going, he decided that they were on their way back to hers instead.

  Smiling to himself, he turned left at the next stoplight and took another route to the apartment building, betting with himself that he would arrive before they did.

  A short while later he wheeled into the parking garage and parked before hurrying toward the elevator. As he rounded a corner, he saw a slim, red-haired woman waiting for the elevator to arrive. For a moment, he thought it was Kristie and he smiled, but when she turned around and gave him a cool, studied look, he realized it was someone else. He nodded and smiled again, and after a moment the woman smiled back. As she turned, he got a glimpse of a shoulder holster and a gun beneath her coat and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

  He’d bet a year of his life that she was a cop, and the fact that she looked an awful lot like his Kristie was suspicious. Suddenly his smile turned vicious. They were planning a switch. Yes, that was it. Well, two could play at this game, he thought.

  When the elevator car finally arrived, McMartin rode it up alone.

  * * *

  Kristie opened the door to her apartment and then hesitated before going inside. The stalker had gotten in here once before. She had every reason to assume that he’d done it again.

  Scott was under the same assumption, and made her wait just inside the doorway while he pulled his gun and did a thorough sweep of the entire place.

  “It’s clean,” he said, holstering his weapon as he came back into the room. “I’ll bring your things from my house in a couple of hours, as soon as I make sure Officer Franks is in place.”

  “I thought she’d already be here,” Kristie said.

  Scott nodded and frowned. “Yeah, so did I. Let me make a few calls while you settle in, okay?”

  “I’ve got to call my mom. She called yesterday, so she’ll worry if I don’t.”

  “Yes, all right, but wait until I find out what’s keeping Melissa Franks.”

  “Yes, of course,” Kristie said, and then hung her coat up in the closet and began walking through the place that was her home. The only trouble was that it felt more like a cage than a place of rest and comfort.

  By the time she returned to the living room, the frown was back on Scott’s face.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “Franks left the precinct before we did. She should have been here by now.”

  “Maybe she’s stuck down in the garage in that stupid elevator,” Kristie said.

  “You mean, it stopped before?”

  “Oh, but yes,” Kristie said. “That’s why I didn’t panic when it stopped on me until I heard that man’s voice.”

  Scott frowned. “I suppose it’s worth checking out.”

  “So go,” Kristie said. “I’ll lock myself in and won’t let anyone back in but you.”

  Scott hesitated, unwilling to leave her alone, even for that short of a time.

  Kristie rolled her eyes. “Scott! For goodness’ sake. It won’t take five minutes, tops.”

  “Okay,” he said, and opened the door. “But promise you won’t let anyone in.”

  “Yes, yes, I promise.”

  He grinned at the frown on her face and then grabbed her and kissed her soundly before she could object. They broke apart only after they heard a chuckle.

  “Well, now…are you coming or going?”

  They turned. Marjorie Petrowski, grinning from ear to ear, was laughing at them.

  “Oh! Marjorie, we were just… I mean—”

  She laughed again and patted Scott on the arm as she winked at Kristie.

  “My dear…I can see what you were doing. However, that’s beside the point. I was just on my way out to get some ice cream. I’ve been hungry for that Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey. Do you know the flavor?”

  Kristie rolled her eyes and then groaned in appreciation.

  “It’s one of my favorites,” she said.

  “They’re all your favorites,” Scott teased.

  Marjorie laughed. As she did, a door suddenly banged down the hall and they all turned toward the sound. It was the maintenance man, though he wasn’t wearing his coveralls and was moving rather furtively as he hurried down the hall toward the stairs.

  “Hey, you!” Scott called. “Wait!”

  The man froze and then turned. When he saw Scott, he dropped his toolbox and bolted toward the stairs.

  “Call the department. Tell them I need some backup,” Scott told Kristie, then added, “And get inside and lock the door.”

  Scott took off down the hall after the man, leaving Marjorie and Kristie alone in the hall.

  “Whatever’s going on?” Marjorie asked.

  “Oh…it’s too complicated to explain,” Kristie said. “You’ll have to excuse me, I need to call the police.”

>   “Then call, call,” Marjorie said, waving Kristie toward the phone. “I’m staying with you until I’m sure you’re okay.”

  Kristie hesitated, then shrugged. “Fine, but lock the door behind you,” she said as she ran to the phone.

  She dialed 911, relayed Scott’s message, and then disconnected. She was about to replace the portable phone on the base when she looked up. From where she was standing, she could see Marjorie’s reflection in the mirror just to her left. And in that moment when Marjorie believed herself not in view, her entire facial structure had changed. The prim purse of her mouth had relaxed into a thin-lipped, almost-masculine sneer. She’d taken off her coat, as well as the jacket to her jogging suit and as she turned toward the coffee table, Kristie realized Marjorie Petrowski didn’t have any boobs. It wasn’t as if she’d never seen a flat-chested woman before, but she’d never seen one with shoulders that broad and hips that flat.

  Her heart started to pound, and instead of hanging up the phone, she slid her thumb back onto the speed dial, knowing that if her suspicious were correct, she was going to have to make another call to 911.

  “May I get you something to drink?” Kristie asked. “Maybe a cup of coffee, or a soft drink?”

  Marjorie turned around, and at that moment Kristie knew her fears had been true. Marjorie smiled at Kristie and shoved a hand through her hair and pulled. The hair came off in her hand, revealing a high forehead and a very bald head.

  “Hello, my darling, Kristie. I’ve been waiting a very long time for this moment.”

  “Well, Andrew…I’m sorry to say I can’t return the favor.”

  He was startled that she knew his name and it showed. A dull flush suffused his neck, then spread up his cheeks.

  “So you think you’re smart, do you?” he said, and took a step toward her.

  Kristie pressed the speed dial button with the pad of her thumb and held the phone out toward McMartin, pointing it like a gun in hope that he would not notice what she’d done.

  Seconds later, she heard the faint sound of the dispatcher’s voice and started to talk loudly to him and in a threatening manner.

  “So you’re Andrew McMartin. I never thought I’d meet you hiding behind the proverbial woman’s skirts.”