“No,” she said bluntly. “When I leave here, I’m going straight home to wash the cobwebs out of my hair.”
“Later then. We can meet anywhere you like.”
She drew another breath. “I know I’ll live to regret this, but I sometimes go for walks on the Battery in the evenings. I’ll be there at seven, and I’ll wait exactly five minutes. If you don’t show, we’ll let this drop and you won’t ever bother me again.”
“Agreed,” he said. “But I’ll be there.”
Nothing short of the apocalypse—or the federal agents inside that black Dodge Charger—could keep him away.
Chapter Four
Addie’s house was a modest brick ranch tucked back from the street and shaded by two large live oaks that canopied her whole front yard. Beds of impatiens lined her brick walkway, and hydrangeas grew along the sides of her concrete porch. It was a pleasant place to come home to, a cool and colorful oasis.
Once upon a time, as she’d sanded and refinished the original hardwood floors and painted every wall in the house, she’d had visions of dinner parties and backyard barbecues. But a strange thing happened when she finished her renovations. She became greedy of her privacy and protective of her sanctuary. Most evenings, she was all too content to sit alone in the yard watching hummingbirds fight at her feeders and later, lightning bugs flit through the jasmine.
Today when she turned down her street, she took note of a white panel van parked two doors down from her place. The traditional two-story house was undergoing a gut job, so it wasn’t unusual to find any number of vehicles parked at the curb. The side door of the van was open, and Addie glimpsed what looked to be an assortment of tools and lumber inside. The front door to the house was also open, but she saw no signs of life. Addie wasn’t alarmed or even that curious; she was merely observant. East Side fixer-uppers had become hot commodities over the past few years, and the heightened activity in the neighborhood sometimes allowed criminals to slip in and out unnoticed. It paid to keep an eye out.
A late-model luxury sedan was parked in her driveway when she got home. This vehicle she recognized. Addie waved to the older woman perched on her porch steps. The woman waved back and called out to her. Just shy of sixty, Dr. Helen Cutler was pleasantly nondescript, neither short nor tall, neither heavy nor thin, but she had an aura of warmth and vitality that drew one in, and her voice was melodic and soothing—desirable attributes for a therapist. She wore her silver hair clipped close to her head, and she favored oversize eyeglasses and knit cotton clothing with a bohemian flare. She sat on the top step with her full skirt flowing around her ankles as she watched Addie cross the yard.
“This is a pleasant surprise. I didn’t expect to see you this afternoon,” Addie said as she automatically shaded her eyes to check up and down the street. A calico cat rose from the porch, stretched and then sauntered down the steps to greet her at the bottom. She bent to give the feline some attention.
“I didn’t expect to see you, either,” Helen said. “Not for another two days. As to what I’m doing here, did you forget you asked me to feed the strays while you were away?”
“You didn’t get my voice mail?”
“I lost my phone,” Helen said with a sigh. “Second time this year. One would almost think I’m misplacing them on purpose. Fortunately, my new one arrives tomorrow, although I’ve rather enjoyed going old-school for the last couple of days.”
Addie plopped down on the porch steps beside her. “I’d be lost without my phone.”
“Spoken like a true millennial. But David is almost as bad. Sometimes I think he has that thing glued to his ear.”
“Your husband is an important man. The department couldn’t function without our deputy chief.”
“So he tells me,” Helen said drily. “But enough about him. Tell me why you’re back so early.”
Addie pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees, mimicking Helen’s position. The Cutlers weren’t blood relatives, but they were closer to Addie than any of her real family. David had been both mentor and taskmaster, and there had been times when Addie had felt he demanded too much of her, that he held her to a higher standard than any of the other detectives. But in the long run, his expectations had served her well, and there was no one in the department she trusted or respected more.
Twenty-five years ago, as a young homicide detective, he’d been the one to find her mother’s body. In the painful aftermath of that tragedy, Helen had helped Addie cope with her grief, her night terrors and the confusing notoriety that came from being one of Twilight’s Children. The couple had been her lifeline ever since, and Addie knew she would never be able to repay their kindness and support.
“The cabin was wonderful for about three days,” she said. “And then I started to go stir-crazy.”
Helen glanced at her over the top of her glasses. “With that gorgeous lake right outside your door? All those lovely mountains to explore?”
“What can I say, I’m a city girl at heart. I can only take so much of communing with nature before I need my morning fix of car horns and exhaust fumes.”
“You sound just like David. I’ve been trying to get him to slow down for the past ten years, but he just gets busier and crankier. Sometimes I think he won’t be content until he works himself to death. These days he doesn’t get home until well after dark, and he leaves the house before I wake up. And lately—” Helen broke off with a frown.
“Lately what?”
“He seems...distant. Distracted. It’s probably nothing.”
“Have you talked to him about it?”
“You know he doesn’t like to talk about work. Not to me, at least.”
“Do you want me to talk to him?”
Helen patted her arm. “I would never put you in that position. You might suggest to him, though, that a vacation with his wife wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
“I’ll do that.”
“I can’t even remember the last time we went up to the cabin together, much less someplace exotic. We used to love taking cruises in our younger days, but the last one must have been before—” She stopped short and then shrugged. “Before he was appointed deputy chief.”
“Were you about to say before my mother died?”
Helen was silent for a moment. “How did you know?”
“Because you always get that look when you’re thinking about her.”
Helen smiled. “You know me too well. Sandra’s been on my mind so much lately. This time of year is always difficult, and now with the twenty-fifth anniversary looming, so many articles are coming out about the Twilight Killer and James Merrick. You can’t avoid the subject. Or the memories. I was so glad you decided to take your vacation when you did. I wanted you to have some time away from all that darkness.”
“Matt Lepear mentioned he saw a documentary about the Twilight Killer the other night,” Addie said.
Helen’s expression turned grim. “Yes, I saw it, too. I told myself I wouldn’t watch, but I couldn’t seem to resist.”
“He said they showed a picture of me.”
“They had photographs of all the children. It was a where-are-they-now montage.” She paused, and her voice softened. “So many lives were torn apart that summer. So many children lost their innocence because of that monster. I’m so thankful you’ve been able to move beyond it.”
“In no small part because of you and David,” Addie said.
Helen draped an arm around Addie’s shoulders and gave her a quick squeeze. “I’m just happy your grandmother allowed us to remain in your life. Your mother and I were always so close. She was like a younger sister to me. And you’re the daughter I never had.”
Addie tilted her face to the warm breeze. “What was it like that summer? It’s all so hazy to me. Like a dream. Yet I can still remember the dress I wore to my mother’s funeral and
the songs the choir sang. I even remember hearing you and David talking in the doorway of my bedroom the night she was killed.”
Helen glanced at her. “You never told me that.”
Addie shrugged. “You always get so sad when we talk about her. I thought it best to keep some things to myself.”
Helen regarded her for a moment. “I’m sorry you felt that way. I let you down when you needed me the most.”
“That’s not true. You saved me.”
“You saved yourself, Addie. I’ve never known anyone stronger. Even when you were a child, you were sometimes the one holding me up. I’m glad you don’t remember much about those days, but for me, it seems only yesterday. There was a hushed quality to the city after the first body was found, like we were all holding our breath. Like we somehow knew the worst was yet to come. After the second body, fear settled in, and you couldn’t walk down the street without glancing over your shoulder.”
Addie said, “Was my mother scared?”
“She never let on. But that was our Sandra. She was so full of bluster and bravado. I was scared for her because she fit the profile. Young, single mother living alone with an only child. On some level, she must have been frightened. David and I did our best to keep an eye on you both, but she was stubborn and independent. She refused to change her lifestyle regardless of the warnings. ‘If you give in to the fear, you let him in,’ she would say. And then she’d laugh and tease me. ‘You worry too much, Helen. Only thirty and already you’re an old fogey. Come out and have a drink with me.’ And I would gently remind her that someone had to stay and watch over you. Dear Helen. What would I ever do without you?”
The change in her aunt’s voice startled Addie, and a memory flitted. Sometimes I think you love Helen more than me. I’m glad she’s good to you, boo. I’m glad you like going to her house. But don’t forget who your real mother is, okay? Don’t forget me.
“Addie?”
The sound of Helen’s normal, soothing timbre chased away the memory. “Yes?”
“Where did you go just now?”
“I remembered something Mama said to me once about how much I liked being at your house. Did I stay with you often?”
“Sandra adored going out,” Helen said without really answering Addie’s question. “She had you when she was so young, barely eighteen, so it was only natural she’d crave a social life.”
“You didn’t resent having someone else’s kid dumped on you? You were young, too. You and David must have had things you’d rather do than babysit me.”
“Resent it? The time I spent with you was always the highlight of my week. David felt the same way. He liked having you close so that he could protect you. We were such careful people. We took every precaution. We made sure the doors and windows were locked every night, and we kept an eye out for strangers in the neighborhood. Even so, I never really believed anything could happen to someone so close to us.”
“I know.”
Helen gazed out toward the street, where the sun hovered just above the treetops. As the shadows grew longer, the perfume from Addie’s garden deepened.
Her aunt shivered. “It’s been twenty-five years, and I still get anxious this time of day.”
Addie followed her gaze to the street. Two doors down, someone had come out of the house and climbed into the white van. She could hear the idle of the engine, but she couldn’t make out the driver. Like the Charger she’d seen earlier, the van’s windshield was tinted. Why hadn’t she noticed that before?
“Do you see that van parked down the street? Was it there when you drove by?”
Helen had been lost in thought, but now she roused herself. “What? I don’t know. I never even noticed it until now. But I’ve seen a lot of trucks and vans in front of that house since I’ve been feeding the strays. I’m sure it belongs to one of the workers.”
“Probably, but I didn’t see any logo on the side.”
Helen turned to stare at her. “You’re not worried about it, are you? Surely no one would be brazen enough to try to rob the place with so many people out and about.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time, but I’m not suggesting they’re up to no good. I just like to keep an eye on any strange vehicles in the neighborhood.”
“David trained you well,” Helen said in approval. “He used to make me jot down make, model and license plate number if I saw anything suspicious. Now I just snap a picture with my phone. When I have one on me, that is.”
“Good idea,” Addie said as she took out her own phone. For the longest time, the driver remained stationary with the motor running. She thought again of that black Charger and Ethan’s revelation of new evidence. Of his insistence that if something happened to him, he could trust her to do right thing.
As if drawn by the power of her stare, the van pulled onto the street and slowly came toward them.
The side window was down, but the driver wore a red cap pulled low over his brow so that Addie couldn’t get a good look at him.
“That’s not at all suspicious,” she muttered as she lifted her phone. She zoomed in, trying to capture the rear license plate. “Did you get a glimpse of him?”
Helen didn’t answer. She stared after the van for a moment, and then her hand flew to her skirt pocket as if something had suddenly occurred to her. But it was her expression that caught Addie’s attention. Stricken was the word that came to mind.
“Aunt Helen? Are you okay? You look as if you just saw a ghost.”
She turned wide eyes on Addie. “A ghost?”
“You’re as white as a sheet. What’s wrong? Did you recognize the driver of the van?”
“What? No. Oh, no.” She shook her head as if to clear her senses. “Nothing like that. I think I remember where I left my phone.”
“Where? Maybe it’s still there. We can go look for it if you want.”
“It’s probably long gone by now, but just in case, I’ll have a look on my way home. Speaking of which...” She rose and stood with her back to Addie. “I really should be going.”
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
She seemed so tense and anxious that Addie thought she might decline. Then she relaxed when Addie slipped her arm through hers. Helen patted her hand. “Good to have you home.”
“Thank you for looking after the kitties. And for the use of the cabin. It really was good to get away. I hope you and David can make it up there soon. Seems a shame to let it sit empty.”
Helen glanced at her. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Addie searched her face. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, I’m just a little tired. I’ll call you tomorrow. We’ll make dinner plans.”
“Just name the date.”
“I’ll let you get settled with your new assignment first. Addie...” Helen turned back to the street. “Be careful. I know this neighborhood isn’t as dangerous as it once was, but there are bad elements everywhere these days. Keep your doors and windows locked, and turn on the alarm even when you’re home. Keep your gun nearby when you sleep.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. As you said, David taught me well.”
“Sometimes danger comes from a place you least expect,” Helen said as she climbed into her car. She closed the door and lowered the window. “I’ll call you about dinner.”
Addie watched her back out of the drive and head down the street in the same direction as the white van. The opposite direction from Helen’s neighborhood.
* * *
TWILIGHT CAME LATE and softly in the summertime. The evening breeze brought a tantalizing mixture of jasmine, moonflowers and the more elusive perfume of the tea olives. Ethan’s interest in flowers was limited to his study of Orson Lee Finch. His recognition of the various scents came from Addie. She used to school him as they walked arm in arm through White Point Garden. At tw
enty-two, Ethan had been more interested in the scent that wafted from her long blond hair. You’re not listening to me, she would scold him.
I’m hanging on your every word. How could I not when you have me wrapped around your little finger?
And then she would stand on tiptoes to kiss him as he threaded his fingers through that soft, soft hair, turning her face to his, kissing her back with an urgency that surprised even him.
Ethan let the memory fade as he climbed the steps to the Battery. After leaving the Gainey house, he’d gone back to his hotel to shower and change into more casual clothing, but he felt vulnerable out of his G-man uniform. The dark suits gave him a veneer of invincibility, and now in jeans and a cotton shirt, he felt increasingly unsure of himself. He had a feeling Addie would be able to see right through him, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. He needed her on his side, and complete honesty was the only hope he had.
He trained his gaze on Charleston Harbor, marking the rise and fall of the tide as sailboats floated in the distance. He had always loved this city. His maternal grandparents were native Charlestonians, and despite the publicity surrounding his father’s breakdown and arrest, he and his mother had lived here for a time before she’d dated Richard Barrow. After their marriage, his stepfather had moved them to his home in Alexandria. He and Ethan’s mother still lived in the same gleaming white colonial. To anyone unaware of the backstory, they seemed an idyllic family, and yet even as a kid, Ethan had felt like an impostor.
Sensing eyes on him, he turned his head, almost expecting to find his counterparts in dark suits and sunglasses watching him. Instead, he saw Addie making her way through the evening crowd. She’d gone home to change and now, in cutoffs and sneakers, she looked more like a college kid than a seasoned police detective. She’d pulled her hair back and tucked it up loosely at her nape. She wore sunglasses, too, so he couldn’t see her eyes, but she wasn’t smiling. Her sober demeanor took nothing away from her attractiveness. She looked fit, tanned and ready to take on the world. Or him.
Criminal Behavior--A Thrilling FBI Romance Page 4