Nowhere to Run (Stephanie Carovella) (25 page)

Holding it tightly within her hands, she moved behind the door, waiting for it to open. Her heart pounding wildly, she held her breath, almost afraid to breathe. Not recognizing the man who entered the bedroom, she brought the figurine down upon his head, watching in satisfaction when he slumped to the ground.

Stephanie dropped the figurine when someone grabbed her from behind. Taking a deep breath, she elbowed him hard in the stomach, smiling savagely when he grunted. She brought her boot’s stiletto heel down onto his foot, twisting it. She smirked in satisfaction at his yelp. Her attacker let her go and staggered backwards. Twirling around, she lifted her hand into a defensive palm position Dominic had once shown her, moved herself into an attack stance and prepared to break her attacker’s nose.

“Damn it Stephanie, do you greet everyone like this?”

Stephanie paused, the familiar voice bringing her to a halt inches from her attacker’s face. Her memory was teased by the accented drawl, and she drew her hands back, studying the man in front of her. “Jake?” she whispered in surprise.

Jake Carlisle lifted his hands up in appeal, still trying to catch his breath. “Damn it Carovella, you sure know how to pack a punch. What are you trying to do to me?”

He stood, slowly drawing himself to his full six foot five height, and opened his arms. Stephanie laughed in pleasure, launching herself at the man in front of her. Jake wrapped his arms around Stephanie, lifting her up into a bear hug.

As he lowered her back to the ground, he glanced over his shoulder at the man who was slowly lifting himself off the ground. He grinned at the scowl darkening his friend’s face. “How’s the head, Rafe?” he asked in amusement, laughing at Rafe’s disgruntled expression.

Stephanie looked from Jake Carlisle to the man she’d hit with the Inca statue. She lifted her hand to her mouth, trying hard not to smile. Seeing the man’s scowl deepen, she burst into laughter.

Turning to the man beside her, she smiled widely at him. “I knew that ugly statue you bought Dominic and I for a wedding present would come in handy someday,” she said with a smirk. Putting her hands on her hips, she gave Jake a mock scowl. “Damn it Jake, did you have to scare the living daylights out of me?” she scolded, smiling at Jesse’s brother with unconcealed delight.

“You’re lucky it was Rafe and I. Hell, you didn’t even lock the door, Stephanie. With a serial killer on the loose, anyone could have come in here and attacked you,” he scolded back lightly, not wanting to scare her with how concerned he really was.

“Rafe?” she questioned, turning her head once more to stare at the man standing silently in front of them.

Jake nodded, smiling at Stephanie. “Steph, this is my old marine buddy, Rafael. Rafe, the woman who struck you down like a vengeful angel is the ever, delightful Stephanie Carovella.”

Stephanie gave him a brief apologetic nod, holding out her hand. He took it, almost cautiously, before gripping it firmly. “You’ve got quite an arm,” he drawled, slowly smiling at her.

“Blame my husband. Dominic believed every woman should know how to defend herself in any situation. Jake’s lucky I didn’t break his nose.”

With narrowing eyes, she glared at Jake. “Speaking of which, Jake do you want to explain the serial killer comment to me? One would think you know something about my situation, and while you’re at it you might want to explain how exactly you found me? I never told anyone where I was going.”

Jake grimaced. “Now, Steph, honey, don’t get upset...”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Frank Delucci stood behind Jase Devlin, his fingers digging into the black leather chair Jase sat in, his gaze never leaving the computer screen. They both watched the events unfolding before them. Gena, her face ghost-white, watched them from where she stood in front of her office window.

Struggling to keep her composure, she turned to face the window, her attention focused on the street below. She gripped the metal window frame for support, knowing if she let go her legs would buckle out from beneath her. Even now, she could still feel her legs shaking, the shock of what she’d witnessed ravaging her body.

She tried to block out the screams of agony coming from the video clip Jase and Delucci were playing. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she focused on blocking out the sounds of her friend being tortured, acutely aware that the silent room only amplified the sounds. The only other sounds she could hear were her own gasps for breath; she was about to lose it completely.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she whispered brokenly, “Frank, Jase, I’m sorry. I can’t listen to this anymore. Not again.”

Frank Delucci nodded curtly in her direction and Jase quickly pressed the pause button. “Do you want me to come with you?” he asked quietly, watching her shake her head furiously. With a curt nod, he turned his inscrutable gaze back to the computer screen and pressed play again.

Frank Delucci’s eyes briefly left the screen to glance at Gena’s broken expression, pity in his own eyes. When she turned away, he tore his gaze from her to return to the video clip. He could understand why she refused to watch and listen to the footage again, acknowledging it couldn’t be easy for her to stomach what they were watching. His own stomach twisted and churned at the sight of Ana Ferrier’s brutal murder unfolding onscreen. Leaning closer, he scanned the video clip for any sign of where Ana was held.

Gena closed her eyes again, wishing she could erase the images burnt in her mind. Moving abruptly she raced to the door, not prepared to sit and listen to anymore of Ana’s screams and pleas for mercy while she was being savagely tortured.

Jerking open her office door she ran out of the room, unable to breathe. She ignored Sandra’s stunned expression as she bolted past her, tears staining her face. She didn’t stop until she burst out into the bright sunshine, gasping for breath. Leaning against the wall, she slid down it, placing shaky hands over her face.

She couldn’t stop thinking about Ana. She couldn’t stop thinking about the pain she’d gone through, all because she’d known Gena. It was her fault Ana was dead. This was all happening because a killer was fixated on her, like some avenging angel determined to destroy anyone Gena loved.

Lifting her eyes to the sky, she closed them, feeling the sun’s warmth on her cold face. “I’m so sorry, Ana,” she whispered, dropping her head to her chest in sorrow.

***

He glared at Gena from where he sat across the road. The dark tinted windows of his four wheel drive obscured his presence. Watching her slide down the wall, his lips curved into a smile. He was unable to hide the thrill it gave him seeing Gena Evans fall apart.

A chuckle erupted from his throat when she put her face into her hands and began to cry openly. He’d finally broken her. He was unstoppable. Detective Gena Evans would never stop him. Turning the key in the ignition, he whispered quietly, “Soon, Gena.”

He gave her one last lingering look of contempt before he drove away from the Precinct.

***

Gena lifted her head from her hands when someone touched her shoulder gently. “Gena, drink this.”

Lifting her head higher, she looked up into Frank Delucci and Jase’s sympathetic eyes. Taking the bottle Jase offered, she ripped open the cap and took a sip, swallowing deeply.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her sleeve, she dropped her eyes back to the pavement. “It’s my fault,” she whispered. “This maniac is killing my friends because he’s targeting me. In his sick and twisted mind, I’ve offended him somehow and this is his vengeance.

We’re fucking blind. We have no clue at all to who this maniac is, what his motives are or what his next move will be. He’s blinded us completely. We’re at a loss, completely in the dark.”

She didn’t miss the quick glance Jase shot Frank Delucci. Frustration ate at her and her voice was sharp, “What do you know?” Waiting for them to answer, she struggled to keep her emotions in check, anger bubbling to the surface. “You know something, damn it. What aren’t you telling me?”

Jase hunched down beside her, resting his back against the precinct’s concrete wall for balance. “Gena, Frank and I don’t believe you caused Ana’s death. After you and I left Jesse’s place last night, I started thinking about everything that’s happened. You mentioned you hadn’t stayed in touch with Carolyn after university; you think this is all about you, but I’m not sure it is. There’s just something not right about it all.”

“You mean apart from the fact my friends are being murdered one by one?” Gena said sarcastically, scowling in annoyance when Delucci’s lips twitched in amusement.

Delucci inclined his head, his expression and voice both soothing her even as his words sent chills down her spine. “Gena, we don’t think you’re the person he’s targeting at all.”

She shook her head emphatically, pursuing her lips firmly together. “How can you say that? He left me the bloodied message at the last crime scene. He sent me that god awful video clip. Now you’re saying it has nothing to do with me? I’m sorry, I can’t believe it.”

Jase grinned wickedly. “Gena, we’re not saying you haven’t pissed this guy off. For some reason, he’s definitely got you in his sights. I’m not sure why he’s drawing you into his twisted game, but I don’t think it’s your attention he’s craving. It was Frank who suggested who his real target could be.”

“Stephanie,” Gena breathed, picking at the label on the water bottle she held, her hand tightening around it. “Are you sure? He left me the message?”

Delucci ignore her question, asking pointedly, “Did Stephanie Carovella know Ana Ferrier very well?”

Gena paled. Dropping her eyes to her water bottle, she focused on peeling the label off the bottle. Contemplating the question, she lifted her eyes up to meet Delucci’s. “Yes, she did. I met Ana through Stephanie. Why are you asking me about Stephanie’s relationship with Ana?”

He ignored her question, the admission displeasing him. “And she kept in touch with both Carolyn Mathers and Angel Monroe?”

“Yes, of course. Where the hell are you going with this?” Gena asked angrily.

“Just how well do you know Stephanie Carovella?” Delucci asked abruptly. He wasn’t surprised to see Gena’s eyes blacken with fury at his line of questioning.

“If you’re damn well implying Stephanie was involved in these murders, you’re dead wrong. Stephanie loved each of those girls like they were family. In a sense they were. Angel, Carolyn, Stephanie and I all went to university together. There’s nothing we didn’t know about each other.”

Pressing her palm against the wall to support herself, she rose from where she was squatting, glaring at Delucci with ill-concealed disgust.

Delucci raised his hands in defense. “I had to ask Gena, you know why.”

Gena snorted. “You had to realize it would piss me off.” She noticed the way Jase shifted uncomfortably in response to Delucci’s question and avoided her eyes. She meshed her teeth in frustration. “What the hell are you not telling me, damn it?” she growled, not bothering to hide her growing fury that Jase and Delucci were working together.

Both of them were acting as if they were the leading Detectives on these murders- like they were still partners. These were her cases and she’d be damned if they were going to stonewall her.

Jase stood, leaning against the precinct wall. He kept his voice low when he spoke, not completely comfortable with what he had to share.

“Gena, after I left Jesse’s place last night I started thinking about each case and the common dominators. I couldn’t shake the feeling we were missing a crucial point, an important piece of the puzzle to bring each murder together. I went back over every detail we’d uncovered, analyzing each murder and each case, and it kept bringing me back to one person, Stephanie.”

“Gena, we’re not saying she committed the murders, but we think she know more than she’s letting on,” Delucci said.

Gena shook her head in denial, shooting Jase a look of disbelief. “No, Jase. Stephanie would absolutely tell me if she knew anything about these murders. She knows we need all the help we can get.”

Delucci frowned at Gena’s quick denial. He wondered if her friendship with Stephanie was causing her to be biased. He knew she honestly believed her friend was being completely open with her, but their friendship could cloud her judgment.

Trying another tactic, he smiled warmly at her. “I’m sure you truly believe your friend wouldn’t keep anything from you, but I’d still like to sit down with her anyway.”

Gena smiled back. “Of course Frank, I understand. I’m sure Stephanie will be happy to tell you what she knows.” Her eyes narrowed speculatively. “What makes you think Stephanie isn’t telling us everything?”

Delucci shrugged nonchalantly. “I just wondered, what with the sealed file and all.”

Gena’s mouth dropped open, shock making her stumble back against the wall. Steadying herself, she closed her mouth, swallowing hard. “Sealed file? What sealed file?” she asked croakily, the words tumbling from her mouth.

Jase reached out to grab her arm when she stumbled and she slapped it away in irritation. Putting her hands on her hips, she demanded, “Well?”

“Gena, I didn’t go home last night. I called Frank and asked him to meet me here. We started digging into Stephanie’s background.”

“Why the hell wasn’t I informed about this investigation? These are my god damn cases. She’s my fucking friend!”

“Gena, you were in no state to investigate anything. You’d just lost Ana. You needed time to grieve,” Jase said softly.

Giving him a filthy look, she spoke between clenched teeth. “Frank, what sealed file?”

Delucci smiled at Gena’s fury. He knew she felt like he was usurping her, but he was just doing his job. He also knew she wouldn’t think twice about the doing the same, if the roles were reversed. Again he wondered if her friendship with Stephanie Carovella could be clouding her judgment.

“The lovely Ms Carovella has a sealed file. She’s either been a very bad girl or she witnessed a very bad thing. The file’s been sealed. If I was to hazard a guess, I’d say it was by the Feds.” he said, wanting to gauge Gena’s reaction to the news.