Nowhere to Run (Stephanie Carovella) (44 page)

“Not your fault,” she whispered, licking her cracked lips. Jase opened his mouth to disagree, turning his head when Delucci knocked and entered.

“Cyn’s awake,” he said, turning to smile back at Cyn before looking at Delucci again. “Carlisle?”

Delucci shook his head. “He’s not our man.” Pausing, he said quietly, “Can we talk outside?”

Jase nodded, his gaze moving to Cyn, smiling when he realized she was asleep again. Standing, he followed Delucci outside. “What’s up?”

“Barbara Madden couldn’t even identify Jake Carlisle in the lineup,” Delucci said, disgust in his voice. “She was hysterical when she realized the Jake Carlisle she knew wasn’t there. He’s making us look like idiots.”

“When Cyn is more alert we can give her a photo of Carlisle, see if she recognizes him,” Jase said, shaking his head. “You’re right. He’s playing mind games with us. He wants us to question everything we know. It’s all about control with him.”

“I think Walker’s still our man, so I’m going to focus on him.”

“I’ve got a meeting tomorrow with the former Detective who was assigned to Katrina Andrews’ case. He’ll be able to tell us more,” Jase said.

Delucci nodded in agreement, his voice dropping to a murmur. “Gena’s off the case. She lied to protect Carlisle when she didn’t need to. She’s not just off the case Jase, she’s suspended indefinitely. Roberts is pissed with her, pissed with me for letting her have such free rein, and he’s determined to make an example of her. By the time, Roberts is done with her, she’ll be lucky to be directing traffic.”

***

Barbara Madden threw clothes into her suitcase, frantically packing. She needed to leave L.A. She needed to get as far away as possible. She wasn’t safe here, not while he was still loose.

Shaking, she pressed her hands to her lips. She had been so stupid. She’d been safer where she was. She’d disappeared without a trace, but her conscience had brought her back. Detective Sandra Barton had promised her she’d be safe. A hysterical laugh escaped her. She’d actually believed her. How naïve she was. First, she’d fallen for ‘Jake Carlisle’s’ smooth lines, believing everything he told her. Then she’d believed the L.A.P.D when they said she was safe. Safe? Who was she kidding? She would never be safe again. Not until she was as far away from him as possible.

Jake Carlisle – if that was even his name – wouldn’t stop until he found her. If he knew she hadn’t kept her mouth shut, he’d kill her. Shuddering, she knew he would anyway.

A knock on the door interrupted her frantic packing. Freezing, she stared at the door, her heart jumping into her throat. Calling out, she asked, “Who is it?”

“Ms Madden, my name is Detective Devlin. I’m Detective Delucci’s partner,” the voice answered. “Can you open up, and let me see you’re okay?”

Slowly walking towards the door, she lifted her hand to remove the latch from the hotel room door. Hesitating, she opened the door, the latch still in place.

“Ms Madden?” he asked, a smile on his face. He flashed his Detective Badge at her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded jerkily, giving him a shaky smile. “I told them I didn’t want any protection.”

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “I know you did, but I’d hate for anything to happen to you because of our error.” Indicating to the latch on the door, he slid his hand inside the slightly ajar door, tapping the latch. “You want to open up, so I can check the perimeter. I know you don’t want our protection, but ma’am, I’d prefer to check your room is clear anyway.”

Seeing her falter, he flashed another warm smile. “It’d clear my conscience if we know you’re safe and sound. I promise, after this the L.A.P.D won’t bother you again.”

Taking a deep breath, she nodded, closing the door and removing the latch. Opening the door, she smiled brightly at Detective Devlin. “Please come inside, Detective. I can assure no one is in my room, but if it makes you feel better please check under every bed cover and in every cupboard,” she teased, relief sliding through her at the fact Detective Sandra Barton had been thoughtful enough to send another Detective out to check out her.

***

Leigh Walker entered the hotel room, his smile predatory and his eyes focused on the pretty brunette in front of her. Watching her move into the bathroom, she called out, “As you can see, I’m packing. The sooner I disappear, the better.”

Silently he closed the door, locking it and putting the latch firmly in place. He removed the rope he was carrying from his pocket, fingering it gently. “If you take what’s mine old friend, then I’ll take what’s yours,” he whispered.

Chapter Forty-Four

Stephanie walked into Jase’s office, carrying her laptop in one hand and her Glock in the other. Jake’s arrest was eating at her. She’d not been able to shake the feeling she was missing a crucial clue, one which would reveal who
he
was. She just couldn’t work out what, but she would - eventually.

Cradling her Glock in her lap, she booted up her laptop. Waiting patiently for it to load, she curiously glanced around Jase’s office. Leaning over, she opened his desk drawers, peering inside. She picked up the three folders sitting inside, surprised to see her name and her parents name on two of them.

Leaning back in her chair, she balanced the folders on her lap, picking up the first one. She studied the hastily written scrawl on the folder’s front cover.
Stephen and Jennifer Carovella.
Her parents. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember them in happier times. Instead, she saw them dead - their mutilated bodies spread out over their bed, the sheets stained blood red. Opening her eyes abruptly, she tapped her fingers against the files. Why did Jase have a file on her parents?

Taking a deep breath she opened the folder, pulling out photos of a scene she recognized only too well. Tossing the crime scene photos onto the desk, she ignored them, her eyes skimming over the crime scene report. Flipping through the pages, she couldn’t stop her eyes straying to the logo emblazoned on the top of the Crime Scene Report.

Picking up another file off her lap, she avoided the file with her name on it. Opening the second folder, she pulled out the crime scene photos, stunned by what she saw. Leaning over, she reached to pick up a photo of her parents crime scene. She compared it to the first photo in the unmarked folder. “Holy shit,” she muttered, unable to tear her eyes from the near identical crime scenes.

She tossed her parents crime scene photo back on the desk, slowly flipping through the photos from the second folder. She was surprised to find seven other crime scenes similar to her parents. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. A serial killer, really?” she muttered again, shaking her head in disbelief. “When Gena said I was a danger magnet, she wasn’t joking.”

She thumbed through the crime scene reports in the folder, seeing the same logo emblazoned on them. Shaking her head, again she wondered what Jase was doing with them? Carefully placing the crime scene photos and reports back into the folder, she placed it back into the drawer.

Her eyes dropped the last folder in her lap and she grimaced. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was inside, but had a feeling she already knew. Opening the file, she wasn’t surprised to see the same logo emblazoned on the first page within the folder. She turned page after page, her expression inscrutable. Whoever had compiled this dossier on her had done their homework. Her whole life was in here. From the moment she’d been found wandering the streets, covered in blood after her parents murder, to Katrina’s death.

Pushing aside the report, she glanced at the photos within the folder. Picking one up, she smiled bitterly at the picture of innocence. It was a photo taken a few days before her tenth birthday. Less than a week later, her life had been shattered forever.

She flipped through several photos taken at various stages of her life, stopping when she saw a photo of her and Katrina together. It had been taken during their university’s orientation Week and showed them both laughing, their faces radiating with happiness. Stroking her thumb over Katrina’s image, she closed her eyes again. So many lives had been lost already, all because of one man’s obsession. This had to end. She couldn’t lose anyone else.

Tucking the photos back into the folder, she smiled grimly. Closing it, she tapped it against her knee. Gathering her parents’ folder up, she placed it carefully on the side of the desk with her sealed file. Jase Devlin had some explaining to do, starting with why her parents’ crime scene photos were identical to seven other murders and ending with how the hell he’d managed to obtain her sealed file from the FBI.

***

Gena lifted her head from her arms when someone rapped loudly on her front door. Ignoring them, she picked up her drink and took a large gulp, coughing when it went down the wrong way. Closing her eyes, she willed whoever was at the door to go away. She was in no state or mood to deal with anyone right now. Opening her eyes, she scowled when the rapping started up again, slowly rising from her chair and moving towards the door.

She looked through the peephole, freezing when she saw Jake waited impatiently on the doorstep. She took a unsteady step back, not sure she was ready to speak to him. She was still hurting from his attitude earlier tonight and really didn’t feel like an interrogation or screaming match.

As if he knew what she was thinking, he slammed his hand against the door impatiently, growling, “Gena, put down the Jack Daniels, and open up this door. We need to talk.”

Taking another step back away from the door, she shook her head tiredly. She couldn’t face him tonight, not after everything. If she did, she’d fall to pieces. She was barely holding it together as it was. “Go away Jake, I’m not in the mood,” she said irritably.

“Gena, you’ve got two choices here. You can open up the door and invite me inside so we can talk rationally, or you don’t and I pick your lock. Either way, it’s going to end the same. I’m coming inside and we’re going to talk. It just depends on which way you want to play it. Personally, I’d go with choice number one. Now what’s it going to be?”

Gena glared at her wooden front door, weighing up her options. Knowing Jake would do exactly as he threatened, she moved to the front door, jerkily unlocking it before pulling it open. “What do you want, Jake? I’ve had a shit day and an even shittier night and I’m in no mood to deal with your dramas right now,” she snapped, refusing to meet his gaze. Instead she dropped her eyes to the ground.

Jake reached out and put two fingers underneath her chin, lifting her head up so she could meet his gaze. “Why?” he asked.

Gena rolled her eyes. “Why, what? Why am I drinking? Why am I angry? Why am I having a shitty year?” she began, glaring at him when he interrupted her.

“Let’s start with why you lied about being my alibi,” Jake said, his voice almost a whisper. He inched closer to Gena and she stepped backwards. He followed, grinning dangerously when she retreated. He casually kicked the door shut behind him, stalking her. Gena kept backing up until she was pressed up against the kitchen bench. She scowled when Jake trapped her by placing both his hands on either side of the bench.

“Step away Carlisle,” she ordered, a tremble in her voice. Her scowl deepened and his grin widened.

“No chance, Evans. Tell me why you lied,” he repeated, pressing his body against hers.

Gena closed her eyes, the feel of Jake’s hard body pressed up against her too much. He was too close. He was too everything. Opening her eyes, she gulped at the blazing hunger raging within his eyes.

“Jake -”.

He cut her off, silencing her with a deep kiss. She automatically kissed him back, wanting to forget everything but his kiss. Leaning up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing into him. She sighed softly when he pressed her deeper into the bench, his tongue meeting hers. She gave him her moan and took his groan as he moved his hands from the bench to slide around her waist. Breaking apart, Gena tilted her head up to stare into Jake’s eyes. Sliding one arm from around his neck, she reached out to touch his face. Tentatively, she stroked her hand against his jaw line, whispering, “What are we doing?”

“Finally getting our priorities right,” Jake muttered, closing his mouth over hers again. Gena’s eyes fluttered shut when he kissed her, her heart beating wildly.

Opening her eyes, she wrenched her mouth from his. “Jake, we need to talk. There’s so much -”

“Later Gena, we’ll talk later,” he growled, gripping the bottom of her t-shirt and yanking it up over her head.

“Jake…” she started again and he yanked his own t-shirt off, throwing it onto the floor. She paused, momentarily distracted by the sight of his sculptured abs. She was unable to resist running her hand over them, gasping when he lifted her up against the kitchen bench. She grabbed his forearms, as he moved to stand between her legs. “Later Gena, we’ll talk later,” he emphasized, before he closed his mouth over hers again.

***

Jase closed the apartment door, stopping at the sight of Stephanie sitting on the living room floor, her back pressed against the couch. Crime scene photos surrounded her and files littered the living room floor. He smiled at the scene in front of him. He felt completely at ease, coming home to find her wrapped up in her own work. It was almost like she belonged here with him. His smile widened at the fact she hadn’t even noticed he’d entered the apartment, she was so engrossed in research. Stepping further into the apartment, he moved to stand behind the couch. He put his hands on the back of the couch, bracing himself as he leaned over, surprised to see her laptop open to university Alumni photos.

He grinned when she flicked to another screen, recognizing
The L.A Times
insignia on the page. He leaned even closer, realizing she was looking through their archives. His grin faded, when he read the headline
Hollywood Glamour couple slaughtered
. He cursed underneath his breath. The sound made Stephanie’s head snap up, and she twisted around to look at him. “Hey,” she said simply.