Sight Unseen (23 page)

Kendra stepped a few feet away from them and took several short breaths. Hard. Dear God, that had been hard.

“You okay?” Lynch asked.

“Yeah. That’s all I have.”

“Good work,” Griffin said. “Listen, Kendra, I’m sorry if I seemed callous about—”

“You have no idea what Danica went through every day of her—Don’t judge if you don’t know what you’re talking about.” She turned away. “I think I do need some air. I’ll see you all outside.”

Kendra pushed her way out of the bathroom and practically ran from the club. When she reached the sidewalk, she bent over and fought the nausea and waves of sheer anxiety coursing through her.

Our story will not end until you know how it feels to truly suffer, Kendra …

Colby’s words echoed in her mind.

Terror is part of our new story.

Fight it.

Don’t let him win.

Was she thinking about Colby or Myatt?

Perhaps both. Myatt seemed to be an extension of Colby, a part of the evil. Colby might have been guiding him, but Myatt was his alter ego.

And that alter ego had killed a woman who was loved and needed by that poor child.

Sweet little Zoey, asleep in her bed, about to wake up to a world without her mother in it. There was no father in the picture, but at least she still had a loving home with two doting grandparents.

She finally stood upright. The cool night air felt good on her face. She took a few deep breaths.

“Better now?”

She turned. Lynch was standing outside the entrance, watching her.

“I’m fine. I just needed to get out of there.”

“They had no idea you knew her. I never would have let you go in there if I’d known.”

“You couldn’t have stopped me.”

His lips curved ruefully. “I believe that, but I’d have seen that you had warning.”

She pulled her jacket closer around her. “It doesn’t matter if I’m safe and secure in your fortress. Myatt can still get to the people in my life.”

He nodded. “You can’t protect everyone.”

“No, I can’t. And he knows it. Who would dream Myatt would choose to target a woman on the outskirts of my life just because he thought it might hurt? It’s what Colby meant when he said I’d know what it means to truly suffer.”

“Do you want off this case?”

“No. It wouldn’t make any difference. He’ll still come after me and the people I care about. I just wouldn’t be able to do anything to stop him.” She gazed up at the glowing neon lights above the club entrance. “It’s like I told you before. We need to find the link between Colby and this killer, Myatt. That’s the key.”

“The Bureau has already started going through all the information we got from the prison. They’ll dispatch agents to follow up on each and every lead that comes up.”

“Well, they can dispatch
me,
dammit.”

“We’ll see what they come up with. We may have some leads in just a few hours.”

“They’d better.” She turned to Griffin and Metcalf, who had just emerged from the club. “Griffin, I want my security detail back.”

Griffin motioned toward Lynch. “I thought he was your security detail now.” He smiled slyly. “Has he proved inadequate?”

“This isn’t for me. This is for my mother and my friend, Olivia. Myatt is obviously beginning to target me through the people in my life.”

“Why just those two? I’m sure you never would have suspected he’d murder the parent of one of your clients.”

“Of course not. But I can’t ask for special protection for every single person I know. You’d never give it to me. Olivia and my mother would be at the top of the list of people he might target to hurt me.”

“So you want two security details?”

“Just one. I’ll send them out of town together until this is over.”

“And they’ve agreed to this?”

“Not yet, but they will. I’ll see to it.” She made a face. “Though neither one of them is going to be pleased with me. Mom and Olivia care about each other, but they’re both too independent to be bosom buddies.”

“I don’t know, Kendra. We’re really not in the personal security business, and there is no proof that—”

“Stop arguing, Griffin. You know you’ll do it. If you did it for me, why not them? You just like the idea of wielding a club over my head.” Her lips firmed. “If you don’t agree, then I’ll take them out of town myself. If I’m forced to do that, I won’t be able to help you on this case any longer. Do you understand?”

Griffin gave her a sour look. “You’ve made yourself very clear. Where are you going to send them?”

“I’ll tell you once I know. In person. I’m not trusting phone lines right now.”

He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll work something out.”

“Thank you. I’m going to talk to them right now.”

Metcalf checked his watch. “It’s 4:40
A.M.
They
are
going to be displeased with you.”

“This can’t wait. I need to take care of them before I do anything else. When can we expect some analysis of the prison logs?”

“Agent Reade went straight to the office with them after we landed. She was entering them into the case-file database until the wee hours, which is why I didn’t ask her to join us here.” Griffin started across the parking lot toward his car. “Meet us at the office after you’re through, and we’ll see where we stand.”

*   *   *

“ARE YOU CRAZY?”

Olivia opened her door for Kendra and Lynch to enter. She tied the belt of her robe and ran her fingers through her tousled hair.

“We just got back from a crime scene. There’s been another murder.”

“And you felt compelled to tell me about it at this ungodly hour?”

“This one was different. Olivia, it was someone I knew.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The annoyance immediately drained from Olivia’s face. “I’m sorry. Who was it?”

“The mother of one of my clients. I’m afraid the killer is trying to get at me through the people in my life. I need you to do something for me.”

“Anything that you—”

There was a distinct bump from the next room.

Kendra tensed. “What’s that?”

“Nothing. What can I do to help, Kendra?”

“I’m sure I heard—”

“It was nothing,” Olivia said quickly.

Lynch pulled the gun from his shoulder holster. “Stay here. I’ll check it out.”

“No,” Olivia said firmly. “Do
not
go back there.” After a long moment, she shrugged. “I have company, all right?”

Lynch stopped. “Oh.”

“Yeah. So where were we?”

Before Kendra could reply, there was another bump from Olivia’s bedroom.

Olivia sighed. “Jeez, it’s like there’s an elephant tromping in there. This is ridiculous.” Olivia called to the back bedroom. “Don, come on out!”

A few seconds later, a disheveled Donald Nelson emerged from the hallway, tucking his shirt into his pants. “Uh, hi.”

“Hi.” Kendra was trying not to sound as surprised as she felt. “This is an unexpected pleasure, Agent Nelson.”

Lynch holstered his automatic and nodded to the man. “But it could prove convenient, Kendra. Griffin won’t have to call him to tell him that he has a new assignment.”

“There is that.” Kendra was a bit flustered. The situation was clear, but she didn’t know quite how to handle it. She tried to affect an air of nonchalance but was finding it impossible. “Okay. Well. Uh…”

Olivia nodded intently, but the upturned corners of her mouth gave her away. She was enjoying this way too much. “You were saying something about a favor?”

“A favor. Yes.”

Agent Nelson pointed to the front door. “If you’d rather I step outside while you talk…”

“That’s not necessary,” Kendra said.

Lynch nodded. “This actually concerns you, Nelson. Your boss, Griffin, has agreed to keep a security detail on Olivia and Kendra’s mother. He didn’t say if he’d be assigning you, but since you’ve already been watching over Kendra…”

“I haven’t heard anything from him yet.”

“We just left him,” Kendra said. “And it’s not even five yet. He’s obviously more respectful of your sleep requirements than we are of Olivia’s.” She turned to Olivia. “The favor is that I need you to leave here. I want you and my mother to go someplace where Myatt can’t get to you.”

“You want us to run away?”

“I want you to dodge a bullet.”

“You’re asking me to leave my home. Leave my
life.
”

“Take your laptop. You can run your site from anywhere.”

“That isn’t the point. If our roles were reversed, there’s no way you would let this guy run you out of town. You know you wouldn’t.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask. Believe me, I know what a big deal this is. But I just saw a woman dead on the floor of a club bathroom with her throat sliced open. She left behind a sweet little girl. And you know what? That woman’s only crime was knowing me.”

Olivia shook her head stubbornly and didn’t respond.

She had to get through to her. “There’s a monster out there.” She reached out and took her hands. “I need to do everything I can to catch him. And I won’t be able to do that if I don’t think you and Mom are safe. Even if you don’t want to do this for yourself, do it for the people who could die if he isn’t stopped.”

Olivia frowned. “Damn, Kendra. Way to slather on the guilt.”

“I can’t make you go, but I sure hope you will.” She paused, then played another card. “Because I need you to help take care of my mother. You know how stubborn and self-willed she can be.”

Olivia groaned. “And you want me to try to stop her? Yes, I do know, and it promises to be one big headache. Does she know what you have in store for us?”

“I called her on the way here, and she turned me down flat. I decided I’d go to her place after I came to you. I need your help talking her into it.”

“You’ll need all the help you can get.” She grimaced. “How long are we talking about?”

Kendra thought for a moment. “At least a few days. If it’s any longer than that, we can discuss it then.”

“You’re damn right we’ll discuss it.”

“So you’ll do it?”

Olivia hesitated for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Yes.” She added, “But I wish you’d come with us.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I packed up and left my condo earlier this evening. I’m staying with Lynch, and his place couldn’t be safer.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Don told me you’d left your place.”

Kendra cast an amused glance at Agent Nelson, who was trying to be stone-faced. “Of course he did. Come on, I’ll help you get your things together.”

She followed Olivia to her bedroom and pushed the door closed behind them. The second the door clicked shut, Kendra jumped in front of her, and whispered, “How in the hell did that happen?”

“How did what happen?” Olivia said with a blank expression. “Please hand me the duffel in the corner.”

“Oh, don’t play dumb with me. You know what I’m talking about.” She added teasingly, “You seduced the poor guy?”

Olivia laughed and walked over and grabbed the duffel herself. “I’m kind of surprised, too.”

“So what happened?”

“You know what happened.”

“Of course. But how did it happen?”

“You want to know the details?” Olivia opened a drawer and felt the Braille codes on her blouse clothing tags. She selected a few articles of clothing and shoved them into the duffel. “He stopped by earlier this evening. He wanted to say good-bye.”

“
That’s
how he says good-bye?”

Olivia smiled. “No. He told me he wasn’t going to be guarding you anymore. He said that he was going to miss seeing me. Sweet, right?”

“Precious.”

“Stop it. So I let him in for a few minutes, and I suddenly got sad at the thought of not having him around anymore. I … didn’t want him to go. One thing led to another, and—”

“—And the guy never had a chance.”

“Well, I didn’t hear him complaining.”

“Oh, I’m sure not. So … what is this? A one-night stand? Where’s it heading?”

“Hell if I know. I told you I was curious, and he was very good in bed. Maybe it’s going nowhere. You’re the one who’s throwing me out of my home, out of my life.”

“He may be going with you.”

“Along with your mother.” She made a face. “Not exactly a romantic getaway.”

“It’s not supposed to be. He’ll be working. Don’t you go distracting him.”

“Don’t worry.” Olivia threw in some jeans, shoes, and a clear gallon-size Ziploc bag of toiletries. “He was good, but not good enough to risk my life or your mother’s.” She zipped the duffel and slung it over her shoulder.

“All set?”

“Yeah. On the way out, you guys can grab my laptop, my work knapsack, and some of the boxes next to my desk. I’ll take the opportunity to get some articles and reviews done.” She turned back toward Kendra. “By the way, where are we going?”

“I’m not sure. I need to talk it over with Mom. She’ll like having some control. It might make it easier to convince her. It has to be someplace no one could possibly predict.”

“No one.” Olivia smiled. “Including us?”

“Exactly.

CHAPTER

10

University of California San Diego

La Jolla, California

“NO WAY, NO HOW.”

Kendra was alone with her mother in the large Ledden Auditorium, an amphitheater-styled lecture facility in the campus Humanities and Social Science Building. It was a few minutes before seven, and, as Kendra had predicted, her mother was there preparing for her early-morning class.

Also as predicted, she was having none of Kendra’s plan.

“If I left town every time you took on a case, I’d have to quit my job.”

“Mom, this is different. He’s zeroed in on me. The people in my life aren’t safe.”

“Now you know how I feel every time you take one of these cases.”