Skin (16 page)

Only she’d made a vow not to do that again.

“I’m not going anywhere. I’m seeing this through.
For my sister.”

“Yeah, figured you’d say that.
You’re gonna put yourself out there until we find her body, or until he takes you.”

“That won’t happen. I can take care of myself.

“Bet your sister thought she could, too.”

The other officers came back in the room, led by Pucinski’s young partner.

“Nothing,” DeSalvo said. “He didn’t try to get in.”

Pucinski shook his head again. “We can’t even be sure it was him.” He frowned. “Anything else going on you didn’t tell me?”

“Just a heavy breather.”

“How many calls?”

“Just
one,
and it was here, on Hannah’s house phone, not my cell.”

“When?”

“About two this afternoon.”

He pulled out his notebook. “Write down the phone number here. I’ll see if I can get a number.”

“It said ‘private caller.’”

“Maybe I should assign you protection–”

“I don’t want protection.” She didn’t want to scare the killer away. She wanted him to reveal himself.

“–but I don’t have cause,” he finished. “The call could have been for your sister, and there’s no way we can know if the guy who followed you home tonight is the man who has her. Be careful, Miss Mitchell. And as much as I hate being woken up in the middle of the night, don’t hesitate to call me if you’re in trouble.”

oOo

DAWN WAS STILL an hour away when he returned to Club Paradise.
The club was dark as were the nearby businesses. Not many cars on the street. No people. No witnesses.

To be sure, he stayed in the shadows and let his gaze roam the area for any movement, any sign that someone might see him.

Not that they would be able to describe him. He’d put on a jacket and pulled up the collar and had added a billed cap to shadow his face.

Black and white glossies of all the dancers and waitresses lined the entryway. He stared at the photo of Lilith Mitchell looking so much like Anna Youngheart. He’d already added Anna’s photo to his permanent collection. And undoubtedly within a matter of days, he would add Anna herself.

But fortune smiled on him. He had the opportunity to up the stakes. To do something he’d never before done.

Two-for-one.

Doing them both together would give him a new high.

How could he pass up that thrill?

Giving the area one last look to make sure he was alone, he pulled tools from his pocket. First he secured the suction cup directly in front of Lilith’s photo. And then he scored the glass. Using the suction cup, he pulled free a rectangle of glass and set it down at his feet.

The photo easily came free from the board.

“That’s it. Don’t get too confident, Lilith,” he said, stroking the V of her waitress costume, imagining he could feel the fullness and warmth of her breasts. He went instantly hard. “Soon I’ll have you right where I want you.”

In the meantime, he had an easy solution to take care of his pressing need.

oOo

LILITH HOPED all would be forgiven at her Street Survival class the next day.

Day 5 since her sister was taken.

With nothing to go on, with only the club as a resource to learn anything, she had to find a way to keep her mind occupied, if only for a short while. A good work out would relieve some of the stress.

Women in loose or exercise clothing were gathering, stretching, waiting for class to begin. Some watched her with wary expressions, but others smiled and one even gave her a thumb’s-up.

The padded man’s back was turned to Lilith as he adjusted his protection.Jack hadn’t accepted her apology last time, and she couldn’t help wondering how he would feel about her being here today.

Elena gave her a welcoming hug. “I wish you’d move back into your own place, Valkyrie misses you.”

“That makes two of us. Thanks for taking care of her.”

“Come back to work, Lilith.
To your own life.”

Lilith wished she could do exactly that, but her own wishes were unimportant in the scheme of things right now. “I need to be in control. I can’t let Hannah down again.”

“But you aren’t in control; that’s the point. Quit messing around with something that’s over your head.”

“I’m not quitting anything.”

“What’s over your head?” Carmen slid between them. “What are you two talking about?”

How long had the girl been there? How much of their conversation had she overheard?

“Elena’s just worried after what happened last time,” Lilith said softly.
A small truth.
She skipped the second part of the question and was relieved when Carmen didn’t pursue it.

“Oh,” the girl said. “Jack’s not here tonight. I think you scared him off.”

“So who is our volunteer?” Lilith asked.

The padded man turned toward them, face protection in his hand.

Lilith’s eyes widened when she saw who it was. Stepping away from Carmen and Elena, she spoke in a low tone. “Gabe, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see if you’re as good as you think you are.” He locked gazes with her. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Her heart sped up a beat. She was no fool. This wasn’t any kind of coincidence. Gabe wanted to scare her off. Normally they worked out with a partner to warm up,
then
simulated attacks in the second half of the class. She glanced around to see the instructor watching them. Apparently Gabe had set up an exception with her.
To teach her a lesson?

“All right,” she said. “Then let’s do it.”

Gabe donned his headgear, and Lilith held her palms out toward him as he stepped closer and started to circle her. Her mouth went dry, and her breath quickened. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out why he was really doing this.
Concern?
Or did he feel personally challenged somehow?

She sidestepped, keeping square with him.

He continued forward and tried to grab her, but Lilith let loose with a hand strike.

Gabe blocked with his arm and returned the same. One blow glanced off her shoulder hard, but she refused to cry out. She ducked the second.

Realizing Gabe was playing it for real, Lilith was in control of herself but pumped.

And so was the audience. She heard the excited whispers, as if they knew that this time, their volunteer wasn’t going to so easily let her get the upper hand.

Gabe grabbed Lilith. She tried snap-kicking his kneecap, but he avoided her foot and spun her off balance.

She flew to the ground. He was on her instantly.

The other women gasped.

“Stop!”
Elena’s cry was joined by several other worried voices.

Gabe didn’t hear. Or he didn’t care to hear. He had Lilith down and got on top of her. She fought him as hard as she could, but she couldn’t budge him. He was too heavy. Lilith was getting the worst of the attack – Gabe was simulating a potential rape, and she couldn’t seem to do anything about it.

The instructor pushed her way to the mat. “The two of you can stop now. This has gone far enough.”

“No!” Lilith said. She might be frustrated, but she was determined to prove herself.

A sharp strike on the arm didn’t budge Gabe. He probably didn’t feel it through all that padding. She went for his head, but he ducked. She relaxed for a few seconds as if giving up, and then, truly desperate, used every ounce of strength in her body to send Gabe flying
off
her.

He sprawled back on the mat, and she used the heel of her foot to chop him in the face mask.

Audience response was loud and enthusiastic.

Flushed with victory, Lilith rose and offered Gabe a hand up.

To his credit, he took it. He removed the headgear, and she saw his smile before he quickly hid it.

“You don’t want to say it, do you?” she asked, feeling good about something for once.
“That I can take care of myself.”

“Not bad.” And then he grinned. “But not good enough. I
let
you win so you wouldn’t be embarrassed.”

“No, you didn’t.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow in challenge. “You’re sure about that?”

Lilith’s smile faded. She didn’t know whether or not to believe him.

With a wink, he backed off and left the room, now alive with women chattering.

“That was awesome,” Carmen said. “You’re awesome.”

“Thanks. I needed to know I could do that if necessary.”

“Not just awesome
here
. You did it, Lilith. Poppi said I don’t have to drop out of school. You convinced Mama, and she convinced him.”

“That’s wonderful!” Lilith hugged Carmen.

A small victory, perhaps, but an important one.
Carmen now had hope for her future. Something Lilith hadn’t been able to give to
her own
sister.

“Will you practice with me?” the girl asked.

Usually Lilith practiced with Elena, but her friend said, “Go ahead. I’ll get another partner.”

So Lilith watched Carmen carefully as the instructor led them through lunges, kicks and hand strikes. She was a fast learner. A half hour passed quickly, and while she was sweating, the teenager looked happier than she had in days. Then they were asked to change partners, and another teenager asked Carmen to practice with her.

Time sped by. All the while she went through her routine, Lilith wondered if Gabe had really given her the victory. When the class finally came to an end, the room cleared out fast. Lilith and Elena followed behind the others as they headed down the hall to the locker room.

“Carmen is a quick study,” Elena said.

“She’s not only smart, she’s determined. I just hope her parents see that and do whatever they have to so that she succeeds in getting through college.”

“She’ll find a way. She reminds me of you.”

Smiling, Lilith was about to say something when she had the oddest sensation that raised the hair on her arms. Feeling as if she was being watched, she glanced over her shoulder, and for a second thought she saw movement in the shadows under the stairwell.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

“Hey, come on, or there won’t be any hot water left.”

Though Lilith gave the stairwell an intent look, she didn’t see anything. Deciding her imagination was playing tricks on her, she nodded.
“Right.”
Then followed Elena into the locker room.

The showers were already running and the women not in the showers were in various states of undress. Lilith and Elena got to their lockers and started to strip.

“God,
Elena, that
felt good tonight. Like I finally do have some control, at least.”

“I’m glad things are better for you. Here you might be able to keep control. But at the club?” Elena shook her head. “I still think you should leave the investigation to the police.”

“This is my chance, Elena. I’ve learned the theory. I’ve trained. But I’ve never had the opportunity to prove myself before.”

“I thought this was about finding Hannah.”

Wrapping her towel around her, Lilith started. “It is. I mean...”

She swallowed and fell silent.
Headed for the shower.

Elena followed. “I fear this is about you, Lilith. It’s too dangerous. You could be hurt.
Or worse.”

They took adjoining shower heads. Elena soaped up, but, hands on the wall, Lilith leaned into the water, let it beat down on the back of her neck.

“Truthfully,” Lilith said, “I didn’t expect to be so... so scared.”

“Scared makes you smart,” Elena said. “Careful. Do the police have any idea of what you’re doing at the club?”

“Gabe does.” She lowered her voice.
“The guy who was my human punching bag tonight?
He’s the undercover cop I told you about.”

They finished their showers in silence. It wasn’t until they were drying themselves that Elena asked, “What’s it like? Working at the club?”

“I hate being thought available for whatever in a roomful of strange men. How did Hannah do it, Elena?
How?”

“Maybe without thinking about anything but getting by.”

“Just like Mama.” Lilith wrapped her towel around her body and headed for her locker.

“What exactly do you think you can do, Lilith? What happens if you actually are able to finger the guy?”

Lilith tightened her jaw but didn’t say anything.

Elena frowned. “You’re going to go for him, aren’t you? You want to do more than find him.”

Lilith couldn’t deny that she’d had such thoughts.
“In my dreams, maybe.
I really don’t know what I would do. I keep thinking, what if the system doesn’t work? I fear he’ll walk.”

“Do you really want to know what you’re capable of, Lilith? If you don’t let the police bring the killer to justice, are you any better than he is?”

Lilith hadn’t really thought beyond finding her sister before it was too late.

And yet... if she got her hands on the bastard, could she really just do nothing but make a phone call?

“I’m scared for you, Lilith.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

As she reached into her locker for her underwear on the shelf, something fluttered down in front of her face. Lilith picked up what appeared to be a torn scrap of paper and turned it over. She swore it hadn’t been there when they’d gone into the shower. Her eyes widened as she got a better look at it, and the gorge rose in her throat. Clasping the towel to her breasts, she pressed her back to the locker and looked around wildly.

“Lilith, what is it?”

Breathing raggedly, Lilith handed Elena the scrap – the torn half of a glossy photograph of Lilith taken at the club. Lilith’s image was split from her forehead to her navel. And on the other side, the message
Dance for me, if you want to see your sister alive.

“So he knows we’re related,” Lilith murmured. She hadn’t been sure that she’d gotten the point across.

Elena’s features reflected her own horror.
“My God!
What are you going to do?”