The One That Got Away (22 page)

“The Tally Man. You’re sure about that?” the cop said.

“Look, we need to get her to the hospital,” the male EMT said.

“Wait a second,” the cop instructed.

“Of course I’m sure. Get Inspector Greening. He knows me.”

“OK, I’m coming with you to the hospital.”

The EMTs put her on a gurney despite her protests and wheeled her out. There’d been a cop on the door to keep her neighbors away. He was forced to clear a path for the EMTs. She hated the stares and questions.

“Vultures,” the female EMT murmured when they got clear of the onlookers. They rolled her to one of the two ambulances.

“I don’t need two ambulances.”

“The other one is for your neighbor,” the male EMT said. “That asshole tipped him over the railing.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. She couldn’t have another death on her conscience. “Is he . . . ?”

“He’s OK. He has a broken leg, but he’ll be fine.”

They bundled her into the ambulance with the cop who’d done the questioning. They took her to San Francisco General, and a doctor checked her out in the ER. She found bruising and minor abrasions but no broken bones or concussion. Once the doctor gave her the all clear, she was put in a private room with the officer.

Just as he was finishing taking her statement, two inspectors and an evidence tech arrived. The cop and the inspectors talked in the hallway while the tech went over her the way a gorilla grooms one of its own. He took nail scrapings, examined wounds, and took her clothes. She knew the process was a waste of time. The Tally Man was too good at his craft. She hadn’t gotten a piece of him and he hadn’t left a piece of himself on her.

The inspectors reentered her hospital room.

“I’m Inspector Sean Dwyer, and this is Inspector Joel Arnold,” Dwyer said. “Could you tell us about tonight?”

She wasn’t in the mood for another round of pointless questions. “I want to speak to Inspector Ryan Greening.”

She got Ogawa instead. It was an hour before he arrived, forcing her to suffer through small talk with Dwyer and Arnold. He took a seat next to her bed, while Dwyer and Arnold leaned against the walls.

“Was it really him?” he asked. His tone was cool and calm, but she felt little warmth and compassion.

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“Of course I am. He called me by name and said I put up a better fight than last time. Who else would it be, for Christ’s sake? I don’t believe in coincidence. Do you?”

Someone knocked at the door. Dwyer opened it, and David Jarocki appeared.

The sight of Jarocki in the doorway confused Zoë. “Dr. Jarocki, why are you here?”

Dwyer looked to Ogawa, and Ogawa nodded. Dwyer held the door open for Jarocki, and the psychologist walked in. Then the pieces fell into place, and she glared at Ogawa.

“I asked Dr. Jarocki to come by. I thought you could use his help.”

She saw through Ogawa’s lie. It was for his benefit that he’d brought in Jarocki. He was there to calm down the crazy girl if she got out of hand.

“Do you want me to stay, Zoë?” Jarocki asked.

She nodded.

He smiled, then pulled up the remaining chair in the room and sat down on the side of the bed, opposite Ogawa.

He looked her over. She felt his gaze land on her ever-growing collection of injuries. She’d become the universe’s punching bag of late.

“Are you OK?”

“Yes. I fought back.”

He smiled a pained smile and took her hand. “I’m glad, but I wish you hadn’t needed to.”

Ogawa cleared his throat. “I have a few more questions.”

Jarocki released her hand.

“You say it was
him
, but how did he find out where you lived? Are you living in the same place you were when he abducted you before?”

She shook her head. Moving had been one of her first priorities after the abduction. She’d moved to hide from him. She’d moved to hide from everyone. “I was still in school at Davis when he abducted us, and I’ve been very careful about what public information is out there about me.”

“So how did he find you?” Arnold asked.

It was the one thought that kept replaying over in her head. He knew who she was, and he knew where to find her. Her hand went to the scar where he’d marked her. In his mind, she belonged to him, and he would take what was his.

“I don’t know.”

“Probably the same way I did—the TV,” Jarocki said. “We all saw Zoë gate-crash Laurie Hernandez’s crime scene on the news. He probably did too and recognized her, then went from there to track her down.”

“We never gave out Zoë’s name to the press.”

She remembered some Ben Franklin quote about secrets and that they could be kept only if everyone was dead. There was no such thing as an airtight seal when it came to secrets.

“You have some housekeeping to do, Inspector,” she said.

Ogawa frowned.

“I do have to correct you, Inspector,” Jarocki said. “You have a much bigger issue than how the Tally Man found Zoë tonight.”

Ogawa winced. “I’d prefer you didn’t use that name.”

“Catch him, and I won’t have to,” Jarocki said with a smirk.

“What’s the bigger issue, Doctor?”

“Keeping Zoë safe from him.”

Zoë didn’t know if that was possible. He’d proved he could get to her at any time.

“The doctors want to keep you in for observation tonight,” Ogawa said to Zoë. “You’ll have a police guard at all times.”

“And after that?” Jarocki asked.

Ogawa looked embarrassed. She guessed what was coming.

“You can’t protect me, can you?”

“The harsh reality is the SFPD isn’t in a position to offer around-the-clock protection. We can do something short term, but long term . . . ”

It isn’t like the movies
, she thought. She made eye contact with each of the police officers. To their credit, none of them looked away. All they offered her was their condolences.

“So what do I do? Let him take another swing?”

Ogawa frowned. “No. You have to take precautions.”

“Precautions,” Jarocki blurted. “You’re the police. You’re supposed to be the precautions. Protect and serve. That’s your job, for Christ’s sake.”

Zoë liked seeing Jarocki lose his temper. She hadn’t been sure he was capable. It was nice to see he was human, after all.

Ogawa raised his hands in surrender. “I know it’s not good enough, but that’s the limit of our power. It doesn’t mean we won’t help you.”

“So what do I do?”

“Naturally, you can’t go home. Like you say, he knows where you live, and he’s proved he can pick a lock. We’ll put you up in a motel for the short term.”

“What’s the short term?”

“A couple of days.”

“A couple of days? Jesus,” Jarocki said.

“There are charities and private groups that specialize in providing support in these situations, and they can probably cover a week in a motel.”

“That sounds great, because you’ll have this guy in jail in a week, right?” she said.

No answer.

“Don’t do me any favors, guys. You know this guy is hell-bent on killing me, yeah?”

“Zoë, please. I understand your frustration.”

He didn’t, but she kept from telling him so. As Jarocki had drummed into her, lashing out solved nothing. Ogawa knew the situation sucked, and their powers were pitiful. She would eat her rage for now and use it when it was more practical.

“What do you suggest then?”

“Get out of town. Do you have family or friends you can stay with?”

“That’s the best you can come up with? Stay with someone and put them in danger?”

“You’d be surprised how effective it is,” Arnold said.

She doubted that. “So, I leave town. What about my job?”

“If he knows where you live, there’s a good chance he knows where you work too,” Ogawa said. “I would suggest you take a leave of absence.”

“You know where I work. It’s not the kind of job that comes with a leave-of-absence option.”

“I can talk to the mall and smooth things over. I’m sure they’ll be understanding.”

“You don’t know how mall security works.”

“So, you lose your job. It’s better than losing your life,” Dwyer said.

He was right, but it didn’t stop her from wanting to hit him with a palm drive to the sternum. Asshole.

“So, the upshot of all this is leave town, lose my job, and start over, while he gets to carry on doing his thing. That’s just what every victim wants to hear.”

Ogawa sighed. “I’m sorry, but that’s the way it is sometimes. It won’t be that way forever. You can come back after we catch him.”

“
If
you catch him. He’s been doing this shit for a long time. That means he’s good at it, and I could be living the rest of my life always looking over my shoulder.”

“Maybe. I won’t promise you anything. I can only focus on the achievable at this point—and for now, that’s finding you a safe house. Could you stay with family—your folks or siblings, maybe?”

The mention of her family took the sting out of her. She’d pushed them away since her abduction. Maybe this was the time to reach out, but she wasn’t about to put them in danger. He’d found her. He’d find her again. She wouldn’t do that to her parents.

“We aren’t in contact.”

She saw Ogawa about to say something but change his mind. “That’s fine. What about friends?”

A wave of embarrassment swept over her. There were no friends. Not anymore. Just like with her parents, she’d thrust them aside. It was just her against the world. She knew she’d done this to herself, and she suddenly felt sad for her pathetic little life. The Tally Man hadn’t been the only person who’d damaged her life. Suddenly she was the one who couldn’t make eye contact with anyone in the room.

“No, there’s no one.”

Ogawa sighed. “OK, let me talk to the groups that help us in these sorts of situations. I’m sure they’ll have someplace that you can use.”

“There’s no need,” Jarocki said. “I have a family place in Napa that Zoë can use for the duration.”

She turned to him and thanked him with real gratitude.

“It’s not much, but it’ll be safe. No one will think to look for you there.”

“That’s very generous,” Ogawa said. “We’ll keep you here tonight and move you in the morning. I know it might not seem like it, Zoë, but we will keep you safe.”

Marshall Beck let himself into Urban Paws. After his failed abduction of Zoë, he craved the quiet and stillness of the center. He went into the Assessment Annex, unlatched Brando’s cage door, and sat against the wall in his usual spot opposite the dog. Brando remained sitting, strong and stoic.

“I didn’t get her,” he said to the dog. “She’s a different woman. Far more accomplished than before. I had the upper hand, though—the element of surprise, superior strength, and skill. A neighbor ruined it for me tonight. It’s those little things you can’t control that ruin everything. That’s the problem with cities. Too many people. Too many variables. That’s why rural areas are better. I have control over the environment.”

He looked to Brando for a reaction. The dog gave him nothing. Or was he wrong about that? Did he see a flicker of disappointment in his eyes? Had Brando smelled the stink of failure on him? He knew he smelled it on himself.

“Yes, I’m making excuses. I’ll do better next time. And yes, there will be a next time.”

Brando gave him no encouragement. No wag of the tail. No whimper or bark. Beck liked that. The dog was a stern friend. No commiserations. Just silent faith.

He pushed himself to his feet. “Shall we go for our walk?”

He grabbed a slip leash off the wall. Brando padded over to him in anticipation, and he looped it over the dog’s neck. He walked the dog out of the center and onto the streets. There was a smattering of people. They gave the large pit bull a wide berth. They needn’t have bothered. Brando wasn’t dangerous. He just wasn’t intimidated by his environment. The dog trotted alongside him—so much so that the leash hung slack in his grasp to the point of being unnecessary. Brando was dominant but not aggressive. He wouldn’t lash out unless provoked, and only a fool would provoke him.

He walked Brando down to Union Square, then over to Chinatown and up to Nob Hill before returning to the center. It was a good walk. Brando behaved well and was a pleasure, as always. Yet, as Beck stood with the key out to slide into the center’s lock, he paused. He was unsatisfied. He’d set out to do something, and it had fallen apart. He wasn’t ready to call it a night. He couldn’t take a second run at Zoë right now. She’d be at the mercy of the doctors, then the cops. She was off-limits for the short term. Still, he wasn’t satisfied. He needed to end his day with an achievement.

He looked down at Brando and realized where they needed to go.