The Wharf (18 page)

He ran to the young man’s inert form while digging his cell phone from his pocket. The kid had a lump the size of a melon on the side of his head and copious amounts of blood soaked the carpet beneath him.

He shouted into the phone for the front desk to call 911 and be on the lookout for a woman in duress, possibly in the company of a man.

He jumped to his feet and ran back to the stairwell. He wouldn’t have taken her down the elevator since it opened right onto the busy lobby. If he had a gun to Kacie’s back, he’d be taking a big risk going through the public place.

He knew this stairwell led to a side door and an alley to the street. His legs pumped like pistons as he ran down the stairs, taking about three at a time.

He heard a door slam below him and vaulted over the handrail, landing on the floor below. He started yelling, his shouts echoing in the stairwell. He needed to cause as much commotion as possible. It was still broad daylight.

He kicked through the final door, which led to a short hallway and a glass security door to the street. He yanked that open and stumbled onto the sidewalk, blinking in the sunlight.

The sight in front of him caused his heart to skip a bit. A man with a black stocking cap on his head was staggering down the alley, carrying Kacie’s limp form in his arms.

Ryan shouted and sprinted toward him.

The man hit the sidewalk and dropped Kacie. He ran into the street, dodging cars. Ryan reached Kacie, her body unconscious on the sidewalk. He hovered over her as he watched her abductor hop over a fence and dart between two buildings.

He took a step into the street and Kacie moaned.

He couldn’t leave her. He dropped to his knees and gathered her to his chest. “Kacie, Kacie.”

He could hear the sirens arriving around the corner at the front of the hotel for the room-service waiter. He scooped up Kacie in his arms and carried her back through the side door of the hotel, past the stairwell and into the lobby.

A woman gasped. “Is she okay?”

“Not at all.” He yelled for the front-desk clerk, and a few minutes later one of the EMTs who’d arrived earlier returned to the lobby.

“Was she hit on the head, too?” The EMT snapped on his gloves and lifted Kacie’s eyelid.

“I don’t think so. I didn’t see any injuries on her body. Is the kid okay?”

“He’ll be fine.” He touched the bruise on Kacie’s cheek. “What’s this?”

“Air bag. We were in a car accident yesterday. She’s going to be all right, isn’t she?”

“I think she was drugged. I called for another ambulance. We’re taking both of them in. Do you know what happened?”

“From the looks of it, someone used the kid to get her to open her door and then snatched her. I caught the culprit on the sidewalk outside, but he dropped her and took off. I would’ve gone after him, but I couldn’t leave her unconscious on the sidewalk.”

The man patted his shoulder. “Of course not.”

An hour later, Ryan shifted in the plastic chair, stretching his legs in front of him. He jumped to his feet when the SFPD officer entered the room.

“She’s okay?”

“She’s gonna be fine.” Officer Schrader scratched his chin. “What is it with you, Brody? Small-town chief of police comes to the big city, and violence and mayhem follow.”

“It’s this book, Schrader. It’s my father’s case. Someone doesn’t want it reopened.”

“That’s what Sean thought, too. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Was Kacie able to give you a description of the man who abducted her?”

“Nope. But the waiter said the man corralled the waiter from another floor, forced him at gunpoint to go to Ms. Manning’s room and stand at her door with his cart. When she saw he was hotel staff, she opened the door. The assailant, who was wearing a ski mask, hit the kid on the side of the head with the butt of his gun and injected Ms. Manning with a sedative. He then carried her down the stairwell.”

“Did you check out the cars on that block? I’m sure he didn’t intend to carry an unconscious woman in pajamas through the streets of the city. He must’ve had a car waiting for him.”

“We’re running them now. Did you get a look at him?”

“He never turned around. He heard me yelling and dropped her. I could see the black cap on his head. He must’ve still had the ski mask over his face. He seemed to be moving slowly, having difficulty carrying Kacie.”

The officer nodded. “Deadweight’s a bitch.”

“Can I see her?”

“Ask the doc, but I’m done questioning her for now.”

He had no intention of checking with anyone. He had let Kacie down. He never should’ve allowed her to return to her room by herself, hotel security or no hotel security.

He slipped through the automatically opening doors as two orderlies pushed a patient on a gurney through. He threaded his way through the emergency-treatment area, which was crammed with stretchers and harried doctors in white coats dashing from one curtained area to another.

Ryan peeked behind each curtain, backing away from patients in varying degrees of discomfort.

“Hey, you’re not supposed to be back here.” A nurse waved a pen at him.

Flashing his badge, he said, “I’m looking for Kacie Manning.”

She shrugged and squeezed past him.

Behind the very next curtain, he found Kacie, her coppery hair gleaming against the white pillow and framing her white face.

She turned a pair of saucer-round eyes on him.

He grabbed a plastic chair by the side of her bed and straddled it. He took her limp, cold hand in his. “How are you feeling?”

Her tongue darted out of her mouth. “How did you know something was wrong? How did you know he had me?”

“I didn’t know until I saw the waiter knocked out in front of your door.”

“What made you come?”

“I felt uneasy.” He lifted his shoulders. “I’d called hotel security to do a few extra rounds past your room, but the hospital had just called me to report that Cookie was still unconscious, and it reminded me of the danger you still faced.”

She curled her fingers around his hand. “Ryan, I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about my mother.”

“Let’s leave that for now.” He squeezed her hand. “The cop told me you didn’t get a look at the man who abducted you. Ski mask?”

“Yes.” With her free hand, she smoothed out the wrinkles on the sheet covering her stomach. “All I remember is his cold hand as he grabbed my arm and shoved a needle into it.”

“You went out immediately?”

“Yeah. I don’t remember a thing after that pinprick.”

“He carried you down the stairwell and out the side door to the street. He was heading down the alley with you. I’m sure he had a car parked on the street. He couldn’t very well have carried you down the sidewalk.”

“Are the police checking on that?”

“They are now.”

“He got away.”

He released her hand and plowed his fingers through his hair. “I had a choice between leaving you unconscious on the sidewalk and going after him. I chose you.”

“After what I did to you? If you had caught up with him, he could’ve given us answers.”

“I wasn’t going to leave you lying on the sidewalk, unprotected. For all we know, he could’ve been working with an accomplice, and someone else could’ve snatched you.”

She folded her arms across her chest and hunched her shoulders. “Why did he want to kidnap me? Why didn’t he just kill me in the hotel if he wants me to stop writing this book?”

“I don’t know, Kacie. Maybe it was a warning. Maybe he was going to try to find out how much you knew first.” He scooted his chair closer. “Did you notice anything about his hands or body before he injected you?”

She bit her lower lip. “He was covered from head to toe in black. I didn’t see his hands. I just felt them on my skin.”

“Was he tall? When I saw him, he was carrying you and running. He seemed to be struggling.”

“I didn’t notice his height, but the struggling makes sense if he’s running with a woman in his arms.”

“A young, fit man wouldn’t have been having the same issues.”

“Are you trying to say he was old and unfit?”

He sighed and slumped back in the chair. “Just grasping. It still doesn’t make any sense to me.”

A nurse whipped back the curtain and smacked a clipboard against her hand. “Good news, Kacie. You’re out of here.”

“Are you sure?” Ryan stood up and faced the nurse. “She was drugged and almost abducted.”

“She didn’t have much of the drug in her system and we were able to flush out most of it. She might be a little groggy and she shouldn’t drive for a few hours, but she’s good to go.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “I’ll take her back to her hotel.”

“I don’t have any clothes.” Kacie plucked at the paper gown covering her body.

“You have what you came in wearing, right?” The nurse pointed to a plastic bag on a cart in the corner. “Your stuff’s in there, and we can give you some slippers.”

“I was wearing pajamas.”

“Hey, your pj’s cover more than what most people wear on the street these days. Nobody’s going to notice a thing.” She plucked up the plastic bag and dropped it on Kacie’s bed.

“Do I need to sign any kind of release form?”

“Right here.” The nurse tapped the clipboard and then handed it to Kacie. “We already got your insurance info, so you’re free to leave.”

When she left, Ryan whistled. “This is another reason why I like Crestview. This place is an assembly line. I’ll turn around while you get dressed.”

“Nothing you haven’t already seen, Brody.”

And touched and tasted. He liked hearing that feisty tone back in her voice.

“Along with no shoes, I don’t even have any underwear.”

“I’m sorry. I should’ve thought to bring you some clothes when I grabbed your purse from your room.”

“I’m glad you had the foresight to get my purse. I swear, I don’t think these people would’ve treated me without a copy of my insurance card.”

She ripped open the plastic bag and dumped her pajamas onto the bed. She snatched up the bottoms and wriggled into them beneath the sheet. Then she shrugged out of the paper gown and pulled her top over her head.

He averted his gaze from all that creamy white skin, but she’d had it right. Nothing he hadn’t seen before. And felt. And tasted. And enjoyed.

Tossing off the sheet, she said, “I guess I’m ready.”

He stood next to the bed and offered his arm, which she took. She rose to her feet, leaning heavily against him.

“Can you walk?”

“Sure.” She took a few shuffling steps to prove her point.

“Hang on to me, and I’ll get you out of here. I parked my rental car right in front, if they haven’t towed me.” He curled his arm around her waist and tucked her against his side as he maneuvered through the chaos of the emergency room.

His new rental welcomed them from exactly where he’d left it. He helped Kacie into the passenger seat and then dropped onto the driver’s seat.

“You need some food.”

“I need a shower first. I haven’t had a shower since...” She trailed off, her cheeks sporting two red spots.

He got it. She hadn’t had a shower since the day before, when they’d made love. Since before he found out her mother was one of the Phone Book Killer’s victims.

“Shower first, then.”

In less than an hour they were safely ensconced in her room. This time he didn’t leave her alone and wouldn’t—no matter how many lies she’d told him.

She stacked a pile of clean clothes in her arms and headed for the bathroom. “Make yourself at home. There’s no telling how long I’m going to take in the shower.”

“Take as much time as you need, and let me know if you feel dizzy or weak. I’m going to order some room service. Any preferences?”

“Food.”

Kacie snapped the bathroom door closed and leaned against it. Where would she be right now if Ryan hadn’t saved her? Getting tortured? Beaten like Cookie? Dead? What did that man want with her? He could’ve killed her in the hallway. Why hadn’t he?

It couldn’t just be another warning. She and Ryan had gotten that warning the night before in the car—stay away from this case or else.

She dragged the dirty pajamas from her body and tossed them into the corner of the bathroom, then cranked on the water and stepped into the tub, grabbing the shower curtain as she swayed. Maybe she did need Ryan’s help, but he’d probably see it as another ploy to seduce him.

Despite her lie, he had to believe everything she felt, that everything she did with him the previous two nights had come from the heart. He had to believe it, even though she’d given him every reason not to.

She turned her face to the warm spray and let it soothe her skin. He must have felt it, too, that connection between them. Maybe in some weird way, their connection had come from both of them having their lives upended by a serial killer.

She washed her hair and massaged some conditioner into it. Then she soaped up a washcloth and circled it on her skin.

“Are you okay in there?” The knock on the door made her drop the washcloth.

“Yes.” She bent over at the waist to retrieve the washcloth from the tub and lurched to the side. “Oh!” She made a grab for the shower curtain, popping a few rings from the rod.

The bathroom door flew open, and Ryan emerged through the steam like some avenging god. “Did you fall?”

He flung back the damaged shower curtain and dropped beside the tub.

Kacie glanced at him from her embarrassing position of all fours in the tub, her hair still goopy with conditioner.

“I—I just dropped the washcloth and had a little trouble picking it up.”

“You shouldn’t be making any quick moves. And on top of it, you’re probably still sore from the wreck yesterday.” He placed both hands around her waist. “Sit down.”

She rolled back to her bottom, folding her legs beneath her.

Taking the washcloth from her hand, he tapped her knee. “Stretch your legs out so you’re flat in the tub. I don’t want you toppling over again.”

She obeyed and uncurled her legs, stretching them in front of her and scooting back in the tub.

He rose to his knees with the washcloth in his hands and finished the job she had started. She closed her eyes as he rubbed the washcloth across her flesh and down her back. He swirled it in circles down to where her backside met the porcelain. Then he swished it to her front, skimming it across her chest and beneath her breasts.