Aimlessly, Kaitlan wandered into the kitchen and guzzled a gla.s.s of water at the sink. The forest beyond her window was a black, sucking void.
Her eyes fell to her purse on the kitchen table. No cell phone in its inside pocket. No car keys either. She"d checked the minute Craig left.
The Jensons.
Kaitlan"s chin bounced up. Her lips parted as she stared at her purse. Had he checked all through it?
She grabbed her handbag and yanked back the long inside zipper. Thrusting her hand in the deep pocket, she felt around.
Her fingers closed on the key.
With a victorious cry she pulled it out. The key to the Jensons" house. Every few days she took in their mail and watered the plants while they were away. Craig hadn"t known.
Her eyes blurred as she slipped the key into her pants pocket. "Thank you, thank you, G.o.d."
She ran into the living room and peered out front, making sure Craig was gone.
What if he was hiding at the top of the driveway, waiting? What if this was a trap?
Like she wasn"t trapped here anyway.
At her side door Kaitlan eased into the goblin darkness under the carport. Crickets throbbed and sang.
The door sounded loud as she pulled it shut.
She stood there, hugging herself, waiting for her eyes to adjust.
Slowly, listening at every step, she made her way from under the carport and onto the driveway. A weak moon fumbled through high fog. She thought of her grandfather"s house on the hill. There the ground-hugging cloud would be thick and chilling.
A shudder ran down her back.
The night plucked Kaitlan"s nerves with greedy fingers. Asphalt stretched before her, long and curving, mocking as it disappeared into nothingness.
Was Craig down there?
Kaitlan leaned forward, eyes narrowed, searching the blackness. Did she see the hulk of a car? That shape far ahead ...
Was it only her imagination?
She hesitated, on the verge of turning back. If this was a test and she failed it, he would kill her.
But how would she get through this long night, worrying about her grandfather and waiting for dawn like some hunted animal in a cave?
Kaitlan took a deep breath and started down the driveway.
After a few steps the crickets" rasping blended with the rhythm of her own body. The beat of her heart, blood whooshing in her ears. Cool air crawled across her skin. She shuddered.
Ten feet from the carport ma.s.sive sequoias and eucalyptus trees studded the driveway"s edge. Kaitlan could see only a few feet beyond them into the woods. Her brain conjured visions of the dead woman"s face frozen in horror. Was she buried out there?
Kaitlan neared a bend in the road.
Heart in her throat, she drifted toward the outside edge, craning her neck to view around the curve. After this she"d be able to see the Jensons" house.
Kaitlan"s foot hit something hard. She tripped and stumbled forward. Throwing out both hands, she caught herself before hitting the ground.
Chest heaving, she hovered on one knee, darkness pressing against her back.
She pushed her body upright. Looked ahead and saw a faint glow.
Scattered through the Jensons" house were lamps on timers, clicking on at dusk, off at midnight. They"d been strategically placed in front windows, facing the street. Kaitlan now could make out the vague outline of the house"s right corner-where the kitchen lay. The light filtered through the kitchen"s rear sliding door.
That faint glimmer pushed hope into her soul.
Fastening her eyes upon it, she quickened her pace. All she had to do was reach the Jensons" and get inside to the phone. Call her grandfather for help.
Get to the house, get to the house. The words chanted in her head, driving her steps. The words chanted in her head, driving her steps.
By the time Kaitlan reached the edge of the yard, she was panting. Her heart beat double time. Almost there.
She imagined the sound of her grandfather"s voice. Kaitlan didn"t even care how grumpy he was, she just wanted to hear it.
Nearing the back of the house, she veered into the yard and picked her way along a stone path that led to the deck off the kitchen and garage.
Her key was to the back garage door.
By the time her hand reached for that k.n.o.b, Kaitlan trembled all over. Three times she failed to insert the key into the lock. Door finally open, she edged into the garage, even blacker than the night. She felt along the wall that led toward the kitchen.
Kaitlan slipped into the house-and light. Dim, emanating from the front rooms. But to her it was the warmest light she"d ever seen.
With a cry of relief, she flung herself toward the phone.
CHAPTER thirty-one
A loud ringing startled Darell awake.
His arms jerked, head snapping up. He looked around dazedly, the taste of sleep in his mouth. Who, what? What time is it? Who, what? What time is it?
Kaitlan.
He shoved forward in his chair, groping the floor for his cane, only to remember the phone was a reach away.
A second ring.
Darell s.n.a.t.c.hed up the receiver and punched the talk b.u.t.ton.
Dead air. Margaret had answered.
He cursed loudly and slammed down the phone. Danged new systems. Pick up on one extension and you couldn"t hear on the next without some fancy b.u.t.ton-pushing.
Darell plucked up his cane, positioned his legs underneath him and pushed up with his left hand. On his feet he swayed, seeking balance, then shuffled across the office. He flung open the door. "Margaret!Transfer the-" He growled in his throat. He should have brought the receiver with him. "Never mind, I"m coming!"
"Here, D.!" Margaret"s voice filtered from the other end of the house. "It"s Kaitlan."
Well, of course it was Kaitlan. Hadn"t he known she"d be all right?
Relief flooded his limbs.
As he neared the library Margaret"s voice drifted to his ears. "You sure you"re okay?"
He thumped across the threshold and over to his a.s.sistant. One of his old novels lay on the desk by the phone. Why was that there?
He thrust out his hand. "Let me talk to her."
"Wait, here"s your grandfather." Margaret handed over the receiver.
"Kaitlan."
"Hi." She sounded breathless.
"What happened?"
"We went to the party. Chief Barlow threatened me not to say anything that would hurt Craig. I think he knows. And then, um"-her tone turned off key-"Craig brought me home."
Margaret looked on, forehead creased and both hands to her mouth.
"It"s him," Kaitlan sputtered. "For sure. He admitted moving the body and everything. First he said he doesn"t know why he kills; then he promised it wouldn"t happen again."
This wasn"t news. Darell had known Craig was the murderer. Still, hearing the confirmation made him want to sit down and take a deep breath. "All right, Kaitlan, calm yourself. This is what we expected." He sidled to his leather chair and sank into it. Margaret moved around so she could watch his face.
"No, it"s not what I expected, it"s worse! He said if I told anyone, he"d have to "take care" of that person too, just like he"s going to take care of me."
Darell gripped a k.n.o.bby knee. Coward. Coward. Arrogant, murderous, lying coward. He would dance a jig- Arrogant, murderous, lying coward. He would dance a jig-without his cane-when Craig Barlow was behind bars. his cane-when Craig Barlow was behind bars.
"And I can"t run away. If I do, he"ll plant drugs in my apartment. They"ll hunt me down and take me to jail-if Craig doesn"t kill me first. And with Chief Barlow in on everything, I won"t stand a chance, no matter what I say."
Darell felt the rise and fall of his chest-an old man"s lungs. He focused on the heavy wooden clock on the wall. Nearly eleven. Anxiety spritzed down his nerves. Eleven Eleven. He"d been asleep for over two hours. When he was supposed to be creating a plan.
"Grandfather, what am I supposed to do?"
Fear and rage funneled through Darell. "We"re going to catch him, Kaitlan, that"s what we"re going to do."
"How? I have to ... I can"t live like this."
"I know. Don"t worry, I"ve been studying on it since you left."
He glanced at Margaret. She gave him a hard look. Darell turned away.
"He told me this body will never be found," Kaitlan said. "So what are we left with? We can"t even prove someone was killed, and we have no way to tie him to the other murders-"
"Kaitlan, you"ve got to calm down."
"I can"t! You don"t know what it was like. I thought I was going to die. If he finds out I"ve talked to you he"ll kill me. And he hit me tonight. Twice."
Darell"s blood drained to his feet. His head buzzed. "He hit you?"
Margaret gasped.
"It still hurts. I"m gonna have a bruise on my cheek tomorrow. He said to tell people I ran into a door."
Darell stared out the window into blackness. A hollow helplessness opened in his gut. He needed a plan now. now. This antagonist wasn"t acting as he"d expected. Admitting his crimes, threatening his girlfriend ... This antagonist wasn"t acting as he"d expected. Admitting his crimes, threatening his girlfriend ...
"Grandfather, help me!"
Darell"s mind blanked. Utterly emptied. He clutched the phone, heat flushing his face. Not a single thing could he offer her. He could barely even remember the news article he"d read mere hours ago.
Margaret stepped close and held out her hand. "D. Give me the phone."
She knew. She knew he was useless.
Like a child, he held out the receiver.
"Kaitlan?" Margaret backed up two steps. "We don"t want you alone tonight. Come stay here."
Darell hung on her every expression. What was Kaitlan saying?
Margaret shook her head. "We don"t know yet. But we"ll come up with something tonight. He has has to be caught-there"s no other option." to be caught-there"s no other option."
She listened. Her face slacked.
Darell swiped at the phone. "Give it back, what"s going on?"
Margaret laid the receiver against her neck. "He took her cell phone and car keys. She"s calling from her landlord"s house. They"re on vacation and she has a key."
Darell struggled to process the information. This didn"t make sense. Why had Craig left at all? Why not stay to make sure she didn"t go anywhere?
A light snapped on in his brain. "Give me the phone."
"But-"
"Give it to me!"