Crime & Passion (40 page)

“It’s been a crazy couple of months,” he
said, twining his hand in hers, her ring rubbing against his
finger. “When I thought I lost you, it was worse than anything that
has ever happened to me. I had to take a hard look at things and
admit how much I loved you.”

“Even worse than loosing Ma—” She shook her
head. “Never mind. I’m sorry you were so scared.”

“It
was
worse than losing Madison,” he
said, answering her interrupted question. “Worse than anything. You
are everything to me, Madeline. I want you to understand that.”

He had deliberately used her name, not her
nickname, to make sure she heard him clearly.
She
was the
person he wanted to be with.

She seemed to understand the distinction and
nodded. “I do understand, now—even if I was being silly about
things before.” She snuggled closer. “You’re everything to me
too.”

“Even if we fight over stuff in the future—”
He stroked her belly. “—you know, like, how to raise our
children...”

She laughed.

“Nothing will ever break us apart,” he
finished. “Suzie’s where she belongs. We’re both working. Somehow,
I’ll figure out how to pay back Jeremy’s money.”

“We’ll do that together,” she said. “And
after our wedding, we can fill out the foster parent papers and
look for a bigger house to raise our family in. Everything will
work out as long as we’re together.”

“You and me against the world?”

She rolled in his embrace and lifted her face
for another kiss. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Madeline stared at the clock on the wall of
Woofy Cuts the next day, wishing the time to go by faster. Work had
dragged on and all she wanted to do was get home to Donovan. He’d
sent her four different text messages throughout the day, each one
making her smile wider. She knew he hated the ‘damn phone,’ and it
meant a lot that he made the effort.

Lindsey walked out of the back room and
looked around the empty store. “Slow today.”

“At least Mrs. Duncan isn’t here looking at
my face.”

“People will get used to the scars. I don’t
even notice them anymore, except when you point them out.” Lindsey
leaned against the countertop and propped her elbows on it, resting
her chin in her hands. “I think you worry too much.”

“Probably.” Madeline grinned. “Donovan
definitely doesn’t mind how I look.”

“I was afraid to ask, but since you’re
bringing him up, how’d things go last night?”

All day, Madeline wavered as to whether she
should tell Lindsey about the engagement. She thought her friend
would be happy, but there was the slightest chance Lindsey would be
jealous, and Madeline didn’t want any problems. Not knowing what to
do, she’d taken her ring off and stashed it in her pocket before
walking into work this morning.

To hell with it. She’ll find out sooner or
later.

Madeline grabbed the ring out of her pocket,
slipped it on, and stretched her hand out on the counter. “Things
went pretty good.”

“He proposed?” Lindsey grabbed Madeline’s
hand, pulling it to her face to get a closer look. She scrambled
around to Madeline’s side of the counter, wrapping her in a hug.
“I’m so happy for you! How’d you talk him into it?”

“I didn’t talk him into it at all. This was
all Donovan.” A grin spread across Madeline’s face that she was
helpless to stop. “I took your advice and decided to take what I
could get and be happy. I told him I loved him and wanted to be
with him, and he surprised me by hiding the ring in my teacup.”

“You and your tea.” Lindsey kissed her cheek.
“That’s so romantic. Who’s going to be your maid of honor?”

A momentary panic set in Madeline’s heart,
thinking about her last maid of honor, but she banished the feeling
away. Donovan would never do that to her.

She shrugged. “I don’t have many girlfriends
anymore.”

“You have one.” Lindsey pointed to
herself.

“That wouldn’t be weird for you?”

She shook her blonde head and smiled. “It
would be an honor to finally witness that man tie the knot.”

“Then the job is yours.”

The bell jingled, drawing Madeline’s
attention to the door.

“Here’s our five o’clock appointment,”
Lindsey said. “Bath, flea dip, nail trim, the works. You take care
of him and I’ll watch the store.”

Madeline’s mouth fell open and she rushed to
the door, smiling at the dog’s owner and dropping to the ground.
She threw her arms around the Great Dane’s neck, petting him. “Hey,
Brutus. How you feeling?”

Brutus licked her face, seeming happy to see
her.

“I never got to thank you for saving his
life,” Mrs. Stanfield said, handing Madeline his leash. “Losing him
would have been like losing a child.”

“Too bad he was in danger because of me,”
Madeline said, standing up, though she continued stroking the big
dog’s head.

Mrs. Stanfield waved that away. “You can’t
hold yourself responsible for Suzie Stone. Everyone’s talking about
her confession. I can hardly believe it.”

“Me neither.” Madeline shook her head. “At
least Brutus made a full recovery.” She closed her eyes, thinking
of the fact that Maria hadn’t. Two attacks in Woofy Cuts, and both
because Suzie was crazy enough to think killing her would change
Donovan’s feelings.

The Great Dane whined when she quit petting
him and leaned into her leg, nearly knocking her off balance.

Madeline staggered and smiled down at him. “I
think Brutus is ready for some pampering.”

Mrs. Stanfield nodded. “I’m going to do some
shopping. I’ll be back when I’m finished.”

As Madeline walked past the front counter she
grabbed a doggy treat from the bowl set out for their pet customers
and slipped it to Brutus as they made their way to the back
room.

Despite everything else that had happened,
she was happy to see Brutus again. “The two survivors of the psycho
crazy bitch,” she whispered to the dog as they stepped through the
back doorway.

***

Twenty more minutes and he could leave the
station and go home to cuddle with Madeline. Donovan could hardly
wait. Time had crawled by all day. Only her text messages
confirming she missed him just as badly as he missed her got him
through the day.

His fiancée—it was scary and exciting all at
the same time. Less than a half hour and he would hold his
fiancée
in his arms. He did realize they both had to work,
but he hoped it would get easier to be away from her as time
passed.

The guys had all congratulated him this
morning when he told them. Well, Eric didn’t say much, but Donovan
still thought the rookie had a thing for Maddie. Oh well. He’d have
to get over it.

Donovan entered the report into the computer
about his last traffic stop. He typed in the driver’s license
number of yet another tourist. This one thought he could drive his
Jeep onto the beach, even though the policy against motorized
vehicles was clearly posted.

“Shit!” Brice Carter yelled from his office
and poked his head out the doorway. “Donovan, get your ass in here.
We’ve got a problem.”

Donovan walked to the office with a heavy
heart. He knew they searched Suzie’s other house today, and he’d
done his best not to ask questions. Then again, he couldn’t see any
other reason Brice would be calling him into the office.

When he walked in, Brice looked up from his
desk. His face was red and his lips thinned to a small line. “Shut
the door.”

Donovan did as requested, nodding at Eric who
sat in the room’s single chair, twisting his hands together.

“What’s going on?” Donovan asked.

Brice turned around the laptop on his desk so
it faced Donovan. “These are the pictures of what they found inside
Suzie’s house today. Everything we need for a conviction, even if
she later retracts her statement.”

The screen showed a wall in a room. The only
furniture was a desk and chair. What looked like newspaper
clippings lined the wall. Donovan clicked the button to advance to
the next picture. It was a close up of the wall. His own face
stared out at him. He read the various titles of the articles,
scrolling through the pictures to see more and more of them.

“She’s been obsessed with you a long time,”
Brice said. “The articles go back ten years.”

“The year her husband died, just like she
told Eric.” Donovan shook his head. “I don’t understand how she
developed this fixation on me. I didn’t even go out with her back
then. Our first date was barely four months ago.”

Brice shook his head. “She had a diary. The
cops from Eureka haven’t read it all, but it talks about all the
times you smiled at her here at the station. One time you held the
door for her and brushed your hand against her back when she
stepped in front of you.”

A shudder went through Donovan. A psycho ten
years in the making. Every incidental contact they had fed the
delusion she carried about a romance with him. It had probably been
him dating her for those two weeks that pushed her over the
edge.

Donovan continued scrolling through the
pictures. It showed a bag and inside it was the final missing blue
and yellow climbing rope. Another picture showed a police baton and
a dark-blue suit.

“I can’t believe she did all this,” Donovan
whispered, looking back at Brice. “All these years...”

“That’s not even the worst thing.” Eric said,
still twisting his hands together. “How could she have escaped?
They had her under twenty-four hour surveillance.”

A sinking feeling cramped Donovan’s stomach.
“Suzie escaped?”

“That’s why I called you in here and wanted
you to understand how obsessed she really is. I’m sure she’s going
to contact you. And it’s up to you to get her back into custody.”
Brice shook his head. “The hospital called about ten minutes ago.
The guard at her door left to use the bathroom and didn’t get
anyone to cover for him. When he came back, her door was open and
she was missing. That was over a half hour ago now.”

“There’s no way she could get out.” Eric ran
his hands through his hair. “There’s security all over that place.”
He sighed and shook his head. “But if she is loose, after
everything she told me yesterday, I’m pretty sure she’ll go after
Madeline if Donovan doesn’t do whatever she demands. She hates
Madeline.”

Physical pain knifed through Donovan, and he
snatched his phone out of his pocket. He swiped across the screen
until finding the icon to speed dial Maddie, pressing it and
holding the phone against his ear, praying she picked up.

Four rings and her answering machine.

“Madeline, Suzie might be loose. Whatever you
do, stay with Lindsey. I’m coming to get you.”

He hung up the phone, partially conscious of
the fact the office phone rang while he left his message to Maddie,
and Brice talked to someone on the other end.

“I have to get Maddie,” he said, turning to
Eric. “Tell Brice where I—”

Brice held his hand up. “Yes, Suzie. I do
understand how deep your love runs for Donovan. If you tell me
where you are, I’ll let you talk to him.”

Though every instinct urged Donovan to run
out of the office and protect Madeline, he took a deep breath and
forced himself to stay there. If Suzie were on the phone, maybe she
hadn’t gotten to Maddie yet. Donovan had to figure out what she
wanted.

“You have a hostage?” Brice’s eyes widened.
“Yes, that does change things. You know you’re only hurting your
chances of being with Donovan if you hurt someone else. Tell me
where you are and let the hostage go.”

Eric stood from his chair and leaned in to
whisper in Donovan’s ear. “I’ll go in the other room and call Woofy
Cuts to make sure Madeline is there.”

“Thanks.” Though he tried to reassure himself
Lindsey wouldn’t let Suzie anywhere near Madeline, Donovan’s knees
shook with fear. If she already had her, Donovan didn’t want to
think about what pain she’d probably inflicted on his fiancée.

As soon as Eric cleared the door, Brice held
the phone out to Donovan. “She won’t tell me anything else. She
insists on talking to you.”

If she had Maddie, Suzie would wish she’d
stayed locked away by the time Donovan finished with her. While in
jail, he’d worried how he could extract revenge against an insane
woman, but a dark part of him knew he could do it.

Donovan put the phone to his ear and took a
deep breath. The only option he had was to make her believe he was
on her side. “Suzie? It’s Donnie. What’re you doing, baby?”

“Donnie! I’ve missed you so much.” She
giggled. “I had to move fast to set things up, but we can finally
be together. You need to meet me.”

“Sure. I'd love to meet. I've had a long time
to think about what you said at the jail that day. I've really
missed you." Apparently the rule he'd always lived by, never to lie
about love, was easier to break than he thought possible. He'd say
whatever he had to, just as long as Maddie didn't suffer any harm.
"Want to tell me how you got out of the hospital, though, sugar?
You must have been very clever.”

Beside him, Brice nodded his approval. “Find
out where she is, too,” he whispered.

“Oh, you know me, Donnie. A little help, a
little stealth.” Her giggle turned into a laugh. “A lot of money.
Money can do anything. It’s going to buy us a new life.”

“It’s going to be kind of hard to sneak away
and get to you. The police are watching me now.” Donovan took a
deep breath, hoping she was so lost in her psychosis that she’d
believe he really had her best interests at heart. “Tell me where
you are. I’ll lay low for a while and then come to you as soon as
they quit watching me.”

“I'm tired of waiting for you. I've waited
ten years already.” She sounded irritated for the first time. “I
need your new cell phone number. Your old one’s disconnected.”