“Good morning, Ms. Owens. You’ve got a visitor,” Lila said as she spoke directly into Terri’s face. “It’s Mr. Ransom. He’s going to feed you your breakfast.”
Terri Owens’s large blue eyes moved side to side and up and down as if searching for her ex-husband, but finally she gazed up and looked directly at him. He pulled a straight-back chair over to the edge of the bed and sat beside her.
“You’ll have the usual twenty minutes,” Lila told him before quietly leaving the room.
She stood in the doorway and watched while Mr. Ransom removed the plastic lid from his ex-wife’s breakfast plate.
“You’ve got eggs and grits and a biscuit.” Mr. Ransom picked up the single-serving size jelly. “And there’s grape jelly.”
Lila continued watching while he went about the task with the tenderness and patience of a mother feeding her infant. And all the while, he talked to Terri, telling her what a fine April morning it was and how the spring flowers were in full bloom. Lila shook her head sadly as she walked away and returned to the nurses’ station.
I wonder if Terri Owens has any idea just how lucky she is. Mr. Ransom is one in a million, that’s what he is. After the way she up and left him and their little boy and brought such shame on his family and hers, you’d think he would hate her, that he wouldn’t want to ever see her again.
But love is a strange and wondrous thing. And Sweet Jesus, it can certainly make fools of us all.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Mike said.
“I want to,” Lorie told him. “It’s the least I can do for Shelley.”
“You’ve already answered all our questions, mine and Wainwright’s. You’ve signed an official statement. That should be enough. Let Griffin Powell read your statement and—”
The doorbell rang. Mike and Lorie looked at each other and then at the door.
“They’re here,” she said.
Mike crossed the room and opened the front door. Jack Perdue and Buddy Pounders had escorted their guests from their car to the porch. Mike had asked Jack to join them that afternoon, and Buddy was the deputy on guard duty.
Standing six-four, Griffin Powell towered over most guys, even men such as he and Jack, who both stood over six feet. The former UT quarterback filled out his fashionable suit with massive shoulders and thickly muscled arms. The man’s size alone was intimidating. Add the fact that he was a billionaire into the mix and it was no wonder he had a reputation for always getting what he wanted, one way or the other.
Nicole Powell stood at her husband’s side, a tall, attractive brunette, exuding an air of self-confidence. She held out her hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Sheriff Birkett, despite the circumstances.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Mike held open the door. “Y’all come on in. Lorie’s waiting for us in the living room.”
“We appreciate Ms. Hammonds agreeing to this meeting,” Nic said.
“She and Ms. Gilbert hit it off right from the start,” Mike said. “They were well on their way to becoming friends.”
Nic Powell entered the living room first. She marched straight over to Lorie and spoke to her quietly. The two women shook hands.
“Won’t you sit down, please,” Lorie said.
When Lorie sat in her favorite easy chair, Mike took his place behind her, his hands loosely gripping the back of the chair.
Once everyone was seated, Griff Powell said, “Whenever you’re ready, Ms. Hammonds, please tell us everything you remember about the day before Shelley was killed.”
“The entire day?” Lorie asked.
“Yes, the entire day, from when the two of you got up until you went to bed that night.”
“All right. I…uh…let’s see. Shelley was already up when I awoke. We drank coffee, ate breakfast, talked, and—”
“What did you talk about?” Griff asked.
“I’m not sure. Nothing really. How I hated being a prisoner in my own home. How maybe we should both take up knitting.” Lorie smiled. “Shelley was a nice person, you know. I liked her.” Tears misted her eyes. “She told me that her parents were dead, but she had a sister who lived in Phoenix and a couple of little nephews. She was going out there for a visit when her assignment with me ended.”
“Her sister is flying in to Knoxville tomorrow,” Nic said. “She’ll make all the arrangements, pack away Shelley’s things and close up her apartment.”
“Please continue with what you remember about the day before Shelley died.” Griff steered her back to what he felt was important.
Mike reached down and gripped Lorie’s shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze before releasing her. She tilted her head and gazed up at him, her fragile smile conveying her appreciation for his presence.
Lorie talked. The others listened. Occasionally either Griff or Nic would ask her a question and if she got off track, Griff would nudge her back onto the subject. An hour later, after she had shared every detail that she could recall with the Powells, Lorie rose from her chair.
“I’d like some iced tea. Would anyone else care for something to drink?”
“Iced tea would be nice,” Nic replied. “May I help you?”
“That’s not necessary, but thank you.”
Without saying a word, Mike followed Lorie when she left the room. He exchanged an entertain-these-people glance with Jack and headed for the kitchen. The moment he opened the door, he stopped. Lorie stood with her back to him, her shoulders trembling as she muffled her sobs by placing her hands over her mouth. Acting purely on instinct, he went over and draped his arms around her. She leaned back, allowing him to partially support her as she cried. After taking a deep, calming breath, she turned, looked at him with teary eyes, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
He held her close, embracing her as she laid her head on his chest. “I’m here. I’ve got you, honey. Everything is going to be all right. I promise.”
Casey used his friend Jason’s cell phone to make the call. He had met Jason at one of their AA meetings and the two had hit it off immediately. It had been a long time since he’d actually had a friend—a real friend—so he did his best to never impose on Jason’s kindness. From time to time, Jason gave him a few bucks, occasionally took him out for a decent meal, and had even offered to let Casey stay with him and his family. As much as he would have liked taking Jason up on the offer, he knew Jason’s wife Heather had been relieved when he had declined. And who could blame her? Although the few times he’d seen Heather, she’d been nice to him, he realized she had genuine doubts about exposing her children to a guy such as he.
Sometimes he felt guilty for not telling Jason the truth—that he was not penniless. He had chosen a low-key, under-the-radar homeless person’s lifestyle. It suited his purposes, at least for the time being.
Finding an out-of-the-way park bench, Casey sat down, dialed the number, and waited. The warm afternoon sun warred with the cool April breeze. Summer was just around the corner, but a hint of winter lingered in the wind. Springtime birds chattered in nearby trees and squirrels scurried from branch to branch.
As always, the maid answered the telephone. “Laura Lou Roberts’s residence.”
“Please tell Ms. Roberts that it’s Casey.”
“Yes, Mr. Lloyd, I’ll tell her.”
Casey nervously tapped his index finger against the edge of the phone as he waited. A couple of minutes later, he heard that familiar throaty voice. A dozen years ago, he had found that husky tone sexy. One of his many deadly mistakes.
“Hello, sweet boy,” Laura Lou said.
“How are you?” he asked.
“Doing okay for an old woman.”
“You’ll never be old. And you’ll always be vibrant and sexy.” He told her what he knew she wanted to hear. He had learned years ago how to please her in order to get what he wanted. “I miss you. Life isn’t the same without you.”
Her gravelly laughter grated on his nerves, the sound bringing back too many unpleasant memories from a time when he’d been little more than her lapdog.
And what are you now? You’re practically licking her butt, albeit via a long-distance phone call. Whispering sweet nothings in her ear, giving the old heifer a thrill.
But it wasn’t the same as in the past. This time, he was in control, even though she didn’t know it. To get what he wanted, what he needed, he would have bedded the devil. And it wouldn’t be the first time.
Her laughter quickly altered and changed to heavy coughing. When she managed to control the coughs, she told him, “One of these days, I’m going to come see you and collect on all your promises and IOUs.”
He doubted seriously that the day would ever come when she would visit him. Her vanity would keep her away. She preferred for him to remember her as she had been in the past, not as she was now. He had heard through mutual “friends” in LA that Laura Lou had not gone under the knife for any recent nips and tucks, that she had lost so much weight she looked like a skeleton, and that her four-packs-a-day cigarette habit had resulted in emphysema that required her to haul around a portable oxygen tank wherever she went.
“I’d love to see you,” he lied. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”
She’d had good times. He’d been in hell. But it had been a hell of his own making. Laura Lou had simply been the particular devil he had chosen to oversee his torment.
“Yeah, we had some good times,” she said, a wistful quality softening her lifetime smoker’s voice. “But your girlfriend wouldn’t want me showing up, now would she?”
“I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment,” he assured her. That much, at least, was the truth. Until he got all his addictions under control, a committed relationship was out of the question.
“What’s wrong with the girls in Arkansas?” Once again her laughter turned into uncontrollable coughing.
“Are you taking care of yourself? That cough sounds bad.” He didn’t give a damn how sick she was or if she lived or died. Correct that. He needed her to stay alive a while longer, long enough for him to accomplish his goals. He needed the old bat’s money. Smiling to himself, he wondered how Laura Lou would react if she had any idea how he was using the cash she sent him.
“I’ve got bad sinus problems,” she told him. “Apparently, they’re chronic and I just have to live with them.” She coughed a couple more times and then got straight to the point. “So, how much do you need this time?”
“What makes you think I’m calling to ask for more money?” They played this same game every time he called her. He understood two things about Laura Lou. One: She needed the attention he paid her during these long-distance conversations. Two: She would send him the money he needed.
“Sweet boy, I know you.”
“Inside and out,” he agreed.
“So, how much this time?”
“A thousand should be enough.”
“Want me to wire it to the same account there in Fayetteville?”
“Yes, please. Under the name of William Geisman.”
“I hope you’re using the money wisely,” she said. “But if not…if you’re doing anything illegal, be careful not to get caught.”
“Good advice. But you always were the smart one, weren’t you? Don’t worry about me. I learned from the master how to get away with murder.”
Lorie hung up the phone and turned to Mike.
“You already know what Maleah told me, don’t you?”
He nodded. “Derek called Jack this morning and Jack relayed the information to me when he called a little while ago. He told me that Maleah planned to phone you and tell you herself.”
“Sonny Deguzman’s dead and the Midnight Killer didn’t murder him.”
“Yeah, it seems he was stabbed in a bar fight in Madrid about six months ago. He’d been living under an assumed name and that’s the reason Powell’s had so much trouble finding him.”
“That narrows down the targets for our killer, doesn’t it? The only actors from
Midnight Masquerade
left alive are Jean, Terri, and me.”
“And all three of you have around-the-clock protection. Jean Misner’s husband is keeping two bodyguards on duty at all times. Terri Owens is recuperating in a private facility, in a restricted section of the rehab center that screens all of her visitors. And you have me and backup from my deputies.”
“Why haven’t they caught him?” Lorie asked, simply voicing her thoughts and not expecting Mike to have an answer.
He put his arm around her shoulders.
She tensed.
He released her instantly.
She took a deep breath.
Whenever Mike touched her, she wanted to turn into his arms, hold him close and never let him go. And the odd thing was, she sensed that he felt the same way.
Dear God, what an impossible situation.
Lorie dove directly into the other subject she had discussed with Maleah. “Did Jack tell you that Shelley’s sister plans to have her cremated, as she had requested in her will, and there won’t be a funeral, only a private memorial service?”
“He did.”
“If the state ME releases Shelley’s body within a few days, the memorial service will probably be next week,” Lorie said. “I’d very much like to go to Knoxville for the service.”
“I think that can be arranged. I figured you’d want to go, so I’ve already mentioned to Jack that perhaps he and Cathy could go with us.”
Despite their years apart, Mike still knew her so well that he could often second-guess her thoughts. “That would be good. I’m sure Maleah would appreciate their being there. Even though they didn’t really know Shelley all that well, she and Maleah did work together and…” Tears lodged in Lorie’s throat. She swallowed. “Damn it, I’ve got to stop tearing up all the time.”
“Your bodyguard, a woman you liked and were becoming friends with, was brutally murdered two days ago,” Mike said. “You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t upset over that fact. You have every right to cry whenever you feel like it.”
“If I’m honest with myself, I have to admit that all this emotional turmoil isn’t just about Shelley.”
“I know.” He looked at her with sympathy and understanding.
She tried to smile; the effort failed. “So many people have died. People I knew, people who were a part of my life years ago. Dean and Hilary and Charlie and Shontee, all murdered. And poor Charlene. And now to find out that Sonny died half a world away in some senseless bar fight.” Her lips curved upward in an almost smile. “And knowing Sonny, the fight was probably over some woman.”
Nodding, keeping his gaze connected with hers, Mike remained silent.
“You don’t want to listen to me talking about the people I knew out in LA, especially the ones I got to know while making
Midnight Masquerade
. You probably think of them as the scum of the earth, but…they were real people, people who had hopes and dreams, people who did not deserve…” Lorie bit down on her bottom lip in an effort to control the tears threatening to overflow.
“Talk about whoever you want to talk about,” he told her. “Do whatever helps, whatever makes you feel better.”
“I’m not sure anything can make me feel better. It’s as if I’m trapped in a never-ending nightmare.”
“There will be an end to it, I promise you.”
“Yes, I’m sure there will be, but will I still be alive to see it?”
“Don’t say that. Don’t even think it.” He moved in on her, mere inches separating their bodies, and glared straight into her startled eyes.
“You’re right. I have to think only positive thoughts.”
She also had to put some distance between them. If she didn’t, she couldn’t be held responsible for what she might do. She wanted Mike so desperately, needed him so completely. She tromped across the living room and looked out the window. “Do y’all still believe that Shelley’s death had nothing to do with the Midnight Killer’s murder spree?”
Mike walked across the room and stood beside her. “Shelley’s murder doesn’t fit his MO. That’s all we know. Powell’s and the FBI are looking into old Powell cases that Shelley worked on hoping to find a link.”
“What are the odds that a bodyguard on an assignment to protect a client from a serial killer would end up murdered by another killer?”
“Yeah, I know. It sounds implausible, doesn’t it?”
Suddenly Lorie noticed an older model Buick turn off the road in front of her house and roll to a stop in her driveway. “Is that your mother’s car?”
“Yeah, it is. I wonder what she’s doing here.”
Mike and Lorie watched while Nell Birkett emerged from the Park Avenue along with Hannah and M.J. The children ran ahead of their grandmother, straight toward the porch.
“Why the hell did she bring the kids here?” Mike grumbled under his breath as he headed for the front door.
By the time he unlocked and opened the door, he came face-to-face with his kids. Lana Ladner, the deputy on guard duty this evening, hadn’t stopped his mother and children; instead, she had escorted them to the door.
Hannah hurled herself at her father. He swept her up into a bear hug and then set her on her feet. M.J. grinned broadly, evidently glad to see Mike.
“Hi, Miss Lorie,” M.J. said.
Hannah went from her father to Lorie and grabbed Lorie’s hand.
“What are y’all doing here?” Mike looked squarely at his mother.
“We’re here for supper,” Nell replied. “The children miss you and they asked if we could pay y’all a visit.”
“You should have called first,” Mike said.
“Never thought of that,” she replied, a sly grin on her face.
“I’m afraid we were going to have sandwiches for supper,” Lorie said. “But I can thaw out some chicken and—”
“Don’t bother,” Nell said. “I brought supper. Mike, go out to the car and bring in the picnic basket. It’s on the backseat.”
“I’ll help you, Dad,” M.J. said.
“Why don’t you and Hannah both go help your father,” Nell suggested.
Mike frowned at his mother, but did as she had asked. When Mike and the kids were out of earshot, Nell smiled at Lorie.
“How are you?” Nell asked.
“I’m okay.”
“Is my son treating you well?”
“Mike’s been very good to me.”
Nell sighed. “Well, it’s about time. That boy of mine is every bit as stubborn as his father was.” Nell walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. “Tell me, is he thawing out any?”
“Pardon?” Lorie asked.
“Has Mike thawed out any where you’re concerned? I know you said that he’s treating you well, but is he…are you two…” Nell cleared her throat. “Has he at least kissed you?”
Lorie didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, whether to tell Nell Birkett that it was none of her business or blurt out everything she was feeling.
“Mike and I are still attracted to each other,” Lorie admitted. “But even if something does happen—and it hasn’t—we both know that we have no future together.”
“Hogwash.”
Lorie stared questioningly at Nell.
“You made a stupid mistake when you were quite young and then Mike compounded the problem by acting like a complete jerk for the past nine years. But, honey, it’s as plain as the nose on your face that if ever two people were in love, you and Mike are. As much now as you were when you were teenagers.”
“That’s not true. Mike may want me…” God in heaven, how could she talk to Mike’s mother about the sexual attraction that was driving both of them crazy?
Before Nell could comment, Mike and the kids came in, Mike carrying a wicker picnic basket and M.J. toting a red and white cooler.
“Take that stuff out to the kitchen,” Nell instructed them. “There’s potato salad, deviled eggs, and tea in the cooler. Everything else is in the basket.” As soon as her son and grandchildren did as they were told and headed for the kitchen, Nell put her arm around Lorie’s shoulders and whispered, “Honey, if you want him, my son is yours for the taking.”
Lorie didn’t know how to reply to such a comment. She was beginning to believe that she actually could seduce Mike while he was acting as her protector. He’d probably put up a token protest before giving in to her. But as much as she longed to have sex with him again, she wanted more. A lot more. She wanted forever after.