Don't Look Back (17 page)

After all, he’d learned how to be practically invisible at a young age. His survival depended upon his ability to go unnoticed. Drawing attention to himself was disastrous. Oh yes, he was very good at making sure no one thought anything about his presence.

First the husband left. Then the mother and the two children had piled into their van and she backed out of the garage. Just as she backed out, he rounded the side at a crouch and molded himself to the corner. She was so busy looking in her rearview mirror as she backed out, she never once looked back in the garage.

He knew she wouldn’t.

He’d watched her do this every weekday for the past five weeks.

Then the garage door came down and he was able to get the information he needed from the box on the ceiling. A call to the garage door company netted him a remote device to be delivered overnight.

Two days later, he returned and programmed the garage door remote. Just as he figured, the door leading from the garage to the house was unlocked. He made himself at home and befriended the family dog.

A week later, he’d done the same thing to Jamie’s house. Only he had to be a little more crafty in gaining entrance to her garage as she was more vigilant and didn’t always follow the same pattern. However, as luck would have it, he’d been successful on the first try. Jamie pushed the button to close the garage, stood there and watched it come down, but before it had completed its downward journey, she’d turned and started her walk to work.

And the Hero had placed his foot in the small opening just before the door was to meet the concrete. The door touched his foot and changed direction, the sensors sending the command that something was in the way.

So now he could blend in at either place to watch and learn.

And get to Jamie anytime he wanted.

From the garage window, he watched the house. Once they’d gone inside, he hadn’t been able to hear anymore.

Interesting. This little visit with Jamie’s parents could only mean one thing. They were warning them about him. Telling them that Jamie’s hero had returned and to be on the lookout for him. He chuckled a bit at that. Like they’d know him if they saw him. They could watch for him all they wanted. It made no difference.

The Hero rubbed his chin and pondered the idea of getting to Jamie through her parents. It was definitely a thought. He’d met them once when he volunteered as one of the workers to search the area for Jamie the day after he’d taken her. He’d shaken their hands and offered his condolences. He even gave his handkerchief to Jamie’s mother to wipe her tears.

He wondered if she still had it.

He thought of the other girls that he’d rescued and their families. He’d met every single one of them as he silently held back his contempt for them. If they’d loved their children like they professed to the cameras, they’d never have allowed them to be taken. They would have protected them. No, he didn’t feel sorry for the families, he felt sorry for their children. Which is why he had to protect them. He was the only one they had.

He was their hero. “Stop the pain, you have to stop the pain.” The little voice was back, demanding his attention, his cooperation.

Jamie had to understand that his job with her was unfinished. He couldn’t rest until he’d fulfilled his destiny, completed what he’d been called to do as Jamie’s hero.

He looked at the item on his front seat, then the handcuffs nestled on the floorboard, ready for Jamie. He’d even had her name engraved on them. They were a special pair, just for her.

But first, he had another gift for her, another message.

Leaving his car parked in the garage, he climbed out, grabbed the leash, and went to deliver the message.

Not only could Jamie see the silent communication going on between her parents, she could practically feel the tension emanating from both of them. She perched back on the edge of the love seat and leaned forward. “Okay, what everyone is dancing around is the fact that we think my attacker is back.”

Twin indrawn breaths and one choked cry from her mother had Jamie standing once again. She moved to kneel in front of the woman. “I know it’s a shock and I’m sorry I just blurted it out, but we’re running short on time and this man isn’t stopping. He’s still out there killing, ruining lives, families, futures. If he’s been in contact with you in any way, threatened you . . . please, we need to know.”

Tears leaked down the soft wrinkled cheeks and Jamie raised a shaking hand to wipe them away. Her mother grasped her hand. “Oh Jamie, I had no idea. And no, no one has contacted us or threatened us in any way.”

“Then why are you and Dad being so distant and hard to pin down?”

Her mother lifted wet eyes to stare at Jamie’s father. Then she looked at the others in the room and sighed. “It’s personal, honey. We’re not ready to share that with you yet. Can you just accept that for now?”

Jamie exchanged a look with Samantha whose fierce frown said she wasn’t having any part in accepting anything. Jamie stood. “Yes, we can. As long as you promise to take precautions and contact one of us immediately should anyone approach you or call you that makes you uncomfortable – or scared. All right?”

Another strange look passed between her parents and Jamie wanted to demand that they spill it right now. However, as long as her parents weren’t in any danger, she would respect their privacy.

And Samantha would too, she communicated silently to her sister. Sam’s jaw hardened, then her mouth opened. Jamie stared harder.

Sam snapped her mouth shut, but the look in her eyes said she wasn’t finished – by a long shot.

An hour later, Jamie was convinced something weird was going on with her parents, but it had nothing to do with her stalker. Still, the more frequent patrols would continue and her mom and dad promised to be alert, vigilant about their surroundings and to call if they noticed anything out of the ordinary.

Jamie hugged her mother. “You promise you’ll call if you notice anything at all that seems out of the ordinary.”

“I . . . I . . .” She looked at her husband, then sighed. “Yes, if I think I need to call, I promise, I will.”

“Okay.”

She stepped out onto the porch and headed for Samantha’s car, listening to her sister and the guys saying their good-byes. She wanted to get back to the lab and see if there was anything else she could do to identify the remaining set of bones still on her table. Facial reconstruction was a last resort, but one she’d do if it became necessary.

She stopped and turned to say something to Samantha, who walked toward her, back rigid, jaw thrust out. Her eyes blazed with questions. Her tightly clamped lips looked ready to spew them at the speed of light. Jamie closed her mouth and waited. She didn’t have to wait long.

“What do you think you were doing back there? Why did you want me to keep quiet? Our parents are freaking out on us and you say nothing? I don’t get it.”

Connor and Dakota hung back, sensing the sisters needed this time.

Jamie sighed and reached out to grab her sister’s hand. “Sam, you know I love you, but not everything is your business.”

Samantha flinched and jerked away. “Well, thanks a lot.”

“No, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just meant that as long as whatever is bugging Mom and Dad isn’t related to what’s going on with me, then . . . I think we should respect the fact that they don’t want to tell us.”

Mutiny flashed for a brief moment, then dissolved slowly, like fog on an emerging sunny morning, as Jamie’s words sank in. “Okay, I suppose you’re right.”

“I know you feel the need to . . . hover and protect, but sometimes . . . you just can’t.”

“She’s right, hon.” Connor stepped forward to wrap an arm around his wife’s shoulders. “You know your parents. They’ll spill it when they’re ready.”

“Okay, okay, I get it.” She leaned into him briefly, then pulled away. “Come on, I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving.” He kissed her forehead, and Jamie turned to head back to the car, her mind rehashing the visit with her parents. Opening the car door, she started to slide into the seat and stopped. Blinked. Shock twisted her insides as she stared at the offering lying innocently on her seat.

16

Samantha opened the driver’s door, chattering about something that sounded like a swarm of bees buzzing in Jamie’s ears.

“What’s that?”

The sharp question jerked her, pulling her from the abyss of stunned immobility, and she sucked in a ragged breath. “Another gift from my
hero
,” she spat the words, the terror shooting through her warring with the rage.

“Guys! He’s been here.”

Samantha’s shout pulled Dakota and Connor up short. Without bothering to shut the doors they’d just opened, they covered the twenty yards to Samantha’s car in seconds.

Jamie felt Dakota crowd next to her to look over her shoulder. She didn’t move. Instead, she took comfort in the fact that he was there.

“A rose?”

“And a note.” She hated the shakiness she heard in her voice but couldn’t seem to help it.

“Don’t touch anything. I’ll get a crime scene unit over here.”

“Why bother?” she asked woodenly. “There won’t be any prints.”

“Probably not, but he could have left something else. And we need to get you inside out of sight.”

“No.”

“Come on, Jamie, you need to be careful. Standing out here in the middle of the street isn’t careful.”

“I don’t care. I’m not going to be afraid anymore.”

“That’s fine,” he agreed as he took her arm to lead her back in the house, “but please, don’t be afraid anymore in the house, okay?”

Jamie pulled away from him and walked back the few steps to the car.

Samantha had already completed the call to the crime scene unit and had them on the way.

Her parents appeared on the porch and Samantha hurried up the steps to usher them back inside. Feeling exposed, yet not wanting to give the creep the satisfaction of making her run, Jamie huddled closer to Dakota who looked surprised. Then he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “I wish you’d go back inside. We’ll see what the note says as soon as the crime scene unit processes it.”

“Fine.” She cleared her throat, ignoring his request. “Did you see the rose?”

“What do you mean? Sure, I saw it.”

“No, I mean did you
see
it?”

He glanced back at the car then moved closer to get a better look at the red rose sitting on the seat. “It looks . . . weird, now that you mention it.”

“He used to peel the petals off and . . .” She closed her eyes. Could she do this?

When she opened her eyes back up, his were narrowed on her. “What, Jamie?”

She pulled in a shuddering sigh and saw Connor waving the crime scene guys over. They immediately went to work on the rose and the car while Jamie trembled at the memories washing over her. “He used to stand over me and peel the petals from a rose and let them drop onto the table next to the bed. Then he’d pull the thorns off one by one and place them next to the petals.”

He rubbed her shoulder. “Go on.”

“Then he’d painstakingly glue the rose back together like it was some piece of art.”

“What did he mean by it?”

“I’m sure he’ll explain that in the note.”

Dakota’s fists clenched almost involuntarily as he reread the note left by Jamie’s stalker. He refused to call the guy by the name of Hero. Psycho, crazy, possessed, yeah. Not hero.

Connor burst through the lab door. Samantha had gotten sick and he’d dropped her off at home. Now, he was ready to hear what the lab had come up with.

Jamie hovered. “Read it out loud, will you?”

“First of all, there aren’t any prints, of course. Second, they found a carpet fiber. They’re trying to trace that right now. Also, on the ground next to the car, they found some dog hair.”

“That could have come from anyone walking their dog,” Jamie snorted in disgust.

“I know, but we still want to cover all the bases.”

Connor nodded in agreement. “What’s the note say?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Dakota eyed Jamie, who’s right eye twitched. Otherwise, her face held the tense, impatient look of someone standing in a long line with no end in sight. “‘Jamie, you’re like this rose, fragile, delicate, beautiful. It’s my duty to release you from the pain, to put you back together piece by piece until you’re free. I will rescue you again. Until then, your Hero.’”