Authors: Marion Faith Carol J.; Laird Lenora; Post Worth
Tags: #Fluffer Nutter, #dpgroup.org
As soon as he turned onto his street, his gut clenched. A blue Mazda sat in his driveway, probably with a very ticked-off Lexi inside. He pulled in next to her and killed the engine. She had swapped cars but hadn't taken the time to change clothes. She was still in uniform.
The stiffness of her shoulders and the set of her jaw announced her displeasure. This wasn't going to be a pleasant exchange.
She exited the vehicle the same time he did and slammed the door a little harder than necessary.
“You ratted on me.”
He tried not to flinch under the accusatory glare. “Let's go inside.”
She snapped her mouth shut and followed him to the door, staring daggers into his back the whole time. He could feel it.
He unlocked the door and motioned her inside. She spun on him before he even had the door closed.
“I trusted you, and you squealed on me.”
He eased the door shut with a soft thud. “I didn't mean for Tomlinson to pull you off the case.”
“Oh, yeah? Then what
did
you mean? You called him and volunteered the information that I resemble the young Lysandra, and that Kayla happened to be my cousin. What did you think he was going to do with that? Just ignore it and leave everything be?” Her voice wasn't raised, but the steely edge was unmistakable.
“I told him about Lysandra to ask him to have some units patrol past your house.” He stepped toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. “I'm worried about you, Lexi.”
“Don't touch me.” She jerked away from him and stalked to the other side of the living room. “I can sort of see your reasoning behind asking for units to patrol. It wasn't your place to interfere, but I can understand your point.”
She crossed her arms in front of her, further shutting him out. “But I'll never understand why you felt the need to tell him about my relationship with Kayla. The only reason you would have done that was to have me removed from the case.”
He strode across the room, but this time had the good sense to stop two feet in front of her. “That wasn't intentional. I was asking for the backup, explaining to him why I was so worried about you. I told him that you weren't going to back down, that you were determined to find your cousin's killer and that I really didn't blame you.”
He sighed and looked down at his feet. “I realized I had said too much when Tomlinson asked me if Kayla was your cousin.” His gaze again met hers, his own imploring. “I wasn't intentionally telling him something you didn't want him to know. I slipped.”
A little bit of the fire seemed to leave her gaze. But she still wasn't happy with him. Not by a long shot.
She stared up at him, arms still crossed. “You put me in a really bad position. Tomlinson feels I lied to him.”
“I'm sorry. That wasn't my intent.”
“But you still interfered. If everybody would just stay out of my business, my life would be a whole lot less complicated.”
She crossed the room with angry strides, brushing past him on her way to the front door. For several moments she stood with her hand resting on the doorknob, as if she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how to say it.
Then she swung open the door and stepped over the threshold. “I'm sick and tired of people trying to control my life.” She flung the words over her shoulder just before the door slammed shut.
He moved to the window and separated the slats in the miniblinds in time to see her slide into the driver's seat of the Mazda. She was still miffed. The jerky movements gave it away. So did the clenched jaw and rigid posture.
As she backed from the driveway and sped off down the road, intense emptiness stabbed through him, that void left by thoughts of a future without Lexi.
He was falling for her all over again.
He almost snorted. Who was he kidding?
You can't fall when you never got up to begin with.
All these years he'd never fully recovered from her rejection, never stopped holding out that small sliver of hope that she would one day come back to him. Even while he'd dated his way around town, she had always occupied some almost-forgotten corner of his heart. The casual friendships he'd had with the single women of Harmony Grove had only been cheap substitutes for what he longed for with Lexi.
And now she wanted nothing to do with him. She couldn't even bear his touch.
But there was that one moment of softening, that brief period when his plea seemed to penetrate the thick walls that had gone back up. Maybe she would think about it, realize his good intentions and forgive him for interfering in her life.
Then maybe she would let him make it up to her. Maybe they could start fresh and explore what they'd experienced in the park.
Lord, please make things right between us.
ELEVEN
L
exi put the last of the clean dishes into the cupboard and closed the cabinet doors. Music poured in from the other room, a Mendelssohn piano concerto, backed by a full orchestra.
Her mom's house was always filled with music. If she wasn't producing it herself, a well-planned lineup of her favorite pieces cycled through a top-of-the-line stereo system.
Lexi stepped into the living room where her mom sat in a recliner, an open book in her lap. Although the leg rest was raised as far as it would go, her injured ankle was propped on a thick pillow, elevating it even farther.
Her mom looked up from her reading as soon as Lexi entered the room. “Thank you, dear, for the wonderful dinner and for cleaning everything up.”
“No problem. But I need to be heading home. Anything else I can get you before I leave?”
“I can't think of anything.” She heaved a forlorn sigh. “I guess if something else comes to mind, I'll just have to figure out how to get it myself.”
Lexi squared her shoulders. It was time for the weekly guilt trip, but she wasn't falling for it.
“I think you'll do great. You ought to be an old pro by now getting around with those crutches.” She'd had plenty of practice. Not many people could nurse a mild ankle sprain for three and a half weeks.
Her mom chose to ignore the enthusiastic pep talk. She could be as optimistic as the next person. But only when it suited her.
“Sweetheart, I wish you'd consider moving back home, just temporarily. You know, until I can get back on my feet. It's hard to take care of myself. I'm having to hobble here and there on crutches, and I could really use some help.”
Lexi gathered her purse and bent to place a kiss on her mother's forehead. For the past four years her mom had dropped hints about her coming back home. But she had gotten really bad in recent weeks. With Lexi's dad gone and Lexi living on her own, her mom had no one left to control. And it was driving her crazy.
“I'll keep coming by and helping you with your laundry and cleaning as long as you need me.” She moved toward the door before her mother could say anything else. “Night, Mom.”
As she slid into the driver's seat of the Mazda, she shook her head. Her mother needed something to occupy her. A pet or a job or something.
No, not a job. Her mother had never worked a day in her life. She had been pampered by her parents growing up, then pampered by Lexi's dad, to a much lesser degree, all her adult life. And now, thanks to a couple of good insurance policies, she was able to continue her standard of living without having to get a job.
No, what she needed was a pet, some little foo-foo dog that would obey her every whim and gaze at her with undying devotion.
Lexi put the car in Reverse and started to back out of the drive. Four blocks down, a familiar street branched off to the right and tugged at her gaze. Alan's house was almost at the end. He was probably inside, stretched out with a book or chilling in front of the TV. Or maybe he was out on one of his dates. At least if he was with someone else, he wouldn't be meddling in
her
life.
She turned onto Highway 17 and pressed the pedal to the floor, watching the RPMs spike before backing off to shift to the next gear. There were times when she was thankful that she had moved away from Harmony Grove, and this was one of them. Being able to put distance between herself and Alan was a good thing. And now that she had been taken off the case, it would be even easier.
His good looks and sweet ways had almost sucked her in. Spending so much time together, working toward a common goal and bound by their love for Kayla, the whole experience had wreaked havoc with her defenses. Sunday's picnic in the park and romantic walk around the lake had almost finished her off.
But that hadn't lasted long. It had taken all of two days for her to remember why she valued her independence. Being pulled from the case was the pits, but Alan had done her a favor. He truly had.
She eased off the gas at a reduced-speed-ahead sign and frowned. She had accused Alan of being like her mother. But after years of fighting to hold on to every piece of herself she could, maybe she was a little hypersensitive. Because the more she thought about it, the more she had to admit that everything Alan had done came from concern for her rather than his own selfish desires. That alone made him totally different from her mother.
At some point she needed to talk to him. She couldn't stay mad forever. But when that time came, she was going to take it slow.
A ringtone cut into her thoughts, and she pulled off the road to dig for her phone. The number on the screen wasn't familiar, and uneasiness trickled over her, leaving goose bumps in its wake. Would she ever be able to look at a strange number on her phone without fear slashing through her?
Heart thumping, she put the phone to her ear.
“Is this Lexi? This is Jennifer Rushdan. I thought it might be you.”
“You thought what might be me?”
“Alexis Simmons, the name at the bottom of this flyer.”
Lexi sat straighter and squeezed the phone more tightly. “Yeah, that's me.”
To all her peers, she had always been simply Lexi. Jen wasn't exactly her peer, but she was the kid sister of one of her peers. She'd grown up two doors down from the Simmons house. And she had somehow gotten hold of one of her and Alan's notices.
“So you have a flyer?”
“I got it from a guy I work with. His younger sister goes to Polk State.”
“I see. You don't know someone who has been stopped, do you?”
“Yeah, I got stopped today on my way home from work.”
Lexi's heart jumped to double time and a fine sheen of moisture coated her palms. “By someone in an unmarked car?”
“Yep. I think it was a white Toyota Camry. The flashing lights looked like they were coming from his dash. As soon as he stopped me, he turned them off.”
That would make sense. He wouldn't want to attract any more attention to himself than necessary. Otherwise, a real officer might stop to offer assistance and instantly recognize him for a fraud.
“So tell me what happened.”
“He asked for my license and registration and insurance information. When he looked at my license, he asked if that was the correct address. I told him it was. He took my stuff back to his car, sat in there for a couple of minutes, then brought everything back to me.”
“Did he say why he stopped you?”
“Yeah, he said I was speeding. I was, too. But he didn't give me a ticket. Just told me to slow down.”
“What did he look like?”
“He was in a dark green uniform.”
“You're sure?”
“Positive. But you know how they normally have patches on the sleeves and a nameplate over the shirt pocket? Well, his didn't have any. It was just a plain dark green uniform. But there was a silver star over the pocket. It said Sheriff, but that's all.”
Definitely not a real sheriff's deputy. But close enough to fool someone not paying attention. Or not warned.
“What else can you tell me about him?”
“He had, like, a buzz cut. His hair was a brownish color.”
“How about height and weight?”
“I never got out of the car, so I don't know about his height. But he was average weight. Pretty muscular.”
“Age?”
“Maybe thirty.”
“Any tattoos, distinguishing characteristics, jewelry?”
“No, none of that. I was paying attention, too, because Darrel just gave me the flyer yesterday.”
“Okay, you did good, Jen.”
“So what now?”
“We'll get some officers to stake out your house. They'll be there every night until he comes back.”
There was a long pause, as if Jen had just now considered the possibility that he might come back for her. “Lexi? Will you stay with me?” Her voice had suddenly grown thin and weak.
“How about staying with your parents tonight? Then from tomorrow night on, the detectives will be there. They'll be right outside. So you'll be safe.”
“I don't want to be alone. I'm scared. Please?”
“All right. I'll stay.” Tomlinson probably wouldn't be happy. But Jen was bait. If she wanted company, she would have it.
As soon as she disconnected the call, Lexi dialed Tomlinson.
“You know those flyers that Alan and I passed out? If you remember, it's my number that's at the bottom. Well, we got a bite.”
“Tell me about it.”
“She's twenty-five, finished school three years ago. But a coworker of hers got a flyer from his younger sister who's a student at Polk State. She said the uniform was dark green, like ours, but she didn't see the sheriff's department patch on the sleeve. I'm going to check to see if anything was actually run.”
“
You're
not doing anything.” Tomlinson's voice was low but held a steely edge. “Give the girl's info to Kaminski.”
Lexi sighed. “Come on, Sarge. I'm perfectly safe stuck behind a computer.” She tried to keep the resentment out of her tone, but wasn't quite successful.
“I'm not backing down on this, Lexi. This isn't your case anymore. It's Kaminski's. Get the girl's info to him, and we'll stake out her place. I assume she lives alone?”
Lexi let her head fall back against the seat, her shoulders slumping in resignation. “Yeah. I've known her all her life. She grew up a couple doors down from me. But she's been on her own for the past three years.”
“Another Harmony Grove resident. I'll tell Kaminski to include Alan on this.”
Oh, yeah, rub it in.
Alan would be hiding out, ready to spring, while she sat tucked away in the house, safe from harm.
“She asked me to stay with her.”
“No.”
“She begged me. I promised her I would.”
“I don't want you anywhere near there. I don't trust you to not jump in and get involved.”
“Come on, Sarge. She's scared to death. Let me stay with her.”
Silence stretched through the line while he thought. Finally he sighed. “Okay, Simmons. I'll allow it this time. But you stay inside with the girl. I don't want to hear of you taking any unnecessary chances.”
“Yes, sir.”
She would do as Tomlinson said. She would stay inside.
But if it came down to watching Jen being drugged with chloroform, ready to be dragged away and murdered, no way was she going to stand idly by, hoping that backup was just outside.
She would take the creep down.
* * *
Alan tried to wipe the rain from his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. It didn't help. There wasn't a square inch of dry cloth anywhere on his body. Although the rain had slowed to a light drizzle, he was cold, wet and miserable.
For the past two hours he had huddled under the overhang while wind gusts drove icy droplets into his face. Detectives Kaminski and Ford were also there, Ford on the opposite side of the house and Kaminski behind the hedge that ran the length of the front, broken by the porch.
And Lexi was inside. Dry and comfortable. The same place she had been for the past two nights. She was probably still mad at him. At least he assumed so. He hadn't actually talked to her. She had seemed bent on avoiding him all week.
He pushed himself away from the wall and walked out into the yard. The worst of the rain had passed, but heavy clouds obscured the night sky. A brilliant half-moon was up there somewhere. He had seen it the past two nights.
On those nights, Lexi had been inside, likely seething, furious at him for his part in having her removed from the case. Tonight she was probably gloating, figuring a little bit of discomfort served him right.
He pulled his soggy shirt away from his chest where it had molded itself. What he wouldn't give for a hot shower. Some dry clothes wouldn't be bad, either. It was going to be a long night.
A long,
unproductive
night, if it was anything like the previous two.
The killer showing up tonight was a long shot. If he didn't come out when the skies were clear and the air a balmy seventy degrees, he wasn't likely to show up on a miserable night like this. Which meant they would be right back out here tomorrow night. And the night after that and the night after that. They finally had a chance of catching this guy. They knew the “where.” And the “who” was Jen. But the “when” was anybody's guess.
With a sigh, he headed toward an oak tree that shaded a good portion of the front yard. That had been his hiding place before the downpour had chased him up against the house. The tree trunk was large enough to hide behind but offered him a clear view of Jen's front yard and the back and one side of the Carson place. The two houses shared a drive. It branched off toward the Carsons' garage, then continued all the way back to Jen's cottage.
Alan crossed his arms and leaned back against the trunk of the tree. The boredom was getting to him as much as the soggy clothes. Tomorrow he would consider downloading some MP3s. Good music and interesting podcasts would go a long way toward getting him through the night.
He sighed again, letting his gaze travel to the end of the street. A car turned onto Oakwood Lane and anticipation coursed through him. A dead-end road, Oakwood hadn't seen much activity since dark. None in the past hour.
The car came closer, passing under a streetlight. Definitely a Toyota Camry. The same Camry that had stopped Jen? They would find out momentarily.
Suddenly, the headlights went out.
Alan tensed, heart pounding in his chest. There was only one reason to cruise down the street with lights off. To avoid being seen. Even if the Camry driver wasn't the killer, he was up to no good.
The car continued to move at a crawl, barely visible in the distant glow of the streetlight. It passed in front of the Carson house, then disappeared from view. Alan held his breath and waited. Moments later, it reappeared and came to a slow stop at the end of the driveway. After several tense moments, the wheels turned hard to the right, and it resumed its forward movement, tires crunching against gravel as it rolled into the drive.