“My God. Do you think he’ll come after us? If he’s that insane, and he blames me for all of this, I have to think that he’ll come back,” Helena said. “I don’t want the three of us always looking over our shoulders.”
“We’ll be fine. We’ve got plenty of protection, and they’ll find him. Trust me and the police, okay?”
Helena nodded, but was not convinced at all.
“By the way, I’ve also got some news on Collier.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” As Helena reached across Patrick for a pitcher of iced tea, she felt a buzz being so close to him.
“Don’t worry, they’ve dropped all of the charges against you. Tyler says that Collier is being investigated by Internal Affairs for the way he conducted this investigation. Looks like the detective had his own vendetta with you.”
“What?” Helena set her glass down on a rattan and glass side table.
“He had a daughter who’d sent some pictures to your modeling agency some years back. In fact, it must’ve been right after you first set up shop. She received a standard rejection letter in return. She was an unstable kid, dabbled in drugs, didn’t get along with her folks all that well, and had delusions of becoming a superstar. She’d sent her photo to all the local agencies as well as a few in New York. Yours just happened to be the last one to come back to her, and she couldn’t take it. She overdosed on pills with all of the rejection letters next to her, yours on top.”
“He blamed me for her suicide?”
“The industry, probably, but meeting you put a face on it for him, and since you were in so much trouble, he couldn’t help himself. I think in his mind he’d convinced himself you really were a monster who’d done all of those things. It probably relieved him of some of his own guilt.”
“I had no idea. I feel sorry for him. I didn’t think I’d ever be the one to say something like that about Collier, but I really do—losing a child, well—we
know
, because we almost lost one ourselves. There were moments when I thought we had.” She sighed, then took a long sip of her mango iced tea. Grasping the cold glass tightly in her hands she said, “You know I’m ready to get out of this business completely. It’s so harsh. I can’t even tell you how many of those letters go out, and yes, you become a bit jaded, so many young girls out there want to be models. I’m truly tired of leveling the gavel on them. Besides, the longevity of the career is so short, and if you don’t know how to invest or budget your money, you can’t win. When we get home, I want to sell the agency, put all my focus into rebuilding Shea House, and help women get their lives back instead of helping to break them down.”
“It’s a business, Lena. Like anything, it’s cutthroat.”
“Let’s say I’m tired of cutthroat.”
“Can’t blame you. And I’d also like to help you rebuild the center.”
“I think I’d like that.” She held her glass to his. “Cheers.” They clinked their glasses in a toast to these new possibilities.
That night they all watched a movie together, but Frankie fell asleep on the couch before it was over. Helena covered her up, not wanting to disturb her.
Patrick took Helena’s hand. “Let’s go for a swim.”
“What about Frankie?” She looked down at her sleeping daughter.
“She’s fine. We’re safe here.”
“Well, all right. Let me get my suit.”
“You don’t need one.” His smile was inviting as she reached for his hand.
“The hell I don’t. This place is surrounded by security guards. I don’t want to be their evening’s entertainment.”
“They can’t see through the bushes. Besides, they’re mostly down at the gate and on the perimeters.”
She gave him a dirty look and went into her room, coming out quickly, wearing a black bikini. She found him by the pool already wading in the velvety warm water.
“Come on, the water’s perfect.”
She dove into the swimming pool with its cascading waterfalls and rock formations built around it. He swam up to her and put a knee between her legs, lifting her up onto it. He kissed her on the neck. That unmistakable flutter of butterfly wings could be felt dead in the center of her stomach.
She kissed him back as the worries about men in dark suits patrolling the house disappeared. It had been years since they’d been in each other’s arms like this, and she was truly spellbound by him as they slowly found each other and made the present moment completely their own, in which anything was possible.
Their lovemaking continued outside the pool, into their bedroom, throughout the night becoming feverish and passionate, and then turning into something loving and sweet, as everyone and everything faded from their minds and they made up for all the years they’d lost. When they finally fell asleep, they were exhausted and oblivious to anything in the outside world.
It had all worked so well, except that “Daddy” was back in town. Richard hadn’t even had to get rid of the journalist broad, because that jerk-off FBI agent was shacking up with her at the Grand Wailea. Oh yeah, Richard had gotten the low down on the entire crew and knew exactly what that Claire Travers and Tyler Savoy were up to, though they had no clue he was right under their noses.
He’d read every American newspaper he could get his hands on while abroad, and was delighted to see that he’d become one famous son of a bitch. A smart one too, because Richard knew he was still outsmarting them at every step. They hadn’t caught him, had they?
Maybe he’d pay Ms. Travers and the Savoy freebie a visit, once he was done here. Get a room over at that Grand Wailea after he changed his identity once more. It was a real snazzy place. Mother would’ve liked it.
Richard took all of his equipment down to the docks where he loaded it onto a little speedboat. A few years back he’d taken scuba lessons, deciding that he really liked the ocean. He’d spent quite a lot of spare time in the water.
He blackened his face, strapped on scuba equipment and weapons, and climbed into the boat. Two hundred yards out, he jumped in and swam to shore. The house stood on the cliffs right above him. He looked at his watch—four a.m.
The place was dark, but he didn’t need to see; he’d studied this place for the past week, once he’d figured out where they’d gone. He’d known about the house in Maui because of Helena herself. She’d confided in him about the time she’d spent with Patrick there. Richard had taken the chance that Patrick still owned the place and had gone there. If he’d been wrong, it wouldn’t have been a loss really, considering he’d been having a lot of fun in the sun. Eventually he’d get to them. But as luck would have it, his genius of a mind had been correct. He could play these people like chess pieces.
Richard knew exactly where each of the guards was located and when they changed shifts. As he climbed the cliff face, he reached the ledge nearest the pool. Lucky for him, there was no fence on this part of the property. The ledge ended above a steep cliff and the water below.
He’d been waiting for this. He’d made his way from LA to New York, then Paris, and finally to Hawaii. He’d landed on the big island, then chartered a boat to bring him here to Maui. He’d bought a gun from a low-life haole up country. The man didn’t ask questions, and Richard certainly didn’t offer any information.
He didn’t want to go through the smaller airport, even though he looked completely different than he had in LA. Security was so tight these days that he was afraid that somehow he’d be spotted.
Richard crept around to the front gates. It would be necessary to be fast and sure. There would be no room for mistakes if he was to get this done and get away cleanly.
He spied one of the guards reading the paper. Too perfect. He approached his unsuspecting victim with the stealth of a cat; sneaking up behind him, he wrapped his large hands around the neck and squeezed it like a vice. His black belt in jiu jitsu definitely paid off. To feel the energy of life as it escaped the man’s body was rejuvenating. He’d never killed a man before. It was different than with women, good. In a way, it provided him with a more immediate rush, without the exhausting labor it took to go through his necessary rituals with the ladies. This was easy, fast, no challenge to it at all really.
Strangling the man, he couldn’t help envisioning his father, the man he’d thought to be his loving uncle. The man he’d loved and needed, but who’d in the end betrayed him. If he could’ve, Richard would’ve tortured
Uncle
James. He would’ve made him suffer terribly for all the pain he’d caused!
No time now to think of that. His prize was sleeping inside the house. Richard moved just as silently to the next guard’s location, covered the man’s mouth, and silenced him with a knife through the heart, twisted just so, to rupture an artery and allow his victim to bleed to death. Ah, the sounds a dying man makes—so satisfying.
Killing was pure ecstasy, and he enjoyed using a variety of methods. He went quickly to his next victim. The element of surprise was still on his side.
The last man, like the others, didn’t know what hit him, as Richard simply removed a small pistol from the waterproof fanny pack around his waist and, with perfect aim, shot the man in the back of the head. The silencer made a slight thud, as if someone had dropped a book on the ground.
Now it was time to get inside and really have some fun. He found and shut down the breakers for the electricity and cut the phone lines. Stupid not to have those dogs here in Maui. For Christ’s sakes, did they actually believe they were safe with a few bozos watching the place? Dogs would’ve been more trouble than the frigging FBI and their puppets. Idiots! Assholes! All of them, simply incompetent!
He opened the bamboo doors that led to the kitchen, and just like that, he was in! He heard a noise from the family room and stopped. Had he missed one of the security men?
As he peered into the family room, he was thrilled to see that the noise was coming from Francesca, waking up on the couch. Absolutely beautiful!
She stood and dragged herself towards the back of the house. He followed. She stopped halfway down the hall—she’d heard him. He had gotten too close to the wall and scraped against it. That was okay. He could actually hear her breathing become more rapid and smell the fear emanating from her. Glorious.
“Mom? Dad? Is that you?”
He grabbed her from behind, covering her mouth. “No, sweetie. It’s me. I’ve returned for you.”
She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but he was far too strong. Her movement only aroused him. How funny that he’d convincingly pulled off being gay for so long and done such a wonderful a job at it, when what really turned him on was the feel—and the smell—of a terrified female.
“Now, stop that! You know, this was how I did your step-mommy. I hated killing her. I kinda liked her. We had a lot in common. Such a shame.”
“Frankie? Honey?”
Not yet! It was the daddy man. Damn! He needed more time! Richard let her go. He would have to deal with the big guy first, and then he could do whatever he pleased with the women.
“Dad, it’s him! He’s in the house!” Frankie screamed as she ran into her father’s arms.
“Go get your mother! Get out of here!”
“No, Dad!”
“Go!”
Richard heard him try to switch on the lights. It was obvious Patrick couldn’t see him. “You fucking bastard, I’m gonna kill you!”
“Really? I think it’s the other way around.” Richard saw Patrick lunge for him, as his eyes had already adjusted to the dark. They both tumbled to the ground, but it was too late for Daddy Boy. Richard fired his gun when he saw him jump. Patrick struggled with him, fighting to save his family and himself, but it was to no avail, as Richard had wounded the man.
Patrick Kiley weakened, calling out for Frankie and Helena to get away before he collapsed. Richard knew Patrick wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” he taunted, heading for where he figured the bedrooms were. As he turned the corner of the hall, he heard something in the front of the house. He headed back that way, seeing both mother and daughter in the dawn’s light coming through the patio doors. Helena grabbed Frankie by the hand as they ran for the doors.
He sprinted towards them, firing his gun. “Uh, uh, uh, no, no ladies!”
He’d nearly clipped Helena in the shoulder. She tripped, but managed not to fall. Frankie kept running. Richard caught up with the weakened Helena and grabbed her around the neck. She was kicking and fighting as hard as she could.
“Never knew you were so feisty. All those mornings drinking lattes with you whining over this and that and having to listen to your dribble and pretend we were friends. No. More than that, I had to feign being your best friend. Fooled you, huh? Well the charade is over, Lovey. No more lattes for you, I’m afraid. It’s time to get serious. I want the two of you in here. Front and center, Francesca! Come join the party! Come out, come out, wherever you are, or I’ll have to blast one right between Mommy Dearest’s pretty eyes. Daddy can’t help you anymore, and we all know how helpful mommy has been in the past. So, please stop being stupid. Let’s make this easy for all of us.”
“Leave her alone,” Helena screamed.
“Shut up, bitch. I’m telling you, Francesca, if you don’t listen to me, I’ll hurt mommy real bad. I can hear you crying, Francesca. Don’t cry, Princess. She isn’t worth it. She’s mean, and she ruins lives. Look how she ruined Leeza’s, Brianne’s, yours, and most of all mine. Come out here. We can be so good together. We’ll get rid of Mommy Dearest, and you and I can live happily ever after. You’ll be the princess, and I’ll be your prince. Remember the story about Ligeia, Poe’s true love? You can be my Ligeia. It’ll be wonderful.”