Obsession (23 page)

“Some of these were years ago.”

“I know.” Charlie looked up at her, a little ripple of panic finding its way into his voice. “But it’s important.”

Kendra’s eyebrows drew together. “Charlie, what’s wrong?”

“I just want to check something,” Charlie said, trying to keep his voice casual. “Just give me as much information as you can.”

“Okay.” Kendra picked up the pen. “But I may need to look on the internet.”

Charlie motioned at the chair on the other side of the desk. “Pull up a chair, and we’ll work on this.” He looked up at her, his eyes dark. “Together.”

He leaned back on the couch and watched the television camera zoom in on Kendra as she started down the red carpet. Even though he had watched this recording dozens of times, his heartbeat always quickened when she moved so gracefully toward where he had been waiting and watching.

Her smile was vibrant as she approached the camera, her sister in step beside her. He hit the pause button when Kendra turned to the crowd and waved. She had waved to him.

The mass of screaming fans had kept him hidden from the cameras, but that was okay with him. He hadn’t cared about being seen on television. He only cared about being seen by Kendra.

And she had seen him. After all, why else would she have waved? She knew that she was meant for him. She was just waiting to get to know him, the real him, even if she didn’t understand that yet.

He stood up and moved closer to the big-screen TV. He pressed a hand to the image of her cheek and let out a sigh. He was tired of waiting. Her next appearance was only a few hours away, and he would be there. He would be ready to take her away.

* * *

Kendra picked at her dinner, bits of conversations replaying in her head. She forced herself to eat a bite and realized that Charlie hadn’t said a word since the blessing was offered on the food. His silence spoke volumes, confirming her deepest fears, a reality beyond anything she could have ever imagined.

“My father was right, wasn’t he?”

“What do you mean?”

“My dad has been convinced for years that I’ve needed protection, that something would happen to me if I had my way and got rid of my bodyguards.” Kendra’s voice was surprisingly steady. She waited for Charlie to look up at her before continuing. “I’m the one the Malibu Stalker is really after, aren’t I?”

“There’s no way to be sure,” Charlie said unconvincingly.

Kendra nodded, and her lips pressed together as she fought back her emotions. “But it’s what you believe.”

“Yes, it’s what I believe.” Charlie let out a sigh. Then he reached across the table and took her hand in his. “The FBI has been trying to find a common link among these murders for years. I think you’re it.”

“So someone is out there killing women and imagining that he’s killing me?” She shook her head, wanting desperately to believe that Charlie’s suspicions weren’t true. Why would anyone want to kill her? There had to be some other explanation. “This could all be a coincidence. I’m sure there are other blondes at those same events, probably some who were at every one of them.”

“You’re right. You socialize in a very distinctive crowd, and we’ll certainly check that out.”

“So you might just be overreacting.”

“I hope so,” he said, but she could see in his expression that he didn’t think so.

She sighed. “Why are you so sure it’s me?”

“The explosion backstage at your concert was the first red flag.”

She sensed he was holding something back. She couldn’t stop herself from asking, “And?”

“The victims are always blonde and are always found wearing a blue evening gown,” Charlie said gently. “And there is always a red rose beside each of the bodies.”

“What?” Kendra swallowed hard, and her face paled.

“I’m certainly no expert on psychological profiling, but it does make sense. The stalker sees you at the various awards shows or formal events. He fantasizes about you but can’t get close—at least the way he wants to. Then he finds a substitute, someone he can pretend is you.”

“That’s sick.”

“Yes, it is.” Charlie let go of her hand and pressed his fingers against his forehead to ebb the headache building there. Then he glanced back at her with a look of concern and helplessness. “You have to understand that whoever this guy is, he probably looks and acts normal. You probably even know him, at least peripherally.”

Now a new sense of panic skated through her. “You think I
know
the stalker?”

Charlie nodded. “He might be a cameraman or a reporter. He could be someone who works with the company that caters these events or even a limo driver.” Charlie hesitated and seemed to gather his thoughts. “Whoever he is, he knows that you have adequate security, and now he’s trying to unravel you enough that he can slip past it.”

“And if you hadn’t found me in Pinewood, he might have.”

“Possibly.” Charlie shrugged. “Or you might have picked the one place where he didn’t know to look for you.”

She fell silent for several long minutes as she tried to sort out the jumble of information she had absorbed over the past few hours. Then she drew a deep breath. “One thing I don’t understand though. You said there was an explosion at Joslyn’s photo shoot shortly before she was killed. Why are we the only two that had that happen?”

“I think Joslyn was the test run.” Charlie’s voice was gentle, but he couldn’t manage to take away the edge of his words. “Joslyn was the only victim who had a bodyguard. She was also the most recent murder.”

An ugly sickness started in her stomach and spread quickly. “So she’s dead because of me.”

“No,” Charlie started as Kendra pushed away from the table. Before she could escape to her room, he stood and blocked her path. He grabbed both her arms, waiting for her to look up at him before continuing. “Joslyn and the others are dead because there’s a sick man out there who killed them. You didn’t do anything to cause this.”

“I’m just the woman who wore the blue evening gowns.”

“Pretty much.” Charlie let out a helpless sigh. Then he pulled her closer, and she let herself be drawn into the warmth of his embrace.

They stood there in silence for several minutes. Then Kendra shifted and looked up at him. “Is this ever going to end? Is the Malibu Stalker going to keep killing people?” She swallowed hard. “And is there any way this can end without me ending up like those other girls?”

“I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” Charlie said, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

She stared up at him as a turmoil of emotions bubbled inside her. The fear was still there, the overwhelming terror that the Malibu Stalker would find her and end her life in a horrifying fashion. Humming alongside that fear was the desire to believe Charlie, to let herself trust him to keep her safe.

Warmth spread through her as she remembered the blessing Charlie had given her when they were in Pinewood. She didn’t doubt that Charlie was one of the people the Lord had put in her life to help her overcome the challenges she was facing. Now, if she could only figure out how to have faith that everything was going to be okay.

Charlie stepped back, gently easing out of the embrace. “I know you feel stifled when you have a lot of security around, but you have to understand that you can’t be alone—ever—until we catch this guy.”

“Who’s to say the stalker won’t be able to get past my security?” Kendra asked, her doubts still lingering. “He got past Joslyn’s bodyguard. He even got past Dustin at my concert, and that’s not an easy thing to do.”

“Dustin?”

“Dustin Brady, my personal bodyguard,” Kendra elaborated. “Apparently someone hit him from behind while I was on stage.”

“Even the best bodyguards can have an off day.”

“Not Dustin. He’s a former marine. Special forces. He isn’t one to ever get caught off guard.” Kendra shook her head. “If he hadn’t been one of the best, my father never would have let me go down to only one bodyguard.”

“But if the person who knocked him out was allowed to be backstage, Dustin might not have recognized the threat,” Charlie pointed out. Something sparked in his eyes, an awareness that hadn’t been there moments before. “How tight is security at your concerts?”

“Tight,” Kendra said, cluing into his thought process. “Everyone has to have a backstage pass, and those are usually logged as they’re given out.”

“I’m sure the LAPD is already tracking down those leads then.”

“There is one downside. The passes don’t have photo IDs on them or anything. They can be handed off from one person to another without the log being altered.”

“Yeah, but the police will verify everyone who had a pass and figure out who didn’t use theirs and if they gave them away,” Charlie stated with certainty.

“Part of me wishes I could just hide out here indefinitely, that I didn’t have to show my face again in public.” Kendra moved over to the couch and plopped down. “Of course, I’m sure I would go stir crazy within a week. It’s only been a couple of days, but I’m already edgy.”

Charlie moved to sit beside her. “You know, you can always change your mind about the month deadline you gave us. We can try to arrange protection for longer.”

“I can’t do that. I’m supposed to be attending a benefit for St. Jude’s Research Hospital, and I’m one of the headliners.”

“You could cancel.”

She shook her head. “I feel bad enough that I won’t be at the Red Cross fundraiser tomorrow night. As tempting as it is, I can’t stop living my life indefinitely.”

Charlie tensed briefly, but then he nodded. “I need to go make a quick phone call, but what do you say we watch a movie together tonight? I saw some DVDs on the shelf by the TV.”

“Okay,” Kendra said as they both stood up. She surprised herself a bit when she asked, “So is this going to be our first date?”

Charlie rolled his eyes. “I think we passed our first date awhile ago.”

“Just checking.”

* * *

Elias hung up the phone and then dialed Neal’s extension. He wasn’t surprised that he answered, even though it was already six o’clock, or that Neal appeared in his doorway fewer than two minutes after being summoned.

“I just got a call from Charlie, and if he’s right, we might finally have found the break we’ve been looking for in this case.” Elias motioned to the chair opposite his desk and waited for Neal to lower himself into it before he continued. “Charlie is convinced that Kendra Blake is the person the Malibu Stalker is obsessed with.”

“We already suspected that could be the case.”

“I know, and he found some more information that seems to be pointing that way. He checked her schedule for the dates of all the murders. Without exception, each woman was killed shortly after Kendra made a public appearance.” Elias paused briefly before adding, “And in each case, Kendra wore a pale blue evening gown.”

Neal’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

“Not only that. Red roses are publicly known to be her favorite flower.” Elias sighed. “If Charlie’s right, Joslyn Korden was the practice run for what this guy would see as the grand finale.”

“Getting to Kendra.”

“Exactly.” Elias tapped the notepad on his desk where he had jotted down the information Charlie had given him. “Apparently, Kendra was supposed to attend a charity event this weekend in LA. She bowed out of that one, but she’s insistent on going through with a second one next month.”

“You want me to cross-check the guest lists for the two events?”

He nodded. “Not only those two events but also the other six events that corresponded with the murders. And not just the guest lists but all employees who worked the events too.”

“You got it.”

“Have Angie help you out, and make sure you coordinate with the LA office. They might already have some of the information we’re looking for. They can do some of the legwork for us.”

“I’ll get started on it tonight.”

“Don’t forget to go home and get some sleep at some point,” Elias reminded him. “With Kendra hidden away, we’ve hopefully bought ourselves some time.”

Neal nodded and then disappeared into the hallway.

Charlie walked into the kitchen on Sunday morning dressed in a dark suit. He had strapped on the shoulder holster he normally wore during working hours and was satisfied that his weapon wasn’t visible beneath his tailored suit jacket.

Kendra looked up from the table, where she was eating a bowl of cereal, and her eyebrows drew together. “Why are you all dressed up?”

“I wanted to go to church this morning.”

Her eyebrows lifted. “You’re going to leave me alone to go to church?”

“No, I’m taking you with me,” Charlie told her. “I thought we could both stand to get out of this house for a little while.”

“I thought I wasn’t allowed to leave the house.”

“Don’t worry,” Charlie assured her. “I have a plan.”

* * *

He watched her get out of the car and felt the fury simmer inside him. He pushed it back for the moment, forcing himself to be patient. She pushed her hair behind her shoulders, expertly tossing the blonde locks that framed her flawless skin. Then she turned to face the man beside her and flashed him a brilliant smile.

Rage, barely leashed, demanded action. His jaw clenched when the man beside her ran his hand over her bare arm. Seething, he watched as the young couple kissed and then turned toward the door. A surge of jealousy bubbled up inside him and threatened to boil over. How could she let him touch her? Didn’t she know what that did to him?

His jaw clenching, he waited until the couple disappeared through the door together. Something snapped inside him, and he shoved his car door open. His tentative hold on sanity still allowed him to plot, to consider his options, but it was time to act. Slowly, steadily, he moved forward, his weapon concealed in the back of his waistband and a single red rose in his hand. Kendra would never cheat on him again.

* * *

“I look ridiculous.” Kendra lifted her hand to the wig Charlie had insisted she wear.

“You look normal,” Charlie countered.

“This is normal?” Her eyebrows lifted skeptically. Her own blonde hair was tucked beneath the mousy brown wig. With her makeup played down, she definitely looked different, but the changes were anything but flattering.