The Defendant (33 page)

Chase chuckled. “You’re so full of shit, Beau.”

Beau laughed. “You love me for it, cuz. You know you do.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’d better get back to the hospital. I’m sure there’s someone that needs to be saved.”

“You’re right. That’s what I do. I save people’s lives. Some days I get it more right than others.”

“You’re a great doctor, Beau. Sydney Hospital’s lucky to have you.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s what everyone says. Didn’t you hear? I made employee of the month the other day. Got my face up on the wall of honor and everything.”

“As I said, you’re full of shit, Beau.”

Beau laughed again. “Say hello to your Josie for me.”

“Yes and give my regards to… What’s her name again?”

“Jennifer. We split up last week.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear it.”

“Don’t be. We’ve been drifting apart for a long while now. Heading in different directions. She started talking marriage and kids. All of a sudden, I felt like I was suffocating.”

“You haven’t found the right one; that’s all it is. When you do, running away will be the last thing on your mind. You won’t be able to get her down the aisle quick enough.”

“Speaking from experience, I take it?”

“Absolutely.” Chase’s voice rang with truth. He couldn’t wait to call Josie his wife.

“I’ll keep an eye out for the wedding invitation,” Beau joked.

“Watch your mailbox.”

* * *

Scott crept up onto the front porch. A floorboard creaked under his foot and he winced. Taking care to keep close to the shadows, he held his knife at the ready. Through the window, he saw a woman come out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cloth. She called to the boy on the couch.

Scott’s gaze traveled over the woman’s body, curvy in all the right places. Blood flowed to his cock. Within moments, his erection strained against his jeans. It had been far too long since he’d had a woman and this one was as fine a specimen as any. The light-colored blouse molded to her big tits and he could imagine them filling his hands. Her dark skirt skimmed her slender hips and ended just above her knees. Her calves were slim and shapely; her feet were bare.

All up, she was a very tidy package and he was going to enjoy her before they were finished. There was nothing surer. With the rope and duct tape firmly in his pocket, he reached for the screen door.

* * *

Josie tossed the towel she’d wiped her hands with, onto the kitchen counter and went out into the hall. She called out to Jason to wash up for dinner. Chase still hadn’t arrived, but he couldn’t be far away. His shift ended at six. She was sure he’d be there by the time she was ready to serve. Daniel still lay on his bed, now surrounded by the darkness. Josie sat down beside him.

“Are you okay?” she said quietly.

“Yeah. I’m okay.”

“Dinner’s nearly ready. Would you like something to eat?”

“Yes. Thanks, that sounds great.”

“I’ve invited Chase over, too. Are you all right with that?”

“Yes. He’s nice. I like him.”

“Good. I like him, too.” She offered Daniel a shy smile and was pleased when he returned it. In a lot of ways, he seemed way older than his nearly-thirteen years.

“How about you go and wash up? I’m going to put the steaks on.”

“Sure. I’ll come out in a minute and help.”

Josie flashed him another smile. “Take your time. There’s not much left to do. Come out when you’re ready.”

She left him and continued down the hall to her bedroom. Walking into her bathroom, she glanced at the toilet and remembered the plumber still hadn’t shown. She swallowed a sigh. It looked like she’d have to wait until tomorrow.

She picked up the brush that lay on the vanity and ran it through her hair. She’d left it long and loose and it hung in soft waves around her face. Opening the top drawer, she pulled out a lipstick and swiped a generous coat over her lips. With a spritz of perfume, she left the room.

A sound near the front door caught her attention and her heart skipped a beat. Chase had arrived. Or maybe the plumber? She would be happy to see either one of them. She hurried down the hall and opened the door.

An unfamiliar man, small and indistinct in the darkness, already had the screen door open. Josie frowned momentarily and then comprehension flooded through her. She smiled and extended her hand.

“Hi, you must be Pete the Plumber. Thanks for coming out so late. I must admit, I’d almost given up on you.”

The man appeared a little confused, but quickly recovered. A moment later, he stepped into the entryway. Josie closed the door behind him and wondered briefly where his tools were.
Perhaps he was coming in to diagnose the problem first?

The thought had no sooner formed when she felt something cold and hard and sharp at her neck. The plumber’s forearm came around her from behind and pinned her by the throat. Fear, acute and icy, raced through her veins and settled like concrete in her belly.

What the hell was happening?

She tried to cry out, but all that she could manage was a croak. Her windpipe was slowly being crushed beneath the strength and weight of his ropy forearm and it was all she could do to snatch enough breath to stay alive.

Her frantic thoughts flew to the boys and she prayed they would be spared. Another traumatic incident coming so soon after the two they’d already endured might be enough to tip them over the edge. Then she latched onto another thought:
Chase.
He was on his way out. He couldn’t be far away. All of a sudden she was torn between wanting him there and praying that something would keep him away, keep him safe.

If he stumbled onto the scene unawares, heaven knows what would ensue. He’d immediately go into cop mode, but whether the outcome would be good or bad, only God knew. She found herself silently, desperately praying that he’d arrive and all would be okay, but the fear in her belly eroded any confidence that her prayers would be answered.

The man pushed her roughly down the hall, past Daniel’s darkened room and into her own.

“One word and you’re dead. Got it?” the man growled low in her ear. The knife pressed more tightly against her skin until she wanted to cry out, but she bit her lip until she tasted blood and tried to focus on the pain. It would take her mind off what was surely to come. She could feel the man’s erection through his jeans. He was pressed up close behind her and there was no doubt about his intentions.

With the knife still held against the soft skin of her neck, he slowly eased his arm away from her throat until she could gasp and wheeze and suck in air.

“Not a word, you understand?”

Manhandling her over to the bed, he pushed her back, hard, and followed her down. The knife hovered in his hand, inches away from her face. He reached over her and with his free hand, switched on the nightstand lamp.

“I want to watch you while I fuck you. I want you to remember me in your dreams.”

She shuddered with fear and revulsion and swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat. While she fought the urge to vomit, all she could think of was Chase and keeping the boys safe. If she stayed quiet, maybe he’d leave right after he’d finished and the boys would never know what happened.

One-handed, he pushed up her skirt and tugged down her panties; his hands were rough with haste. She heard the snap of his jeans and the slide of his zipper and bit down once again on her lip.

She moaned softly in fear and pain and tears rolled down her cheeks. She tensed. Any moment he’d be inside her, violating her, making her worst nightmares a reality she could never escape.

* * *

Daniel heard a slight commotion at the front door and ducked out for a look. A lithe, well-built man held a knife to Josie’s throat. His muscles bulged beneath his cheap cotton shirt and he pressed his beard-roughened face against her ear. In an instant, visions of that night at his house, of his mother, struck him with an intensity that left him trembling with terror. It was happening all over again.

He spun on his heel and ducked back into his bedroom, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to leap right out of his chest. His thoughts were fast and panicked and he tried frantically to think of a plan. He had to do something to help her, but this time he had to think first.

She’d mentioned something about the detective coming over, but what if he got there too late? Daniel was already going to jail for one murder. What was another one, if it meant keeping Josie safe?

He looked around the room, his gaze glancing off the furniture. Along with the beds, there was a dresser in one corner and a closet on the far wall. He raced to it and tore open one of the doors and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

The hanging space was empty, as was the area below it. He blinked rapidly, becoming increasingly agitated and then he saw it. Standing in the shadows, deep in the closet was a baseball bat, perhaps left there by the previous occupants.

His mind skittered over the thought, but he didn’t have time to think. Right now, he needed a weapon and it was the closest thing he could find. He snatched it up and held it tight and crept back into the hall. The man had shoved Josie past Daniel’s bedroom. He could only guess she was in hers. It was the only thing that made sense. Apart from the main bathroom, it was the only other room at that end of the house. With silent steps and a pounding heart, he closed the distance between them and prayed he wasn’t too late.

* * *

Chase turned into Josie’s driveway and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of the Mustang. The front rooms of the cottage were lit up with soft lights that filled the windows with a warm yellow glow. He couldn’t believe how right it felt, coming home to her. Well, not exactly home, but he wasn’t going to quibble. Soon it would be home.
Their home.
Maybe not this cottage, but somewhere.

He climbed out of his vehicle and reached into the backseat for the bottle of wine he’d stowed there. He’d remembered her penchant for Prosecco from the last time, and had stopped at the liquor store on his way out of town. With anticipation in his heart and a smile on his lips, he jogged up the front steps that led onto the porch.

The screen door was open. He frowned and went to knock on the front door. It opened under his hand. He frowned again.

“Josie?” he called out and then spied Jason in the living room. He was asleep on the couch. The television droned in the background. Chase left the room and went into the kitchen. A freshly made salad sat on the counter, along with a tray of steaks. The table was set for four. Everything was ready. But where were Josie and Daniel?

More cautiously now, Chase returned to the hall and trod carefully toward the bedrooms. The first one he came to was the boys’. It was empty. His heart kicked up a gear and he told himself not to be stupid. They had to be in the house. It was dark outside.
Where else would they be?
Jason was asleep on the sofa. There was no reason to suspect anything was wrong.

Still, as he crept closer, toward Josie’s bedroom, his cop instincts hummed louder and he strained to hear anything out of the ordinary.
Nothing.
And then it hit him: It was the silence that was amiss. There should have been the murmur of conversation or the sound of the running shower. Something. Anything.

And then he heard it. A gasp and a cry and then someone yelling, “Stop!”

“Stop it! Stop it, or I swear I’ll kill you.”

It was Daniel and his voice was ragged with fear. Chase bolted down the hall and came to a halt outside Josie’s room. The door was closed. He put his ear to the panel, but could hear nothing over his racing heart. Reaching for his gun, he cursed under his breath when he came up empty.

Of course he was unarmed. He was off duty. He’d left his gun locked in the safe at work, like he always did. Forcibly calming his frantic thoughts, he tried to come up with a plan.

“Don’t come near me. I swear to God, I’ll knock your head clean off your shoulders.” It was Daniel’s voice again, but this time, Chase heard the answering murmur of a man. His blood ran cold at the implication, but he refused to ponder what might be happening behind the closed door.

Unarmed, he felt useless, but there no time for thoughts that were anything but helpful. He wasn’t going to waste another second searching for a weapon—and calling for back-up wasn’t an option. By the time he made the call and his colleagues arrived there, it could be too late. He had to go in and hope for the best. It was the only possible way. He drew in a deep breath and shoulder-barged his way into the room.

His heart stopped dead when he saw her, lying spreadeagled across the bed. A man leaned over her with a knife to her throat, his gaze darting between Chase and Daniel. Josie saw him and her eyes widened with relief. It was quickly replaced by fear. The knowledge that she was scared for him registered way down deep inside, but Chase refused to allow her concern to distract him from the deadly situation.

“
Police!
Put the knife down.”

The man stared back at him, his lip curled upwards with contempt. “I’m not finished yet.”

“Put the knife down now and step away from the bed.” Chase inched closer to Daniel, who seemed to be frozen to the spot. Chase noticed the baseball bat in the boy’s hand and tried to catch his attention. Right now, the bat was the best option Chase had.