The Isolated Widow (The Widow Taker Book 2)

by Kennedy Layne

  Still, the warmth of the porcelain was a welcome respite after having just made the short walk from the car into the station.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything else?” Deputy Chen asked, looking as if he was ready to get his day started. He kept glancing at the standard round black and white clock, which read about six after ten o’clock in the morning and almost one week since Linc had altered his profile. He then focused on the conference room. “It looks like they might be awhile.”

  They referred to Linc, Agent Malone, Sheriff Hopkins, Deputy Dwight and Evans, and none other than Olivia Harper. She appeared a bit shaken and quite pale, but that was to be expected considering that she was sitting inside a police station being questioned about her potential connection with a serial killer.

  Technically, the initial questioning had already taken place in the small interrogation room next to the sheriff’s office. That had started over two hours ago. They had eventually moved her to a group forum in the conference room and were going over options as to how they could best ferret out The Widow Taker.

  “I’m okay,” Quinn replied with a small smile, having taken a seat at one of the numerous nondescript desks in the bullpen. “Be safe out there, Deputy Chen.”

  “Always, ma’am. And please, call me Jonah.”

  Quinn had gotten used to the smell of burnt coffee mixed with waxed floors that was always in need of a fresh coat. She and Linc had come to the station for a few hours every weekday before their standard lunch date at the pub. Nothing astonishing had really happened in the two weeks since Linc had connected Olivia Harper to the serial killer, other than the profile being slightly more defined.

  That Olivia Harper had no clue who was using her as a source of information was to say the least. Linc had indicated that to Quinn during a small break after the initial interview once he’d had a chance to speak with Agent Malone upon their arrival. Maybe ten minutes had passed since then, and the minute hand on the clock was ticking by in slow motion.

  The Widow Taker had gone quiet since he’d mentioned finding another widow in need of peace, purposefully reminding her that he was monitoring his next victim. They were running out of time, which was why they had gone to the extreme measure of bringing in Olivia Harper and why she was currently sitting in the conference room.

  Agent Malone and Linc had at first wanted to surveil Oliva to determine who she was making regular contact with and who she reached out to on a daily basis. That had turned up next to nothing, and the few leads they had developed led nowhere. Now they were in emergency mode. They needed results before The Widow Taker struck again.

  The continuous ringing of phones was rather distracting, but Deputy Jordan was fielding calls near the front window. Joann was in her office, and two employees were manning the hotline in the smaller conference room. There were also a couple of deputies that she wasn’t well-acquainted with sitting at two desks in the corner. One was in plain clothes, and she was pretty sure that he was here to finish up some paperwork. He hadn’t come up for air in the last twenty-five minutes.

  Quinn glanced back at the conference room window to find that Linc’s attention was solely on her. She’d seen that grim expression before when he’d told her that Olivia had no idea who the unsub might be. It was also the same one he had on the day he proposed the ruse of them posing as a couple. It had been in reaction to the fact that she’d called The Widow Taker out on her podcast.

  Looking back, she realized that Linc was usually a very laid-back individual. That was saying something, given his line of work. Still, he was always composed and took time to analyze a situation before speaking. Whatever was being discussed inside the conference room wasn’t setting well with him. She was certain that he’d share it with her when they drove to the pub for lunch, though that was roughly two hours from now.

  They had established a regular lunch schedule to increase the chances of The Widow Taker possibly checking on them. As a result, a list of everyone who attended lunch at the pub during their daily routine was compiled and vetted each and every day.

  Neither one of them had broached the subject of his offer to be there for her when she decided to take that dreaded step toward a future that scared the shit out of her. She wasn’t even sure she had a foot in the shoe, though she had stopped by what one could call a shoe store. Even though it might seem like a convoluted metaphor, she was very aware of the forward motion it represented.

  She had actually paid a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Rockwell last Friday, and she’d come away from the visit with a heavy weight lifted from her shoulders. Her conversation with them hadn’t alleviated her the fear of losing someone else in her life, but she realized that closure had been given in a very unspoken manner. They had all tiptoed around the subject, but this time she’d allowed herself to pick up the subtle signs that had been there all along. They had known what had transpired between their sons, and they’d somehow learned to live with it.

  Still, what if Linc and what they shared were to fall away like Aaron?

  Like her best friend?

  Like her mother?

  Maybe things would be different if Linc had been an accountant with a desk job in a boring office. Granted, she hadn’t planned on falling for anyone, but she’d gone ahead and done so for someone who put his life on the line every single day. Just the thought of that step made her want to drown herself in a bottle or two of wine.

  It made her want to do something else even more outlandish.

  “Quinn, would you please join us?” Agent Malone asked after he’d cracked open the conference room door. Linc still appeared as if he was angry, and she could only surmise that she had a part in whatever step they’d decided to take in the case. She winced when her own subconscious took her back to that shoe she’d been avoiding for the last week. “We have something that we’d like to run by you.”

  Quinn stood, deciding to take the cup of mud with her. She wasn’t about to drink the stuff, but it kept her hands warm. She had a feeling she was going to need it. If this involved another visit to Aaron’s parents, she wasn’t sure that she could go through with whatever it was they were asking.

  By the time she’d entered the conference room, Linc had dragged one of the seats over by him. She set down her backpack next to his leather briefcase before she took the chair. They locked gazes, and she realized that this moment was the pinnacle.

  They’d come up with a plan, and it involved her.

  “Miss Harper, we appreciate your help with this,” Agent Malone stated as he remained standing. “Deputy Dwight will drive you to your home, where you’ll be able to collect a bag with enough belongings for a few days. He will then drive you to a safe location where you’ll remain under his watch and that of other federal agents until we’ve apprehended the suspect.”

  Olivia spared Quinn a glance that all but screamed her reluctance to take part in whatever design had been constructed to lure The Widow Taker out of hiding. She tucked a strand of her blond hair behind her ear as she stood on what must be trembling legs. She even let out a shaky breath that was quite audible before nodding her agreement.

  Agent Malone escorted both Deputy Dwight and Olivia out into the bullpen. Quinn didn’t care that the sheriff or Deputy Evans was still in the room. She needed to find out what Agent Malone was about to propose before she was blindsided. She turned and looked Linc square in the eye with a questioning expression.

  “We brought her in for official questioning, Quinn,” Linc answered before she could even ask her question. “We can’t keep that under wraps in a town like this, and it’s our responsibility to ensure her safety. If we had let her go, the entire town would have known she had a connection to the case. It goes without saying, but her temporary housing stays off the books for now.”

  Quinn thought over what Linc had shared with her on the drive to the station this morning. Deputy Evans had witnessed Olivia playing darts with Viola Chambers’ brother. She hadn’t lied to the sheriff about
not knowing one of the victims. She just hadn’t realized that even the remote connection was significant. The two had never met, but Olivia did know the brother through a group of friends at the pub.

  Bringing Olivia in for official questioning, where Agent Malone had most likely covered every single conversation that Olivia had regarding those victims, had been a very strategic play. He had openly displayed for everyone to see that the feds were well aware of her connection to The Widow Taker. The only reason he would do that was if he was confident in the next step of the investigation.

  “The original plan was to have Olivia play a part in the setup,” Sheriff Hopkins offered, joining in on the conversation as he got up from his chair and walked over to the portable coffee setup. As he poured himself a fresh cup, she realized it wasn’t as dark or thick as the stuff from the kitchen. She nodded her head when he held up the carafe. “We were going to have her go to the pub this evening and talk about how you and Linc were having issues. She was going to say how distraught you seemed when the two of you ran into one another at the café or some other neutral place, but Linc pointed out that the unsub would know too much about your routine. We also don’t know how closely he has been monitoring your movements or Olivia’s routine.”

  It took a moment for the sheriff’s words to register, but she agreed with the obstacles that particular plan would have in regard to the profile. The Widow Taker had even broken into her home, so it stood to reason he was very well aware of her daily schedule.

  “We’re not going with that plan,” Linc stated matter-of-factly, taking the now lukewarm mug from her hand so that she could replace it with actual coffee. He brushed his fingers over hers, almost as if to reassure her. “There were too many variables in that equation. We need something less volatile where we have some measure of control.”

  Linc apparently wasn’t comfortable with any of this. She could read that in his body language. Why was he going along with the scenario then?

  She also noted that Deputy Evans was sitting quietly at the small workstation that he’d set up for himself, turning every now and then in his chair in what seemed to be an unconscious movement. This didn’t set well with him, either.

  “Dwight will see to it that Miss Harper is safely transported into custody with one of the state detectives. They offered to help oversee her transportation to the FBI Protective Services (POC), so we’ll utilize their services to free up the additional manpower we’ll need to conduct our operation,” Agent Malone said as he reclaimed his seat on the other end of the table. He focused on her, getting straight to the point. “We’re asking you to use your podcast this afternoon to relay to the public that Olivia Harper was brought in for questioning. We’d like for you to reach out to Katie Sloane beforehand, so that she and the other local reporters can camp out in front of Miss Harper’s residence. You’ll hint on your podcast that Miss Harper might have—”

  “That won’t work,” Quinn interrupted, tightening her hold on the coffee mug. “Hinting, that is. It’s not my style.”

  Now that she understood the specifics, she grasped why Linc wasn’t completely onboard with the plan. There was no telling how The Widow Taker would react to being called out by law enforcement. One would think his overwhelming desire to eliminate a grave threat who could bring him down would be paramount, but what if it motivated him to do the opposite? What if they were missing some piece of key information, and the killer went into hiding?

  “Why not?” Agent Malone asked, seeming genuine in his inquiry. He was taking her seriously, which she could only attribute to Linc’s influence. Agent Malone hadn’t been her biggest fan since his arrival into town.

  “I would never say anything on air that I couldn’t confirm. The Widow Taker is well aware of that fact. I wouldn’t change my behavior midstream,” Quinn replied, sitting back in her chair so that she could gauge Linc’s reaction. He nodded his agreement that the unsub would see right through this new ruse they were constructing. She offered up another way. “I could claim that one of my sources confirmed there was a connection between the woman brought into the station today and The Widow Taker. Trust me, Olivia being brought in for questioning has already made the rounds of the gossip mill. It’s all anyone will be talking about, although you already knew that. It’s the reason you did it the first place—to force his hand. The Widow Taker would also reasonably assume my source is Linc, and that the FBI might be further along in identifying him.”

  “Is that going to be enough to draw him out?” Sheriff Hopkins asked, though it was a general question and not to anyone specific. “We’re ninety-five percent sure that the unsub was garnering information on the widows from Olivia Harper, but it’s the unknown percentage that has me worried.”

  “It’s out of our hands now.” Linc sighed in resignation, waving his hand in the direction of his laptop. “We’re not sure how the unsub is connected to Olivia, but I can guarantee that she’s already told some of her friends that she’s been speaking with the sheriff. Chaz, you talked to her twice last week. From what we’ve learned, she’s a pretty open book. What one might call a social butterfly.”

  “Linc, you said the profile suggested the unsub had already begun unraveling when he contemplated targeting Quinn.” Agent Malone tapped his pen against the palm of his other hand. “How certain are we that—”

  “Wait a second,” Quinn murmured, quickly setting her coffee on the table so that she could reach for her backpack. It didn’t take her long to unzip the front pocket and take out her cell phone. “Sheriff, what day did you first contact Olivia after Linc made the connection between her and The Widow Taker?”

  “Last Wednesday,” Sheriff Hopkins replied, curiosity lacing his tone. He wasn’t her biggest fan either, but he had a decent relationship with the press in general.

  “Good catch, Quinn.”

  Linc’s praise all but told Agent Malone what she’d discovered.

  “Son of a bitch. The unsub already knows that we’ve identified Olivia as a way to get to him, doesn’t he?” Agent Malone rubbed his jawline as he considered the ramifications of such a breakthrough. “Let’s talk this through, then. The unsub hasn’t sent Quinn a message since that day. He’s already spinning out of control, and his hand is being forced. He is either planning his endgame right this minute or he’ll stop for now and disappear.”

  “The unsub can’t stop mid-game. At least, not until the widow he has his sights on is at peace. He would see that as a betrayal of his sacred duty.” Linc sounded certain of his statement. He turned his chair a bit so that he could look at the whiteboard. “His last message to Quinn was regarding a widow he’d chosen as his next target. He’ll feel compelled to give her peace, but there’s a slim chance that Quinn’s podcast can refocus his attention on her.”

  “Goosebumps every damn time,” Deputy Evans muttered underneath his breath, giving Linc a sideways look. “I’ll go and coordinate things with the state police. We’ll get things ready to move in on Olivia Harper’s residence if the unsub tries to enter the house after nightfall.”

  “I don’t understand,” Quinn said, having gotten lost with the forced hand bit. She lowered her phone after confirming the time and date of the last message that she received from The Widow Taker. “We’re still going through with the podcast plan?”

  “I’ve got some calls to make,” Sheriff Hopkins said before Linc or Agent Malone could answer her. “I’ll leave you two to discuss specifics with Quinn.”

  Agent Malone drained what was left of his coffee before getting up from the table to replenish his mug. He apparently was settling in for a long day of preparations, of which she was a big part. Quinn hadn’t realized how hard she was gripping her phone until Linc rested his hand over hers.

  “We’ll go over what you’re going to say on the podcast as many times as you need to in order to come across sincerely,” Linc promised her before reaching for a file. “Okay, this is what we know so far…”

  The tightness i
n his chest wasn’t due to the rage that came over him occasionally, but instead fear. It was something he’d only ever experienced when he had been young and still fragile.

  Olivia had mentioned that the sheriff had questioned her about Tamara. His sweet Tamara. She was at peace now, and he’d been the one to give it to her. She had struggled so much to blend back in with society.

  No longer.

  She was at peace.

  The same went for Meghan Vance. How often had Olivia mentioned feeling sorry for the niece of the governor? Far too many, which was why he’d taken matters into his own hands and done what needed to be done.

  Now the police and the federal agents were questioning Olivia in a more official capacity. He’d heard about it when he stopped into the café this morning.

  What if she connected the pieces and realized that he was The Widow Taker?

  Would she thank him for his dedication to the residents of Winter Heights?

  Or would she misconstrue his motives?

  What if she said something to…

  No, he couldn’t think like that.

  Olivia didn’t know, and the police would soon realize that she couldn’t help them. He’d been very careful not to show his true nature to those closest to him. There was a chance they would shun him, and his job was too important for him to be sent away.

  He wouldn’t diverge from his plan.

  He’d made promises.

  He would release a beautiful widow from her prison of grief, and he would see to it that she received peace before he paused the role given to him by his higher power. This was his destiny, and it pained him that society couldn’t understand what he was trying to do for them.

  They would in due time.

  Quinn Simmons held the key to that impasse. It all depended on what color brush she used when painting his persona as The Widow Taker.

  He’d never experienced the combination of fear and rage together, and he wanted it to stop. He was having trouble getting his thoughts in order, and that wouldn’t do when he still had one last job to finish before things died down.