More Than a Lawman

by Anna J. Stewart

  “Eight.” Eight lives. Eight souls. Turn eight on its side and it became infinity. Infinity... A killer like the Iceman would keep going unless he was stopped. Unless she stopped him. “Who were they?” She’d made them a promise. One she intended to keep.

  “We should know in the next day or so. In the meantime—”

  She shoved another bite into her mouth and jostled the railing. “In the meantime, I need to get out of here before—”

  “Too late. I’m here.” The sharp feminine voice shot through the doorway and preceded Simone Armstrong’s pristine white form into the room. The woman wore white as effortlessly as a bride and more elegantly than a queen.

  The bride she’d been for all of three months a few years back. A queen? It was probably on her list of things to do. Eden once considered submitting Simone’s photo to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary so they’d have a visual display of professional perfection.

  “You didn’t have to come down,” Eden mumbled as she picked at a loose thread on the blanket. They might be the same age, but at twenty-nine, Simone was most certainly the eldest. “Aren’t you getting ready for the Denton trial in a few weeks?”

  “Denton’s not going anywhere. He’s on ice.”

  Cole snickered. Eden glared at him and he shrugged. “Tell me that wasn’t a little funny.”

  Simone flicked a latch under Eden’s bed and lowered the bar before sitting beside her. Eden caught the familiar, comforting scent of Simone’s perfume. Some kind of flower. Eden didn’t do flowers.

  “Thank you for calling me, Cole.” Simone took hold of Eden’s hand and squeezed, and only then did Eden feel the fear trembling through her friend. Eden had scared her. Again. Not that Simone would ever admit to such a thing in public.

  “I wasn’t going to deal with her all on my own.” Cole’s grin didn’t quite reach his eyes. “You know the way she gets.”

  “She is getting that way right now.” Eden felt a puff of relief as Allie Hollister flitted into the room like the dark-haired pixie she was. “Finally. Someone reasonable. Allie, please tell them— What. Is. That?” Eden angled her eyes to the sad-looking one-eyed panda bear tucked under Allie’s arm.

  “Pathetic, isn’t he?” Allie walked over and plopped the bear on Eden’s lap. “Looks like he’s been kicked around a bit. Found him on the top shelf of the gift shop. Discounted by about a million percent and it still cost me ten bucks. He reminds me of someone I know. Can’t imagine who. I also stopped by your place and got you some clothes.” She dropped a plastic bag on the bedside table. “Ooooh, bagels. May I?” She snatched the sack and snagged the second one. “I missed breakfast. So, how was your night?” She fluttered her lashes innocently at Eden—as if she didn’t know.

  “Okay, okay. I get it. I was stupid. I even told myself that when I was hanging in that meat locker.”

  “Gah.” Allie’s mouth twisted as she dropped the bag. “Thanks so much for that image. At some point we’re going to have to discuss this annihilation wish you seem to have.”

  “Stop analyzing me, shrink.”

  “Criminal psychologist, please.” Allie held up her hand much like their fifth-grade teacher had when correcting a spelling error. “I worked hard for those degrees.”

  “Excuse me.” An unfamiliar voice accompanied the knock on the door frame. Eden lifted weary eyes to the cautious-looking blond man wearing dark green scrubs. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I need to draw some more blood before they remove your stent, Ms. St. Claire.” He held up a plastic-handled container one might carry cleaning supplies in. “It won’t take but a minute.”

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Eden squinted to read his badge as he drew closer. “Glen.”

  “Careful—she bites.” Allie grinned.

  “Shut up.” Eden shifted and focused on Cole. The expression on his face seemed odd, caught between concern and confusion. But the smile he gave her was pure Cole and took her breath away. Where would she be without him?

  “All done.” Glen gathered up his supplies.

  “That’s some touch you’ve got, Glen.” Simone patted Eden’s knee in comfort. “She barely flinched.”

  “Have a good day.” He gave them a quick wave on his way out.

  “So which one of you is going to fill us in on what happened?” Simone asked as she looked between Cole and Eden.

  “Didn’t you read the paper?” Cole asked.

  “I only read the paper if I’m featured,” Simone said with a sly smile. A lie. Simone never read the paper, not even Eden’s articles. “You finally did it, then, Eden. You’re solidly in some maniac’s crosshairs just like you’ve always wanted.”

  “No fair picking on the sick girl,” Eden said.

  “She must be desperate if she’s playing that card.” The other railing went down as Allie perched at the end of the bed and rested her hands on Eden’s feet.

  The monster inside Eden settled, curling up and falling into hibernation once more. She had her friends—her family—around her. She was safe. Even in a hospital, she was home when she was with them.

  “Do you remember anything?” Allie asked.

  “Creep got me in the parking lot at Monroe’s,” Eden explained and tried to clear the last of the cobwebs. “Thought I had time to get my Taser, but...”

  “Wait. You were at Monroe’s last night?” Cole’s entire body tensed, and he came toward her.

  “Of course. We had a meeting, remember?”

  “I thought you’d ditched me. Because of our fight.”

  “If I ditched you every time we fought we’d never see each other,” Eden teased him. “I got there right after seven. I was late, sure, but—”

  “Hang on.” Simone squeezed Eden’s hand and addressed Cole. “What aren’t you telling us, Detective?”

  Cole’s expression turned cold. “We found your car at your town house, Eden. Your purse and phone were inside. Your house keys were under the gargoyle.”

  Whatever fear she’d managed to push aside roared back. “But I live more than a half hour from Monroe’s.”

  “If you two didn’t meet up,” Allie said, and Eden saw the logic gears begin to turn, “how did you know she was missing, Cole? How did you know where to find her?”

  “I meant to ask you that last night,” Eden said, and for the first time she could remember, she dreaded Cole’s answer. The silent seconds that ticked by only increased her apprehension.

  “He contacted me. The Iceman,” Cole said, proving to Eden that no matter how bad things got, he would never lie to her. “He told me where to find you.”

  “The Iceman has your phone number?” Simone frowned for a flash only, as if remembering they caused wrinkles.

  “I thought it was Eden calling.” Cole locked his gaze on Eden’s. “He used your phone.”

  Only a fraction of a second passed before she made the next connection. “He knows where I live, then.” Not to mention what else he’d have gleaned from her phone. Served her right for not using a passcode.

  “So it would seem,” Cole said. “Which brings me back to that discussion we’re going to have. Now seems the right time. You’re going into protective custody, Eden. No arguments.”

  “No arguments needed because it isn’t going to happen.” Whatever fear she should have felt didn’t materialize. Not under the anger, not under the triumph circling inside her like an eagle finally diving for its prey. “Don’t you see? It’s personal now.”

  “Doesn’t get more personal than a serial killer having your address,” Allie said.

  “No, I mean he’s messing up. I’m getting to him.” The adrenaline inside her surged. “I’m not about to run and hide when he’s afraid. We’ve got him cornered.”

  “We do not have him cornered,” Cole said in too calm a voice. “We don’t have the first c
lue who he is. We don’t even know why he’s doing what he’s doing. And trust me, Eden, you’re either doing this my way or you’ll find yourself in the hands of the FBI under witness protection.”

  Eden balked. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Try me. Special Agent Anthony Simmons, our new FBI liaison, is more than anxious to help with the case. And talking to you is definitely on the top of his list of things to do. Give me a reason, Eden. One excuse, and I won’t hesitate to turn you over.”

  “You do that, Cole, I’ll never forgive you.” He knew how important her work was, how she lived and breathed finding every last killer she could in order to bring them to justice.

  “You’d be alive, though,” Cole said and pushed to his feet. “Guess which means more to me?” He kissed the top of her head. “I made a promise, Eden, to keep you safe. No matter what it takes.”

  “Hold on. No, Cole, please—” She grabbed for him as he moved away. “We can talk about this. What about—”

  “Eden, I’m wiped. I need a couple more hours’ sleep before I can even think about going to the station. I’ll be back later.”

  “To take me home, right?” Eden asked.

  “You can’t be serious,” Simone demanded before Cole could. “Eden, for heaven’s sake, a serial killer knows where you live. Cole? Tell her she can’t go back there.”

  “I’m not putting anyone else in his sights,” Eden mumbled around gnawing on her thumbnail. That she barely flinched probably told Cole he had his work cut out for him with her. Independence was one thing. Reckless disregard for her own life, she guessed, was another. Which meant she needed to find a compromise. “I’ll get the locks changed,” she offered. “I’ll look into an alarm system. Maybe I’ll get a dog.”

  As if she had time for a dog.

  “Don’t worry, Eden, I’ll take care of it.” Cole squeezed Simone’s shoulder, brushed his fingers over Allie’s and gave them a silent smile goodbye.

  “Take care of what?” Eden called after him. “What did he mean by that?” she asked.

  “If I had to bet?” Simone said with a hint of frustration in her voice. “It’s that somebody’s getting a bodyguard. Oh, snap out of it, Eden. There are worse things than being put under house arrest by Cole Delaney.” Her attempt to placate Eden didn’t work. If anything, the idea of spending extended time in close quarters with Cole only made Eden’s stomach do giant Olympic pool–sized belly flops.

  “He’s worried about you.” Allie reclaimed her bagel. “He has reason to be. I read your test results. Sedative aside, another few hours in that freezer, you’d be dead. As it was, you went in there with only two-thirds your normal blood supply. Not sure if that might help with the investigation or not.” She arched a brow.

  Eden rubbed her arms and shivered. “The Iceman took my blood? Why would he do that?”

  “The only person who can help you answer that just walked out the door.” Simone got to her feet and took Cole’s chair, crossed her legs and waggled her fingers at Allie. “Gimme. I’m hungry.”

  “That’s what happens when you live on pea shoots and sesame seeds.” Allie handed over the last half of her bagel as Eden stared ahead.

  “Uh-oh.” Simone nibbled on a raisin. “I know that look. Eden? What are you thinking? Do we need to buy Cole a flak jacket?”

  “He already has one. And I’m not thinking anything. Yet.” But she was starting to. Something between her and Cole had changed. They weren’t wholly off-kilter exactly, but she could sense a difference in their relationship, as if something had become lodged between them. Or maybe dislodged. One thing was for certain.

  It was time for her and Cole to come to an understanding.

  About a lot of things.

  Chapter 5

  “I don’t suppose you’re going to listen to what the doctor said and take it easy.” Later that afternoon, Cole shut the door to Eden’s town house off La Riviera Drive, but not before casting an accusatory glare at the silent gargoyle. The ugly thing was partially hidden by overflowing camellias and should have been protecting Eden’s home.

  “I don’t take it easy, Cole, remember?” She pulled off the sling her doctor had given her and tossed it onto one of the chairs.

  “Some things I don’t need reminding of.” He’d taken her at her word and had her locks replaced. A security system would take longer, but motion sensor lights would do in the meantime, which Jack had installed this afternoon. None of that meant Cole would be leaving her alone, but, for now, he knew how to pick—and plan—his battles. She wanted to stay in her house and play more games with this maniac? She’d be staying on Cole’s terms. And under his watch.

  Eden paused long enough to settle the sad stuffed panda from Allie behind the framed photos and keepsakes she had lined up on the narrow china cabinet. It was one of few pieces of furniture he recognized as having belonged to Eden’s parents. She brushed a reverent finger over the edge of the simple black frame depicting her mom and dad, another over the butterfly trinket box Simone had given to her on her sixteenth birthday. College graduation day for her, Simone and Allie. She hesitated a second longer over the photo of her brother.

  Cole looked away. That familiar moment of grief struck whenever he saw Logan St. Claire grinning at him. Even with the filthy face and too-long hair, surrounded by his comrades, eyes slightly tarnished by the reality of their time in Afghanistan, Cole could almost hear Logan’s laughter. Except Logan’s laughter—along with his friends’—had been silenced forever by a mortar attack.

  Cole missed his best friend; the boy he’d learned to ride a bike with, the teen he’d competed with for dates. The young man who had devoted his life to Eden after their parents’ deaths in the car crash that had nearly killed Eden, as well. Cole had found his own way to grieve, to get through, to move on. But Eden?

  Cole’s fists clenched as if he could fight her ghosts and his own. He knew Eden considered death her personal nemesis.

  The sound of a drawer being yanked open in the kitchen drew him through the living room that housed a meager DIY couch, a small flat-screen TV and an antique Tiffany-style lamp that looked oddly out of place. Half a dozen cardboard boxes sat wedged against walls, some opened, most with a thin layer of dust on top. Boxes that he knew for a fact hadn’t shifted an inch since she’d moved in.

  When he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he found Eden with her head in the freezer. “What are you doing?” He stepped forward and grabbed her arm to yank her back. “If this is some half-baked plan to try to remember what happened to you...” He trailed off, suitably silenced by the sight of the spoon in her mouth and the pint of ice cream in her hand. “Really?”

  She popped the spoon free, the irritation and defiance in her eyes an oddly attractive combination. “He almost made me hate ice cream.” Eden took another huge bite before she sucked in a breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Nobody makes me hate ice cream. Ah! Ice-cream headache!” She bounced on her toes and replaced the lid. Aiming her spoon at him like a gun, she then quickly dropped it into the dishwasher.

  Cole tossed his keys onto the counter and pushed her aside to open the fridge. “You need to eat.”

  “What I need is to get back to work.” Her gaze skittered toward the padlocked door in the small alcove. “Besides, you brought me a bagel at the hospital, remember?”

  “You ate half a bagel, and you need protein, preferably with some iron for all that blood you lost.” He bit his tongue and put his frustration into something productive. He dug around until he found eggs, spinach and a good-sized chunk of cheese. At least she hadn’t forgotten to shop for groceries. “You’re not working until tomorrow. Now sit.”

  “I’m not entirely sure I like you right now, Cole.” She surprised him by doing as he ordered and hopped onto one of the two stools on the other side of the breakfast bar. “I’m
supposed to be the bossy one, remember?”

  The fact she was still as pale as a hundred-year-old ghost no doubt meant she had the energy of a flea, but Cole wasn’t about to challenge her on that. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed her fighting spirit back, if for no other reason than to convince him she’d be ready for anything.

  Having a serial killer on her trail would be enough to keep him awake for the near future. He’d already spent most of the morning distracted by worrying about her. The fact that Simone had texted him almost as soon as he’d left the hospital to let him know she’d stay until he returned had eased his mind temporarily. Hip-hip hooray.

  “You’d best get used to it.” Cole shrugged out of his jacket and draped it over one of the kitchen chairs piled high with files and photos. “You’re stuck with me for the foreseeable future.”

  “Won’t that cut into your personal time?” Eden surprised him yet again by reaching for one of the bananas in the bowl, then snapped it open. “What’s the latest one’s name again? Tiffany? No, Tawny. Thelma?”

  “Thandie.” Cole cringed as he rolled up his sleeves. “And there hasn’t been any personal time for a few months.”

  “Huh.” Eden broke off a chunk of banana and swallowed it. “Maybe it would help if you didn’t live somewhere that required a life vest.”

  Cole cracked eggs into a bowl and heated up the only pan she owned. “Don’t go dissing my boat.” Refurbishing the 1960s gentleman’s river cruiser had kept him sane the last few years. “And that’s big talk from a woman who hasn’t unpacked in, what?” He stepped back from the counter and gestured at the boxes in the living room. “Just how long has it been since you moved in?”

  “Three years.” Eden shrugged. “I’ve had other things on my mind. Besides, I unpacked the essentials.”

  “So if I were to head upstairs to your bedroom, I wouldn’t find your clothes tossed over unopened boxes or piled up in the corner?”