Hide and Seek

by Burton, Mary

  “Bennett’s one of our own, and we’ll protect her in any way we can. Every man and woman here is prepared to stay on the scene until this guy is found.”

  “Did he write anything about himself in the journals?” Macy asked.

  “Surprisingly, no. But with all this collection, there have to be fingerprints and DNA linking Shaw or whomever is responsible.”

  Lights flashed from the other room, drawing Macy and Nevada into the space where Bennett had been held. The walls in the windowless room were padded with an extra barrier for soundproofing. There was a foul scent in the room, and the carpeting was stained in multiple places.

  “He’s got to be feeling out of control,” Holland said. “His world was turned upside down, and we have a direct link to every crime he’s committed.”

  “And that’s going to make him extremely dangerous,” Nevada said. “He’s got absolutely nothing to lose now.”

  Rage was too tame a word to describe what he was feeling. He coiled the red rope around his hands while he watched the images from the camera he’d mounted on the tree outside of his special house. They’d found it, Brooke, and all the journals he’d worked so hard to create over the years.

  He looked down at his hands. He’d cut off the blood supply, and the skin not only was pale but also tingled. If he kept this up much longer, he’d do some real damage.

  Macy Crow was not going to make him look like a fool. She’d destroyed what he had worked so hard to build, and she would pay dearly for it.

  The house she’d invaded had sentimental value to him. It was a safe place to hide when he needed it. It had been the place where he’d become a man for the first time. It had offered him sanctuary when the world just got too loud.

  And now it had been desecrated.

  He glanced at the revolver in his hand. Carefully, he opened the chamber and counted six bullets. It wasn’t his preferred method, but it was effective. “Macy, if you wanted me to come after you, then you shall get your wish.”

  By the time Macy and Nevada left the crime scene, it was nearly midnight. Instead of feeling fatigued, her body was still in high gear, but she knew that wouldn’t last forever.

  They drove to the Wyatt house, where a collection of county and state vehicles was parked. Their lights flashed, illuminating the darkness, and several neighbors had gathered outside their homes.

  Nevada strode up to Sullivan. “Any sign of Wyatt?”

  “No,” Sullivan said. “The house is empty.”

  “What about Tyler?” Macy asked.

  “I called his cell and he answered. He says he’s in Texas with family. He said his brother put him in a hired car and sent him down to Roanoke to catch a plane earlier today.”

  “When is the last time the boy was in contact with his brother?” Macy asked.

  “They haven’t spoken since Wyatt put him in the car.”

  “Did the boy say if his brother appeared off?” Macy asked.

  “Tyler said his brother was calm and cool like he always is. The kid has no idea what’s going on,” Sullivan said.

  “And Wyatt’s mother?” Nevada asked.

  “I left her a voicemail message. No call back.” Sullivan flipped through his notes. “I called his family dentist. He did have his front tooth repaired in July of 2004. He’d chipped it during a football practice, but he had it repaired within a week.”

  “So Ellis was right,” Macy said.

  “Appears so.”

  All the arrows pointed to Kevin. “But that doesn’t change the fact that Wyatt’s in the wind.”

  “We’ll find him,” Nevada said. “It’s a matter of time.”

  Thick clouds covered the sky, blocking out the stars and the moon. After they spoke to several other state officers, the two got back in Nevada’s car. The energy she’d felt less than a half hour ago was waning fast.

  “I’ve got to get a couple of hours’ sleep,” Macy said.

  Nevada backed out of the long drive until he reached the road, where he cut his wheels hard. “You can sleep at my place. I don’t want you in that motel room alone.”

  She laid her head against the headrest. Though she now suspected that Kevin was the primary offender, Bruce was involved in some capacity. “The whole point is for me to be alone so that Wyatt or Shaw will come for me.”

  “You’re not up to catching anyone tonight. We need to sleep, regroup, and figure out our plan of attack in the morning.”

  She saw the wisdom of Nevada’s logic. “But Wyatt and Shaw are out there and may have another woman.”

  “There’s a statewide BOLO out for either man’s arrest,” Nevada said.

  “Both are too smart to trip a BOLO.”

  “In the morning. I promise,” Nevada said.

  She relented and they drove to his house. By the time they arrived, the adrenaline had abated and she was more tired than she had realized. She struggled to hide her stiff gait as the pair approached the house.

  “Take a hot shower,” he said. “Want a drink?”

  “Beer.”

  “Corona, right?”

  “Good memory.”

  He locked the front door behind them, and she walked into his bedroom and turned on the hot water in the shower. As the steam began to rise in the stall, she stripped out of her clothes, laying them on the bed before stepping under the hot spray. She turned her back to the shower and leaned against the cool tile. The water’s heat felt wonderful and seeped into her aching bones.

  The door to the shower opened, and Nevada stepped in behind her, resting both hands on her hips. She straightened and leaned back until she felt his chest rub against her skin.

  He lathered his hands and began to rub the tense muscles along her lower back and right hip. A soft moan rumbled in her throat at the pure pleasure.

  “You’re an angel,” she said.

  “Not hardly.” He kept rubbing her back and hip.

  Finally, when she felt the tightness release and some of her stamina return, she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him. Her breasts rubbed against his chest as he leaned into the kiss.

  He cupped her buttocks with his hands and in one move lifted her and pressed her back against the tiled wall. Carefully, he eased into her, and she dropped her head back, savoring the sensation of having him inside her. She gripped his shoulders and tightened her legs around his waist, moaning softly as he pushed deeper into her.

  Neither of them spoke as they gave in to the sensations and let themselves just simply enjoy. When she tipped over the edge, he came inside her.

  For a moment, neither moved as the heat of the shower beat down on them. Finally, he kissed her softly on the lips and pulled out of her. He shut off the water and grabbed two towels from the rack.

  They dried off, and she reached for the beer he’d left on the counter. She took a long pull and, for the first time in a long time, felt like herself.

  She slid under the covers of his bed, savoring the soft sheets. She curled on her side, and he nestled behind her. “We only have a few hours to sleep,” she said.

  “I know. Let’s enjoy it.”

  Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.

  The sound woke Macy before dawn, and when she sat up, she had the sense that Cindy was close. She couldn’t logically explain the feeling, only that the girl was nearby.

  Macy looked toward Nevada’s spot, but discovered he was gone. She glanced at the clock and realized that she’d been asleep for two hours.

  She got out of bed, gathered her clothes, and slipped into the bathroom. When she emerged fifteen minutes later, she was dressed and following the scent of what smelled like freshly brewed coffee.

  She found Nevada in the kitchen, dressed in his customary jeans and sweater. She slid up to him and traced her hand slowly over his back. He relaxed into her touch as he poured her a cup of coffee into a travel mug, doctored it with milk and sugar, and handed it to her.

  She kissed him and accepted it. “Thank you.”
r />   “The mug is not a hint. You can stay as long as you like.”

  “I want to have a look at those journals,” she said. She searched around for her purse and, once she found it, dug her phone out. “Ah, I didn’t charge it.”

  He opened a drawer and handed her a charger. “A gift.”

  She plugged it into her phone and then the wall. There was no call from the hospital, but that would be her first stop anyway this morning. “I hope to hell Bennett is awake. I need to talk to her. And then I need to examine the journals. We need to figure out where both men are hiding.”

  He finished his coffee. “The sooner we get this guy, the easier I’ll sleep.”

  They arrived at the hospital thirty minutes later, and after Macy showed her badge at the front desk, they rode the elevator to the third floor and found the nurses’ station. She showed her badge again. “I’m here about Deputy Bennett. How’s she doing?”

  The nurse glanced at her computer screen. “She woke up about fifteen minutes ago and is asking for you, Agent Crow. Her throat is badly swollen and she can barely talk, so we’re watching her closely. But if she keeps progressing, she’ll be out of here in a day or two.”

  “Has her son seen her?” Macy asked.

  “He and his grandmother will be here shortly. We just wanted to make sure Deputy Bennett was stabilized before we allowed visitors. She has to remain calm.”

  Macy and Nevada entered Bennett’s room. The lights were dim in the small room. She lay in her bed, her dark hair splayed on her pillow. Her neck was ringed in bands of black-and-blue bruises. A half-full IV bag hung beside her bed and trailed down to her bruised arm. A heart monitor beeped.

  Macy’s skin still crawled whenever she entered a hospital. Jesus. While Nevada stood at the foot of the bed, she pulled up a chair. The deputy’s hands were scratched and the fingernails scuffed.

  “Brooke,” she said as she took her hand. When she didn’t respond, Macy said louder, “Deputy Bennett.”

  Bennett’s eyes snapped open, and she looked around wild eyed before she realized she was safe. With a wince, she sat up and spoke in a raspy whisper. “Agent Crow.”

  It was a hard thing to think you were completely in charge of your life and then have your feet swept out from under you. “We are kindred spirits now. I think we can be on a first-name basis,” Macy said.

  “Macy. I feel like I was kicked by a mule.”

  Macy removed her notepad and pen from her backpack and flipped to a clean sheet. “You’ve been through a lot.”

  Bennett swallowed and drew in a breath. “I’m starting to remember. Where’s Matt?”

  “He’s with your mother and Mr. Greene. They’ll be here soon.”

  Bennett nodded. “Thank God he’s safe.”

  “You know the drill, Brooke. I have some questions to ask.”

  Her lips flattened with grim determination. “Sure, don’t hold back.”

  “Did you see his face? Do you know who did this to you?”

  Bennett glanced toward Nevada, and then closed her eyes as she shook her head. “I didn’t see his face. I was so focused on staying alive.”

  “He never took his mask off?” Nevada asked.

  “No.” She paused and swallowed. “He likes the fear.”

  Macy picked up a cup from the side table and filled it with water from a pitcher. She grabbed a straw and placed it in the cup, holding it up to Bennett’s mouth.

  Bennett drank, but immediately cringed as the cool liquid skimmed over her bruised throat. She took a second sip and then nodded her thanks. “Did they get any DNA from under my fingernails?”

  “They were scraped and sent in for testing along with collected skin cells,” Macy said.

  She shook her head. “Macy, I thought he was going to kill me that second time. He was so angry. I’m not sure what set him off.”

  “I set him off.” Macy stared at the woman’s battered body, and the weight of her actions rested heavily on her. “I gave an impromptu news conference and called him out. I’m so sorry. I thought I could smoke him out and get him to come after me. But I almost got you killed.”

  “No, that was well played,” Bennett said. “It was a matter of time before he was going to kill me.”

  “Maybe I could have spared you more pain if I’d just been more patient.”

  “After he strangled me the first time, I was out for a while. When I woke up, I heard him outside my door, but he didn’t come into the room. I tried the doorknob and was shocked to discover it wasn’t locked any longer. He must have forgotten to lock it because he had a visitor. I heard two men arguing. One I know was Bruce Shaw, but I couldn’t identify the second man.”

  “The second voice wasn’t familiar to you?” She needed Bennett’s testimony to unfold without any prompting.

  “No. It was muffled and it was all I could do to stand. Then I heard a gunshot.”

  “Gunshot?” Macy asked.

  “Yes. I’m certain of that. Then I heard what sounded like a body being dragged. But I was more focused on getting to the woods.”

  “But you didn’t make it.”

  “No. He grabbed me from behind and dragged me back into the house.”

  “Did you see his face this time?”

  “No. He wore his mask.” She rubbed her breastbone. “And he was so enraged and he wanted me dead. You might have made him angry, but I also egged him on toward the end. I knew he was angry, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to die without telling him what I thought about him. I should have been thinking about Matt, but I wanted that monster to know I thought he was weak.”

  “But I set him off.”

  “Don’t play the blame game. There are no winners.”

  Macy laid her hand on Bennett’s. She shared an odd bond with the woman, who, like her, had nearly been murdered.

  Bennett gripped the sheets, pushed herself up a little, and tried to swing her legs over the side of the bed. “Don’t tell Matt about what happened to me.”

  “I’m not saying a word,” Macy said. “That’s for you if you want to discuss later.”

  “I took a cheek swab from my son,” Bennett said, almost in a whisper.

  “Matt told me. I also did the same. His DNA has been sent off for testing.”

  Tears glistened in Bennett’s eyes. “I did my best to forget about the rape. What little I remembered, I tried to block out.”

  “You lived and thrived.”

  She swallowed, winced, and turned her face toward Nevada. “If I had spoken up, maybe Tobi would be alive.”

  “A wise woman just told me the blame game has no winners.” Macy gripped Bennett’s fingers.

  “He can’t get away.” Bennett’s gaze was tired, but determined.

  “He won’t.”

  “Where did you find me?”

  “A property owned by Bruce Shaw,” Macy said.

  “Shaw gave me his DNA.”

  “We didn’t find it,” Macy said.

  “Mom!”

  They turned to see Matt and his grandmother standing in the door. The boy stood back for a moment, terrified at the sight of his mother’s bruised neck and face.

  “It’s okay, Matt.” Smiling, Bennett pushed the button on her bed, allowing her to sit up more. She held out her hands.

  Matt stepped toward her, hesitating as if he were still afraid to touch her. “Mom, what happened?”

  Bennett took his hand in hers and pulled him toward her. She wrapped her arms around him, and he relaxed against her, sobbing softly. “Just a few scrapes and bruises, baby.”

  The boy tightened his hug, causing Bennett to wince.

  Matt drew back. “Did I hurt you?”

  “Nope,” she said as she smoothed his hair out of his eyes. “It’s just what I needed.”

  He stood outside the back entrance to the hospital, a cigarette in hand. He had showered in a cheap motel room that only required cash and no identification and had changed into scrubs that he had stolen from the assi
sted living facility. Anyone who saw him now would think he was staff taking a smoke break. All he had to do was wait for the back entrance to open and slip inside.

  He knew Macy and Nevada were there with Brooke. It wouldn’t be easy to grab Macy, but he had the element of surprise. People let down their guards in hospitals, assuming with all the nurses and doctors that they were perfectly safe.

  The side door swung open, and he tossed down his cigarette and sauntered up to the door, holding it for a maintenance worker pushing out a trash can.

  “Thanks, man,” the worker said.

  “No problem.”

  Stepping inside, he let the door close behind him. He moved to the staircase, where there would be less risk.

  It had been less than twelve hours since they’d brought Bennett here, so she was likely still on the third floor. All he had to do was lure Macy near the stairwell or an empty room. He wasn’t interested in playing this time. This time, he had one simple goal.

  To kill Macy Crow.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Friday, November 22, 9:00 a.m.

  As Macy and Nevada walked toward the front doors of the hospital, she was anxious to leave. To be out in the fresh air and away from the buzz of fluorescent lights, the rattle of wheelchairs, and the hurt and sickness.

  Just as the automatic doors swung out and Nevada stepped through, Macy’s phone rang. She stopped and glanced at the unknown number. “Agent Macy Crow.”

  “This is Dr. Myers,” he said. “I’m one of Brooke Bennett’s doctors. She asked if she could speak to you alone for a moment.”

  “Alone?” Macy asked, glancing at Nevada. “She was with her son.”

  “He’s about to leave, and she would like to see you about something that she remembered.”

  “Sure, I’ll be right back in.” She glanced toward Nevada and smiled. “Let me see what this is about, and I’ll join you out front in a few minutes.”

  Nevada frowned. “What’s going on?”