by Kira Chase
Frankie was thoughtful for a minute. “So no one would ever know. There wouldn't be a paper trail. That way the accomplice could convince Fellows that he deserved to take revenge on those who had put him away to rot in prison. I think this person is as dangerous or even more dangerous than Fellows. Someone who's festering an urge to kill. He or she, for whatever reason, wouldn't dare act on their impulses to commit murder alone, but instead played on Fellows' fragile mind, feeding him information day in and day out about how he'd been wronged by his victims. Hearing it repeatedly caused something to snap inside of him. And once Fellows snapped, the accomplice has his potential victims handed to him on a silver platter. They may both take part in the grisly murders for all we know.”
Kate's eyes narrowed as she turned to Frankie. “That theory makes more sense than you realize. He had no money or car. If he has an accomplice, it could be anyone. Most likely someone who would never be suspected. Someone who has lived a mediocre life with the thirst to kill, but not the guts…until Fellows came along.” She placed a hand on Frankie's shoulder. “We'll be posting someone outside of your home twenty-four hours a day until he's apprehended.”
“Kate, we have the best security system on the market. No one will get through without us knowing it.”
“No argument, Frankie. George's orders.” She smiled faintly. “Even without his orders, Arlan and I already knew what we had to do. No one gets through your gate without us knowing it.”
Johanna shook a finger at Frankie. “And you wanted to run next door by yourself for sandwiches.”
Frankie scrunched up her face. “I don't want to put a burden on the department with all the recent cuts. George doesn't have those kinds of resources to spare and what he does have needs to be spent on protecting the rest of the city.”
“Don't worry about it. The police are working with us on this one. The entire country is on alert. We have all the help we need at our disposal. If Fellows tries to enter Charlestown, we'll get him. We'll be watching every possible road leading in and out of Charlestown.”
“Then why do you need to post someone by my gate if he won't even be able to get into town?” She kept her eyes even with Kate's. “You forget who you're talking to. The police haven't been able to stop him so far.”
“Okay, we're just taking extra precautions just in case.” She put her hands on her hips and jutted her chin out. “You know, Frankie, I'd help protect you even if I wasn't asked to. You and Johanna befriended me when I first came here, and I consider you two my closest friends.”
Frankie's face softened and her tone mellowed. “Johanna and I feel the same about you, Kate. It's just been a hell of a day. I don't mean to take my frustrations out on you.”
“I know.” She smiled warmly. “George mentioned that you're meeting with the contractor for the addition on your house. I hate to ask you, but is there any way you could put those plans on hold? The last thing we need is people with access to your house at all times of the day.”
“I never thought of that, Kate. We'll definitely put our plans on hold.” Johanna looked at Frankie. “Okay?”
She nodded. “I agree. What about Will and Trey? They take care of our lawn. In fact, they're supposed to come over in a few days to check out the new section out back we want landscaped. Shouldn't they be told what's going on?”
“Arlan and I will have a talk with them. We'll ask them not to bring a crew with them when they come over.”
Frankie snapped her fingers. “I've got a better idea. Why don't you and Arlan come to dinner tomorrow night? I'll invite Will and Trey, too. We can explain everything to them then.” She lifted her shoulders. “Who knows, this could all be over by then.”
“I hope.” Kate lifted an eyebrow as she peered at Frankie. “Will you be making your famous lasagna, Frankie?”
Frankie smiled. “That can be arranged.”
“Good. I'll let Arlan know. From now on, though, you two stick together every minute of the day and night. Remember you'll have a shadow no matter where you go. But for now, I'll just browse around the strip mall in front of the office until you finish up here and then I'll follow you home.”
Chapter 8
Johanna drew a bubble bath and then lit some candles. “All ready, baby,” she called. She smiled when Frankie walked into their bathroom. “I want you to relax,” she said softly. “Empty your mind of everything.”
“I'd relax more if you'd join me,” Frankie suggested.
Johanna didn't respond, but instead slowly and sensuously unbuttoned Frankie's blouse before sliding it over Frankie's smooth strong shoulders. She loved the feel of Frankie's flesh. She ran her fingertips over those shoulders as she tried to block out the events of the day. She couldn't survive if anything happened to Frankie. But nothing would happen to her because she didn't intend to let Frankie out of her sight. She kissed the back of Frankie's neck as she undid her bra. She took her time massaging Frankie's firm breasts and lightly teased the nipples feeling them instantly harden under her fingertips.
Frankie swayed slightly and sighed. “Come join me in the bath.”
Johanna smiled as she tugged Frankie's pants down. After Frankie kicked them off, Johanna tugged at Frankie's panties and took her time sliding them down Frankie's long legs. She slowly brought herself back to her feet drawing Frankie close as she cupped Frankie's ass. “I just might,” she finally replied in a thick voice. “But you get in first.”
Johanna watched as Frankie stepped into the tub and then almost seemed to disappear into the bubbles. She undressed quickly and joined her. As she sank down into the warm water, Frankie's arms encircled her. She leaned back wishing she could think of something positive to say…anything to relieve the fears Frankie was desperately trying to suppress. But she couldn't. She was terrified, but she had to stay strong for Frankie no matter how difficult that may prove to be. Frankie had always been the strong one and Johanna had always willingly allowed herself to become lost in that strength, but now she had to step up to the plate. She closed her eyes and willed her mind to erase the events of today. She wanted to start this day over; go back to the beginning before George had asked them to come down to his office. No matter how hard she tried, her mind refused to let go of the day's events. They kept replaying over and over in her mind. Until Fellows was caught, they'd have no peace. Frankie would never be safe as long as that predator was out there.
She'd thought about suggesting to Frankie that maybe they should close the office temporarily, both take a leave of absence, but decided against it. Not only could they not afford to take such a financial risk, but also it wouldn't be fair to their clients who would need to find other private investigators. No, that wasn't an option. They'd worked too long and hard to build their client list and to get where they were today. Besides, Frankie would never agree to it. She'd never backed down from anyone in her life and, even though she was trying to put on a braver front than she obviously felt, Johanna knew that Frankie intended to stand up to Fellows and never let him see her fear. Even with the tight security system Frankie had installed years ago around their property, Johanna was still relieved that two officers were stationed outside their security gate. At least no one could get inside the gate especially without the pass code. Or could someone still get inside? Was there a way through the woods? It was fenced in, but still if someone was determined to get to the house would he take the trouble of traipsing through the woods to find that way? Only someone with an evil agenda would…yes, Fellows would. She shivered. The hair on the back of her neck stood up.
Frankie's unusual quietness was unnerving. What was she thinking? What was she planning? Johanna grabbed Frankie's hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?”
Frankie sighed. “I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it.” She let her breath out in a whoosh. “What's to prevent Fellows from going after my mother if he can't get to me?”
“George said the authorities in Bradford are on high al
ert. I doubt Fellows would go near there again.”
“Obviously he could slip in without being detected. Who would know…until it was too late?”
“Selma will be fine, honey. For all we know Fellows might have been caught by now,” Johanna said, even though she didn't believe it. Every normal house noise caused her to jump almost out of her skin. Fellows was destroying their peace of mind and all they could do was wait to see if he made a move towards Frankie. From the sounds of it, it had now changed to when. The waiting had her on edge. Where and when would he strike? Her body was exhausted, but she knew there wouldn't be much rest for either of them until Fellows was safely behind bars. But even then, could she rest? Maybe she would never feel safe again until the day he died.
Frankie breathed deeply. “I won't lie to you. I can't shake my uneasiness, Johanna. He'll do the exact opposite of what we expect. He's clever. I have to give him that.”
“He's not that clever. He'll slip up. His type always does.”
“I hope so,” Frankie murmured. “For all our sakes.”
They spent the next half hour in silence. Johanna watched the candles begin to burn down. She yearned to make love to Frankie and just take her away from this, take them both away from this, for just a little while. But making love was the furthest thing from Frankie's mind.
Johanna shifted. “Baby, why don't we get out of the bathtub? The water's cooled off and it's getting chilly.”
“I'm sorry I'm such a downer tonight. I really am, sweetie. I just can't think of anything but Fellows.”
“I just want you to relax, Frankie.” Johanna stepped out of the bathtub, then reached out and took Frankie's hand and helped her out.
Frankie's eyes filled with tears as she stood and faced Johanna. “I'm sorry, Johanna. You planned all of this for me and made it so special. You went to all this trouble and I—”
“Shhh. It's no trouble, sweetie,” Johanna whispered as she grabbed a towel and gently dried Frankie's back. “I only want you to relax.” She hung the towel on a towel rack, and then dried herself off. “Let's get a good night's sleep. It's been a long day.”
“I'm sorry.”
“Frankie, it's not your fault, sweetie, so please quit apologizing.” She placed a finger over Frankie's lips. “It's okay, baby. We'll get through this together like we've always gotten through everything.”
* * * *
Frankie lay in the king-sized bed staring up at the skylight. She reached for the remote, pressed a button to open the skylight and then set the remote back on the night side table. Not even one twinkling star in the black sky. It looked ominous and foreboding. Rain had been predicted, but so far nothing. At least the gentle pattering of rain might lull her to sleep. She needed sleep, but her mind wouldn't let her rest. Her body ached with exhaustion. What if she fell asleep and Fellows managed to somehow get into their home? She continued to stare at the sky and realized that the gloomy night, as she anxiously watched for the deluge of rain the forecaster had promised, matched the apprehension brewing inside of her. Fear of the unknown. She hadn't been able to shake it ever since Johanna and she had returned from the Sheriff's office this morning. A cold iciness had seeped deep inside of her, clutching her, and refused to release its grip. Was he watching her right now? Could he have somehow gotten through the security gate? Was he hiding somewhere waiting to make his move? With twenty, mostly wooded acres, it would be easy to hide. Even the normal nighttime house sounds set her nerves on edge. This wasn't going to end well. She felt it in her bones and she didn't know what she could do about it. It would happen…but when? Why the hell can't the police find him? How far could he go? She let out a weary sigh.
Johanna stirred then rolled to her side facing her. “What's the matter baby?” she asked in a sleepy voice.
“Nothing, go back to sleep,” Frankie replied softly as she gently ran her fingertips over Johanna's smooth cheek. “I'm fine. You get some rest.”
Johanna stared at her. “Have you gotten any sleep tonight?”
“Not much.”
Johanna sighed. “Talk to me.”
“There's nothing to talk about.”
Johanna trailed her fingers through Frankie's hair. “Spill it. In all the years I've known you, Frankie, I've never seen you this quiet. You've barely said two words since we've been home. This whole thing affects me, too, you know.”
“I'm okay, sweetie. It's just a lot to take in. And, yes, I do know that it affects you, too. That's what worries me the most. If he can't get to me then what's to stop him from getting to those I love?”
Johanna's eyes narrowed. “Frankie, I'm terrified. I've tried to hide it for your sake, but I can't any longer. We need to take extra precautions until Fellows is caught.” She swallowed hard. “We have to find out who could possibly be helping him. I don't care how ridiculous my theories may sound, but whatever theory crosses my mind, I'm going to run it by George. I'll start by asking him if the authorities in the town Fellows was living in before he ran has checked to see if any resident has suddenly left town. It may not be much, but it's worth a try.”
“No, your theories aren't ridiculous. I think we should talk to George about it. I know you're scared. I've been lying here trying to figure out who his accomplice could be.” She frowned. “From what we know, he had no visitors and no mail for thirty-five years. That's a long time to sit and think about how no one cares about you. It must have made him even more hardened and bitter. It was as though he'd never existed. He had no one at home waiting for him, no one concerned if he lived or died. But the minute he's released, someone pops up out of the blue to help him? Something doesn't fit. What are we missing?”
“A guard?” Johanna suggested. “It has to be someone who knew and saw him on a regular basis. Maybe a guard took pity on him. It happens. The guard sees him day in and day out and knows that he never receives a letter, call or visitor.”
Frankie's brows knitted together. “Good point. We'll run your theory by George. Or maybe run it by Kate and Arlan when they come for dinner tomorrow night.” She yawned. “We'd better try to get some sleep.” She gathered Johanna into her arms. “We'll get through this…together. I promise.”
* * * *
“I guess we're not going to get any rain after all,” Johanna remarked as she poured two cups of coffee and then brought them to the table.
“Too bad we have to go to work. I know you'd love nothing more than to spend the day getting the garden ready to plant your flowers.” Frankie smiled.
“You're right, but I have plenty of time for that. It's still too cold.” Johanna sat across from her and stirred some sugar and then some cream into her coffee. “It'll be at least another six weeks before I can plant them…maybe longer.”
Frankie lifted an eyebrow. “We don't have too much going on at the office, so why don't you stay here and I'll go to the office. Anyway, I need to finish the Rickey report. If anything comes up, I'll give you a call. I promise. I'll make sure Kate or someone sticks close by.”
Johanna's face clouded. “I don't think that's a good idea. I'd worry sick about you.” She placed her hands on the edge of the table and stared at Frankie. “Besides, you hate paper work. I don't know what you think you're going to do. Set yourself up as a decoy? No…I'm sticking to you like glue.” She passed the sugar to Frankie. “We agreed to stick together. Did you forget that you promised not only me, but George and Kate, too?” She shook her head in disgust. “Why do you have to be so damned stubborn?”
“I'm not being stubborn.” Frankie's lips drew tight. “Johanna, we're letting this destroy us. I thought long and hard about this last night. What if Fellows turns out to be one of those cases where he's never caught? The case could go cold. I can't keep looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life. We have to continue on with our lives. I'm not going to let Fellows do this to us. That's what he wants and I'll be damned if I'll give him power over me. I might as well not be living at all if that's what my life would turn i
nto.” Her eyes pleaded with Johanna. “Can't you see this from my prospective?”
“I know how you feel, baby, but we can't let our guard down. Not even for a minute.” Johanna's voice softened. “That's what he'll be looking for. We will get our lives back. He can't run forever.”
Frankie sipped her coffee. “You're right. I just want this over.” She set her cup down. “I'm frustrated. I'm pissed off. That bastard has no right to do this to any of us.”
Johanna stirred some more cream into her coffee, but kept silent as Frankie talked.
Frankie rubbed her temples. “I feel like I'm in the middle of a horrible nightmare and any minute I'm going to wake up.”
“Me too, baby.” She reached across the table and patted Frankie's hand. “Only this isn't a nightmare…it's our reality.”
“Why don't you run some checks on Fellows' family? Maybe you can find something that was missed. There has to be a clue somewhere.” She gave Johanna's hand a quick squeeze. “You have a knack when it comes to researching people.”
Johanna nodded. “While you're working on the report, I'll see what I can find. We also have an appointment with a new client this morning. Did you forget?”
Frankie swept a hand out to her side. “Yes, I completely forgot all about her.” She finished her coffee. “We should be able to get out of the office early this afternoon.”
“Just the new client, unless we have a walk-in.”
“We don't get too many of them anymore. Have you noticed when we first came here we'd get about five or six a week, now we're lucky if we get that many in six months?”
“I think people would rather call or email for information before they do the face to face interview.” She chuckled. “The walk-ins are usually the ones who want us to tail someone because they're in trouble.”
“Like the case awhile back with the two sisters. Turned out the husband was having the affair with his sister-in-law, but accusing his wife of having an affair.”
Johanna laughed. “That was one of our stranger cases.” She finished her coffee, and rose. “Will you have time to make your sauce or are you going to start it in the slow cooker before we leave for work?”
