Still Waters

by Debra Webb

  Mrs. McCorkle told her the name of the company, but it wasn’t the one Amber used. After half an hour, Amber learned that she and Kimberly had very little in common beyond their single-mindedness regarding their careers. As significant as that similarity was, their careers were so different Amber wasn’t sure how that had drawn a killer’s attention. The firm where Kimberly was employed was nowhere near Channel Six. Maybe they shared the same maintenance crew, or maybe Adler had made deliveries to both offices or to their homes. The architectural firm hadn’t been on the list, but maybe that was only because he’d delivered there fewer times.

  By ten thirty Amber realized the woman would have gladly stayed up all night talking about her daughter. She passed Mrs. McCorkle a business card. “This is my cell number. Call me anytime, day or night, if you think of anything you believe would be helpful.”

  Mrs. McCorkle saw them to the door. “I hope they catch him soon.”

  Amber squeezed her arm. “I’m certain they will.”

  When goodbyes were exchanged and the door closed behind them, Amber felt exhausted. The meeting had been far more emotional than she’d expected. She had conducted plenty of interviews with families who had lost loved ones, but somehow this time had been more difficult. Certainly it was more personal. Those people could have been her parents...

  Sean abruptly moved in front of her. She bumped into his back. His hand went under his jacket where she’d seen the weapon stationed at his hip. She peeked around one broad shoulder and spotted the trouble. A man stepped out of the shadows.

  Gerard Stevens.

  Irritation seared through Amber. “What do you want?” She stepped around Sean, but he stopped her with one strong hand before she could move toward Stevens.

  “So the rumors that Adler is connected to the McCorkle and Pettie murders are true,” Stevens stated with a satisfied smile.

  “You know this guy?” Sean asked, his fingers still biting into her arm.

  “She knows me,” Stevens mouthed off. “She knows me very well.”

  “Adler was stalking me,” Amber said, anger building faster than she would have liked. “I’m considering an exposé on women who’re murdered by obsessed men. You better watch out or you’ll end up in the story.”

  “I’ll nudge my contacts at the BPD and confirm for myself.”

  Sean was urging her toward the car.

  “You do that,” Amber tossed at the jerk before Sean ushered her into the car. Stevens had made far too many enemies at the BPD to have any reliable contacts left. He was bluffing. How the hell had she ever been attracted to the arrogant bastard?

  Sean echoed the question as he drove away from the McCorkle neighborhood. “You dated that guy?”

  “Once or twice.” More like six times. She closed her eyes and shuddered at the memory of the time they’d spent together. The moment Gina had found out, she’d told Amber that Stevens liked to bed all the new female competition, and then he bragged to his male peers.

  Gerard Stevens had been her one big career mistake. Cutting herself a little slack, she had been young and eager to make all the right contacts in the business. At the time Stevens had seemed like a great contact. Live and learn.

  “I guess pretty boys like him attract lots of women.”

  Amber considered the remark as they drove through the night. For such a handsome guy, Sean almost sounded envious. She wouldn’t tell him, but he was far better-looking and more charismatic than Stevens would ever be.

  “Trust me—his ego is sickening. What you see is definitely not what you get. As a date he’s a massive letdown.”

  “Ouch,” he teased. “Remind me never to let you down.”

  During the fifteen or so minutes it took to drive to her house, Amber weighed the few facts she knew. If Pettie had been a career-oriented woman, that could very well be the attraction the three of them shared. Still, the killer had to have come into contact with each of them somewhere. What places or people did they have in common? Mrs. McCorkle hadn’t been able to provide much in the way of places her daughter frequented. She had promised to talk to some of Kimberly’s friends and get back with Amber.

  Now if she could just get an appointment with the Petties tomorrow.

  Sean checked the street before allowing Amber out of the car. He ordered her to wait in the living room while he checked the rest of the house no matter that the security system had been armed. Honestly, she didn’t see how celebrities lived like this. She would lose her mind.

  “Clear,” he announced as he returned to the living room.

  “Great.” She needed to think. A cup of tea and some quiet time would hopefully go a long way in making her feel a little more in control of her life. “I’m having tea. You want anything?”

  “I’m good.” He peeled off his jacket and tossed it over the arm of the sofa.

  Yes, she mused, he was very good.

  “I have wine,” she offered as she lit the flame under the teakettle.

  “No drinking while on duty.” He reached up and plowed his fingers through his hair. “I’ll just take a quick shower while you have your tea.”

  She shifted her attention to preparing her tea and tried her very best to block the images of him naked beneath the hot spray of water. She was tired and confused and plenty worried. There was no other explanation for her sudden inability to think straight.

  While the water boiled she went to her closet and put her shoes away. She stripped off her clothes and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tee. It felt good to simply relax. She washed her face and dabbed on her nightly moisturizer. Her mother had taught Amber from an early age how important the nightly rituals were. Her father had been the one to insist she set and maintain a workout routine. Her parents were health nuts, and she was glad. So many of her friends struggled with finding the time to take care of themselves in their busy lives. The routines her parents had instilled had become part of her day, so she didn’t have to make time.

  The whistle of the kettle drew her back to the kitchen. She gave herself a pat on the back for only hesitating a mere second or two in front of the hall bath door. The sound of spraying water had ceased. She could imagine Sean in there toweling off that muscular body. She sighed. Maybe she just needed the relief of thinking about anything else besides her current fears. Or maybe it had been too long since she’d bothered with a personal life. So many of her colleagues had the same problem. There just wasn’t enough time to establish an upwardly mobile career and to have a life, as well. A few, like her, had abandoned the idea of marriage and children for the foreseeable future. Most, however, went the other way. She had no idea how people like Jess Burnett and Lori Wells juggled such demanding careers while raising children. Maybe it was time she asked.

  While her tea steeped, she prowled through the cupboards until she found a package of her favorite cheese straws. With her teacup and snack ready, she settled on the sofa with her notes. Sean wandered into the room, but she kept her attention on the notes. From the corner of her eye, she noticed he’d donned the same trousers and his shirt was only partly buttoned. She refused to look directly at him. She certainly didn’t need to see any part of that body uncovered.

  She sipped her tea and nibbled on the cheese straws. A short list of potential places where she and McCorkle may have run into each other was easy enough to make. A few boutique shops that catered to the professional woman. The dry cleaner. The municipal building. As an architect, McCorkle would likely be in and out checking property lines and zoning ordinances. Amber followed court cases. She spent a good deal of time at or around the city offices. Town hall meetings.

  The same possibilities were true of Pettie, as well. Since she had worked for a law firm, they may have been involved with the same case at some point. Amber didn’t recognize either woman beyond the reports she’d seen about their abduct
ions and the subsequent discovery of their bodies. But then, she was usually so focused on her assignment she often had tunnel vision.

  If she could get her hands on Adler’s credit card records, nailing down shops and restaurants he frequented would help tremendously. Corlew was working on the phone records. Maybe he could get the man’s credit card records, too.

  Amber blinked. Her cup found its way to the saucer hard enough that it was a miracle it didn’t crack the fine china. Her mouth felt numb. She set her notes aside and tried to stand. Her legs were rubbery. Saliva leaked from her mouth. She wiped it away. What the hell?

  “You okay?”

  Sean stood beside her. She hadn’t even realized he’d moved.

  “I don’t know. I feel...” She tapped her lips and tried to swallow all the excess saliva. She swayed, her shoulder bumping into his.

  “We’re going to the ER.”

  She stared at him. His words were not really making sense to her. “What?”

  “Are you drinking the tea from the can on the counter?”

  She nodded, or she thought she did.

  He sat her down in the nearest chair and disappeared. Her stomach roiled violently. “You’d better get a bag or a bucket.” God, her mouth felt so damned weird. Numb and yet burning.

  Sean’s arms were suddenly around her, supporting her. “Let’s go.”

  Before she could respond or catch her breath, she was in his car. How had they gotten there so fast?

  He handed her a plastic trash bag, and then the car started to move.

  Amber closed her eyes and fought the urge to vomit.

  “Don’t hold back.” His words floated through the darkness. “Try to get it up.”

  As if his suggestion somehow triggered a response in her belly, she hurled.

  “Good girl,” he praised.

  Funny. It didn’t feel good at all.

  Chapter Nine

  University of Alabama–Birmingham Hospital

  Wednesday, October 19, 3:15 a.m.

  Sean’s teeth felt ready to crack he’d clenched so long and hard. He’d only relaxed when Amber had stopped vomiting and started to get comfortable. Her mouth wasn’t numb or burning anymore, and she could stand, walk and communicate normally.

  “We believe whatever toxin you ingested has broken down in the digestive tract,” Dr. Chaconas explained. We’ve taken the necessary detox precautions and given you lots of fluids. Your vitals are good. I think we’re out of the woods.”

  “So I can go home now?” Amber asked, her voice still a little weak.

  Chaconas glanced at her chart. “I don’t see any reason to keep you.” He made a few notes on the chart. “Come back here immediately if you experience any more symptoms, and stay hydrated. Check in with your personal physician as soon as possible.”

  “Thank you.” Amber accepted the discharge papers.

  As soon as the doctor was out the door, Harper came back in. “Looks like you’re going home.”

  “Thank God,” Amber said.

  “I know you’ve been through a lot,” Harper began, “but we’re gonna need to go through your house again—top to bottom this time.” He glanced at Sean. “I believe it’s best if you stay somewhere else until we determine if there’re any other toxins in your home. We wouldn’t need more than a day or two and we should know within the next forty-eight hours what was in your tea. Is that doable?”

  “My parents are out of town. I could...” Amber began. She frowned as if attempting to decide what to say next.

  “She’ll be staying with me.”

  Sean was as startled by the announcement as Amber appeared to be. Harper looked from one to the other and gave a nod. “I think that’s a good idea,” he agreed.

  Amber drew in a big breath. “Whatever it takes.”

  “Good. We’ll be in touch with updates.”

  When Harper was gone Sean offered Amber a hand as she hopped off the exam table. She swayed a bit; he steadied her.

  “I, ah...” She moistened her lips. “I should probably call my sister.”

  Sean guided her into the corridor and toward the doors that would take them back to the lobby. “I believe I mentioned that when we first arrived.”

  “You’re going to say I told you so? After what I just went through?”

  He opened the passenger-side door. When she was settled in the seat, he passed her his cell. “You make the call—I’ll get you someplace safe.”

  Sean rounded the hood and slid behind the wheel. He told himself he was doing the right thing. She couldn’t go back home. She was his responsibility. It was his job to keep her safe. B&C Investigations didn’t have a safe house as of yet. There was no need to wake up Jess or Buddy at this hour. He’d made the right decision.

  Amber spoke quietly to her sister. Her sister wasn’t so calm. Sean could hear the concern in her voice as she demanded answers. Amber responded steadily. He had to hand it to the lady, she was a trouper. She’d puked her guts out and was weak as a kitten, but she’d hung in there. While she had been undergoing the barrage of tests, he’d called Harper and notified him of the turn of events.

  He was confident in his decision to take her home with him. Then why the hell was his gut in knots? Maybe because the last client he’d taken home with him had ended up dead.

  His palms started to sweat. His heart raced. Now that they were driving away from the safety of the hospital, Amber was calmer than he was and she was the one who’d been poisoned.

  Sean tightened his grip on the steering wheel. You’ve got this, man. Shake it off.

  “Well.” Amber passed his cell back to him. “That went over like a lead balloon.”

  “Yeah, big sisters like to be called during the crisis, not after.” Another one of those life lessons he’d learned the hard way.

  Sean braked for the traffic signal. The street lamp chased away the darkness between them. Despite the unpleasantness of the past few hours, a faint smile tilted her lips. “I see. You have an older sister?”

  “Five years older and fifty times smarter.” He laughed. “In her opinion, of course.”

  “Which is the only opinion that counts.”

  A smile tugged at his lips, and he relaxed a fraction. “Definitely.”

  The city was quiet at this hour. Back in high school he’d liked this time of the morning better than any other time of the day. The night was over, but it wasn’t quite daylight...a fresh start. Anything was possible.

  He had clung to that motto all the way up to the morning—about this time—when he’d made the biggest mistake of his life.

  Sean checked his mirrors once more to ensure he wasn’t being tailed, then he hit the remote to raise the overhead door of his garage. Once they were inside, he shut off the engine and closed the door. He hopped out and unlocked the door that led into the kitchen.

  Amber closed her door and leaned against the car. “I hope you have something I can borrow to sleep in.” She pulled at her tee. “This is a little gross.”

  “I’m pretty sure I can come up with something.”

  Sean flipped on the lights as he entered the house ahead of her. He didn’t have a security system like the one she had, but he had something even better.

  Rebel sat in the middle of the kitchen, staring expectantly at his master. The tan-and-white boxer turned his attention to Amber. Amber stalled.

  Sean patted his leg. “Come on over here, boy. He’s the friendliest dog you’ll ever meet.”

  “He’s big.”

  “He’s a teddy bear. Take a break, buddy.” Sean pointed to the back door. Rebel bounded to it and scooted out the doggy door. “Follow me,” he said to Amber, “and I’ll get you settled.”

  “Why didn’t he bark when he heard us coming?”
<
br />   “He knows the sound of my car.” He paused at the door to the spare bedroom. “Trust me—if anyone besides me had come into this house, Rebel would have taken him down.”

  “Who takes care of him when you’re not here?” She surveyed the room as she asked the question.

  His home was a classic bungalow, not nearly as large as hers, but with a decent-size yard for Rebel. It was on a quiet street in a nice neighborhood. “My sister. She helps with rescued dogs. That’s how I got Rebel. No one else wanted him since he’s kind of big and he’s a little past his prime.”

  “So you took him.” Amber smiled, the genuine article despite how lousy she no doubt still felt. “I would never have guessed you have such a soft side.”

  “Do me a favor, don’t tell anyone. It would wreck my image.”

  She held up a hand. “Your secret is safe with me. Besides, I’m expecting you to keep any and all descriptions of my projectile vomiting to yourself.”

  “No one will ever know,” he promised.

  “I could use a shower, the sooner the better, and something to sleep in.” She tugged at her tee again and made a face.

  “And bottled water,” he reminded her.

  She pressed a hand to her stomach. “Right.”

  Sean rounded up a couple of bottles of water, a toothbrush and a Crimson Tide T-shirt. Amber was already in the hall bath, frowning at her reflection.

  “I look like hell.”

  He placed the water and toothbrush on the counter and passed her the tee. “You look damned good considering. If you need anything else, just let me know. I’m at the end of the hall.”

  She touched his arm, stopping him. Even through the fabric of his shirt the contact sparked the desire already simmering in his veins.

  “Thanks, Sean. I’m really glad you were there to take care of me.”

  He nodded and headed for his room. He needed a shower, too. A long, cold one.