Look Behind You

by Iris Johansen

  “It’s a trap!” She stiffened, her gaze frantically trying to search the dimness. “Lynch, it’s—”

  Three quick footsteps from the darkness behind her and a cold blade snapped to her throat!

  “Very good.” The whisper in her ear was icy, and yet there was an element of mockery. “But then you’re always exceptionally good. I’m proud of you, Kendra.”

  The knife was pressed so close to her neck Kendra didn’t dare turn around. But she didn’t need to. “Hello, Zachary.” She moistened her lips. “Or should I still call you … Gina?”

  Lynch had raised his gun, but Gina Carson angled Kendra toward him. “Drop it,” she said. “Now.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “It needs to, if you want her to live.” Gina repositioned her knife. “I’ve seen your file, and I know what an impressive marksman you are, Mr. Lynch. Your scores were higher than mine or anyone else in the region.”

  “Then you know how fast I can drop you where you stand.”

  “Maybe, but you’ll notice that I’ve found Kendra’s left common carotid artery. I’ve already begun to apply pressure. Even if you manage to hit me, one flick of my wrist will make sure Kendra dies long before help arrives. Do either of you doubt me?”

  Neither answered.

  “Do you doubt me?” she repeated.

  “No,” Kendra whispered, flinching as her throat moved against the blade.

  “No,” Lynch finally replied.

  “Then put your gun onto the floor. Keep the barrel pointed away from me.”

  “Lynch…” Kendra said. “No.”

  He slowly put down the gun.

  “Now kick it into the next room. You can keep the flashlight. It might prove helpful.”

  Lynch kicked the gun and it slid into the darkness.

  “I do like cooperation. It will make your demise much more efficient,” Gina said. “But I’ve been waiting a long time for this, Kendra. I’m not going to be totally deprived of pleasure because I’m in a hurry. I’m curious, how did you know it was me?”

  “That’s not important right now, is it?”

  Gina applied pressure with her knife. She said softly, “Tell me.”

  Kendra’s gaze was on Lynch standing across the room. His hands were clenched into fists as he stared at that knife. For the first time since she’d known him, he looked helpless.

  “Need encouragement?” There was suddenly a trickle of blood running down Kendra’s neck as Gina’s knife pierced the skin. “I mean it, Kendra. I’m the one in control here.”

  And Lynch was stiffening, preparing to move.

  He mustn’t do that, Kendra thought frantically. “No one can doubt you think you’re in control,” she said jerkily. “Even if you’re not as clever as you think you are.”

  “I’m every bit as clever as I think I am,” she said mockingly. “I fooled you, didn’t I? The day we met you reeled off all those things about me. Except the one thing that really mattered. I just want to know how you managed to figure out I was the one who broke in here to rid myself of that fool Hagstrom.” She added, “Now, Kendra. I’m getting impatient.”

  And Kendra could tell that impatience was growing by the tightening of the muscles of Gina’s upper arms, the slight hoarseness of her voice. Play for time. Hope that Griffin would get here before that time ran out. “Have it your own way. There were a few things I noticed after I got in here. We’ve known that we were dealing with a right-handed killer with a preference for an underhanded stab. I saw the same thing on Hagstrom’s body. But between the door and this room, there were signs that the break-in was the work of an ambidextrous person. And you’re ambidextrous, Gina.”

  “What? You knew that?” Gina asked, annoyed. “And you’re saying I made a mistake? What signs?”

  “When we reached the kitchen door, dew hadn’t quite dried from your footprints on the concrete patio. The right shoe print was squarely in front of the door knob, pointed straight ahead. The knob had fresh scratches on the lock, a sign that you used your right hand to try and jigger it with a lockpick gun. But when that didn’t work, you used a small pry bar. But you pushed the handle down toward the door frame, as a left-handed person might, tearing up the door itself with the bar’s serrated edge.”

  “Kind of a stretch, isn’t it?” Gina asked defensively. “I didn’t really make a mistake. And I always go back and clean up after myself before I leave.”

  “It’s a probability game. And you didn’t get a chance to go back and cover your tracks this time, did you? And the more I saw, the more the odds came down on the side of the conclusions I’d drawn. Including what I saw on Hagstrom’s face.”

  “His face?”

  “He obviously struggled with you before you stabbed him. There’s bruising on both sides of his face and neck, but his right side took the brunt of your punches. You led with your left. I’m not sure if it means anything, but it’s interesting you favored your left hand for uses of brute force—prying the door, pummeling his face—and you favored your right for more intricate tasks like picking the lock and working him over with this knife. All of it pointed to the attacker being ambidextrous. But like you, I’m curious. As I said, the distribution of tasks is interesting.”

  “You’ll never know, will you?” Gina said defiantly.

  “I might not. Just as I didn’t realize that we were dealing with a killer who was ambidextrous. It’s nothing I picked up from any of the hundreds of crime scene photos we examined, but I definitely got it here. And when I got it, I knew it had to be you. It’s very rare. Less than one percent of humans are truly ambidextrous. But, as I said, I already had an idea that you were, Gina.”

  “Why? How? I’m damn careful, I don’t make a big deal of it.”

  “Because you know how rare it is, and the last thing you want is to stand out.”

  “How?” she repeated between set teeth. “I need to know. For next time.”

  She was already planning a new spiral of deaths, Kendra realized, chilled. The moment she and Lynch were dead, she’d be off to continue the carnage.

  “How?” Gina’s voice was suddenly low, gravelly, rough. “Do you think I won’t slice your throat, bitch? You might live a few more minutes if you do what I want.”

  Where the hell are you, Griffin?

  Keep stalling. Give her what she wants.

  “You didn’t need to make a big deal of it,” Kendra said. “I didn’t think that much about it. It was just interesting. But I noticed you write with your right hand, but shoot with your left.”

  “You’ve never seen me hold a gun.”

  “No, but your shoulder holster is on your right side, indicating that you draw with your left hand. You wear your belts upside down, like many lefties do, but your shoe laces are tied with the first loop formed on the left, like most righties would do it. Callouses on your hands show that you use them both about equally, but for different tasks.”

  Kendra became aware of a bead of perspiration running from her forehead onto her cheek. She wanted to wipe it away. For some absurd reason, it bothered her that Gina might think it was a tear.

  “Go on,” Gina said. “I’m enjoying this.”

  Kendra was beginning to see why that was true. Though it was probably a mixed pleasure for Gina. She hadn’t liked the idea that she wasn’t as perfect as she’d thought. But the more status Kendra gained in Gina’s eyes, the more pleasure she’d get from that final kill. She continued quickly, “I’d already started to suspect that Zachary worked for law enforcement, specifically our investigation. I actually have someone watching the dream team right now. That should amuse you. But there were inconsistencies and I kept feeling something was wrong. But here tonight, it all snapped into place.”

  “Don’t feel bad.” Gina’s smile was scornful. “You know how many people have spent years and years on these cases … I was really rooting for you.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “Oh, but I was.” She adj
usted her grip on the knife. “You’ve restored my faith, Kendra.”

  Lynch stepped toward her, and she responded by raising her arm.

  He stopped short. “There’s no way out of this, Gina.”

  “Sure there is. This has been a finale years in the making. Zachary has planned everything.”

  “You mean you planned everything,” Kendra said.

  Gina stiffened. “No, you mustn’t think I did it. He doesn’t like it.” She added quickly, “Don’t be stupid. I couldn’t do it.” For the first time, Kendra sensed anxiety from Gina. What was happening to her? She was beginning to perspire and her breathing became irregular. “You have to respect him,” she said, her voice quivering. “He punishes people who don’t respect him. He deserves the respect.”

  “Zachary?” Lynch’s eyes narrowed on her face. “Zachary deserves the respect?”

  What was going on here? Kendra thought in bewilderment. She was speaking as if Zachary was another person but all the signs were indicating otherwise. It was the first sign of weakness she had exhibited and Lynch had seen it, too.

  “Yes,” Gina said. Her hands shook and the blade vibrated against Kendra’s throat. Weird. The moment she had started speaking about Zachary, she had appeared to become weaker. “All the respect. I just do what he wants. I’m nothing compared to him.”

  But if Gina was displaying any weakness, then maybe they could use that weakness, Kendra thought desperately.

  “Where is he now?” Kendra asked. “Where is Zachary?”

  “He sees you. He sees what you’re trying to do. You’re only making him angry.”

  “Where is he?” Kendra repeated.

  “He sees and hears everything we’re saying. He’s here. He’s always here.”

  Kendra locked eyes with Lynch in total shock. Who could have known? Those few sentences had opened wide the door, and she had made the connection. He gave an imperceptible nod. He thought he understood and she was almost completely sure she did.

  She spoke in soft, comforting tones, almost as if she was talking to one of her clients. “Of course I respect Zachary. He’s the master. He’s fooled everyone.”

  Gina relaxed slightly. “Yes.”

  “That’s why I want to talk to him. No one’s ever beaten me before.”

  Kendra felt Gina shake her head. “Zachary only talks to me.”

  “And he’s talking to you now?”

  “Yes.”

  “What is he saying?”

  “You’re making him angry. He thinks you’re trying to fool him. He’s disappointed in you. He’s afraid he might have to do the kill before he wanted it to happen.”

  “And you also do what he tells you?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s how he does all the things he does? The people he hurts? You do it all for him?”

  “No. He does things I don’t find out about until later. I’m not there for those things. He says I’m not worthy to do them. But I do help him. I do.”

  “I’m sure you do whatever he wishes.” She had to be very careful to avoid any hint of antagonism in Gina. Kendra had never treated a client with what was commonly called split personality, but she knew the basics. She was almost sure that she was dealing with dissociative personality disorder. But it appeared that Zachary was the dominant personality and that meant to avoid him coming to the forefront it was best not to contradict Gina and threaten the constructs she had created.

  “You don’t have to do everything, Gina. We’re here to help you.”

  “Zachary knows you’re lying,” she said harshly.

  “I’m not.”

  Gina was trembling again. “He says you are. I told you bad things would happen if you disrespect him.”

  “So he is here.”

  “I told you, he’s always here.”

  “And you’re afraid of him.”

  “He wants me to be afraid. He says it’s a form of respect. He said if I don’t do as he says, he’ll send me away and never let me come back.”

  “You think he can do that?”

  “Of course he can do it. He’s been with me since I was eighteen and he’s been getting stronger and stronger.” Gina was becoming increasingly agitated. “I know you’re some kind of high-priced psychologist. You think you can fix people.” She said defiantly, “Well, we don’t need fixing.”

  “No. I only help people who want to be helped.”

  “Zachary doesn’t believe you. He knows what you want to do to us.”

  Police sirens wailed in the distance!

  Gina went rigid, her head lifting, her eyes widening in shock. “You did this. You brought them here.”

  “Let us help you,” Kendra said. “We’ll keep you and Zachary safe.”

  “You’re lying.” Her voice was suddenly lower, harsher.

  The sirens were closer.

  “Then this is where it all ends,” Gina said. “After all these years, it ends right here, with you and me, Kendra.”

  Kendra tensed as she noticed that Gina’s voice had now completely changed; her speech was now silky smooth and had dropped to a still lower, almost masculine, register. Was this now Zachary?

  Dear God, if Gina was gone, Zachary would strike!

  Lynch had obviously also noticed the change. He bent slightly at the knees, tensing, as if ready to pounce.

  Gina sounded genuinely regretful. “I’m sorry, Kendra. It’s not at all what I planned for you. There’s no more time. I have to get out of here. Just know you’ve lived up to my every hope.”

  “Wait! There’s still something we can—” She broke off as she could feel Gina’s muscles tightening, her grasp squeezing the knife …

  “No!” Lynch flew across the room like a panther springing into action! In a second he was almost there …

  But in the same instant, Gina grasped the hilt of the knife and hurled it toward him!

  The knife buried itself into Lynch’s upper chest and he collapsed in a heap onto the floor.

  No! No! No!

  Kendra didn’t know if she screamed the words or if they were just repeating over and over in her mind.

  She had to get to him.

  She struggled with all her strength, broke free, and tore across the room. She could hear Gina swearing behind her as she fell to her knees beside Lynch.

  He was alive, but in pain, his eyes open, struggling to breathe.

  “Lynch, hang on,” she said frantically. “Listen to me. Please. Stay.”

  “Waste of time.” Gina was reaching into her jacket. “He’s a dead man, Kendra. That was only a postponement. Admit it, you’re helpless.”

  Helpless. No weapons. And Gina was reaching for the gun in that holster.

  But Lynch was looking up at Kendra, he was trying to tell her something. His gaze left her face and then flicked to the knife protruding from his left pectoral muscle. He looked back at her.

  Was he actually suggesting—?

  He gave her an almost imperceptible nod.

  “I can’t do it,” she whispered. “I could kill you.”

  “Do … it,” he said hoarsely. It wasn’t just a suggestion, but a command.

  Behind her, she saw that Gina was pulling the gun from her holster.

  “Now!”

  In a blur, Kendra pulled the knife straight up from Lynch’s chest and whirled around. Then she was across the room, lifting the blade.

  She saw the shock on Gina’s face just milliseconds before plunging the knife into the woman’s stomach!

  But Kendra held onto the knife. She had to be sure. “No more.” She pulled it out and stabbed her again. “Never again.” The knife came down once more. And again. Then one more time.

  She stopped, breathing hard. “Look behind you, Zachary. All those people you butchered are waiting for you.”

  Gina’s limbs froze. The only indication that she was still alive came from her bulging eyes, mirroring every painful plunge of the blade.

  She finally fell back against the w
all and slid down to the floor in a sitting position. In this moment she looked totally masculine, totally Zachary. Her clothes were covered in blood. She looked at Kendra in shock, her lips twitching and blood spurting from her nose. “I … still win. Lynch…”

  “No, you won’t.” She was already running back across the room to Lynch. “He’s tougher than you ever dreamed of being. I won’t let him die. Believe me, Zachary. You lost big time.”

  It didn’t matter if Gina believed her or not. She didn’t matter any longer. Gina finally let out one last long breath, her face frozen in that look of pain and bewilderment.

  Zachary was dead.

  * * *

  ONLY LYNCH MATTERED AND for an instant as Kendra looked down at him, she was terrified that Zachary had actually won. She couldn’t tell if Lynch was still breathing.

  And there was so much blood.

  She fell to her knees and checked the pulse in his throat. Still beating. But he was unconscious and that blood kept flowing …

  Was that her fault? Had she damaged him irreparably when she’d pulled out that knife?

  She tore open his shirt and gasped as she saw the blood flowing out of the wound in his chest. She reached for her phone and pressed Griffin’s quick dial while she started pressure with her other hand.

  “What the hell is happening?” Griffin asked. “We’re on our way but I need—”

  “Shut up. I told you we were at Hagstrom’s. I just killed Zachary. But I need an ambulance and blood right away. I don’t know Lynch’s blood type, but if you can’t find out, make sure the EMT’s have plenty of universal.” Her voice was shaking. “I’m scared, Griffin. He’s lost so much blood.”

  “Lynch?”

  “You heard me. Stop asking questions. Get someone here for him.” She hung up the cell and immediately used her hand to apply more pressure. “They’re coming, Lynch. Don’t you dare die. I told Zachary how tough you were and you wouldn’t want to make me a liar. He said he’d win, and we can’t let him do that.”

  No answer. Of course there was no answer. He was hurt and in shock. That didn’t mean that he was dying. She wouldn’t let him die. “You hold on, Lynch. You wouldn’t let me die, would you? You’re too stubborn to ever let Zachary take anything—” Her voice broke and she had to take a second to steady it. “So you have to do the same for me. Everything’s going to be fine. You just do your part, okay? I think I hear the ambulance. Thank God. Griffin must have done something right…”