Hello Again

by Brenda Novak

“It’s happening,” she confirmed.

  “Great. We’re ninety percent there. I’ll go get Bishop and ship that bastard home.”

  “Will you be able to drive through the storm?”

  “I’ll do whatever I can to make sure of it.”

  Evelyn got out of her chair to catch him before he could leave. “Amarok?”

  “I’ll be careful.”

  He knew what she was about to say, that she was concerned. But that didn’t make it any easier to let him go. “Can’t someone else take him? Maybe Phil? Bishop knows … he knows I care about you. He caught on to that when you were in the interview room with us. And I can’t speak for Bishop. I don’t know him as well. But that would be enough to make Jasper kill you.”

  “I can’t trust Phil with someone like Bishop,” he said. “Phil’s a good guy but not especially … savvy. And I’ll be fine. Bishop’s excited. He thinks he’s won, that he’s going home to live his life however he wants—even if that includes destroying other people. I doubt he’d be stupid enough to try anything on me. Just don’t tell him that Beth won’t be waiting for him when he gets home. That could be a game changer.”

  “There’s no way he’d ever hear that from me,” she said.

  25

  Bishop liked to talk. And, as Amarok had predicted, he was in a good mood. He had Amarok stop at The Dinky Diner so that he could get some “decent” food before they left—not that he had much praise for the omelet he received. Then he chatted about how eager he was to get back to his work and how his associates at the college were going to feel so terrible that they’d ever doubted him. According to him, not one of them had offered him any support, not after news of those panties broke. “Now that they know I’m innocent, they should line up to offer me their sincerest apologies.”

  He seemed to enjoy imagining others as his supplicants, seemed to look forward to their attention and contrition. He talked about one woman, in particular—a fellow scientist at his lab—whom he seemed to admire a great deal. The repeated mention of her name made Amarok uncomfortable. He got the impression, if Bishop felt he could get away with it, she’d be next on his lobotomy list. Bishop reminded Amarok of Jeffrey Dahmer. Amarok had heard Evelyn say that Dahmer had tried to keep his victims with him as long as possible. She believed the lobotomy served the same purpose for Bishop—then the women he pursued couldn’t leave him like his mother had—and that made a lot of sense to Amarok.

  Amarok thought about that as he drove, but he said very little. When they came to a steep pass, which had been closed off because of the storm, he turned on his red and blue flashers, lowered his plow and continued on. But he could barely see for the blizzard raging around them, so he was surprised when he passed two different troopers, in separate trucks, and no one tried to stop him.

  After what seemed like an interminable period of pressing on in some of the worst weather they’d had so far this winter, during which he could go only ten or fifteen miles an hour, they finally reached somewhat of a lower elevation, but the roads were slick and it was still snowing heavily.

  “That was scary,” Bishop said when they could see Anchorage ahead of them. “Not that I ever doubted your ability. You really know how to drive.”

  Amorak glanced over at him. “I’ve seen plenty of bad weather in my day.”

  “Your day? What are you, twenty-five?”

  Bishop had to know Amarok was older than that, but Amarok didn’t correct him. He was being facetious.

  “What brought you to Alaska?” Bishop asked, breaking the silence yet again.

  “I was born here,” Amarok replied.

  “That doesn’t mean you have to stay. This place is so cold and … empty. Well, except for here in Anchorage. What’s the population in Alaska?”

  “Last I heard, about seven hundred thousand.”

  “And in Anchorage?”

  “Probably half that.”

  “What about Juneau? That’s the capital, right?”

  “Juneau’s about ten percent of the population of Anchorage.”

  “Anchorage is the largest city in Alaska?”

  Amarok nodded.

  “Three hundred fifty thousand people. That’s half the population in the whole state? Wow. Still not a lot. I don’t know how you stand it.”

  “It’s not always this cold. Even when it is, I happen to like it.”

  “Maybe if you were born here and didn’t know anything different,” Bishop mused, frowning as he stared out at the whirling snow. “But I can’t imagine someone who’s lived in warmer climes ever being able to adjust.”

  “People come from the Lower 48 all the time,” Amarok said.

  “To hunt or fish. Or take a cruise. They don’t move here, do they?”

  “Sometimes they do.”

  Bishop adjusted his seat belt. “I’d go crazy.”

  Considering he was already crazy, at least in Amarok’s estimation, Amarok didn’t comment.

  “I don’t see Evelyn liking Alaska,” he went on, keeping his jaw flapping.

  “Because…” Despite his earlier reserve, Amarok couldn’t refrain from responding to this. What the hell did Lyman Bishop know about Evelyn and what she might or might not like?

  “She’s not the type. She’s not … outdoorsy. I mean, after speaking with her as often as I have, I’d have to say she’s more of an intellectual, like me.”

  “You’re no authority on Evelyn,” Amarok ground out.

  A small smile curved Bishop’s lips. “I’m not pretending that. After all, you’re the one who’s sleeping with her at night.” He waited as if he hoped Amarok would confirm it, but when Amarok said nothing he went on, “You know her much better than I do. I’m just saying I’d go stir-crazy out here.”

  Amarok leveled a glare at him. “Fortunately, you’re leaving.”

  “Yes. Thank goodness for both of us. I’m betting Evelyn will leave someday, too. That’s my point.”

  “She’s got her work at the prison to keep her busy—and plenty of psychos there to study each day.”

  “You think I’m a psycho,” Bishop said.

  Amarok turned up the heater and didn’t comment.

  “You do. I can tell. Fine. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe you’ll believe I’m speaking as someone who should know when I say that Evelyn has no business dealing with the men she’s dealing with at Hanover House. You should hear how they talk about her.”

  This bastard was purposely trying to upset him, to elicit a reaction. “If you want to reach the airport, I’d shut up if I were you,” Amarok said.

  Bishop blinked several times. “What are you threatening me with? That you’ll dump me out here in the middle of nowhere and make me walk the rest of the way? Or worse?”

  Clenching his jaw, Amarok kept his attention riveted on the road.

  “You’d really do something like that?” Bishop pressed. “You’d risk losing your job?”

  Slamming on the brakes, Amarok purposely caused the truck to go into a long skid, making sure they came dangerously close to the guardrail, which was the only thing separating the thin ribbon of road they were traveling from the steep slope beyond.

  With a yelp, Bishop grabbed for the dash. “What are you doing?” he cried, nearly hyperventilating before they came to a stop. “Trying to kill us?”

  “Of course not. It’s just that you’re making it awfully difficult for me to concentrate on my driving. And you can see how slick it is out here. With weather like this, I’d keep my mouth shut if I were you.”

  His jaw sagged open as Amarok got back on the road. “I can’t believe you did that. We could’ve gone over the edge. I said you were a good driver, but that doesn’t mean you can control something as heavy as a truck,” he complained, but when Amarok sent him a look that indicated he’d do it again he shut up at last.

  * * *

  Evelyn didn’t go in to work that day. She called to tell Penny to cancel her appointments and let the other doctors know she’d be at
home if they needed her. Then she crashed on the couch for several hours. She probably should’ve gone to bed. She could’ve rested better. But she couldn’t stand the thought of being unaware of what was going on for a long stretch. She wanted to be sure the phone would wake her if Amarok or anyone else called.

  Amarok did call but later than she’d expected, after she’d already awakened, checked her e-mail, returned her messages and started making beef stew for dinner. But at least, when she did hear from him, he was able to confirm that he’d gotten through to Anchorage and Bishop was off.

  “I watched him go through Security myself,” he said.

  “The planes aren’t grounded?”

  “The storm was letting up by the time we got to the airport. There were some delayed flights, but his was somehow on schedule.”

  “Good. Except he should be behind bars—not flying home,” she grumbled.

  “Boston PD has his kidnap kit. That should lead to the truth. Have you heard anything about Beth?”

  “Just hung up with Louise. They’ve found a facility that can take her, which is great news. Louise is at her house now, helping her pack.”

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “Not yet. I asked, but she was too flustered to come to the phone. Everything is happening so fast. I’ll call her once she’s settled in her new place, try to help her remain calm. Are you on your way home?”

  “Not yet. The road isn’t open, and now that I don’t have something as compelling as a serial killer in my truck I should respect that. I don’t mind hanging at my dad’s until the bulk of the storm has passed.”

  “You won’t be there overnight—”

  “Hopefully not. I’ll check the roads again in a few hours. Any more news out of Boston?”

  “You mean from my parents?”

  “And your sister.”

  “They’re holding tight. Fortunately, there haven’t been any more killings. But I did find a panicked message from Fitzpatrick when I listened to my voice mail a few minutes ago. He claims the police are trying to pin Mandy’s and Charlotte’s murders on him instead of going after Jasper.”

  “We knew he was a suspect. Does this mean they’ve found more evidence? Something solid?”

  “He didn’t say. I called Detective Dressler, but he wasn’t in, so I decided to make you some beef stew while I waited.”

  “My favorite.”

  She smiled at the softness in his voice, knew that softness was reserved only for her. “I know what you like.”

  “You know exactly what I like,” he agreed. “But does that mean you have something special to tell me?”

  She set the spoon she’d been using to sample the beef stew on the counter. “Like…”

  “We’ve been making love without birth control ever since the motel, and you haven’t had a period.”

  “My periods are never regular. I can go months without one.”

  “I know that. But this time, I’m wondering if a baby’s the reason.”

  “That’s why you’ve been so worried when I don’t get enough sleep?”

  “After how Jasper abused your body, it might be hard for you to carry a baby. You need to be kinder to yourself.”

  Since she wasn’t sure she could get pregnant in the first place, she’d pushed the possibility to the back of her mind. She only knew that being open to having a baby with Amarok added a whole new dimension to their sex lives. She’d begun to initiate intimacy more often—and to enjoy it without any reservation. She supposed it was faith and trust that made the difference, and that was generated by the fact that he was so committed. “How would I find out? I’m not about to walk into Quigley’s and ask for a pregnancy test.” She chuckled as she thought of how quickly word of that would circulate around town.…

  “I could pick one up while I’m here.”

  She touched her stomach, wondering if something significant had changed.

  “Evelyn? Should I do that?”

  “Sure.” She let her breath seep out slowly. “That’s a good idea. But will you be disappointed if the answer’s no?”

  “Not disappointed, exactly. It’s nothing to stress about. We’ll just … take our time. If it happens, it happens.”

  “I never dreamed I’d have a baby,” she admitted. “Not after Jasper. I’m almost afraid … I don’t know, that it’s too much to hope for.”

  “Your doctors told you it might be possible.”

  “‘Might’ being the operative word.”

  “If you can’t get pregnant, we’ll figure out something else.”

  “Are you talking adoption?”

  “Nothing’s off the table at this point.”

  A sense of excitement she’d never experienced before swept through her. He made it all sound so easy, so possible—and that they’d deal with it if it wasn’t. That created the exact sense of safety and security she needed. If she went back to Boston, would she ever be able to find someone she loved as much? “I’m glad I met you,” she said. “You’ve changed everything.”

  There was a slight pause. Then he said, “Good. Then maybe you’ll never want to leave.”

  * * *

  Damn, it was cold in Anchorage! That was Jasper’s first thought as he walked out of the Anchorage airport, but he was sort of grateful for the extremely low temperatures. The fact that Alaska wasn’t the best place to visit during the winter had to have helped him land the job at Hanover House. No doubt they’d lost several COs—men and possibly women, who’d come to Alaska eager to work at the new facility only to give up and go home once they realized how miserable living in such an extreme climate could be. And he couldn’t imagine there were a lot of people vying to fill those spots, not at this time of year. Even if there were, they probably didn’t have previous corrections experience, like he did. That had created the perfect opportunity for him, made getting a job at Hanover House almost too easy, which was why he’d gone that direction in the first place.

  He was supposed to pick up his uniforms and attend a four-hour orientation at the prison tomorrow afternoon and could hardly wait. He kept daydreaming of passing Evelyn in the halls. He’d have to be very careful, wouldn’t even be able to look at her, not at first. He had to become a familiar face at the prison, gain some trust as one of the “good guys,” before he could risk so much as saying hello.

  But just knowing she was close would provide a measure of excitement. Time would take care of the rest. He needed a couple of months to build out his basement, anyway. Creating the ideal place to keep her, somewhere she could never get away, would take weeks. Meanwhile, he’d kill Amarok, as he’d been longing to do.…

  Jasper cranked the heat a little higher. No, he couldn’t kill Amarok. Not right away. That would put everyone in Hilltop on guard, start a big investigation and cause everyone to look at everyone else with suspicion and fear. He needed to be sure that Evelyn wasn’t alarmed. He needed for her to continue to live with the false sense of security she no doubt felt as she went home to her cop lover every night.

  So he’d wait, for now, and nab her once he had a place to put her where he could punish her indefinitely, toy with her for months—knowing all the while that Amarok was going crazy looking for her. Living in Anchorage instead of Hilltop would suit him well, would give him the space and privacy he’d need. And it wouldn’t seem odd, since so many of the other COs commuted to Hilltop.

  He smiled to himself. There wouldn’t be a soul with any reason to keep tabs on him. As long as he continued to work at the prison and didn’t suddenly go missing when Evelyn did, no one would have any reason to suspect him, even Amarok.

  The wait would require patience; the kidnapping would require precise planning. But then?

  He’d be able to do anything to her.

  * * *

  Amarok waited nervously outside the bathroom door. “How long does it take?”

  “Not long,” Evelyn replied.

  “Seems like forever already.”

  H
e heard her chuckle. “Three to five minutes.”

  “Can you let me in? So I can see the results when you do?”

  “I had to pee on a stick, Amarok. Do you really want to be part of that?”

  “Why not? I know you’re not in there drawing blood for the test,” he said in exasperation. After the indignities she’d suffered at the hands of Jasper, she was more private than any woman he’d ever been with. Sometimes she shut him out even when she was only changing.

  “Evelyn?”

  “Okay.” She opened the door, and he walked in to see her sitting on the edge of the bathtub/shower combo, staring at a plastic indicator on the ledge of the sink.

  He put down the toilet lid so that he could sit there. “How will we know if it’s positive?”

  “We’ll see a little ring in that window,” she said, pointing.

  “How much longer do we have?”

  She checked her watch. “Two minutes.”

  He reached out and took her hand, which was cold even though it was plenty warm in the house.

  “Sorry. I washed my hands,” she explained.

  “Good thing,” he joked since she’d been so worried about including him in something that required urine. “Just so you know, bodily fluids don’t freak me out, not if they’re yours.”

  She gave him an abashed smile as she nudged him, but then her eyes returned to the indicator.

  He cleared his throat. “Do you want it to be positive?”

  “In a way,” she admitted.

  “I want it to be positive.”

  “You’re more of a risk-taker.”

  “You’re what I want. That’s not a risk—it’s a commitment.”

  He thought she might reiterate all the things that could tear them apart and was relieved when she didn’t. They both leaned closer as the minutes ticked down—but no ring appeared.

  They waited another minute.

  Still, no ring.

  “Guess I’m not pregnant,” she said.

  “Not this time.” He lifted her hand to his lips as he threw the indicator away. “But that could easily change.”

  She started blinking fast, and yet she was still trying to smile, so he looked a little closer. “What’s wrong?”