Olivia had been wonderfully generous and happy when Kendra had gained her sight, but there had been many large and small issues about adjusting their relationship to the new status. Evidently, this was one of the questions that hadn’t been addressed. “How do I feel at the moment I turn out the lights and go back to the dark?” She was silent, thinking. “I guess I never analyzed it. When I first opened my eyes after the operation, I was frightened. It was all too much. Too bright. Too gloriously vivid. It took me weeks to adjust, then I gradually became accustomed to that world. Oh, not like someone who had always had their sight and took it for granted. I could never take it for granted. But I became drunk with the headiness of it. I wanted to taste every vision and sensation. I went a little off kilter trying to do it. But you know that.”
“Yes, you worried me.” She paused. “But I might have done the same thing if it had been me.”
“I wanted it to be you, too. God, how I wanted it,” Kendra said. “It will be you someday. We’ll find a way.”
“I’m exploring every avenue. Every new treatment that comes along,” Olivia said. “I’ll get there. We’ve always walked side by side. I don’t want to be left behind.”
“That’s not going to happen. We’ll always be together.” That wasn’t enough of an answer. Olivia’s question had contained deeper meanings. “And how do I feel now about darkness? There’s no panic. I could accept it if I lost my sight again. I would hate it, but we made the best of it before I was given my miracle. And, yes, there are moments when I feel a sense of comfort when I shut my eyes and let the darkness flow around me. It brings me back to the past and to you. It reminds me what we had together. That was all good.”
“You’re damn right it was.” Olivia’s voice was a little throaty. “But I didn’t mean for you to give me this long, involved speech. I just asked a simple question.”
“There’s never anything simple about you, Olivia.”
“Okay, I feel insecure every now and then.” She started to turn away, then turned back. “I don’t want you to go back to your place even after the FBI tells you they’ve plugged up the hole this rat crawled through. Why don’t you plan on staying with me until that nut is caught?”
“No way.”
“I thought you’d say that. Think about it.”
“Okay, but not tonight.” She yawned. “It’s been one hell of a day. And I don’t expect tomorrow to be any easier. I seem to be on a fast track and can’t get off.”
“And you’re on it alone, dammit. When is Adam Lynch getting back?”
“I have no idea. Good night, Olivia.”
“You want him back, too.”
Kendra turned over on her side. “See you in the morning.”
Olivia laughed. “Good night, Kendra.”
She closed the door as she left, and the darkness was almost total.
As Kendra had told Olivia, the darkness held no real fear for her. She had faced that demon and knew how to live with it. But the darkness did release her mind to race in circles. She could still see that message on the wall of her living room.
How the hell had he managed to get into her condo?
Not tonight. Shut down. She was too tired to think clearly.
If Griffin didn’t find out the answers tomorrow, she would go back to the apartment, and something would trigger it for her.
Go to sleep.
You want him back, too.
Maybe she did, but she’d never admit it to the arrogant bastard.
Shut down. Go to sleep …
* * *
SHE SLEPT LATER THAN USUAL. Her cell phone rang and woke her at 8:40 A.M. the next morning.
Mom!
Kendra had to clear her head and sound bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. She hadn’t expected to have to confront her before coffee.
“Good morning.” She struggled to a sitting position. “I meant to call you yesterday afternoon and tell you everything was going well, but I got busy and I—”
“Your voice sounds as if you just woke up. You never sleep past seven. Are you okay?”
“Fine. I was just up late talking to Olivia.” That was at least true. “And that fall took a little toll on my stamina.”
“I told you that you should have gone to the doctor.”
And that was something else to put her mother’s mind at ease. “Well, it turned out the doctor came to me. Lynch sent a physician to the FBI headquarters with orders to check me out.”
Silence. “He did? How … unusual.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. But I went through with it because it was easier than fighting off the doctor who evidently had strict orders. I’m absolutely fine, Mom.”
“That’s good,” she said absently. “But it was still an unusual move on Lynch’s part. I never figured him to be that protective. Now, if it was Dean, I can see how he’d be concerned enough to rush medical help to make sure you were—”
“Don’t read anything into anything Lynch does,” she interrupted. “He just likes his own way. He thinks he always knows best and tries to bulldoze his way through. That examination should never have been done, and I’m still a little pissed.”
“But you did it, and that’s unusual, too.” She abruptly dropped the subject. “I ran into Dean on my way to class this morning, and he says you didn’t call him. Why not?”
“The same reason I didn’t call you. I was busy. I believe you’re nagging, Mom.”
“Perish the thought. I never nag. I remind. And occasionally persuade. At the moment, I’m reminding you that you made me a promise. I could tell Dean was disappointed that you hadn’t taken the time to call.”
“Poor man. I’m sure he’s just waiting around for me to touch base with him again.”
“That’s right, why not? You’re not only a fascinating woman but you come of equally wonderful stock. I’m pretty damn fascinating myself. Who wouldn’t want to have me for a mother-in-law?”
Kendra chuckled. “I can’t imagine. But you’re going too fast. I went on a blind date and now you have me on my honeymoon? You’re scaring me, Mom.”
“Turnabout is fair play. You scared me when I saw you yesterday morning. And now Adam Lynch is sending you doctors and hovering over you. Didn’t you tell me they call him the Puppetmaster? I don’t like mystery men. I particularly don’t like mystery men who manage to convince you to do things you don’t want to do. When are you going to call Dean?”
She sighed. “After I take my shower and have a cup of coffee. Talking to him should be a pleasure after having you run over me.”
Silence again. “I don’t want my pushing to turn you off him. He deserves a chance.”
“Your pushing drives me nuts, but I still love you. It won’t prejudice me from realizing that Dean is a good guy and probably deserves more than I can give him. Now let me go, so I can start my day … and squeeze that call to Dean into the mix.”
“Okay. You’ll tell me how it goes?”
“It’s just a phone call.”
“But one thing leads to another. I really like him, Kendra.”
“And so do I. But I’m not going to report back to you all the time.”
“Oh, very well.” She was clearly disappointed. “I’ll accept occasional—”
“Mom.”
“Good-bye, Kendra. You take care of yourself.” She hung up.
Kendra was shaking her head as she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. It hadn’t gone as badly as it might have. She’d been able to avoid telling Diane about the events of yesterday by throwing in Lynch’s action as a distraction. And her mother was so focused on Dean that she’d allowed Kendra to get away before she bombarded her with many questions.
But there was no doubt she’d have to call Dean right away and put her mother’s mind at ease. She’d made her a promise, and she’d keep it.
She stripped down and turned on the shower.
Just as soon as she checked to see if Griffin knew yet how Myatt had gotten into her
condo.
* * *
AGENT DONALD NELSON WAS sitting at Olivia’s kitchen table drinking a cup of coffee when Kendra walked into the room thirty minutes later. He was staring at Olivia in bemusement, and she was obviously exerting her not inconsiderable charisma.
“Hi,” Kendra said. “Is there enough coffee for me, Olivia? I just talked to Mom, and I need bolstering.”
Agent Nelson jumped to his feet. “Let me get you one, ma’am. I was just—”
“Sit down. Finish your coffee.” She moved to the cabinet and got a cup from the shelf. “If Olivia managed to lure you away from the hall and that stern sense of duty, then you must have really needed it.”
“I’m finished.” He turned to Olivia. “You’ve been very kind, ma’am.”
She smiled brilliantly. “My pleasure, Don. Anytime.”
“Thank you.” He turned and left the kitchen. The next moment, the front door closed behind him.
“Naughty,” Kendra murmured as she poured her coffee. “You dazzled the poor lad.”
“You heard him.” She grinned mischievously. “I was just being kind.” She shrugged. “You slept late. I was bored. I needed company.”
“And you wanted to see if you could lure him away from hard-and-fast duty.”
“He was closer to you in here.” She sipped her coffee. “And I’ve never seduced an FBI man before. I wondered if all that training and indoctrination made a difference in how they responded. Not that I actually wanted to go to bed with him. I was just exploring the preliminary steps.”
“To see if you could do it.”
She nodded. “You know that some men are uncomfortable and repelled by interaction with a blind woman and others are fascinated and drawn. I’ve been working on turning the odds totally in my favor.”
“He was dazzled,” Kendra repeated. She sat down and lifted her cup to her lips. “Why not? You’re gorgeous and full of life and—”
“Blind,” Olivia said. “But as I said, I’m making headway on all fronts.” She changed the subject. “Your mother was difficult?”
“No more than usual. She’s concerned. She wants me safe, with a big, strong man to take care of me.” She made a face. “Ridiculous when you consider how independent my mother is.”
“She’s a good woman and superintelligent. I’ve admired her all my life.”
“So have I.” She took a swallow of coffee. “And that’s why I let her still try to manipulate me on occasion. It’s all for love.”
Olivia nodded. “And that’s a damn good reason. You can’t fault—”
Kendra’s cell phone rang, and she glanced at the ID. “Griffin.”
She accessed the call. “I didn’t expect you to get back to me this early. It’s only a little after nine. I hope that means good news. Do we have a lineup for me to look at?”
“We’re working on it. But it shouldn’t be too long. But we do know how he got into your condo.”
“I’m not sure that qualifies as good news,” she said warily. “How did he do it?”
“He has a key.”
“A serial killer has a key to my condo. I can’t tell you how wonderful that makes me feel.”
“Take it up with your building’s management office. It turns out it’s probably the least secure place in your entire building. It’s fronted by a sliding glass door with a flimsy-as-hell lock. There’s no one there after six, and he was probably able to pop the lock with a screwdriver. Your key is missing from the peg board in the back room.”
“Their security cameras?”
“Disabled. No disks.”
“Great. I’d already decided to have my lock changed. I think I’ll forget to give the management office my new key.”
“Probably not a bad idea, at least for a while. Just a minute. Agent Reade is here.” She heard him cover the phone to speak to the agent, and there was a moment of silence. Then he said to Kendra, “She’s almost finished with coordinating the photos. Listen, do you want to come in around two and take a look at some photo lineups off the tips we’ve been getting? We’ve put together a few dozen pics from people who think they recognize the police sketch. I’ve glanced at some of them, and most aren’t even in the ballpark. A few might be promising though.”
“I’ll take promising. See you at two.” She hung up and told Olivia, “He used the key I gave to the management office. So simple.”
Simply deadly. A careless mistake, and she was left open and vulnerable to Myatt.
“It shouldn’t have been that easy for him,” Olivia said.
“No, but often crimes would never be committed except for a single error from someone who has nothing to do with the target themselves.” She grimaced. “We all depend on our precious conveniences. I gave a key to the condo superintendent, so he can let in a plumber or deliver packages. Didn’t you do the same thing?”
“Yes. After all, he’s bonded. I trusted that they’d keep it secure.”
“And so did I. But then no one expects a raid on a condo office by a serial killer. It’s outside the box. I don’t know how long he’s been planning his access to get to me. The security cameras … and then the actual intrusion.” She shivered. “And I wasn’t even the target. He could have attacked me anytime before all this started. But that isn’t what he wanted. He wanted me to know how clever he could be. He wanted me to admire him. And he wanted me to know how vulnerable I am.”
“You stay here,” Olivia said firmly. “No arguments.”
“And how do I know that he hasn’t scoped out your place, too? He’s studied me, and he has to know you’re my friend. He wouldn’t leave the possibility I’d turn to you out of his equations.” She got to her feet. “I’ll have Griffin check out the security cameras in this area, too. But I’m not going to expose you any more than I have to.” She leaned over and gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve got to get going. Thanks for the port in the storm. I’ll be in touch.”
“You’d better be. I want you back here, Kendra.”
Kendra smiled over her shoulder as she reached the door. “You just want to practice your wiles on my poor bodyguard. I have to save him from himself … and you.”
* * *
KENDRA HESITATED AS SHE LEFT OLIVIA’S CONDO. She’d been planning on going back to her condo to have a look around and see if Myatt had left any more calling cards that were more subtle than that shocking message on the wall. But she’d made Mom a promise, and she couldn’t put it off any longer. It was only a phone call, and she could make it while she was walking back to her own condo.
She quickly dialed Dean Halley. “Hi. Kendra Michaels.”
“At last,” he said. “I was actually expecting you to call. I thought that Diane had a glint in her eye this morning when I saw her. Did she attack with all flags flying?”
“She just reminded me what a great guy you are and what an idiot I was not to let you come into my life.”
“All true,” he said solemnly. “But I had no idea that I stood quite that high in her books. I admit I’m flattered.”
“Don’t be too flattered. Your main attraction in her eyes is the security factor. She thinks I’d be safe with you.”
“Ouch. Am I that boring?” He paused. “I guess you haven’t told her about my prison record?”
“Not yet. I thought that should come from you if it was pertinent to the situation.”
“Very generous of you.” He added softly, “I want it to be pertinent to our situation, Kendra. I want to be close enough to you that we’ll be as frank as old friends … who might be traveling toward another crossroad. I hope you’ll feel the same way given a little time.”
She felt a ripple of shock. “We barely know each other, Dean.”
“I’m trying to remedy that. Give me a little cooperation. I’ve never met another woman who sent my head spinning like you do.”
“No one put you through what I did on a first date,” she said dryly.
“I enjoyed every minute of it. I want m
ore.”
“You’ve got to be a masochist.”
“I like you. Do you like me?”
“Yes.” She paused. “And not because I think you’re particularly safe. I like your sense of humor.” She added ruefully, “And your stamina in putting up with me.”
“I have a confession to make. Your mother was right. If I cared about someone, I’d work very hard to keep them safe.” He added hurriedly, “But I wouldn’t be boring about it. I wouldn’t interfere.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, sure.” The difference in his attitude and Lynch’s was like day and night. Lynch had no compunction about interfering in her life if he chose. Dean was civilized and intelligent, and she was finding it very refreshing. “It’s a common human characteristic to want to protect the people we care about. I’d feel the same way. It’s the way we respond to that instinct that’s important.”
“Okay, it’s settled. We have a very promising beginning. We just have to cement it. When can I see you?”
She said quickly, “Not for a while. I’m involved in a very nasty case.”
“All the more reason why you need light relief. I’m not going to demand that you devote any extended amount of time to me. I just want to see you occasionally to remind you that I’m here. I’m not going to let you walk away and forget me.”
“I don’t have time to—”
“What are you doing this morning? I only had one class, and now I’m free. What about meeting me for a cup of coffee? Give me one hour. You name the place and the time, and I’ll be there.”
“Dean, I’ll be busy most—”
“Look, I know that you probably think I’m weird being this persistent. Hell, maybe I am. But I wouldn’t have gone on that blind date if I hadn’t been interested in what I’d heard about you. And I wasn’t disappointed. I’m trying to grasp the moment.” He added coaxingly, “And think how happy it will make your mother. Won’t it put her mind at rest?”
“Yes.” It would most certainly do that, and Kendra was finding she wanted to see Dean again. What the hell. She had time before that lineup at two. “Okay. There’s a Starbucks on Broadway, just east of Kettner. Noon?”
Sight Unseen Page 11
