Always Watching

by Lynette Eason

  She lifted a brow and moved away from him, his nearness making her wish for things she shouldn’t wish for. “Are you analyzing me?”

  “Maybe.” He studied her even as he let her go. “Or maybe I just know how it feels to want to be in control, to hang on so tight to whatever it is that you have some say-so over, because if you let go, you might splinter into a million tiny pieces.”

  She turned a shade paler with each word. He was right on target. Everything he said was like he’d opened up her heart and read the Understanding Olivia Edwards for Dummies manual.

  Her phone rang and she snagged it from her back pocket, grateful for the interruption. The screen ID’d Bree as the caller. “Yes?”

  “Hello to you too.”

  “Sorry. What’s up, Bree?”

  “Thought I’d fill you in on some information.”

  “Go for it.” She put it on speakerphone. “Wade’s here listening too.”

  “That’s fine. The woman in the house was definitely Valerie Mathis. Quinn checked her financials and your friend, Ginger, was spot-on accurate about her sad state. She was broke and struggling to pay her bills. None of her credit cards show any charges that could be related to the gifts Wade got.”

  “Then why kill her?”

  “She was a threat. She was interested in Wade and the killer somehow knew that. Also, Sarah’s still working with trying to find any trace evidence, but frankly she doesn’t have a lot left to work with.”

  “I didn’t think she would.”

  “We got a hit on where the bears were purchased, though it didn’t come from Valerie. Quinn took a picture of the bear and asked people around the station who had kids and teens. One cop said he’d seen one on his daughter’s pillow. He called her and she said she bought it at a small store at the mall. They’re a pretty popular item. We questioned the cashier—even two others who work there—but all said the same thing. That they sold so many they’d never be able to remember who bought one. There’s another small boutique that sells them as well, but same story.”

  “Great. What about the GPS tracker?”

  “That was a run-of-the-mill device that can be purchased from just about any electronics store. It could also be purchased online.”

  “So what you’re saying is, there’s no way to trace it.”

  “Exactly. And there were no prints on it.”

  Olivia rolled her eyes. “Well of course not. Why make it easy for us at this point?”

  “I know. Sorry.”

  “It’s not your fault. Thanks for the heads-up.”

  “Sarah said she did run a preliminary test on the chocolate. I’ve already called Quinn, but it looks like the candy was laced with cyanide.”

  Wade froze, his face paling. Olivia knew he was thinking how close Amy had come to eating a piece. What if she’d decided to just sneak a few pieces and never mention finding the candy? She shuddered at the thought. “Enough to hurt someone?”

  “Enough to kill someone. And fast.”

  Wade felt sick when he heard those words. He pictured Amy almost putting the chocolate in her mouth. What if she’d decided to sneak it? Eat it down below deck and not mention it to him? The thought made him shiver. He had to do something, he couldn’t continue to stay in his home. And he either had to send Amy away or go with her.

  The revelation wasn’t sudden. He’d been thinking about it for days. And he’d almost waited until too late.

  Olivia had taken another call on her speakerphone, and he heard her say, “Hang on a minute, Haley.” She put a hand on his arm. “Are you all right?”

  He leaned against the mantel to steady himself. “You know that vacation you want me to take?”

  “Yes.”

  “When do we leave?”

  She blinked. “What about the charity dinner Thursday night?”

  “Cameron can handle it. He’ll tell the truth about what’s going on and I’ll have to trust God with the rest. We’ll get someone to speak. Someone who’s been impacted by the charity and the funds previously raised, who wouldn’t be where she is without Breaking Free.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.” He paused and sighed. “I realize I’ve forgotten one of the most important things.”

  “What have you forgotten?” Olivia asked.

  “It’s not my charity.”

  “It’s not?”

  “Nope. It’s his.” He pointed his finger heavenward. “He’s used a lot of people in my life to make sure Amy and I stay safe. My father, you and your team, the officers who’ve been willing to work overtime to watch out for us. It’s time I start being thankful for everyone instead of resentful. It’s also time I put my family first. Amy could have died Monday. I can’t stop running different scenarios through my head, and I know if something happens to her or anyone because I was being bullheaded, I couldn’t live with myself.” He kept his gaze on Olivia. “Sometimes you have to let go to hang on. In this case, I’ve got to relinquish control. So . . . if you think we need to leave town, I’m ready to go.”

  The sound of Haley clearing her throat came from the speakerphone. “All right then. I’ll start putting it together. Be ready to leave in an hour.”

  Olivia jerked and Wade blinked. They’d both forgotten Haley was on the phone. Olivia nodded. “Good. We’ll be ready.”

  Wade set his jaw. “I’ll tell Amy. She won’t like it because we’ll have to cancel the birthday party that was planned for Saturday, but we’ll have to deal with it.”

  “I’ll come with you. You can blame it on me if you need to.” She gave him a faint smile.

  “No.” He frowned. “The only person getting the blame for this situation is the one causing it.”

  They found Amy playing a video game with Katie. Amy was winning, so they waited until she’d navigated the maze and crossed the finish line. “Woo-hoo!” Amy whooped.

  Katie shook her head and laid her controller on the sofa cushion. “That’s five for five. I’ll never be able to beat you, my girl.”

  Amy smiled, her expression shy and smug at the same time. “No, you probably won’t.”

  Wade laughed even while pain bloomed in his heart. “Amy, I have to tell you something.”

  Her happiness faded and her anxious “what’s going to happen now” look tightened her features. “Okay.”

  “We have to leave for a little while. We’re going to take a vacation.”

  The anxiety faded. Interest replaced it. “Oh. I thought it was going to be something bad. Where are we going?” She hopped up. “Can we go to Disney World? Can I take Stacy?”

  “No. I mean we have to go now. Leave today.”

  His daughter’s eyes widened. “What? Why? When are we coming back? My birthday party is on Saturday.” She frowned. “We’ll be back for that, right?”

  “Ah . . . maybe, but we might have to reschedule it.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. “But all my friends are coming. Stacy and Anna and Sherry and—” She swiped her eyes. “Is this because of that stalker?”

  “Yes,” Wade simply said.

  Amy worried her bottom lip with her top teeth as she studied him. “But I don’t want to reschedule it,” she said softly.

  Wade sighed and dropped his chin to his chest, said a prayer for wisdom, then looked Amy in the eye. “Honey, this person is getting way too close. The chocolates on the boat were poisoned.”

  “What?” Her eyes went wide and her face paled. He saw her swallow hard. “I almost ate one,” she whispered. “But then I didn’t want to feel guilty if you’d put them there to give to someone. You’re always letting someone use the boat, so that’s why I asked.”

  “And I’m so glad you did.”

  Her lower lip trembled. “Would I have died?”

  “No, no way. You would have probably gotten really, really sick and been in the hospital for a while, but no, you would have eventually been fine.” He asked forgiveness for the probable lie, but he wasn’t going to tell her
the truth and bring on nightmares. He just wasn’t. One day he might share the truth, but not now. “So that’s why we have to go. This person has access to us and I don’t know what else to do but go away until she’s caught.”

  “What if she’s never caught?”

  He nodded. “That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer right now. I just know we have to go.”

  Amy hung her head and scuffed her foot against the dark hardwood. “It’s not fair.”

  “No, it definitely isn’t fair.”

  Amy crossed her arms and stuck out her lip. “I want to go on record as not liking this.”

  “Duly noted,” Wade said.

  The watcher pulled the headphones off. So Wade was planning to leave. Amy almost eating those chocolates had scared him enough to run. It had been a risky move, planting the candy. They hadn’t been for Amy, but it could have worked as a positive in the plan should she have eaten them. Amy’s death would have left Wade more vulnerable, more open to staging his death as a suicide. It was believable. Already heartbroken over the death of his fiancée, the death of his daughter would send him over the edge. The watcher smiled. The listening device planted in the den had come in handy on more than one occasion. Now to implement the last part of the plan and collect the payoff.

  [35]

  “He’s leaving,” the voice said.

  “Leaving? What do you mean?” she asked.

  “They’re taking him away in less than an hour.”

  “Where?” She panicked. “They can’t leave! How will I see him? He’ll never know everything I’ve done for him!”

  “I have a way for you to stop him, so listen up.”

  In the bathroom, Amy grabbed what she considered essentials for a trip overnight. Her emotions were all over the place. Anger at the canceled party. Okay, maybe not canceled, but most likely postponed. Worry that someone really might hurt her dad—even kill him—and she’d be alone. She’d wanted to talk about it with her father and had even tried to get him to come upstairs with her to help her, but he’d been on the phone and gestured for Katie to go with her.

  Katie had complied without a word. And while Amy liked Katie, she wished her father had come so she could ask specific questions about the kind of clothing she needed to pack. For instance, did she need a swimsuit?

  Her phone buzzed and she smiled when she saw it was from Stacy.

  Stacy

  Hey, can you get past your watchdogs and meet me outside in the trees at our spot? I got your text that you were leaving and I want to say bye.

  Amy dropped her toothbrush into the overnight bag, then snatched her phone up.

  Amy

  I don’t know. Maybe. I’ll try. Can you stay there for about ten minutes?

  Stacy

  Yes. Better hurry tho. My mom doesn’t want me over here until u catch the wacko.

  Okay, hang on. I’m coming.

  Where r u going? Do u know?

  No, but Olivia and my dad arranged everything. This stalker person has everyone crazy so we’re going on a little vacay until they catch her.

  What bout ur party?

  Rescheduling it.

  Ugh.

  Tell me bout it. Now stop texting so I can get out of here.

  K. C u in a minute.

  The fact that the wacko—as Stacy called her—had left poisoned chocolates on the boat scared her. The fact that she almost ate one terrified her. She didn’t know what to think or who to trust. Other than Stacy, of course. And her dad, Olivia, and Katie. And Aunt Martha and Joanna, of course. But that was about it. Amy grabbed her small makeup bag and added that to the pile. Now what?

  A knock on the door grabbed her attention. “Amy?” Katie asked. “Are you about ready?”

  “I just need a few more minutes, okay?”

  “Sure. But we need to get going, so don’t take too much longer if you can help it.”

  “Okay.” She rolled her eyes. She knew that her dad’s stalker was a dangerous person. She’d learned that fact in the bathroom at the church. Not to mention the poisoned chocolate. She needed to say goodbye to Stacy, though. Who knew how long she would be gone? But she probably needed to clear it with someone. She opened the door. “I want to tell my friend Stacy goodbye. Will you go with me?”

  Katie looked concerned. And understanding. “I don’t think we have the time, but I can check on it for you.”

  “Thanks. I’m almost ready.”

  She could hear Katie talking through the door. The woman must have been standing just on the other side. “All right,” she heard her say. “She’s not going to like it, but all right.”

  Amy sighed and kicked her overnight bag. She couldn’t even tell her best friend goodbye. Anger rose in her. Anger at her father’s stalker. Anger at her father for wanting to leave. Just . . . anger at the unfairness of it all. Well, stalker or no stalker, she was going to tell Stacy goodbye. She slipped the overnight bag over her shoulder and opened the door that led into the guest bedroom.

  “Amy? You coming?”

  “I’ve got to find a couple more things and then . . . um . . . use the bathroom,” she called. Then walked to the door of the guest room and looked out into the hall. Empty. She moved to the back staircase and hurried down it. At the bottom, the door led out onto the back porch and the patio with the outdoor kitchen.

  Her phone buzzed. She pulled it from the back pocket of her jeans. Stacy again.

  Stacy

  U coming?

  Amy

  Working on it. Chill.

  K.

  Amy slipped up to the brick oven and glanced around it. Security personnel patrolled the grounds, but thanks to the trees and other shrubbery along the edge of the property, she could probably stay hidden well enough to meet Stacy. The problem was getting from the porch to the nearest tree. She waited until the closest security member had his back turned, then darted across the lawn.

  Heart pounding, she glanced back. No one shouted, no one said a word, no alarms had been sounded. She’d done it. Now the easy part. She ran as fast as she could behind the tree line to the copse of trees between her property and the neighbor’s. She slipped into the clearing and dropped her bag on the ground. Why had she brought it anyway?

  “Stacy? Are you here?”

  No answer.

  “Stacy, come on. Don’t play games, I don’t have a lot of time.”

  A bush to her left rustled and she turned toward it. But Stacy didn’t come out from behind it. Amy stamped her foot even as a niggling of doubt raised its head. She probably shouldn’t have snuck out. She’d never done anything like that before, but she’d never been in this kind of situation before either. Her heart picked up speed and her breath started to strangle in her throat.

  “No,” she whispered. “Not now.”

  Where was Stacy? Her uneasiness grew and she moved backward, eyes still on the bushes. Stacy wouldn’t play games like this. Amy pulled her phone out and texted Stacy.

  Amy

  Where r u? I have to go!

  Stacy

  Behind you.

  Amy turned, expecting to see Stacy. Instead her eyes widened when they landed on the woman who stepped out from behind the tree. Amy walked toward her. “What are you doing here? Did you follow me? I just wanted to say goodbye to Stacy.”

  Instead of speaking, the woman simply lifted her hand. In it she held a small canister. “Don’t worry, Amy, I’ll make sure you don’t suffer.” Her finger pushed the top and a spray of something caught Amy full in the face. She gasped, choked. Dizziness hit her. Her legs gave out and she dropped to the ground. Her phone tumbled from her fingers. Vaguely, she felt someone lift her, hands under her knees and shoulders. Strong hands. Not the woman’s.

  But she couldn’t get her eyes open long enough to focus. Then she felt herself being slid into the back of a large vehicle. She tried to rise, but was just too tired. Even the fear that started pounding through her couldn’t keep her awake any longer.

  W
ade finally hung up the phone. It was past the allotted hour, but he now had everything arranged. Cameron was more understanding than Wade had expected, given the man’s drive and passion for the charity. He thought the idea of using someone impacted by the charity a great idea and promised to line it up. “Even though it is incredibly short notice,” he’d muttered.

  “I need you to do this, Cameron. Amy could have been killed. I can’t trust that this person won’t get to her again.”

  “I know. I know.” A heavy sigh filtered through the line. “Of course you have to protect Amy. And yourself. Fine. Don’t worry about a thing. Stay safe and be in touch when you can.”

  Olivia appeared in the doorway of the den. “You ready?”

  “Yes. Just one more phone call.”

  “I’ll get Amy and Katie. Charlie and Lizzie are in the cars. Charlie will be driving the one in front. Lizzie’s in the one behind.”

  “All right.”

  Olivia’s phone rang. She paused and answered it. “Hi, Quinn.” Her brows went up and she shot him a look. “Uh-huh. Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”

  “What is it?” Wade asked when she hung up.

  “Francisco finished Justine’s autopsy.”

  “And?”

  “And he agrees, it wasn’t suicide. She was murdered. Something about the angle of the bullet entrance not being consistent with a self-inflicted wound.”

  Wade stumbled to the nearest chair and sank onto it. “I almost don’t believe it.”

  She crossed the room and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Wade.”

  “No, I’m sorry. Sorry I didn’t push for an investigation when I first learned of her death. Sorry I let her down and let myself believe she could do something like that.” He shook his head.

  “Can I do anything for you?”

  “No. I’m shocked and not surprised all at the same time, you know? Why didn’t the first medical examiner who did the original autopsy catch that?”

  “Who knows? Maybe he wasn’t being careful. Maybe he just did a cursory examination. I’ll make a report of it to make sure he knows he made a serious mistake, but for now, let’s focus on what we need to do.”