“I think I might have scared him off. At least, until I saw him peeking out of the elevator shortly after I arrived this morning.” She shrugged. “It might be hopeless.”
“Don’t give up hope. Nick will eventually find someone or something to occupy his mind. Doesn’t he have new classes beginning? That might keep him busy,” Doc suggested.
“Yes, he does and I hope it helps. Thanks for the talk, sir.” She stood to leave and turned. “If your wife is serious, there’s exercise equipment available in PT before the therapists bring patients down.”
He grabbed his head and moaned. “Don’t tell her.” He smiled.
She laughed, “I won’t. I promise.”
Walking back to her desk, Kathryn knew she would keep her promises and wondered why Nick didn’t think he needed to keep his.
~ * ~
Kathryn’s week passed quickly. The hospital grapevine let her know the reason she hadn’t seen Nick lurking around is because Dr. Graydor spoke to him. She did see him drive down her street late one evening and believed he might be doing it on occasion, but he wasn’t parking anywhere near her house. Joey’s heartfelt letters of apologies worked in his favor, and he would be allowed to return to work a few days before the end of his suspension. The legal department was handling the case against him for his behavior with the grieving sister, and he was hoping for a good outcome. Pam made sure Kathryn spent at least three days a week having dinner or spending the afternoon with the kids and her. She was hovering over Kathryn ever since she broke up with Nick. Kathryn needed time alone.
She spent the weekend alone doing a lot of nothing. She strolled through her favorite mall buying a few luxuries. Eating at the food court was something she seldom did, but enjoyed. Being able to get a bit of her favorite Italian, Mexican, and Chinese foods was a fun treat. She also took care of her usual chores and slept—a lot. Kathryn never spotted Nick anywhere, but she worried he was there somewhere watching. She planned an execution for Wednesday night, and she would make sure he didn’t follow her.
Nick started his newest class at the University. Kathryn was able to learn the class was held from seven to nine on Wednesday night. He would be in class during the execution. She’d drive past the parking area to check his car was there and assuring her that he wasn’t following her. She also planned out a zig-zag route that would ensure he didn’t follow her to Kevin’s home.
~ * ~
The morgue was lit when she arrived at work Monday morning. Entering the area, she heard voices coming from Dr. Graydor’s office. She recognized the Doc and Detective Wayne. Kathryn swallowed and walked towards Doc’s office. She knocked quietly and looked around the corner.
“Good morning, sorry to interrupt, but I was just making some coffee. Would either of you care for a cup?” She held up an empty mug.
“I’m full of coffee, thanks,” Doc said.
Detective Wayne smiled and said, “Me, too, but thanks.”
Kathryn smiled and backed away from the doorway. She stayed close enough to hear part of the conversation. A few words were audible. “Possibly a revolver. No new clues. Possible two killers. Strange. Most were found with a broken water glass.”
She heard enough to feel confident the police were not on her trail. There were two men left on her original list. The newspaper had received information about the note she left from a confidential source and Kathryn believed no one wanted to live near the killings. The day after tomorrow would bring a new execution and more confusion for the police.
~ * ~
Wednesday afternoon found Kathryn feeling anxious. Confident in her abilities and the planning she’d put into tonight’s execution, Nick seemed to be doing his best to unnerve her. She saw his car cruise past her house several times and once when he should’ve been in class; it was parked down the street for thirty minutes.
Trying to figure out what he was doing, she took her break in the cafeteria enjoying a cup of relaxing orange spice tea. Kathryn nearly jumped out of her skin when he knocked at the window and waved at her. He was smiling the smile that always melted her heart. Was he trying to scare her or be pleasant? She couldn’t be sure. Kathryn redoubled her plans for a route to Kevin’s apartment. She didn’t trust that Nick wouldn’t be following her.
A few hours later, she bid Dr. Graydor goodnight and left for the day. Working through her lunch seemed like a good idea at the time. Avoiding Nick was important today, but she was hungry and wanted more than a protein bar. Enjoying a chicken cashew salad and a large cola, she hoped the protein and caffeine would give her stamina. The double fudge pie tempted her, but she decided she didn’t want to feel overly full and ordered a piece to go. She would enjoy it later.
Kathryn saved her piece of the pie in the fridge and dressed for the evening. She wished she would wear a sexy dress for an evening with Nick, but she pushed him from her mind. Her pain of his odd attitude toward her filled her mind. She had a mission in front of her and confusion over Nick might cloud her judgment. She needed to stay sharp.
~ * ~
Kathryn pulled out of her garage and checked up and down the street before she headed north toward a subdivision she knew well. Nick’s car was nowhere in sight, but she decided not to deviate from her new route. She entered the subdivision that was beautifully laid out with most houses on cul-de-sacs or short streets that intersected with other short streets. Most blocks held no more than four houses. The first time she visited her friend, Karla, she became hopelessly lost in the twists and turns. Now, she believed, she could drive the streets blindfolded. When she was satisfied no one, namely Nick, was behind her she set off from the opposite side of the subdivision and headed for the second part of her drive.
Kathryn entered the freeway and drove past three exits before she exited the freeway. Her turn took her into a quiet rural area near a large park. It was one place she and James often picnicked at before their lives fell apart. Pulling into the parking lot she noticed she was the only one there. She turned her car around to face the lake drive. Kathryn turned off the lights and sat in the dark for five minutes. Feeling comfortable that no one was near, she drove off down the lake drive back to the freeway and headed in the direction of town. She spent a little less than thirty minutes driving around, and Kevin’s small home was five minutes away. She was on schedule.
Kevin lived on a street of several identical red brick four family apartment buildings. His building was third from the corner, and she decided to park near the intersection of the closest street. Several other cars were parked on the street, and hers didn’t look out of place. She had driven through the neighborhood several times and knew the layout. Each building had rear parking that opened onto an alleyway. The bottom apartments had doors that opened to the side of the building off the kitchen she assumed. The upper units had balconies. Kevin lived in apartment number two.
As usual, she paused before entering the building. Taking a deep cleansing breath to calm her, she also patted her purse to be sure the gun was there. Even though she knew it was, she liked to double check. Another of Doc’s lessons: double check everything. She felt her license press against her left breast in the small bra pocket. She was ready.
Apartment number two was on her left. She approached the door and heard the television playing. She knocked.
A tall, thin man with black hair opened the door. He looked exactly like his photo on the sex registry. It was Kevin.
“Hi, I’m Shelly,” she began. By the time she finished her plea for playground donations, he had invited her inside.
He mumbled something about having some change somewhere, and she asked for a glass of water.
“Sure thing, sweets,” he said. Her skin crawled. Usually, she talked to them first and let a few of them know why she was executing them, but not this time.
Kevin pulled a glass out of the cabinet with his side toward her, and she pulled the trigger. The shot hit his temple, and he crumpled. Easy. She watched the blood pool quickly as she
slid her gun back in her purse. Satisfied enough time had passed, and he was dead, she turned to leave.
The first punch hit Kathryn on the right side of her cheek. The second connected squarely in her mid-section. Before she had time to double over from pain and loss of breath, she felt herself thrown violently to the floor.
Forcing herself to draw a breath she looked into the dark brown eyes of a man she had never seen before. His long jet black hair hung nearly to the eyes that looked at her with anger flashing.
Not again, she thought stay calm and think.
“Why did you kill my cousin?” He growled.
“He was a pedophile and the time he served wasn’t long enough. If the second child hadn’t died, she would have testified, and he’d be alive now in a prison maybe. I know child abusers aren’t well liked anywhere.” She spat at him as she drew from her anger for strength.
I will not be a victim again. I will not.
“No one could prove he killed that kid,” he snapped back.
“Both girls were abused in a similar manner and he left the second one alone in that cold building too long. By the time the police found her, she was dead.”
“She was a little runaway. He didn’t hurt anyone. They railroaded him. Now, that’s he’s out on probation and living with me, the state paid half the rent and utilities. You messed with my cousin and my meal ticket girlie. You’ll be sorry.”
“Six-year-olds don’t run away,” Kathryn said defiantly.
The man laughed. “It doesn’t matter. He’s dead. You’re here so we’ll play games. Do you like handcuffs, leather straps, and choke collars? I have them in my room.”
The insanity runs deep in this family. Breathe slowly and you’ll find a way out. The man pressed his body on hers, and she could feel the gun in her purse push into her side. It was all she needed to escape. If he wasn’t going to kill her here on the floor, she had time. He wasn’t going to call the cops. That was a reprieve. She would survive.
He leaned close and his hot breath on her neck made her shudder. When he whispered in her ear the other things he had in his room, she gasped.
“Surprised,” he continued to whisper. “I told you we’d have fun.”
When his hand slid down her arm toward her chest, his breathing intensified and she knew he was more vulnerable and not thinking entirely clear. His mind was on other things.
She bent her arm slightly at the elbow hoping to connect the palm of her hand with his nose. If she connected hard enough, she would break it. He looked up at the last second and her palm connected with his chin. She heard his teeth crack together. His yell and the blood at the side of his mouth let her know he bit his tongue. He let go of her other arm and threw both hands over his mouth.
“You stupid bitch,” he yelled and launched at her again.
Her thumb connected with his eye. She had every intention of ripping the eye socket open, but he lurched backward away from her cursing non-stop. He rolled to his side but not before Kathryn’s knee connected with his genitals. He screamed again and kicked out at her. His foot clad in a heavy work boot connected with her knee. The pain was intense and shot up to her hip and down to her ankle.
She pushed back away from him and sat up. She wasn’t sure if she could stand, but she needed to leave and quickly. He tried to get up pulling himself up with the help of a nearby end table. Blood dripped from his eye and mouth.
“I’m going to kill you slowly, bitch.”
She shot at him twice, and both bullets hit him in the chest as he tried to stand. He was still alive and cursing.
She only had two bullets in her gun and didn’t want to take time to reload. She forced herself to stand fighting the pain in her knee.
He stared at her mumbling curses as she aimed the gun at him. “You shouldn’t have attacked me,” she said as she pulled the trigger and the bullet found a home in the man’s forehead.
The man lay blocking her way out of the apartment. She thought she heard voices in the outside foyer. Did someone hear their fight? Did they call the police? Slipping the gun back in her purse, she walked toward the kitchen and the side door. Thankfully, Kevin’s body wasn’t blocking that exit. She used her gloved hand to turn off the light switches next to the side door. The two kitchen lights turned off, and the light outside the door remained off. She slipped out the door and walked and limped down the narrow sidewalk between buildings to the streetside sidewalk.
The sidewalk was quiet, and she didn’t hear any sirens. Perhaps the voices she heard were neighbors coming home or leaving.
She turned the corner and sighed a breath of relief when she saw her car. Fortunately, only her left knee was injured and didn’t interfere with her driving. Gripping the steering wheel in pain, she drove home through quiet side streets where she could drive slowly and not annoy other drivers. Her mind was on a hot shower, a cup of tea, her fudge pie, and a pain tablet left over from a wisdom tooth extraction three months ago—not necessarily in that order. Kathryn pulled into her garage and lay her head on the steering wheel for a moment to get her bearings. Her head was also aching most likely from the blow to her face.
She did her best to climb out of her car holding the car door and hopping on her right foot.
“Kathryn?”
The male voice startled her, and she spun in its direction. “Damn you, Nick, what are you doing here? You scared the hell…” She lost her grip on the car door and put weight on her left foot. Pain shot from hip to ankle again, and she tried to grab the car door. She missed and began to topple over toward the side of the garage. Reaching out to stop her fall, she grabbed the metal stepladder leaning against the wall. It didn’t help. She fell to the garage floor. The stepladder fell toward her, and she threw her hands across her face. Part of the stepladder hit her forehead, and something scraped her scalp as the stepladder slid to the floor.
Nick was at her side in less than a heartbeat. He pulled on her arm and helped her to her feet. In the dim light of the garage, he studied her face and said, “You look like hell. What happened to you?”
She yanked her arm away and grabbed her car door again. “That’s none of your business. Go home.”
“Kathryn, you look like someone beat the hell out of you. What happened? You should call the police.” He pulled out his cell phone.
She pushed the car door closed and used the car as a crutch while limping toward her door. “Good idea. You call. I’ll tell them I fell, and you’re harassing me.”
“You hurt your leg and got a banged up face in a fall? Was it Coyle? Did he hurt you? I’ll kill him,” Nick blurted.
Kathryn had gotten to her door and hopped up the two steps from her garage floor to her kitchen. “No, Joey didn’t hurt me. I fell. Go home Nick.” She pressed the garage closure switch, and the garage door began to close.
Nick slipped under, and it stopped. She pressed the switch again to lower it completely and heard Nick call. “I’m sorry for everything, Kathryn. I love you.”
Kathryn closed the kitchen door and dropped into one of her kitchen chairs. The sobs came in waves. They wracked her body until her ribs hurt, and she didn’t have a tear left. She was nearly killed. Nick is sorry. He still loves her.
She swallowed a pain tablet, threw her clothes in the washer, and climbed into the shower. A bath would have been easier, but she might get stuck in the tub. She could put a small amount of weight on her knee and pain no longer spread to her hip or ankle. Maybe it was the wonder of pain killers.
Wrapped in a warm fuzzy robe, she tossed her clothes in the dryer, made a cup of tea, and ate her fudge pie. She needed to clean her gun, but she didn’t want to do that with a painkiller in her system. She’d do it before work in the morning.
Suddenly feeling exhausted, Kathryn decided not to move from her sofa. She pulled the afghan off the back of the sofa, set her phone alarm, and fell asleep.
Chapter twenty-three
The exhaustion of the previous night and the narcotic in
the painkiller allowed Kathryn to sleep deeply until her phone alarm woke her. Asleep on her back, Kathryn rolled onto her right side to turn the alarm off and let out a little squeal as her cheek hit the pillow. When the pain hit her knee as she turned, she muffled a small scream.
Well, Kathryn looks like you did it this time. How are you going to get up and move? You have to go to work.
“I don’t want to go,” she argued with herself out loud.
She reached for the bottle that contained the last pain tablet and swallowed it with a gulp of water from the glass she set on her coffee table the night before. She reset the alarm for thirty minutes and lay back down allowing the pain tablet to work its magic.
She drifted back to sleep and felt slightly better when the alarm woke her again. Since she showered last night, she’d skip one this morning. Feeling the pain in her cheek, she knew without looking that she would forgo applying makeup except for a bit of concealer if her eye were as black as she expected. That gave her a bit of extra time for coffee and to allow the medication to work thoroughly.
She hobbled into the bathroom and used the toilet before looking into the mirror. She was worried she’d pee herself if the shock of what she looked like were half as bad as the pain. Sitting down, she could see the injured area on the inside of her knee was an angry purple. She swallowed, took a deep breath, and stood. Kathryn gripped the sink before she lifted her eyes to the mirror. Surprisingly, the bruise limited itself to her cheek, and her eye appeared okay. She would need a good story for her cheek injury. It was apparent she’d been hit. The bruise was ugly but could’ve been worse. The red line across her forehead where the stepladder hit her was slightly bruised. It was fortunate she was able to cover her face, and the ladder hit the car before sliding down onto her. She was confident a little concealer and bangs would hide it. The scrape across the top of her head was a bit sore, but no longer bleeding.
She stared into the mirror and said, “You’ll live. You may look like hell today and limp, but you’ll live.”
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