In His Sights

by Jo Davis

  “What, no lecture about the evils of red meat?” At her pointed stare, he held up his hands. “Just kidding.”

  “I can hardly lecture if it was my idea.” She gave one a good poke. “I think they’re ready.”

  “Here, let me.” Taking the pronged grill fork from her, he stabbed the steaks and put them on the platter she had waiting. Then he followed her inside.

  “Let’s eat in the dining room,” she said, pointing. “We’ll have more room than on the small kitchen table.”

  He went into the dining room and set the platter on the oak table. Then he returned to the kitchen to see what else she needed help with. Robyn was handing Maddy a large bowl of salad.

  “Can she get that?” His first instinct was to take over, but he was shot down.

  “It’s not heavy,” Maddy said, frowning at him. “I can do it.”

  “Okay, sprite. Sorry.”

  After she disappeared, Robyn grinned at him.

  “She’s at the stage where kids want to do everything by themselves,” she told him, opening the oven. Using a mitt, she started gathering foil-wrapped potatoes and put those in a bowl. “She wants to be independent, so I have to give her tasks she can complete. The salad bowl is a bit big, but it’s plastic. If she drops it, nothing will be hurt but the salad.”

  “Good thinking.”

  “I’ve had some practice.”

  “So, I won’t try to take over and do things for her. Got it.”

  “She will try to get you to do her math, though. Don’t fall for it.”

  Once the table was set, they dove into dinner. Robyn served, dishing up a steak and potato for them, then putting salad in their bowls.

  “Can you moosh my potato? It’s hot.”

  He looked at Maddy’s earnest face and melted. Never in his life had he mooshed a child’s potato—or had taken care of a kid in that way at all, come to think of it. As he squeezed the potato open for her, adding butter, he was pleased that Maddy didn’t want to do quite everything for herself. It was nice to take care of something for her.

  “This is delicious,” he said. He closed his eyes in bliss as he chewed his steak.

  “I’m so glad you like it.”

  “Are you kidding? This is so tender and juicy, I’m in heaven.”

  They ate and he listened to them talk about their day, Maddy interjecting a million questions. A normal thing for a child her age, and he didn’t mind. The chatter was happy, and he was, too. He tried to tell himself not to get used to it. Not to fall for them both, but it was hard.

  He was afraid it was already too late.

  “Is that a real gun?”

  Maddy’s question surprised him, though it shouldn’t have. He knew she’d get around to asking eventually. Nodding, he answered, “Yes. It’s real. Do you know what to do if you ever see this gun, or any other one, lying on the table or anywhere?”

  She thought about that. “Don’t touch it.”

  “Exactly. That’s very smart,” he praised, and she sat up straighter. “I’m used to keeping it beside my bed at home, because I live alone. But since we’re spending time together, I’m probably going to get a lockbox for it, to put the gun inside when I take it off.”

  “Okay. Even if it’s not in the box, I won’t pick it up.”

  “Good girl.” The image of the gun in her small hands accidentally going off filled him with horror. He shook it off and silently vowed to buy a box tomorrow. First thing.

  Whether he and Robyn stayed together, it suddenly sounded like a good practice. Being a bachelor, he’d never given it much thought. At home he had the big safe in the closet, but the box could be moved around.

  They finished their meal and he helped Robyn clean up. Then Maddy skipped off to her room, claiming she had no homework. He wondered if that was true and chuckled. If he got his wish, he’d learn all sorts of things about kids.

  If not Maddy, then his child someday. Maybe he could have both?

  “What are you thinking so hard about?”

  He smiled. “Nothing.”

  After they were done, he went with her into the living room to curl up on the sofa, listen to music, and talk. Domestic, sure. Some of his bachelor friends would give him a hard time, but he didn’t care. They were just jealous if they made fun.

  At eight, Robyn went to run Maddy’s bath and he sat listening to the sounds of them talking, the little girl giggling. He also found his gaze straying toward the pictures of Greg, and resenting them. A ghost stood in the way of his moving forward with Robyn. As much as the man’s death had hurt her—and had no doubt been terrible to live through—Chris wanted her to himself. If that made him a selfish bastard, so be it.

  “Hey,” a soft voice said. Robyn joined him again, touching his face. “I keep meaning to take those down and move them to Maddy’s room for her to have. I just haven’t done it yet. I don’t really see those pictures most of the time.”

  Until then, he hadn’t realized he’d been scowling at the photos. He shrugged, not trusting himself to say something that would upset her. “It’s none of my business.”

  “I don’t want you to feel that way. That’s not how I feel.”

  “I don’t know how to respond,” he said truthfully. “I want to be a part of your life, and that means trust all around. I’m not sure you trust me.”

  “I want to,” she said softly. “The past is sometimes hard to shake.”

  “Let me help you, baby.”

  “Give me time. Please.”

  Aching inside, he nodded and stood. “I can do that. Not forever, but for a while.”

  “Where are you going? You’re not leaving?”

  “I need to go. I’ve got the alarm company coming in the morning and things to do. Walk me out?” It was an excuse and he knew it. But he needed to lick his wounds in private. “And you’ll be safe here. If you need me, call and I’ll be here right away.”

  “Okay.” She sounded disappointed.

  Taking her hand, he walked outside. On the porch, he framed her face in both hands and covered her mouth with his. Slipped his tongue inside and licked, tasting. He inhaled her sweet scent and tried not to think about losing her. His erection pushed insistently against its confines but he didn’t give in to his body’s demand. This didn’t feel like the right time for sex.

  Stepping back, he kissed her forehead. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “All right. Good night, Chris.”

  “Sleep tight.”

  It was so hard to leave. Got harder all the damned time, every second. He pulled out of the driveway and was back at his own house in minutes, but the short distance between them seemed like the Gulf of Mexico.

  As he stepped from his car, he was lost in thoughts of their evening. Which was why he almost missed the shadowy figure that ducked behind a bush on the side of the house.

  Every cell in his body fired in alarm, and his hand went to his side, unclipping the strap on his gun. He set out in a jog, determined to catch the bastard and find out if it was the same fucker who’d poisoned him.

  The prowler either heard or saw him coming, and bolted from his hiding place. He took off running, not caring about Chris’s shout.

  “Freeze! Police!”

  Yeah, that never worked except in movies. The asshole put on more speed, crossing the alley and ducking between two houses. Chris palmed his gun and ran as fast as he could. But being knocked on his ass with the poisoning, and being fresh from the hospital, had taken its toll. He pursued for three blocks before the suspect finally ditched him, and he came to a stop. Leaning over, he braced his hands on his knees and wheezed as though he was about to have that heart attack he’d narrowly avoided before.

  As he straightened, a wave of dizziness almost overcame him. He took two steps in the direction of home and knew his body was done. He�
��d finally pushed too far for one day.

  With a shaking hand, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and considered who to call for a ride. Robyn was out—he didn’t want her to wake Maddy. He tried Tonio, but the call went to voice mail. He didn’t leave a message. Shane and Daisy’s place wasn’t really close by, and he hated to drag them out of the house to carry him three blocks. He could call the station and have dispatch send the nearest squad car. But the thought of the guys knowing he was in such bad shape he couldn’t walk home?

  No. Not going to happen.

  There was nobody to call. So he somehow put one foot in front of the other and, a half hour or so later, made it home. After letting himself in, he trudged to the bedroom, undressed, and sprawled facedown on the bed.

  He was so exhausted tonight, an entire marching band could troop though his house, let alone a serial killer, and he’d never know it.

  With that disturbing thought, he promptly passed out.

  10

  “How’s it going, Chris?”

  “Man, that was a raw deal, what happened.”

  “Back already? Shit, I’d take the whole week off.”

  The greetings and back slaps hadn’t stopped all day, and Chris was ready for the news to become a thing of the past. He was attempting to hide behind some files on his desk when his cell phone buzzed. Checking the display, he picked up quickly. This was one call he absolutely wanted to take.

  “Detective Ford.”

  “Detective, this is Laura Eden,” she said in her pleasant, smoky voice. “I’m so sorry it’s taken me a few days to get back to you regarding that list of suspicious deaths that have come in to the hospital.”

  “I understand. I heard you were sick.”

  “I was stricken with the flu bug, and it wiped the floor with me. I’m back now and much better, and I’ve finally compiled the list. It’s as comprehensive as I can make it, since not all bodies come through the medical examiner’s office.”

  “Whatever you’ve got, I’ll be glad to take it.”

  “I had some help putting it together, and it includes all the deaths we could find that were not held for autopsy—which is most of them. There’s some interesting stuff on there, and I’d like to come by. Will you and the captain be around?”

  “We’ll be here.”

  Once they’d hung up, he called Rainey. The captain growled, “Yeah?”

  “Someone woke up grumpy.”

  “What do you fuckin’ want, Chris? I’m up to my ass in alligators.”

  “Eden is on her way with the list of suspicious deaths from the hospital. Says she has some things we’ll want to see.”

  “Good. Call me when she gets here.”

  “Will do.”

  Immersing himself in a different case, he heard her arrival before he saw it. Eden was a stunning woman whose beauty didn’t hint at the brains underneath. She was brilliant and, in a professional world dominated by men, frequently underestimated. She made no apologies and took shit off nobody.

  Her arrival caused the usual whistles and immature remarks as she passed through the main room, but she ignored them all. When she spotted Chris, he smiled and waved her in, then shut the door behind them.

  “Dr. Eden, how are you?”

  “Good, thanks. And you? I heard about your poisoning,” she said, expression serious.

  “Well, I came too freaking close to having my name added to your list. But I’m good.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, and to see you back at work.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  There was a knock on the door, and it opened. Rainey and Tonio stepped inside and shut it again. Chris wasn’t sure but he thought he saw the captain give Eden a longing look before schooling his face into a polite mask. Rumor had it that Rainey’s wife was a bitch on heels, and he had a thing for the ME. Poor bastard.

  “Here are your copies of the list, gentlemen. Detective Ford, you’ll note that your name is at the bottom, listed as a survivor. Your poisoning was cyanide, correct?”

  “Yes.” He knew her lab hadn’t done the tox screen, but she must have a reason to ask. He was right.

  “The three most recent victims I’ve been able to test have had conclusive results. They died of heart failure as a result of cyanide poisoning as well.”

  “Goddamn,” Rainey moaned. “We have a serial killer.”

  “That’s your call, but it would appear so, Captain.”

  Shit. Shit. “This is bad,” Chris said. “I think he came back night before last to creep around or finish me off maybe. He was hanging around my house wearing a hoodie. I chased him, but he got away.”

  “That would’ve been nice to know before now,” Tonio snapped.

  Chris frowned at him. “There’s nothing you could’ve done about it. He got away and I can’t identify him. But my alarm system got installed yesterday, so I’m ready if he comes back.”

  “My part is done, guys.” Eden stood. “I’m still trying to get permission to test the other victims, but it takes time to coordinate exhumations. Of course some families simply won’t agree, no matter what we tell them.”

  “Thanks for coming by, Dr. Eden,” Chris said.

  As she was leaving, Jenk stuck his head in the door and held up a manila envelope. “Got the test results back on that vial found behind Edward Burke’s house. Haven’t opened it yet.”

  “I’ll do the honors,” Chris said, standing to take the envelope from him. Ripping open the top, he extracted the report and whistled. “Well, this just gets more interesting. I’ll give you three guesses.”

  Tonio stared at him for a few seconds. “Poison?”

  “Yep.” Chris slapped the envelope and paper on the table. “Cyanide.”

  Rainey blew out a breath. “The same deadly poison at the scene of one of the burglaries. What the hell is going on?”

  “Let’s take a look at what Laura brought and see if anything starts to make sense,” Chris suggested.

  The three of them studied their lists. One name near the top caught his eye. “Sarah Fell. Why does that name sound familiar?”

  “I don’t know,” Tonio said, frowning. “It does, though.”

  “Fell. The only person I can think of is George Fell, who we talked to— Wait. Didn’t he say his wife, who passed away, was named Sarah?” Chris struggled to recall.

  “Here’s her address.” Tonio pointed. “Let’s check it against the burglary files.”

  Chris pulled the file from his desk and retrieved their list of burglary victims—and hit pay dirt. “Here’s the address, listed under George Fell. His wife died after the burglary,” he said, excitement growing. “Do we have more of these?”

  “Pauline Nicholson. We talked to her after we spoke with Fell. There’s a Leo Nicholson on Eden’s list of deceased. Heart attack, like all the others.”

  They all fell silent for a moment as the implication sank in.

  “Jesus,” Chris said at last. “The bastard is breaking in and slipping the poison into their homes, just like he did to mine. That’s why nothing was ever stolen from their residences. He wasn’t some voyeur—he was targeting them for death all along.”

  “God. But why?” Tonio sighed. “What’s he getting out of it?”

  Rainey interjected. “What do any of them get out of it? Smug satisfaction. A sexual thrill. Some are convinced they’re doing good by eradicating people who need killing.”

  Chris sat back. “We have to finish cross-referencing these lists and determine which deaths are connected to the burglaries.”

  “That could take a while,” Tonio said.

  “So we’d better get started.”

  * * *

  In the small bedroom, he paced. Filled with rage at the asshole who’d fucked up his beautiful plans.

  “Who survives that?”
he screamed. “Why didn’t he die? It was supposed to be perfect!”

  His mother, of course, didn’t answer. Just sat looking at him, her silence damning, her eyes accusing.

  “Shut up. You don’t care anyway.” A sob escaped his chest. “You never did, you bitch.”

  Neither did the others, but they’d pay. It was only fair and just, after what he’d been through. It was only right.

  He’d see the last one of them burn in hell . . . And then he’d gladly follow.

  * * *

  A trying day at the hospital might have been made a whole lot better with a visit from Chris. She hadn’t heard from him in the three days he’d been back at work, and she was afraid she’d royally screwed things up between them.

  “Smile, Doc. Things aren’t as bad as that frown on your face.”

  Robyn jerked out of her musings and turned her head to see Shea standing there wearing a sympathetic expression. “I think I messed up, and I don’t know how to fix it.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Chris hasn’t called me or come by the house in three days,” she lamented. “I told him I needed time to tell him the story of Greg, and he said it was okay. But I could tell I hurt him. What if he’s given up?”

  Shea set a chart on the nurse’s desk and regarded her thoughtfully. “Sweetie, the man is one hundred percent over the moon about you. And Maddy. I’ve witnessed him around you, remember? Chris is not going to give up the best thing that’s happened to him in a long time, especially not over one simple disagreement. If you can even call it that.”

  “You think so?”

  “Everybody has baggage. Even me. For a long time, I didn’t want to tell Tommy about my past, but it wasn’t because I didn’t trust him. It was just so painful I didn’t want to relive it. Tommy understood, and Chris does, too. I’m sure of it.”

  “But . . . I haven’t heard from him at all. Not a word.”

  “Shane said some case Chris and Tonio are working on is heating up. As in, major break. I’m going to venture a guess that’s why he’s been quiet.”

  “You’re probably right again.”