by Mary Burton
A flash of anger popped in her eyes before she hid it. “A lot of details are hazy, but that one is not. I never, ever slept with that guy. I saw the way he treated Kristen.”
“You sure? ”
“She was the one that liked the slimy bastard. Not me. She’s the one that hid the bruises he gave her and made excuses for his temper outbursts.”
“Why would she lie about the affair?”
She hesitated, her hands trembling just a little. “Kristen does two things well in life. She uses people and she lies.”
King pushed through the door behind the bar. “Eva. Need a hand.”
“Be right there. I’ll check on your order.”
“Sure.”
Garrison sipped his beer as he watched her walk away. He found that he enjoyed the sway of her hips.
Eva’s heart slammed her chest as she moved through the door. Sheltered by the kitchen, she let her shoulders slump forward. Shit. Cops in general rattled her, but it seemed this guy could get under her skin like no other. “What do you need, King?”
King looked up from the grill. “Nothing. You just looked like you could use a break.”
She rubbed the back of her neck with her hand. “You saw us? ”
“King sees all.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
King arched a brow. “Want me to toss him out?”
“He’s a cop.”
He flipped a burger on the grill and then lowered a basket of string potatoes into the fryer. “I’m not so partial to cops. In fact, I’d enjoy tossing him out.”
“I can handle him. But thanks.”
“Sure thing, doll.”
“Where’s Bobby?”
“Just ran upstairs to get another pen. Those pens and pencils you bought the kid have kept him busy for hours.”
“He’s very smart. Given a little time and attention and he’d rise to the top of his class.”
“Yeah,” King said. “He’s a good boy.”
She noted the full trash can and grabbed the excuse not to return back to the bar right away. “While I’m here I’ll haul the trash out.”
“Thanks, kid. I hate that job.”
She pulled the plastic bag from the can, grunting a little as she wrestled with the weight. “Do you toss bricks away?”
He chuckled as he flipped a burger. “Cinder blocks.”
She pulled the bag free, sealed the top and hauled it out the back door toward the dented green Dumpster. She hated the alley, especially at night, but she never shied from the task because fear did not rule her.
She half dragged and half carried the bag. Despite the cool air and the musty smells of the alley, it felt good to be outside and away from the stuffy bar. She opened the Dumpster and tossed in the trash. In no rush to go back inside, she moved slowly down the alley taking time to look at the stars above.
She was nearly at the back door when she saw a flicker of movement from the shadows. Tensing, she paused. She thought about Lisa and Sara. Stabbed. Mutilated. God, why had she come out here alone?
“Who is that?” she said in a clear loud voice. Her answer amounted to the sounds of scraping. Something scurried along the edge of the alley. “I sure hope that’s you, little kitten, and not a big rat. Here, kitty-kitty?”
She glanced at the bowl Bobby had left out for the kitten. Empty. “Kitty?”
A soft meowing from behind the Dumpster had her smiling in relief. “Kitty, I’ll get you more kibbles.”
As she scooped up his bowl and turned, she found herself face-to-face with Bruce Radford when he stepped out of the shadows. The guy looked twice as big as he had the other night.
Eva started to back up, her hands up in surrender. “I don’t want any trouble. I was just doing my job, Mr. Radford.”
He clenched large fists. “You should have minded your own business. You and that bitch wife of mine can’t leave well enough alone.”
“Hey, that was just business and nothing personal. In fact, I’m sorry for your marital troubles.” She clutched the cat bowl, wondering if she threw it just right if it would hit him.
He stepped toward her. “It was damn personal to me. You should have stayed the hell away.”
She glanced from side to side, wondering if anyone would hear her scream out here. The music in the pub would drown out her screams, and outrunning this guy down a darkened alley didn’t appear feasible. Still, running was the only option.
As she turned, he reached out and grabbed her, jerking her around and slamming her into the wall.
Images of Josiah slamming her against the floor exploded in her head. Josiah had told her not to scream or he’d kill her so she’d mutely taken his cruelty. But this time was different. She was different. This time she’d fight even if it meant dying.
Eva raised the cat bowl and slammed it against his head as hard as she could. He groaned in pain as she screamed until her throat burned.
He clamped a hand over her mouth and sneered. “Shut the fuck up, bitch.” To add weight to his words he slammed her against the wall again. The second impact knocked the breath out of her lungs and her knees buckled. He snatched the cat bowl from her hand and tossed it aside. His erection pushed against her belly. “When you fight, it excites me more because I know you’re afraid and I will do whatever I want to you.”
“I’m not afraid.”
He laughed. “When I’m finished with you you’re gonna look like hamburger. The cops won’t know which piece to pick up first.” He pulled his hand away to kiss her mouth.
“Fuck you,” she managed. When Cross had attacked her, she’d begged him to stop. No begging tonight. She jabbed her knee into his groin. His painful grunt sounded sweet.
But she didn’t have time to gloat. He shoved his forearm into her neck and started to choke the breath from her lungs. “I’m gonna drag you far away from here and tear you apart bit by bit.”
She started to see spots and feared her last conscious image would be his ugly face. Desperation clawing at her, she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked as hard as she could. When he recoiled, she drove her foot down his shin. Prison had taught her a few valuable lessons.
In the distance, she heard a door open and close, but she didn’t dare remove her gaze from Radford. He growled with pain and reached for her T-shirt, jerking her hard against him. Fabric ripped as he grabbed her ponytail and jerked her head back so hard her neck hurt.
He reached for the snap of her pants and jerked it open. Smiling, his gaze bore into her. “This is gonna be fun.”
He forced her zipper down and his hand into her panties. Sweat pooled on her back as she tried to jab her knee into his groin, but he easily blocked her moves. The muscles in her body tensed. During those terrifying moments when Cross had held her prisoner and brutalized her, she’d been too terrified to bargain with God. This time she’d deal with Satan to stop a second rape.
Think, Eva. Think. You can stop him!
She curled her fingers into fists and rammed them into his Adam’s apple. He drew back and sputtered. This time he drew back his fist ready to slam her in the face. She braced for pain.
Before she could frame the next thought, his weight lifted. Without him supporting her, she dropped to her knees and started to gasp for air. Her hand clutched at the base of her throat, she looked up, trying to figure out what had happened.
Garrison slammed Radford face first against the wall and hooked the guy’s arm behind him, wrenching it so hard she heard joints crack.
“That bitch isn’t worth your trouble.”
Garrison twisted harder and shoved Radford’s face harder against the brick wall. “Don’t you move a damn inch,” Garrison growled, “or I swear I’ll rip your arm off.”
Eva held her hand to her throat, which still burned with the heat of Radford’s fingers. Her heart pounded as long-buried fears rose to life.
She zipped up and fastened her pants, her hands trembling so badly it took a couple of tries to get the snap fastened. Garrison had s
aved her.
“Let me go,” Radford said.
“Shut up.” Garrison’s powerful muscles strained against his pants. “Eva, are you all right?”
“Yes. Yes. I’m fine.”
“Did he hurt you?” The note of concern in his voice surprised her.
“No. Nothing permanent.”
“I didn’t hurt her,” Radford said. “I just wanted to scare her.”
Eva willed her legs to move forward. “He would’ve killed me.”
Radford tried to twist his head so he could look at her. “That’s a lie.”
Garrison shoved him back against the wall. “If you know what’s good for you, you will keep your mouth shut.” His gaze didn’t flicker off Radford. “Who is this guy?”
“I served him with a subpoena a few days ago. His wife is divorcing him. I was waiting for him at his house the night of the fire.”
“Is that true, Radford? She served you with papers?” Garrison said.
“She sure did. Monday night. Bitch hid the papers in flowers. Pretended to be a delivery person. Shit. It’s people like that bitch who drove her away from me,” the guy said.
“How’d you find me?” Eva said.
Radford grinned. “Friend at DMV ran your plates.”
Garrison frowned. “I’m gonna need that friend’s name.”
“I’ll call 911,” Eva said. The terror had faded for now, leaving a rush of adrenaline that left her mind jazzed and hungry for something to do.
“King already did,” Garrison said.
King burst through the back alley door, a meat cleaver in his hand. “Cops are on the way.”
Eva had to smile as she looked at her knight. “It’s okay, King. No knives necessary.”
King’s gaze narrowed. “Why not? I wouldn’t mind carving him up.”
Garrison kept his gaze on Radford. “Thanks for the offer, but for now stand down. ”
Garrison’s feet remained braced and she noted his gun holster. Seconds later the bright lights of two cars arrived at the lips of the alley. Two uniformed cops ran down the alley, guns drawn. When they saw Garrison had Radford restrained, one holstered his weapon while the other kept his trained on the man.
Garrison gave the cops a rundown of what happened and stood beside Eva as she told her story. After she signed a statement, they dragged Radford to the back of the squad car and took him away.
Eva stood silent and stunned as the cop lights retreated and faded. “Well, that’s that.”
She took one step and faltered, her ruined nerves belying her nonchalance. She tripped and had to stop and gather her thoughts before she could move forward.
“You’re not okay,” Garrison said.
“I’m fine. Just shaken.”
He captured her elbow in his large hand. “Let’s get you back inside.”
The top of her head barely reached his shoulders and she suspected his weight doubled hers. This close she could see that not an ounce of fat clung to Garrison’s frame. All muscle. Power. Normally, she stayed clear of men like him. Too risky. Dangerous. He could overpower her with less effort than Radford had used, but possessed a steady calmness that eased her nerves. He smelled of male earthiness and the faintest hint of aftershave. “Thank you.”
He looked at her for the first time since he’d charged into the alley. Concern tempered the anger in his gaze. “Your neck is red. You should see a doctor.”
“I’ve survived worse. This is nothing.”
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t see a doctor.”
“I’m good.” She didn’t have insurance and cringed at the expense of an emergency room trip.
King clenched his bat. “I’m grateful you were here, Detective. I can swing a bat if need be, but I don’t move so fast. ”
Garrison nodded. “If you hadn’t started yelling, I’d not have known what was happening until it was too late.”
Too late. Eva understood too late. No one had saved her from Cross.
“I’m fine. I’ve a shift to finish.”
King shook his head. “You’ll sit on that fanny of yours and ease up. That’s an order.”
“I’ve dishes to wash, a register to cash out and"—her head spun—"stuff to do.”
Garrison applied firm steady pressure, gently guiding her back through the kitchen into the bar. He sat her at a booth. “Don’t move.”
She’d have argued if she’d had the energy. But her head spun and her neck still burned. A swell of emotions triggered by the attack rose up in her, clawing at her insides. Damn Radford. Damn him!
Garrison set a soda in front of her and took the seat across from her. “Drink.”
Hearing Garrison’s voice steadied her emotions and she was grateful to have the soda to sip. Her cola eased the soreness in her throat, now raw from screaming. “Thanks again.”
King arrived at the table and set two menus down. “Order dinner. It’s on me.”
“I ordered roast beef at the bar,” Garrison said. “And I’ll pay.”
“I’ll make you a fresh one,” King said. “It’s cold by now. And you won’t pay. Eva, what are you gonna eat?”
“I’m okay.”
“Stop your yapping and pick something,” King said.
Eva didn’t bother with the menu. “Burger.”
“Don’t you move,” King said to Eva. “No work. Sit. Rest.”
“Okay.”
“She won’t go anywhere,” Garrison said. When King had left, he said again, “You sure you’re okay?”
“Why do you keep asking?”
“I read your police file from ten years ago, Eva. That kind of trauma doesn’t evaporate.”
Embarrassment washed over her. “I know.”
“You’ve nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I know that. I did nothing wrong.” She’d told herself that so many times, she just about believed it now.
“Reading your police files made me cringe. You must have been terrified.”
“I didn’t know fear could be so intense that you could actually get sick to your stomach.” She rubbed her eyes.
“You ever get counseling?”
“Some in prison. It helped to know I wasn’t alone.”
King arrived with their plates and set them on the table. “Detective, be sure she eats her dinner. She’s bad about eating.”
Garrison kept his gaze on Eva. “Understood.”
Eva squirmed under his gaze. A sudden wave of desire moved through her body, making her wonder if she had lost her mind. “I eat enough, King.”
King rolled his eyes. “Don’t believe her. She works too hard. Burns the candle at both ends.”
Garrison nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Eva dropped her gaze to her plate, taking a sudden interest in the ruffled potato chips.
Garrison studied her. He seemed to sense a raw nerve, but instead of pressing, he said, “So who is that kid I saw here the other night? He your son?”
That surprised her. “He’s not my son. He’s King’s foster son.”
“Who’s his mom?”
“King hasn’t said much about the boy’s past.”
Dark eyes assessed so very carefully. “You’re always on pins and needles around me.” He rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “I’m not out to get you, Eva.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” She met his gaze. “You’re a cop. You’re investigating two murders. I knew both the victims. I’m an ex-con. And I’ve learned the hard way that the less said to cops the better.” She started to rise.
“King told you to take a break. So prove to me you’re not nervous and sit and eat.” A grin softened his face in ways that made trust tempting. “We’ll talk about the weather. That should be safe enough.”
“The weather?”
“Maybe basketball. ”
The tension in her gut didn’t ease, but she sat back in her seat. “You use that smile of yours like a weapon.”
“How so?”
“To throw people off guard.”
The smile widened. “Is it working?”
She ate a chip. “Unfortunately.”
“Good.” He took a few bites of his roast beef sandwich. “So when you go to school, what do you plan to study?”
“I don’t want to talk about me. Let’s talk about you.”
His defenses rose. “Sure.”
“I see no wedding ring. Is there a Mrs. Cop at home?”
“No.”
She studied him. “Terse and to the point, which tells me there was a Mrs.”
“You’re sharp. Yeah, there was a Mrs. She died.”
Her brow knotted. “I’m sorry.”
“It happens.”
“How?”
He set his sandwich down and wiped his hands with his napkin. “For someone who doesn’t worry about the past, you sure are interested in mine.”
She shrugged, no hint of an apology. “You got to read files on me and I’ll bet you called the prison.”
He’d never talked to Macy about his wife or his sister and yet he heard himself saying, “My sister died of cystic fibrosis in high school. She was fifteen. My wife was a lost soul and I thought I could save her. I couldn’t.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I was young and determined to fix the world.”
“Which isn’t possible.”
“I’ve settled for saving little pieces at a time.”
For the first time she presented him with a warm smile. The look transformed her face, adding a glow that appealed to him far too much. Then she seemed to catch herself.
“Where’d the smile go?” he said.
“It just hit me that I’m having too good a time.”
That pleased him. “That’s bad?”
“Trusting you is dangerous. ”
“I’m a good guy. All I’m trying to do is enjoy a meal.”
She laughed out loud. “Right.”
Lou sat in the basement room thumbing through the Price yearbook. The book spine had cracked at the pages containing images of Lisa, Sara, Kristen and Eva. Of course, there were the class pictures. They smiled so neatly and carefully into the camera lens. Seemingly so perfect and sweet. The world didn’t know that beneath the smiles lurked such vile evil.
The formal portraits weren’t nearly as revealing as the photo snapped in front of the sorority house. Lisa, Sara and Kristen stood in the center of the front row of girls while Eva stood in the back to the left. All the girls smiled, but in this image, all four girls looked boldly at the camera. They all mocked the world and sent the silent message that only they knew The Secret.
