Brooke sank into a chair.
“I’ll take care of Sunshine.” Chris tossed Brooke an ice pack and scooped kibble into the dog’s bowl. Sunshine crushed through her dinner and woofed at the back door. Chris let her out.
Brooke settled the ice on the only part of her body that wasn’t freezing, her flaming knee. The cold sent a shiver rattling through her skeleton.
Haley dropped her backpack on the floor. “I’ll pack lunches.”
“Thanks.” Her kids’ unsolicited help warmed Brooke’s cold bones. Haley tossed yogurt and fruit into two insulated pouches. Chris preferred cafeteria food.
Haley stashed the lunch bags in the fridge and sat down next to Brooke. “Is Maddie going to be OK?”
Brooke wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulders. The kids were still processing the news. Heck, Brooke was still processing what happened at the hospital. The attacker had waltzed into a busy hospital, and no one had noticed. It seemed unreal. Impossible. “The police are going to watch her 24-7. They won’t let anything happen to her.”
Haley twisted a lock of hair. “She must be scared.”
“I’m sure she is.”
Chris was filling a glass with water, but his head was tilted as if he was listening.
“Are you scared?” Brooke asked.
Haley looked away. She shrugged.
Brooke’s chest ached. She wanted to tell them there was no danger, that they were completely safe, but they weren’t babies anymore. A stuffed bear standing guard at the foot of the bed wasn’t enough. They deserved the truth. “We’re going to lock the house up tight, and we’re not going anywhere alone until this man is caught. OK?”
“OK.” Haley nodded. “I’m going to bed.”
“Wake me if you can’t sleep.” Brooke hugged her. “That goes for you too, Chris.”
“I’ll be fine.” He set the empty glass in the sink.
Luke clumped up the wooden basement steps, passed through the kitchen, and headed upstairs. Five minutes later, he reappeared. “Coast is clear.”
Exhausted, the kids went upstairs.
“Can I make you something to eat? Casserole?” Luke asked.
“I’m not hungry. Maybe some tea.”
“Tired?” He filled the kettle and lit the burner under it. Branches scraped the kitchen window as wind rattled the oak out back. At the dog’s bark, Luke let her in. Sunshine ambled to Brooke for a head scratch, then stretched out on the floor next to her chair.
“Yes, but I’m in no rush to close my eyes.” She was going to relive Maddie’s despair all night. The frantic hopelessness in her voice and the raw terror in her eyes would haunt Brooke for a long time.
“Maybe the cops will catch this guy fast. It sounded like the Hillside PD is making progress and that the towns are coordinating their efforts in the investigation.”
“Even if they catch a rapist, the DNA tests will take weeks, at best.” Fresh horror swept through her. “What if the Hillside police make an arrest and feel strongly that it’s the same man? They’ll likely pull Maddie’s guard. And it’ll still be possible that they have the wrong man. She’ll be terrified and vulnerable.”
As would Brooke and her kids.
“How are the kids coping?” Luke asked.
Brooke adjusted her ice pack. “I’m sure they’re more frightened than they’ll admit. Since the divorce, they both seem to think they have to act like adults.”
“Was the split hard on them?”
“Ian traveled a lot. They were already used to him not being here. He liked the idea of having a wife and kids more than the reality.” Sadness filled her throat. Her kids were too old to be shielded from the truth. “I can tell them the divorce was a mutual decision until I’m blue, but Ian moved two hours away. He only sees them twice a month. They’re smart kids. Their father chose his lifestyle over them. They know it.”
“It must be hard not to be able to shield them.”
Fear welled fresh in Brooke’s chest. “God, Luke. What am I going to do if they don’t catch this guy?”
The tea kettle hissed. Luke froze for a few seconds. Then, with a harsh breath, he poured steaming water over tea bags in two mugs. “Maybe it’s too early to think of the worst-case scenario.”
Where else would she start? One thing was certain. She couldn’t just sit around and hope the police solved the case. “I’d like to check my notes on this other rape case. Let’s go into my office.”
Luke, carrying the mugs of tea, followed her to her office down the hall. Brooke cringed. There were piles of books and folders and papers on every available surface. She shifted some piles from the desk to the floor. Luke set the mugs down and cleared a chair while Brooke booted up her laptop. She sipped tea while the machine chugged to life. The hot liquid did little to dispel her chill.
The home screen appeared. Brooke typed HILLSIDE JOGGER RAPE into the search engine. While the computer chugged away, she pulled a file out of her desk and removed a local newspaper article. She skimmed the details.
Luke pulled out a chair and dropped into it. “You knew about the Hillside case?”
“I keep up with sexual assaults and homicides in the surrounding area. The Hillside victim was grabbed while jogging at twilight. The guy dragged her off the main path, hit her a couple of times, and raped her. The attack was interrupted by a couple of mountain bikers.” Brooke scrolled down the page. “But he didn’t wear a mask, just a hood and a bandana over his nose and mouth.”
Luke pointed to her laptop. “Your search is up.”
She went back to the computer, selected a link, and clicked. “The bandana fell down during the struggle, giving the victim and witnesses a look at his face. The police put up a composite sketch.”
She turned the computer to give Luke a better view.
“With the facial hair and hoodie, he looks like the Unabomber.”
Brooke studied the drawing. “Maddie’s assailant wore a ski mask.”
“Maybe be learned his lesson.”
“Maybe.” Brooke pulled up a second article. “But this guy didn’t wear gloves either. Or a condom. He left DNA behind.”
“Except for the gloves and mask, it sounds a lot like Maddie’s attacker,” Luke pointed out. “You don’t know if he was going to use a condom or not. Thanks to you, he didn’t get that far.”
But something about the idea wasn’t right. “It wasn’t cold enough for gloves last night. He wore them because he didn’t want to leave fingerprints. I doubt very much that Maddie’s attacker wouldn’t have used a condom.”
Luke considered her argument. “Yeah, that doesn’t make any sense.”
“The Hillside attacker was careless. That attack doesn’t have the same planned feel as Maddie’s. Also, the Hillside rapist didn’t choke his victim.”
“So?”
“So, Maddie’s assailant wanted to kill her.” Brooke tapped her fingers on the table. “No, I don’t have any proof of this, just the way he was choking her…” The sheer level of violence sent a fresh chill sliding through Brooke’s belly. She sipped more tea. “At the time, I had no doubt killing her was his ultimate intention.”
Luke didn’t respond.
“Statistically most women are attacked by men they know, though not necessarily know well. She might not have noticed him, but she caught his interest somewhere. School. Work. Maybe he sees her in a coffee shop every morning or goes to her gym. He could have done work on her parents’ house or fixed her car, but there’s usually some connection.”
Luke tested the tea, then set it down and pushed it aside.
He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. Heat seeped from his skin to hers. Much better than the tea. “The police will figure all that out. They have DNA to compare. No guessing there. It’s frustrating the results take so long, but when they’re in, everyone will be sure, one way or the other.”
But for now, a violent man was free. No one was safe—not Maddie or Brooke or her kids.
&n
bsp; “They’ll do everything they can.” She grabbed a small tablet and flipped to a fresh page. She wrote down the name of Maddie’s ex and the boy she liked. Next she listed all the places Maddie had mentioned: Forever Fitness, Lark County Community College, her place of employment.
Luke cocked his head to read. “What are you doing?”
“Just making a list of the places Maddie goes regularly. Her attacker knows her from somewhere. He picked her. He stalked her. He fixated on her.”
Brooke would bet on it. Real predators didn’t wait for a victim to wander into striking distance. They hunted.
She listed the similarities and differences in the two cases. With her thoughts jotted down, she felt more settled. Weariness sagged over her. She started a file for Maddie and put her notes inside it.
Luke glanced around her office. “Why didn’t you chuck teaching and become a cop?”
“After Karen died, I moved back home. Ian and I got married right away and the kids came along pretty fast. I wanted normal so badly, I did everything I could to get it.” Brooke paused, the memory raw as a wound. “Anyway, doing what I do,” she swept a hand in the air over her files, “lets me help hundreds of young women. I can give them an edge Karen and I didn’t have when we went out into the world. We were so naïve.” She swallowed her bitterness.
Luke moved his hand as if he was going to touch hers, but he pulled away before making contact. Disappointment added to Brooke’s exhaustion. What did she expect? That he was going to swoop in and carry her off on a white horse? Even fairy tales were usually pretty grim.
“I need to go to bed.” She powered down her computer.
Luke got up. He took both mugs to the sink, rinsed them, and put them in the dishwasher. Brooke placed her palms on the table and pushed to her feet.
“You don’t have to get up,” Luke said. “I can let myself out and lock up. Unless you want your key back?”
“No. You hold on to it.” She wasn’t sure why this gave her some comfort, but it did.
Brooke followed Luke to the front door. One glance at the painted white steel door brought the memory of their almost-kiss flooding back. Her exhausted muscles loosened. If her kids weren’t there, and if he weren’t so obviously trying to keep his distance, she’d have taken him by the hand and led him to her bedroom.
But that wasn’t going to happen.
God, she was tired of maintaining control.
“Thank you for everything today. I don’t know what I would’ve done—”
“Sh.” He pressed a finger to her lips. The green of his eyes darkened to emerald. Was he thinking about their earlier moment? “I’ll be back early. Call my cell if you need me. I’m only a few minutes away.”
He stepped back and stared up the stairs, tight-lipped, for a few seconds. Then, as if he’d made a decision, he jerked open the door. Cold air blasted into the foyer.
“Goodnight, Brooke,” he said without looking back at her.
She watched his sedan back out of the driveway. Red taillights faded into the night. She closed the door and secured the deadbolt. She limped upstairs to her room. Tossing her clothes on top of her overflowing hamper, she tugged on loose pajamas. Face washed and teeth brushed, she slipped between the sheets and stared at the ceiling. After spending an entire day in Luke’s company, his absence was glaring. She swept a hand over the empty bed next to her. Tugging the extra pillow closer, she hugged it against her body, but a pillow was no replacement for a warm body. Her mind refused to shut off. She lay still, concentrating on every noise and categorizing its probable source.
She got out of bed and went to her closet. In the back was the gun safe her father had installed when Haley was born. She entered the combination and opened the heavy door. Inside, one lone weapon, her dad’s old shotgun, leaned in the corner. She slid the gun under her bed and tucked a few shells into her pocket, but she didn’t feel any safer.
If someone broke into the house, would she hear? Would she wake in time to use the gun? She lay still, listening to the trees move outside her window. The house settled with a low groan. Brooke burrowed under her comforter, but the fear lodged in her bones chilled her from the inside out. A gust of wind pushed against the glass, seeking weakness, looking for a way in.
Luke zipped his jacket against a current of air that slid into his collar and encircled his neck. He walked to his car and stood beside it. Behind him, the glare of Brooke’s porch light and lamppost were the only visible sources of light. No streetlights out here. None of the neon signs or headlights of New York City.
His eyes adjusted to the dark, and he scanned the fallow fields that surrounded Brooke’s house. Across the road, the slope climbed to a distant stand of trees, black and shapeless in the dark. Behind the house, grass rolled down into the shadowed foothills.
He looked at the old house, standing alone on the hillside. The front of the house was dark, but Brooke’s bedroom was around back. Was she getting ready for bed? How soundly did she sleep? Would she wake up if someone broke in? And what would she do if she encountered an intruder?
Blood spreading toward him. Sherry’s glassy stare.
Sweat dripped down Luke’s back.
He stomped to his car, yanked the door open, and climbed behind the wheel. Shifting into reverse, he gave the car more gas than he’d intended. His tires spit gravel. He eased off the pedal and backed out of the driveway.
The drive to his grandmother’s house took less than ten minutes. The house still smelled of cookies. Luke walked back to the kitchen. Gran sat at the table, a mug of tea at her elbow, a crossword in front of her. A dark blue robe covered flannel pajamas. She always seemed to be cold lately. She looked at him over the top of her reading glasses. “Is everything all right with Brooke and the children?”
“Yes, ma’am.” Luke dropped into a chair. He turned her puzzle toward him and read one of the clues. ORANGE ______ TEA.
Gran watched him. “What’s wrong, Lucas?” When Luke was young, he could hide things from his busy parents, but he’d never been able to pull anything over on Gran. He might not have told her about Sherry, but she knew something was up.
“I don’t like leaving them alone.” Luke picked up her pencil and filled in nine across, PEKOE.
Gran sipped her tea.
Luke dropped the pencil. “I’m going back over there. I’m sorry, Gran.” Luke stood and bent down to kiss his grandmother’s cheek. “I’m not comfortable leaving them alone all night.”
“I would hope not.” His grandmother clutched the lapels of her robe at the base of her throat. “Why would you be sorry about that?”
“I came here to spend some time with you.”
Gran squeezed his hand, her seemingly frail fingers surprisingly strong. “I love that you’ve come to visit me, but what’s important right now is protecting Brooke and her children.”
It was bad enough he’d failed Sherry. Luke couldn’t let anything happen to Brooke or her kids. “Thanks for understanding.”
She released his hand. “Go on. Get out of here.”
Luke ran up to his room. He yanked his overnight bag from the closet. A change of clothes and his shaving kit went inside. He jogged back down the stairs. His grandmother was in the hall.
“Lock the door behind me.”
Gran touched his forearm. “Be careful, Lucas. I love you.”
“Me too.” Luke drove back to Brooke’s house. In the driveway, he paused. He didn’t want to scare her by just walking in. He could knock. No, waking the kids wasn’t necessary. He sent her a text.
OUTSIDE. COMING IN.
Hoping she would agree to let him stay, he waited a couple of minutes. Then he unlocked the door and went inside, careful to step over the sleeping dog. He heard the slap of her tail on the hardwood. Sunshine scrambled to her feet as Luke secured the deadbolt.
“Brooke?” Scratching the dog behind her ears, he called softly up the stairs.
Floorboards squeaked at the back of the house. The
hall light snapped on. Luke blinked.
“Luke?” Brooke stepped into view. “What are you doing here? Did you forget something?”
“No. After what happened with Maddie today, um…” Warmth flooded the back of Luke’s neck. What was that behind her? “I thought I’d crash on your couch. Is that a gun?”
“Yes.” She hefted it higher. “I hate that I got it out.”
“Not me. I’m damned glad to see it.” Luke walked down the hall toward her. The overhead light glared down on her face. Exhaustion bruised the thin skin under her eyes. He wasn’t much of a hero, but she didn’t know that. With no warning, there hadn’t been anything he could do for Sherry. But he knew about the danger to Brooke, and he had to do everything in his power to protect her.
“Thank you.” Brooke’s voice was weary. “I’d say it wasn’t necessary, but I feel better now that you’re here.”
Her affirmation unleashed a few gallons of testosterone. The heat from his neck flushed right through his face, then lower. “I thought you went to bed?”
“I couldn’t sleep. I went down to my office to grade some tests.” She ducked into her office and turned off the light. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch. You can have Wade’s room upstairs. He’s not using it.”
And be that close to her all night? Probably not a good idea. Not only would he lie awake thinking about her, sleeping in the next room, but what if his nighttime horror flick decided to run a midnight showing? There was no way he could handle anyone seeing him thrash around on the floor like he’d been Tased. “I’d rather be down here where I can hear someone outside.”
“All right. You can sleep in the den. The sofa is longer, and you’ll have more privacy than in the living room.”
Luke followed her through the kitchen, past her office, and into a comfortable room with a medium-size flat screen. Under the TV was the requisite plethora of teenage-boy electronic toys.
Brooke leaned the gun in the corner and opened a closet. She pulled out a pillow and sheets. “There’s a blanket on the back of the couch. The sofa opens into a bed, but honestly, it’s more comfortable as it is.” As usual, she put everyone else’s well-being before her own needs. Like now, when he should be waiting on her.
She Can Scream (She Can Series) Page 10
