by Jo Davis
But the day can always get worse, he reminded himself.
The chirp of the cell phone on his nightstand jerked him from the pleasant fog of near sleep. Propping himself on one elbow, he peered at the caller ID. BLOCKED NUMBER. For two seconds, he considered letting it go to voice mail. But in his line of work, the caller might be any number of people.
Son of a bitch, this better be important. He snatched the phone, imagining it was the caller’s throat. “Hello?”
A low male voice sent a shiver down his spine. “I took care of her, the dumb bitch. She learned her lesson about getting near the likes of you.”
“What?” He blinked in confusion. “I’m sorry. You must have the wrong number.”
“Oh, I have the right number, Captain Rainey.” A low laugh sounded from the other end. “I had to make my point, because you’re just not getting it.”
Cold fingers curled around his heart and squeezed. Austin sat up, the sheets falling to his hips. “Who the hell is this? What point?”
The voice tightened, became more clipped. “You ruined my life, and now I’m going to ruin yours.”
He searched the shadows of his bedroom, the shrinking steel band constricting his lungs. “How did I ruin your life?”
The caller ignored the question. “I’m going to punish you until you can’t take any more. Then I’m going to end you.”
“Did you kill Matt Blankenship? My wife and son? Because I swear to God—”
“Sweet dreams, Rainey. I’m gonna sleep like a baby.”
The line went dead.
Austin’s thoughts shattered and he stared into nothingness. Blank with shock, unable to react. Phone in hand, he sat motionless, heart slamming in his chest. Long after he should’ve called Glenn, Danny, and his detectives.
Long after the revelation froze his blood in horror, and he began to shake.
“Oh my God,” he whispered, closing his eyes. “Oh God.”
The monster on the phone had killed his family.
And his reign of terror had just begun.
4
Austin strode through the station, fielding the expected greetings from officers and other staff members who hadn’t seen him since his major fuckup followed by the hospital stay.
It was humbling to say the least. He was not in the best of moods when he arrived at Glenn’s office, shutting the door behind him. Danny was already there and the two men studied him in concern.
Danny frowned. “Jesus, you look terrible.”
Austin snarled a curse and dropped into a chair next to his friend. He ran a hand down his face, drawn and haggard from little sleep. His knew his eyes were bloodshot and tired.
“The tap is in place on my phones, both here and at home,” Austin announced. “For all the good it will do.”
The chief leaned forward, all traces of his earlier humor vanished. “Do you have any idea at all how in the hell you picked up a stalker? Think back months, years. A strange case, or an altercation with one of your arrests that might not have seemed important at the time. Anything.”
He shook his head. “All he said was that I ruined his life, and now he’s going to ruin mine. I have no idea who he could be.”
“Austin,” Danny said gently. “What about Ashley? Could the caller have ties to her?”
He stared at the lieutenant. “What do you mean?”
“Do you think maybe she was seeing someone? Maybe she was having an affair and he blames you for ruining things when she got pregnant with your child?”
Those words hit his gut as though Danny had struck him. “No. Ashley wasn’t seeing anyone,” he insisted. “She’s a victim. She’s got nothing to do with this other than being used to punish me.”
“All I’m suggesting is another angle. It’s possible—”
“No!” Austin took a deep breath. “I know where you’re going and I’m telling you to forget it. I won’t accept that.”
Glenn held up a hand. “All right. We’ll table that discussion for now.”
Austin let it drop, but figured Danny would still check out his theory. A good investigator never left any loose ends once a question was raised and Austin couldn’t fault him for that. But he was also just as certain that road would go nowhere.
Glenn rose from his chair and skirted his desk, perching one hip on the corner, hands clasped in front of him. Sympathy warmed his gaze.
“Austin,” Byrne began carefully. “You’re a good cop and a terrific investigator. You know it’s typical for a killer to stalk the object of his rage for years before giving in to the need to act on his fantasy. Given the nature and timing of your wife’s murder, along with Blankenship’s, the phone call? We can’t ignore the fact that he’s connected to you somehow.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s all we’ve got right now.” Austin looked away, shaking his head. “God knows I keep searching for answers until I think I’ll lose my mind. I’ve started looking at my past cases again, adding to the list of which criminals might’ve held a serious enough grudge against me to actually follow through with killing. But the idea that Ashley and my child were murdered because of me . . .”
He couldn’t imagine anything more horrible and doubted he ever would. The pain was still so raw and consuming. Austin had fallen into a black pit in the weeks following Ashley’s funeral. Now that he’d managed to start pulling himself together, he was determined to make her murderer pay for taking her life, and their child’s.
“I know how you feel, but I have to look into Ashley’s personal life and double-check for any connection to the Blankenship murder or her killer,” Danny said quietly. “In fact, I already started.”
A protest hovered on Austin’s lips and he struggled with the suggestion, even though it was necessary. “I hate the fuck out of this.”
“It has to be ruled out. Let Danny continue to handle it,” Glenn urged. “If a connection exists, he’ll find it. If not, there’s no reason to put yourself through the pain.”
Austin ran a hand through his hair, causing the auburn strands to poke in every direction. “All right. Thanks.”
Glenn hesitated. “There’s something else. I know you’re still technically on leave, but I’m also not stupid enough to think you’re going to back off from this case no matter what I say.”
“Even if you threatened to fire me, I couldn’t walk away from this.”
“Exactly, but I don’t want you to fuck up because you lost your objectivity.”
“I won’t. For God’s sake, you know me better than that,” Austin said, reining in his anger. “I’m not a maverick, and Danny and my detectives are with me every step of the way.”
Glenn pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. “This is much more serious than the shit I’ll get from the mayor if he finds out one of my men is trying to track his own stalker. You fuck this up, you’re dead.”
“If someone else fucks this up, I’m dead anyway,” Austin countered, not giving an inch. “I’d rather die because of my own stupidity, thank you very much.”
“Christ,” Glenn muttered. “I must be out of my mind. I’m rescinding your leave, effective immediately. If you’re ready to return, that is. Believe me, there’s no rush.”
Austin released a pent-up breath. “Yes, I’m more than ready. I appreciate this.”
“Well,” Danny mused. “The obvious starting place is to establish whether Austin is the killer’s next intended victim or if he plans to go for someone else.”
Austin shook his head. “On the phone, he made it clear he wants me to pay. He’ll go for me eventually, but I believe he’ll try for other victims close to me first. He may have already.”
“What do you mean?” Danny asked.
“A girl named Stacy tried to pick me up in the Waterin’ Hole last night. The man who called me said he’d taught the ‘dumb bitch’ a less
on about getting near the likes of me. I think he was referring to her.”
Danny swore. “Jesus, that means he was there watching you.”
He shuddered. “Yeah.”
“He’s fixated on you,” Glenn replied, grim. “You’re his endgame.”
Austin remained silent for a long moment.
“Then I’ve got to make sure my face stays in front of the killer.”
“What do you have in mind?”
Determination steeled his resolve. “We’re going fishing,” he revealed. “With yours truly as bait.”
• • •
Laura wheeled her Mercedes into a visitor’s parking space, shouldered her purse, and dashed through the front doors of the police department. The voice message Austin had left on her cell phone this morning had taken her by surprise, to say the least.
He needed to see her, right away. He’d sounded upset, and that made her anxious. The man had suffered enough blows to last a lifetime, and she shuddered to think what else might have happened.
Inside, she was shown to the chief’s office. Knocking, she peeked into the room to find Danny standing a few feet away, giving her a puzzled look. Beyond him, Glenn and Austin were seated, apparently surprised to see her as well.
“Laura! Come in. To what do we owe this pleasure?” Hmm. So the call from Austin had been a personal one. Still, speaking with them about the case couldn’t hurt.
Danny ushered her inside and she did a double take at him. When had Coleman become so buff? All that gorgeous dark brown hair and spectacular sea foam green eyes. If Austin didn’t occupy every spare thought, she might’ve noticed before.
“I was just dropping by to see Austin. By the way, you’re looking good, Danny,” she said sincerely. “Been working out?”
The lieutenant flushed to the roots of his hair. “Ah, some, thanks. Have a seat—” He gestured.
Laura grinned. What a dear, lovely man. She glanced at Austin, who was glowering at her, eyes narrowed. Unlike Danny, he looked like he’d been trampled by a herd of elephants. She took the empty chair next to him and gave the captain a tentative smile.
“Can I get you a soda?” Danny offered politely.
“Why, yes—that would be wonderful! I’ve been running all morning and I’m parched. Something diet and caffeine-free, if you have it?”
“Why bother?” Austin grouched.
“You’ve got it. Be right back.”
Danny gave her a shy smile, and she couldn’t help but notice how beautifully it transformed his angular face. Why hadn’t some pretty lady gobbled up this man?
“Laura, how are you?” the chief asked warmly.
“I’m doing well, thanks. I just stopped by to see Austin, but it’s good to see you, too.”
A heavy silence descended while they waited for Danny to fetch her soda. She scrutinized Austin, taking in his disheveled appearance. He sat upright in the chair, both feet flat on the floor, gripping the armrests so hard his knuckles were white. His face was fraught with tension, eyes haunted. Foreboding knotted her stomach.
Danny returned and she thanked him, taking the chilly can and popping the top. “So, what’s going on? I get the distinct impression something else has happened.”
Glenn clasped his hands atop the desk, his tone serious. “Something has, and I’ll let Austin tell you about that later. You have anything new for us from your office?”
“I wish I did,” she said regretfully, casting a glance at Austin. “I have fibers and some prints, but we need a suspect to match them with. The best news to date, though, is that the forensic evidence just doesn’t point to Captain Rainey as a viable suspect.”
“That’s a damn good thing, too. I’ve just reinstated him.” He paused, letting that tidbit sink in.
Laura perked up. “That’s great news. Isn’t it?”
“It’s sooner than I’d planned but it has to do with what’s happened,” the chief continued. “We’re going to have Austin be our media liaison on the case.”
Her mouth fell open. “You’re kidding me. Not to be rude, but why would you do that? Isn’t that dangerous on several levels?”
“We’re hoping to keep the killer’s focus on me,” Austin said. “Seeing my face may goad him into making a move. Plus, as much as I hate the media at times, there’s the sympathy factor with the widower demanding justice.”
“That’s really risky,” she protested. “Can’t someone else do it?”
“Unfortunately, the spokesman has to be me.” His tone was apologetic as he gazed at her. “Otherwise it defeats the whole purpose.”
She didn’t like this. At all.
Rainey sighed, looking drained. “What we need is a friendly face in the newsroom. Someone who’s on our side and will turn the tide of public opinion toward us.”
Laura thought about that. “I have a friend who’s an anchor for Channel Eight. Her name is Joan Peterson. I’ve given her statements from the ME’s office before, which is how we got to know each other.”
“She’s a good egg?” the chief asked.
“One of the best. If anyone will give you guys a fair shake and some good airtime, it’s Joan. If you want, I’ll have her call you.”
Glenn nodded, appearing pleased. “That would be great, thank you. But the information doesn’t leave this group, including Joan Peterson.”
“And my detectives,” Austin put in.
Glenn stood, signaling an end to the conversation. Taking the hint, Laura rose as well and said her good-byes. “I’m sure she’ll call you soon, gentlemen. I’ll see myself out.”
Austin took her arm. “Wait. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure.” She gave him a smile, which he returned halfheartedly.
She and Austin exited the office, pulling the door shut on their way out. As he walked with her toward the front of the building, she worried about what was wrong. As they stepped outside and faced each other, he shoved his hands in his pockets.
“Are you busy for lunch?”
Laura studied him. His green eyes were tired and that bothered her more than anything. Sadness lurked in their depths, so immense she could drown in them.
“I don’t have any plans. Want me to meet you here?”
He shook his head. “No, not here. I just got here and the walls are already closing in. By lunch I’ll be ready to get out of this place for a while before I lose my mind.”
“Okay. What time?”
“I’ll pick you up at your office around noon, if that’s okay.”
Her heart did a funny flip. “That’s fine. I’ll see you then.”
Taking a chance, she leaned forward and bussed his cheek. Just the slightest kiss, lingering a bit too long to be strictly friendly, yet not so long as to be inappropriate on the steps of the station with his colleagues around. Pulling back, she felt a little thrill at the dazed expression on his face.
“See you later,” she said. Then winked, and walked away.
Noon couldn’t come fast enough.
• • •
Austin gazed after Laura. Seemed all he did was watch the delectable backside of that woman walk away. But that kiss! Damn. His cheek still burned from the sensation of her lips against his skin. He walked to his desk, feeling off-kilter, like a man underwater.
He’d asked Laura to lunch. And she’d accepted. He felt in his soul they wanted to explore the attraction between them, as unwise as it was right now with everything that was going on in his life. Must be the lack of sleep that had lowered his guard. Or perhaps the threat of impending death. Christ.
“If you don’t hurry up and make a move, I’m going to ask her to dinner,” Danny said, leaning back in his chair, hands clasped behind his head.
Austin frowned, casting about the room for the object of his partner’s affections. “Who?”
/> “Laura, who else?”
“No.” The word burst from his lips as he scowled. “You won’t.”
Danny grinned at him. “Finally getting your head out of your ass? It’s about time.”
“Maybe. But that’s beside the point. A classy professional woman like Laura eats Boy Scouts like you for breakfast.”
His friend was unfazed. “You can be a real bastard, Rainey. Just giving you notice: if things don’t work out with you two, I’m asking her to dinner. And for the record, Laura Eden can have me for breakfast any day of the week she prefers. If she doesn’t, at least I tried.”
With great dignity, Danny strode away. His declaration reverberated through Austin’s brain.
Freaking fantastic.
He’d made a lunch date with a gorgeous siren, been challenged for her affections by his good friend, and been marked for death.
And it wasn’t even noon yet.
“Son of a bitch.”
• • •
Laura hovered near Toby Baxter’s desk in his cubicle, leaning against the wall. From there, she could see the lobby and the doors beyond. A case of nerves had her stomach performing double back flips as she waited for Austin. Laura had been invited to join the assistant and two other doctors on their lunch hour but had to decline. Knowing the nosy group, she realized they were stalling, scouting for Laura’s mysterious lunch date.
Conversation halted as though someone had flipped an off switch. In perfect harmony, all heads swiveled toward the glass double doors of the lobby.
“Wow,” Toby said. “Who’s the hunka burnin’ love?”
“I dunno, but he can eat crackers in my bed anytime. Jeez Louise.” A younger doctor smacked her gum harder, no doubt in time to her pulse.
“Forget the crackers,” a third chimed in. “Bring on the whipped cream!”
Laura didn’t need three guesses to figure out who had raised the room temperature. Sure enough, Austin was crossing the lobby with long strides. He’d donned a jacket with his dark jeans and wore his light blue button-up shirt open at the throat. The butt of his gun could be seen in its holster underneath his jacket as he strode forward. Ultradark sunglasses completed the ensemble, framed by tousled auburn hair.
