Lucy - 05 - Stalked

by Allison Brennan

  “These men didn’t deserve freedom. They should have remained in prison, because they were going to reoffend. It was in their psychology, their actions, their thoughts. I knew it; Fran knew it. I wanted them back in prison. Fran wanted them dead.

  “It would have been easy for me to join that cause. To be a vigilante for justice. Because sometimes, justice isn’t served. Sometimes, innocent people feel they have no choice but to fight back any way they can.”

  “I think you were involved. I think you knew exactly what Buckley was doing.”

  “Hmm.” Lucy wondered if he really believed what he said. “If you have any proof, you should turn it over.”

  “How can anyone trust you?” he asked.

  “All trust has to be earned. And that’s the crux of your problem.”

  “My problem?”

  “You trusted Grace. She betrayed the trust. Then she died. She died saving the lives of three other undercover agents, which should count for something. But you can’t yell at her; you can’t tell her she screwed up; you can’t ask why she didn’t trust you to back her up, why she changed the meeting place at the last minute. Maybe she had a damn good reason for doing so. Maybe if she hadn’t changed the meeting place, more people would have died. But you don’t know—the investigation into her death was inconclusive, but because you learned she had a history with the people she was trying to take down, you assumed the worst—that she screwed up because she was reckless, on a jihad against the gang who destroyed her family.”

  He glared at her, his face red. “How do you know any of this?”

  “I know people like Grace Johnson.” Lucy knew he wasn’t referring to her psychology, that he wanted to know how she knew about the case, but she wasn’t going to tell him. “I think Grace died to save many people who will never know of her sacrifice. I can’t tell you if she was needlessly reckless. I don’t know if she could have contacted you. You’ve never given her the benefit of the doubt, and now everyone who you think might have a vendetta is somehow unfit to carry a badge.”

  “I don’t trust you,” Laughlin said.

  “I hope someday I earn your trust.” Lucy was going to walk out then, but she remembered something else. “You knew Evan Standler.”

  He glared at her.

  “And that’s why you have been pressuring Kate. You used her guilt over the ambush where he was killed to try and get her to convince me to quit.” That was a guess, but Lucy suspected she was right. And by Laughlin’s expression, she was close.

  “You think Kate screwed up and got your friend killed. Remember, Standler was her fiancé. The ambush was just that—an unpredictable tragedy.”

  “And then Kate goes rogue and disappears for five years in Mexico? You think that isn’t a problem?”

  “Kate saved my life,” Lucy said simply. “I trust her as much as I trust anyone. And what really hurts is that you intentionally tried to sabotage our relationship. You played mind games with Kate, trying to get her to doubt me. Then when that wasn’t working fast enough for you, you pulled out the Hans Vigo card and effectively used it. If I were a lesser person, I would have quit. I was very close. But if I had quit, I might become the person you fear I could be.”

  She leaned forward and said softly, “There are many organizations who would hire me because of my skill set. That I’ve chosen to work within a fairly rigid structure and within the law should tell you more about my character and trustworthiness than what you think I’ve done in the past.”

  “How do any of us know what you’re going to do in the future?”

  “How do you know what you’re going to do?” She tilted her head. “If you had the opportunity to kill the man responsible for pulling the trigger that ended the life of Grace Johnson, would you?”

  He didn’t answer the question but instead said, “I’m testifying against the cartel.”

  “At great personal risk. I respect that, Rich.” She stood. “Neither you nor I know what we would do in every future scenario. It comes down to character.”

  Lucy left the office. Chief O’Neal and Paula Kean were standing in the outer room. Kean didn’t look happy with the situation, but O’Neal said directly to Lucy, “SSA Kean has been briefed on the situation. Agent Armstrong said he’d be waiting for you in the lobby. You will be back in the morning?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  *

  Twenty minutes later, Noah and Lucy walked into Prince William Hospital. Noah showed his ID and was directed to ICU, where Hans was recuperating after his surgery. “Go ahead,” Noah told Lucy. “I’m going to track down his doctor.”

  Kate sat slumped outside the room, her eyes closed. Lucy thought she was sleeping until she opened one eye. “Hello,” she said.

  Lucy sat next to her. “How is he?”

  “They said the surgery was a success. But he hasn’t regained consciousness.”

  “I talked to Rich Laughlin.”

  Kate didn’t say anything.

  “You should have told me.”

  “He was right.”

  “No, he wasn’t.” Lucy looked into Hans’s room. All the pain and guilt and vengeance that had brought that scaffolding down on him. The hatred that had ended with four people dead and a man stalked for half his life.

  “Kate, you’re my sister in every way except blood. What hurts is that you believed him when he told you I was volatile. That you didn’t trust me.”

  Kate leaned forward and stared at Lucy. “Is that what you think?”

  “Yes. You didn’t talk to me; you treated me like I really was here on some kind of vendetta. You of all people should know my heart.”

  Kate shook her head. “I never thought that. I meant, I thought he was right about me.” She closed her eyes. “I’m teaching at Quantico because I’m too scared to go back in the field. Scared of what I might do. Scared that I’ll make the wrong decisions. Quantico is safe.”

  Lucy took her hand. “I didn’t know you doubted yourself. I’ve always thought you were the most confident person in the world.” She paused, then smiled. “Almost as arrogant as Sean.”

  Kate laughed, but tears came to her eyes. “I don’t think that’s possible.” She sighed deeply. “I leaned heavily on Dillon after you killed Adam Scott, and I began to rely on him to keep me propped up. Quantico is safe. Dillon is safe. I’m doing okay.”

  “Then Rich Laughlin came in and shook you up.”

  “That he did.”

  “Trust me, Kate. We’re friends; we’re family. Trust me not only to do what’s right, but trust me with your feelings. We’re all scared. But we do it anyway because it’s the right thing to do.”

  “I love you, Sis.”

  Lucy hugged her. “I love you, too.”

  “Stop; I don’t want to cry,” Kate said. “I’ve been here all day, but I heard the second autopsy on Tony was complete.”

  “Yes, and the tox screening came back. Tony was poisoned with a sodium chloride mixture. It didn’t show up in the Scotch initially because it wasn’t a standard compound. I don’t quite know the details, but they found it in his stomach. Once they knew what specifically to test for, they confirmed that he was poisoned through his Scotch. It happened very quick.”

  “So it was Alexis Sanchez.”

  “Yes. They’re going to exhume Bob Stokes’s body and run the same test on his remains. Speaking of Stokes, Patrick found the e-mail Agent Theissen sent to him. It related to the Cinderella Strangler case, and that Theissen was helping Weber with some of the background. Later, he said that he thought he was being followed and it might relate to one of his old cases, but he couldn’t be sure. Then when Theissen had his accident, Stokes went to New York.”

  “You think Kip Todd panicked and killed him?”

  “He didn’t know what Theissen had told Stokes. Maybe Stokes recognized Todd, or maybe Todd feared he would if he investigated Theissen’s accident.”

  “Or maybe,” Kate said, “he was on the target list all along and
Todd took advantage of his proximity.”

  “We may never knew for certain. Alexis isn’t talking at all. She says she’ll only talk to Peter, but I advised him not to.”

  “Why? He might be able to get answers we need.”

  Lucy had thought about that. “Maybe, but Peter is vulnerable right now. She’s a master manipulator. She might not have wanted Peter dead, but she still was party to all this. I told him to give it some time. He seemed to be okay with that.”

  Noah approached and cleared his throat. “Hans is awake. You can have one minute with him.”

  Lucy and Kate walked into ICU after putting on gloves and gowns. Hans was pale and gaunt, physically weak. But his eyes were open.

  “You’re back,” Kate said, and took his hand.

  “Um,” he responded. He tried to focus on Lucy.

  “It’s Lucy, Hans. Everything is fine. We’ll fill you in later, but we’re all safe.”

  “Good,” he whispered.

  The nurse cleared her throat. “Time,” she said.

  Kate and Lucy walked out, both with tears in their eyes. Kate hugged her sister-in-law. “I didn’t think he would make it,” Kate admitted. “Hans is the closest thing I have to a father.”

  “He’s strong and stubborn and healthy,” Lucy said. “Are you going home?”

  “I’m going to stay a while longer.”

  Noah asked Lucy, “Do you need a ride?”

  “Sean’s here,” Lucy said. “I’m reporting back to Quantico tomorrow morning.”

  “I’ll see you then.” He sat next to Kate and Kate began telling the story about how she’d first met Hans.

  Good, Lucy thought. They’d all been through an emotional wringer after losing Tony. With Hans on the mend, they could focus on the positive.

  She left the hospital and spotted Sean’s Mustang parked near the main entrance. She slid into the passenger seat and kissed him. “I love you,” she said.

  “Where did that come from?” He smiled and kissed her back. “Keep it coming.”

  “Hans is in recovery. He’s going to be okay.”

  “You’re crying.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  He wiped away her tears. “Okay. You’re not.”

  “I have to be back at Quantico tomorrow morning.”

  “But you’re mine for tonight.”

  “I’m yours forever.”

  He glanced at her as he sped out of the parking lot. “I knew that the day I found you standing at my door in the pouring rain.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes, I did.” He took her hand and kissed it. Lucy closed her eyes and smiled, happy and content.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he said, glancing at her with a devilish grin. “But I promise, you’ll be pampered all day and all night.”

  “You spoil me.”

  “I have an ulterior motive. I’m the one doing the pampering.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

  Epilogue

  I drove to the cemetery outside Newark to visit my sister one last time.

  For fifteen years I had been in a state of perpetual grief, an emotional zombie. I hadn’t realized it until the FBI agent Lucy Kincaid said that Kip had turned his grief into rage and I had turned my grief into a lifestyle.

  You have done so much in a short time, Lucy said. Emancipation, graduating from college early, teaching at an impoverished school. Think of what you could do for these kids you love if you were happy yourself.

  Rachel’s ghost was with me every day. She never aged, and because she was always eleven I still felt like I was nine, trapped in a grown-up body. I still ate Trix for breakfast and grilled cheese for dinner. I still felt guilty staying up late watching movies and eating in front of the television. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a movie rated PG-13, let alone a movie rated R. Maybe I never will. But it won’t be because I think I’m nine.

  I love teaching, and I know I can be a better teacher if I go to school without the weight of grief and guilt on my heart.

  And the first step was letting Rachel go.

  I turned and saw a man I’d never met walking toward me with a little girl I feel like I’ve known forever. Carl Sanchez and I had spoken on the phone several times over the last two weeks. He’d prepared Missy for this meeting.

  He’d known all along that Missy wasn’t his daughter, but he loved her.

  He loved her so much, he was willing to share her. With her biological father.

  I turned my back on the headstone and walked across the green lawn. Missy looked like me. More, she looked like Rachel. With dark curls and big blue eyes.

  Carl and I shook hands. “Thank you,” I said and he smiled at me.

  I squatted in front of Missy. “Hello, Missy. Do you remember me? We talked on the computer.”

  She nodded and smiled, her big eyes so round and inquisitive. “I remember you, Daddy.”

  Then she hugged me and all the pain I’d ever felt washed away in a river of pure, unconditional love.

  Coming soon.…

  From New York Times bestselling author

  ALLISON BRENNAN

  STOLEN

  Available in June 2013 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks

  Also by Allison Brennan

  Silenced

  If I Should Die

  Kiss Me, Kill Me

  Love Me to Death

  Carnal Sin

  Original Sin

  Cutting Edge

  Fatal Secrets

  Sudden Death

  Playing Dead

  Tempting Evil

  Killing Fear

  Fear No Evil

  See No Evil

  Speak No Evil

  The Kill

  The Hunt

  The Prey

  Critical Acclaim for Allison Brennan Silenced

  “Brennan throws a lot of story lines into the air and juggles them like a master. The mystery proves to be both compelling and complex.… [A] chilling and twisty romantic suspense gem.”

  —Associated Press

  “The evolution of Lucy Kincaid from former victim to instinctive and talented agent continues in Brennan’s new heart-stopping thriller.… From first to last, this story grabs hold and never lets go.”

  —RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) “An excellent addition to the Lucy Kincaid series. Lucy and Sean continue to develop as complex, imperfect characters with a passion for justice.… The suspense was can’t-put-it-down exciting.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  If I Should Die

  “Brennan’s Lucy Kincaid/Sean Rogan books are not only excellent procedural thrillers, but also chart the evolution of an intriguing relationship. The peeks into the mind of this heinous killer are all too chilling, making the threat level palpable and the story riveting. Brennan is on a major roll!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “In bestseller Brennan’s roiling third suspense novel … rooting out the cancer that infects Spruce Lake reveals a convoluted history of increasingly deadly crime.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  Kiss Me, Kill Me

  “[A] riveting new series … Lucy continues to be a fascinating and enticing character, and her ongoing development adds depth to an already rich brew of murder and mystery. Brennan rocks!”

  —RT Book Reviews

  “Ms. Brennan ratchets up the suspense on page one and keeps it going until the last page.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  Love Me to Death

  “A world-class nail-biter … Brennan is in the groove with this one.”

  —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author “Grabbing the reader by the throat from almost the first page, this pulse-ratcheting romantic suspense from Brennan delivers intense action, multifaceted characters, and a truly creepy bad guy.… [A] fast-paced, engrossing read.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “A fan of Allison’s for many years, you always know what you are getting … a great story wi
th love ’em or hate ’em characters and perfectly placed plot twists in every book.”

  —Shannon Raab, Suspense Magazine

  Original Sin

  “Brennan shows a deft command of all things both normal and otherworldly in crafting one of the best tales of its kind since Dean Koontz and Stephen King were still writing about monsters. There’s no shortage of those here and the result is a new genre classic.”

  —Providence Sunday Journal

  “Allison Brennan pens a chilling tale in Original Sin, the first in her Seven Deadly Sins series. [It] will keep you up all night—whether it be from the horror or because it’s such a page-turner.”

  —Sacramento Book Reviews

  Cutting Edge

  “Both the nature and nurture sides of the ‘what makes a psychopath’ argument are on display in Brennan’s chiller.… Leave it to Brennan to deliver the creepy and deadly. This is definitely the stuff of nightmares.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Fatal Secrets

  “In this chilling thriller, Brennan explores the consequences of sliding from fierce commitment into obsession.… A master of suspense, Brennan does another outstanding job uniting horrifying action, procedural drama, and the birth of a romance—a prime example of why she’s tops in the genre.”

  —RT Book Reviews (Top Pick!) Sudden Death

  “Fast, fierce fun. Brennan knows how to deliver.”

  —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author Playing Dead

  “The mystery is tightly plotted with the final reveal not happening until the very end of the book.… Playing Dead is an adrenaline rush of thrills and chills that is sure to win Brennan several new readers.”

  —Fresh Fiction

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  STALKED

  Copyright © 2012 by Allison Brennan.