“Sure, no problem. I’ll pour these into glasses.”
Will strode toward the bedroom, opened the door and poked his head inside. Megan sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, holding a crinkled tissue. “Ed’s waiting to tell us something. Mind coming out here?”
When she met his stare, his chest constricted at her red-rimmed eyes.
“We can finish our talk as soon as he leaves, okay?”
She pursed her lips and stood. “Give me a moment, please.”
God, seeing her so upset ripped his heart out. But the best thing he could do was to find out what Ed had to share, then send him on his way. Then he’d hear Megan out.
When he returned to the main room, his boss had poured two glasses of tea and had already downed half of his.
“She’ll be out in a sec.”
Ed’s eyebrows were drawn, and his gaze shifted all around the room. He kept wiping his hands over his thighs and clearing his throat.
“You okay, buddy?”
“Fine, great.” Ed chuckled; then his gaze fixed on something behind Will. He smiled. “You must be Megan.”
She approached and shook Ed’s hand. “And you must be Ed. Pleasure to meet you.”
Ed poured another glass of tea and handed it to her as she sat.
Were Ed’s hands shaking? Will focused on them, but as soon as Ed caught him looking, he moved them under the table.
“This is Will’s favorite,” Ed told Megan, gesturing toward the iced tea.
Her smile was polite but stiff.
“So what’s so important that you had to tell us in person?” Will took a gulp of tea.
Ed looked at Megan. “It’s about the murder you witnessed.”
She sat up straighter and caught her breath. “You found something out?”
“Nothing concrete yet, but I think so. Another girl, similar to the one you described was murdered near Gainesville a few weeks ago. Another showed up at the hospital, beaten up.”
Megan gasped. “Oh God. Will told me about the dead girl, but there’s another? Maybe she can tell us something.”
Ed frowned. “I’m trying to find out the connection, but the girl who was beaten wouldn’t say much except that she wanted to go back to Sri Lanka, where she’s from.”
“Sri Lanka?” Will sensed Ed was holding something back. “You think that’s where the two murdered girls came from?”
“Could be. But if so, I’d guess someone is bringing them here illegally. I’m working that angle now. I lucked into some details about the building across from your office. Might connect to the crime.”
Megan leaned toward Ed. “Go on.”
“A young woman asked to see the property on Halloween night.” Turning toward Will, he said, “A local real-estate agent let her in. A man. All we have to do is find out who that agent was.”
“Wouldn’t the leasing company keep records of that?” Will asked.
“They’re required to,” Megan supplied.
“Right,” Ed said. “But the company is moving into new offices and is apparently shut down for the week. I can’t get hold of a live person.”
“How’d you come by that information, then?” Megan said exactly what Will had been thinking.
Ed wiped sweat off his forehead. “Funny story, actually. My wife gets her nails done down the street from that location. The manicurist tells her…” He coughed several times, then took a swallow of his drink. “Excuse me. So the manicurist says there might be a new store going in there.”
Will set his glass down. “Wait a second. I’m not getting how you know it was a young woman looking at the store.”
“Or how you know a local real-estate agent showed her the property,” Megan added.
Ed coughed again. “Well, I asked Veronica the same thing. She knew I was working on this case, so she asked the manicurist more questions. Seems another of the lady’s customers is a receptionist at the leasing company. Small world, huh? And how about my Veronica? I might just put her to work as a PI.” He pointed to Will’s glass. “Don’t tell me I got the wrong kind. That is your favorite, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, this is it. Thanks again.” He drank the last third in one long gulp.
“So all we have to do now is sit back and wait until the leasing office reopens next week.” Ed leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his gut. “You two relax here over the weekend. I should have a name for the victim and the suspect on Monday.”
“No other women were reported missing?” Megan asked.
He shoved away from the table and straightened his jacket. “No, but I promise I’ll keep on top of this. I should get on the road. My wife hates to be alone after dark.”
Will started to rise, but a wave of dizziness made him stumble backward.
Megan grabbed his arm. “Are you okay?”
He held on to the chair to steady himself. “Yeah, fine.” He hadn’t eaten anything, but he’d remedy that as soon as Ed left.
“I’ll call you if I hear anything else.” Ed brought Will’s empty glass to the sink along with his and rinsed them out.
“I’ll take care of those,” Megan said.
“Anything you say. Just trying to help.” He stepped to the door and waved. “Take care, folks.”
Will’s vision blurred. His whole body felt weak, exhausted. “Lock the door.”
Megan did as he asked, then returned to his side and narrowed her eyes. “You don’t look good, Will. Maybe you should lie down.”
“Yeah. Good idea.” He let her help him stand, but nausea threatened. Hooking an arm over her shoulder, he realized he’d never make it to the bedroom. “Couch, please.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
What the hell? He never got sick.
Megan deposited him on the couch. “I’ll get a blanket and pillow.”
He was supposed to be protecting her, and he could hardly keep his eyes open. He couldn’t fuck this up. The stakes were too high. He gritted his teeth and tried to shake off the funk, but his head refused to cooperate.
Megan returned with the linens. She propped a pillow under his head and spread the blanket over him. He’d shut his eyes a few minutes; then he’d be fine.
He couldn’t let her down.
Megan glanced over her shoulder at Will as she washed the glasses. He hadn’t moved a muscle in the hour since he’d fallen asleep. He was fine before Ed’s visit. Hopefully Ed’s leads would pan out. The sooner the murderer was put away, the better. Then she could let Will get on with his life, and she could move on with hers.
She’d expected his hurt over her not telling him sooner about the conversation she’d had with his mother, but the rage she had seen in his eyes had caught her unawares. He was entitled to be mad, though, since she hadn’t been truthful.
Living without him was going to be more difficult this time, but she could hardly continue the relationship after Will had doubted the veracity of her confession.
After all he’d done for her, she owed it to him to be civil as long as they were forced to be together. No, more than civil. She ought to be kind after everything he’d been through because of her.
I love him.
But the moment Ed found the killer, she’d disappear from Will’s life.
Could that girl really have been part of some human-trafficking ring? The notion sent a shiver up her spine. If there were other girls involved, she had to find them, had to help them before they met a similar fate.
The room had grown darker as night shadows stole the last of the day. She was about to turn on a lamp in the corner, when the doorknob rattled.
All the air sucked out of her lungs. “Will!” she managed. But he didn’t even stir.
The door burst open. The same black-clad man who’d nearly strangled her days earlier barged in. He was big and broad and wore the same mask. Oh please, God, no.
“Will!” Her shriek should have roused the dead, but Will wouldn’t wake up.
The m
an lunged at her. She stumbled backward, then raced toward the bedroom. She slammed the door, then frantically locked it. Staring wide-eyed at the knob, she backed away as hot-cold shivers racked her body.
She scanned the room for a weapon—anything she could use to stop him—but there was nothing. She had to escape. But what about Will? With him unconscious, she was completely at the madman’s mercy.
“Open the door, Megan.”
She flattened her body against the wall, trembling.
I will not let this madman end my life.
She had to get out.
Think!
She raced to the window and attempted to raise it. She pushed with all her might, straining muscles in her arms and shoulders, but the window refused to budge.
The murderer pounded against the door, shaking everything in the room. She banged the heels of her hands on the glass in a desperate attempt to escape. Chest heaving, she choked back a terrified cry. Her throat constricted, but she managed to find her voice. “Go away.”
“There’s no one around to hear you, Megan.”
The door burst open, and he hulked in the threshold.
She picked up a clock from the nightstand and flung it at him. He ducked, and it hit the wall behind him. The rush of adrenaline sharpened her senses. Grabbing the bedside lamp, she yanked the cord from the outlet and lifted it over her head.
The man only laughed.
Tears ran down her cheeks. “What do you want from me?”
Another evil snicker.
She threw the lamp, but he batted it away like a pesky fly. The glass base exploded on the wood floor. “I don’t even know what you look like. Why are you doing this?”
He yanked off his mask, convincing her beyond a doubt that he planned to kill her. Blood pounded in her ears, as loud as an airplane engine.
His brown eyes bored into her, and she knew it was futile to beg him to spare her life. Those eyes had no soul. They held no guilt or regret for the life he’d already taken.
Get out!
He lunged at her, but she ducked and darted around him. She made it into the hallway, but he caught her by her hair and yanked her to him. His breath gusted on the back of her neck. She struggled and kicked and swatted at him. But he tightened his grip, and they stumbled into the living room together.
“Will!” she screamed.
The killer wrestled her to the floor, then closed his hand over her mouth. She flailed her arms, punched and tried to twist away, but it was no use. He was too big and heavy. She gasped for air as his weight pressed on her chest.
“This’ll be a lot easier on you if you shut up and stop fighting.” He moved his hand away from her mouth, and she screamed.
He backhanded her across the face, catching her below her right eye. “I’m going to have some fun with you before I kill you.” His sick laugh turned her stomach.
She struggled even harder, but he clamped his hand to her throat and pressed his erection against her leg. Nausea threatened. She gasped for air. If this animal was going to rape her, she’d fight him every second. When he shifted, she worked her arm free and clawed at his face.
“Bitch!” He tightened his grip on her neck. Stars floated in front of her eyes, and she knew she’d pass out at any second.
He grabbed her collar and tore, exposing her bra. Terror and disgust swirled inside her. A sadistic grin curled his lips as he stared down at her chest.
An earsplitting pop exploded around them. The murderer widened his eyes, and his lips parted. The pressure on her throat eased, and the man’s head dropped onto her shoulder.
She shoved out from under him and rolled away, shivering. He lay motionless beside her. Not trusting her eyes, she backed against the fireplace and grabbed the poker, wielding it as a weapon.
But her attacker hadn’t moved. And there was blood—lots of it—seeping from a wound on the back of his head. The smell of sulfur filled the air.
Then she saw Will on the couch, still lying on his back, with his gun pointed at the intruder. Their eyes locked. He lowered his weapon. “Are you okay?” His voice wasn’t much more than a whisper, but it was a sweet, wonderful sound.
Her throat was too sore for her to speak, but she nodded. Relief filled her like a tonic.
“It’s over, Megan. Thank God it’s over.”
***
Ed checked his watch as he climbed out of his car. Nearly midnight and Veronica’s car wasn’t in the garage. Had she neglected to tell him she had plans? Or was he so frazzled by the day’s events that he’d forgotten?
He mulled over his brief visit with Will and Megan, and bile burned his throat. He hoped to hell Will had survived whatever Jarity had done. Had Jarity killed Will’s girl? He pictured her face. Too bad, she was awfully pretty. But Will would be better off without her. Maybe he’d done the kid a favor.
He opened the trunk and lifted out his briefcase. On second thought, he put it back. He’d need something to carry all the cash Jarity would give him tomorrow. One more day and this whole nightmare would be behind him.
Entering the house through the kitchen, he inhaled deeply and let it out slowly. The money would mean a fresh start for him and Veronica, but things were going to be different in their relationship. She’d have to learn he was in charge.
He opened the fridge and grabbed a can of beer. He passed through the living room and stopped dead in his tracks. He gasped as he stared at the white wall where his giant-screen should have been.
He hurried to the bedroom. Veronica’s closet was open—and stripped bare except for a bunch of tissue paper and hangers on the floor. Her dresser and vanity drawers were also empty, a couple of them stacked on top of the dresser.
He rushed into the bathroom, which was in the same state of upheaval, as if she’d left in a great hurry. Everything was gone—her makeup, her clothes, her jewelry and the purses where she’d kept all that cash.
Unbearable pressure gripped his chest as he staggered out of the bathroom. He’d done everything for her.
And she was gone.
A ferocious ache started behind his eyes. How could she do this to him? Without a word.
Unless…
Maybe she’d left a note, given him a clue about where she’d gone. At least he could try to talk her out of it. He’d promise her a nice piece of jewelry. Hell, he’d promise her whatever the hell she wanted if she’d just come home.
He ran to the study, and his hopes plummeted. The desk was littered with papers—bank statements, credit-card bills, both checkbooks. Sinking onto the chair, he clenched his fists and, for the first time in his adult life, cried. Like a damn baby.
He’d been summoned to similar scenes through his work. Every time, the spouse who’d left had cleaned out the other. The money meant nothing to him, but it confirmed his worst nightmare.
Veronica was gone, and she’d never be back.
Chapter Twelve
Megan dropped Will’s keys into his palm.
He stretched in the passenger seat, still exhausted from the effects of the drug in his system. It hadn’t sunk in all the way that Ed could have slipped something into his iced tea yesterday, but there was no other explanation. The toxicology report was inconclusive, but the doctor was convinced he’d ingested several doses of a powerful sedative. “Feels like a lifetime since we left here, huh?”
“Whew, isn’t that the truth?” Her smile was the first she’d given him during the entire two-hour drive.
Of course, he’d slept most of the way. After his time in the ER, then at the Marion County Sheriff’s Headquarters near the cabin, he deserved a nap. “Let’s get your things inside.” He filled his arms with her bags, then ambled toward her porch.
Her hand shook as she unlocked her front door. Was she up to talking yet? She’d refused while they were in the ER, and he’d been too out of it for most of the trip back to Sebastian Springs. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” Was her brow furrowed because she’d grown tired from all t
he driving, or was it because of something else?
He followed her inside. “Want these in the bedroom?”
She kicked off her sandals in the foyer. “You can leave them here.”
The cool vibes she put off were making him crazy. He had to know what the hell was bothering her. “Can we talk?” He set her bags on the floor.
A long sigh. “Mind if we put it off until tomorrow?”
He stepped closer. “Only if I can spend the night.”
Her downcast gaze answered before she said a word. “I don’t think so, Will. I still have a lot to do this afternoon, and I…I need some time to myself.”
“No. We need to talk. Something’s going on in that head of yours, and I need to know what.”
She bristled and started to say something, but he wouldn’t let her.
“What the hell changed between us in the last twenty-four hours? I’m sorry I let you down. I wish I could have blown John Jarity’s brains out before he laid one of his dirty fingers on you, but I was unconscious.”
Her tears started flowing. “No, Will. Don’t do this. You saved my life. I’ll be grateful for that forever. You did not let me down. I swear.”
“I don’t want your gratitude.” He grasped her shoulders. “Please, Megan, after all we’ve been through, don’t shut me out. Tell me what’s on your mind.”
Finally she met his stare. Her cell phone’s ring startled them both. Sighing, she dug in her purse, then narrowed her gaze at the display. Her face paled. “It’s the nursing home.”
From what he could hear of the conversation, her grandmother was on her way to the hospital.
Megan’s eyes filled, but she didn’t give in to her tears. The battle appeared to take an effort. “Yes, Mrs. Brooks. I’ll meet her there. Thank you.” She hung up, then switched into high gear, frantically searching for something in her purse.
“What’s going on?”
She didn’t look at him. “Gram’s had a stroke. I have to get to Springs Memorial right away.”
“Let’s go. I’ll drive.” He crossed the foyer to the door.
She held up her key chain. “This is what I was looking for. I’d like to drive myself. I have no idea how long I’ll be there.”
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