by Chiah Wilder
She stopped dead, the remote slipping from her fingers and clanking on the asphalt.
There, right before her, not fifteen feet away, stood a man. He was shadowed by the large branches of the trees. He didn’t move. Petrified to bend down to pick up her key, she stood glued to the spot.
Then he came slowly out of the darkness.
The car’s headlights turned off. Hypnotized by fear, she watched him come closer and closer.
Opening her mouth, ready to scream, she breathed a sigh of relief as the streetlight lit his face.
“It’s you,” she said. She giggled, giddy with relief. “You startled me.”
“I didn’t mean to. Working late?”
“Yeah. I’m beat though. You’re working late too. Are you on your way home?”
He shook his head. “No, I was waiting for you. I’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Hailey. Too long.”
“What? Is something going on with my aunt? You can—” Hailey took a step backward. His friendly eyes had evaporated into cold, hard ones. His lethal stare pierced her. Her heart hammered erratically as the blood drained from her face. With widened eyes, she took another step backward, but as he grabbed her wrists, his fingers digging into her skin painfully, her suspicions were confirmed.
He was going to kill her.
* * *
Goldie pounded on the flower shop door even though it was dark inside, then took out a bump key he always carried in his wallet. Unlocking the door, he walked inside. Nothing seemed amiss. After checking everything, he joined his brothers on the pavement.
“Find anything?” Diablo asked.
“No. I’m going to see if I can find her car. It’s a white Mustang. Brutus and Skull, check across the street, and Diablo and Eagle, check behind the shop and the alley. I’m gonna check this side of the street.”
The brothers dispersed and Goldie walked toward the park. As he approached the area, chills scurried up his spine. Something happened here. Glancing around, he went to the bushes and rifled through them. Nothing but a few scared raccoons. Walking back to the sidewalk, the streetlight bounced off an object in the road. He walked to the curb and picked it up, his blood running cold. A silver charm of a ram and the word “Aries” etched on it shimmered in his palm. This is from Hailey’s charm bracelet. Jaw clenched, he rushed back to the shop and whistled loudly. The brothers came over and Goldie told them what he found.
“The charm may have come off without her knowing it,” Skull said.
“If that’s the case, then she’d be waiting for me at the diner. Brutus, Skull, you guys go over to Leroy’s and see if she’s there. Let me know. Diablo, Eagle, and I will go to her house.”
The brothers revved their bikes and left in a plume of dust.
Chapter Forty
I can’t move! What the hell’s going on? Hailey blinked several times, trying to clear her bleary eyes as she regained consciousness. Her nose tingled and she went to scratch it, but her wrist was secured to something. She craned her neck. I’m tied to the bedpost! She tried moving her other arm and legs, but they were secured tightly. Goose bumps pebbled her skin as she raised her head and saw that her clothes had been cut down the middle. Eyes bulging, she looked around the room.
Her mind was in a fog as she tried to remember the series of events that brought her to being tied spread-eagle on her bed. Then he walked in.
Dr. Daniels! That’s right. He came over and then he… struck me with a hard object. When he did it the second time, I blacked out. This doesn’t make sense. Why is he—
“I’m glad you finally came to. It’s no fun when the woman’s knocked out.”
“Why are you doing this, Dr. Daniels? I don’t understand.”
He came over and trailed the tip of the knife gently over her forehead, then down to the base of her throat. “I love the way fear is creeping into your eyes. You have no idea what I’m going to do to you. The unknown is your enemy, but it’s my best friend.” He leaned over and tried to kiss her, but she thrust her head against his face and he jerked back. Surprise replaced cockiness.
“Don’t touch me. Untie me and stop this right now!”
Taken aback, he stepped away, his wide gaze beginning to narrow.
I’m supposed to meet Goldie. When I’m not there, he’s going to freak. He’ll come here. I just know he will. I have to stall.
“You’ve caused me many sleepless nights, Hailey. I’d planned to take you a couple of months ago, but Goldie butted his low-life nose into your life and my plans had to go on hold. But now you and I have all the time in the world. I checked Goldie’s schedule at the tattoo place and he’s busy all night, so it’s just you and me.”
“Are you the one who’s been raping all the women? Did you murder Nadine?” She couldn’t stop the icy shivers strangling her nerves. When he smiled wide, she knew he was getting off on her fear. I have to try and calm down. Goldie will be here. I’m going to be fine. It’s all good. I can’t act afraid. But I am. I’m scared to death. She forced herself to think of the sun setting over the mountains.
“She pulled off my mask. I didn’t want to kill her, but I’ll let you in on a secret.” His dead eyes stared at her as he leaned down close to her ear. “When I slit her throat while she looked at me, I fucking loved it. And then I was hooked.” He bit down hard on her earlobe and she yelled out, but he wouldn’t let go. Afraid he was going to bite it off, she raised her head again and hit him in the jaw.
Whack! Her head turned from the force of his slap. Tears rolled down her stinging face as he leaned close once more, watching her intently. “Yes, we’re going to have a lot of fun,” he muttered under his breath.
Keep talking. Stall! “Everyone thought Dan Krutcher did the rapes.”
Sitting on the side of the bed, he smirked. “That was just luck. I was surprised at the ineptness of the police department, but then we’re in a small town. I can’t believe Dan killed the patients. He was supposed to care for them. They trusted him. When it occurred to me that someone might be killing the patients, I was horrified. The medical staff is there to care for, comfort, and prolong life, not destroy it.” He shook his head.
He’s fucking nuts! “Why do you hurt women?” she asked in a soft voice.
“I have a monster in me that needs to be fed. And you have been tempting me for a long time.” He ran his hands over her breasts and she bit her inner cheek hard.
“If you’re a real good girl, I’ll let you live.”
“No you won’t. You didn’t even try and conceal your face. You decided to kill me when you drove over to Main Street and hid in the bushes waiting for me.”
He laughed without mirth. “You got me. Such a smart, pretty one.” He trailed his fingers down her body and she closed her eyes, bracing for his touch in her most private parts.
“Keep your fucking eyes open, bitch. I want to see them. Now!”
Her eyelids flew open and the man she saw before her wasn’t the Dr. Daniels she knew—he was a menacing, evil man. His features had darkened, his eyebrows were narrowed, and his lips were tightly closed, forming a thin line. She arched her body and pulled on her ties in a vain attempt to get away from him. He stood and unzipped his pants, and she turned her head away.
Pop! Pop! The killer’s eyes bulged and his mouth gaped open. With the sound of her heartbeat thrashing in her ears, she screamed as red soaked Dr. Daniels’s T-shirt, then splattered over her. His face froze and he fell over, his head hitting the nightstand. She shut her watering eyes tight, flinching when fingers touched her wrists.
“Hailey, it’s okay. You’re safe.” Goldie’s voice filtered through her brain.
“Is that you, Goldie?”
“It’s me, babe.” He pulled her sore body to him and held her tight. The fear she’d been holding back broke through and tears flowed freely down her face.
“It was Dr. Daniels all along. I can’t believe it. He wanted to kill me. I can’t believe it,” she said over and over again l
ike a mantra.
“You’re safe now. I’m here.”
Sirens wailing in the distance eerily filled the room. Still clinging to him, she moved her head up and down in rhythm with his deep breathing.
“You guys better get out of here. I’ll handle it with the damn badges.”
Low grunts, shuffling feet, and then quiet except for the sirens, which sounded closer now. Goldie pulled on the sheet, yanking it from the mattress as she still clung to him, moving with him as though they were glued together. Pushing her back a little, he wrapped the sheet around her exposed body, then pressed her close again and waited. When the blue and red flashing bounced off the bedroom walls, she knew what he was waiting for.
Heavy clumping up the stairs unnerved her and she whimpered, but his soothing hand on her hair calmed her as the footsteps came closer. Peeking through her semi-shut eyelids, she saw Sheriff Wexler walk into the room. I bet I spoiled his date. I wonder how she liked the flowers. That was all she could think of: Wexler’s date.
“What happened here?” the sheriff asked as his glance went from her to Goldie to Dr. Daniels’s dead body.
“He’s your rapist and murderer. He came after my woman. The fucker had a knife in his hand, ready to cut her, so I shot him.”
“Did you yell out to him?” Barnard asked, coming closer to the body.
“Yeah.”
Barnard looked at Hailey. “Do you have anything to add about what happened?”
She shook her head. “It was awful. He’d unzipped his pants, and he had a knife in his hand. I was petrified. He’d tied me up and cut open my clothes. I heard Goldie tell him to stop but he didn’t. He just kept coming closer to me.” When she glanced at Goldie, pride shone in his gaze. She rested her head against his shoulder.
“We’ll need your full statement, Ms. Shilley. You can do it downstairs or at the station. It looks like a justified shooting,” the sheriff said, nodding at Goldie.
“We’re going to have to investigate a little further before we can rule it justified. How’d you know he was here with Ms. Shilley?” Barnard asked Goldie.
“I didn’t. I went to meet her for dinner, and when she didn’t show and I couldn’t get her on the phone, I got worried and came over to her house.”
“So you had no idea the rapist was here?”
Stone-faced, Goldie said, “I just answered that.”
“Do you always bring a weapon when you come over to your girlfriend’s?” Barnard folded his arms over his chest.
“Yeah.”
Wexler cleared his throat. “I issued the permit for it. It’s all good. We got the DNA results a few days ago ruling out Dan Krutcher as the rapist-murderer. We’ll do a DNA comparison on Daniels, then wrap up the case. Do you want to come down with Ms. Shilley and give your statement?” Wexler asked Goldie.
He grasped Hailey’s hand and went out into the hallway. Wexler’s voice drifted over the low murmurings of the deputies. “We’ve got a handle on it, Jack. Thanks for helping us out.”
“You believe the load of shit that outlaw told us?”
“I do. You can head back to Durango tomorrow morning. I’ll wrap this one up.”
Hailey and Goldie walked down the stairs and waited for the lawmen in the family room. Goldie stroked her hair. “You’re gonna need to talk with someone about all this shit that went down. Breanna can get you in touch with some counselors.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, but Daniels’s face jumped into her mind and she shuddered.
“Just talk to whoever Breanna recommends. Do it for me, okay?”
“Okay.” Wetness coated her eyelashes, cheeks, and chin.
The two lawmen came into the room then and sat down. She sat up straight and waited for the questions to begin.
This is going to be a long night.
Chapter Forty-One
Trisha Daniels stared at Sheriff Wexler as he shuffled through his paperwork. Cold anger mixed with anguish coursed through her as she tried to come to terms with what her husband had done.
“I just need you to sign here,” Wexler said pointing at the paper he handed her.
“Then I can bury him?” she asked while signing her name.
“Yes. Once again, I’m sorry for the way this all turned out for you.” The sheriff leaned back in his chair and watched her.
“You never really know a person. I mean, at times, Seth was a loving and caring husband. And he was a good father to our kids. But at other times, he was a mean, vindictive bastard. For the most part, we got along real well. I met him at the hospital when I lived in Chicago. I’d just been hired as a nurse. He was so charming….” She wiped the corners of her eyes. The images of her husband’s smiling face filling her mind. “I just can’t believe it,” she said softly.
Wexler shifted in his chair. “You’re right in that we never know a person a hundred percent. There are a lot of dark areas inside some people and they keep them well hidden.”
She shook her head. “The only area we weren’t compatible in was sex. He needed me to be afraid of him when we’d make love. It was the oddest thing, but I ignored it and played along with him, but I knew I wasn’t really satisfying him in the way he wanted. Our sex life had dwindled down to just once or twice a month.” She laughed dryly. “To be honest, I thought he was having an affair. He spent so much time away from home, especially at night. And to think that he was stalking, raping, and killing women instead. I could never have imagined he’d do something like that.” Her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands. What’s wrong with me that I couldn’t see what he really was?
“I hope you don’t blame yourself for this. Are you going to stay in Alina?”
“No. I’m moving back to Chicago. My whole family’s there. We came to Alina because Seth thought a small town would be a good place to raise our kids.”
The sheriff nodded. “Do you need help in finding a transport company to send Dr. Daniels’s body to Illinois?”
“No. I found one in Denver. They’re just waiting for the release of the body.” The sound of her voice saying those words felt so alien to her. She mourned the loss of her husband, the father of her kids, and the good memories they shared. Whenever she thought of him now, she couldn’t get the images of his victims out of her mind. The good times they’d had would be forever tainted with the blood he shed.
Pushing up from the chair, she said, “I should get going. I have a lot of packing to do. Thank you for everything.” Her eye caught the headline of the Alina Post that was on the desk—“Maniac Rapist-Murderer Gunned Down During Attack.” On the left side of the page she saw her husband’s face, his brown eyes penetrating and brooding. She remembered when he’d taken the picture at a medical convention they’d attended in Denver the previous year. She averted her eyes as she thought how much had changed in just one year.
Pulling open the doors of the police station, she walked out into the bright August sunshine.
Chapter Forty-Two
One month later
The night before was the first time Hailey hadn’t woken up drenched in sweat, screaming, and it felt wonderful. The therapist had told her it would take time, but soon the nightmares of that terrifying night would begin to disappear. She couldn’t wait to meet with her therapist and let her know that she’d slept through the night unscathed.
“You ready to go?” Goldie asked.
“In a minute. I want to make sure Aunt Patty has everything she needs.” Her aunt had been released from Cherry Vale by Dr. Rudman just a few days before. Even though Patty was getting around well and had a nurse staying with her for another few weeks, Hailey still worried that she’d fall or need something and Hailey wouldn’t be around.
“You sure you’ll be okay without me here?” Hailey asked as she went into the bedroom.
Propped against the headboard with five pillows cushioning her, Patty laughed. “Yes, go. I’m good, and if I need anything at all, Lisa’s here. Have a good time.”
“All right. You have my number if anything comes up. I’ll see you later.”
Hailey bounced down the stairs and flew out the front door. As she walked toward Goldie, who straddled his bike, a fluttery feeling swirled inside her, as it usually did when she looked at him. He’d been her strength during the long month since Dr. Daniels had attacked her. Even though she loved Goldie madly, she also really liked him. When she’d told Rory that, her friend didn’t know what she was talking about, but Claudia had squeezed her hand and whispered, “That’s a rarity. He’s a keeper.” And he was. She had no intention of letting him slip away.
“Aunt Patty’s doing great,” she said as she climbed behind him. Clutching him tightly, they pulled away from the curb. The first rush of air, the wind whirling around her, and the scent of oil and leather always hit her hard, and she loved it. She wanted so badly to tell Ryan how freeing it was to ride on a motorcycle, but they didn’t talk about bikes or Goldie. After she’d told Ryan how Goldie had saved her life, she’d hoped it would fix what was broken between her brother and his best friend, but it didn’t. Ryan had sent a quick e-mail thanking Goldie, but that was all. Goldie was never mentioned in their conversations, and when she’d bring him up or gush about him, Ryan would feign bad interference and end the call.
At the stoplight, Goldie looked at her over his shoulder, and she stretched forward and kissed him tenderly. He’d been so patient with her when she didn’t want to do anything except have him hold her. The past few days, she’d finally been able to make love to him again, and it thrilled her beyond belief.
They went for a ride through the desert landscape, ending up at a small bright pink restaurant set atop a hill on the edge of the county line. Floor-to-ceiling windows all around made for a spectacular view of the desert and the mountains.
The hostess seated them at a table for two next to the window, where the red rock formations glowed under the setting sun’s rays. Hailey looked up from her menu, meeting Goldie’s intense eyes.
