“Mr. Cooper,” Irene said evenly, “Officer Wright is here to see you. He has some other folks with him. He says it’s urgent.”
Michael couldn’t hold his steady poker face. He looked at Piper, letting her know he had no idea what this was all about. “Send them in,” he said, sounding hesitant.
At the sight of the group filing into Michael’s office, Piper’s heart sank. Her two worlds had just collided, and more than that, the one person she trusted more than anyone had seemingly betrayed her. Every stabbing pain she’d buried away came blasting back. Her mind went from too full, to instantly empty, dumping out like a bucket of water. Bobby was the first to enter the office, and directly behind him was Agent Lydia Carlson, a dark-haired, dark-skinned woman with piercing caramel-colored eyes. She kept her hair short and swept to the side, her clothes pristine and pressed, and her full lips shining with gloss. She reminded Piper of a tiger, fierce eyes and intense jaw, always looking like she was about to growl. She could put large gold hoop earrings on and as much black mascara as she’d like, but as far as Piper was concerned, underneath it all was a primal animal hunting its prey.
Piper met Bobby’s eyes for only a second and then looked away, knowing the tears would come if she kept her gaze on him. She battled back the urge to vomit, her stomach doing somersaults. Instead she looked back at Michael and lifted her chin in angry defiance, and in that instant it all made sense to him.
Bobby cleared his throat. “Michael, this is Special Agent Carlson. She’s the head of the task force to catch the Railway Killer. This is Agent Fuentes,” he continued, pointing to the tall Hispanic man who extended his hand to greet Michael, “the head of the criminal profiling unit.”
“Isabella,” Special Agent Carlson began curtly, “I’m glad to see you are doing well. Better than the two girls who were recently attacked here in Edenville, for certain. Had you not heard the news?” Carlson spoke condescension as if it were a second language she had learned. Yes, Piper thought to herself, Carlson was bilingual in “bitch.”
Before Piper could retort, Bobby cut in. “As we talked about earlier, Special Agent Carlson, there was no way for her to know if the cases were linked to her father. There are quite a few inconsistencies between past attacks and the ones that have occurred here in Edenville.” Piper was piecing together the puzzle now. There had been a second attack this morning. And now Bobby’s overwhelming instincts to protect the public had undermined his loyalty to her. He had gone to his captain with the information he had, and the FBI was called in. Then Agent Carlson flew in on her broomstick.
“My name is Piper,” she said, with her back still to them. Michael’s face was red, either with discomfort or anger; Piper couldn’t distinguish which.
“Not anymore it isn’t,” Special Agent Carlson said tersely. Turning her attention to Bobby, she opened her large notepad and pulled a pen from her breast pocket. “If what you told me on the phone was correct, and her father has found her, then the identity of Piper Anderson no longer exists. Isabella will be entered back into witness protection. She’ll be given a new identity and moved immediately.”
The room was spinning now as Piper tried to digest Special Agent Carlson’s words. “I’m not going anywhere. I have a life here. He isn’t going to take that from me.”
“He isn’t here to spoil your fun or wreck your social life,” Carlson shot back. “There are things here that you don’t understand.”
“So then explain them to me,” Piper snapped.
“Fine,” Carlson huffed back. “You know that your father is a serial killer. He killed twenty-three women, one of which was your mother. He made an attempt on your life, but you survived. You were the only one of his victims to do so. Because there was a lag in time when you didn’t identify him after your attack, another girl was murdered—Delanie Morrison, who he thought was his twenty-fourth victim.”
Special Agent Carlson was trying to allude to the fact that if Piper had been more forthcoming with the information about her father immediately after her own attack, then perhaps they could have caught him in time. Perhaps Delanie would still be alive. Piper didn’t need the reminder, though, because that weight sat next to her every day like a melancholy ghost. It was heavy on her heart at all times. Piper hadn’t wanted to believe she was the product of a serial killer. She had already been through so much.
So two years ago when Special Agent Carlson questioned her about her attack, and Piper became aware of her father’s other crimes, she stayed silent. Weeks later, Delanie Morrison was dead with the number twenty-four carved into her leg. Her femoral artery was severed with the same railroad spike that had been driven into Piper’s leg. As Special Agent Carlson retold this memory, Bobby saw the same sadness and guilt creep across Piper’s face that had on the day she had finally told him about her past. He’d had just about enough of this.
“Easy,” Bobby cut in, looking sternly at Carlson. “You’re getting off track. Piper’s a victim here. It’s your job to find the murderer, not hers.” The woman seemed to lack any empathy. Bobby understood the seriousness of the situation, but treating Piper like a child wasn’t going to move the case forward.
“Anyway,” Special Agent Carlson continued, letting the word draw out with far more attitude than Bobby thought necessary, “after we did finally identify him, it was leaked to the press that there was a break in the case and that one of his victims, Isabella, had survived. Now out of the blue two girls are attacked here in this Podunk town where you’ve been relocated. The Criminal Profiling Unit has spent years on your father’s case. With the events of the week here in Edenville they’ve come up with an assessment. Your father is compulsive. Whatever mechanism in his brain makes him a serial killer also makes him a slave to his own routine. He can’t deviate from his compulsions. He hasn’t murdered anyone in over two years. We believe when your father found out you were still alive, his world was turned upside down. That number he carved in your leg means something to him, something we can’t even begin to understand. We believe he isn’t able to kill anyone else until he finishes what he started with you. He’s probably been hunting you this whole time, and now he’s found you. You are the only thing standing in the way of his ability to keep killing. You’re the itch he needs to scratch.”
Carlson cleared her throat and went on speaking, frustration filling her voice as Piper still refused to turn in her chair and make eye contact. “Isabella, I know this is difficult. Relocation often is, but this is your only option. Your father will stop at nothing to kill you. He needs you dead in order to feed that beast inside him. I’m going to draw up the papers and give you a chance to say goodbye.” She put her pen back into her pocket. Piper had no words. She looked helplessly at Michael who, up until now, seemed bewildered by the entourage that had just plowed its way into his office.
Finally he shook his head as if he was breaking free of a fog, and found his words. “Special Agent Carlson,” he started, deepening his voice a little for effect, “I can understand your urgency and concern here. You have been working this case for quite a while and haven’t been successful in apprehending a very dangerous man. That must be discouraging.” And embarrassing, Michael thought to himself. “I think, however, you might be jumping the gun here. Has the medical examiner determined if the cases are linked? Have any eyewitnesses come forward? It seems like there are still many unanswered questions. Perhaps prior to initiating a very serious process like witness protection, we should let some of this play out. Don’t you agree?”
Michael wasn’t actually sure how he felt about the whole situation. If he were looking at this merely as a prosecutor he’d be driving Piper to the airport right now, making sure his witness was safe. But knowing Piper the way he did, he understood routine relocation was not the answer. When her big doe eyes glassed over with the hint of tears, her bristly exterior cracked, and he wanted to throw himself in front of her like a human shield. It was clear she needed as much emotional protection as she di
d physical.
“Who the hell are you?” Agent Carlson barked. “The only reason we’re in your office right now is because this is where we knew we would find Isabella. Besides that, I can’t see how this has anything to do with you.”
“First, I think for the sake of ease, it would be best if you called this young lady by the name she prefers. It seems as though she does not want to be called by the name she gave up when she entered witness protection. I’m sure an agent with all your years of experience can understand the importance of respecting the wishes of a victim. Second, my name is Michael Cooper. I’m apparently the person who’s going to encourage you, and I leave that word open to interpretation, to do your job thoroughly and complete the investigation before taking such drastic measures. Now, when should we expect the medical examiner’s report regarding the wounds on the girls’ legs? Have the Internet fan pages dedicated to the Railway Killer been cross-referenced with any IP addresses in or around Edenville? Has surveillance footage at all gas stations and ATM machines within a two mile radius been checked for suspicious activity around the time of the attacks?” Piper felt her back straighten slightly. She had wanted Bobby to stand by her on this. Her heart was broken that he hadn’t, but at least she wasn’t completely alone.
Carlson wasn’t one to be easily intimidated. She stepped in front of Piper, who had not even spared her a glance up until this point. Now Piper met her icy gaze straight on. “Are you saying you don’t want the protection being offered to you, Piper? If you choose to waive that, we cannot ensure your safety or the safety of any of the people you care about. Your father will exploit every relationship you have in order to get to you. If you do not take our offer of witness protection, then you are on your own. The task force has scaled back significantly over the last couple years since your father has gone dormant. We don’t have the means to offer you anything in the way of security.”
“I can protect her. I can protect all of them,” Bobby insisted, wishing to draw Carlson’s attention away from Piper the way one might throw a rock at a bear to stop it from attacking someone. And just like that scenario, once the bear turns your way, you had better be ready for an attack of your own.
“Oh yes,” Carlson sneered, “the rookie cop who keeps stepping in piles of shit. Your reputation precedes you, Office Wright. Have you learned the Miranda Rights yet?” And there it was. The stabbing pains of regret filled Bobby. He had done what he thought was right, the only option he felt he had, and now he was faced with the fact that he had brought in the one person Piper needed the least. The cold, calloused agent who had kicked her when she was down and was lining up to do it again. This woman had manipulated and mentally destroyed Piper by leveraging Delanie’s death, and he’d practically rolled out the red carpet for her to do it again.
“I’ll be in touch,” Carlson continued as she pulled open the door. “With any luck you learned from your mistake last time and will do the right thing before someone else gets killed.” She waved for Agent Fuentes to come with her but ignored Bobby all together. He had planned to stay for a while to talk to Piper anyway.
“Piper,” Bobby said, crouching down in front of where she still sat stiffly in her chair. “You have to understand why I did this. There was another attack this morning. I have an obligation to this community.”
“Get the hell out of here.” Piper gulped back her tears, her rage, and her pain. “You’re not going to convince me you did the right thing here. We’re not going to agree on this. Just go do your job since that seems to be the most important thing to you right now.” When he opened his mouth to speak again she cut in, “Go.”
Bobby looked over at Michael, hoping for an ally, thinking he might chime in and convince Piper there was no other choice. But Michael stayed silent. Bobby had told himself all morning, no matter how badly Piper took the news that he had contacted the FBI, he wouldn’t waver in his belief that he had done the right thing. He had all but convinced himself, no matter how hurt she looked, no matter how broken, he’d done the right thing. He promised himself he’d remember the oath he took when he became a police officer and it would carry him past the doubt in his mind. Promise broken. He left the room quietly, his head hanging.
Michael stood for another minute in disbelief of what had just transpired in the quick but impactful five minutes. When he saw Piper looking like she’d slipped into a state of shock he realized if his head was spinning, Piper’s must be ready to pop. He crossed his office and sat in the chair next to her, pulling it a little closer. She leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her knees and cradled her head in her hands as she groaned.
He rubbed her back in a soothing circular motion and ached when her tears started to fall. He wrestled with himself: what to say, how to comfort? Then, before he could convince himself it was too soon, he said, “I guess you can look on the bright side.” He peeked down at her wet eyes as she turned her head slightly to see what bright side he could possibly be talking about. “At least he didn’t drop his phone in the toilet.”
She sat up quickly and he assumed it was to be in a better position to yell at him. He braced himself for a punch in the shoulder or a slap on the face. It wouldn’t be his first, and if it made her feel better to hit him, then he’d be willing to take a punch. Instead she wrinkled her brows and had an odd crooked, almost confused smile. “Oh please, a straight and narrow guy like Bobby? He’d have a back-up memory card and a spare phone ready to go.”
Chapter Six
“I still can’t believe he did that. He’s lucky it was a loaf of bread and not a brick I threw at him,” Jules said, still angry every time she thought about Bobby’s betrayal. It had been two days and her anger hadn’t lessened a bit, so she could only imagine how Piper felt.
“Just be glad you weren’t there when it happened,” Michael said, running his hands through his hair in that mindless but sexy way he always did. “Bobby stormed into my office with some egomaniac special agent and completely blindsided Piper. It was so uncomfortable. He should have handled it differently,” Michael remarked, recalling the disastrous afternoon.
“He shouldn’t have called the FBI at all. He knew they would try to get her to move away. Does he really want that to happen?” Jules couldn’t understand why Bobby would, once again, let his job come between him and the person he supposedly loved.
“I actually think he did the right thing,” Michael admitted. “I just don’t agree with how he did it. He should have let Piper know what to expect, given her the courtesy of a heads-up. And he should have put that overbearing special agent in her place before she ever saw Piper. I know he was trying to do the right thing, but man, he really blew it.”
“Where is Piper now? I know Bobby is at the house with Ma, who has been tearing him a new one for days,” Jules said, feeling lucky she wasn’t there to catch any of the wrath.
“I put her up in a cabin that belongs to a client of mine. It’s out by the river. She said she needed some space. I’ve never seen her look so hurt.” Michael hesitated, thinking again of the uncontrollable sobs coming from Piper after Bobby had left his office. His attempts at humor hadn’t worked as well as he had hoped. Inevitably the little smile she had plastered on her face had faded and the tears had come. “The place has a very advanced security system and I called in a favor so she could borrow Bruno.”
“Who’s Bruno?” asked Jules. She couldn’t help picturing a hulking bodyguard standing vigil at the door of the cabin.
“He’s a police dog, or he’s going to be. My buddy trains them. Bruno is just about to graduate from the training program, and he’ll be good protection and good company. She’ll need it. Every time I talk to her on the phone she seems okay, but honestly I think she’s in pretty rough shape. They’re in love though, they’ll figure it out.”
At the mention of love, Jules bit at her bottom lip as she fought with herself about how to broach her conversation with Michael. They’d stopped by La Bella Luna to pick up some takeout for
lunch. They’d planned to spend the afternoon eating, drinking wine, and making love. She knew whatever she said, however she said it, almost didn’t matter. It would be what he said in response that would determine how the rest of the evening went.
“Michael, we need to talk,” Jules finally blurted, the words bursting out of her like water raging down a river. Michael had heard this short but meaningful phrase dozens of times in his adult life. In his experience, women were not comfortable with casual sex for more than a month or so. They talked a good game, but when it came down to it, inevitably they all sat in front of him with the we-need-to-talk look in their eyes.
He’d had a feeling it would be coming with Jules, too, but he’d hoped it wouldn’t. Nothing good ever came of it. This conversation was one he had mastered. Guilt, deflect, procrastinate, they leave—start over. That wasn’t what he wanted with Jules, but old habits die hard.
“Sure, we can talk about anything,” he replied calmly. Step one: even if you know what’s coming don’t act annoyed. That instantly made you look like the bad guy.
“Maybe this isn’t the right time to talk about this. Things are so complicated, but it’s really weighing on my mind. I know we’re very different people. I’m a Catholic. I try to live my life a certain way. You play more by your own rules. I feel like we need to talk about where all this is going. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with just having a physical relationship. It’s not who I am. I’m not judging you or anything, I just can’t keep going this way.”
Cutting Ties (Book 2) (Piper Anderson Series) Page 6
