“No, like I said, we haven’t really talked much about it.”
Captain Striker nodded in approval. “I’m happy to hear that. She needs someone who cares about her and doesn’t get uptight about what she can do.”
“I knew it was a package deal when I made the decision to ask her out. So, tell me what happened.”
“As long as you understand I’m only telling you this so you can appreciate how difficult it is for Rennie to let her guard down. She was fifteen at the time. Her best friend, Lucie, was abducted walking home from a skating party one evening. Somehow, Rennie knew as soon as it happened. She tried to convince her parents to call the police but they didn’t believe her because Rennie had been home all afternoon and couldn’t possibly have seen Lucie being kidnapped. They didn’t want to upset Lucie’s parents unnecessarily and wouldn’t even let her call to check with them. She ran to her room and cried for hours.”
“So, Rennie really did see Lucie get abducted through one of her visions?”
“It was worse than that. While she was lying in bed thinking of Lucie, she linked with her. Of course, the poor thing didn’t realize it at the time. In Rennie’s mind, it was happening to her. Lucie was sexually assaulted and then beaten to death.”
“My God,” Mac said, “she must have been terrified.”
“She was. When Lucie died and the link was finally broken, Rennie ran to her parents and told them what happened. Like I said, she didn’t know she hadn’t actually been assaulted herself. Her parents were horrified to think someone had broken in and attacked their daughter right in their own home so they rushed her to the hospital to get medical attention. The police were called in and Rennie repeated what had happened and even described her attacker and provided them with a name, although she didn’t know the man.”
“But they found out she was still a virgin,” Mac said. “They must have thought she’d lost her mind.”
“At first her parents thought she was pulling some adolescent prank and punished her severely for telling what they thought were horrendous lies. Naturally, the police came to question her the next day after Lucie’s body was discovered. The girls had been best friends and they needed to find out if Rennie knew of anyone who would want to hurt Lucie. You can imagine their surprise when she told them every detail from the time Lucie was kidnapped until the time she was murdered.”
“I doubt they believed she saw it in a vision.”
“Not right away, but then she repeated her description of the man and gave them his name. She said they looked at her like she was some sort of abomination but took down the information anyway. Then they told her parents not to be too hard on her because making up the story was probably her way of coping with Lucie’s death. A few days later the suspect was arrested.”
Captain Striker stood up and walked over to the window, staring out at the courtyard below for a few moments before he continued.
“Rennie became an outcast within her own family when Lucie’s murderer confessed and they discovered the details Rennie had given the police were a hundred percent accurate. After that, her parents and sisters steered clear of her. The kids at school were exceptionally cruel and taunted her mercilessly. A few months later, her parents uprooted the family and moved here. They made Rennie swear that no matter what she saw in her visions, she would keep it to herself.”
Mac’s expression hardened. “So they let her suffer through every episode by herself.”
The Captain turned back to him. “She isolated herself from her family and refused to make any friends because she was afraid she had somehow caused those things to happen to Lucie. It wasn’t until Rennie turned eighteen and her family moved to Florida that she came to understand she wasn’t predicting the future but seeing these things as they were actually happening, or long after they were over.”
“What happened when she was eighteen?”
“Her first year of college. Rennie was working two jobs to support herself and pay for school. She read an ad in the campus paper offering a hundred dollars to anyone who volunteered to go to the Psychic Research Center on campus and get tested. One of the professors recognized her potential and took her under his wing. He worked with her all through college and helped her figure out how to keep from linking with someone unless she invited it. I’m sure you realize from the case with Angel Starr, Rennie isn’t always able to block it, but it’s not as bad as it used to be.”
“I appreciate you telling me this, Captain. She’s had it rough and I can’t imagine anything is going to change as far as her psychic ability is concerned, but I can promise you this; she won’t be dealing with it alone anymore.” Mac stood up to leave then turned back to ask one more question. “Just out of curiosity, how did you manage to get her to open up to you?”
Captain Striker grinned. “I told her there needed be complete trust between us if we were going to work together, so I made a deal with her. She had to tell me something she had never told anyone before. Of course, the flip side is that I had to divulge one of my deep, dark secrets too.”
“Really,” Mac arched a brow. “And just what did you tell her?”
“That, Detective, is between me and Rennie. Now get out of here so I can get that memo out.”
***
Rennie noticed the car outside her house when she stepped out to get the mail. She probably would have assumed it belonged to someone visiting her neighbor and not given it a second thought except for two minor details. For one thing, the car was parked in front of Mrs. Castle’s house and she knew for a fact the elderly woman was on vacation with her son and his family for a week. The second thing that made her uneasy was the man was still sitting there an hour later when she peeked outside. When yet another hour passed and he hadn’t moved, Rennie decided it was time to call Mac.
She tried his office first but was told he was out and should be back shortly. Not bothering to leave a message, Rennie dialed his cell phone, sighing with relief when he picked up. Just hearing his voice alleviated some of the tension.
“Hey, sweetheart, I’m sorry I haven’t had the chance to call you this afternoon.”
“That’s okay, I figured you probably got wrapped up with a case. Actually, the reason I called is because…well, there’s been a man parked across the street for the past two hours and it’s gotten me a little spooked.”
“Is it a dark blue sedan?”
“Yes, but how did you know?”
“Don’t worry, honey, he’s one of ours. The Captain told me he was going to have someone watching your house until Dalton is caught. He’ll leave as soon as I get there.”
Rennie smiled. “Does that mean you’re going to be my personal body guard tonight?”
“Oh, I intend to do a whole lot more than just guard that beautiful body of yours. I should be out of here in another hour or so. Where would you like to go for dinner?”
“I really don’t feel like going out. Would you mind if I made dinner tonight?”
“Sounds great. I think I’ll stop and get a change of clothes so I can shower at your house in the morning. Unless, of course, you think that’s a little too presumptuous on my part.”
“I’d be foolish to argue that it’s presumptuous when it works in my favor, now wouldn’t I? Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner?”
“I’m more interested in dessert,” he said huskily.
Rennie laughed. “Play your cards right and you might get dessert before dinner.”
“Ah, hell,” Mac groaned as the vision of Rennie’s naked body sent his blood rushing due south. “How am I supposed to concentrate on work now?”
“I’m sure you’ll manage. I’ll see you in a little while.”
Rennie hung up, smiling to herself. It was hard to believe that only last week she’d been living a lonely, secluded life with barely any human contact at all and now she was deeply involved with Mac. He’d changed her life, made her genuinely happy, and that was something she hadn’t felt in a very long time. And
it wasn’t just the incredible sex, although that was definitely part of what made her feel so close to him. It was simply how relaxed she felt around him.
She didn’t have to worry about Mac thinking she was some sort of freak. Instead, he’d made her feel just the opposite when he insisted her psychic abilities weren’t a curse because she could use them to help other people. He accepted her just as she was, and that more than anything eased the ache of loneliness in her heart.
Rennie wandered into the kitchen to investigate the contents of her refrigerator. She should have realized she wouldn’t have time to thaw any meat out and have it anywhere near ready by the time Mac got there. She had a great recipe for garlic and herb roasted chicken but would need to go to the store.
If she hurried, she could have it in the oven just before he arrived, and since it would take a good hour or more to roast, they would have enough time for a little fun beforehand. With that enticing incentive in front of her, Rennie grabbed her purse and headed off to the grocery store.
***
Mac lay in bed that night with Rennie curled up next to his side. Her head was on his shoulder and one slender arm was draped over his chest. He’d all but jumped on her the minute he got there and they’d barely made it up to her room before he stripped her clothes off. Never in his life had he felt such raw desire for a woman, or such an overwhelming longing to keep her locked in his arms afterwards.
Mac stroked her back absently. If he’d ever had any illusions that he could keep his heart out if it, they had been shattered tonight. He’d taken one look at her beautiful smile when she opened the door and immediately felt a rush of emotion so strong he just had to touch her.
Of course, once he’d felt her soft body pressed against his, it was all over but the shouting. For a woman who was new to the experience of making love, Rennie certainly had no inhibitions once their clothes were off. Just thinking about the way her velvety hands moved over his skin made him break out in a cold sweat.
Mac closed his eyes and was almost asleep when he heard Rennie mumble in her sleep. She stirred restlessly then let out a low, frightened moan. By now he was used to the nightmares that plagued her and simply pulled her closer, whispering words of reassurance in her ear.
Within seconds, she relaxed again and the distressed mumbling quieted. It killed him to know that all the things she had witnessed in her visions also haunted her at night, but at least she didn’t seem to retain any memories of it the next day. He hoped that had something to do with him.
He hadn’t been lying to Captain Striker when he said Rennie instilled the instinct to protect, and that’s exactly how he felt at that moment. He wanted to protect her from everything. She had seen enough pain and suffering in her lifetime to drive a hundred people mad, yet she’d managed to hang onto a certain amount of innocence.
Rennie had never really experienced any of the joys life could bring because she’d never had anyone to share them with. Well, she had someone now, Mac thought, and he intended to bring that heart stopping smile to her face every chance he got.
***
Rennie slipped out of bed early, but not before she’d taken a few minutes to bask in the glorious feeling of having Mac’s strong arms around her. She loved waking up to him, though she regretted that he would have to get up soon and go to work. At least tomorrow was Saturday and they could linger in bed for as long as they pleased.
She put on her robe and crept downstairs to make a pot of coffee. It bothered her that he’d been going without breakfast to rush back to his house to shower before heading off to work, so this morning she was going to make sure he was fed before he left. By the time Mac came downstairs, she had the bacon and pancakes warming in the oven and was just starting on the scrambled eggs. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.
“I was hoping to make love to you before I left this morning.”
“Not before you’ve had a good breakfast,” she said firmly.
“It does smell pretty good.” He nuzzled the back of her neck. “Not as good as you smell though.”
“Behave,” Rennie chastised, though she made no effort to pull away. Mac nibbled at a particularly sensitive spot, sending a shiver up her spine. “The…the eggs are done,” she said weakly.
“Put them in the oven and come back to bed.”
“Mac…” She drew in a sharp breath when his hands moved up to cup her breasts. “The eggs will dry out,” she protested, but it was half-hearted at best.
He reached around her and turned off the burner. “This won’t take long.”
Twenty minutes later, she was back in the kitchen pulling the food out of the oven, sporting a soft smile and a warm, tingling afterglow. She dished up two plates, poured the coffee and brought everything to the table. The eggs were a little dry, but she thought it was a small price to pay.
“I’d like to take you somewhere this weekend,” Mac said as he dove into his breakfast.
“Any place in particular?”
“I’m not sure yet. I was thinking about someplace fun where we can cut loose, like Disneyland maybe.”
Rennie’s face lit up. “Really? I’ve never been to Disneyland before and have always wanted to go.”
He looked at her in surprise. “You’ve lived less than two hours from it all your life and have never gone?”
Her smile faded. “I didn’t want to go alone.” She looked down at her plate, shuffling the food from one end to the other.
Mac could have kicked himself. He should have known better, especially after the Captain told him about her childhood and how she had secluded herself from others.
“You’re not alone now, Rennie,” he said softly.
She lifted her head and saw the worried look on his face. The morning had been too perfect for her to spoil it with bad memories. “You promise to take me on every single ride?”
“Whatever you want, sweetheart.”
Mischief danced in her eyes. “Even the giant tea cups?”
Mac almost choked on the food he was chewing. “The tea cups?”
“You know, from Alice in Wonderland.”
He sighed in resignation. “Are you sure you’ll still be able to view me as a man after seeing me ride in a giant tea cup?”
Rennie gave him a sexy smile. “I’m getting turned on just thinking about it.”
***
He was sitting at his desk thinking about that smile when Ryan came in.
“Good God, Logan, you look like a love-struck teenager.”
Mac chuckled. “I think I’m in big trouble here, my friend.”
“You’re just now figuring it out? Hell, you were lost from the moment you met her.”
“I suppose I was. Now what is it you came in here for?”
“We got a call from the owner of a twenty-four hour convenience store on the south side. Apparently, he just got to work and found the front door locked, which was unusual since the clerk on duty wasn’t supposed to get off for another forty-five minutes. When he went inside, he found the clerk in the back room, shot to death.”
Mac stood up and pulled on his jacket. “Let’s go collect evidence.”
He spent the next three hours at the crime scene before he was satisfied they’d done all they could. It never failed to amaze him that people could so easily take another human life, and for what? A few hundred dollars if they were lucky.
Money or drugs or a combination of both and some innocent person loses their life. In cases like this one, it usually amounted to nothing more than the poor victim being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He and Ryan were discussing it on their way back to the precinct when he got a call from Captain Striker.
“The Dalton case is yours, Mac. I’m officially appointing you lead detective.”
“You were able to establish a connection with some of the women Rennie named?”
“Dalton likes to take souvenirs. I’ve had some of my men going through the evidence boxes of the women Rennie t
agged as his victims. They compiled a list of items that were reported as missing when the bodies were found; clothing, jewelry, other personal items. Then we cross referenced them to the things Dalton had stashed in a trunk in his attic and came up with some matches. It will take them awhile to go through all the files and catalog everything, but we have enough to formally charge him with suspicion of murder. I’m sure we’ll be able to pin him with at least a few of them and get him off the streets for good.”
“We’re on our way back in. I’d like to make this a priority, Captain.”
“I’m already working on reassigning your other cases elsewhere, but we can discuss that when you get back to the station.”
After hanging up, he told Ryan the good news. “I’d feel better if you could shuffle some of your cases and work this one with me.”
“I’ll get right on it. Are you going to tell Miss O’Neal?”
“Not right away. I want to enjoy the weekend without having her worrying about me going after him, but I’ll have to tell her eventually. I think she’d be pretty upset if I didn’t. I’d like to catch him without asking her to try linking with him again, but we may not have a choice. If she’s right and Dalton is going on the hunt soon, we’ll need all the help we can get.”
Chapter 7
Rennie had taken the day off from working cold case files, partially because she wanted to clean the house and do some laundry before Mac got there, but also because she didn’t want any lingering thoughts of someone’s death hovering over her this weekend. She was excited about spending the entire day with Mac at Disneyland and could hardly believe he’d suggested it. It was like he was giving back a part of her childhood that had been lost, and it touched her heart like nothing else could. She had just finished putting the last load of laundry away when the phone rang. Thinking it must be Mac, she raced to pick it up.
“Is this Rennie O’Neal?”
Rennie hesitated to answer. She didn’t recognize the man’s voice and wasn’t about to verify who she was. “May I ask who is calling?”
“Is this Miss O’Neal?”
WHISPERS TO THE HEART Page 8
