Taken by You (Killer Next Door #2)

by Carlie Sexton

  She got up to leave class. Before going, she asked Jennifer if she could copy the notes after their next class.

  “Sure. Is everything okay? You don’t look so good.”

  “I’m not feeling well. I need to go. Thanks for the notes.”

  Jennifer nodded as Kate turned toward the door.

  She went out in the hall and Porter gave her a puzzled look.

  “Porter, I need to see Neil right away. Will you take me to him?”

  “Of course,” he said, following behind her.

  They walked quickly to the car. Once they were moving, Porter did something very out of character; he asked her if everything was okay.

  “No, Porter. Nothing is okay. I just found out my classmate Mark, who went missing, has been found dead. I need to talk to Neil.”

  “I see,” Porter answered, accelerating. “We’ll be there in ten.”

  She didn’t respond. All she could do was stare out the window, fighting back the tears. Tears for Mark. His death was so wrong. His life was over and hers would never be the same. How was she ever going to have a normal life with his death hanging over her?

  She entered the law offices in haste. Laura gave her a cold reception. “Glad to see you’re early today. You have a lot to do.”

  “I’ll get to it when I get to it. Right now, I need to speak to Neil.”

  “Well, I’m afraid he’s busy and you’re going to have to wait,” she said, trying to block Kate from making her way to Neil’s office.

  “Laura, I know he’s busy, but it’s an emergency. I need to speak with him immediately.”

  “Like I said, he’s busy and you’re going to have to wait,” Laura said, raising her voice.

  Neil could hear the commotion outside of his office. He stuck his head out the door. “What’s going on out here?” he asked gruffly.

  “Miss Simmons is insisting on seeing you and I was telling her you’re busy,” Laura said.

  “Laura, I’m never too busy for Miss Simmons,” he said curtly. “Please let her pass.”

  Laura glared at Kate as she stepped to the side to let her by. She didn’t say anything else before returning to her desk.

  Neil closed his office door after Kate entered.

  “What’s going on, baby? Did you leave class early?” he asked, glancing at his watch.

  “Yes, I did. I overheard two classmates talking about Mark. His body was found in Alpine. The police don’t have any suspects.”

  “Oh shit, baby. I’m so sorry to hear that. Let’s sit down,” Neil said, motioning to the sofa behind them. They made their way to the sofa and he took her hands in his.

  “Neil, if Roger could kill Mark…then he could kill you too. I’m scared something is going to happen to you,” Kate choked out. “You need…you need to have security too.” Tears streamed down her face.

  “Baby, it’s going to be okay. I’ll call Paul and get some men assigned to me if that will make you feel better. I’m not going to let anything hurt us. I will do whatever it takes for you to feel safe again.”

  “Thank you,” she said, sobbing, as she fell into his arms. “I just couldn’t bare it if something happened to you.” She looked up into his soft eyes.

  “I don’t want you to worry about working today. I want you to go home and take care of yourself. I know you’re upset about Mark. Maybe call Dr. Cox and see if he can do a phone session. It might help to talk to him about how you’re feeling right now.”

  “Okay,” she said, relieved to not have to deal with Laura.

  “Is Porter waiting outside for you?”

  “Yes.”

  Neil took out his phone and texted Porter. “He’s expecting you, so why don’t you head down. I’ll try to leave early if I can.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you when you get home,” she said, breaking free from his embrace. All she wanted was to be home alone with him, cradled in his arms.

  Neil kissed her on the forehead and walked her to his office door. “See you in a few hours, baby.”

  She smiled at him and walked out of his office. As she passed Laura’s desk, Laura hissed at her, “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Mr. Statton has told me to go home for the day,” Kate replied without stopping. She didn’t have anything else to say.

  ***

  Neil

  “Laura, could you come in here, please?”

  “Yes, Mr. Statton.”

  She entered his office and he closed the door behind her. “Please have a seat.”

  She sat down and waited.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear some of what happened out there,” he said, walking back to his desk and then turning to face her. “I just want to make something clear to you. No one is more important to me than Kate. If you ever speak crossly to her again, you will no longer be employed here. Do I make myself clear?”

  Laura stared; he’d never taken that kind of tone with her before, but it had to be done. Kate was here to stay. “Yes, Mr. Statton,” she murmured. “It won’t happen again. I just thought you were too busy for whatever drama she has going on.”

  “Drama.” Neil scoffed. “You think she’s some kind of drama queen? Not that it’s any of your business, but a friend of hers was murdered. His body was found and she just learned about it today. Does that sound like drama to you?”

  Laura’s eyes widened. “Oh, I had no idea. I’m so sorry, Mr. Statton.”

  “Laura, you don’t get to decide if I have time for her or not. I’ll always have time for her. That will be all,” he said tersely.

  ***

  Kate

  The minute Kate walked in the door, she called Dr. Cox. She didn’t want to go to his office. She hoped he could talk to her on the phone. To her surprise, he answered on the third ring.

  “Hi, Dr. Cox, it’s Kate Simmons. I was hoping to have a phone session, if you have the time.”

  “You have good timing, Kate. My afternoon is free with Thanksgiving being tomorrow. What do you want to talk about today?”

  “I found out that Mark’s body was found. He was killed because of me, Dr. Cox.” She sobbed quietly into the phone.

  “Kate, do you control Roger?”

  “No, I obviously don’t have control over him, but I can’t help but feel some guilt over this.”

  “Kate, don’t go there. This is not your fault any more than David’s death. You’re only responsible for your own actions. You didn’t invite Mark to your home and you certainly didn’t want Roger to kill him. It was the wrong place at the wrong time for Mark,” Dr. Cox insisted.

  “I know you’re right, but I’m just so saddened by this. I’m also scared for Neil. What if Roger finds us and does something to Neil?”

  “Have you talked to Neil about your concerns?”

  “Yes, I spoke with him earlier today.”

  “What did he say when you expressed your fears?”

  “He said he’d increase security. A guard will now be assigned to him as well. He was very reassuring.”

  “Do you trust Neil? Do you believe he can protect you?” Dr. Cox asked.

  “I do trust him, but this new information has proven Roger is even more dangerous than I thought. I now believe I know two people he’s killed.”

  “It’s completely understandable that you’re scared. Most people never have to deal with being stalked by a suspected killer. You’re going to have to be extra careful. I’m glad you have security to protect you,” he said in his familiar fatherly fashion.

  “Thank you, Dr. Cox. You always have a way of calming me down. I should go. I want to lie down for a while.”

  “You’re welcome. Call me anytime you need to talk. I’m here for you, Kate.”

  With that, they said their goodbyes. Dr. Cox had again helped her to realize she didn’t control other people. He’d been invaluable in his assertion she was not to blame, nor responsible for others’ behaviors. This was still difficult to swallow at times, but she needed to apply this logic to kee
p her head from the guilt that plagued her.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Paulina

  After Paulina dropped Jacob off at school, she decided to stop in at Starbucks for a latte and to surf the web on her laptop. She’d always found the atmosphere there to be relaxing and she loved the delicious scent of coffee brewing. The aroma brought her back to being in her grandmother’s kitchen. She smiled at the thought of the many mornings spent cooking together.

  In her experience, it was also a good place to meet men. She’d met Roger there many moons ago. Even though things hadn’t work out for them romantically, being Jacob’s mother had made it worth it. Since Roger was preoccupied with Rose, it was time for her to find a new man.

  She was still an attractive woman and managed to turn heads wherever she went. Also, her accent seemed to draw men to her like bees to honey. She wanted to meet someone new and have what she thought everyone deserved: a marriage and a family. She wanted her own happily ever after.

  Once she got her pumpkin spice latte, she sat down in a comfy chair and fired up her laptop. The chairs on either side of her were empty, just waiting to be filled by an eligible man. She allowed herself to daydream for a moment, before glancing up at the woman standing in front of her.

  “Paulina, is that you?” Darcy asked, a smile spreading across her face. “It’s been so long. I thought you moved back to Germany.”

  “Darcy. It’s so great to see you. What an unexpected surprise!” Paulina answered, getting up to hug her old friend. “I did move back to Germany, but Roger convinced me to return to the States,” she said. “Do you have time to sit and catch up?”

  “I do have some time. How long have you been back?”

  “Just a few weeks. We’ve been staying with Roger until I can get on my feet. How are you and Rick doing?”

  The smile on Darcy’s face evaporated. “How long are you planning on staying with him?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure. It might be a while. I’m surprised I haven’t seen you and Rick yet. Where’s Roger been hiding him?”

  “I wish I knew,” Darcy breathed, crossing her legs. “Obviously, you don’t know.”

  “Huh?”

  “Rick went missing last May. The police presume he’s dead but they can’t find his body.”

  “I had no idea, Darcy. You and the girls must be beside yourselves. I don’t understand why Roger hasn’t told me.”

  “Okay, brace yourself,” Darcy said. “He probably hasn’t told you because he’s the primary suspect in Rick’s disappearance. He was the last person to see Rick alive.”

  “What? That can’t be. Roger would never do anything to hurt Rick. They were like brothers. What’s going on?”

  “Well, it’s quite a long story. How much time do you have?”

  Paulina looked at her watch. “I have until three o’clock when I need to pick Jacob up from school. Please fill me in.”

  “Rick found out I was having an affair with another man. It was heartbreaking to see how devastated he was when I finally admitted it. Rick was so hurt and angry with me. He had good reason to be; I broke our marriage vows and betrayed him. He was desperate to know who this man was. I refused to tell him who it was, but Rick wasn’t stupid. He stormed out of the house, heading for Roger’s place, bent on inflicting a world of pain on him. I followed him in my car.”

  Darcy sighed. “I knew Rick would kill Roger, that’s why I had followed him, to try to calm him down. I didn’t want my children to grow up without their father. I didn’t want matters to become worse by seeing Rick spend the rest of his life in prison. Never in a million years did I think Rick would go missing, or worse, probably be killed. He saw me pull up behind him at Roger’s apartment, ordered me to go home. He’d been planning all day to confront Roger, since he’d suspected Roger was the man I was sleeping with.”

  "So, you were actually having an affair with Roger?” Paulina asked, her eyes blinking in disbelief.

  “Yes, we’d been having problems for some time. Rick had become so vicious, his anger toward me seemed unyielding. He wanted full custody of our kids and he’d stop at nothing to get it. He was being vindictive and cruel and hurting me had consumed his life. I ended up taking comfort in Roger’s arms. In the end, I realized I deserved Rick’s wrath. I’d cheated. I’d torn our lives apart. He’d wanted to go to counseling to work on our marriage, but I wasn’t interested. I wanted other men to find me attractive and interesting. My husband had become boring and predictable after twelve years of marriage and I wanted, no I needed, something more.”

  “Wow, Darcy. I had no idea things had become so bad between you two. I’m so sorry,” Paulina said, reaching out to her.

  “Unfortunately, I didn’t give much thought to the consequences of my actions. Rick had been away on business and I took the opportunity presented before me, one that was delicious at the time, but which ruined my entire life, afterwards. Now Rick’s gone. My worst fears of losing my children have been usurped by Rick’s disappearance. The last person to see him was Roger.”

  Paulina’s eyebrows were knit together. “Do you really believe Roger could have something to do with this? You really believe that’s possible?”

  “I believe Roger knows more about Rick disappearance than he’s told anyone. His story kept changing. Roger told me Rick probably ran off to get some perspective about our lives. He told the police Rick could’ve been a victim of domestic violence, implying I could’ve done something to him, that I actually could’ve hurt Rick or hired someone to make him disappear. Luckily, the police didn’t buy into Roger’s story. They thought Roger was the most viable suspect since he was the man I had been having an affair with.”

  Darcy shook her head. “But there was no evidence of what had happened or any trace of where Rick could’ve gone. The one thing I know for sure is Rick would never walk out on his children.”

  Paulina nodded. “Rick was a great father. I find it hard to believe he would desert his kids.”

  “He wouldn’t. He’d been abandoned by his mom when he was ten. She left him and his brothers behind to run off with another man. He’d cried himself to sleep every night for a year. He’d prayed that God would bring his mom back home and restore his family. He’d worked extra hard to be a good boy. But nothing brought her back. What was worse was that the man she ran off with didn’t like her children. He rarely saw his mom or had any contact with her. He was devastated by her betrayal. It had a profound effect on how he saw marriage and family, and he was therefore committed to being the best father he possibly could be. He coached the girls’ soccer teams. He played games with them, took them to the movies, read them bedtime stories, and most importantly, he taught them right from wrong. He knew spending time with them now would pay off in the future. He wanted his children to grow up being responsible, caring adults. He seemed to have this image in his mind of the perfect family. The family he never had. The family he would try to create at all cost.”

  “Wow, poor guy. No wonder he wanted a family. He needed to fix what had been broken in his life,” Paulina said, tilting her head to one side.

  “Yeah, but his view of marriage was a different story. Thanks to his mom’s abandonment, Rick didn’t trust women. I didn’t realize this when we met and dated. My eyes were opened when we were married. After we said ‘I do,’ he became very controlling and wanted to track every move I made. I had to account for my time every day. If I was at the grocery store too long, he came looking for me. I had to work from home because he didn’t want me out in the world where I could develop relationships with anyone. The only friend he allowed me to have was my sister. Carla was my only confidant. She was the only person he would let me see or talk with. I felt trapped and hated being controlled all of the time. My despair grew over the years. His distrust became a self-fulfilling prophecy. He drove me to cheat through his constant suspicions and accusations.”

  “That’s terrible. I had no idea you’d endured so much.”

&n
bsp; “Now he’s gone and there’s nothing I can do about it. I don’t know if he’s dead or alive. It’s been torture. I don’t know if this is a game or if he’s in real trouble. There’s nothing I can do but wait and hope somehow he’ll return or the police will find him. Our children deserve a father even though I cheated. I still care about him and I don’t want the worst to be true.”

  Paulina took Darcy’s hand. She didn’t know what to say. It was an overwhelming conversation and her heart went out to Darcy.

  “How are the kids holding up?”

  “This morning I heard sobs coming from my younger daughter’s room. I went to her and joined her in bed. Since Rick’s been gone she’s woken up most days in tears. She misses her daddy. I try my best to comfort Tiffany, but sometimes she just can’t be consoled. She’s terrified her daddy is dead and she’s never going to see him again. All I can do is reassure her that her dad loved her very much and would do anything to be with her if he could. I don’t know what else to say. My older daughter has completely shut us all out. She never talks about Rick and I’m so worried about her as well.” A tear rolled down Darcy’s face.

  “This is so much to take in. I’m so sorry you and the girls are going through all of this,” Paulina said. “If there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word.”

  “The only thing you can do is help yourself and Jacob. Get away from Roger as soon as you can. He’s dangerous. I just know it,” Darcy said, looking Paulina square in the eye. It was a bit unnerving for Paulina.

  “I really don’t think Roger could hurt me. He wouldn’t do anything that would cause Jacob pain.”

  “I’m sure Rose probably thought the same thing.”

  “What do you mean? Rose and Roger broke up over a month ago. Strangely, he met a new woman named Rose.”