“This is wrong,” she said, pulling away. “I’ll only end up getting hurt in the end.” She touched her lips where the feel of his lips still lingered. “I’m sorry, Ryan.”
“I won’t hurt you, Kitty,” he said. “I swear.”
“You won’t hurt me intentionally—I know that. But what if you never change your mind about my father? What if you meet him tomorrow and decide that he’s guilty as charged?”
Kitty had been imagining Ryan becoming her greatest ally and her fiercest supporter, standing by her side throughout her struggle to search for the truth. It was a fantasy that was unlikely to ever come true. And that knowledge caused a physical pain to burn in her chest.
Ryan had no answers to give her beyond a simple statement that floored her.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Kitty.”
“No, no, no,” she said, walking away from him and wringing her hands. “Don’t say that.”
“But it’s true.”
She folded her arms, rubbing her skin through her silky white blouse. “It doesn’t much matter how you feel, because unless you can look me in the eye and tell me that you believe my father is innocent I can never love you in return.”
She fixed him with a stare, knowing exactly how he felt, but challenging him to say the words, anyway.
“I can’t,” he said.
She ran quickly up to her bedroom. Why had she tortured herself like that? Why had she kissed Ryan, knowing that it could lead nowhere? She’d been an idiot.
And now they could never go back to the way they were. Now their friendship was surely over.
* * *
“Where’s Kitty?” Shane asked, entering the house with a box file in his hands. “My investigation has turned up something interesting.”
“She’s resting,” Ryan said, bolting the door behind his deputy. “And I don’t think she wants to be disturbed.”
“I’m okay,” she called. “I’ll come down. Just give me a second to wash my face.”
Ryan looked up the stairs to see Kitty standing at the top, her face blotchy and streaked. He wanted to rush to her side and wrap his arms around her, but his feet were immobile on the floor, fixed there by the sensible voice inside his head telling him to let her be.
“Is she okay?” Shane asked quietly. “Did you two have a fight or something?”
“Not exactly. Our relationship is, um...” He didn’t know how to finish the sentence.
“Problematic?” Shane offered helpfully.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Listen, boss,” Shane said, shifting his file from one hand to the other. “I know I tease you sometimes about Kitty, but I don’t mean any offense. I realize you like her a lot, and if you want to date her then don’t worry about what some hotheads in the town will think.”
“It’s not that easy. Kitty and I have some differences that we can’t seem to resolve.”
“Ah,” Shane said. “Her father.”
“Exactly. You know how fiercely she defends him, and she won’t even consider that he might’ve been involved in Molly’s murder.”
“Well, it turns out that Harry could be telling the truth about his innocence, after all,” Shane said. “We might’ve been wrong about him all along.”
“You’re kidding! What did you find out?”
The deputy went into the kitchen and put his file on the table.
“Okay, so when we found Molly’s body, her hands had been tied with rope. The same rope was used to tie the hands on the person under the floor of the Starlight Bar. And it’s also the same rope that bound the hands of the girl pulled out of the river two years ago. These three murders are all related.”
“Are you sure? Can you come to that conclusion based on the rope alone?”
“This rope is really unusual. It’s homemade, not store-bought stuff, made from a mix of things like plastic, bark and grass. We didn’t focus too heavily on the rope in Molly’s murder investigation because we didn’t need to use it to figure out a suspect—Molly’s phone records with that text she sent took us straight to Harry.”
Ryan turned his ear to the hallway, listening for Kitty’s arrival. He didn’t want her overhearing his next comment.
“Harry could have used the same rope in all these murders,” he said. “He might be responsible for all three deaths.”
“I already thought of that,” Shane said. “So I did a little digging. The girl who was found in the river went missing on a summer’s day in August and her body was recovered less than twenty-four hours later, so there’s only a small window for someone to have killed her.”
“And why can’t it be Harry?”
“Because during that twenty-four-hour window, Harry was sitting in a jail cell on a DUI charge. There’s no way he could’ve killed that girl.”
“Okay,” Ryan said slowly. “Maybe Harry’s accomplice sometimes acted alone.”
“Yeah, that’s one explanation, but there’s another one we should consider.”
“And what’s that?”
“The possibility that Harry is innocent, after all.”
“Do you think he’s innocent?”
“I’ve given it a lot of thought,” Shane replied. “And I have to admit that I’m having doubts about the jury’s verdict.” He sat down heavily, clearly troubled. “I think we all judged Harry harshly because of his past conviction and alcoholism. But what if he’s telling the truth and we won’t listen?”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Ryan said. “I think we need to reexamine Molly’s murder, go over evidence with a new eye.”
Shane put the photographs on the table. “We also need to start properly investigating these six missing-person cases. If we can locate their bodies, we can look for the same rope and other similarities in the crimes. If we’ve got a serial killer operating in the county, we’ve got to put all our resources into finding him. I’ve been working flat out with door-to-door inquiries and trawling through databases for suspects who match Kitty’s attacker, but it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. We need more manpower.”
“I agree,” Ryan said. “But we won’t be getting extra help any time soon. Sheriff Wilkins is none too happy about this serial killer theory. He reckons we’ll cause panic in the town if we start talking about it.”
“Sheriff Wilkins only cares about retiring on a high,” Shane said. “He’s got a big party planned, and he doesn’t want anything to upset the celebrations.” The deputy put his hand on Ryan’s shoulder. “I heard that you won’t be getting Jim’s endorsement for the role of sheriff. I’m really sorry. In my opinion you’d make an excellent one.”
“Thank you, Shane,” Ryan said. “I appreciate that. But Jim thinks my association with Kitty would be an embarrassment to him, so he won’t back me.”
“I tell you what’s an embarrassment, boss,” Shane said. “Stephen Hopper over in Lawton is barely out of diapers and Sheriff Wilkins wants him to take over the job.” He laughed. “I can’t believe that the sheriff didn’t consider endorsing me instead.”
“Your time will come,” Ryan said, sliding the photos back into the file as he heard Kitty’s feet on the stairs. “Can we keep this new information about the rope under wraps for now?”
“You don’t want to tell Kitty?”
“No, not right now. Let’s give it a little more time.”
Kitty would seize this new information and use it to continually push Ryan to acknowledge her father’s innocence. And he didn’t want to do that just yet. He wanted to meet Harry first, before coming to any firm conclusions.
“Hello, Shane,” Kitty said a little frostily, entering the kitchen. She was still nursing the hurt Shane had caused by implying that her father might be in league with a serial killer. “You said your investigation turned up something new. What is it?”
<
br /> “Oh,” Shane said, trying to stall for time. “It’s nothing.”
“It can’t be nothing,” she said, her deep brown eyes still moist from her tears. “You said it was something interesting.”
“Shane discovered that the missing women all have the same color eyes,” Ryan interjected. “All blue.”
She folded her arms. “Is that it? We knew this already.”
“We did?”
“Yes. We were looking at the photos yesterday and...” Kitty stopped and narrowed her eyes at the window, as if trying to see into the distance. “Who’s that by the barn? Did someone else come here with you, Shane?”
“No,” the deputy replied. “I came alone.”
The two men locked eyes, senses alert. Ryan stood and reached for his weapon, managing to pull the gun from its holster just as the window shattered with a thunderous bang.
He grabbed Kitty, yanked her to the floor and shielded her body with his own.
TEN
Kitty lay awkwardly on the floor, her arm twisted uncomfortably beneath her, but she didn’t dare move an inch. The floor was strewn with fragments of glass.
After the initial bang had died away, a silence followed, and all three inhabitants of the house remained crouched on the floor in apprehension.
“What was that?” Kitty whispered.
“A bullet,” Ryan replied, pointing at the destroyed clock on the wall close to where Kitty had been standing. “I think he was aiming for your head.”
She shifted position to free her twisted arm, but Ryan pushed her back down to the floor.
“Don’t move,” he said. “He’s probably waiting for you to show yourself.”
“What do you want to do, boss?” Shane asked. “Should we get Kitty somewhere safe?”
Ryan eyed the door to the cellar. “Kitty, why don’t you lock yourself in the panic room and wait there?”
She didn’t really want to be shut away in the dark, unable to assist.
“My gun is in the living room,” she said. “I’d rather stay here and keep guard. At least I’ll be able to help if you get into trouble.”
Ryan didn’t look convinced, but Shane reacted in an instant, crawling along the floor toward the living room. “Where’s the gun, Kitty? I’ll get it for you.”
She pushed herself up onto all fours. “It’s in the top drawer of the unit in the corner.”
As Shane made his way from the kitchen, Ryan raised his head above the sink to peer out. Immediately, a bullet zinged through the broken window and hit the table, sending wood shavings spitting into the air.
“Shane, keep low!” he yelled. “Don’t let him see you.”
Shane returned on his belly, dragging himself across the floor, gun in hand. He gave it to Kitty, saying, “Don’t fire unless you have a clear shot, okay?”
She looked from Ryan to Shane. “Aren’t you going to call for backup or something?”
“Backup would have to come all the way from Lawton,” Ryan said. “And it would take close to an hour. We don’t have that amount of time to waste.” He checked the bullets in his gun. “Shane will go out front and I’ll go out back, and we’ll close in on this guy from both sides. Kitty, you saw him by the barn, right?”
She nodded. “He was under the apple tree next to the barn and he was dressed in camouflage.”
“Keep your cell phone close by and holler if you need help,” he said. “Remember to stay out of sight. We’ll be back soon.”
When both men had left the house, Kitty settled herself next to the kitchen table, where she had a good view of the back door. Her heart thudded in her chest as she waited for something to happen.
The first gunshot caused her to jump and bang her head on the corner of the table. She yelped in surprise and pain, wondering whether it was safe to take a look outside. As the shots intensified, she heard shouting. She recognized Ryan’s rich, deep voice, ordering someone to lay down a weapon. The hollering grew louder, angry and chaotic.
Kitty crept along the floor toward the broken window and knelt beneath the sink. Then, ever so slowly, she raised her head to see what was happening outside. The bullet that flew past her head came so close that it created a breeze and she screamed, dropping to the floor again and crawling back to her safe place. But the bullets wouldn’t stop coming. They pounded the walls around her, creating a cacophony of noise that rattled inside her belly and disoriented her.
She stood and ran into the hallway, intending to gain a better vantage point upstairs, but a pain sliced into her leg, like a bee sting, and she fell to the floor, curling up in a ball. The gunshots gradually ceased until she was aware only of the sound of herself screaming.
“Kitty,” Ryan yelled into the house. “Where are you?”
“I’m here.”
He appeared at her side, checking her body for wounds, turning her over on the rug.
“My leg,” she said. “Something hit my leg.”
He picked her up and carried her into the living room, laying her on the sofa and inspecting her right thigh, where blood was trickling.
“A bullet grazed you,” he said. “You’re fortunate it wasn’t an inch or so to the left. It’s not serious.”
“There was no letup,” she said. “The bullets kept on coming and coming.”
“The man by the barn was actually nothing more than a dummy dressed in camouflage to fool us. While Shane and I were closing in on it, someone started firing at the house from the cover of the trees. I came back when I heard you screaming. Shane is chasing the guy right now.”
“That’s not right, making him face this guy alone,” she said, pushing herself up to a seated position. “We have to go help him.”
Shane’s head suddenly appeared at the living room window and he pointed to the lake. “The shooter ran out of bullets and he’s getting away in a boat,” he shouted. “Kitty, do you keep a boat here?”
She thought of her dad’s ancient rowboat, stored upside down in the barn. That wasn’t the kind of vessel Shane had in mind. “Not one with an engine,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
The deputy grimaced and was gone. Then Kitty flopped back onto the sofa and put her hands over her eyes. She heard Ryan go into the kitchen and run the water.
“I can’t take this anymore,” she said, more to herself than him. “When will it be over?”
“Soon,” he said, returning to her side and holding a wet cloth to the bloodstain on her jeans. She winced at the smarting pain.
“We’ll get through this, Kitty,” he said soothingly. “I promise.”
She kept her eyes closed, her hand pressed over them. As much as she wanted to believe his promises, she wasn’t sure she could.
Only time would tell.
* * *
Ryan pulled into a parking spot outside the Oklahoma State Penitentiary and turned off the engine. The trip from Bethesda had been quiet. The latest shooting incident at the house had shaken Kitty pretty badly and her small flesh wound was a painful reminder of what might have been. He had floated the idea of canceling their visit today, but Kitty wouldn’t hear of it.
She touched his hand, which rested on the wheel. “I telephoned the prison before we left and a guard confirmed that Cody Jones won’t be receiving visitors this afternoon, so you don’t need to worry about seeing him.”
Ryan smiled. She had planned ahead to ease his mind. He was grateful for her thoughtfulness.
“Thank you.”
“Remember not to tell my dad about the attacks,” she said. “He’ll only worry.”
“Okay. I’ll say nothing.”
He stepped from the vehicle first, checking all four corners of the lot to ensure that no danger lurked. When he was certain it was safe, he let Kitty out. With a makeup-free face and long, loose hair, she appeared much younger than her years, but visibly tired.
They approached the prison together in silence. The huge white walls of the penitentiary exuded an aura of menace. Having been here many times before, Kitty led the way, taking him to the correct door, through security and into an open-plan room where numerous chairs and tables were placed, each one inhabited by a man in prison clothes.
Seeing him in person, Ryan finally recognized Harry Linklater from the photograph with the newspaper articles. But he had aged terribly since that time, having developed deep creases in his forehead and lost weight almost to the point of emaciation.
Kitty rushed up to him and hugged him tightly, telling him how well he looked and how she’d missed him. She was falsely bright and cheerful, her smile unnatural.
“Your cut is healing well,” Harry said, pointing to her cheek. “You’ve stopped doing chores in the barn, right?”
She touched the faint line, now faded to a light pink. “I explained to Dad how I cut myself clearing out the barn,” she said to Ryan. “And he told me to quit working so hard.”
“You should get somebody to do the heavy work for you, Kitty,” her father said, eyeing Ryan’s build. “This young man looks like he’s got muscles enough to help out.” He held out his hand. “My name is Harry Linklater, sir, and I’m very pleased to meet you. You must be Ryan Lawrence. Kitty told me a lot about you on her last visit.”
Ryan hesitated, his eyes resting on Harry’s bony wrist. Ryan had promised himself that he would never sit at the same table as a convicted child killer, let alone shake his hand. But he had to give this man a chance.
He took the offered hand and shook it. “Your daughter is an incredible woman, Mr. Linklater. You must be very proud of her.”
Harry smiled. “Yes, she is, and I don’t deserve her at all.”
“Oh, Dad, stop it,” Kitty said, motioning for them all to sit. “I don’t need to hear your apologies again.”
“Yes, you do, Kitty,” Harry said, his eyes becoming glassy. He gave his attention to Ryan. “I was a terrible father, you see. After Kitty’s mother died, I couldn’t do a thing except drink, leaving Kitty to handle everything around the house. She cooked and cleaned while I drank my life away. I didn’t deserve her then and I sure don’t deserve her now.”
Innocent Target Page 14
