Malice

by Anne Patrick

  "Would you just relax? And it isn't a bar, it's a lounge."

  "Same difference."

  "No it isn't. At a bar all you do is drink and play pool, where as a lounge offers live music and a huge dance floor."

  She grinned. Except in the bedroom, he wasn't much of a romantic. "We're going dancing? I'm impressed."

  "Don't be. It wasn't my idea. Slim suggested I bring you. His band is playing here tonight."

  Her smile lingered as she watched him hurry around to open her door. "We haven't danced together since our honeymoon. Are you sure you remember how?" she teased. With their hectic lifestyles, they usually chose to spend their free time together at home.

  "I'm determined not to fight with you tonight so you might as well quit being so ornery and come on." He offered his hand.

  She took it and let him lift her to the ground. "But I like to fight with you, Austin. I love the way we make up."

  "Well, until you manage to get Briggs out of your head, you're going to have to settle for dancing."

  She snatched his hand and pulled him back to her. "I want to thank you for what you're doing, and I'm sorry for my behavior lately."

  "I love you, Jo. I just want to be here for you."

  "You have been, more than I deserved." Wrapping her arms around his waist, she met his lips in a tender kiss.

  He ended the embrace, his gaze lingering on her. "Promise me you'll try and have a good time."

  "I promise." Never in her life had she thought she could love anyone so deeply.

  *****

  It was a promise Jo had little trouble keeping, as they were on the dance floor practically the whole evening. It wasn't until the baby began to protest that she gave into her exhaustion and led the way back to their booth situated near the back of the lounge.

  Not long after they sat down the band took a break and Slim strolled over to their table. Well over six feet tall with a full head of salt and pepper hair and carrying an extra sixty pounds, he looked more like a bouncer than a cop. "So how much longer before you make me an honorary grandfather?" he asked as he slipped into the booth beside her.

  "Four more weeks."

  Austin stood. "I'm going to grab another Coke. You want another water?"

  "No, I'm okay." She stared after him. Though he hadn't said as much, she knew he was apprehensive about her working up until her due date.

  "I'm glad you two are working things out. I was at the point of avoiding being anywhere near him, as was just about everyone else at the office."

  "Thanks for suggesting he bring me here."

  "He may not be much of a romantic, but he loves you, Jo."

  "I know he does."

  "So are you home for good or do you have to go back?"

  "There was another abduction this afternoon so I'm going back on Monday."

  "Yeah, I heard it on the news."

  "He's broadening the geographical area, and the time length in between abductions is shrinking, which isn't a good sign."

  "What's it mean?"

  "In most cases it means they're losing self-control, but I don't think that's the case with Briggs. He's too methodical in every other aspect. If anything, he's gaining power."

  "He's clever, I'll give him that. According to the reports I've heard, locals were on the scene within five minutes and had all the major highways shut down within twenty and he still got away."

  "Doesn't surprise me. He usually scouts the area a day or two in advance and lays out an escape route, which also explains the lack of any witnesses."

  "Except for the one that survived. Was she of much use to you?"

  "I didn't interview her too extensively. She was pretty shaken."

  "Why do you think he just left her there? Why didn't he take her with him or bury her alive as he had the others?"

  She pondered his question. She'd wondered the same thing, but so far hadn't come up with a convincing enough answer to suit her. "He didn't have time," she offered as one theory. "I suspect he knew we were on our way. If he carries a scanner with him, it would explain how he manages to keep one step ahead of us."

  "You promised, Jo." Austin spoke over her shoulder.

  She grinned.

  "That's my cue to get back to work." Slim scooted from the booth. "In case I don't get another chance to talk to you, I'm glad you guys could make it."

  "We've enjoyed it, Slim," Jo said. "Your band sounds great." She then looked up at Austin. "I'm having fun, really."

  "Okay." He sat next to her. As he slipped his arm around her, she laid her head against his shoulder. It was several minutes before he spoke again. "So let me hear it."

  "Hear what?"

  "Whatever theory it is you're working on in that head of yours."

  She grinned. It scared her sometimes how well he knew her. "What would you think of a man who brutally rapes and savagely tortures women, but can't kill them?"

  "Someone with a conscience."

  She turned in the seat to face him. "It would seem, but I've felt his hatred and resentment. I've seen what he is capable of. He is the very essence of pure evil."

  "He would have killed the girl had you not gotten to her when you did, Jo."

  "Oh, without a doubt. His methods of murder are what have me stumped. I mean, think about it, the ones we know about he has buried alive. Suzy Miller suffocated in the trunk of the police cruiser. He has Benzali's weapon. He could have shot both her and Debra Dewitt but he didn't. At one point he attempted to strangle Dewitt, but for some reason he couldn't do it. Why?"

  "Because he's a coward."

  "It goes deeper than that."

  "How so?"

  "I don't know, that's what I'm having such a difficult time trying to figure out. We know it all started in Maine, the stressor being the loss of a promotion to someone younger with less experience, no doubt a major blow to the ego. We suspect there were many more along the way, bringing us to Louke, where we believe he wanted us to come so we could play a hand in humiliating his sisters, who he resents because when they were kids, Uncle Floyd's taste lay with little boys. We know from his actions he is big on control because of his lack thereof as a child, and this is where he gets the most gratification. What I don't get is why he finds it so hard to strangle a girl who barely has the strength left to breathe much less fight off a one hundred and eighty pound man."

  He turned and stared forward, seemingly pondering the puzzle. Several minutes passed before he spoke, "You said he was sexually abused as a kid."

  "Since he was about eight years old, until his uncle's death when Briggs was sixteen."

  "Aside from the sexual abuse, what was the family structure like?"

  "Fairly normal. Only Briggs was abused, which explains a lot of his resentment and hatred toward the opposite sex."

  "Maybe that's it. Asphyxiation, being left alone to suffer, maybe he wants them to feel as he had."

  "I think you might be on to something." Jo took a sip of her water. "When he came forward with the truth about his uncle, no one believed him. He felt alone and unprotected."

  "Abandoned."

  "Exactly. To shoot or strangle the victim would be too easy. They had to suffer like he did."

  He wrapped his hand around hers. "We make a pretty good team."

  "We certainly do," she agreed.

  "You look exhausted. Why don't we go home?"

  "That's probably a good idea. Another half hour and you'll be carrying me out of here."

  *****

  By the time Jo showered and put on her nightgown, Austin was already in bed, his tanned bare chest partially obscured by the paper he was reading. "I had a good time tonight," she said as she passed the bed en route to the closet.

  "I did too. We should go dancing more often."

  She grabbed her robe and was about to close the door when she noticed their spare suitcase sitting on the floor of the closet. "You planning on taking a trip?"

  He lowered the paper and followed her gaze to the s
uitcase. "Oh that, no, it's for you. I read in one of the pamphlets you brought home from the doctor's office that you're supposed to pack a bag ahead of time."

  She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Kinda jumping the gun, aren't you?"

  "I just want things to go as smooth as possible when the time does come."

  Her smile widened. He continually amazed her, his love instilling serenity to the otherwise maddening world in which she lived.

  As if sensing her joy, the baby moved, prompting her to raise her hand to her belly.

  Meeting Austin's gaze, her eyes began to fill with tears.

  "Are you okay?" He stumbled from the bed to her side.

  Tears mixed with laughter and she finally managed to say, "I'm fine."

  He slipped his arm around her. "Come sit on the bed and I'll rub your feet."

  She leaned back on her palms and let Austin work his magic.

  "You’re not going to sleep on me, are you?"

  She opened her eyes and met his gorgeous blues. "No guarantees."

  "Bailey said the two of you had a good time at the mall today."

  "We did. Didn't she look lovely in the dress?"

  "I've been waiting all evening for that."

  "What?"

  He began to tickle her foot and Jo laughed. "Okay, you were right. Seeing her that happy is worth every penny." Rising to his knees, he leaned forward and kissed her, and then helped her into bed. "I love you, Jo."

  "I love you, too."

  *****

  Jo fell asleep almost before her head hit the pillow, but the peaceful sleep lasted only a couple of hours. Wide-awake now, she lay silent and watched as her husband slept. His snoring, which usually annoyed her, soothed her like a sonnet, reminding her just how important he was to her and how empty her life had been before she met him.

  Afraid of waking him, Jo climbed from the bed and padded barefoot downstairs to the kitchen. She heated a glass of milk in the microwave, and then brought it with her back upstairs. Instead of returning to bed like her body begged of her, she went into the nursery. Jo felt for the switch on the little lamp that sat on a table next to the door. A soft glow filled the room when she turned it on.

  Bailey and Austin had done a wonderful job. The midnight blue border went perfectly with the lavender and blue wallpaper Bailey had chosen, and the white crib, matching rocking chair, and changing table looked right at home with the nursery's colors. She walked to the crib, reached inside and picked up the fluffy brown teddy bear Austin had bought just a few days after learning of her pregnancy. Glancing down at it, a familiar fear rose in her.

  Bailey was the only proof she needed to know that Austin was going to make a wonderful father for their baby. What troubled her was whether she would be a good mother. Thirty-nine years old and she didn't know the first thing about taking care of a kid.

  She knew serial killers. She knew what drove them to do hideous things to innocent people. She knew crime scenes. She knew how to interview witnesses and interrogate suspects. She qualified in the top five percent in her field office the last time she was out on the firing range. She could take the obstacle course at Quantico faster than most women half her age, but she knew absolutely nothing about raising a child.

  It was a well-known fact that most serial killers came from dysfunctional families. Their young impressionable minds forever warped.

  Tears formed in her eyes at the nagging voice in her head.

  Hearing a noise from behind her, she turned to see Austin standing in the doorway. "I woke and you weren't there."

  The tears continued to fill her eyes. She felt so confused by the roller coaster of emotions taking place inside her. This was supposed to be one of the happiest times in her life, yet all she wanted to do was cry most of the time.

  As if sensing her turmoil, Austin came forward and took her in his arms. "Talk to me, Jo. Tell me what's wrong," he pleaded.

  She leaned back in the fold of his arms and gazed up at his tortured expression. "I guess I'm just scared. Becoming a mother, well, it's a huge responsibility."

  "You sound as if it's a new concept for you. Jo, you've been a mother to Bailey for almost nine months and have done a wonderful job."

  "That's different, she's housebroken. She doesn't need twenty-four hour care. I can't screw her up. Her moral foundation has already been laid."

  "We're not going to raise a serial killer if that's what you're afraid of."

  She managed a brief smile. "I know it sounds silly, that I'm being ridiculous, but after seeing the things I've seen, knowing the evil people are capable of, I just can't help feeling a little anxious about bringing a kid into this world."

  "Your fears are the same as every mother in America, but you mustn't let that fear rob you of the most beautiful gift anyone could ever receive." He placed his hand on her belly. "God has blessed us with this child, Jo, and as parents, we're going to raise him or her with tender loving care. We're going to instill our child with the same morals we have in ourselves and teach them to be aware of the dangers. That's all any parent can do."

  She placed her hand over his and met his smile. "You make it sound so easy."

  "Oh, it won't be easy, that I promise, but the rewards, the joy this child will bring into our lives, there's not another feeling like it in the world."

  She leaned her head against his shoulder. She knew he was right, all the doubts and concerns she'd had these past few months were perfectly normal, and despite her fear, she did have it in her to be a good mother. "I'm sorry I've been so, uh, difficult. Forgive me?"

  "Always," he assured and lowered his lips to hers.

  She then took his hand in hers. "What do you say we go back to bed and I'll remind you of how much I love you?"

  "Are you sure?"

  She nodded and then led him from the room.

  *****

  Jo woke nuzzled against Austin, his muscular arm wrapping her in a cocoon of warmth. For the first time in weeks, Harland Briggs and his carnage lay dormant in her mind. She thought only of the future and the joy of waking in her husband's arms each day for the rest of her life.

  The baby shifted in her womb prompting her to turn slightly.

  Austin stirred beside her, placing his hand on her belly. "He's got quite a punch."

  "Yes, he does."

  "You think it's a boy too?"

  She nodded as she placed her hand over his. "I think his hair will be dark like mine."

  "What makes you think that?" He tucked an elbow underneath his head.

  "I think I had a premonition of him."

  His smile suddenly faded, as if alarmed by the thought. "Since when do you have premonitions? I thought your visions were only of the past, and were only of the dead."

  "He was very much alive. We were in a park…he was playing on the slide."

  He sat up in the bed and glanced down at her. "When did this happen?"

  "The day I arrived in Louke."

  "And you're just now telling me about it?"

  "Don't get testy with me, not after we just made love."

  "I'm sorry." He took her hand. "Will you tell me about it?"

  At his request, she told him of the vision she'd had in the park that day, including the part about seeing Lauren Shipley getting into the car with Briggs. "I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was sort of freaked out over it. I didn't know whether or not it was real."

  He grinned before lying back down and taking her into his arms. "Why do you think your abilities have heightened?"

  "I don't know. Isaac thinks it's because of my pregnancy and I guess it does make sense; my body has gone through a lot of changes. Maybe my mind has too."

  "Does this mean you can predict Briggs' moves?"

  "Huh, I wish. So far, I'm having to do it the old fashioned way. Isaac thinks my subconscious thoughts determine my visions, which also makes sense because I've been anxious about the pregnancy and whether or not I'm going to be a good mother."

  "Since wh
en is Isaac an expert on the paranormal?"

  She almost laughed. "You've nothing to be jealous of."

  "I know, but it gets under my skin that he knows you better than I do. I'm your husband, Jo. I should be aware of these things."

  "You will be in time. Isaac has known me eleven years where as we met less than a year ago, and he doesn't know everything about me."

  "That's comforting to know."

  She snuggled against him. "For instance, he doesn't know that a mere nibbling of my neck drives me absolutely insane."

  "Does it now? You mean like this?" he asked and immediately lowered his lips to the tender area below her ear, prompting her to giggle and squirm in his arms.

  "Stop it," she said half-heartedly. She wished she could spend the entire day in bed with him. "Bailey will be awake soon."

  "You're right. I’d better jump in the shower." He rose to the side of the bed. "We'll continue this discussion later."

  Jo snagged his hand, "Count on it," and pulled him back for another kiss.

  *****

  Isaac stared at the pictures secured in the frame, Joyce's brilliant smile reminding him of the old days. After twenty-five years, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever met. He was thankful their children had inherited her beauty and his thirst for knowledge. His daughter Alexis had been the first on either side of their families to go to medical school. Michael, on the other hand, a senior in high school, had his mind on the opposite sex more than he did the books. But Isaac was equally proud of them both. They had been the driving force behind his obsession to make a name for himself in the FBI, a decision he feared had cost him his marriage in the long run.

  Determined not to dwell on his personal problems, Isaac focused on the files that lay stretched out before him on the table. It had taken the threat of physical violence to keep Jo in Oregon after he told her about their latest victim, and he knew from past experience she would be anxious and even more driven come Monday morning, which gave him only the weekend to piece together enough on the victim to give her something to work with. He prayed she was getting plenty of rest, knowing he was going to need her at her very best.