I’m Watching You (Richmond Novels #1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Wednesday, July 9, 3:00 P.M.

When Zack arrived at headquarters, the rest of the homicide division was in the conference room. Ricker, Warwick, Vega, and Ayden had the television on and were watching Kendall Shaw’s latest report.

According to my contacts on the scene, the killer is mutilating his victims by cutting off their left hands and delivering the hands to Lindsay O’Neil. Police won’t confirm these reports but …

Shaw’s report continued.

Zack turned away, disgusted. ‘Jesus, that woman is determined to blow our case.’

‘How did she find out about the hands?’ Ayden asked. His words were laced with restrained fury.

A headache pounded behind Zack’s eyes. ‘Shaw arrived at Lindsay’s just after I did. She might have caught a glimpse of the hand on the sidewalk before I covered it. And I saw her talking to the maintenance man.’

Grim faced, Ayden sat across from Zack. Vega sat down on Zack’s right and Warwick on his left. Ricker took a seat next to Ayden.

‘So what do we have?’ Ayden said. ‘And tell me we have something. Two murders in three days and the chief and county manager are breathing down my neck. Ricker, you lead off.’

‘I’ve been through Turner’s phone records,’ C.C. said. ‘All his calls pan out except one. The questionable call was placed at one A.M. Monday morning to Turner’s cell. The call came from a prepaid phone purchased at a local store. I’m trying to trace the phone to the store. Once I have the store, I’ll start sifting through register receipts and if we’re lucky surveillance cameras.’

A long and tedious process that was necessary. ‘Okay,’ Ayden said. ‘What about Turner’s car?’

‘Found at the mall near the shelter. Forensics is going over it now, but so far it looks clean,’ Vega said.

Ricker shifted the papers in front of her. ‘Lindsay and I spoke a half hour ago. She did help me with deciphering her files. We discussed her twelve hottest cases. Six of the abusers are in prison now, five have rock-solid alibis, and one is unaccounted for. We’re looking for him now. But it’s not likely he’d go to Lindsay’s aid. She has a restraining order against him.’

‘What about Sam Begley?’ Zack asked.

C.C. checked her notes. ‘Been at Mercy about eight months. No record. Liked by his coworkers. Last random drug test at Mercy was negative.’ She flipped a page and lifted a brow. ‘I did discover the guy likes to gamble. He owes over ten grand to a local bookie.’

Ayden rubbed the back of his neck. ‘That doesn’t make him a killer.’

Zack was sorry they couldn’t pin more on the guy. He didn’t like or trust him. ‘I’d still like to talk to him.’

Warwick’s cell vibrated. He checked the number and rose to take the call in the hallway.

Ayden shifted his gaze to Warwick. ‘Neighbors? Her assistant, Ruby?’

Vega shook his head. ‘Ruby and the neighbors have nothing new to offer.’ He flipped through his notes. ‘Also, Saunders was last seen in Byrd’s Bar. The bartender stopped serving the guy around eleven and sent him on his way. No one saw him after that and he didn’t appear at work in the morning.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Here’s an interesting note. Remember Pam Rogers? She has two brothers and one is a minister close to Sanctuary. And his church has taken the shelter under its wing.’

Warwick returned to the room. ‘That was the medical examiner. It appears Saunders’s hand was cut off before he died. But the veins and arteries collapsed and blood flow slowed to a trickle. That explains why the killer cut the femoral artery. He wanted his victim to bleed to death.’

A heavy silence settled in the room.

‘The killer is getting more violent,’ Zack said.

Ayden pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘Let’s dig a little deeper into the minister’s comings and goings. What do we have on Lindsay’s roommate?’

Vega scanned his notes. ‘Nicole Piper’s prints do match Christina Braxton’s, which were on file, because she was arrested at an animal rights rally when she was in college. No missing person reports have been filed on Ms Braxton. However, the phone number for her photography studio has been disconnected and her Web site is off-line. She was building quite a name for herself on the West Coast as a photographer. But she stopped taking clients and showing her work about a year ago.’

‘That fits with a domestic-abuse situation,’ Ayden said. ‘Her husband was isolating her.’

Vega nodded. ‘She appeared out here as Nicole Piper two weeks ago and started working at a mall portrait studio ten days ago. I spoke to her current boss. Nicole is already very popular with his customers. Basically, her story checks out.’

‘Still,’ Ayden said, ‘she came out of nowhere, moved in with Lindsay just two weeks before the Guardian started killing people.’

Warwick shook his head. ‘She’s just over five feet and weighs a hundred and ten pounds soaking wet. Maybe she could have gotten the jump on Turner, but there’s no way she could have subdued a man like Saunders. The guy outweighs her by a hundred pounds.’

‘She could have drugged him,’ Ricker offered. ‘Just because she’s small doesn’t mean she’s not cunning. Do we have the toxicology reports on Lindsay and Nicole?’

‘They were negative,’ Zack replied.

Vega said, ‘I spoke to Sara. She has nothing to report on the second note. It’s as clean as the first. No prints. No hair fibers. Standard paper. Standard printer.’

Ayden again rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. He looked like he hadn’t slept last night. ‘So the only link we have to this guy is Lindsay O’Neil. “Be careful of cars when you jog.”

The tone of the note sounds paternal. It’s something I’d say to my own boys. He was worried about her.’ His gaze flicked to the television screen. ‘Shaw could be right. This killer could be from her past.’

‘What do you know about her extended family?’ Vega asked Zack.

‘When her folks died she ran away. She was seventeen and Social Services didn’t make an effort to track her down. She said something about family in California. I’ll ask.’

Ayden nodded. ‘Every family tree has its nuts. Let’s shake hers and see what falls out.’

‘Gin!’ Eleanor laid down her cards on the kitchen table.

Lindsay laid down hers. She’d not been able to make a single match or straight during this round. ‘You got me again.’

Eleanor frowned. ‘You used to play better, Lindsay. Today you’re awful.’

Audrey, who stood at the kitchen sink, frowned. ‘Eleanor.’

Eleanor shrugged. ‘Sorry, but she is an awful player today.’

Lindsay rose and watched Eleanor gather the cards to shuffle again. ‘My mind is distracted. I’m just worried about work.’

Eleanor started to deal the cards. ‘It’s okay, Lindsay. We can try another game.’

Lindsay thought she was going to go mad. She’d had to call in and get a replacement for tonight. Her boss had been happy to accommodate her and, in fact, had sounded a little relieved. But she felt as if she was letting everyone down.

Still, Lindsay smiled. ‘Eleanor, let’s take a break. I’d like to go outside for a minute.’

Eleanor rolled her eyes. ‘It’s a thousand degrees out there.’

‘I love the heat,’ she lied. ‘I’ll be back.’

Before anyone could disagree, she bolted outside. The afternoon sun bore through the trees and the humidity hit her like a brick. Sweat started to bead on her forehead. At least outside, she could breathe.

She stared at the line of trees wondering why the Guardian had chosen her. Had they randomly crossed paths? Had she done something inadvertently to trigger this chain of events? She dug her hands through her hair and paced back and forth.

The screened door squeaked open. Lindsay turned and saw Audrey standing outside with a pitcher of iced tea and a plate with a sandwich. Nervously, Lindsay rubbed damp palms on her skirt.

‘You’ve got to be thirsty and hungry,’ Audrey said.

Lindsay folded her arms over her chest. ‘You don’t have to worry over me.’

Audrey frowned as she set down her tray on a small table. ‘Of course I do.’

Lindsay didn’t want the Kiers to be kind. She’d bonded with them once and she’d lost them once. She couldn’t go through that a second time. ‘Thanks, but I’ve been thinking that I’ll call a cab and head back to town.’

Audrey didn’t hide her shock and disappointment. ‘A cab? You can’t leave now. It’s not safe.’

‘I’ll go straight to the Mental Health Services building. It’s got locks and guards and I have tons of work.’

Challenge had Audrey’s back stiffening a little. ‘I’m not going to argue with you, Lindsay. If you want to call a cab, then call one. But for just five minutes, sit, relax, and eat something. At the rate you’re going you’re going to collapse.’

To appease Audrey, Lindsay took half the sandwich. She bit into it and discovered it tasted good. ‘Thanks.’

Audrey looked satisfied. ‘I saw the noon news report.’

She felt so weary. ‘I missed it. What did it say?’

Disgust darkened her eyes. ‘Kendall Shaw talked about your past.’

An odd sense of acceptance rolled over her. How the reporter had found out didn’t matter at this point. ‘It was inevitable that it would all come out. Frankly, I’m even a little relieved.’

Audrey hesitated as if she wasn’t sure she should speak. ‘I knew you’d lost your parents, honey, but I had no idea that you’d suffered such a tragedy. Zack never told me.’

‘I asked him not to tell you.’

‘Why?’

‘I guess I was embarrassed. My home life wasn’t exactly Leave It to Beaver. And your family life just seemed so perfect.’ Her reasons for keeping silent sounded silly when she voiced them. ‘I didn’t want you to think less of me.’

Audrey shook her head. ‘Perfect families don’t exist, Lindsay.’

She pinched a corner of the sandwich off. ‘Yours seems pretty close to perfect.’

A sad smile tipped the edge of Audrey’s lips. ‘Don’t be fooled. Robert and I have had our share of hard times. Things were particularly bad after Eleanor was born. She was our first child and we had such hopes. And then the doctor’s told us she had Down’s.’

That surprised Lindsay. ‘You all adore her.’

‘Of course we do. But in the beginning, it was so hard to deal with the fact that our firstborn wasn’t perfect. All those dreams we’d harbored when I was expecting her vanished. It was especially hard on Robert.’ She slid her hands into the pockets of her khaki pants as if the memory made her uncomfortable. ‘She was so sick in the beginning. Not only did she have Down’s but her heart was defective. A couple of times we almost lost her. Robert and I were so tired, so scared, and we fought a lot then. We even separated for a few months, because he simply couldn’t handle the stress.’

‘From what Zack said, Robert is Eleanor’s staunchest ally. He lobbied the schools, Girl Scouts, and the local soccer teams to make sure she’d have a chance to do everything she wanted to do.’

‘Yes, he’s great. But after Ellie was born, it was just too hard for him. So he left.’ A shadow crossed her face as the memories returned, and then she caught herself. ‘He learned that living without us was unbearable. So he asked for a second chance. I wasn’t going to give it to him. I remember telling my mom we weren’t meant to be. Boy, did that ruffle Mom’s feathers. She said, “Love may happen by chance but a good marriage is just plain hard work.”

I gave him – us – that second chance. And I thank God every day I did.’

Lindsay had fallen in love with Zack because he’d seemed so strong. She’d felt safe with him. And when he’d failed to measure up and showed weakness, she’d been devastated. And she’d run.

Now he wanted a second chance.

Was she ready to give him one?

Lindsay pinched a piece of crust off her sandwich. The question was too huge for her to consider right now. ‘The gardens look great.’

Audrey accepted the change in topic with grace. ‘It’s finally coming back after the hurricane last year.’

The place looked perfect. ‘You had a lot of damage?’

‘Thirty-three trees down. And we lost all the azaleas. But on the bright side, the house didn’t see any damage.’

‘That’s good.’ She shoved her hands in her pockets. ‘My mother used to take such pride in her gardens.’

‘I’ve never heard you talk about your mother.’

Lindsay set her sandwich down. ‘I guess it just hurts too much.’

Audrey folded her arms and stared at her with interest. ‘What was she like? What did she enjoy?’

The questions surprised Lindsay. No one had ever asked them before. The people had always focused on the pain and sadness. Normally, she kept her emotions bottled tight, but sometimes, they bubbled over, and now hot tears burned her eyes. She swallowed. ‘She loved her gardens. And she loved music.’

Audrey moved beside her. ‘What’s your favorite memory of her?’

Lindsay cleared her throat. ‘There are a lot. She was at every one of my swim meets cheering me on. She baked the best chocolate cakes for my birthday. And she gardened for hours. When I was ten she won a blue ribbon for her tomatoes at some fair.’

Audrey touched Lindsay’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry you lost her. I know she’d be very proud of you.’

Stunned, Lindsay’s hands hung stiffly by her side. ‘Thanks.’

Audrey squeezed Lindsay’s arm. ‘I’d love to see a picture of her.’

‘I have a box at home.’

‘Sometime you’ll show it to me?’

‘Sure.’ It was a promise Lindsay doubted she’d ever keep.

Talking about her mother stirred a deep restlessness inside her. Work usually kept the old issue at bay, but without it she felt backed into a corner.

She needed space. She needed time alone. ‘Audrey, can I borrow your car? I’d like to go visit my mother’s grave. It’s only about five miles from here.’

Audrey planted a hand on her hip. ‘I will if you stay in Hanover and promise not to go home until Zack gives the all clear.’

The mother was as shrewd as the son. ‘Deal.’

‘Promise?’

‘I swear.’

‘All right.’

Ten minutes later, Lindsay was headed north into Hanover County. After several miles she turned off of Route 360 and headed down a smaller road that cut through rolling cornfields. A few more twists and turns of the road and she arrived at the quiet cemetery where her mother was buried.

She passed through the twin brick pillars at the entrance; waved to the groundskeeper, who smiled back at her; and drove to her mother’s grave. Located in a treeless grassy part of the park, the grave site was set apart from the others. She parked Audrey’s car on the access road and walked through the wet grass to the grave site.

She’d come empty-handed. No flowers, no greens to fill the urn that was usually set upside down and empty. Guilt washed over her. She’d not done such a good job of tending her mother’s grave in the last year.

Thick, hot air and afternoon sun made her sweat, but she savored the gentle sound of the leaves being rustled by the breeze. She’d forgotten how quiet the country could be.

When she reached her mother’s spot, she was surprised to discover that the brass urn was turned right-side up and filled with freshly cut white roses.

Lindsay knelt by the bronze plate, unable to take her eyes off the roses. Gingerly, she touched a silky petal. ‘Who put the roses here?’

She glanced around at the headstones, still decorated with Independence Day reds, whites, and blues.

There was no one around.

She frowned. ‘Roses were your favorite.’

It touched her heart that someone had remembered her mother.

She picked up a stray leaf and tossed it aside. ‘I saw Zack. He looked good and had clear eyes and a steady hand. It’s as if he never drank.’ She shook her head. ‘All the crap that guy put me through and he still makes me weak in the knees.’

Until this week, she’d thought her feelings for Zack were dead and buried. But after seeing him again, she realized he was still under her skin.

‘I have no idea what I’m going to do about him.’

Closing her eyes, she tried to imagine her mother’s bright smile and the advice that would follow. But in the silence, there were no answers.

She dusted the dirt from her palms. Sweat damped her shirt and plastered her bangs to her head.

The crunch of gravel had her turning. A tall, lean man stood ten feet from her. The sun behind his back shadowed his face. ‘Afternoon.’

Rising, she shadowed her eyes with her hand. She recognized the cemetery caretaker. They’d never spoken before but she’d seen him out here before. ‘Hey, how’s it going?’

The caretaker smiled. He had rawboned features, tanned skin, and rough hands that looked used to manual labor. ‘Going well, thanks.’ He glanced at the headstone. ‘Who are you here to visit today?’

‘My mom.’

‘I’ve never seen you here before.’

The simple comment stirred guilt. ‘Yeah, I’ve been busy. I haven’t been such a good daughter. But I was here at Easter. I think I saw you then.’

He nodded. ‘Sorry, don’t remember.’

‘I was leaving and you were coming.’

He glanced at the headstone. ‘You couldn’t have been more than a kid when she died.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I bet you were a fine daughter when she was alive.’

‘I always felt like I should have done more.’

‘We all do the best we can at any given time.’

Emotion tightened her throat. ‘Sure is a hot day, isn’t it?’

He stared at her for a long moment and then pulled the bill of his hat forward. ‘Supposed to top a hundred, I hear.’

‘I can believe it. Hey, do you know who put these flowers in this urn?’

He frowned. ‘No, don’t believe I do. Are they a problem?’

She squinted into the sun. ‘No. No. I just thought it might be some mistake. Mom didn’t have many relatives except me.’

‘Well, the ladies at the church down the road put flowers on graves from time to time. Especially around a holiday.’

‘That’s kind. Is there anyone at the church I can thank?’

‘Oh, they’re not looking for thanks. Just happy to do it.’ He touched the bill of his hat. ‘Well, I’ve leaves to rake and flowers to plant. You have a good day. I’ve got to get back to work.’

‘Thanks.’

He turned and walked back to his pickup truck. Lindsay captured another petal between her fingertips. Soft. Delicate. As she pulled her hand away, she saw a white slip of paper. She removed it from the tangle of stems and unfolded it. Written in bold Times Roman print was the statement, You are stronger than her.

The Guardian. For a moment she felt dizzy as she stared at the words. She glanced around the cemetery. The caretaker was gone.

Her hands trembled as she laid the note on the grass. He’d been here. He’d left flowers at her mother’s grave. She dug her cell out of her purse and dialed Zack’s number.

Zack answered on the second ring. ‘Hello.’

‘Zack, it’s Lindsay. He was here. The Guardian was here.’ She couldn’t hide the fear in her voice.

‘Where are you?’ His voice was razor sharp.

‘I’m at my mother’s grave.’ She gave him the directions.

He swore. ‘I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Get in your car and lock the doors.’

Lindsay hugged her arms around her chest. She didn’t want to be afraid. She didn’t want to be intimidated. But she was. She went to Audrey’s car, got in, and locked the doors. Despite the heat of the day, she felt cold.

Less than five minutes later two Hanover deputies appeared. They inspected the flowers, careful not to touch the note or the urn. They searched for the caretaker but couldn’t find him. All three waited until Zack and Warwick arrived fifteen minutes later, lights flashing. Lindsay got out of her car as Zack got out of his. He strode toward her, closing the gap in seconds. He laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘Are you all right?’

She wanted him to hold her. ‘Yes.’

‘Where’s the note?’ The question came from Warwick.

She didn’t pull away from Zack’s touch. ‘I left it by the grave.’

Warwick snapped on rubber gloves. ‘What did it say?’

‘ “You are stronger than her.”

I think he’s talking about my mother.’ When Warwick only stared, she added, ‘She forgave my father over and over again. She was too afraid or too in love to ever stay away from him too long.’

Warwick’s gaze darted between Lindsay and Zack. ‘Is he referring to your relationship with Zack?’

Zack stood stock straight, his jaw tight. ‘I think so.’

Lindsay pushed her hand through her hair. ‘It’s no secret that I haven’t signed the divorce papers. And if he was watching me this morning he knew we visited.’

‘Visited,’ Warwick said. The word had a volume of meaning.

‘Was anyone else out here?’ Zack said.

‘Just the caretaker.’

‘Where is he now?’ Zack asked, glancing around.

‘I don’t know. He walked away before I found the note.’

‘How do you know he’s the caretaker?’ By the brick front gate, Zack spotted a set of surveillance cameras. He pulled out his notebook and made a notation.

Lindsay thought Zack was being overly paranoid. ‘I’ve seen him here before.’

‘When did you first notice him?’

‘Easter. He was headed toward this direction with a rake as I was pulling out of the cemetery. I caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror.’

‘Have you two spoken before?’

‘Not before today.’

Zack’s expression was grim. ‘Did he see you at Easter?’

‘No.’

His jaw tightened as he surveyed the deserted grounds. ‘You shouldn’t have been out here alone.’

‘I never figured that the Guardian would know about this place.’

‘I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Harold was killed on Monday, which was the anniversary of your mother’s death, and Saunders was killed on your birthday.’

‘The Guardian is from my past?’

‘I think so.’

‘Well, it can’t be the caretaker. I’ve never seen him before.’

He tried to smile but failed. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.’

‘Sure.’ Her knees felt weak. She watched as Warwick and Zack strode toward the headstone. They knelt by the grave, studied the flowers and the note.

Another deputy’s car arrived as Warwick pulled a pen from his pocket and gingerly lifted the flap of the note. He read it. His frown deepened. He spoke to Zack but she couldn’t hear what was said. They both glanced toward the front gate and the cameras.

Zack rose and approached her. ‘Is that Mom’s car?’

‘She let me borrow it.’

His annoyance seemed to be growing. ‘I’m taking you back to my parents’ house. And as soon as I can get a sketch artist scheduled you’ll talk to her.’

She shook her head. ‘I didn’t see his face. The sun was to his back.’

‘Can’t hurt to try.’

Unconvinced, she got into Audrey’s car and, with Zack following, drove the five miles back to the Kiers’.

When she parked the car, Zack was waiting. He placed his hand in the small of her back. ‘Do you remember the first time we met?’

Confused, she tried to follow his train of thought. ‘It was at the triathlon in Charlottesville. The awards ceremony.’

‘I saw you before that. I was on my second loop of the bike portion of the race when I came around a corner. You were about a hundred yards ahead of me. On the side of the road there was a kid, not more than fifteen. He’d dropped his bike and was holding his stomach. Five racers in front of you had just passed the kid. You stopped.’

She’d never noticed Zack. ‘He had stomach cramps.’

‘I rode ahead to the aid station and sent back a medic.’

‘What does this have to do with us and now?’

‘I fell in love with you that day, L. I knew you were the one for me. The problem is I forgot that along the way. I blew it. But I’m going to fix this between us.’

‘You can’t fix what I don’t want fixed.’

He didn’t move toward her. ‘It took me months to screw things up between us. It’ll take at least that long to fix it, but I will.’ He moved toward the front door. So arrogant.

She stood her ground. ‘Let it go, Zack. Let us go.’

He opened the front door. ‘No.’

He strode inside.

Numb, she followed and found him lecturing his mother about lending out her car. Audrey got the message loud and clear. Lindsay was to stay put.

Zack kissed his mother. ‘I’ll be back later tonight.’

‘Don’t strand me here,’ Lindsay said.

‘You’re safe with my folks.’

Eleanor came around the corner with the games Operation and Monopoly in hand. ‘Lindsay, don’t be worried. Nicole’s awake and ready to play a game. This is going to be fun family time.’

There was no escaping the Kiers.

Richard Braxton sat in the back of his Gulf Stream plane. The pilot he’d hired was waiting for clearance from the San Francisco tower.

He picked up the morning edition of the San Francisco Chronicler and reread the article on page A3. He smiled. According to the article, the fire had destroyed most of the evidence and the lone victim’s identity had yet to be confirmed.

He licked his bottom lip, remembering the way the woman had whimpered as he’d sliced the flesh on her face. The killing had been thrilling, more exciting than anything he’d ever done. Already he wanted to kill again.

Beyond the pure entertainment value, though, torturing the woman had not gotten him what he’d wanted. She had been a stubborn bitch and had refused to tell him anything about Christina.

However, Carmichael’s cell phone had told him quite a bit. Her ‘address book’ hadn’t panned out, nor had ‘recent calls.’ But under ‘missed calls,’ there had been a call from a number in Richmond, Virginia.

Richard had been unable to resist and had called the number as a dying Claire had watched. There had been no answer. He’d then called Vincent and had given him the number. Twenty minutes later, Vincent had a name. The number, along with another number, belonged to Lindsay O’Neil. Richard had called her, half expecting to hear Christina’s voice. When he hadn’t recognized the voice, he’d hung up.

Three hours later, Vincent had called him with a great deal of information about Lindsay O’Neil, including the fact that she’d gone to USC with Christina and was now the suspect in two local murders. Vincent believed Christina was staying with Lindsay.

Richard tapped his finger on the morning paper. Soon he’d be in Richmond. Soon he’d find Lindsay O’Neil and his wife. Soon both women would curse the day they’d crossed him.