PHILLIP WOKE up from an hour rest to find Barry right next to him. He yawned and stretched carefully to make sure he didn’t pull his ribs. Some of the pain had eased, and while there was still soreness, he was able to move a little more freely than he had before.
“Barry,” he said softly, and the huge bear of a man rolled over with a sweet smile. “We need to figure out what’s going on. I can’t live like this forever.”
“I know. I have some friends looking into it.” Barry reached for his phone. “And one of them is going to be here in thirteen minutes.”
“Huh?”
“Cooper is never early and he’s never late. I don’t know how he does it, though I used to think he waited around the corner until the exact time, but I’ve tried to catch him and failed. Anyway, he’s the guy I called on our way back from the office, and he’s agreed to consult with us on this.”
“What does Cooper do?”
“He’s a Marine psychologist. He was attached to my unit for a while, and I came to trust him. Now he’s family.” Barry picked up his shirt, sniffed it, and tossed it to the corner. Phillip scooted closer, running his fingers over Barry’s shoulder and along some of the scars that painted his skin. They were faded now with age, but he could imagine how lurid they had been when they were new. He leaned closer and kissed him. “There isn’t time, sweetheart,” Barry said.
Phillip slid closer, running his hand over the smooth warmth of Barry’s upper chest until he encountered a nipple, tweaking it once it came to a peak. “Whatever you say,” Phillip teased, and Barry growled, deep and rumbly.
“If you keep that up….” Barry turned around. “My friend is going to get an earful when he gets here.”
Phillip leaned closer, continuing his slow, almost lazy strokes just because it felt good. He pretended not to hear Barry and closed his eyes, resting against his strength. “I know we have to get up and meet your friend, but I don’t want to.” He might have stuck out his lower lip if he’d thought it would work.
Phillip was safe here, and the normal pressures of his job seemed far away when Barry was close. He loved his career and wouldn’t do anything else if he had the choice, but it could be very demanding. Right now, he should be working on a new product, but those thoughts didn’t seem able to intrude into this masculine bedroom. Neither did the fact that Phillip was most likely in danger, and that the only person keeping him from the madman stalking him was the stunning man sitting right in front of him.
He sometimes thought that his feelings for Barry were mixed up with everything that was happening. But Phillip was not flighty, and he knew his own mind and his own emotions. And he was pretty sure what he felt for Barry was real. “We should get up.” He kissed Barry’s shoulder once more and slowly slid out of the bed so his muscles didn’t pull.
He dressed in the clothes he had brought over from his apartment and left the room. He didn’t dare watch Barry get ready or they truly weren’t going to be decent for meeting his friend.
Phillip put some coffee on, because one thing he had learned about Marines, they lived off the stuff—the blacker and stronger, the better. There was a knock on the door, and Phillip went to answer it, checking outside before cracking it open.
“I’m Cooper,” a man who seemed even bigger than Barry said. Phillip pulled open the door.
“Phillip Barone,” he said, letting the man in and closing the door behind him.
“I know who you are. I love your games and played a lot of them when I was overseas. They really helped pass the off-duty hours.”
Barry joined him, and the two men hugged tightly, patting each other on the back. “Come on in. If you let us know what you found out, I can bring you up to date on what we have. Maybe we can figure a way out of this mess.”
Cooper followed Barry into the living room and took one of the chairs. Barry sat next to him. “Why don’t you fill me in,” Cooper said.
Phillip set a tray with coffee on the table. “We found cameras in my office. Someone has been watching me and my assistant.” Phillip hated even acknowledging this, so he spoke quickly.
“What made you think someone was after you in the first place?” Cooper asked, taking a sip of coffee before placing his mug on the coffee table.
“I don’t think Phillip is in danger, at least not at the moment,” Barry explained. “Look, I sent you the cases of his three exes who all died right after they came back into Phillip’s life. Jackson looked them over as well and thought them suspicious. All three deaths could have been accidents—or made to look like they were. I’ve seen Phillip’s stalker on at least three occasions—at a restaurant, the hospital, and outside his best friends’ home when we were there for dinner. I didn’t get a good look at him, but I know his build and such. He’s young, rather skinny, about five foot ten, maybe one forty at most, probably about twenty-two. It’s hard to tell anything else because of the bulky clothes he wears, even at this time of year.” Barry paused. “There’s one other thing I forgot to mention—Phillip fell down the stairs in his office building he works in. Elevators were not working.”
Cooper nodded. “Case of misdirected traffic flow?”
“And one of the landings had been slicked,” Barry said. “While nothing on its own is suspicious, all of it together….”
“Yup. You’ve picked up someone who’s most likely enthralled with you. Unrequited love.” Cooper turned to him. “This kind of person is fixated on you, so he or she breaks up your relationships, hoping you’ll turn to them. Do you remember ever turning someone down? Anyone who wasn’t happy about it?”
Phillip gaped and shrugged. “I don’t know. Nobody comes to mind. I’ve dated on and off for the last few years. Nothing ever came of it—we’d just go our own ways. But I don’t recall someone upset….”
“Okay.” Cooper turned in his chair. “Think about it hard. This isn’t a well-adjusted person. If they were, they might have told you how they felt, and you could have dealt with it. But no, this is someone who thinks you should know how they feel without them saying anything at all.” He paused. “It could be someone you’ve known for years or someone you helped or did something nice for at some point. They likely have concocted a whole fantasy life around you and how things will be when you’re together.”
“Like on TV shows, when they find the closet that’s been turned into a shrine or something?” That was just creepy. Phillip shivered at the thought.
Cooper smiled. “It’s possible, though in most cases, those kinds of things are embellished to make for better television. But it wouldn’t surprise me if your stalker kept souvenirs of you. Some things he holds dear.” He leaned a little closer. “Unfortunately, this doesn’t even have to be someone close to you. The UPS man or the janitor in your building—someone you see regularly in passing—could be behind this kind of thing, and a souvenir could even be something you threw out. It doesn’t have to be important to you, only to them.”
Phillip rolled his eyes. “Fucking great. Now I should be afraid of the guy who empties my trash.” Maybe if he just stayed in his apartment and became a recluse like Howard Hughes, he wouldn’t have to deal with this. But although Phillip had made a good deal of money, he wasn’t that rich.
Cooper turned to Barry. “I agree with your assessment that Phillip isn’t in any immediate danger, but he could be. And if this guy is killing now, then he’s going to escalate. Eventually, he’ll likely come to the conclusion that if he can’t have Phillip, no one will.” He took another drink. “I wish I could be of more help.”
Phillip scoffed. Cooper hadn’t helped much. All he’d done was scare Phillip half to death. The person he described could be anyone. “Me too.”
“It’s okay. Cooper, you’ve been a big help. At least now we’ve got a good idea of what we’re dealing with, if not exactly who.” Barry took his hand, and Phillip noticed that Cooper’s gaze followed the movement. “We know some things. First, this person is smart and patient. If he did create three accidents that investigators didn’t suspect, then he’s put a fair amount of planning and thought into them. He isn’t someone who acts on instinct.”
“At least up until now,” Cooper explained. “I mentioned that it’s likely he’ll escalate, and often, that means less patience and planning. The need for what he wants is going to increase every time his actions don’t provide the desired result.” He turned his attention to Barry. “Look, time is of the essence here. This guy hides in the shadows. It’s likely he knows about you and Phillip. You said there were cameras. Were there any at his home?”
“No,” Barry answered.
“What about outside? The stalker may not have been able to get into the home, but he could easily place them outside to see who comes and goes. Also, you said the stalker saw you at a restaurant together, as well as at Phillip’s friends’ place. It’s pretty safe to say that he knows about you. And if he is eliminating people in Phillip’s life to make room for himself, then you’re the latest target.” Cooper kept his gaze level, but Phillip felt a creepy, frightening chill run up and down his back. What if something happened to Barry because of him? Phillip’s mouth went dry.
Barry’s gaze, hard as steel, met his. “Don’t be getting any ideas,” Barry said, squeezing his hand.
“Barry…,” Phillip said.
“Stop it. I know what you’re thinking, and you need to let that go. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself. And I’ll have some help.”
“Another one of your buddies?” Phillip asked.
Barry nodded.
“Who are you calling?”
“Heston,” Barry said, and Cooper nodded. “I think he’s perfect for this kind of situation.”
“Who’s Heston?” Phillip asked as Cooper grinned.
“Barry and I served with him. Right now, he’s working with his family in Virginia, but he’ll relish the chance for something more exciting. His family breeds horses.” Cooper smiled slightly, and Phillip wondered if there was a joke there, but didn’t have time to think about it before Cooper continued. “The guy is one of those people who seems like he’s made of camouflage. He’s an expert both at blending in and seeing what others don’t want seen.”
Phillip wished he could settle down, but the idea that Barry was in this madman’s line of fire made him feel sick. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m hoping that Heston can stalk our stalker. Once we know something about him, maybe we can turn the tables and actually take this guy out. Then you and I can go back to our normal lives.” Barry seemed excited about the prospect, but Phillip could only swallow and worry some more. He had no idea what going back to his normal life meant. Did that mean that Barry would stay in his life? If that was the case, Phillip’s life would be anything but normal—it would be wonderful. But was that what Barry wanted?
“Good idea,” Cooper said, nodding. “You can’t hole up and be on the defensive forever. It won’t work, not with someone like this. Clearing one hurdle is only going to up the stakes and make him more desperate to come after you.” Cooper picked up his mug and finished the coffee. “I really do wish I could be of more help.” He moved to stand, and then seemed to change his mind. “Just so you know, what I’ve told you isn’t a sure thing. It’s my opinion, based on my experience. We like to think sometimes that we can get into the mind of our quarry, but that is rarely the case.” His gaze settled on both of them. “All I can do is provide you with some guidelines. With what I do, there isn’t anything definitive. I know I may have presented it that way, but the best thing is to use your minds and trust your instincts.”
“I know. There are clues out there, and we just need to find them,” Barry agreed. “We know that there were no cameras in the loft, but there were in your office. So I’m going to theorize that we’re looking for someone who has access to your office, probably during off hours, because the cameras couldn’t have been placed when there were people around.”
“Good thinking. Judging from the reports I looked at, one of the deaths took place in New York, so the person would have had to travel during that time.”
“It was a Saturday; I checked,” Phillip said. “So it could be anyone. A flight to New York is only a couple of hours, and airlines don’t give up their passenger rosters. Any one of my staff could go away for a weekend, and there wouldn’t be vacation time required.” Phillip sighed.
“Okay. That’s good to know. Some things lead us forward, and others tell us nothing. But they all help paint a picture,” Cooper told them both. “This is someone who was willing to go to great lengths to achieve a goal.”
“I agree,” a voice said from behind him. Phillip jumped and turned around, his side aching because he moved too fast.
“Fuck, Heston, you still know how to make a damn entrance,” Barry said as he stood and hugged the man.
“You should have had your alarms on. Anyone could have walked in here.” He half smiled, and Barry smacked him on the shoulder. Heston was short, maybe five two, slight, and as Phillip looked more closely, rather handsome. He wore makeup, but rather than accentuate his features, it seemed to tone them down to the point where it took Phillip a few seconds to get a good impression of his face.
“It looks like anyone just did,” Phillip quipped, and Heston’s gaze turned to him. He smiled, and his face changed completely.
“You must be Phillip.” He extended his hand, and Phillip took it without getting up.
“I’m sorry, but I think I pulled something reacting to your dramatic entrance.”
Heston turned to Barry. “I like this guy. You need to keep him around. He’ll definitely keep you on your toes.” He winked, almost seeming to flirt with Phillip.
“Sit down, you slut, and stop making eyes at my boyfriend or I’ll straighten your broken nose right here.” Barry being possessive was hot, there was no doubt about it. “I know you do that to wind me up, but he doesn’t, and it’s not nice.”
“Fine. Take away my fun.” Heston sat down.
“I can get you a smaller chair if you want it. I think there’s a plastic one in the basement,” Phillip said. Heston’s mouth hung open, and Barry gaped at him.
“Damn, he can really dish it out,” Heston finally said as he broke into another smile. “Okay, I get it. Hands off and no flirting.” He shook his head. “Man, you got a mouth on you. I like that.”
“Yeah. Another of his hidden talents.” Barry sat next to him, taking his hand. “Plenty of them.” He lightly bumped Phillip’s shoulder. “Anyway, since we’re all here….” Barry brought Heston up to speed.
“And you want me to stalk the stalker?” He rubbed his hands together. “Child’s play.”
“But he can’t know what you’re doing,” Phillip said.
“If he’s watching the house right now, he didn’t see me come in and he won’t see me go out. If you check his recordings, you aren’t going to see me.”
“How is that possible?” Phillip asked, and Heston set a thumb drive on the table.
“Because they’re on here.”
Barry rolled his eyes. “Thanks, Heston.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t mess with the system.” He sat back. “That’s what I do, Phillip. I make myself disappear, like a magician. Only I’m better at it. So don’t worry. I’ll hang around and see what I can find out.” He leaned toward Barry. “What do you want me to do with him when I catch him?” Suddenly the tension in the room shot to the roof, and Phillip realized just what Heston was asking.
“No way…,” Phillip said, breaking out in a sweat. “I did not sign up for this.” He turned to Barry. “There is no way we are going to take matters into our own hands, like vigilantes. I don’t want anyone hurt.” He was already on his feet. “If that’s what this is, then I’ll take my chances.” He was already heading toward the door.
“Phillip, that’s not what’s happening,” Barry said, resting his hand on his shoulder.
“Then what was he asking?” Phillip asked as he whirled around.
“You didn’t misunderstand. That is what Heston was asking. But it’s not how we’re going to proceed.” Barry’s voice was firm. “This isn’t a war zone.”
Phillip turned to the other two. “Would you actually do that? Take him out?” He let Barry lead him back into the living room.
“Yes,” Heston answered flatly. “Barry is a brother. He saved my life, twice at least, and I’ve saved his. We share a bond. If someone is after one of us, they’re coming after all of us. Barry asked that we help him get to the bottom of this, so we’re here. And yes, if Barry said this guy was dangerous enough that we needed to take care of him, then we would and no one would ever know.”
The darkness in Heston’s eyes frightened him, and he glanced at Barry, relieved when he didn’t see the same. But in that instant, Phillip knew Barry was capable of it.
“We need to talk to him, to scare the ever-loving shit out of him, get him good and pliable so he’ll tell us what we need to know, and then we can figure out what to do with him. As far as I’m concerned, we can call Knepper when we’re done. The FBI can take over, since the crimes were committed in multiple states,” Barry said.
Heston nodded. “If that’s what you want.” His tone was matter-of-fact, as though the answer wasn’t important. Phillip didn’t understand him at all.
“We aren’t coldhearted bastards…. Well, Barry and Cooper aren’t. I am. It’s what I do. I have seen things that would make your hair fall out. People do the nastiest shit to each other. I just put an end to it, if I can.”
That didn’t change anything to Phillip. The idea was still frightening, and so was the chill in Heston’s voice. Maybe it was his defense mechanism. At least Phillip hoped to hell it was.
“Just follow him, and when it’s safe, capture him without physical injury if you can help it. We need to know what this man is up to.” Barry leaned forward. “There could be other people involved, as well. We really don’t know.”
“Do you really think you can get him to talk?” Phillip asked. He had to know what they were going to do.
“Yes.” Heston’s cold exterior thawed a little. “All of us have plenty of training in extracting information. Depending on the amount of time we have and how willing the person is to talk… it’s remarkably easy, especially if they realize we have no boundaries.”
“Excuse me?” Phillip swallowed hard.
“It’s pretty simple. We usually don’t have to lay a hand on anyone. All we do is show them the implements and their imaginations take it from there. It’s all psychological. There’s no need to actually cause physical pain; that will all come from the mind,” Cooper explained.
“Okay, I really want this to be over.” Phillip wound his arm around Barry’s. “I need to be able to return to my life. There are important projects that I should be working on, but I can’t even think about them. Harbinger of Doom is in testing and needs to be ready in a couple of months. The new game platform is at a critical stage. I have a company to run, and people relying on me, and I don’t seem to have the mental energy for any of it.” Every time he thought about work, this situation bothered him more and more. The company was his baby, and now it was being pushed aside because some nutjob had a thing for him.
“We’ll do our best for both you and Barry.” Heston got up from his chair. “I’ll text if I see anyone hanging around.” He went back through the house. Phillip didn’t hear the back door open or close, and none of Barry’s exterior monitors even blipped.
“Thank you for coming,” Barry said to Cooper, sharing a hug before seeing his friend out. They talked quietly in the hall for a while, and then Cooper left as well.
“What’s Heston’s story?” Phillip asked.
“He’s pretty intense.”
Phillip shook his head. “There’s a lot more to him than that.” He was sure of it. Heston was an enigma of sorts. “I’m willing to bet that Marines don’t get as cold and jaded as he is without something pretty heinous happening to them.” Not that he expected Barry to tell him. Whatever Heston’s story was, it was up to him to tell, not Barry…. If Barry even knew.
“All of us have things in our past that we wish we could unsee or cut from our lives. Heston’s is pretty bad.” Barry grew quiet, and Phillip figured that was all he was going to get. “He will find your stalker. It’s only a matter of time.” Then he placed his hands on Phillip’s shoulders. “How about you and I make something for dinner? I have pasta or I can cook a few steaks. I don’t want to grill them outside, but I can broil them and I have all the fixings to go with them.”
Phillip’s stomach rumbled, and he nodded. “Steaks sound good.” He followed Barry into the kitchen, and they got started making dinner.
“What’s the story you’d like to unsee?” Phillip asked.
Barry sighed and put down the knife he’d just picked up. “Combat is ugly—really ugly.” He swallowed and placed both hands on the counter. “There isn’t one thing. Being in the Marine Corps was the best and the worst thing in my life. I wouldn’t change my decision to enlist, but….” He turned to Phillip, his blue eyes aching with pain. “I was in a square in Kabul when a man blew himself up and all the people around him. I was knocked against a wall by the force of the blast but wasn’t hurt. But I was covered in what was left of the people who were killed. I think I could live the rest of my life without having experienced that.” He turned away, and Phillip stayed still, as if a pall had settled. And then slowly, the mood lifted and Barry’s posture changed. He took a deep breath. “That was some time ago now, and it happened. I can’t change it, and I did my job and helped those who needed it. I like to think in the end, I made a difference.” He picked up the knife and started to work on dinner. The only sign of his tension was how hard he wielded the knife, but even that eventually settled into a steady rhythm.
Phillip wouldn’t have dreamed he’d be able to smile under these circumstances, but Barry seemed more at ease by the minute, and that made Phillip feel better. Well, that and doing something normal—not having conversations about extracting information and even possibly rubbing people out. For a while there, he’d felt as if he was in a Marine version of Goodfellas. But this? This was normal. And he didn’t even mind cooking, though he wasn’t particularly good at it.
“Will you scrub and prep the potatoes? We can put them in the oven to bake. It will take about an hour.”
“Can we microwave them?” Phillip asked. “It’s faster.”
“Yeah, but they don’t taste the same. I could microwave them for a few minutes to start, then finish them in the oven. That will save us some time.”
“Okay.” Barry had already set out six potatoes, and they were pretty big. “How many of these do you think I’m going to eat?”
“I usually make extra. That way, we can have fried potatoes with onion and bacon tomorrow morning. It’s one of the things my grandma used to make. I love them, so I always make extra.” He bumped Phillip’s hip gently and flipped on some music. It wasn’t long before Barry was humming along with Barry White and then undulating his hips as the really good parts came on. Phillip wasn’t able to move the same way, but damn, Barry looked good.
Even Crookshanks seemed to want to get in on the act, winding around their feet… though the cat probably was hoping for some steak to fall. Phillip got the potatoes ready and put them into the microwave. Then he stood back, watching Barry as he prepped salad, rolling his hips to a dance song that Phillip wasn’t familiar with, but it didn’t matter. The rhythm Barry had was impressive, and when he put down his knife and crooked his finger, Phillip went right to him. Those thick arms wrapped around him as Barry pulled him into the next slow song.
“It’s been a long time since I danced,” Phillip whispered. “I just want to say, I’m sorry in advance.”
“For what?”
“For stepping on your toes. It’s a distinct possibility.” He smiled as Barry held him a little tighter, moving to the music until the microwave beeped.
Phillip reluctantly slipped out of Barry’s arms and pulled out the potatoes, transferred them to the oven, and closed the door. “What else would you like me to do?”
“I have some fresh green beans you can snip.” He got a bag out of the refrigerator and showed Phillip what he wanted done.
“I still don’t get why we’re making all this food. Is someone else going to sneak into the house?” He grinned. “Maybe you expect Heston to work fast and we’ll be having the stalker in for dinner.”
“Nope. It’s just you and me for dinner.” Barry took his hand. “I guess I wanted to make sure you ate right and had something really nice for dinner.” Phillip went into his arms, just like that. “You deserve to be looked after.” Barry gently rubbed his head. “Sometimes you have so much going on in here that you miss what’s going on out here.”
Phillip couldn’t deny that was true.
“You know that’s okay. See, I figured some stuff out while I was in the corps. I’m a big guy, and I think I was meant to do what I did. School was hard for me, even after I got out. I had to work hard, but physical stuff? That always came easy. I can train my body in seconds, but my head… that’s different. You, on the other hand, can train your mind in seconds. You come up with things that other people can’t even dream of. And it makes them happy.” Phillip lifted his gaze to meet Barry’s. “You made me happy when I was halfway around the world,” Barry continued. “Your games made a lot of those lonely hours bearable, and you didn’t even know it.”
“But most of the time I’m pretty useless. Leonard brings me lunch and does all the things normal people need done. Hell, I even have a lady who cleans for me. And when I want something special to eat, I just go to the freezer. I use a chef service that makes meals for me. I just need to warm them up.” He sighed, and Barry stayed quiet for a while.
“Where are you going with this?”
Phillip bit his lower lip. “I’m so oblivious that I didn’t notice that someone is killing people to get my attention. I’ve been so deep down in my own rabbit hole, with my head in Harbinger of Doom and this new platform, that I didn’t even realize that two people I cared about were dead and I had no idea they were gone. I rely on the people I hire to tell me these kinds of things, and they didn’t. They wouldn’t even know they were important.” It was becoming apparent to him that he’d spent way too much time in his own head. And it needed to stop.
“Hey, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re a busy guy, and your time is worth a great deal. You have people do things for you so you can do what’s really important.”
Phillip knew that, but he was beginning to see just how insulated his life had become. Yes, he said hello to the people in the office, and he asked them how things were going at work, but he knew almost nothing about them. “I created a good place to work, but that’s all it is,” he said out loud. “At least for me.” Hell, anyone in the office could be his stalker, and he wouldn’t have a clue.
“We’ll get to the bottom of this. A lot of people are very good at hiding what they don’t want known. And this guy wants your attention, but he doesn’t want anyone to know what he’s done. So there’s nothing to beat yourself up over. You aren’t the one to blame.”
Phillip nodded and moved out of Barry’s embrace. He took a deep breath. “I need to finish this up or we are never going to have dinner.” He needed something to do.
“Okay. Finish up the beans, but if you want, think about the people in your office. Has anyone flirted with you, maybe tried to get your attention?”
Phillip groaned softly. “Everyone, at some point, tries to get my attention. They want a promotion or a particular job assignment. My company is like any other organization, where people try to curry favor. Part of how I deal with it is to put people between me and them. Chain of command, you would call it,” Phillip continued as he snipped beans.
“True, but you still know your people. Has anyone done something out of the ordinary?”
Phillip laughed. “Hundreds of people work for me, and there are plenty of people who do things out of the ordinary. That’s what we encourage. Innovation does not occur in ordinary circumstances. It requires people of vision, in a unique environment. Yes, there is a chain of command in my company, but everyone knows that the managers at all levels have open doors. Interns sometimes talk to vice presidents, and even me, because they have a good idea that they want to share.” Phillip set the beans he had snipped in the bowl. “Five years ago, an intern came to me with an idea for a game that he hoped to develop, but didn’t have the resources to do it. Valkyrie was the result, and it’s one of the most popular ones on the platform. Today, he’s one of the directors of game development. He also gets a percentage of that game because it truly was his original idea. Without him having the courage to step out of the box, even a little, that game might not have happened.”
“We played that game for hours the last year I was in the corps. It was a favorite,” Barry said. “It had been provided to our unit.”
Phillip nodded. “That’s because another one of my directors got the idea that we should support our troops by helping to provide leisure activities. And when those service members came home, they’d buy our systems and play games on our platform. See, I can’t tell you what normal is, because it varies all the time.” He turned to Barry. “And if you were to ask me if someone was flirting with me, I wouldn’t know. That sort of thing is lost on me. My relationships have mostly grown out of friendships. Those, I can understand. But the other, the flirting, the come-ons, I generally miss it.”
“Do you miss it with me?” Barry drew closer, setting the bowl of salad aside.
“No. I’m looking for it with you.” Phillip grew warm and smiled. God, he wanted him so badly. Phillip was very much looking forward to getting his life back—and his health back—so he and Barry could… go for everything… in the bedroom. “I watch you closely.”
“But you don’t watch others?” Barry asked, tilting his head slightly.
“No. I mean I’m pretty good at reading people during negotiations and business deals. I’ve had to become good at that, or otherwise I would never have made a dime. But that’s different.”
Barry snickered. “Actually, it isn’t. People use the same kinds of tells in a business meeting that they use when they’re looking for sex. Think of it as negotiations of a different kind. Their eyes grow larger, pupils dilate.” Barry’s voice grew deeper. “Without thinking about it, most guys thrust their hips forward to present their best assets. They wet their lips and make eye contact.” Barry gazed so deeply at him that Phillip thought he could get lost in Barry’s intense, sapphire-blue eyes. “Most men tend to scout out guys with their eyes, although some are more forward than others.”
Phillip smiled. “Can you get any more forward than this?” Phillip’s heart beat faster, and he was ready to forget dinner and have Barry take him to the bedroom.
“Sure.” Barry leaned closer, his lips next to Phillip’s ear. “You know, I think you’ll look amazing in my bed. Maybe naked and covered with whipped cream, a cherry in just the right place. How about we go to the other room, forget dinner, and I eat off you?”
Phillip shivered and found himself nodding. He wasn’t sure if what Barry had said was cheesy or not, but the way he’d said it sure got Phillip’s motor running. He was already hard and aching. Phillip licked his lips.
Barry pulled away. “Now that was being forward.” He turned away, and Phillip reached for a dish towel and snapped him on the butt. Barry jumped a foot.
“That was mean. Anyone ever told you you’re a tease?” Phillip set the cloth on the counter.
“I never tease. Remember last night?” Barry asked, and Phillip blushed. “But maybe it was a little mean. How about we finish dinner, and then you and I can go to bed early and see what happens?” Barry kissed him, and Phillip forgot about almost everything, including the bowl of beans, which he nearly knocked over on the counter. Barry didn’t pull away, and Phillip held him for a few minutes.
“Okay. Let’s finish dinner.” Phillip released Barry to finish up the beans, while Barry got the water on. The energy between them sizzled hotter than the steam Barry used to cook the beans, and soon enough dinner was on the table and the two of them sat down to enjoy the meal and each other’s company.
PHILLIP COULD hardly move. He couldn’t think of the last time he’d been so full, and yet everything had tasted so good, he hadn’t wanted to stop. The steak had been amazingly seasoned so that it tingled on the tongue, the beans mixed with onion and a little garlic butter, the salad with a mustard vinaigrette that he couldn’t get enough of, and the potatoes had been smothered in seasoned sour cream. He actually looked at the few beans left in the bowl, wishing he had the room to eat them, but there was no way.
“I’ll take care of the rest of the food and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Go and sit in the living room, find something to watch, and I’ll be in as soon as I finish up.” Even Barry seemed to have eaten enough to fill him up, and that had to be an amazing feat.
Phillip did as Barry asked, sighing as he sat on the sofa and turned on the television. It came on to CNN, but he changed the channel right away. He couldn’t watch the political news with his belly this full. Eventually he found some reruns of The Nanny and chuckled as he sat back. Phillip rarely watched television. When it was on, he usually ignored it, using it only to make him feel less alone at home while he did other things. So sitting here just watching TV with nothing to do was a little strange.
Barry came in and sat next to him, talking quietly on the phone. “I will, don’t worry.” He smiled and caught Phillip’s gaze. “How about I bring you some lunch? That way you won’t have to eat the rubber Sunday chicken. Okay?” He smiled and must have gotten a positive response. “I’ll see you then.” He hung up. “That was my grandmother. She’s in Luther Village on the west side of town. Tomorrow is Sunday, and she was calling to ask if I was going to come visit. I told her I would. You don’t have to come if you don’t want, but I’d like you to meet her.”
“Your grandma?” Phillip smiled. He had fond memories of his gran.
“Yeah. She’s nearly a hundred and she just keeps going. I get out to see her as much as I can. I don’t want her to be alone all the time.”
“Then let’s go. As long as it’s safe…. I don’t want to bring anything bad to her.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll message Cooper, and he’ll come by and pick us up. The devil himself wouldn’t be able to follow him. The man is crazy behind the wheel. The good kind of crazy, but nuts, nonetheless.” Barry put an arm around his shoulders. “Gran is going to be so happy to meet you. She’s always asking me when I’m going to meet a hot young man and settle down.”
“Really, your gran says hot?” It seemed to him that Barry was putting his own spin on things.
Barry laughed out loud. “You’ll understand when you meet her.” They settled back and watched television, with Barry getting closer and his hands becoming more wandering as time passed. Phillip snickered and reached for the remote before finally turning the TV off.
“If we stay here any longer, you’ll have me naked and we’ll end up having sex on the couch, which wouldn’t be a bad idea under normal circumstances, but I’m not sure how my ribs will take that.” Barry stood and helped Phillip to his feet.
Suddenly the small table lamp in the corner flicked on and off in the otherwise dark room, disorienting Phillip with the light for a second.
“Go upstairs and into the bedroom, lock the door, and then go into the bathroom and lock that door. Don’t come out until I message you.” Barry pressed his phone into his hand, and Phillip started up the stairs, then stopped and came back down.
“No. I’m going with you,” he told Barry firmly. Phillip was tired of hiding while others looked after him. He knew Barry was about to argue, but he held his ground.
Barry nodded. “Then stay behind me,” he whispered. Phillip did as he asked as they moved through the house. All he could think was, what if something happened to Barry? God, if the stalker was outside, then where was Heston? Had he been hurt or worse? They made their way to the front door, and Barry slowly pulled it open. “Stay here,” he said, but Phillip shook his head and followed Barry outside.
Barry hurried toward a sound at the corner of the house. Seconds later, a man in black ran right toward him. Phillip’s first instinct was to get out of the way, but instead, he jumped at the man, going down on the grass, rolling as the man struggled in his arms. But Phillip wasn’t about to let go and held on for all he was worth.
“I have him,” Barry said, grabbing the man out of his arms. Phillip got to his feet as Barry subdued the man, with Cooper, who’d just arrived on the scene, zip-tying his wrists. Then Barry and Cooper brought him inside, with Phillip following, his clothes damp from the grass.
Barry sat the man down in one of the wooden kitchen chairs and glared at him.
“THESE THINGS are hurting me,” a familiar voice half whined. “I wasn’t doing anything.” He raised his gaze from the floor. Damn, it was Carl, one of the interns at the office. Phillip refused to be shocked or to let fear take over. But he did let Barry, Cooper, and Heston handle Carl, staying out of their way as they secured him.
“I’ve seen you following Phillip,” Barry said, which only made Phillip feel worse. He had hoped that this was a mistake. But Carl… following him… stalking him…. He certainly had no clue about people, that was for damned sure.
“So? I never did anything to him, or anyone else,” Carl said as Phillip finally walked into the kitchen, where the blinds had been drawn. Carl sat in one of Barry’s wooden chairs with zip ties around his ankles and presumably on the hands behind his back. “Mr. Barone, please tell them. I’ve never hurt you, or even talked to you much.” His voice was wavering—he was definitely afraid.
“Carl, you were hiding in the bushes outside of the place I’m staying,” Phillip said, his voice surprisingly steady.
“I never did anything,” Carl repeated.
“Then why were you following him?” Barry came closer, drawing himself to his full height. “I saw you at the restaurant, and at Phillip’s friends’ house too.”
“I was only watching.”
Phillip stepped away as Barry closed the distance between him and Carl, practically looming over him. “Is that what you did when you arranged for those accidents? You killed at least three people.”
Carl’s chair practically fell over backward as he scrambled. “No, I never hurt anyone. What are you talking about? Mr. Barone was always nice to me and I liked him, but I never hurt anyone.” He shook hard enough that the chair legs rattled on the floor.
“Carl,” Phillip said as he stepped forward.
“Tell them, Mr. Barone, I would never hurt anyone.”
Phillip motioned to Heston. “Find out where Carl was when the accidents occurred,” he said. “I don’t think he’s really capable of killing anyone.” Then he raised his voice. “It should be easy enough to find out if Carl was in New York.”
It was time to look at this logically, the way he would if he was developing a new game. If this was a dead end, then he’d find out and eliminate it so they could get back on the main trail.
Carl shivered. “I’ve never been there.”
“Did you plant cameras in the office?” Phillip interrupted, throwing the question at Carl, who grew paler and shook his head.
“C-cameras? N…. No. I never did that. I can barely afford to eat.” He shivered again, and Phillip was torn. He wanted to believe the intern, but he needed proof.
Phillip scratched his head and motioned to Barry. Heston stayed with Carl, and Barry left the room with him. “I need you to check the date of Winston’s death.” Then he got his computer and logged into the check-in system at the office. Barry gave him the date, and sure enough, Carl had been in the office that day. In fact, his card had been scanned multiple times, most likely when he’d left the office on a lunch run and then returned. “It looks like he was in the office that day.”
“Someone could have used his card,” Barry said.
“It requires a fingerprint as well. We use biometrics as well as the cards. The system’s pretty well foolproof. So that means Carl couldn’t have been in New York.” Phillip breathed a sigh of relief, even as the reality of what they had just figured out sank in. If Carl was the stalker, then whoever had killed Albert, Winston, and Roger was still out there.
“Guys,” Heston said. “Come back in here.”
Phillip followed Barry back into the kitchen. Seeing the tears streaked down Carl’s face, Phillip knew he’d had enough. “Cut him loose. He isn’t the person we’re after.”
“You’re right that he isn’t. But he may have seen something.” Heston cut the ties, and Carl rubbed his wrists. “Tell them what you told me.”
“Why should I? You tried to kidnap me.” Carl sat a little straighter, his jaw set.
Barry pushed him back down onto the chair. “You were stalking Phillip. That’s against the law. So we can call the police and explain what we found, or you can talk. If you don’t, you’ll have a record, which will give Phillip an excuse to fire you outright—not that he doesn’t already have one. You’ll lose your job and you could very well go to jail.” Heston leaned closer, glaring at the kid. “So start talking. You need to tell us everything.”
Heston leaned back slightly, just enough to give Carl a chance to breathe. They weren’t actually hurting Carl, but he was obviously terrified. Phillip felt for his intern, but he needed some answers.
“Tell us what you know, Carl,” Phillip said more gently. “Why were you following me?”
He lowered his gaze and Carl’s shoulders slumped. “I like you, okay? You’re brilliant, the way you come up with all those games that make millions of people happy. I want to do that, but I don’t have the talent for it, I guess. Besides, you were always nice to me.” Carl looked past the others and spoke directly to Phillip. Heston and Barry stepped back, and Phillip came a little closer. A tear rolled down Carl’s cheek. “I liked you, and I guess… I wanted to be near you. At first, I was hoping that maybe if I hung around you, some of what makes you so special would sort of rub off on me. I know it sounds dumb.” He lowered his gaze.
“When did all this start?”
“A few months ago. I saw you out with your friends—the ones with the big, fancy house down on the east side. I wasn’t really following you—just out walking to look at the nice houses, maybe dream a little. I saw you go in, and I watched you all through the big windows. You were having a good time, but I saw that everyone else was part of a couple and you weren’t. I wondered what it would be like if I was there with you….” Carl put his now freed hands over his face. “I kept going back, thinking that maybe I’d see you again. I went for a walk that way, and you came back. So I followed you after you left and….” He gasped. “I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ve never hurt anyone, ever. You’ve got to believe me.”
“I do, Carl. But what did you say to him?” Phillip motioned toward Heston. He seemed to be able to get Carl to talk, and he didn’t want to lose any momentum.
“That maybe I saw something bad.” Carl lowered his gaze and seemed to curl in on himself. “He didn’t know I was there.”
Phillip glanced quickly at Barry, because he wasn’t sure what he should do at this point. “Go on. Just tell us what happened,” he said, and Barry nodded. Somehow, he had become the lead questioner in this little cabal. He wasn’t quite sure how that had happened or if it was a good thing, but Carl would talk to him, so it had to be the right thing to do.
“You got hurt on the stairs at the office.”
“Did you put something on the landing?” Barry demanded.
“No!” Carl backed away, nearly toppling the chair. “I never hurt anyone, like I told you. But I was coming back into the office because I forgot my cell phone charger cord and I saw them taking Phillip out, so I grabbed my cord and followed the ambulance to the hospital. I wanted to make sure he was going to be okay. I didn’t want anyone to hurt Mr. Barone. He’s the best boss there is.”
Then Phillip saw it, and his heart ached a little. Carl loved him in a way; the tenderness and softness in his eyes told Phillip everything. Somehow Carl had fallen for him—or at least his talent—and needed to be close… somehow. “What happened from there?”
“Well, I waited to make sure you were okay, and he”—he pointed at Barry—“chased me away when you came out. I ran and went around the side where it was dark so he wouldn’t find me, and that’s when I saw another guy. He was just standing by a pillar with a cigarette, except he never smoked. He just let the cigarette burn down and then lit another one.” Carl began to shake. “He waited and waited, and I was too scared to move. He was up to something, and I didn’t know if he”—Carl again pointed to Barry—“had left yet. But then the guy waiting saw someone, and one of the nurses in this purple shirt with unicorns on it came over to him.” Carl paused and lifted his gaze. “It made me smile.”
Phillip felt the air whoosh out of his lungs. He recognized that description, and it made his blood run cold. He blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the disbelief that was running through him. Had something happened to Marty? A wave of sadness ran through him. Phillip had a pretty good idea that Marty, the nurse who had been so kind to him in the emergency department and had been such a fan of Mark Burke’s work, was never going to see the portrait that he’d used to recognize him. But why would anyone hurt Marty, unless it was simply because he had been good to Phillip?
“What did the man who waited so long look like?” Barry asked, and Phillip tried to pull his attention back to the moment. But his concern for Marty remained, pulling at the back of his mind. Still, he didn’t need to voice his fear right now.
“A little taller than me, maybe a hundred and seventy pounds. He stayed in the shadows and had something with him. I couldn’t see what it was, exactly, but it looked long and curved. Mostly I saw his hand and the way the cigarette just burned down. He followed the nurse, and as soon as he was out of sight, I hurried away to my car and left.” Carl heaved a deep breath. “Did you get hurt real bad when you fell?”
“No. I’m okay,” Phillip said gently, even as his heart beat like a drum. He didn’t want anything bad to happen to Carl. “What did you do after you left?”
“I went home and went to bed. I told myself I had to stop following you, and I did. But I just wanted to make sure you were okay. So, when I saw you come into the office today, I followed you here.”
Phillip sighed. “Carl, this needs to stop. You’re a nice guy, but I’m not in love with you, and you aren’t in love with me.” He hung his head. “Maybe you should call your family and see if you can go stay with them for a while.” He tried to be as gentle as he could. “You need to get some help and be around people who care for you.” Phillip figured a lot of this was due to loneliness gone too far.
“But I really want to have a chance, and….” A touch of panic gripped his voice.
Phillip knelt down. “You get the help you need from your family and find someone to talk to. When you’re ready, you call me properly—no more stalking—and you and I will talk about you coming back. I’m not going to tell the other people in the office about this. But you do need some help.”
“I don’t have any money for that.” Carl started to rock back and forth. “And my parents… they….” Phillip was starting to get a pretty good idea that Carl was all alone and not by choice.
“Then I’ll help you get some help. You need to find a life of your own, one that will make you happy. Watching people from the outside will only leave you feeling isolated.” He needed to take his own advice. Phillip had spent a lot of his time alone, but thankfully he’d never felt the need to stalk anyone. “I promise I’ll help you.”
Heston came over to him. “Did you want me to call the police and—”
Phillip cut off Heston. “No. I want you to make sure he gets home. I know you and Cooper know good people who can help him. I want Carl to have a chance. So find someone for him.” Phillip’s gaze bored into both of them. Heston opened his mouth, probably to protest, but Phillip wasn’t backing down.
“I’ll talk to Cooper,” Heston agreed and left the room. Phillip nodded and let him go. Then he turned his attention to Barry.
“Make sure your friend is willing to help,” Phillip said. “Carl has talents, and he has a promising future. I don’t want that ruined because of one mistake.” Thankfully he didn’t see the kind of resistance in Barry that he had in Heston.
“We will.”
Then Phillip turned to Carl again, gesturing at Barry. “Make sure he has your phone number, and we’ll have someone get in touch with you.”
“Thank you,” Carl said, staring at the floor.
“Don’t do that.” He waited until Carl raised his gaze. “So you made a mistake—you’re not the first and you won’t be the last. I’ve made plenty of them too. Pick yourself up, learn from it, and move forward.” Carl gave Barry his phone number. “Now go on home.”
“But what about…?”
“Someone will be in touch very soon, and as soon as you work through things, then maybe you can come back. But you and I will talk first. Okay?” Phillip stepped back, and Carl stood and walked a little shakily through the house. Heston and Barry watched quietly as he let Carl out and closed the door. “He isn’t our killer, but he saw him.”
“Are you sure that was a good idea?” Barry asked.
“Yes. It was. He didn’t kill anyone. First of all, Carl doesn’t fit Cooper’s profile at all. He’s a lonely lad who latched on to me for being nice and took it for more than it was. I don’t think Carl is obsessed, just lonely.” Phillip swallowed hard. “And he may have seen something.”
“Excuse me?”
“The purple scrubs with unicorns… those were worn by the nurse who helped me in the hospital. His name was Marty.” Phillip began to shake. “What if Carl actually saw the killer go after Marty? Is there someone we can call to see if one of the nurses at St. Luke’s has been reported missing?” The idea scared him, but he was starting to see a picture of what could have happened, and it frightened the shit out of him.
“I’ll do it,” Heston offered. “And Cooper is willing to work with Carl.”
“Thank you.” Phillip left the kitchen and went into the living room and sat on the edge of the sofa, holding his head in his hands. Phillip was pretty sure he knew what the answer was going to be already, and if he was right….
“Phillip….” Barry sat next to him. “What Carl saw doesn’t mean—”
“Yes, it does. Whoever is behind this was at the hospital, close enough to see me with Marty. He recognized me from the painting Mark did of me. He was so excited and wanted to see it.” Phillip closed his eyes and leaned forward slightly, still holding his head. “I don’t know what to do.” He lifted his gaze.
“Martin Bolinger hasn’t shown up for work since he finished his shift on Thursday. His husband reported him missing, and the last place he was seen was leaving the hospital. The police apparently think he just left….”
Phillip shook his head. “No, I don’t think so.”
Barry sighed. “I don’t either. There’s something else going on. Carl said he saw Marty and the stranger go in the same direction in the parking garage.” Barry shifted his gaze to Heston. “I think you and I need to take a look at that garage.”
“I’m going with you,” Phillip said. He expected Heston and Barry to argue with him—and they didn’t disappoint—but he crossed his arms over his chest and waited them out. “I have to know what happened to him. He was nice to me. So you can sputter and argue all you want, but it won’t do any good. I’m not going to sit here, wondering what is going on, while you go chasing around.” Phillip stood. He needed something to do. “So, are we going?”
“It’s late and dark, and….” Heston really was a glutton for punishment.
Barry rolled his eyes. “Just stop arguing. It won’t work. Once Phillip has made up his mind, that’s it. So, let’s go take a look at that garage and see if we can find something.” Barry glared at him. “But you need to do what we tell you. If that means running back to the car and taking off, you do it. Heston and I can take care of ourselves, but you….” He actually pointed. “I won’t let you get hurt.”
“Fine.” Phillip kept his arms over his chest and stepped closer to Barry. “But if you get hurt, I’ll beat the shit out of you, and that goes for you too, Heston. If you find anything, we go right to the police. No playing hero.” His throat went dry, and both of them nodded. “Good, then let’s go.”
Phillip let his arms fall to his sides and continued to the back door. The others followed, with Barry setting the alarms before they left. In minutes, they were on the freeway, heading downtown toward the hospital. Heston parked in the garage, which by and large was well lit, except for an area over near the elevators.
“This must be the place Carl was talking about. The pillars are in shadow.” There were plenty of cigarette butts in the area, making it obvious that this was where people stopped on their way out.
“He could have been hiding over there…,” Phillip offered.
“Barry, Phillip,” Heston called, pointing to the concrete. “That looks like blood. Not a lot and it’s dry, but….” He continued in circles. “There’s a little more. No one would really notice it unless they were looking.”
“It could have come from someone heading into the hospital,” Barry offered.
“Maybe.” Heston wandered over toward the elevators and went into the lobby. Phillip stayed outside, and Heston returned. “We need to call the police.”
“Why?” Barry asked.
“You remember the smell of death, especially when it was hot? It didn’t take too long before everything began to break down. I smell it over there. We need to get the police. I’m surprised nobody’s noticed it yet, but….”
Barry was already pulling out his phone.
“What are you saying? That someone killed Marty…?” Phillip asked, wishing he didn’t know the answer.
“And dumped him in the elevator shaft. It goes down maybe another ten feet to make room for equipment and emergency braking systems.” Heston kept him away while Barry made his call. Phillip wondered if they could just leave after giving the police the tip, but decided that staying was the right thing to do. Besides, he needed to know.
It seemed Barry had a different idea. “You and I are going back to the house. Heston will handle this.” He was already guiding Phillip away from the scene.
“Why?” He thought of digging in his heels.
Barry stopped. “Do you want to explain to the police how we know all this? That we were here because we pressured one of the people who works for you, someone we thought was a stalker and possibly a murderer?” He shook his head. “Heston can handle things himself. He’ll let us know what’s going on.”
“Okay…,” Phillip agreed reluctantly.
“Besides, what if the killer is watching?” Barry began moving faster away from the scene. “We don’t need to be here when the body is discovered.”
“It seems cowardly,” Phillip said.
“Maybe. But there’s nothing we can do for Marty if he is, in fact, down in that shaft. If you’re here and the police find out who you are, there will be questions, as well as publicity for you and your business that you definitely don’t want.”
Phillip got into Heston’s car and waited for Barry to get in as well. “But they’ll have to believe that the other deaths are murders now. The police might be able to help.”
Barry turned to him. “Heston is a pro. He’ll be able to draw any picture that’s needed.” Barry took his hand. “We should get the police involved. But this is now a definite murder investigation. The police are going to be digging everywhere, into all facets of your life. Are you ready for that?”
“But I have nothing to hide,” Phillip said, then wondered if Barry was concerned for himself. “Do you?”
“Yes and no. There are plenty of things in my background that I can’t and won’t talk about.” He sat back, closing his eyes. “There are things I’ve done, that I’ve had to do, that aren’t pretty. Heston and Cooper too. It was war, and that is as ugly as it gets. No one comes out of it unscathed. And unfortunately, no one comes out of a murder investigation unscathed either.” Barry seemed much more affected by this than Phillip would have expected. He didn’t break down, but his hands gripped the wheel until his knuckles were stark white.
“Are you wanted by the police?” Phillip asked. Not that he believed that, but Barry’s reaction really confused him.
“Nothing like that.” He continued driving, loosening his grip, but Phillip was still worried.
“Then what is it? I don’t understand your reaction.”
“After I got back, I did some things that I’m not proud of. I was….” He stammered a little. Phillip couldn’t remember ever seeing Barry nervous before. “I had some issues that I thought I could deal with myself, but instead, I tried self-medicating. Things got pretty messed up for a while.”
“Like illegal drugs?” Phillip was trying to understand and not get too worried. If Barry had used things to forget what he’d seen and done when he was in the Marines, that wasn’t his fault.
“No. I probably wouldn’t have been able to come back from that. I was abusing prescription medication and I got in trouble. I’m still ashamed about it. I should have been stronger and smarter than that, but the need to numb the pain got the better of me.” Barry paled, and Phillip realized this was one of those things that Barry kept locked away. Phillip nodded slowly, as the impact and importance of Barry opening up dawned on him. “Cooper was the one who helped me out of that situation and got my head on straight. Heston was able to straighten things out with law enforcement. It happened a while ago, but I don’t need questions about that period in my life to muddy the waters. Heston and I are afraid that the police will question me about how I happened to be there, at the hospital—and if I was looking for someone to hook me up with more drugs.” He took a deep breath. “I trust Heston with my life. He’ll see to it that the police know everything they need to, and he’ll keep us directly out of the line of fire.”
“But what about the other three guys?” Phillip asked.
“I doubt they’ll believe us. The other incidents have been ruled accidents, and the police aren’t going to reopen all those cases on our say-so. Heston speaks their language, and if anyone can convince them what we’re facing, he can. The police will probably come to the house, but that’ll be much quieter than at the garage, when they pull up the body.” Barry’s phone rang, and he answered it through the car speaker. “Hey, Heston.”
Heston sighed. “I just have a second, but they found the nurse. From the looks of things, I’d say he’s been there a few days and was definitely killed. I think Phillip should convince Carl to come forward and tell the police what he saw. They will need that information. I explained about the connection to Phillip, but they aren’t buying it. I think the cop in charge is a fool, and when I presented all the information on the other deaths, they looked at me like I was some conspiracy theory wacko.” It was pretty clear that Heston was really frustrated.
“Should we have stayed?” Phillip asked.
“Wouldn’t have made any difference. At least the police are treating this as a murder, though I suspect they are considering robbery as a motive, since it looked as though he was robbed and dumped. Our killer is a master at misdirection.” Heston paused. “I need to go. I’ll come to the house once they’re done with me. It will be a while.” The call ended, and Barry made the final turn onto his street.
“How can they be so… shortsighted?”
“This isn’t a TV show, and the police have more work than they can handle. They aren’t going to look for a serial killer if all they think they have is a robbery gone bad.” He pulled around to the back and into the garage before closing the door. “But at least we know that the person who’s obsessed with you is escalating. After all, this time he went after someone who was just being nice to you in the hospital. Not that there is anything unusual in a nurse being nice, but the reaction is way out of proportion when you consider the previous situations.”
“So, you think he’s getting more desperate?” Phillip wondered if that meant he was in greater danger.
“What I think is that his fuse is getting shorter. It’s a fair bet that he’s aware that you and I have been seen together. If anyone is in his crosshairs now, it’s me.” Barry turned off the engine.
“Then what are we going to do?” Phillip shifted in his seat, afraid to get out of the car. This was all becoming too much. Four people were dead, and it was likely that whoever was doing this was going to go after Barry. And Phillip couldn’t bear to lose him, now that he’d found him again.
“We need to do a review of everyone in your life. There has to be something we’ve missed,” Barry explained. “It’s going to be some time before Heston gets back. Maybe he’ll have some ideas. I know he’s watching the crowd in the garage. I wouldn’t be surprised if the killer is there to see people’s reaction to his handiwork. They sometimes get a kick out of it.” Barry got out of the car, and they walked through the garage to the house, Barry setting the alarms and triggers on the way.
Phillip was sore and tired. He dropped onto the sofa, then leaned back and closed his eyes, trying not to let his imagination run wild. But he couldn’t get his head around the fact that someone he worked with was obsessed with him—and was a murderer. Frankly, he was almost afraid to go back to his office.
That used to be a place where he was at his creative best. He could dream up new things, using past ideas as a springboard. He loved the idea that games were enjoyed by thousands of people all over the world. But now, he wondered if the office would only remind him that his privacy and peace of mind had been completely violated.
Phillip picked up his phone and set it back down again. His first instinct was to let Leonard know about the cameras so he could make sure no confidential information had been compromised. What if the cameras had been set up to steal information on new ideas they were developing?
His head hurt, and the throbbing was only getting worse. Phillip should probably take something, but he was fairly certain that it wasn’t going to do any good. “I have to bring this to an end.” He needed his nice, quiet life back. Except as soon as he thought that, he realized that the life he’d thought he had was only an illusion. Who knew how long this shit had been going on? When had those cameras been planted? Yeah, the murders—at least those they knew about—started six months or so ago. But the more he thought about it—and wished he hadn’t—the more he realized that there could be others. People didn’t start killing out of the blue. Even if this stalker was just starting to escalate now, he’d probably been killing all along. And that only made Phillip’s headache pound to the point that he was afraid his head would explode.
“Take it easy. You’re not alone.” Barry gently rubbed his temples, and the pressure began to ease.
“I just want all this to stop.” Damn, he knew he was whining, but he couldn’t help it. The throbbing in his head intensified again, and Phillip clamped his eyes closed to block out as much light as possible. His stomach roiled, and he hoped to hell he wasn’t going to throw up. “Can you make it stop?”
“I’m going to do my best,” Barry whispered as he continued to massage Phillip’s temples, humming something softly. Slowly, the pressure eased and Phillip was able to breathe more easily, and the throbbing behind his eyes began to slip away. “That’s it, just take slow, deep breaths,” Barry soothed, guiding him down onto the sofa cushions. Phillip kept his eyes closed and let his head rest on a pillow. Barry grew quiet, and after a while, his hands stopped their slow, tiny circles and he stepped away. A blanket stretched over him, and Phillip lay still.
“Take these,” Barry said a few minutes later, dropping some pills in his hand. Phillip put them in his mouth and drank from the glass Barry touched to his lips, then lay back on the sofa, not allowing himself to worry about what was next. For now, he needed to ride the wave of oblivion that the medicine afforded.