Chapter Fifteen

Dan looked up from speaking with the head of security, his eyes automatically finding Kait. A shiver of unease enveloped him and he was hurrying in her direction before he even realized he was moving. She’d gone pale but it was the look of stark horror on her face that sent his heart rate into the triple digits.

“Kaitlyn? Honey, what’s wrong?”

Her eyes slowly rose to his. She was looking at him but not seeing him, clearly in shock.

“Kait, baby, talk to me.” He rounded the island to ease her into his arms. That’s when the odor hit him. It was sharp and pungent and unmistakable. He glanced down to see the Marilyn Monroe lookalike, Shandee Young, stuffed in the cabinet with a knife buried to the hilt in her chest. She was very dead.

He cursed and turned Kaitlyn so she wasn’t facing the gruesome sight. He needed to get her someplace safe so she could ease out of shock. She’d started to shake. “Come-on,” he urged, trying to lead her away.

“Dan, wait.”

“What is it, sweetheart?”

She pointed to Shandee. “The knife…it’s mine.”

Dan couldn’t even process the implications of that statement. She was definitely the target of some sick, twisted individual. He glanced around. How could this have happened with so many people around? Shandee hadn’t been killed here. There wasn’t enough blood. She had to have been killed elsewhere and carried to the spot.

Kendall was walking by and Dan called her name.

She noticed Kait and was instantly alert. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“You need to clear the building immediately It’s a crime scene again.”

Kendall’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding me? What is—” Her nose wrinkled and she paled. “Oh God, that smell…”

Kendall had been in the same room when three of her college roommates had been gunned down in cold blood. You never forgot that sickly stench.

She started to move around the counter but Dan stopped her with an arm. “You don’t need to see it.”

“It’s Shandee,” Kait whispered.

Kendall’s eyes widened. “Dead?”

“Most definitely—hey.”

Dan made another grab for Kendall but she stepped around him before he could stop her. She gasped and shuddered. “No,” she moaned as tears filled her eyes. “She was so sweet.”

Dan pulled her into his arms, too.

#

“You two promise to stay here and not leave the vehicle?”

“Promise,” Kai Costa repeated.

“Promise, Daddy!” Gracie sang. She called him that, even though technically he was only Kai’s dad at the moment. Kai had mixed feelings about that. He loved Gracie and Taylor, but it’d always been him and his dad against the world. Now there were two more in the mix. He supposed it was okay. He’d never seen his dad happier. Taylor was awesome. She was the kind of mom he dreamed of since he didn’t remember his real one. And Gracie was tolerable for a girl, but she could be a pain, like when she wanted to follow him around constantly. She sometimes had trouble sleeping after her ordeal with Patrick Sweeney. He still couldn’t believe the escaped convict was Gracie’s real dad. Gracie didn’t want her mom to worry, so when she had a nightmare, she’d sneak into his room and crawl into bed with him. He knew it made her feel safe since they’d huddled together for many nights in the dark hole waiting to be rescued.

His dad locked the doors and then he and Taylor made their way across the parking lot holding hands. They spoke to a man at the door and then disappeared inside. Kai’s eyes drifted to the two buildings close together that were being used to film the show. He spotted a half-wall and some metal beams…an industrial parkour course! He’d seen YouTube videos of kids jumping over obstacles just like them. He popped the lock and opened the door.

Gracie pulled earphones from her ears. “What’re you doing? Daddy said to stay here.”

“He meant that for you, not me. So don’t leave. I’m locking you back in.”

‘But—”

Kai closed the door and jogged over to the building. He looked around but the guy standing guard was checking his cell phone. No one else in sight. He made a running jump for the beam but he couldn’t reach it. He climbed up on the half wall and leaped for it but his hands grabbed only air. He landed on all fours. Gravel bit into his palms. He brushed it away and looked around. He needed something to stack on the wall to stand on. He picked up long stick and walked slowly around the perimeter, checking for anything that would work.

A loud screech sounded behind him. Instinct told Kai to hide. He scurried next to a brown dumpster and crouched down. Very carefully, he peeked around. A man was slipping through the opening of a large sliding door. It was rusted and didn’t look like it was used much. The man was bald and covered in tattoos. He was carrying a bag and his hands were red. Blood! Kai ducked back. He was coming this way. He jumped when something thumped into the bin above his head. He waited a few minutes and then chanced a look. The man was gone. Pushing to his feet, he rounded to the front and peered into the container. It was pretty full so the bag was on top. Something was sticking out that looked like hair. He reached inside to grab it when a hand slammed over his mouth.

“You just made a big mistake, kid.”