Tony charged up the stairs, taking them two at a time, weapon drawn. He’d been dead to the world. Kris’s scream had jarred him instantly awake. Her son’s distressed cries and the squeal of the alarm had chased away any grogginess that might have remained.
Kris had screamed several times. She was now quiet, but sharp, frenzied barks came from beyond the latched security gate.
God, please let her be all right.
Instead of fiddling with the latch, he leaped over the barrier and into the room. Her son’s screams quieted to soft sobs. Kris was sitting on the floor between her bed and his, one hand curled around the side of her neck. The balcony doors were wide open, and Bella was outside looking through the railing, her barks piercing the squeal of the alarm.
Ignoring the longing to comfort Kris, he ran onto the balcony. A large pocketknife was lying on the floor, the blade exposed. After stepping around it with little more than a glance, he peered over the edge of the railing, searching the street below. A figure disappeared around the corner of the building.
He pulled his phone from the pocket of his gym shorts. He’d put it there when he’d grabbed his weapon. The security company would have already notified the police, but he had something to add—a vehicle description.
When he stepped back into the room, Kris was on her feet, hand still pressed against her neck. She was wearing a T-shirt and a pair of those stretchy pants women often wore while exercising. Her hair was mashed down on one side and sticking up in spiky disarray on the other. The fear emanating from her twisted his heart.
He laid his weapon on top of one of the stacks of boxes and then dialed 911 as he approached her. “It was him, wasn’t it?”
She nodded, eyes wide. Bella padded in from the balcony and circled the bed to press herself against Kris’s leg. One of the wooden oars lay on the floor next to her. She’d apparently tried to use it as a weapon.
When the dispatcher came on, Tony explained what had happened and gave a description of the truck. They would put out an APB and have units search the area. Meanwhile, police would arrive any minute. If not for the alarm, they would probably already hear the squeal of approaching sirens.
“How about if we go downstairs, shut the alarm off and meet the police?”
She nodded, her eyes still wide. “He found me. He knows where I am. He tried to cut Bella.” She lowered her hand and looked at it. “He cut me.”
Panic stabbed through him, and he rushed toward her.
She held up her hand. “I’m okay. It’s not much more than a nick.”
His breath expelled in a rush. A blood smear marked her palm, a matching one on her throat. She was right. It wasn’t bad, certainly not life-threatening. But that didn’t dull the sense of protectiveness shooting through him, or tame the urge to wrap her in his arms and hold her until all threats were gone. Before he could act on the impulse, she turned to lift Gavin from the bed. Then she knelt to wrap one arm around her son and the other around her dog.
Yes, the killer had found her. The thought put a cold lump of dread in his chest. It probably hadn’t even been that difficult. If he’d checked out Shannon’s friends before destroying her phone, he’d have found Kris’s profile and seen her name. Richards may not have led him anywhere, but an internet search of Ashbaugh would pull up the charter company. Finding her there would have been a long shot, but it was one that had paid off.
After retrieving his weapon, he led her toward the stairs, her son’s hand tucked into hers. “We’ve got to get you somewhere safe.”
“I know.” Her voice was soft.
“Somewhere away from here.”
She followed him down the stairs, matching her son’s pace, one slow step at a time. At the bottom, she turned toward the hall, still holding Gavin’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”
Tony continued across the room and punched the code she’d given him into the alarm panel by the front door. Now a more distant sound reached him, the scream of approaching sirens.
Kris reappeared a minute later and sank into the chair behind the desk. The blood smear on her throat was gone, an inch-long red line in its place, barely visible in the soft glow of the streetlights drifting through the window.
She dragged Gavin onto her lap. “I have a friend from high school who moved to Texas. I haven’t talked to her in ages, but we are Facebook friends. I could message her and see if she could put me up for the next week and a half.”
“That sounds like a good plan.” Anywhere except Florida. Georgia and Alabama, too, because they were both too close to Pensacola.
Tony moved to the front door to watch for the responding officers. Judging from the volume of the sirens, they were close.
Soon flashing blue lit up the street and reflected off the buildings. A Pensacola Police cruiser pulled into one of the parallel parking spaces in front, K-9 Unit displayed on the side. A German shepherd dog sat in the back. The driver door swung open, and a familiar figure climbed from the driver’s seat.
Tony cast a glance at Kris. “The police are here, more specifically, your future brother-in-law.”
“Jared?” Kris rose, letting Gavin slide from her lap, and approached the door.
As Jared moved closer, Tony hit the light switch. Relief flooded the other man’s features. Kris swung open the door. After wrapping her in a hug, Jared held her away from him, looking her over. “You’re all right?”
“Thanks to Bella and Tony.”
“When the call was dispatched and they gave this address, I about had a heart attack.”
As Tony watched the exchange, warmth filled him. Kris was obviously close to her future brother-in-law. From the little bit he’d seen, she was finally enjoying some closeness with her sisters, too, at least one of them. The constant friction he’d seen between the twins as teenagers seemed to have disappeared.
“Tell me what happened.”
“The killer climbed onto the balcony, kicked in the doors. Bella charged at him, barking and growling, but he had a knife.” She put a hand to her neck. “He got me, but just barely. I’m all right.”
Tony’s jaw tightened. “He apparently dropped the knife on the balcony in his haste to escape.”
Kris looked at him sharply. “He did? Maybe you can get prints.”
“Maybe.” It wasn’t likely. If he’d worn gloves to kill Shannon, he’d have taken the same precautions coming after Kris.
Jared’s thoughts had apparently followed the same track. “Could you see if he was wearing gloves?”
“Not really. The light was behind him. He was swinging the knife, and Bella was backing up, trying to stay out of his reach. There are a couple of paddles up there, like from a canoe or rowboat. I grabbed one and tried to club him with it, but he blocked it.”
Tony smiled. “You were going to fight off a killer with an oar.”
She returned his smile. “Only until you got up there with your gun. In the meantime, I was determined he wasn’t going to get close enough to me or my son to use that knife.”
Jared continued. “What happened then?”
“Tony headed up the stairs, and he took off.” Her gaze met his. “I think he expected me to be alone. He wasn’t counting on you or my dog.”
As she talked, Jared made notes. “An APB has been issued, so units are searching for the truck. Can you tell me what he was wearing?”
“Blue jeans and a dark-colored shirt, black or navy blue, maybe even dark green.”
“I take it you’re positive it was the same guy you saw at your friend’s house the night she was killed, and the one who came after you earlier this week?”
“I’m positive. Like on the road, he was wearing a bandana, his hair hidden underneath.”
“Anything else you can tell us?”
“That’s all I can think of.”
“We’ll take the knife into evidence, hopefully lift some prints, if not from tonight, maybe previously.” He paused. “You’re not going to stay here, are you?”
That last question came from Jared as a friend rather than an officer. Good, someone else to convince her to leave. Now it would be two against one. Except she’d already agreed to leave the state.
“I was thinking about getting in touch with a former friend who now lives in Texas.”
Uh-oh. Tony frowned. “Was?”
“I’m having second thoughts.”
“Why?” His exasperation came through in his tone. He should have known her agreeing to leave had come too easily. Kris had always been independent, someone who would balk at being put in a position to have to ask for favors.
She heaved a sigh. “If I leave, I’ll escape for now, but eventually I’ll have to come back. My life is here.”
“If this guy gets a hold of you, you won’t have a life to worry about.” Come on, Jared, help me out here.
Kris continued. “He’s killed four times in, what, the last three months?”
Tony pressed his lips together. Four times that they knew of. It could be more. “Let’s not make it five.”
“My leaving isn’t going to prevent that fifth killing. Likely, just the opposite. You don’t have a single lead other than an old pickup truck with a bogus tag. And you wouldn’t even have that if he hadn’t come after me. With no leads and no idea when or where he’ll strike next, how many women will have to die before you catch him?”
Jared put a hand on her shoulder. “You don’t need to play the hero. If you can get somewhere safe, that’s what you need to do.”
Thanks, buddy. “Jared’s right. You see to the safety of yourself and your son, and law enforcement will handle things here.”
“I can’t do that and live with my decision.” Her gaze dipped to the floor. “I keep thinking about the woman we found in the woods and the woman you mentioned from Milligan who was killed the same way. I’m still haunted with thoughts of the camper we searched for on Monday, knowing she’s probably lying in a shallow grave or in the woods somewhere.”
Or at the bottom of the Gulf.
She looked up at him, her expression earnest. “Think about it. You’re desperate to catch this guy. That’s almost impossible without knowing when or where he’s going to strike next. We still don’t know the when, but we can anticipate the where because we know the who.”
Tony shook his head. “Absolutely not. We’re not going to use you as bait. You need to think about your son.”
She bristled. “I am thinking about my son.”
He winced. He hadn’t intended to disparage her parenting skills, but he was desperate to make her listen to reason.
She heaved a sigh. “As long as this guy is out there, I won’t be safe anywhere. It took him two days to find me. How long before he connects me with Mark’s family? After tonight, I’m no longer sure he won’t somehow track me down in Ohio. Here, I don’t just have the police looking out for me, I have police who also happen to be personal friends of mine.”
She put one hand on his shoulder, the other on Jared’s. “I trust you guys to keep us safe.”
Jared frowned. “We can’t be with you twenty-four seven.”
“Someone can. Maybe not with me, but watching.” She dropped her hands. “I’ve thought about asking Kassie to let Gavin stay with her. But she would have to leave him with his babysitter while she works. I’m afraid it would be too easy for the killer to use him to get to me.”
Tony pressed his lips into a thin line. She was right, on all counts.
“If I leave and more young women lose their lives at this guy’s hand before he’s caught, do you really think I could come back and pick up as if nothing happened? That’s assuming I even make it back home. At this point, I can’t guarantee that I would.”
She’d made her point well. He didn’t even have a valid argument. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.
He gave her a sharp nod. “We’ll talk to the folks in charge and come up with a game plan.”
Whatever they decided, he’d make sure she had ample protection.
He’d thought God had brought her back into his life so he could make right what he’d messed up in the past. But that wasn’t the only reason. He’d also been put here at this specific time to protect her, maybe even to help guide her back to the faith she’d once had but rejected.
Was there another reason that he hadn’t considered? The attraction was definitely there. So was the deep friendship they’d always shared, which made a good foundation for any romantic relationship.
No, no matter how much his heart was urging him otherwise, he wouldn’t even consider it. She had a kid. After his niece had died while in his care, no way would he put himself in a position where he would be responsible for little Gavin.
Anything beyond their simple friendship was off the table.
He’d keep reminding himself of that fact. Daily.
Hourly, if he had to.
Jerry Sanderson turned the boat into the waves and hit the throttle. The bow rose, cutting a path through the choppy surface.
Kris closed her eyes and tilted her head back, relishing the sun on her face and the wind in her hair. In another hour, they’d be back at the marina in Fort Walton Beach where Sanderson kept his three boats.
Though she’d had no desire to spend the day on the water with Tony’s father, here she was. She’d come along because she’d felt that she had to.
It wasn’t that she owed Tony’s father anything, because she didn’t. But she owed Tony, big time. Even though two unmarked units would be watching the Ashbaugh Charters office, after Saturday night’s incident, he’d been ready to renege on his offer to help with the charter, refusing to leave her alone. With everything he was doing for her, no way was she going to force him to choose between her and his father.
As much as she hadn’t wanted to come, it hadn’t been bad. Jerry Sanderson had been too occupied with his customers and captaining the boat to interact with her much beyond welcoming her aboard and flashing her the occasional friendly smile. Tony was staying pretty busy with his first-mate responsibilities, too.
That was all right. Just being on the water was entertainment enough. After being holed up in the charter office for the past four days, she’d have almost agreed to get on a boat with Jack the Ripper for an opportunity to soak up some sunshine. Even Gavin had seemed to be getting cabin fever. Her usually easygoing, compliant child had been especially disagreeable since yesterday.
She opened her eyes to look at her son, who was sitting in the lap of one of the customers, eyelids at half-mast, fingering the beads on her bracelet. Nineteen-year-old Emily had no interest in fishing and had signed up for the charter only because her boyfriend had. As someone who loved kids, it hadn’t taken her long to decide that she’d rather play with Gavin than hold a fishing pole.
The rest of the group consisted of two women and four men. All seven were Florida State University students enjoying the last week of their summer break before the start of the new school year.
Tony moved from his position next to the helm to sit beside her. “Have you enjoyed yourself?”
“Totally. I’m glad I came.” Not that she’d felt she had a choice. But Tony would be glad to know the afternoon hadn’t been drudgery.
Being a nonpaying passenger, she hadn’t felt right using the Sanderson bait and equipment, but at Tony’s insistence, she’d done a little fishing herself. She’d had some nibbles that had resulted in nothing but lost bait. So she’d finally put up the pole and kicked back to relax. It was what she’d been doing ever since.
She looked out over the water, with its moderate chop, then up where puffy, white clouds were scattered across a blue sky. The sun was about two-thirds of the way through its descent, leaving them plenty of daylight left to make it in. She and Tony would even be back in Pensacola before dark.
Some distance off their starboard bow, another boat paralleled their path. Jared had agreed to remain a short distance away in his own boat, keeping watch and making sure no one got too close. He was no doubt armed and ready to use whatever he was carrying.
Tony smiled at Gavin, whose eyes were now closed. “I think we wore out your little one.”
“We did.” A hint of pink stained her little boy’s cheeks and upturned nose. Florida sun could be brutal, especially in August. But Gavin wasn’t sunburned; she had him too well slathered. The same windburn likely marked her own cheeks.
When they got back to the marina, Emily stood and passed her sleeping bundle off to Kris. Gavin stirred then rested his head on her shoulder and was out again.
Each of the charter customers said their thanks and goodbyes and filed off the boat.
Jerry Sanderson put a hand on Kris’s shoulder. Kindness filled his eyes, and the smile he wore crinkled the skin at their corners. “I enjoyed having you and your little boy spend the afternoon with us. Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for having us.” She turned to step off the boat. She didn’t want to like this man, but it was hard not to. The warmth and acceptance she sensed from him cast doubt on all the negative things her father had said about him.
His voice halted her escape. “I was really sorry to read about your father’s arrest and drug charges.”
She turned to look at him. The sincerity in his words was reflected on his face. Suddenly the image she’d created of the Sandersons sitting around the dinner table disparaging the Ashbaughs and gloating over Bobby Ashbaugh’s downfall no longer seemed plausible.
She shifted Gavin onto her hip. “Did you know before what he was involved in?”
“I had my suspicions. That’s why I split with him and went off on my own.”
She frowned. “And took a lot of Ashbaugh business with you.”
“I didn’t take a single name, phone number or email address. When I walked away, I completely started over. I did a lot of advertising to get the word out, and God blessed my efforts.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re telling me you didn’t trash my father’s reputation in the community?”
“I told my wife. I felt she deserved to know why I was breaking off an eight-year partnership.”
Kris looked at Tony. “Did you know that’s why they split?”
“Not until just now.”
She looked from Tony’s father to Tony and back to his father. Sanderson didn’t even tell his sons? Everything he was saying was in complete opposition to what her father had told her for years.
More lies piled on top of all the others. Over the past few months, her father had shattered every ounce of trust she’d ever had in him.
She met Mr. Sanderson’s gaze. “I’m finding out I’ve spent a lot of years believing lies.”
He gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry. We’ve been praying for you and your sisters. And since finding out what you’ve been through this week, we’re really doubling down on those prayers.”
She turned an accusing glare on Tony and then softened it immediately. He wasn’t sharing personal information about her for no reason. He’d have had to tell his dad something about why he was dragging her along on today’s charter. Coming from Tony, whatever excuse he gave would be nothing but the truth.
“Thank you.” She meant it. Not that she believed in prayer, but it was the thought that counted.
After saying their farewells, they walked to where Tony had parked his Tundra. Kris buckled Gavin into his car seat and climbed into the front. Tony slid into the driver’s seat and cranked the engine. “How about we stop somewhere and pick up dinner when we get back to Pensacola so you don’t have to cook.”
“I’m all for that.” She loved to cook, but not after a day on the water, especially with the added stress of having to spend it with Tony’s father. Of course, that was stress that had turned out to be unnecessary.
Less than an hour later, Tony drove slowly down Government Street, approaching the charter office. “Did you notice the dark SUV we just passed?”
She looked in the side mirror. “Parallel parked on this side of the street?”
“Yep. That’s one of ours.”
She nodded. It sat facing Ashbaugh Charters, on the opposite side of the road, a short block away. With the fading sunlight and the tint of the windows, she couldn’t see the occupants. “They’re keeping an eye on the building?”
“Yep. I’m sure there’s an unmarked unit in back, too, like this one—not close enough to be obvious but where they can still see the back door.”
He’d told her yesterday that they were there. Seeing one of them for herself brought a lot of relief.
Thanks to Tony and his brother, Nick, the building had been secure by midafternoon yesterday. On his way to church, Nick had stopped by Lowe’s and then dropped off wood and other materials to replace the damaged door jamb. After lunch, Tony had gotten everything fixed and working properly again. Fortunately, the doors themselves had been salvageable.
Between the materials delivery and actually performing the work, Tony had brought up his church service on the TV in the office. When he’d asked her to join him, she’d made up some excuse about needing to bathe Gavin. Then she’d felt guilty and ended up coming in to sit with him near the end of the service.
Mark had tried to get her to attend, too. He’d become a Christian shortly before the accident. Maybe he’d have had an impact on her eventually. Unfortunately, God took him before that could even start to happen.
As they drew closer to the building that housed the charter office, Kris’s chest tightened. A burgundy Sorento sat parked in one of the parallel spaces in front of the building. “Kassie’s still here.”
“At almost seven thirty?”
Her stomach drew into a knot. Kassie had been at the charter office when she’d left late that morning with Tony. Why would she still be there, especially with everything that had been going on?
Granted, it wasn’t dark yet. It was just nearing dusk. And police were watching the place. But why tempt fate?
Tony eased into a spot across the street. The charter office lights weren’t on. The lights next door were.
Kris released a relieved breath. Kassie was apparently showing the retail space and apartment above to a potential renter.
“I’m going to check on her. Can you come along?”
“If you hadn’t asked, I would have insisted.”
They crossed the street, and when Kris stepped inside, the door at the bottom of the stairs was open a full ninety degrees. Two voices came from above, Kassie’s and a male voice.
The layout of this space was the same as in the charter office—narrow stairway leading to the upper story. On this side, though, the apartment above had been refurbished years ago to include a kitchenette and a small bathroom.
Tony pulled the door shut behind him, and Kassie’s voice grew closer. “So, what do you think?”
“It’s perfect. I’ll have the music store I’ve been wanting to open for ages and be able to live above it.”
Good. It looked like they were going to finally have the place rented. The monthly payments would help cover some of the expenses, and in her situation, having a close neighbor held a lot of appeal.
“That sounds great.” Kassie started down the stairs. With the angle of the door and where she was standing, Kris couldn’t see her, but her sister’s footfalls on the stairs told her where she was.
Then heavier footsteps joined the lighter ones, and their future renter continued. “The lease on my apartment in LaGrange isn’t up for another four weeks. If I pay you this month’s rent, will you hold it for me?”
“How about we say half and call it even? I’m glad to have you back.”
Back? So it was someone they knew. Even better.
Kassie stepped around the door, and the smile she was wearing broadened. “Oh, hey, I didn’t know you guys were back.”
“We just got back. I saw your car parked out front and the lights on in here and figured—”
She swallowed the rest of her words when their new renter followed Kassie into the lobby.
Kassie squared her shoulders. “Kris, I’m sure you remember Spencer Cavanaugh.”
Her voice was a couple of pitches higher than normal, and her pose said she was preparing for a battle.
“Yes, I remember.” Where Kassie’s tone was higher and tension-filled, her own was low and cold. “Hello, Spence.”
Of course she remembered him. Druggie, wannabe rock star and their younger sister Alyssa’s no-good former boyfriend. And Kassie was agreeing to rent to him? Had she lost her mind? His music store would probably be a front for a drug operation or prostitution ring or something equally seedy. If that was who her close neighbor was going to be, she could live without one.
Kassie introduced the two men, who hadn’t previously met. Besides Spencer being two years behind them in school, their circles of friends hadn’t intersected. Tony had run with the good kids. Spence...hadn’t.
Kris looked at Tony and Spence. “Can you excuse us for a few minutes?”
She grabbed Kassie’s wrist and led her out the front door. The SUV was still there, parked a short distance away. They’d be safe standing out front long enough for her to talk some sense into her sister, who had somehow lost hers.
“You’re not seriously thinking of renting to him, are you?”
“He’s not the same man we knew seven or eight years ago.”
“And you can somehow guarantee that he’s not going to be dealing drugs out of our building?”
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“He’s changed. He’s not even a drug user at this point. He’s spent six years serving our country.”
Kris frowned. So he’d been in the military. That didn’t mean that once he got away from the discipline and back in his hometown he wouldn’t return to his former lifestyle. After all, how many times had she and Kassie gotten their hopes up that Alyssa was finally going to get her act together, only to be disappointed?
“He’s even playing guitar with his church’s worship team now.”
Great. No wonder Kassie was all gung ho about renting to him. She probably figured he was one more person she could get to try to influence her wayward sister.
Maybe Kassie was right, though. If he really had changed, it wasn’t right to hold the things he did as a teenager against him. But now that she was thinking about it, what irritated her the most was the fact that Kassie had made the decision without her input.
She crossed her arms. “You should have talked to me. Decisions related to the charter business, we make together.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that Spence and I have been talking for the past hour. That’s why I’m here so late. I knew that once you got reacquainted with him, you’d agree with me.”
She still wasn’t ready to let it go. “Just remember, when he destroys the place or we’ve got cops making drug busts right next door to us, it’s all going to be on you.”
She spun and stalked to the door. When Kassie followed her inside, Spence lifted his brows. “Should I be warming up my pen, or is our verbal agreement off?”
Kassie tilted her head to the side. “Before you sign the lease, my sister might need some convincing.”
Spence nodded. “I can understand that.” He locked gazes with Kris. “I provided your sister with some references—my employer, my current landlord. I’ve only had one since my discharge from the army. I’m happy to answer any questions you might have for me, too.”
Kris asked about his military background, his work, his friends, his activities, even his involvement with his church. Within thirty minutes, she was as convinced as Kassie apparently was. He really had changed.
Maybe dumping Alyssa was the smartest thing the man had ever done.