THIRTY-NINE
Kaely sat down at the small table with her cup of coffee. After a few sips, she set the cup down. As she ran different facts of the case through her mind, she prayed, asking God to give her clarity. Help her to shake the truth out of all of the confusion. Almost immediately, something she’d heard popped into her head. She sucked in her breath, trying to make sense of it. As awful as the truth was, there could be only one conclusion. She felt like she was going to be sick.
She stared at the chair across from her. “I was wrong when I said you don’t know me. You do, and you hate me because of something you think I did to you. For some reason, you’re focusing on my father. I think you’re angry and you need to find a way to justify your hate.” She peered at the empty place across from her, her eyes narrowed, her heart racing. “How could you connect me to him? I had no idea what he was up to.”
A dark shape began to form in the other chair. “You knew,” it whispered.
“No, I didn’t. You’re wrong,” Kaely argued.
“I’m not wrong.”
“There’s something else. Something you’re not telling me. I wish I knew what it was,” she said.
“You will.”
“Is that your plan?” Kaely asked angrily. “To prove I knew my father was a monster? Will that give you the strength you need to . . . kill me?”
“The timing is strange. Why did it take you so long to come after me? Why now?”
“Don’t you know?”
“Not exactly, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me. That’s what comes next, right? Hearing the truth?” She shook her head. “I have to admit, you’ve kept me in the dark for quite a while.”
“You don’t know who I am,” the voice hissed.
Kaely looked away. “Yeah, I do. You made a mistake, you see. Now I know exactly who you are.” She stared at the person sitting across from her at the table. He was fully formed now. She couldn’t stop the tears that flowed unchecked. “You’ve broken my heart,” she whispered. “You really have.”
“Then we’re even. You broke mine too.”
Kaely stood to her feet, waving the image away. She went back into the kitchen and picked up her phone. She quickly placed a call.
“Thanks for picking up,” she said.
“You knew I would, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I guess I did,” she said. “I know who we’re looking for. I need your help.”
“Who is it?”
When she said the name, there was silence from the other end of the phone.
“What do you want me to do?” he said finally.
“I’m going to get a call soon, asking me to meet him. When it happens, follow me. Don’t let me out of your sight. But be careful. Stay back and don’t allow him to see you. Don’t call for backup until the last possible moment. I have to be completely sure. If I’m wrong, I could ruin a life. Besides, we need a confession. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, I get it. I’m on my way.”
Kaely hung up the phone. She went to her bedroom and changed out of her work clothes. She’d just pulled up her jeans and was choosing a sweater out of her closet when she heard something outside. She pulled up the window shade. Rain. Great. It would make it harder for her backup to keep her in sight. But she couldn’t worry about that now. This had to end, and it had to end tonight.
Everything was ready. Tonight Jessica Oliphant, alias Kaely Quinn, would face final judgment. Once she admitted the truth, he would kill her. Then he would finally be free. He began preparations for the moment he’d been waiting for. A feeling of euphoria charged through him. His plan had worked perfectly. There was one incident he hadn’t expected, but it actually helped him. Gave him a way to get her to come to him.
He smiled. Kaely Quinn had only hours to live.
Kaely waited in the dark. Even though she sat in her warm living room, watching the clock next to her television, she was almost certain she could feel cold, deadly fingers reaching in from the outside, trying to touch her. Trying to warn her. Of course, that was impossible, but nevertheless, the steady sound of rain drummed a frightening message into her brain. Someone might not survive the night, and it could be her. This could actually be her last night on earth.
She was okay with that. She knew God would simply take her home. She believed in heaven with all her heart, but if she had her choice, she’d want to live. She had things to do. Monsters to capture. Before she left this world, she needed to make an impact. A real difference. She wanted to know that people lived because she did.
She desperately wanted to talk to Georgie. Listen to her encouragement, but there wasn’t time for that. When it was all over, if Kaely survived, they’d talk. Bouncing her thoughts off Georgie gave her balance. Made her calmer and more focused. She realized suddenly that she needed someone else even more than Georgie.
“Stand with me tonight, Lord,” she prayed quietly. “You’ve always helped me. Always been by my side. Is there anything I should know? Something I need to do?”
She waited silently but didn’t hear anything. When her phone went off, she jumped, even though she’d been expecting it. She picked it up and read the message. I need to talk to you. Meet me in front of the abandoned warehouse at 17th and St. Louis Avenue. Come alone! Alex.
She sighed and texted back: On my way.
Kaely slid the phone back into her jeans pocket. Then she grabbed her coat and her gun. Before walking out the door, she picked up two additional magazines and put them in her purse. When her phone rang again, she took it out of her pocket. When she saw it was Richard, she answered.
“The bogeyman didn’t get me. I made it home safely.”
“Thanks for letting me know, Richard. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re safe.”
“Get a good night’s sleep, Jessie. I’ll talk to you soon.”
Kaely saw another message on her phone. Noah. She listened to it. He was warning her about Reinhardt. Kaely smiled and turned off her phone. She couldn’t let anyone distract her now. She had to deal with this on her own. She put the phone back in her pocket. Now she was ready.
Noah cursed in frustration. Why wasn’t Kaely answering her phone? He tried Reinhardt again, but his phone went straight to voicemail. He’d talked to one of the detectives who had gone with him. Reinhardt had suggested they split up, and the detective hadn’t heard from him since. He’d tried to call him too, but just like with Kaely, all his calls had gone to voicemail.
Was Kaely in danger? He called for backup and sent them to her condo. But would they reach her in time? And who were they looking for? Her brother? Alex Cartwright? Donald Reinhardt? Someone else? Noah had no idea. How could they protect Kaely if they didn’t know where the danger was? Noah’s stomach was tight with worry. This situation was out of control, and his gut told him Kaely Quinn was in trouble. Terrible trouble.
In her rearview mirror, Kaely saw flashing lights approach her complex. She breathed a sigh of relief. If she’d waited a little longer, they’d have stopped her. She pushed down on the accelerator, making certain she was out of their line of sight, yet being careful not to lose the car behind her.
It took her almost twenty minutes to reach the warehouse. She pulled up in front and looked around, but she didn’t see anyone. She glanced into her mirror to make sure her backup couldn’t be seen. She’d told him to be careful. If he was spotted, they could lose their UNSUB. Thankfully, she couldn’t spot him, which likely meant no one else could either.
She almost screamed when someone knocked on her window. She hadn’t noticed a man wearing a hoodie and a ski mask approach her car because she was so focused on the person she believed would keep her safe. She rolled down her window. “What happens now?” she asked.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he reached in and covered her face with a cloth. She grabbed his arm and tried to wrestle it away, but the chloroform was too strong, and she felt herself drift away.