Victoria
I stood off to the side, watching the proceedings, numb with shock. I couldn’t take my eyes off the necklace. Her necklace. The one hanging from the wall wasn’t mine, I knew that much. The matching locket was in my jewelry armoire, the clasp broken from so many years of wear. This one was pristine, and it looked exactly the way it had when we’d received them for Christmas, only a few months before Leah was murdered.
I was acutely aware of Blake shooting furtive glances my way every few seconds. It was both reassuring and unsettling. He’d immediately taken charge and called the cops in. Now he and Detective Sanchez stood off to the side, speaking quietly while the others combed the room.
The locket hung from the wall, the chain dangling from the blade of a deadly knife. Even from here, it looked wicked with a heavy-duty black handle. A chill snaked down my spine. Was that the same knife he’d used on Leah? The killer had left it for me, out in the open where I’d be sure to see it. Was he bragging about his accomplishments or indicating that I would be next?
The bastard had been in my house. How long had he been watching me, just waiting for the right moment? A combination of anger and fear sent my limbs trembling.
Within seconds, Blake was at my side. “You good?”
“Fine.”
He planted himself in front of me, obscuring my view of the room. “Sweetheart, you should sit down for a minute. Detective Sanchez wants to ask you a few questions anyway.”
Briefly closing my eyes, I swayed on my feet and Blake yanked me against him. “We’re going downstairs. Now.”
“No.”
“Yes.” His eyes were hard as he stared down at me. “You need a break. Can you walk or do I need to carry you?”
“Blake…”
“Victoria.” His tone brooked no argument, and I huffed out a sigh of resignation.
“Fine. I’ll go make some coffee, and we can talk in the living room.”
I trudged downstairs, and the sound of the men’s footsteps followed several minutes later. Unintelligible words floated toward the kitchen as I measured out the coffee grounds and set the pot to brew. My mind remained curiously blank as I loaded three mugs, milk, and sugar onto a serving tray.
I carried the tray out to the living room and set it on the coffee table. Studiously avoiding both men, I returned to the kitchen. I leaned against the counter as the percolator spit out the last of the coffee, then carried the carafe to the living room and set it on the table. Grabbing up a pillow, I hugged it to my chest as I curled into the corner of the couch.
Detective Sanchez shot Blake a quick look before glancing my way. “I’m sorry to see you again under these circumstances, Dr. Carr.”
I nodded politely, digging my fingers into the pillow. Blake poured coffee into a mug, then peeled the pillow away and pressed the mug into my stiff hands. Despite the temperature outside I felt frozen, and I was grateful for the heat seeping through the porcelain.
“Thank you for coming.” I forced the words past the lump in her throat.
“So, you believe that the necklace belonged to Leah Wilson?”
I nodded.
His brow furrowed. “And you own one that’s identical?”
“Leah and I received those matching necklaces for Christmas. We wore them all the time. When the police found her…” I broke off and glanced away. “They assumed it was lost during the struggle, but they weren’t able to find it. Now… I guess he’s had it this whole time.”
“We’ll certainly analyze it. You’re positive it’s not yours?”
I shook my head. “Mine is broken. It’s been in my jewelry box for the last year or so, and I keep forgetting to get it fixed.”
“Would you mind if we took a look to compare them?”
I nodded reluctantly. “Of course.”
“Thank you.”
“Would you like me to get it?”
Blake’s voice startled me and I turned to him before glancing back at the detective, who nodded. “I’d like to see it.”
Blake looked at me for permission and I hesitated, biting my lip. I didn’t really want to go back in there. “The tray lifts out. It’s in a black box at the bottom.”
“I’ll be right back.” Blake brushed my leg as he stood, and I wondered if it was intentional—just a small connection to let me know that he was there for me. I stared into the cup of creamy hazelnut-flavored coffee and felt a tiny smile curve my mouth. He’d fixed it exactly the way I liked it.
“Since we’re alone, would you mind answering some questions?”
I met Sanchez’s gaze. “Sure.”
“You said you were gone last night. Were you with someone?”
“I was with Blake. We went to dinner, then…” I trailed off, cheeks burning with embarrassment. Fortunately, I didn’t have to explain because the detective nodded.
“Good. Under the circumstances, I would advise you to watch your surroundings carefully and be aware of your interactions with people. This person clearly knows a lot about you.”
“He obviously has some sort of obsession with me, I just can’t quite figure out what it is.”
Sanchez tipped his head to one side and shrugged. “Hard to tell. You changed your name, moved away. Maybe he’s held on to the fantasy all these years.”
My stomach flipped, gruesome visions dancing in front of my eyes. “He’s going to kill me. Just like Leah, and just like Monique.”
“We’re going to do everything in our power to keep that from happening.” The detective’s voice was grim, and I threw a look his way.
“No offense, detective, but you don’t have the manpower to watch over me every minute of the day.”
“No.” Sanchez glanced toward the stairs as the sound of footsteps drew nearer. “But I would advise taking extra precautions. Stay with someone you trust for the time being.”
Someone you trust… Blake immediately came to mind, and my attention was drawn to the man in question as he moved into the room, a dark expression on his face. He handed the small black box to the detective before settling beside me. A proprietary hand landed on my knee, and I almost smiled despite the severity of the situation.
The box snapped open with a soft click and the detective inspected the locket. He tapped the tablet on his lap, enlarging an image on the screen. He nodded, swiping through photos, murmuring to himself, and I shot Blake a look. Dropping his gaze to my now cool coffee, he extracted the cup from my frozen fingers and set it on the table. He leaned back against the cushions and draped an arm around my shoulders, easing me into his embrace.
A few moments later, Detective Sanchez gazed over the table. “Looks identical, so I believe you’re correct, Dr. Carr.”
I’d suspected as much, but the words struck a blow to my heart. The man had killed my best friend, and now he’d been watching me. Toying with me. Leaving trophies in my house. I wouldn’t let him get away with it.
“He’ll come after me again, we all know it.” At the sound of my voice, both men’s heads swiveled toward me.
Detective Sanchez leveled a look at me. “It’s likely, yes.”
“We could draw him out, make him come to me—”
“No.” Blake’s hard voice immediately cut me off.
Sanchez’s gaze flicked to Blake before returning to me. “I’d like to exhaust every other option before we do anything extreme.”
“Whoever this guy is, he’s starting to unravel. He’s making mistakes.” Blake laced his fingers with mine and squeezed gently. “I won’t let you put yourself in danger for this asshole. Let the police catch him. Your job is to stay safe and help other people.”
I nodded once, not quite a promise. I would help others—by finding a way to put this guy behind bars.