looking for trouble, leaving chaos in her wake. At the moment, he tended to agree with the latter crowd.
Movement in the corner of the room caught his attention. He turned toward the woman sitting on the wood chair.
She looked tense.
Although in the beginning he’d used a heavy rope to secure her slim ankles to the front chair legs, he no longer felt the need to strap her down. She was allowed to walk around if she wanted to, but she never did, at least not when he was around. She hadsnatched the granola bar he’d left by her feet and was now munching away.
“Hungry?”
She didn’t respond. In fact, she looked as if she might have gained a few pounds.
“I thought you said your family loved you,” he said. “If they really loved you, they would have found you by now.”
He shook his head. She was ignoring him again. If she wasn’t talking his ear off, trying to convince him to let her go or telling him what to do, she was pretending he didn’t exist. More than once he’d considered letting her go—he really had—but whenever he felt the urge, another thought took over his brain waves and prevented him from doing so. They both knew she would go straight to the police. Sure, he’d taken precautions—blindfolds, sleeping pills, yada yada yada—to make sure she didn’t know their location, but the truth was, as much as he tried to deny it, he was in love with her. Madly so, and had been for many years.
He could never let her go.
CHAPTER 11
You’ll never get me. I’ll kill again. Then you’ll have another long trial. And then I’ll do it again.
—Henry Brisbon
Davis
Monday, May 14, 2012
Hayley opened another file, did a search on the Internet, and took some notes, but it was difficult to concentrate with Lizzy and Jared snuggling in the kitchen. Jared had returned last night, making Lizzy a little too saccharine for her liking. Jessica should be the one living with the two lovebirds, not her.
Kitally, a girl she’d met in the detention center, would be stopping by in an hour. Lizzy and Jared should have left for work already, but they were too busy catching up after being apart. She’d had enough. “Could you two take it to the bedroom, or do I need to put on my headphones?”
Jared laughed and said, “I’m just glad to be home.”
“I never would have guessed.”
He gave Lizzy one last kiss and then picked up his briefcase at the door. He turned to Hayley and said, “If you ever need anything, my number is on the fridge.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He shook his head at her as he headed out the door.
After he was gone, she could feel Lizzy’s eyes on her.
“What?” Hayley asked.
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine,” she said as she picked up a business card for Lily’s Flower Shop and held it in the air for Lizzy to see. “I’ve been updating the electronic spreadsheets on all of the open cases. I found this card for a flower shop in the Simpson/Dalton file. I don’t think it belongs in here.”
Lizzy took it and examined it closer. “Are you sure this was in the Simpson file?”
“Yep. It was stuck between the pages of the signed agreement between your agency and J&M Realty.”
“Jennifer must have accidentally scooped it up and put it in the envelope before she handed it to me.”
“Is this the same Jennifer that was killed recently?”
“It is,” Lizzy said as she gathered her purse and tucked the card inside. “Do you have the Simpson file or did Jessica return it to the office?”
“It’s right here.”
Lizzy took the file and then headed for the door. Hand on the doorknob, ready to leave, she looked back at Hayley. “You’re sure you’re OK?”
Hayley looked her in the eyes. “I’m fine. Really.”
“OK. Lock up after I leave, all right?”
“Will do.”
Lizzy shut the door behind her.
Figuring Lizzy was probably standing on the other side waiting to hear the click of the lock, Hayley got up and slid the dead bolt into place. Then she leaned her
Movement in the corner of the room caught his attention. He turned toward the woman sitting on the wood chair.
She looked tense.
Although in the beginning he’d used a heavy rope to secure her slim ankles to the front chair legs, he no longer felt the need to strap her down. She was allowed to walk around if she wanted to, but she never did, at least not when he was around. She hadsnatched the granola bar he’d left by her feet and was now munching away.
“Hungry?”
She didn’t respond. In fact, she looked as if she might have gained a few pounds.
“I thought you said your family loved you,” he said. “If they really loved you, they would have found you by now.”
He shook his head. She was ignoring him again. If she wasn’t talking his ear off, trying to convince him to let her go or telling him what to do, she was pretending he didn’t exist. More than once he’d considered letting her go—he really had—but whenever he felt the urge, another thought took over his brain waves and prevented him from doing so. They both knew she would go straight to the police. Sure, he’d taken precautions—blindfolds, sleeping pills, yada yada yada—to make sure she didn’t know their location, but the truth was, as much as he tried to deny it, he was in love with her. Madly so, and had been for many years.
He could never let her go.
CHAPTER 11
You’ll never get me. I’ll kill again. Then you’ll have another long trial. And then I’ll do it again.
—Henry Brisbon
Davis
Monday, May 14, 2012
Hayley opened another file, did a search on the Internet, and took some notes, but it was difficult to concentrate with Lizzy and Jared snuggling in the kitchen. Jared had returned last night, making Lizzy a little too saccharine for her liking. Jessica should be the one living with the two lovebirds, not her.
Kitally, a girl she’d met in the detention center, would be stopping by in an hour. Lizzy and Jared should have left for work already, but they were too busy catching up after being apart. She’d had enough. “Could you two take it to the bedroom, or do I need to put on my headphones?”
Jared laughed and said, “I’m just glad to be home.”
“I never would have guessed.”
He gave Lizzy one last kiss and then picked up his briefcase at the door. He turned to Hayley and said, “If you ever need anything, my number is on the fridge.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He shook his head at her as he headed out the door.
After he was gone, she could feel Lizzy’s eyes on her.
“What?” Hayley asked.
“Are you OK?”
“I’m fine,” she said as she picked up a business card for Lily’s Flower Shop and held it in the air for Lizzy to see. “I’ve been updating the electronic spreadsheets on all of the open cases. I found this card for a flower shop in the Simpson/Dalton file. I don’t think it belongs in here.”
Lizzy took it and examined it closer. “Are you sure this was in the Simpson file?”
“Yep. It was stuck between the pages of the signed agreement between your agency and J&M Realty.”
“Jennifer must have accidentally scooped it up and put it in the envelope before she handed it to me.”
“Is this the same Jennifer that was killed recently?”
“It is,” Lizzy said as she gathered her purse and tucked the card inside. “Do you have the Simpson file or did Jessica return it to the office?”
“It’s right here.”
Lizzy took the file and then headed for the door. Hand on the doorknob, ready to leave, she looked back at Hayley. “You’re sure you’re OK?”
Hayley looked her in the eyes. “I’m fine. Really.”
“OK. Lock up after I leave, all right?”
“Will do.”
Lizzy shut the door behind her.
Figuring Lizzy was probably standing on the other side waiting to hear the click of the lock, Hayley got up and slid the dead bolt into place. Then she leaned her
Similar Books
