answers.
“Why me, Donald?” she asked.
He blinked his owl eyes at her. “You were meant to be, Stevie. You’ve always been my ideal, you know.” He focused on the rope in his hands. “All the rest were temporary substitutes.”
“The rest?”
“Other women. It was all practice leading up to you. When you walked into the pharmacy tonight, I knew it was a sign that it was time.”
“You’ve always had a thing for me?” she asked in a kind tone.
He leveled an even gaze at her. “No whore’s tricks. Don’t pretend that I’m your best friend. I know how you see me.”
“Where are the practice women now, Donald?”
He went back to his knots, a small smile on his lips. “Here and there.”
Stevie wondered how far she could push him. “Did Bob kill Vanessa? We know it was her on the video.”
Donald frowned. “No. Just because he killed Amber Lynn it didn’t mean he would do it again.”
“So who killed her?”
“Thought you police were working on that.”
“We are. We’re working on Bob’s murder too. You know, he didn’t have anything nice to say about you when he was put in his cell. He kept claiming you were selling illegal prescription meds,” she lied. “I found it amusing that you said earlier that you were friends. Bob didn’t seem to feel the same way.”
A flush filled his face and his movements with the rope became jerky and short. His lips moved.
“What? I didn’t hear you.”
“Asshole got what he deserved.”
“Sounds like it,” said Stevie. “No one seemed to be upset when he died. Whoever killed him practically did the town a favor.”
Donald smiled.
“You killed him, didn’t you, Donald?”
“You’ll never know.”
The smug look on his face told her everything she needed to know.
He stepped closer to the bed, the knotted rope in his hands. “Lift your head.”
A green light next to the door started to flash, its brightness startling Stevie.
The flashing caught his attention, and he turned to stare at it. “Damn it. Maybe they’ll go away.”
It didn’t stop.
Stevie realized it was the same type of light she’d seen in a hotel room. An indicator for the hearing-impaired that someone had rung the doorbell. Donald’s mother had been deaf at the end of her life.
Her heart leaped. Someone knows I’m here.
Zane watched Kenny turn away from the front door and stare into the shadows of the woods, searching for him.
Damn it. Don’t stop now. Be the pain in the ass.
Kenny pushed the button several more times, and Zane exhaled in relief.
Three minutes passed. Donald’s sedan was parked under the adjacent carport. He was home.
Stevie had to be in there.
We have to go in.
He jogged out of the woods and into the bright glow thrown by the numerous outdoor lights. Kenny saw him coming and let up on the bell. “He’s not answering, Zane.”
“I noticed. We’re going in. I’m going in,” he corrected. “You stay here.”
“Like hell you’re going in alone.” Kenny dashed down the steps and popped the trunk of the patrol car. He pulled out a small battering ram and took the steps in one leap to stand by Zane. “Let’s do this.”
Zane grabbed one side and they swung it into the wood near the knob. One blow blasted the door open.
“Donald? Are you okay? Solitude police!” Zane shouted. He and Kenny both drew their weapons and moved carefully into the home. The lights were on in all the rooms. “Donald?”
Kenny nodded at a door off the kitchen. “That’d be the door to the basement,” he whispered.
Zane pulled it open and shouted down the steps. He could see the beginning of a hallway with at least two other doors.
No answer. Faint sirens sounded from out on the road.
“Go meet the county guys,” Zane told Kenny. “I’ll wait right here.” Kenny nodded and dashed out the door.
Zane looked back down the basement stairs, wondering if Stevie was behind one of the doors.
He froze as all his hearing focused on a faint sound
“Why me, Donald?” she asked.
He blinked his owl eyes at her. “You were meant to be, Stevie. You’ve always been my ideal, you know.” He focused on the rope in his hands. “All the rest were temporary substitutes.”
“The rest?”
“Other women. It was all practice leading up to you. When you walked into the pharmacy tonight, I knew it was a sign that it was time.”
“You’ve always had a thing for me?” she asked in a kind tone.
He leveled an even gaze at her. “No whore’s tricks. Don’t pretend that I’m your best friend. I know how you see me.”
“Where are the practice women now, Donald?”
He went back to his knots, a small smile on his lips. “Here and there.”
Stevie wondered how far she could push him. “Did Bob kill Vanessa? We know it was her on the video.”
Donald frowned. “No. Just because he killed Amber Lynn it didn’t mean he would do it again.”
“So who killed her?”
“Thought you police were working on that.”
“We are. We’re working on Bob’s murder too. You know, he didn’t have anything nice to say about you when he was put in his cell. He kept claiming you were selling illegal prescription meds,” she lied. “I found it amusing that you said earlier that you were friends. Bob didn’t seem to feel the same way.”
A flush filled his face and his movements with the rope became jerky and short. His lips moved.
“What? I didn’t hear you.”
“Asshole got what he deserved.”
“Sounds like it,” said Stevie. “No one seemed to be upset when he died. Whoever killed him practically did the town a favor.”
Donald smiled.
“You killed him, didn’t you, Donald?”
“You’ll never know.”
The smug look on his face told her everything she needed to know.
He stepped closer to the bed, the knotted rope in his hands. “Lift your head.”
A green light next to the door started to flash, its brightness startling Stevie.
The flashing caught his attention, and he turned to stare at it. “Damn it. Maybe they’ll go away.”
It didn’t stop.
Stevie realized it was the same type of light she’d seen in a hotel room. An indicator for the hearing-impaired that someone had rung the doorbell. Donald’s mother had been deaf at the end of her life.
Her heart leaped. Someone knows I’m here.
Zane watched Kenny turn away from the front door and stare into the shadows of the woods, searching for him.
Damn it. Don’t stop now. Be the pain in the ass.
Kenny pushed the button several more times, and Zane exhaled in relief.
Three minutes passed. Donald’s sedan was parked under the adjacent carport. He was home.
Stevie had to be in there.
We have to go in.
He jogged out of the woods and into the bright glow thrown by the numerous outdoor lights. Kenny saw him coming and let up on the bell. “He’s not answering, Zane.”
“I noticed. We’re going in. I’m going in,” he corrected. “You stay here.”
“Like hell you’re going in alone.” Kenny dashed down the steps and popped the trunk of the patrol car. He pulled out a small battering ram and took the steps in one leap to stand by Zane. “Let’s do this.”
Zane grabbed one side and they swung it into the wood near the knob. One blow blasted the door open.
“Donald? Are you okay? Solitude police!” Zane shouted. He and Kenny both drew their weapons and moved carefully into the home. The lights were on in all the rooms. “Donald?”
Kenny nodded at a door off the kitchen. “That’d be the door to the basement,” he whispered.
Zane pulled it open and shouted down the steps. He could see the beginning of a hallway with at least two other doors.
No answer. Faint sirens sounded from out on the road.
“Go meet the county guys,” Zane told Kenny. “I’ll wait right here.” Kenny nodded and dashed out the door.
Zane looked back down the basement stairs, wondering if Stevie was behind one of the doors.
He froze as all his hearing focused on a faint sound
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