Her Mother's Killer (24 page)

“Well, maybe he was just too simple-minded.”

His eyes searched hers as if trying to determine whether or not she was lying. She attempted to look as innocent as possible. If she could gain his trust, she had a better chance.

“Yes, yes! He just couldn’t understand why I was releasing him.” His grip on the gun loosened. “Of course, it is going to pain me to have to kill Duncan.”

* * * *

Duncan headed off in the direction he was sent by Rusty. He’d argued with Rusty who said he should stay behind. Truth was, he needed to be the one to find Thea and Chris. He could reason with Chris. At least, he hoped so.

He kept searching his memory for a clue, something that should have jumped out at him about his uncle. How could a man he loved, he knew all his life, be a killer?

As a cop, he knew the stories. The quiet ones were the ones who could move through the crowd, killing people, and getting away with it for months, sometimes years. But never would he think Chris could cold-bloodedly kill his best friend. Then…all these years. All those innocent women.

He pulled his mind away from those thoughts. Recriminations for missing the signs could come later. Right now the most important thing was finding Thea.

He caught the murmur of voices and headed in that direction. It was a man and a woman. He inched closer and within seconds, he recognized Thea’s voice.

* * * *

“Duncan?” Thea asked, her voice strained from panic.

“Well, of course. He touched you. He must die.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Thea, don’t treat me like an idiot. Any man who looks at a woman the way my nephew did tonight has made love to her. No.” He sighed, looking older all a sudden. “I regret it, but he must die. Then, maybe, maybe we will have a chance.”

“A chance at what?”

“For love, silly.” His playful tone almost made her choke on the bile in her throat. The man was clinically insane. She had to get away from him.

“But, Chris, you love Duncan.”

“Well, yes, I guess I do. But nothing like my love for you. Or for Margie. Until she ruined it. No, Duncan will have to die.”

“Well, why don’t you take care of me?”

Both of them jumped at the sound of his voice. Duncan still couldn’t believe this man held a gun on his woman. They both turned to look at him, Thea’s eyes first warmed with relief then chilled to panic at the sight of him. Chris shook his head in regret.

“Why couldn’t you just leave her alone, Duncan? You’ve slept with every tramp in town, their stink is all over you. But you had to touch her.”

“Chris, be reasonable—” Thea pleaded but Chris wouldn’t listen.

“Reasonable? Reasonable? For the second time someone I trusted stole the woman I love, corrupted her. Slept with her before marriage. And
 
you
 want 
me
 to be reasonable? I planned, I waited, hell I even got rid of that bastard ex-husband of yours. And you want me to be reasonable? You are supposed to love me. Like 
I
 love you. We will be happy together. Happy like you could never be with Duncan.”

Chris’ voice had risen with each statement. He was completely hysterical and Duncan was worried that in his madness, he’d lose control and shoot Thea. His mind jumped from idea to idea. He needed a plan, something that would stop Chris. Thea took care of it for him.

“But I don’t love you, Chris. Not like that.” Her voice was low and calm. Never did she break eye contact with his uncle. “I love Duncan. I probably always have.”

She reached out to Chris with her hand but before he could stop her, Chris backed away. Horror etched his features as he studied her as if she were grotesque. Duncan readied himself to pounce if Chris tried anything but he didn’t want to move unless necessary. Chris still had the gun pointed at Thea and if he approached his uncle, he might kill her.

“No, no, 
no
!” His voice raised with each no. Complete madness glazed his eyes and he continued to back away from Thea. “No, I will not allow this to happen again.”

He stopped and looked at Duncan. The pain in his eyes tore at Duncan’s heart. This man truly was mad.

“No, I can’t stand by and let this happen.”

Chris aimed the gun at Duncan and Thea’s heart almost stopped beating. For several seconds, not even the sound of their breathing could be heard as all three of them seemed to be holding their breath.

“Chris, you can’t kill Duncan. You know you love him.”

“Not as much as I love you.” He never took his eyes or gun off of Duncan.

“But, if you kill him, you could never have me. I would never be yours. I’m Duncan’s.”

He glanced at her, pain contorting his face as if he finally understood what she’d been telling him. His hand dropped and his shoulders slumped. He turned away from them and Thea looked at Duncan. Without hesitation, she hurried to him. The moment she was in his arms, he squeezed her tight, thanking God nothing had happened to her.

“Everything will be okay,” Duncan promised.

He never took his eyes off his uncle. Chris stood motionless in the country dirt road, seemingly lost. He still held his gun, but it dangled from his fingertips. Sounds of the other men approaching sent relief flowing through him. He didn’t want to be the one to arrest his uncle.

Rusty was the first to reach him, but as he approached, Chris spun around. Duncan shoved Thea to the ground and fell on top of her as the shot rang out.

Chris fell to the ground, the gun he used to kill himself dropped beside his lifeless form.

* * * *

Thea sat on the tailgate of Duncan’s truck, someone’s jacket wrapped around her. The county paramedics declared she was slightly shocky and since that moment, Duncan told her to sit and rest. He and Rusty seemed to be handling the details as both their departments had investigations that would be probably linked to Chris.

From the moment everyone converged on the scene, Duncan had been distant. She shivered anew at the cold expression in his eyes when he saw his uncle kill himself.

Pain still stabbed her heart. Chris had been such a good man, or so she thought. And with his retelling of what he did, the memories were slowly creeping into her consciousness.

When he’d arrived that night, she didn’t know it had been him. At least, she didn’t think she did. Maybe she’d pushed it back into her subconscious so she didn’t have to deal with it. She knew it would be years before she recovered from seeing Chris point that gun at Duncan.

She shivered.

“Thea.”

Her brother strode forward, worry creasing his brow. She hadn’t even known they’d called Jed. Before he reached her, she started to tremble.

Jed pulled her into his arms and held her tight against his chest.

“Oh, Thea. Honey. I’m here to take you home. Gwen’s sick with worry.”

“I was gonna go home,” she said between sobs.

“That’s why Duncan called me. You can’t stay by yourself.”

“But I thought Duncan was coming home with me.”

“No, Thea, I’m staying here. I have too much to do.” His voice was almost toneless.

She glanced at Duncan. His face was void of emotion. She’d known he shut himself down, he had to. Chris had been a surrogate father to both the Perry boys, someone he had always looked up to. He had a job to do, that she understood. But even knowing that didn’t stop the pain from slicing open another wound.

She shook her head but didn’t say another word. Jed slung his arm around her shoulders, and walked her to his truck. Tomorrow, she’d talk to Duncan and sort everything out.

* * * *

“You’re screwing up something good there, buddy,” Rusty said from behind Duncan.

“Mind your own business, Rusty.” He didn’t turn around. He continued to watch Jed’s taillights until they disappeared around the curve. Nothing hurt like the pain in Thea’s eyes but there hadn’t been a damn thing he could do about it. He’d wanted to pull her into his arms, kiss away the pain. He wanted to drag her home and make love to her.

He had an investigation to complete. He had to stay focused.

He turned around and Rusty stood, his arms crossed, and an angry expression on his face.

“I can’t believe you called her brother. Man, she’s the best thing to happen to you. You know we don’t need you here.”

“I said to mind your own business.” Anger and pain were battling in him and anger was coming out ahead. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t take a swing at the next person who pissed him off.

“What, don’t like the criticism?” Sarcasm dripped from his voice. “You really are a bastard if you can stand there and tell me that you didn’t see how you hurt her.”

Duncan spun away afraid he’d knock Rusty senseless. Damn fool didn’t learn though because he followed him.

“Duncan, I don’t need you here. Go to Gwen’s. Take her home.”

“I can’t.”

“Everything is wrapped up here.”

He sighed. “No. I can’t. I have to tell Mom.”

Duncan placed his hands on the hood of his truck. He still had no idea what to say to his mother and Chase. The pain of knowing what Chris did all these years while practically living under their roof. He shook his head. It was going to be hard to tell them.

“Oh.” Rusty walked closer and leaned against his truck. “But, Duncan, I think you are going to screw this up and you’re going to regret it. Thea strikes me as the type who will only be so patient with a man.”

He closed his eyes knowing that was true. But there was no way he could deal with that, or just what he did wrong. His mother…his whole family, the news he had to tell them would hurt and shame them. Hell, he just hoped his mother could bear it. She’d been through a lot the last few years, and the worst was yet to come.

But the thing he hated most was that he had put Thea at risk. If he had taken his head out of his ass and paid attention, he would have noticed. But instead, he’d been screwing around with Thea, ignoring the clues, not diving deep enough.

“I should’ve known.”

Rusty slapped him on the back. “Son, there is no way you could’ve known. Hell, he’d fooled the whole town. I would’ve never guessed and I’ve known him my entire life.”

Duncan opened his eyes and looked at his friend. “But you didn’t live with him. And you didn’t put a woman’s life in danger thanks to your stupidity.”

“Duncan…”

But he said nothing as he rounded the hood of his truck and slipped inside. He had to tell his mother that her brother-in-law had been a killer. And then he had to learn to live with himself.

* * * *

After a lot of tears and hugs, Jed wanted answers. But thankfully, Gwen was there to step between the two of them and convince Jed that Thea needed a break.

She stepped in the shower, hoping to wash away some of the grime and a lot of the memories of the night. Alone for the first time in hours, the terror she’d held at bay crept up on her. The idea that she had almost lost Duncan, that she had been the reason for so much pain crashed down on her. Before she could stop it, grief racked her body and sobs tore from her throat. She cried for the loss of her parents, for Chris’ family and even for Chris. Somewhere inside him had been a good man before a mad obsession had twisted him.

The stark memory of the night her mother was killed would not leave her. She had lost so much that night. A mother, a normal life, her piece of mind. So much pain, so much loss…all those women. She sank down onto the floor of the tub as the water slashed over her, hugging her knees to her chest. Eventually, she found she hadn’t the strength left to cry. She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off. Within minutes, she collapsed in bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

She awoke late the next morning, the physical effects of stress still pounding in her head.

After brushing her teeth, she headed downstairs. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee filled her senses. She reached the kitchen and found Jed and Gwen deep in conversation. Their heads were bent close to each other’s. Gwen’s hand rested on the tabletop, Jed’s was on top of it. She must have made a sound because the two of them pulled apart as if they were guilty of something. Frowning, she grabbed a mug and poured herself a cup of coffee. When she turned back around, they were studying her with matching concerned expressions. Silently, she groaned. Knowing they would want a full report, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down.

Thea told them everything, from the night of her mother’s murder to the letters she started receiving, to the investigation she and Duncan had conducted. With each tidbit of information, Jed’s anger heightened. Twenty minutes later, Jed sat back in his chair, a nasty frown on his face.

“Let me get this straight. Duncan’s been staying with you? You told him and you didn’t tell me?”

“Good Lord, Jed. Get a grip,” said Gwen. “What the hell is wrong with you? Out of all that, you want to talk about Duncan?”

“I could have protected her better than Duncan.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “No, you couldn’t. You’re way too emotional, as usual.”