Out of the Dark (24 page)

Luke closed his eyes and willed himself to stay motionless. If ever he’d needed his body under control, it was now. As Jade settled into an uneasy silence, he forgot about everything—even the photo downstairs in the hall.

S
am came out of the library just as Velma was setting a fresh bouquet of flowers on the table in the foyer. Then he saw an unfamiliar car in the driveway.

“Whose car?’ he asked.

“Mr. Kelly drove it here.”

“Ah…of course,” Sam said. “Must be a rental. His wouldn’t be fixed yet. Where is he?”

Velma pointed upstairs. “There was some yelling, then I think he kicked the door. Haven’t heard anything since.”

Sam shook his head as he looked up the stairs.

“I’ve never felt so helpless. She’s my daughter, and yet she feels like a stranger.”

“That’s because she is a stranger,” Velma said. “You only knew her for four years. She’s spent the last twenty on her own. That’s going to take some time to get past.”

“Mentally, I know that. Still…”

“You’re too impatient. Always were,” she stated succinctly, then frowned when the doorbell rang. “That’s probably the boy wanting his money for mowing.”

“I’ll get it,” Sam said. “Why don’t you go on home for the day?”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“Yes, I’m sure,” he said, and went toward the front door as she headed for the back of the house to get her things.

As Velma had predicted, it was the teenager from down the street, coming to collect his pay.

“Afternoon, Mr. Cochrane. Been a hot one, hasn’t it?”

“Sure has, Kevin. Come in where it’s cool while I write your check.”

“Thank you, sir,” Kevin said, and sat down in a chair beside the hall table while Sam went to get his checkbook.

As always, he eyed the furnishings with interest. The house was grand, and his dad said Mr. Cochrane’s family had lived there since the beginning of St. Louis. He’d heard about the long-lost daughter and had hoped to get a glimpse of her, but no such luck.

The scent of the bouquet near his shoulder kicked up his allergies, reminding him that he’d forgotten to take his medicine that morning before he’d left the house. As if that wasn’t enough, his bare legs were itching. His mom had told him not to wear shorts when he was cutting grass, but he’d ignored her. He was a growing young man, but not quite grown up enough to know that sometimes, mother still knew best. He bent down to scratch an itch near his ankle, and as he sat back up, the picture Luke had left on the table caught his eye. He was looking at it when Sam came back with his money.

“Hey, where did you get the picture of Mrs. Tyler’s nephew?”

Sam frowned. “I’m sorry? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Kevin handed him the picture.

“This guy. He’s Mrs. Tyler’s nephew.”

Sam took it, and as he did, he realized that this was the mug shot Luke had brought for Jade to look at.

“What on earth makes you think this man is any relation to Mrs. Tyler?”

“Well, because yesterday after I mowed her yard, he’s the one who paid me. He asked me how much she owed me, then said he didn’t want to wake up Aunt Mabel and paid me in cash. That’s when I figured he was her nephew.” Then he added, “He’s not what you’d think, either. He had blood all over his clothes. He said it was nosebleeds from being a druggie. Man…you wouldn’t think Mrs. Tyler would have family like that, would you?”

Sam’s heart skipped a beat. Blood? Nephew? He walked back to the window and looked across the street. It was the same scene as the day before. The same yard, the same flowers, the same…

Sam groaned.

“The mailbox.”

“Sir?” Kevin asked.

“The mailbox on the street. It’s full of mail. I can see it from here.”

Kevin followed him to the window.

“Yes, I see. Maybe I’d better go over and get it for her. Her arthritis must really be acting up for her to have left her mail in the box.”

Sam’s hands were shaking as he handed Kevin the check, then shoved him back down in the chair.

“No. Under no circumstances do you go back to her house. In fact, don’t leave this house. Don’t move,” he said sharply. “I’ll be right back.”

“But I still have three yards to—”

“Not yet!” Sam said, grabbed the photo and started up the stairs on the run.

He burst into Jade’s room.

She was on the verge of sleep when the sound of the door hitting the wall startled her awake.

“What the hell?” Luke said, as he sat up in bed. “She was almost asleep.”

“Sorry,” Sam said. “But I think you’d better get downstairs fast.”

Luke rolled out of bed on the run.

“What’s happening?”

“You know Kevin…the kid who mows yards in this neighborhood?”

“Yes, I know him. What about him?” Luke asked.

“It’s about this picture you left on the table when you came in. Jade, honey, do you recognize it?”

She leaned forward, then shook her head. “No.”

Luke frowned. “That shoots down one theory.”

Sam took a deep breath, trying to slow the thunder of his heart.

“But that’s not the worst. Kevin says that he’s staying across the street in Mabel Tyler’s house. He told Kevin he was her nephew.”

Luke felt sick. He thought about how easily the killer had eliminated Raphael’s nurse. He couldn’t imagine Mabel’s fate being any kinder.

“Call Earl,” he said.

“Kevin is downstairs,” Sam said. “Go talk to him.”

“Tell him I’ll be right there,” Luke said, as Sam ran from the room.

Jade staggered as she stood up. “What’s going on?”

“There’s a good possibility that the man who killed Raphael has been staking us out from across the street in the neighbor’s house.”

The horror on her face mirrored the horror within. Her eyes widened; her voice started to shake.

“You mean he’s been watching us…? All this time he’s—”

Luke grabbed her by her shoulders. “Jade! Don’t! I need you to keep it together. Don’t fall apart on me now.”

“Go! I’ll be fine. If he’s the one who killed Rafie, don’t let him get away.”

“We won’t. But I need something from you first.”

“Anything,” she said.

He started to touch her, then stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets instead.

“I need to know that you are going to do what I say. You need to promise me that you’ll stay right here, inside Sam’s house. He’ll be with you. Not for any reason do you come outside. You stay away from the windows. Don’t let him get a clear shot at you, understand?”

It was the word “shot” that made Jade realize the danger Luke could be in. And when she thought of losing him, too, she got sick to her stomach. She put her hands on his chest, slightly startled by the warmth, and by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat when hers was going wild.

“I
will
be careful, but what about you? I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you, too.”

The tenderness of her touch made Luke ache. He wanted so much from her, but he would settle for one sweet kiss.

“Forgive me, Jade.”

“For what?” she asked.

“For this,” he whispered, then lowered his head.

Before she knew it, he was kissing her.

Jade jerked; then her muscles started to tense. But Luke didn’t move. Slowly she began to feel the contact of their lips, then the warmth of his breath against her face. There was no threat, no fear, only an overwhelming need to get closer. She’d never known that touching a man could bring pleasure and not pain.

When he broke the contact, she actually moaned.

Luke deciphered it as fear and instantly regretted his lack of restraint.

“God…I’m sorry, honey. Don’t be afraid. I didn’t intend to scare you. I just wanted to—”

She put her hand on his mouth.

“You didn’t scare me.”

Luke’s heart skipped a beat. “You swear?”

“It was…it was nice.”

Sam yelled at him from downstairs.

Luke stifled a groan. “I’ve got to go.”

Then Jade remembered where he was going. She didn’t know how to say what she was feeling, because she didn’t recognize the emotions. All she knew was that she didn’t want him to go.

“Please,” she begged. “Please come back.”

“Count on it,” Luke said, and then ran out the door and down the stairs.

Jade followed him as far as the hallway, then, remembering her promise, went back inside her bedroom and closed the door. Only this time she wasn’t shutting herself in. She was shutting a killer out.

Luke had spoken quickly with Kevin, who had repeated what he’d told Sam, confirming their worst fears.

“Can you drive?” he asked.

Kevin nodded.

He handed Kevin his keys.

“Take my car and go home. Leave your mower here, and when you get home, tell your mother I said for both of you to stay inside and lock all the doors and windows.”

Kevin’s mouth dropped.

“Sir?”

“Do it,” Luke said. “In a few minutes, there will be police everywhere.”

“Why? What’s happening?”

“That man across the street isn’t Mrs. Tyler’s nephew. He’s a hired killer. I don’t want you to get caught in any cross fire.”

“Oh man,” Kevin said. “He looked so ordinary.” Then it dawned on him what hadn’t been said. “What about Mrs. Tyler?”

Luke shook his head. “I don’t know, but he isn’t in the habit of taking prisoners.”

Kevin’s eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry, son,” Luke said, and clapped him roughly on the shoulders. “But you need to understand the seriousness of what’s happening. Now get home and do as I said.”

Kevin nodded, but his hands were trembling as he headed out the door.

Sam came running into the hall just as the door shut.

“Where is Kevin?”

“I gave him the keys to my rental and told him to go home and tell his mother to lock themselves in.”

“Good,” Sam said. “I was going to tell him to stay here, but maybe that’s for the best.”

“What about Earl?” Luke asked.

“The police are on the way. A SWAT team is coming, too.” Then he shook his head. “I knew something was off at Mabel’s, but I ignored it.”

“Don’t you go getting all guilty on me, too,” Luke said. “You read Newton’s rap sheet. Whatever he did to Mabel, he did it days ago. It’s over and done with, no matter what.”

“You don’t think she’s alive, do you?”

“No.”

Sam groaned. “Poor Mabel.”

“Mabel is in God’s hands,” Luke said. “You go stay with Jade. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Where are you going?” Sam asked.

“I’ve got to let my men know what’s going on. There’s no reason to assume that Newton knows he’s been made. We’ll be fine…at least until the cops show. Oh…Sam…do you still have that handgun?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Mine’s at home. I had no idea this was going to happen or I would have come better prepared.”

“Wait here,” Sam said. “I’ll go get it.”

He was back within the minute, handing Luke both the gun and a box of ammunition.

Luke loaded it while he stood, then slipped it behind his back into the waistband of his pants and dropped an extra handful of shells into his pocket as he started for the door.

Sam was sick at heart. “Dear God, how has this all come about?”

Luke paused with his hand on the doorknob. What he was going to say was beyond the bounds of friendship, but it had to be said, whether Sam liked it or not.

“Because twenty years ago, your wife rejected her marriage vows and abducted your child. That’s how it came about.”

A muscle jerked at Sam’s right temple. It was the only sign of emotion he showed, and Luke couldn’t tell if it was directed at him or his deceased wife. Then Sam moved.

“I’ll have my cell phone with me. Call me if we need to do something different other than stay here.”

“I will.”

“Uh…Luke?”

“What?”

“Thank you for taking care of us.”

Luke shrugged. “I have no choice. If anything happens to me—”

“Then I’ll take care of her—for both of us.”

Luke stared at Sam for a moment, then smiled. Moments later, he was gone.

Sam started toward the stairs, then paused at the first step. His fingers curled around the newel post, as if gathering strength for the climb ahead of him. His shoulders slumped; his chin dropped toward his chest.

“Oh, Margaret, Margaret…do you know what you’ve done?”

Then he heard Jade calling from above. He lifted his head and gritted his teeth. The time for worrying about the dead was over. It was time to concentrate on the living.

“I’m coming, sweetheart.”

Otis Jacks took the last round of his antibiotic and then winked at himself in the mirror. In thirty minutes, he would leave for his dental visit. He never went early to appointments like this, because he hated to wait. By the time he was through today, the decayed tooth would be gone. After that, he didn’t give a fuck what excuse the plastic surgeon came up with next. He would have a new face by the end of the week or he would give the doctor a reason to have to practice on himself. As soon as he could travel, he would be setting up his new residence in a country that did not have an ex-tradition agreement with the U.S.