Читать книгу Final Warning - Sandra Robbins - Страница 13

As Mitch waited for C.J. to release Otto, he shivered in the cold morning air, but it was more than just the temperature that chilled him today. A cold-blooded murderer had struck in a vicious way, killing a beloved friend and terrifying the woman he loved. If C.J. were right, there might be additional victims. In his years on the force, he hadn’t seen anything to compare with Mary’s bedroom. Overkill. That was the only word to describe it.

The crime scene puzzled him. Surely Otto had barked when the killer entered the house, but Mary’s body lay in bed as if she hadn’t been alerted. And how did the killer get into a locked house with no apparent forced entry? Had they overlooked something in their initial sweep through the rooms? He’d go back after he printed a copy of the e-mails and take another look around. By the time he completed this investigation, he’d probably be familiar with every nook and cranny of Mary’s house.

C.J. rose from petting Otto and touched Mitch’s arm. “I’m ready now.”

Police cars, their blue lights flashing in the early-morning gloom, lined the street in front of the house. Several grim-faced officers silently roped off the house with crime scene tape. A cluster of neighbors stood nearby, watching the proceedings.

“Mitch. C.J.” The voice came from the direction of the neighbors gathered near the edge of C.J.’s front yard. Adam Connor emerged from the crowd and ran toward the fence. Disbelief lined his face. “One of the ladies from across the street told me Mary is dead. Is that true?”

Mitch nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

Adam’s fingers grasped the top of the fence, and he shifted his gaze from one to the other, his mouth open. “I-I can’t believe this.” He glanced back at the officers who’d just completed roping off the house. “Mitch, that’s crime scene tape. What’s going on here?”

“Mary was murdered.”

Adam gasped, his hands tightening on the fence. “Murdered? Not Mary.” His eyes grew wide. “When?”

“Apparently last night.” The scene in the bedroom flashed into Mitch’s mind, and he swallowed. “C.J. found the body.”

Adam turned to stare at her. “Oh, C.J., how awful. Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I think so. I just can’t get that sight out of my mind.”

Adam leaned against the fence. “I was on my way to the gym when I saw the activity out here, but that can wait. You want me to come in and stay with you a while?”

“I think that’s a good idea, Adam,” Mitch said. “She’s still pretty shaken up and doesn’t need to be alone.”

“I’ll do anything I can to help. Maybe we need to call Gwen to come over, too.”

Mitch nodded. “We’ll go in through the back and let you in the front door.”

Adam raked his hand through his hair. “Mary murdered. I can’t believe it. I just talked to her yesterday.”

“Me, too.” The vision of Mary and Otto walking up and down the street popped into Mitch’s head. No longer would the two patrol the neighborhood on their self-appointed rounds to keep a watch for evil. Instead it had entered her house when she’d least expected it and left a grisly murder in its wake. Mary’s crime-fighting days might be over, but his weren’t. Mitch didn’t intend for this to become a cold case. He wouldn’t rest until Mary’s killer was brought to justice.

C.J. and Mitch stepped onto the back porch, and she grasped the knob of the back door. It turned in her fingers, but she jerked her hand away. She’d left her back door unlocked when she ran to Mary’s. Someone could have been watching. The murderer could be inside just waiting for her to come home.

“What’s wrong?” Mitch said from behind her.

She stumbled backward. “I left the door unlocked. What if someone’s inside?”

He grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry. Whoever killed Mary is long gone.”

“But what if they’re not?”

He pulled the gun from his belt. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll search the house before you go in.”

“Thanks. I’d appreciate that.”

She moved out of the way and let Mitch slip into the kitchen. Minutes passed before he reappeared, Adam right behind him. “All clear. Come on inside.”

She shuffled into the kitchen, her face burning. “I’m sorry.”

Adam walked around Mitch and wrapped his arms around her. “There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.”

She hugged him and looked over his shoulder toward Mitch, their eyes locking. It was Mitch’s arms she wanted around her. He should be the one comforting her, but today he was the professional police investigator.

Mitch inclined his head toward the den. “C.J.?”

Adam turned to face him. “What is it?”

C.J. pulled away and pushed her hair behind her ears. “I have to get some e-mails off my computer for Mitch.”

“The ones you got yesterday at work?”

A surprised look flashed on Mitch’s face. “How did you know about that?”

“Gwen told me last night at dinner. She said you were upset about them, but Harley didn’t think they meant anything.”

C.J. closed her eyes and massaged her temples. “That’s what I thought, too, until the mysterious Fala called my show and then sent another message.”

Adam sucked in his breath. “Gwen didn’t tell me about that.”

“She didn’t know. It happened after she’d left for the day.”

Mitch checked his watch. “I really need to get back over to Mary’s.”

“I’ll print out those e-mails now,” she said, heading toward the den. She rubbed her hands on her pants. “Then I think I’ll shower again before I go to work.”

Mitch reached out and stopped her. “Whoa, there. You don’t need to go to work. Why don’t you take the day off?”

“I can’t do that. I have a broadcast to do.”

Mitch waved his hand in dismissal. “Cancel it, or let Harley do it. You don’t need to go anywhere until we find out about whoever’s sending you these threatening messages.”

“What should I do? Hide in my house? No, thanks. Fala isn’t going to get in the way of my show or my life.”

He leaned toward her, gritting his teeth. “Don’t be so hard-headed. Your show isn’t worth the risk.”

Mitch might have appeared concerned about her this morning, but his words told her nothing had changed between them. “Not to you. You’ve certainly made that clear from the beginning, but it is to me.”

Mitch raked his hand through his hair. “Sometimes you…”

Adam stepped up beside them and placed a hand on each one’s shoulder. “Hey, guys, stop it. You’re both upset, but you don’t need to argue. We’ve lost a great friend.” He paused, blinked back tears and took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you what. You two get the e-mails, and I’ll cook breakfast. Then we’ll all sit down and try to cope with what’s happened.”

Mitch’s shoulders sagged. “You and C.J. can eat. I’ll grab something later on.”

Adam frowned. “C’mon, Mitch. You’ve got to eat.”

“Sorry, I can’t. The chief will be waiting at the station for me.”

Adam nodded. “Then I’ll call Gwen to come over. C.J. can ride to work with her after breakfast. How’s that?”

She couldn’t believe it. They were standing here talking about her as if she weren’t capable of making her own decisions. “You don’t have to ask Mitch, Adam,” she said. “I’ll decide how I’ll go to work.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed, and he let out a long breath. “Fine. I suppose I can’t stop you from what you’re bound and determined to do. Just give me the e-mails, and I’ll get out of your way.”

Without a word she turned and led the way into the den. Adam’s voice drifted from the kitchen. She knew he’d dialed Gwen. “This is Adam. Something terrible has happened.” His voice dissolved into choking sobs. “Can you come to C.J.’s house?”

Dreading to open her e-mails, C.J. eased into her desk chair and turned on the computer. As she waited for it to boot, she closed her eyes in an effort to forget the horrible scene in Mary’s bedroom. She could only imagine the message Fala might have left to torment her for not saving her friend’s life.

Finally she opened her eyes, held her breath and clicked. No new message from Fala in her inbox. Cold fear replaced the short-lived relief that flooded her body.

With Mary dead, three victims remained. Only Fala knew their names and the times of their deaths.

Who would be next?

The smells from the kitchen had teased her nose while she printed the e-mails for Mitch, and she’d hoped he would change his mind about staying. Instead, he’d scooped up the papers from the printer tray and headed back to Mary’s without so much as a goodbye.

Gwen dropped the piece of toast she’d been nibbling onto her plate. “I didn’t know you were such a good cook, Adam. Maybe I need to take lessons from you.”

He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. “Anytime, lovely lady. You know I’m at your service.”

C.J. smiled at the two of them. It was evident the attraction they’d felt when she introduced them a few months ago was blossoming into something deeper. She wiped her hands on her napkin and stared at the scrambled eggs in front of her. Adam had done a great job with the meal, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat. She lifted her fork and traced the flower pattern on the edge of the plate with the tines.

“C.J.?” Gwen’s voice caught her attention.

“Yes?”

“If you’re finished, Adam and I will clean up while you get dressed.”

She pushed back from the table and stood. “Thanks for being here, you two. It means a lot to have such good friends.”

Gwen rose and put her arm around C.J.’s shoulder. “We’re glad to help.”

Adam nodded. “Gwen’s right. We love you, and we’ll do anything we can for you.”

Fighting back tears, C.J. rushed toward the bedroom. Maybe a hot shower would make her feel better.

Thirty minutes later her reflection gazed at her from the dresser mirror. The dark circles under her eyes refused to disappear, even with a thick layer of makeup. She fluffed her hair one more time. What did it matter how she looked anymore? Who was there to care? Her audience would never know.

The doorbell rang. Maybe Adam or Gwen would get it. She listened for a moment until she heard the front door open and Adam’s voice. The storm door closed, and she supposed he had stepped outside.

Picking up her purse and coat, she headed toward the living room. She pulled the curtain back at the front window and looked out. Adam and Mitch stood on the sidewalk in front of the house talking. Adam nodded in agreement before Mitch turned and strode to his unmarked police car. When he pulled away from the curb, Myra followed. C.J. let the curtains fall back into place and watched Adam reenter the house.

“There you are,” he said. “Gwen’s waiting for you in the kitchen.”

She pulled her coat on and busied herself with the buttons. “What did Mitch want?”

A tiny frown creased Adam’s forehead. “He asked me to keep an eye on you for him.”

C.J. lifted her head and sniffed. “Does he think I need a keeper?”

He waved his hand in dismissal. “Of course not. He’s just concerned.”

She reached into her coat pocket and drew out her gloves. “Well, he could have come in and said goodbye.”

“C.J., give the poor guy a break. You were the one who broke the engagement. If you’d meet him halfway, maybe the two of you could work out your problems.” Adam stopped, and she knew he wanted her to say something. When she didn’t, he turned away. “Never mind. I’ll tell Gwen you’re ready to go.”

Adam’s words made sense. She’d sent Mitch away, and there was no going back. It was too late for them, and now it was too late for Mary. She swiped at the dampness on her face as the words of the riddle ran through her mind. It was as much a mystery to her now as it had been when she first saw it.

She clenched her fists. Why couldn’t she figure out the hidden meaning in Fala’s message? She could have saved Mary if she had. Now she had to live with a terrible truth—Mary’s death was her fault.