A Killer's Watch (23 page)

The salesman greeted him warmly, grateful for two
commissions in such a short time. He’d taken care to follow Mr. Grant’s
instructions to the letter, and had the new vehicle ready to go. Within a few
minutes, Grant had transferred his belongings from one truck to the other, and
was on his way to Clevestone.

~~~

“Nate, we need a BOLO issued on a red Ford pick-up, Kansas
plates, license number…”

As Ethan spoke to Nate, Jeri ordered a new rental car to be
delivered to Chloe and Monique. Chloe still hadn’t called to say that she’d
found Monique, but Jeri had to move forward, trusting that she would.

She and Ethan remained in Clevestone, knowing that there was
a good possibility that Grant was on his way. He was running scared, but he
wouldn’t leave without his prize.

If they only knew who she was.

The second woman they interviewed did not recognize Grant,
or Thomas. That left them with three possibilities. Three women, one of whom
had her life on the line, she just didn’t know it.

Time for personal interviews had run out. Jeri knew she had
no choice but to call the women, ask if they had ever known Graham Grant, or
Thomas White.

~~~~

Deep into her book, Aubrey didn’t even hear the phone ring,
from her lounge chair in the back yard. She’d decided to take her book, and her
coffee, and sit in the sun, rather than on the porch. It was such a nice day,
and she could do with a little color.

She did remember to glance at her watch every so often, just
to make sure that she wasn’t late for the bazaar.

“Ten more minutes, then I’ll leave,” she said aloud to the
cat, stretched out in the grass, a few feet away from her.

This small respite had been wonderful, but she was also
eager to get to the church, help get things organized. It was a perfect day for
a bazaar, she hoped this one would be a stunning success.

The money they raised was destined for an after-school
program for disadvantaged kids. They’d raised money for the building last year,
now they needed funds for the staff. The center was a pet project of hers, one
that she shared with Joe. He had come from an underprivileged home, and they
both loved making a difference, where they could.

She’d hit the jackpot with Joe. He’d given her a wonderful
life, with two perfect children, and a home that she loved, right down to the
cracked cement in the basement. It was all she’d ever wanted, and he had made
it possible.

“Nope, that’s not right,” she told the kitty. “Together, we
made it possible.”

~~~

Graham took the long way into Clevestone, but he flew down
the country roads, not caring if he tweaked some cop’s radar. He had a gun, and
he had no qualms about using it. Luckily, no one tried to stop him.

As he approached Aubrey’s house, he went over the plan in
his mind. He knew that she planned to leave for the church at quarter to
eleven. Aubrey was always very punctual, and she was supposed to be at that
ridiculous bazaar at eleven. It was ten-thirty now, giving him ample time to
surprise her, before she left.

He also knew that her daughter had a soccer game, and that
the insipid husband would be taking her. The son was on a sleep over, so Aubrey
would be alone in the house. Not that it mattered. If her family was home, he
would simply dispose of them. But it was easier this way. He liked the idea of
her husband suffering, knowing that she was no longer his. He would have to get
his own beer, now. Wash his own clothes, and make his own dinner. Aubrey would
not be here to take care of him any longer.

Graham drove straight up to the house, stopping in front of
the garage door. There was no need for camouflage, even if Aubrey noticed the
truck, she would have no reason to panic.

Graham decided to take the direct approach, so he quickly
climbed the front stairs and rang the bell.

No answer.

He could not hear movement inside the house, no radio, no
television, nothing to indicate that Aubrey was even home.

Had he missed her?

Feeling the momentary surprise that his well thought out
plan may have gone awry, Graham peered through the window nearest the door, but
saw nothing.

She couldn’t have left already. He’d spent over an hour this
morning, watching the family get ready for their day, hearing Aubrey outline
the day’s activities to her brain-challenged husband. He knew that Aubrey had
no reason to leave home early. She had to be here.

Moving around to the side of the house, Graham checked both
windows, peeking into the den, and the dining room. Still no movement.

Rounding the corner to the back yard, he saw her. Lying on a
chair, eyes closed, her face turned up to the sun. A book lay on the table
beside her, along with a coffee cup. She looked like a goddess, waiting for him
to rescue her.

She would have to wait no longer.

~~~

Chloe took the stairs from the second to the third floor.
She was out of breath, and worried that Grant had hidden Monique in an office.
If so, she would be here all day trying to find her.

 Throwing open the stairwell door, she spotted Monique,
lying face down in the middle of the hallway, blood pooled around the side of
her head.

“Holy crap, Monique!” Running to her side, Chloe’s field
training kicked into place. Checking for a pulse, she breathed a heavy sigh of
relief at the strong and steady beat of Monique’s heart.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor beside her, Chloe gently
turned Monique’s face to the side. She knew better than to move her, but there
was no way Monique was getting enough oxygen with her face in the carpet. Ripping
off her shirt, Chloe pressed the fabric against the wound, still oozing red
from the side of Monique’s head. With her other hand, she called 911.

Assured that an ambulance was on the way, Chloe called Jeri.

“I found her. She’s alive, but unconscious. Bastard hit her
with something, hard enough to split her scalp.”

“Call for an ambulance!”

“It’s on the way. I’m really sorry, Jeri. I can’t believe I
let him get away!”

“Don’t stress over it, it could happen to any of us. He’s
covering all of his bases, but we’ve issued a BOLO. He won’t elude us for
long.”

“A BOLO is cop speak for ‘be on the lookout’, right?” Chloe
held steady pressure against the wound

“Yes.” Jeri often forgot that Chloe came to them as an
ex-marine, not as an FBI agent.

“That only works if he keeps the same truck. You said that
he’s covering all of his bases, wouldn’t he have a getaway car, ready and
waiting?”

“That’s why you get the big bucks, Chloe. Good thinking.
I’ll have Anna check it out. Meanwhile, Ethan and I are staying in Clevestone.
I think he’s heading this way. You stay with Monique, keep us informed of her
condition, please. I’m having a replacement car sent to you, it should arrive
within fifteen.”

“Will do. You guys be careful.”

“Will do.”

Monique began to moan, just as Chloe slipped the phone into
her back pocket. It was a good sign.

“Hey, easy there, Monique,” Chloe spoke to her softly.
“You’re okay, but try not to move. You were hit in the head.”

“Jeez, tell me something I don’t know,” Monique grabbed the
side of her head as she tried to sit up.

“Seriously, stay still! An ambulance is on the way.”

Opening one eye, Monique stared at Chloe. “I don’t need an
ambulance, help me up off of this floor.” She tried to do it on her own, but
couldn’t.

Chloe gave in, helping her to sit.

“That’s it, you’re not standing up until a medic clears
you.”

“What happened? Why are you in your bra?”

“Because my shirt is keeping your brains inside of your
head. Be thankful that I wore one today.”

“What, a shirt?” Monique was still groggy.

“No, a bra,” Chloe rolled her eyes. “As to what happened,
Grant got the jump on you. He hit you pretty hard, evidently.”

“Where is he?”

“Gone. Bastard changed his appearance, came down as a
cowboy, complete with hat, mustache, and glasses. He managed to slice our two
back tires, then get away in his truck.”

“Ethan and Jeri?”

“They know, they’re waiting for him in Clevestone. Jeri
thinks that’s where he’ll turn up next.”

The elevator doors opened, letting two EMT’s race into the
hall. Both men’s eyes swept over Chloe, before focusing on Monique.

“I’ve got an extra shirt in my bag. Why don’t you go get it?
I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. The replacement car should be here soon, so I’ll wait
for it, then meet you at the hospital.” Standing, Chloe turned to the medics.
“Where are you taking her?”

“Memorial. She needs stitches.”

“See you there.” Chloe left, grinning as she heard Monique
try to persuade the EMT to stitch her up right there. After seeing the gash in
her head, she knew that was one battle that the feisty Frenchwoman would not
win.

~~~

“That’s everyone, except for Aubrey Watson. She’s not
answering her house phone, or her cell phone.” Jeri looked down at the teenage
picture of Aubrey and frowned. “Look at her. She’s the spitting image of Diana.
My gut is telling me that we have to find this woman.”

“Is she married?” Ethan asked, looking up Aubrey’s address.

“Yes,” Jeri read through Anna’s report.

“See if Anna can get her husband’s number. We can drive out
to their home, see what’s going on.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

~~~

Graham stood transfixed for a moment and watched Aubrey. To
be so close to having her, all to himself, after such a long wait, seemed
almost surreal.

But there she was, his for the taking.

He saw her glance at her watch, knew that she would be
moving inside in a moment. Spurred into action, he kept to the shadows, then
sprinted back to the front of the house.

Once there, he jimmied the front door open, thanks to
Anson’s expert tutelage, and slipped inside. The air was cool in her home, and
smelled pleasantly of cherries, and pastry.

Taking a deep breath, he walked quickly to the kitchen. He
could see Aubrey coming toward the back door, knew that she would be there
soon. Gauging his options, he decided to stand beside the refrigerator, grab
her as she walked past.

He would have to be careful not to bruise her beautiful
skin, before it was time. She was so lovely, he wanted her pristine for his
table.

Feeling in his pocket, he removed the syringe. He had
planned to spend time with her here, before taking her away. He wanted her to
have memories of them together, in the house she apparently loved. But the
delay with the women in Topeka had cost him precious time. He would simply have
to take her and go.

~~~

Aubrey felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle as she
walked up to the house. Looking around quickly, she saw nothing out of place.

“I have to stop watching those movies with Joe,” she mumbled
to herself, opening the door to the kitchen. “They’re making me paranoid.”

Inside, she placed the book on the table, and the mug in the
sink. The spooky feeling wouldn’t go away, even after she was safe in the
house. She noticed the red light blinking on the house phone, signaling a
message, but she had no time for it now. Grabbing a water from the fridge, she
hung her purse over her shoulder, picked up the containers with the pies, and
headed for the garage.

Turning the corner beside the refrigerator, she froze. She
saw the man, standing there with a grin that made her skin crawl, but she
couldn’t quite believe it. He was so out of place in her lovely kitchen.

Preparing to scream, she took a deep breath, but he was on
her before she could make a sound.

Not that it would matter.

Who would hear her, out here in the country?

Images of Joe and the children flashed before her, in the
last moment of consciousness. Releasing her grip, the plastic containers hit
the floor, spilling fresh cherry pies onto the clean ceramic.

~~~

“What a shame, I would have enjoyed sampling some of your baked
goods.” Graham scooped her up and stepped over the mess, easily carrying her to
the front door. Removing her bag from her shoulder, he tossed it into the
living room as they passed.

He briefly considered placing her in the cab of the truck,
so he could watch her as she slept, but decided against it. If anyone happened
to see her, his plans could be ruined. No, it was better not to take any
chances.

The bed of his new truck was just like the other one, lined
and covered with a metal lid that he could lock. Resting Aubrey’s limp body on
the open tailgate, he quickly spread blankets on the truck bed, making a soft
place for her to lay.

“It’s the least I can do,” he told her, stretching her out
on the makeshift bed. Removing a canister of oxygen from one of the bags, he
fitted the mask over her face, then positioned the canister snugly against her
body, before turning it on.

“There, now. You’re all set.” Closing the metal cover, he
locked it before moving to the cab. As he turned the truck around in the driveway,
he felt a sense of rightness that he’d been missing for too many years.

Aubrey was back where she belonged.

She was his, once again.

~~~

Jeri and Ethan sped toward the Watson’s home, both on the
lookout for a red Ford pick-up as they drove. It was very possible that Grant
was driving something different, but it was all they had to go on, at the
moment.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Jeri told him. “You
need to go faster.”

“There’s too many blind curves, I’m going as fast as I can,”
Ethan responded, feeling her sense of urgency. “We’ll be there in a minute.”