Beware That Girl (33 page)

Olivia poured some wine and tilted the glass toward her friend. “He’ll have no choice. Two names and we’ll toss in Serena for insurance, say she’s willing to talk. He’s trapped, Kate.”

But a shadow had spread across Kate’s face.

“What?” said Olivia. “This is perfect! He’s out of here! After Saturday, gone baby gone!”

“Cool your jets.” Kate hugged her knees, displacing Bruce in the process. “Guys like Mark don’t spook easy. They’re reptilian, methodical. He’s not on drugs, doesn’t drink. Redkin is under control at all times. And…”

“And what?” Olivia took a gulp and then another of her wine. “What?”

“
And
it’s even worse if they do spook. That night? My mom threatened my father that night. He was crazy violent, smashing things, ripping into her. I was cowering, but she was never more courageous or strong than on that night. It shocked him, I think. My mom had this
moment.
She somehow got to his gun. She actually had
his
gun in her hand, but then, even when he went for me with the knife, my mother didn’t…” Kate shook her head in disbelief. “She couldn’t use it. She just couldn’t. And, well, you know what happened. He was trapped too, Olivia. There’s nothing more dangerous than an animal caught in a trap.”

Olivia put down her glass and reached for her friend. “I’m not your mom, Kate.” There was a sureness in her voice that Olivia didn’t recognize, didn’t know she possessed. “That bastard left scars all over my body. Trust me, if I had a gun in my hand,
I’d
use it.”

7:56 p.m.

I wore Olivia’s lace Chloé. She insisted. Mark hadn’t seen it yet. The dress was white, “virginal,” sweet but sexy.

“It’ll put him at ease the moment he sees you in it. Trust me.” She said this without making eye contact.

“You’re sure he’s absolutely clear on how to get in?”

“Take a breath, Kate. The man is highly,
highly
motivated not to be seen.”

How did this happen? When did this happen? Olivia was the calm one and I was hyperventilating.

“He’s coming by transit and he knows exactly how to get into the underground garage and take the freight elevator—the one
without
the camera—straight up to the penthouse.”

“I wish Bruce were here,” I moaned.

“Why?” she snapped. “So he could lick him to death?” Olivia had persuaded Anka to take Bruce over to her sister’s for the first few days of spring break. “Go on,” she’d said. “Your sister needs you both way more than Kate and I do. We promise not to have any wild and reckless parties while you’re gone.”

We resumed pacing. I checked Olivia’s watch—eight o’clock. He was supposed to come at eight.

We looked at each other. She started backing away, heading for the kitchen pantry.

The doorbell chimed at 8:03. I turned to face her one more time. Olivia’s eyes widened and she nodded. I watched her recede, taking my courage with her. I opened the door.

“Hi, Mark. Come on in.”

He smiled. “I’m pleased to be here. You look particularly lovely.”

“Thank you.” I tried for a smile and hoped to hell that my face was cooperating. He looked good. How could someone without a soul look like that? Mark wore a tan linen blazer, a white shirt open at the collar and blue jeans. It was like he had just stepped off the set of a movie with Scarlett Johansson. It made everything worse. Especially since he loomed so large. I’d never really noticed it before, but Redkin was big. Bigger than Johnny. I was struck by the potential of his sheer physical power. Mark Redkin was a man, not a boy, and he was armed with a man’s confidence and control.

Jesus, what were we doing?

“This way.” I led him over to the windows and the art deco bar cart that we had stocked with every conceivable drink. It was also where we’d hid the phone we were recording on.

He whistled softly, taking in the expanse of the room. “Quite the place! I knew it would be something.” He walked over to the window and surveyed the view. “Apparently it’s been in Mrs. Sumner’s family for over eighty years.”

“Whoa,” I whispered. “You are thorough.”

He turned to me and smiled. “Yes, I am Kate.” The smile was blinding and self-deprecating at the same time. “Information is my business, and I like to think that I’m good at my business. Hmm?”

“Yes, you…I’ve…”
Get a grip, get a grip.
“Well, what can I get you? Drinks are on the house.”

“Just a Perrier for now,” he said. “I want to be fully present.”

I poured him his water and poured myself one as well. My hands did not shake. I’d gulped half of one of Olivia’s Ativans before he came. The panic didn’t lead, but it lurked. My tongue felt thick.

I imagined Olivia immobile in the pantry, straining to listen, afraid to breathe. Mark took his glass and strode over to the center window, the one that could open. He shook his head at the sight. It was, after all, one of the best views of the city.

“You’ve given me a merry little chase.” He raised his glass to me. “It seems like I’ve waited for someone like you for a very long time, and once I found you, you made me wait even longer.”

I opened my mouth to say something—God knows what—but he put his finger on my lips.

“But I believe you’re worth it. I also believe I can help you with your aspirations. Yale, is it? Let’s stop playing, shall we, Kate?”

Danger. Danger.

“Excuse me?” I stepped back. I knew it was exactly the wrong thing to do, but I couldn’t help it.

Instead of answering, Mark twirled his finger, indicating that he wanted me to turn. I did so without exhaling. Now my back was to the windows. He paused as if he was considering his personal art project. Satisfied…no,
infinitely
satisfied with himself.

“Exquisite. You, the city…perfection.” He shook his head. “We are actually alike, you know. This is a true thing.” He held up his hand. “I know you don’t see it, but you’re very young. You’re gifted and ambitious, and you’ve risen to heights against all odds, against all obstacles. I
have
been waiting for you, Kate. Think of the things we could share. We would understand each other completely. There would be no need to pretend.”

His eyes were shiny. I looked away.

“Be honest, Kate, just for a minute. How ruthless did you have to be to survive what you had to survive and get yourself
all
the way here? I’ve done it. I know. Tell me, did you feel remorse for anything you had to do?” He brushed my arm with the back of his fingers.

No! That was different, not the same thing at all. I did what I had to do to survive. Survival of the fittest, baby.
Beads of sweat pricked the back of my neck. He was twisting everything, confusing me, just like my father did, exactly like…

“A little honesty, that’s all I ask. We can be honest with each other. I know you must feel alone. People like us do. But together, well…I know it all, Kate. Everything.”

My stomach lurched.
How?
Then I realized he meant about my past, my father, my psych evals.

“You look afraid. Don’t be. I’ll take care of you. If it’s Yale you want, Yale it will be. I’ll get you that and more. Not only that, but if
he
ever gets out, I’ll take care of him. And I would do that with pleasure. I would do that for you.”

Twisting, twisting.

“But I’m not alone. Olivia is a good…”

“Be
honest,
Kate. Olivia is our tool. I saw your game from the beginning. Admired it.” His expression softened. “Olivia is of no consequence to us. I’ve searched for
you.
And you need me. I think you know that now.” He placed his drink on the side table. The table was a handcrafted Frank Pollaro that Mr. Sumner treasured. It was an expensive table. He should have used a coaster. I should get a coaster, he…

Panic foamed within me.

“I’ll teach you how to nurture the gifts you have. I will teach you how to
be
Kate.” He reached for me and took my arm.

Mistake.

He shouldn’t have touched me.

I wrenched my arm away. “Your teaching days are over, Mark Redkin, right now.”

“What?! What are you…?” He was smiling through his confusion. “I haven’t even begun to…”

“No. I…
we
know about the others.” I gulped for air, got a small sip. “Julia Sanderson and the girl in Melbourne, and once the police start looking, there will be more, won’t there? Many more.”

“What is this?” He flexed his hand in slow motion. “They were two unfortunate young women who—”

“And Serena is willing to talk.” Breathing was entirely optional. I went straight to script. “No one knows at this point. And we’re willing to keep it that way. But there are conditions. You must leave the school during break—family crisis or something. You leave New York and we won’t go to the police.” I said it as practiced, but I could hear my tone—flat, fast, much, much too afraid.

He smiled.
“We?”
Jesus, he was amused.

“Olivia and me.” Mark was not my father. He was not drunk. He did not explode.

This was worse.

“You’re kids,” he laughed. “Children should not play dangerous adult games. And need I remind you, you’ve both got skin in this particular game. If it becomes public—”

“It’ll be your skin that will fry,
Mr.
Redkin. And you know it. Sure, we’ll be humiliated, but you’ll be locked up. They
will
connect the dots.”

“What makes you think that I would allow either of you to threaten me?” He faced me full-on and I stepped backward. “I am so very disappointed in you, my little
cockroach.
”

If he meant to annihilate me by using that word, he made another mistake.

“You bottom-feeding deviant. You made my skin crawl right from the first time I saw you. I know what you are, you sick, twisted pervert, and lots more people will know unless—”

He was up and against me without having seemed to move. My back was right at the window. I saw him take in the handle, then smile a slow smile. He placed his left hand on my breast, pressed hard and then ran it slowly down my body.

I almost blacked out.

“You are such a tasty morsel. What a pity.” He reached into his pocket with his right hand and flicked open a Swiss Army knife. He brought it to my face.

A knife.

Jesus. Again, a knife.

I froze. My brain froze. A knife.

He tilted his head. “You’re going to jump, my crazy little virgin.” He placed one hand up against the glass and the flat of the knife against my breast. He started to play with the tip. “It got to be too much for you, all that pressure. The past caught up to you, all those awful secrets. Maybe someone threatened you with exposure. You couldn’t go through it all one more time. You’ve been increasingly worried that your father will find out where you are, even from prison. Dr. Kruger will vouch for the fact that your mental state has been deteriorating. The obsession with getting into Yale…”

My heart thudded against the knife, causing it to rise and fall in time with the beats—tha-thump, tha-thump. My thoughts scrambled. Olivia. How did he think he was going to deal with…oh, God, Olivia!

He’d kill her next.
Run, Olivia, run!

“I can read your mind and your soul, Kate. It’s why we would have been so perfect.” He placed the point of the knife directly over the top of my breast. “I’ll deal with your friend later; she’s served her purpose. You know she’s psychotic, don’t you? Ah yes, on the school watch list. The administration knows. She actually thought she was pregnant last year. This year she thinks I’m a predator. And I’ll let you in on another secret: Olivia hasn’t been taking her meds.” He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “I switched them out last week. She’ll stay quiet once you’re gone. I understand you have a little dog…”

Olivia.

He nicked the top of my left breast. Then Mark Redkin dabbed his middle finger into the wound and licked it. “Mmm.” He pressed his body against mine. I was right up against the window. He put his tongue on me. My gorge rose, but I didn’t wretch.

“You taste even better than I imagined.” He kissed my cheek again, then my breast. “Such a pity,” he groaned. “I’m going to open the window now.”

Just as every single thing within me was shutting down, I caught sight of Olivia out of the corner of my eye. She was barefoot.
No! Hide! Run! Run, Olivia!

She crept closer.

Closer…

“Mark, please!”

Closer…

“This is almost painful. We would have been perfect.” He reached for the handle with his knife hand while gripping my throat with his left.

Olivia was hauling Anka’s prized apple-green Le Creuset frying pan.

“Stop! Don’t! Don’t!”

“Shhh.” He grabbed the handle.

And despite never holding a bat in her life, Olivia swung that skillet like she was the designated hitter for the Yankees, smashing it right into his head.

Mark went down like a slow-moving landslide, crumpling onto my feet.

Olivia stood motionless but panting. She was still clutching the Le Creuset. “I told you if I had a gun in my hand, I’d use it.”