Going Gone (9 page)

Cameron was in the field office when he got the text, and his
first reaction was fear. He knew in his gut that if this
was
Inman, one of their women would become a target. Two of them had
already escaped his grasp, though, and Inman knew Laura well. He had worked for
her, which would make it easier for him to figure out how to get to her. But
she’d already survived a plane crash this year. Surely to God, fate would not
put her in the path of a serial killer, too.

* * *

It was after sundown when Hershel came out of the movie
theater picking popcorn from between his teeth. The popcorn had taken the edge
off his appetite, but he hadn’t eaten since morning. He couldn’t decide whether
he wanted a steak or some clam chowder. Both of them sounded good, but the chill
wind whipping around the corner of the theater settled the decision.

Clam chowder it was.

He strolled across the parking lot toward his van with his
hands in his pockets, thinking about the movie he’d just seen. If he had it to
do all over again, he might incorporate a couple of elements from the movie into
his killings—not that he was into true torture, but the thought of someone
hanging themselves was intriguing.

Stand them on a rickety stool with a rope around their neck and
watch to see how long they lasted before the first leg came off the stool or
they slipped off from exhaustion. It might be something to think about. In the
meantime, he wanted some of that hot chowder and his business finished here
soon. He was more than ready to head south for the winter.

* * *

Laura had gone through her workday in a daze, trying to
get a grasp on the possibility that her life was in danger, worrying until she
made herself sick. She knew Cameron was concerned and probably expected her old
anxieties to return. She was more than a little worried, too, and wanted to do
something proactive instead of waiting for the other shoe to fall.

She’d been friends with Nola Benton and Jo Luckett for months,
but they’d become even closer friends since the engagement. Now she needed
something more from them than friendship. It was almost time to go home when she
sat down at her desk and sent them a text.

I have a favor to ask. I want to know every chink you saw in
Hershel Inman’s armor. Both of you escaped him. If he comes after me, I need at
least a fighting chance to survive. Girls’ day out tomorrow for lunch?

Then she gathered up her things, sent a text to Cameron that
she was going home and left the building.

She’d never thought much about the hours she worked until now,
but now she realized how going home after dark would make it easier for someone
to take her unawares. She walked with her car keys in her hand, her head up and
her gaze shifting constantly to the slightest movement or hint of sound. By the
time she reached her car she was running. The moment she got inside, she locked
all the doors, then quickly drove away. She just wanted to be home. That was her
refuge. She would be safe there.

Her cell rang, but the traffic was heavy and she didn’t even
look to see who was calling. Moments later her OnStar system kicked in and the
car phone began to ring. She hit the button to answer.

“Hello?”

“Hey, honey, it’s me, Sarah, just checking in.”

She smiled in spite of herself.

“Hey, Sarah! So good to hear your voice. Are you still loving
your job? Have you made some new friends?”

Sarah laughed. Laura always did want to know everything at
once.

“Yes, the job is great. My flat is amazing. I have the best
view of London nightlife from my living room windows.”

“I’m jealous,” Laura said, trying to picture her sister’s
world. “What about friends? Any of them happen to be male?”

She heard her sister chuckle.

“Of course some of them are male, but none of them are special.
I’m too busy getting acclimated to the job and the country for any of that. What
about you? I want to hear all about the wedding shower. Was it amazing? Did you
get my gift?”

“Yes! I can’t believe you sent a cappuccino maker. Cameron is
all excited. He said I can be in charge of the panini maker and he’ll in charge
of the coffee.”

Sarah smiled. She could hear the joy in her sister’s voice.

“So everything is perfect, right?”

Laura hesitated.

Sarah frowned. “What?”

“It may be nothing,” Laura said.

“Damn it, Laura. I’m half a world away. Don’t make me guess.
What’s wrong?”

“The Stormchaser team may be about to reactivate.”

“What? No! You aren’t serious?”

“It’s not certain yet, but Cameron is worried. Flowers showed
up on his wife’s grave in New Orleans on the anniversary of her death, and now
two women have been murdered. They were both Tasered and then strangled.”

“Oh, my God. That’s the way he killed his last victims, right?
Where did this happen? Was it back in New Orleans?”

“No. It was here. D.C., to be exact. They found both bodies in
the Potomac.”

Sarah gasped. “I don’t like this. You’re connected to the team
now. What if he targets you like he did the other agents’ wives?”

“We have that covered. I shouldn’t have mentioned it. No one is
even certain it’s him, so don’t worry.”

“Come to London. You can stay with me until they get this
sorted out.”

Laura frowned. “Don’t be silly. I’m getting married in a month.
There are too many things to do, and I’m not leaving Cameron.”

“I feel sick,” Sarah said softly.

Laura sighed. “I know, and don’t tell Cameron, but so do I.
This really put a damper on the wedding plans, but I can’t think like that. Two
women are dead and I’m fine. This isn’t about me.”

“Yet,” Sarah mumbled.

Laura changed the subject.

“So talk to me. Have you done any sightseeing outside London
yet? Have you been to France?”

“Yes. It’s amazing, just like I always thought it would be. You
and Cameron will have to come for a visit.”

“We will. We definitely will,” Laura said, and then listened to
her sister talk the rest of the way home.

Cameron’s car in the driveway signaled his presence as she
pulled in behind it, and for that she was grateful.

“Hey, Sarah. I’m home now. I’ll talk to you again soon,
okay?”

“Absolutely, and keep me updated on everything else.”

The call ended.

The wind had come up on the drive home, and when Laura got out,
it was a cold slap in the face. She didn’t know what they were having for
dinner, but something hot and warm sounded heavenly.

* * *

Cameron heard the key in the door, tossed the pot holder
onto the counter and came out of the kitchen with a ready smile on his face.
Laura was hanging her coat in the hall closet when he caught her from behind and
kissed the back of her neck before spinning her around.

“What’s new, pussycat?”

She threw her arms around his neck.

“I just freaking love you,” she said, hugging him fiercely.

Sensing desperation in her voice, he stepped back.

“What’s wrong?”

“Sarah called on the way home. I told her about the murdered
women. She freaked. A little of it rubbed off on me, but it will pass.”

He could tell she didn’t want to discuss it further and let it
slide.

“Something smells so good. What’s cooking?” she asked.

“It’s gumbo and rice. I picked the fixings up on the way home,
which reminds me, we need to go grocery shopping.”

“Ooh, that sounds good,” Laura said. “We’ll start a shopping
list tonight. Tomorrow is Saturday. I’ll do it while you’re gone.”

Cameron frowned. Going to Quantico, even for the day, felt like
a careless move. What if she needed him and he was too far away to help?

In her haste, Laura missed the significance of his silence. “Do
I have time to change into something comfortable?”

“Sure, honey. Food’s done. I’m just keeping it warm.”

“I won’t be long,” she said, and darted down the hall.

Cameron’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he watched her leave,
and then he went back to the kitchen.

He hated this feeling of helplessness, as if they were sitting
on a bomb and Hershel Inman was holding the detonator.

Nine

H
ershel was heating up a can of chili and watching the evening news. He was watching the footage of the cops pulling Megan Oliver’s body out of the river and waiting for someone to say
serial killer,
but it hadn’t happened. He was in the backyard of the FBI, the nation’s experts, and they were just as silent as the D.C. police. It ticked him off.

He took the chili from the stove and poured half of it in a dish, then carried it and a sleeve of saltine crackers to the sofa. When the news went to commercial, he let his thoughts slide to more mundane matters as he ate.

His knee-jerk decision to go to D.C. had caused all kinds of ramifications back in Mexico. The last thing he wanted was for his friends to report him missing, so he’d called the manager early this morning and told him he would be gone for a while longer, that he was taking care of a relative with failing health. He’d gotten sympathy and understanding, along with the promise to look after his mail and property until he returned.

He went back to the kitchen to put some grated cheese on his chili and refill his coffee cup. The news program resumed but without any further mention of the murders, which put him in something of a snit.

“Well, hell. What does a person have to do to get some respect around here?”

The scream in his ear was so sharp and unexpected that he actually jumped up, spilling coffee on his shirt as he turned to look behind him.

“What the—”

God has abandoned you. The angels have turned their faces away from you. Your soul is lost.

Hershel frowned as he grabbed a dishcloth and began mopping up the coffee he’d spilled.

“Damn it, Louise! What made you scream like that? Last time all you did was echo, and now this! What the hell’s the matter with you? If you have something to say, just say it.”

Every time you sin, it hurts. I can no longer bear the pain.

He frowned. He didn’t like feeling guilty, but she was doing it to him again.

“I don’t get it. You died. You can’t feel pain or sadness.”

I’m not talking about physical pain. You are killing people in my name.

“Oh. Shit. Well, I’m not finished with my business,” he muttered.

He heard what sounded like sobbing, and then nothing.

“Louise? Louise? You still there?”

Nothing.

Both the chili and the guilt sat on his stomach like a rock.

“Still doesn’t explain why you’re screaming like a damn banshee,” he said beneath his breath.

He carried the food to the sink and dumped it down the garbage disposal, then stomped down the hall. He took off the coffee-stained shirt, took a clean one out of the drawer and pulled it over his head as he strode back up the hall, still muttering.

“Damn it, Louise, I nearly died in that fucking flood, too. It wasn’t my fault I couldn’t get to your insulin. I loved you. I took good care of you when we were married. Then you died. I went crazy from grief, you know. I had myself a nervous breakdown. I’ve been doing what had to be done to live with myself since then, so stop screaming at me, damn it.”

Louise wasn’t talking, and he was in a pout. He turned off the television, went back to the kitchen and pulled out his map. The next person on his radar was the person living due west of Laura Doyle, and this time he was going to send the cops into a tailspin. It was time to up the ante and create a little confusion.

* * *

Cameron kept delaying the inevitable. He had to leave within the next ten minutes or he was going to be late. He was meeting Tate and Wade at the field office before the trip to Quantico, but thinking of the possibility that Hershel Inman was somewhere in the city, and that he was leaving Laura at that bastard’s mercy, was making him crazy.

Laura knew he was nervous, and she knew why, but she was ticked that this was happening.

“Cameron, get that look off your face. I’m fine. I’m buying groceries and then having brunch in D.C. with Nola and Jo. We’re going to Ghibellina’s, and you’re going to an all-day meeting. We’ll see each other at dinner tonight. The end.”

He laughed as he swept her up into his arms.

“Nothing is ending between us, damn it. On the contrary, it’s just beginning. But for now, I hear and I obey. Call or text anytime you feel like it.” He put the palm of his hand over the cross hanging between her breasts. “And don’t forget this. I’ll always have your back.”

Her lips parted instinctively.

As usual, he worked his magic, driving all thought from her mind but how it felt to make love with him. When he finally stepped back, she sighed with longing.

He rubbed his thumb along the edge of her bottom lip.

“Believe me, I totally agree,” he said. “See you this evening. I love you most. Lock the door behind me.”

She watched until he backed out of the driveway and drove away before getting back to business. She had groceries to buy and a date for brunch. It was time to get busy.

* * *

The weather kept getting cooler as the day progressed. By the time Laura got home from grocery shopping, the temperature had dropped dramatically. She turned up the heat before putting away the groceries, and then ran to her bedroom to change clothes. She had a little over an hour to get dressed and drive into D.C. to meet Jo and Nola at one-thirty. Brunch was served from ten to four, and she didn’t want to be late.

She stripped down to her underwear and then walked into her closet. After a couple of minutes she reached for the gray slacks and pink sweater Cameron had bought for her to wear home from the hospital. She liked wearing something he’d chosen especially for her, and it was a good, warm choice. As soon as she was dressed, she dashed into the bathroom to check her hair and makeup.

She reached for her hairbrush, then paused, eyeing herself in the mirror. The cold air had put pink in her cheeks, but she didn’t have time to curl her hair. She brushed out the tangles and opted for a small bedazzled headband, giving her a chic, stylish look. After a light touch of lipstick, she added pearl earrings and a pair of gray suede loafers. She stopped in the hall on her way out to get her all-weather coat. This was not a day to assume it wouldn’t rain or snow.

She grabbed her shoulder bag from the hall table on the way out of the house, and then shivered as the wind hit her face. It felt like rain again, and rain made her think of the Stormchaser, which ticked her off. It wasn’t fair that one man had all this control over their lives. Even though she was nervous, she lifted her chin. Today was not for madmen. Today was for fun and friends. She got in her car and drove away.

* * *

Hershel was on stakeout at the residence of his third target. He was watching the man in question maneuver his wheelchair down the ramp to his car. He had to admit it was a testament to Charles Trent’s perseverance and some high-tech engineering that he was able to live alone, practice law and drive himself around town.

It was unfortunate for Charles that the location of his home tagged him as the Stormchaser’s next target, but it didn’t bother Hershel. His only concern was finding the perfect location to take him out. He couldn’t do it around any of the courthouses Trent frequented, because of too many people and security cameras. It would have to be in D.C. at Trent’s office. The man had a habit of working late. The more Hershel thought about it, the more he knew exactly how it was going to happen.

Satisfied with the plan he’d made, he decided to grab a late lunch somewhere and then play tourist. He’d never seen the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial. Might as well take time to enjoy some of the sights.

* * *

It was one-thirty on the dot as Laura drove down 14th Street NW to Ghibellina’s and then found a place to park. She lowered her head against the wind as she ran toward the restaurant. Once inside, she spotted Nola, who was already seated, and moved through the narrow room with a smile.

Nola stood up to greet her and gave Laura a quick hug. “This is the best idea. It’s so good to see you,” she said.

“I know this was short notice, but I’m really glad you could make it,” Laura said as she took off her coat and sat down.

“Me, too,” Nola said. “Jo texted me a few minutes ago. She’s on her way. She said she had some news.”

A waiter came by, took Laura’s drink order, then left. Laura picked at the plate of appetizers Nola had ordered and popped a stuffed mushroom in her mouth.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’m starving. I didn’t eat breakfast on purpose, just so I would enjoy this.”

Nola eyed Laura’s expression. She was trying too hard to be happy. She started to say something more, then saw Jolene coming toward the table.

“Oh, here’s Jo.”

Jo slung a navy blue pea jacket across the back of her chair and sat down just ahead of the waiter, who appeared to take her drink order, as well.

“Hot tea, please,” she said, then reached across the table and clasped Laura’s hands. “So how’s our little bride-to-be?”

“Worried I might not make it to the altar,” Laura said.

Jo frowned and lowered her voice.

“Don’t say that. We don’t even know if Inman’s alive, much less that he killed those women or that he would target you, although I know he’s as loony as they come. Even if it
is
him, there’s no way to predict what he’ll do next.”

Laura leaned forward and lowered her voice.

“I know that, but I’m not taking any chances. I asked you both to lunch because I need you to tell me everything you can think of about Inman that might help me, should the need arise.”

“You first,” Jo said, pointing at Nola.

Nola began to retell her story, from witnessing him murder three of her neighbors to being attacked at the Red Cross shelter, then getting thrown out of the motorboat into gator-infested waters right before the boat blew up with Inman in it.

Nola’s eyes narrowed as she thought back.

“I’m thinking he’s got to be in his mid-sixties by now, and he’s about five-ten in height. But being shorter, his center of gravity is lower. He’s also deceptively strong for his age.”

Laura stared at Nola in quiet awe. She was so matter-of-fact.

“Didn’t all that do a number on your head?” she finally asked.

Nola shrugged. “Well, sure, but time has a way of taking the edge off.” Then she grinned. “Tate did the rest.”

They looked at each other and giggled.

“You next,” Nola said, looking at Jo.

Jo nodded. “My involvement was different. Nola was the witness he wanted gone. When I became a part of the team who was after him, it ticked him off. From the start, he kept saying I didn’t belong. He has some kind of sick attachment to the guys because they were in on it from the beginning. After I showed up, he took it as an affront, as if an uninvited guest had shown up for his party. When he failed to kidnap me on the first attempt, he decided it was because my addition to the team had jinxed him. So he revamped his plan of attack and was successful. He’s sly and smart. What you need to know is that he hears his dead wife, Louise, talking to him. For a while after he kidnapped me, he actually thought I was her. I used that to my advantage. They were faithful churchgoers before the flood, and evidently Louise chides him for the sins he’s committed.”

Laura was listening intently, committing everything to memory. When the waiter came back to deliver Jo’s hot tea, he stopped to take their orders.

“I’d like the Napoli pizza without capers,” Laura said.

Nola pointed at the menu to
pane tostato.
“This, please. French toast with all the good stuff.”

The waiter smiled and then looked at Jo. “And you, ma’am?”

“I’ll have the frittata, and would you please ask the chef to add some cheese to the onion and potato that comes in it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, and hurried away to turn in the order.

Nola grinned. “Since when do you add ingredients? You’re usually the one asking to have something left out.”

Jo blinked away a film of sudden tears.

“Since I’m eating for two,” she said.

Nola’s mouth dropped, and Laura’s eyes widened. They both knew Jo and Wade had lost a baby a few years back, so this would be a seriously emotional pregnancy for them.

“Oh, Jo! That’s wonderful news!” Nola said.

Laura gave Jo’s hand a quick squeeze. “Best news ever,” she added. “Is Wade eating for two, as well?”

“Isn’t he always?” Jo said.

The joke was not lost on any of the women. Food never went to waste around Wade Luckett. He was always hungry and frequently scavenged from someone else’s plate.

* * *

By the time Hershel came out of the restaurant where he’d stopped to eat lunch, the weather had changed for the worse. He gave up the idea of checking out the monuments and decided to go home. He would rather be inside watching television where it was warm.

He had just braked for a red light when he glanced over at the car in the lane beside him, then did a double take.

It was Laura Doyle!

The shock of seeing her so close left him stunned. She seemed focused on the light and the traffic passing in front of them, which gave him time to check her out a little more closely. She looked different, but it was clearly her.

Her hair was much longer than he remembered. It had been short when he’d worked at the Red Cross shelter there in Louisiana, and she looked thinner.

He glanced up at the light. It was still red. When he turned back, he caught her looking at him. She seemed embarrassed and quickly glanced away, but it bothered him. Now he was wondering if he seemed familiar to her in some way. What if this chance meeting alerted her to his presence? That might mean changing up the plan. Before he could come to any conclusion, the light turned green and she went straight through the intersection as he turned left.

His anxiety increased as he drove home. He had two more clues to leave before he got to her, but this chance meeting might make it necessary to accelerate the process.

* * *

Laura was thinking about what to make for dinner as she braked for a red light. A moment later she sensed that she was being watched. She looked toward the car on her left, but the driver was staring up at the light.