Hide'n Go Seek (35 page)

Stan spoke. "Until recently."

Kali started. "What?"

"I hadn't had a chance to tell you. Just recently I've noticed a few minor problems surfacing. Stuff disappearing, the petty cash empty when it shouldn't be. You know, little stuff, nothing serious, more of an inconvenience."

Grant glared at the two of them. "And you're telling me about this now?"

They both shrugged.

"Christ." He threw his hands up in the air. "You do realize this might explain Jarl's presence in your office?"

Kali hated feeling guilty. She ran her hands through her hair. "I wasn't thinking of thefts - there were bigger issues like kidnappings and murders, remember."

"What's the chance he's moved from petty crime to stealing identities or banking information? Presuming, you keep information like that on your computer, Stan?"

"Aye, I do. And I suppose, given the circumstances, it's possible."

Both Kali and Grant frowned in sync. "What circumstances?" she asked. As far as she knew, everything was fine in Jarl's life.

"Jarl's wife is seriously ill, and their medical insurance won't cover her treatments. It's progressed to the point she can't work, so he's actively looking for ways to cover the bills."

"Shit." Pity hit her. Poor Jarl. She'd have helped him if she'd known. She brightened. Maybe she still could?

Grant, his cell phone already in his hand, headed for the door. "I'm stepping out to make some calls." He strode to the door. "Be back in a few minutes."

Kali waited until he'd left before moving to sit on Stan's bed. "You know we found Julie?"

His eyes lit up. He grasped her hand. "Yes, and thank God you did. The doc said she'll recover. I can't imagine what she went through."

"She's going to need time. Physically and mentally." Sadness pulled at her. No one should have to go through what she'd been through - and never twice.

"She's strong. She'll make it." Stan coughed, his voice hoarse and rasping.

Kali frowned down at him. "Do you need a nurse?"

Tremors wracked his thin frame. "No. They can't help. I'm feeling my age today."

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

A disturbing rattle worked its way up his throat until he coughed and coughed. Kali reached for a tissue and handed it to him. Stan sat, the coughs wracked Stan's thin frame violently. After a few anxious moments, Kali watched his face turned beet red and witnessed sputum spewing. Finally, he could breathe easily.

Stan slumped onto the bed, taking several deep breaths. "That hurt."

Kali hesitated, unsure she should pry. "Have you asked the doctors to check you over?"

"No, they're doing it anyway." He closed his eyes briefly. "The results will take a few days."

The door opened as Grant entered, his face carved in stone.

Kali assessed his features. Time to go. Kali stood. "I'll stop by tomorrow." She dropped a kiss on Stan's forehead. "Rest and heal."

"You take care of yourself." He smiled grimly at the two of them. "Grant, get this guy before someone else is hurt."

"That's the plan," he answered. He opened the door, his hand on the small of Kali's back nudging her forward. "We'll see you again, Stan. Take care."

Once outside, she asked, "Can we visit Julie?" The hand on her back eased off.

He shot her a quick sideways look. "No, I just checked. She's in a coma."

Kali stopped and stared at him. "Oh, no," she whispered.

Grant hooked an arm around her shoulders, tugging her into moving forward again. "Her body's gone through a horrible experience. She's injured. She's dehydrated and needs to heal. Her body has shut down to deal with the trauma. It happens. In this case, it might give her a fighting chance."

"I'd so hoped she would have recovered enough this morning for us to be able to talk to her."

They walked past the bustling nurses' station and out to his car. As they walked outside, Kali brought up the one question she'd forgotten to ask. "Why would the killer have been in the woods last night?"

Grant hesitated.

Kali waited until he unlocked the car. After buckling up the seatbelt, she asked, "He likes to watch them, imagine them dying, doesn't he?"

Grant looked at her and nodded before turning on the car and backing out of his parking spot. Once on the main road heading to her house, he spoke up. "Probably something like that. He could have religious reasons for his visits, like enumerating their sins or gloating over what was happening. With a twisted mind, it's hard to tell."

"Was the pipe to give Julie fresh air or to talk to her, torment her?"

Surprise lit his face. "Possibly both."

Kali curled her lip. Yuck. Thankfully they were almost home. They pulled into her driveway moments later. Kali hopped out. Grant stayed in the car. Kali bent to look at him through the window. "Are you coming in?"

He hesitated. "I need to go to the office. But I'll be back in an hour or an hour and a half, at the most." Grant stared at her. "You be careful. Go in and lock the doors. This guy is a loose cannon. He could come after you next. Remember, the FBI has your house under surveillance, but if you leave here you'll be unprotected. Stay smart and I'll be back as soon as I can."

She wanted to put on a pot of coffee, fill her travel mug and head to the beach with Shiloh. Kali switched her gaze from Grant to her house and back again. "I don't have anywhere to go."

"Good. I'll return as fast as I can. I'll bring an overnight bag with me, this time." Grant reversed the car and headed down the road.

With a light heart, Kali ran to her front door. She'd have a house guest tonight. Kali laughed and ran the last steps.

Grant had no idea what he'd let himself in for.

K
ali hummed in the kitchen as she waited for Grant's return. It had been a long time since she'd spent time cooking. She loved it, only cooking for one wasn't the same. She sliced onions and peppers, adding them to the cooking hamburger. Her spaghetti sauce recipe had been handed down from her great-grandma. She'd made several personal tweaks along the way, yet the essence had remained the same. She couldn't help but wonder what would her mom have thought of Grant? She'd approve, Kali decided.

Shiloh lay in a sunbeam running across the kitchen floor. They both needed the downtime today. Rest and relaxation was good for the soul. Even with everything going on, she felt happy. They'd found Julie alive, and Stan was improving and then there was her budding relationship with Grant. She had high hopes for tonight - if this asshole left them alone for that long.

Unfortunately, he was likely to be searching out his next victim right now. Kali turned and looked outside. The sun had slipped behind a dark cloud. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was the classic calm before the storm.

Better to not go there now. What would happen would happen. She'd deal with it.

Kali returned to the kitchen and her sauce. Grant should be here soon. She moved slowly through the mundane chores she'd missed out on recently - like laundry. Shiloh didn't appear to have the same sense of duty, as she lolled about around the house, watching as Kali worked.

Knowing the time was disappearing, Kali strode into her bedroom and quickly dealt with the clothes. As she started to leave, she turned to gaze thoughtfully at the bed. Checking her watch, she made a fast decision. Striding back over, she stripped the bedding off and made the bed up with fresh sheets. Better to be prepared and not have an opportunity than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.

Jamming the old sheets into the washing machine took another few minutes.

"Whew." Kali checked the room over. What had she missed? She headed back to the kitchen.

She walked around the corner. A hooded figure dressed all in black lunged for her.

Kali screamed. She spun and bolted back toward the laundry room. He grabbed for her arm, pulling her off balance. Pain streaked across her back. Kali stumbled, kicking wildly and heard him grunt. Freed unexpectedly, Kali screamed, "Shiloh, help!"

Shiloh barked and jumped. Kali didn't see anything else as she ran for the kitchen, bursting through the glass French doors, onto the deck, jumping the stairs two at a time.

"Shiloh," she screamed at the top of her voice. "Shiloh, come." The trees on the property weren't going to give her much coverage, only she'd take anything right now. She dared to look behind her. He wasn't following her. Shit. Kali stubbed her toe but didn't dare break stride. She could run ten miles without stopping, only right now, worry for Shiloh kept breaking her focus. She'd be running to catch up if she could. That she wasn't, couldn't be good.

She hid out in the woods and paused to catch her breath. Kali peered from behind a tree. Where was he? Kali closed her eyes and leaned into the tree. "Shit. Shit. Shit."

Her legs trembled in shock and she could hardly breathe. She took several deep shaky breaths.
Think. Think stupid. What are you supposed to do now?
Shit. Her cell phone. She slapped her hands over her pockets. There. Her fingers fumbled frantically. Finally, she managed to pull it free but struggled to punch in the numbers. She failed the first time and had to redial. She kept watching for any sign of him

"Hello."

"Grant," she hissed softly.

"Kali. What's wrong? Where are you?" he yelled. Fear leapt through the phone and raised her own panic level. She peered nervously through the brush. Where were Grant's men?

"He's here at the house." She buried the phone in her shoulder at his yell. "I'm hiding out in the back yard at the bushes by the beach access."

"I'm on my way. You stay put. Do you hear me?"

"Hurry." Kali couldn't stop the pleading tones. She didn't give a damn. She was scared, and being alone out here was the last thing she wanted. "Something has happened to Shiloh. Either he has her or she's hurt."

"I'm in the car. I'll be there in less than ten minutes. There are two men on surveillance duty - have you seen any sign of them?"

No and damn it, she'd expected them to come to her rescue. Had counted on it.

Instead she was alone.

Cut off. With no sign of Shiloh.

And terrified.

Swallowing hard, she said, "No. Hurry, this is going to be the longest ten minutes of my life."

"Just make sure you're still alive when I get there. If the bastard comes after you, run like hell."

"Don't worry I plan on it." She chewed on her lower lip, daring to peer around the tree. Her house sat silent and still. She searched the windows for any sign of movement...of life.

"Kali?"

"Shhh. I'm here." Kali pulled back behind the tree.

"Can you see him?"

"No." Her voice had dropped to barely audible levels. Kali scrunched up into a tight ball and sank under the branches more. "Hurry."

"Be there in a few minutes."

"Don't come alone." Kali's voice rose. Suddenly remembering, she dropped down to a hoarse whisper. "He's going to be waiting for you. I'm afraid he's hurt the surveillance team."

"I'm pulling into the driveway now. Stay where you are. Be there in minutes."

Kali's phone clicked off. She stared at it, then put it back into her pocket. The silence was eerie and unsettling. She couldn't stop looking peering behind her, afraid the asshole was going to pop up from nowhere.

It seemed like forever, yet was probably only three to four minutes before she heard the welcome sound of sirens in the distance. "Thank God. Please be okay, Shiloh. Please." Kali prayed for her best friend. Shiloh might be a dog to others, but she was family to her.

There. She peered around the tree, her head barely above ground. Someone was running toward her. Grant. She wanted to run to him but couldn't be sure of his identity. Her heart pounded. She peered through her hiding place.

"Kali." Grant yelled, his hands cupping against his mouth. "Kali, where are you?"

A noise behind Kali had her spinning on the spot, her throat constricting. The rustling sounded moved in Grant's direction. There. A flash. Another movement. A heavy rustling. Kali realized Grant raced toward her, his gun at the ready, just in front of the tree line. Exposed. An easy target. Shit.

Kali looked for the killer again. There, creeping up on Grant.

"No." Kali bolted toward Grant. She hit him in a flying tackle but he twisted at the last minute - just as a funny spit sounded.

Kali arched as her back hit the ground, tumbling into a mass of limbs. Men shouted and spread out into the wooded area.

Kali moaned and struggled to move.

"Kali. Are you alright." Grant rolled over and regained his feet. He bent down to help her up.

"I'm fine. That was a rough landing." She smiled up at him. "He's a lousy shot. Go."

"Thank God for that. He's taken out the two men watching the house. I've called for backup, but I have to find him." He cradled her gently, dropped a quick kiss on her forehead. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine. Go. I need to find Shiloh."

"Wait for me at the house. The rest of my team should be here soon."

Nodding, Kali took off at a run toward the house. Worry for Shiloh dominated, her own injury forgotten. Maybe she was hurt, hiding somewhere. She burst into the house, calling out, "Shiloh?" Kali went from room to room, hating that she'd taken off without helping her friend. "Shiloh, where are you?"

Walking through the kitchen, she grabbed Shiloh's treat bag and walked into the bedroom, shaking it.

Kali stopped. She closed her eyes and reached out with The Sight.
Where are you, Sweetheart? Shiloh?
Kali could feel her. She was alive, but hurting. Shit. Kali broke into a run and headed to the laundry room. The closet was open. On the floor back in the far back corner lay Shiloh, curled up into a ball. She didn't make a sound when Kali bent down to touch her. Her fur was warm, except she didn't move when Kali touched her. Kali crawled into the closet and ran her hands over her friend. She stopped when she came to a sticky patch. She withdrew her hand to take a closer look. Blood.