Silence: The Faces of Evil Christmas Prequel (7 page)

Otherwise she wouldn’t be here in his urban apartment, snuggled on the worn comfortable leather sofa listening to him talk about his work.

“I kept both the mayor and the chief of police out of trouble on that one. Not an easy task, I can tell you. But I love it.”

Jess laughed, knowing that was what he expected. Truth was she wasn’t even assimilating the words. She was too busy watching his face, listening to his voice.

It was just plain wrong that after a whole decade he could mesmerize her as if she were seventeen again. As if they’d never fallen apart.

“I’m not saying another word,” he announced, that smile teasing her.

She blinked. Had she missed something? “What?” She sipped her wine. Hoped she hadn’t ignored a response cue.

“I’ve spent the last half hour talking about nothing but work—my work.” He poured himself another glass of wine, set the nearly empty bottle back on the coffee table. “You’re supposed to be telling me about you.”

He grinned and her heart squeezed so tight she feared it would just stop beating altogether. “You said you’d just gotten a big promotion. I want to know what’s it like to be Special Agent Jess Harris, field investigator for the F...B...I.”

While she struggled to summon the ability to speak, he freshened her glass, emptying the last of the wine from the bottle. At this rate she’d need a cab to get to Lil’s.

“Actually,” she said finally, “I’m a profiler now.”

“Hey! That’s the job you always talked about.” She didn’t miss the glimmer of regret in his eyes before he smiled. “Congratulations.” He tapped his glass to hers.

The sincerity in his voice made her happier than she would admit in a million years despite that fleeting look of regret she was sure she’d seen. Whatever else he felt, somehow his approval still meant a great deal to her. Not a good thing. “Thank you.”

“Well?” he prompted, a big grin stealing her breath all over again. “Tell me more.”

Surrendering to the inevitable, she kicked off her shoes and curled her feet under her to get more comfortable. She told him about BAU and her boss, Gant. The more she talked the more she had to say. It was as if they were back in college sharing future plans. The words poured out of her.

When she finally shut up he just stared at her. During that seemingly endless moment she wanted more than anything in this world for him to be proud of her.

“Jess.” The pride that filled his eyes made her pulse flutter erratically. “I am genuinely happy for you.” He stared at his glass for a moment and she knew he was remembering. “You knew what you wanted and you made it happen. You said you would and you did.”

She’d had just enough to drink to admit that something else she’d always wanted was him... but she would take that secret to her grave. She touched her throat.
Almost had
.

“Sometimes,” she confessed, “I wake up and I have to remind myself it’s real.” Images and voices from cases she had worked passed through her mind. None were pretty. But they represented success and accomplishment, two things that meant a great deal to her. More importantly, they meant justice for the innocent.

“You have a boyfriend?” One corner of his mouth quirked. “A husband I haven’t heard about?”

She downed a big gulp of wine before she attempted to answer that one. The sweetness fizzed in her throat. Her head spun just a little. “No boyfriend. No husband.” She’d noticed he wasn’t wearing a wedding band. And the tour of his place hadn’t revealed any indications of a female presence. “What about you? Wife? Kids?”

The idea that he might have a child pained her somehow.

Dumb, Jess
.

“No wife. No kids. Not even a girlfriend.” He looked away a moment. “I had a very unpleasant divorce a few months ago.” He shrugged, made a disparaging sound. “The good news is I lived through it and life goes on.”

Seemed an odd way to describe surviving a divorce. “It does indeed.” No one knew that better than her. A subject best left alone. She cleared her throat. Time for a less sensitive topic—if not a less painful one. “How’s your father and... your mother?”

He smiled. “Nice of you to ask, Agent Harris.”

Jess couldn’t help a chuckle. “Despite popular opinion, I would never wish your mother ill will.”

“Katherine is Katherine,” he said. “She stays busy with one charity event or another and that makes her happy. My father and I are both grateful.”

“I’m certain she’s pleased to have you helping out whenever possible.”

“More importantly,” he countered, “I’m pleased. When Mother isn’t consumed with a project, she’s lining up social activities for my father or, worse, playing matchmaker for me.”

That shouldn’t have bothered Jess but it did. “She wants her only son to be happy.” There was no ignoring the hint of bitterness in her tone and she hated herself for letting it show. “Lil does it to me all the time,” she added for cover, hoping he wouldn’t notice her slip.

“That’s what mothers and sisters do I guess.” He set his glass on the table. “My father’s doing great. He’s thinking of retiring.”

Dan senior was too young for retirement. Worry cleared the resentment she felt whenever Katherine Burnett came to mind. “Is he okay?”

“A mild heart attack a few months ago but he’s good now. He’s following the doctor’s orders. I’d be willing to wager he’s in better shape now than me.”

Why hadn’t Lil told her? Then again, she hadn’t mentioned Dan’s divorce either. Possibly Lil hadn’t mentioned anything related to the Burnett family because Jess had told her over and over that it had been ten years. She had moved on. Lil was only honoring Jess’s wishes.

Still made her mad. How ridiculous was that?

“I’m glad he’s doing well.” Wow. It seemed impossible they were talking about Dan’s father and a heart attack. As the saying went, time marched on and everything changed. People grew older. Lil’s kids hardly knew their Aunt Jess.

The surge of regret that accompanied that last thought had her wishing she hadn’t let so much time pass without spending more of it with the people she cared about.

“Don’t do that.”

She frowned before she could stop the reaction. “Do what?” She savored more of the wine, pretending not to know what he meant. She couldn’t change how much time she’d let slip by but she was here now, she told herself for the tenth time.

“Don’t beat yourself up for not being around,” Dan said gently. He knew her too well. “You went after your dream and you made it happen. You did it, Jess. I guess you didn’t need me after all.”

For about five seconds she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move. His words stabbed through her and the ability to respond deserted her.

“This was nice, but I do have to go.” Somehow she was on her feet. She placed her glass on the table next to his, grabbed her purse and hurried across the room for her coat. Why in the world had she let this happen? This visit was about her sister and her family. Taking this unexpected detour was ridiculous and selfish. Foolish tears stung her eyes.

Oh hell. He’d done it now. Dan caught her at the door. She jerked away from his touch. “I’m sorry, Jess. That was
my
guilt talking. It was me. Not you.”

All this time he’d wished they could make amends and the first chance that comes along he screws it up! Had to be the wine or just plain stupidity.

“Don’t leave like this,” he pleaded. The last thing he wanted was for another ten years to pass with these bad feelings standing between them.

She held up a hand in a stop gesture. The anger in her eyes shouted clearly and loudly that she wanted away from him. “It was good to see you, Dan. But I really do have to go.”

Jesus Christ. He’d done it. Hurt her all over again. He was a damned fool. “I understand.”

She reached for the door. “Good night.”

But he couldn’t let her go without trying to make this right. He put his hand over hers when she would have opened the door. “Merry Christmas, Jess. Seeing you tonight means more to me than you will ever know.”

She hesitated and then looked up at him with those sweet brown eyes. His heart lurched. “Merry Christmas,” she murmured.

Every part of him yearned to say more... to touch her... to taste her. Unable to resist, he leaned closer.

Her breath caught, even that soft sound made him crazy with need.

His lips touched hers and desire rushed through him. All those old feelings resurrected, made him ache for her in ways he knew would never be possible again.

Her purse and coat hit the floor and he pulled her soft body into his arms.

She would hate him for taking advantage of the moment but he was helpless to stop himself.

Jess was home and that was all that mattered.

10

One day earlier...

Ruckersville

Jess dove for the floor, landing on her right side. She grunted with the impact. She rolled. The discharge of the weapon exploded around her. The ping of the bullet on the concrete made her cringe.

“Don’t move!” Potter screamed.

Jess froze.

With eight years in the Bureau she’d finally achieved the position at the BAU she wanted. She was a profiler now. There weren’t supposed to be any more dangerous field operations.

Damn, she didn’t want to die today.

“Get up!” Potter grabbed Jess’s arm with her free hand.

Jess allowed the woman to drag her to her feet. Potter’s forearm went around Jess’s neck, the muzzle of the gun she recognized as her Glock rammed into her skull.

“Don’t think I’m going to make this easy on you.” Potter muttered curses as she hauled Jess toward the cages. “This is where you’re going to die. That’s what happens when you stick your nose in places you don’t belong. All I wanted to do was get on with my life.”

Jess forced sympathy into her voice. “You must’ve been horrified when you discovered what they’d done.”

Potter made an indignant sound, then pressed her lips close to Jess’s ear. “I should’ve put Melvin out of his misery as soon as I found that other one.” She nudged Jess’s temple with the muzzle. “Just look at ‘em. They’re pathetic. Didn’t even try to fight for their lives. Whined and cried. Please don’t hurt me,” she mocked. “Just let us go. We’ll never tell.”

Jess resisted the emotions tugging at her. She had to focus. To stay alert. Survival depended on it.

Marie Duncan sobbed quietly, her sister’s frail body held against her chest. The sight almost undid Jess’s determination. The women were nude, their bodies covered with the signs of extreme physical abuse. All four were bone thin from malnutrition. Water and food bowls, the kind used for large dogs, sat empty in the cages. How long had it been since they’d had either? It was a miracle Marie was still alive.

Inside, Jess stilled. Marie being alive confirmed one thing. Old Melvin had at least one accomplice besides the dead guy upstairs.

“They’re not strong like you,” Jess offered. No need for her to guess who that other accomplice was.

“Damn straight,” Potter growled. “But Melvin still wanted to play with them. It made him feel like a man to watch them plead for mercy. A real woman like me couldn’t keep him happy. I didn’t mean to, he’d say,” she mocked. “It’s the bad thoughts, he’d whine. Bastard.”

Jess hoped she would be able to make sure this bitch got what was coming to her. “We can make him pay, Delia. The evidence I told you would help is right here. We can make sure Melvin gets the death sentence. After what he’s put you through, we can even arrange for you to watch him die.”

Potter laughed. “Right. I guess it won’t matter that I left these four down here to starve after I slit Dale’s sorry ass throat. You’re a liar, Agent Harris. Just like all the others.” She shoved Jess toward an empty cage. She landed on her knees. “Get in.”

Hard as she tried, Jess couldn’t keep the anger at bay. She glared up at Potter. “You should’ve gotten on that plane, Delia. We’d all still be thinking this was Melvin’s work if you hadn’t put in a personal appearance.”

“You think I don’t know that?” she roared. “I should’ve flattened all your tires. Maybe then I could’ve done what I needed to do and gotten out of here before you showed up.” She grunted a self-deprecating sound. “I wanted to take care of this mess the last time I was here but those two Duncan bitches were still breathing. I couldn’t exactly call the cops with potential witnesses against me alive in the basement. Burning the place down would’ve aroused suspicion. All I had to do was wait for them to die and make the call. Oh, officer,” she cried, blinking her eyes rapidly as if to hold back tears, “I came to check on Dale and look what I found.”

Her expression turning cruel, she glared at Jess. “Then you showed up. Now we’re both screwed, Harris.” She kicked Jess in the stomach. She doubled over, fighting for breath. “Get in the cage before I shoot you dead, then I’d miss the best part.”

Think, Jess!
Once she was in that cage, there was nothing she could do. Marie Duncan’s quiet sobbing underscored that reality.

There was only one option.

She looked up at Potter. “Make me.”

Fury twisted the woman’s face. She leaned down, stuck the barrel of the Glock against Jess’s forehead. “Get in or I’ll blow your brains all over the floor.”

Jess wished she hadn’t let so much time pass without visiting her sister. There were things she should have said more often... things she shouldn’t have taken for granted.

Then she did the only thing she could. She rolled to her side as she swung both feet and knocked Potter’s out from under her.

Potter hit the floor. The weapon discharged. Flew from her hand.

Jess dove for the Glock. Potter kicked out her right foot. Barely missing a boot to the jaw, Jess scrambled after her weapon.

Potter lunged at her, threw her body atop Jess’s.

Marie wailed, her cries rising with the frenzy of the struggle.

Jess focused on getting to the Glock first.

Potter grabbed her by the hair and held her back. Jess ignored the pain, stretched her arm as far as she could, her fingertips grazing the grip.

Potter reached over Jess’s head. Jess elbowed her in the face. The woman howled, released Jess and clutched at her nose.