Ten Times Guilty (10 page)

Inside the museum, she locked the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. She made her way downstairs, wondering why there was no sign of Karr. But when she flipped on the lights in the office, there he was, asleep on the sofa.

“Karr!”

He woke and sat up, instantly alert. “Tracy. What are you doing here?” He smoothed his hair.

Her eyes flew to the desk. No cash bag. She crossed to the safe and began to work the combination.

“I have to check something.” She opened the safe. Thank God the green cash bag sat tucked into the corner. Breathless with relief, she touched it just to make sure, then closed the safe and locked it. 

“Hey, wait a minute,” Karr said as she rushed out of the office. “I was just resting when you came in. You won’t say anything, will you?”

Tracy had to get out of there. She took the stairs two at a time. She had just reached the front door when Karr came up behind her.

“I have to talk to you,” he said.

“I really have to go. It’s already late.”

“When you came in,” he told her, “I was just napping. A catnap, really, just a few minutes. The hours I work, I have to. You won’t tell anyone, will you? I’d get fired, and my career in law enforcement would be over.”

Law enforcement? “Please, I have to go. I won’t say anything.” She avoided Karr’s eyes and opened the door. Once outside, she glanced back at the museum. Arms folded, Karr stood at the window watching her. Chilled, she kept glancing back at him until she crossed Colfax.

Never again. From now on, she would make certain she did everything correctly.

She hurried on, the heels of her shoes echoing through the night stillness. Everything seemed so deserted. Why weren’t any cars going by? In a city the size of Denver, people were on the move even at this hour. Where had everyone gone all of a sudden? If only it wasn’t so dark.

From behind, she heard the deep sound of a heavy engine. Headlights illuminated the street in front of her.

Tracy walked faster. Should she run to a house, any house, and pound on the door?

The van pulled to the curb and stopped.

The lights went out.

A door clicked.

Tracy ran.

Chapter Thirteen

“Tracy!” Clutching his belt, Karr ran to catch up, his handcuffs jingling against his blackjack.

Tracy stopped. “Are you crazy?” Her heart pounding in her throat, she.bent over to catch her breath.  “Do you have any idea how you scared me?”

“I didn’t mean to, I just want to talk to you.”

God, what a nuisance. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

His eyes narrowed. “Like you told me, that’s not your concern.”

“I work there, Karr, it is my concern. Mr. Madden trusts you to do a job.”

“ ‘Trusts me to do a job’,” he mimicked. “What are you, the job police?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake.” She started walking again.

He kept pace with her. “I know you’re almost home, but I want to talk to you a minute.”

How did he know where she lived?

“Please, Karr, whatever it is, can’t it wait until tomorrow? I’m tired and I have to get home. I have a babysitter waiting.”

Why didn’t he leave her alone? Hadn’t she made it clear how she felt? “Good night,” she said firmly, not hiding her annoyance. She kept walking.

“Wait.”

She didn’t break stride.

Holding his belt, he caught up. “We haven’t finished our business.”

She stopped. “What business? If you mean about you sleeping—”

“Goddammit, I told you, it was a nap!”

Something was wrong; he had never used that tone with her. She looked up at him, really seeing him for the first time, and saw the anger in his eyes, anger she’d only sensed before. She felt danger as strong as an electrical charge and knew she had to get home. Now.

The branches of one of overgrown willows to their right rustled in the breeze. Tracy glanced toward home, measuring the distance.

“It was just a nap,” he said again, licking the spittle from the corner of his mouth. “You got that straight?”

“Yes, you’re right, a nap,” she said, keeping her voice calm and soothing. “I won’t say anything.”  She eased forward a few steps, trying not to draw attention to the fact she was moving.

His eyes narrowed. “I know why you’re in such a fuckin’ hurry.”

“My son—”

“Bullshit!” He grabbed her arm, yanking her to a stop. “You got that guy waiting, don’t you?”

“What guy? Please, you’re hurting me.” She twisted her arm, but couldn’t get free.

“I thought it could be different this time, that I could make you love me...”

What was he talking about?

“That guy comes along, you treat me like a sack of shit. You’re too busy spreading your legs for him!”

“Let go of me, Karr,” she said, trying to pull free. “Let go or I’ll scream. I’m not kidding!”

He pulled her toward him as she tried to twist away and locked his arms around her.

“Let me love you,” he whispered, nuzzling his face against her neck. “I’ll make it good for you, you’ll see.” His breath stank of sour whiskey. He ground his pelvis against her.

“Stop it!” She tried to strike out at him but he grabbed her arms and pinned her wrists to her sides.

She screamed.

His hand clamped onto her mouth, pinching her nose.

One of her hands was free! She grabbed for his hair, his eyes, anything. Her nails dug into his cheek.

He drew back and struck her, hard across the face.

Tracy’s world shifted. Her ears rang. She tasted salty copper as the hit bloodied her nose and split her lip. She reeled and lost her footing.

He grabbed her and held her tightly against him. “Dammit, you could be a little more cooperative.” He lifted her so their crotches met.

Her liquid body slumped against him. She fought to stay conscious. With what strength she could summon, she pushed against him and screamed. All she heard were whimpering sounds.

“Shut up,” he ordered, dragging her toward the clump of willows.

No! She had to get away. She kicked. And connected with something solid.

He dropped her. “Goddamn son of a bitch!”

She hit the ground hard, her face digging into the grass. She pulled herself up and scrambled to her hands and knees. Before she could get two steps, she felt excruciating pain explode on the back of her head. Her knees buckled and she went down.

***

Tracy lay with her eyes open. She breathed, but there was no recognition of anything or anyone. Images passed in front of her with no connection between her eyes and her brain.

She wasn’t aware of hands rolling her onto her back. A man was close to her, but she didn’t know who he was or what he was doing. And she didn’t care. She didn’t even care when he yanked her blouse, popping buttons as he ripped it open, or when he pulled off her jeans and panties. Then the man was on top of her, grunting, but she wasn’t concerned. She didn’t notice when he stood up again.

***

Cold...so cold. She shivered and felt pain. Pain everywhere, her nipples, stomach and between her legs. Her head throbbed violently and she felt nauseated. Groaning, she drew her legs together and curled up on her side.

“Well, you’re back. You cold?”

She forced her eyes to focus and saw Karr, standing over her.

  “You shouldn’t have made me hit you,” he said, crouching down beside her. He lifted a strand of hair from her face and pulled out a handkerchief. He dabbed at her mouth. “Let’s get some of the blood off.”

She drew back sharply. 

“It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.”

The sudden movement made the earth tilt. Holding her stomach, Tracy rolled to her side, her face on the grass. Scalding bile rushed up her throat and spilled out her mouth, splattering her face, her hair, the blackjack by her head.

“Son of a bitch!” Karr shot to his feet. “What the fuck’s going on here?”

She threw up again.

“Jesus H. Christ,” he muttered disgustedly. “You fucking broad. Who the hell do you think you are, puking all over me?” He kicked her in the ribs.

“Oh, don’t...please,” Tracy moaned.

“Didn’t have to be this way, you know,” he went on. “If you woulda just given me some time, treated me decent. But no, you just sailed right past me, nose in the air, treating me like I don’t count. Well, I showed you.”

He knelt down to her, grabbed her hair and pulled her up to face him.

“Listen, bitch. You’re gonna get up, go home and forget this ever happened. Hear me, cunt? You’re not gonna call the cops. You even think about it and I’ll make you wish you’d never been born. Understand?”

“Y-yes!” Tracy cried.

He pointed to the security patch on his sleeve.

“See this? Means I got connections. I have ways to find you. No matter how long it takes, no matter where you are, I’ll get you. I’ll fucking get you. You and that kid of yours.”

“I-I won’t, please, I’ll do anything...”

“You know, I was raised on a farm.” Suddenly his voice took on a pleasant conversational tone. “And I got real good at snapping chicken necks. Why, I could snap them the quickest of anybody I knew! Should’ve entered a contest, I was so good.” He leaned in close to Tracy, almost nose to nose. “You ever notice how a baby’s neck is just like a chicken’s?”

Tracy stared at him, horror rising in her throat.

“Doesn’t take long to do the job,” he hissed, making a twisting motion with his hands. “A quick snap, then they’re dead. Quick as a fucking wink.” His black eyes pierced hers. “You ever think about turning me in, you just remember those chicken necks.”

Ritchie...God, oh God...

Karr stood, adjusted his clothing, then without looking back, he sauntered to his van.

Tracy lay on the ground, forcing herself to stay conscious. She had to get home, get Ritchie and get out of here. She had heard madness in Karr’s voice and she had no doubt he would follow through on his threat.

When she tried to get to her feet, she vomited again.

But she had to get up. What if he changed his mind and came back? She pulled up a fistful of grass and wiped her mouth.

She was so cold. Shivering, she ran her hands over her arms, trying to urge some warmth into her skin. She found one shoe and her panties.

Taking it slow, she managed to sit. She rested, then rose. Her legs were wobbly but she was able to stand.

When she took a step, the world tilted, and she almost passed out. She grabbed a tree, using the thick trunk for support.

Stumbling and crawling, she finally made her way to the stairs of her apartment.

But she couldn’t manage the steps.

Diana. Diana would help her. She crawled to Diana’s bedroom window, and with the little strength she had left, she pulled herself up and thumped on the glass. Her legs folded and she fell to the ground.

Diana’s face appeared at the window.

Tracy lay quietly, lost in a netherworld of mist and fog. Somewhere in the distance, she heard a door slam and Diana calling her name.

“Oh my God.” Diana stood over her, then pounded on the bedroom window. “Mike! Mike! Call 911!” She fell to her knees beside Tracy. “Mike! Bring my other robe!” She took off her robe, spread it over Tracy, and cradled her head in her arms.

Tracy ran her tongue over her swollen lips and tried to speak.

“No, don’t call anyone,” she managed to say, shivering violently.

“But you need help,” Diana cried. “Oh, honey, what happened?” Diana searched in her pocket for a tissue, and gently touching the swollen lips, patted at the blood on Tracy’s face.

“Please,” Tracy begged, “just help me up the stairs.”

In the distance, a siren wailed.

“The baby...” Tracy grabbed Diana’s sleeve. “Watch him...important...”

“You know we will. Don’t worry about that.”

But she was talking to herself; Tracy had lapsed into unconsciousness.

Chapter Fourteen

Reese was running through fire. Scorching orange flames surrounded him in great bursts of light. Somewhere eyes were watching him, accusing him. He ran faster, flames licking his feet until he stumbled and fell into a well of flame...

The telephone shrilled.

Heart racing, he jerked awake. He lay drenched in sweat, his stomach blazing and churning the chilidogs he’d wolfed down on his way home. Or was it the extra Jalapenos topping the onions?

Fumbling in the dark, he groped for the phone and growled something unintelligible into the mouthpiece. His head pounded. He belched fire. Christ, would he never learn? He felt for his antacid pills and popped a handful into his mouth.