Witness Protection (The Witness Series) (9 page)

After a long, teary goodbye we head off. Nate announces he has to go into work, so we head on in with him. The office they work in is huge and full of peop
le rushing around and chatting frantically
. Nate rushes off to organize some things in his office, so I sit with Ryder in his. I prop myself up on his desk and grin down at him.

“Well hello there.”

I turn to see James Clancy walking in.

“Hello James Clancy.”

He smiles at me. “James is fine.”

“No, I like James Clancy.”

He laughs. “How is the case going Ryder?”

“So far so good, no more crap since the last death.”

“Fingers crossed it stays that way, I came in to say you have a visitor.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, sorry buddy but Janelle is here.”

Ryder stiffens, so heavily it catches my attention.

“Why is she here?”

“I don’t know. She is on her way in.”

James Clancy disappears just as a gorgeous woman walks into the office. She is tall, with long black hair and bright green eyes.
She is wearing a designer blouse and skirt, and looks the image of money and fashion. She is stunning.

“Ryder.” She smiles and he growls.

“Janelle, why are you here?”

“I wanted to talk.”

Her gaze falls on me, I don’t move off
Ryder’s
desk.

“Who is this?” She smiles fakely.

“
This is Ari, she is a friend.”

“Well Ali, if you don’t mind, I would like to speak with Ryder?”

“It’s Ari!” I snap.

Ryder takes my arm and leans in close.
“A minute baby?”

“Fine.”

I storm out and walk into Nate’s office. He is on the phone but smiles when I come in. I take up the same position on h
is
desk, that
I had on
Ryder’s

“Yeah, I got it. What are the reports for that? Send them through.”

He hangs up and smiles up
at me. “What’s up, Ryder kick you out?”

“Actually he did.”

“Oh?”

“Janelle is here.”

Nate stiffens too.

“Janelle?”

“Yes, Janelle. Who is she?”

“His
ex-wife
.”

“And she is here because?”

“Fuck’s
me,
she has been away for a good year. It’s complicated.”

“Well, I don’t like it.”

Nate grins. “Oh?”

“Shut up, I am a little jealous ok.”

“Join the club.”

“You are jealous?”

He grins again.
“Yep.”

“That’s kind of funny.”

“Come
on,
let’s go get a bite to eat.”

“Sound’s good to me.”

We walk out and Ryder is in deep discussion with Janelle.

“Janelle.” Nate greets her gruffly when we walk in.

“Oh Nate, how wonderful to see you.”
She
practically
purrs.

She leans in and kisses him fair on the lips, I crinkle my nose. Ugh.

“Yeah, I can’t say the same. Ryder, we are going out for something to eat.”

“I am going to be out tonight, business.” He manages to say, not once taking his eyes from me.

I feel that jealousy
again, it is clear to all of us
who he will be with tonight. I turn away with fury, I shouldn’t be
jealous,
there is nothing to be jealous about. I plant on a fake smile.

“Right, fine.
We are going.” Nate mutters.

“See you buddy.”

Nate tugs my arm, and I give Ryder a look, it must be a good one because he curses under his breath and grips my arm, pulling me in and slanting his lips over mine.
His kiss is hot, hard and deep. He pulls back leaving me breathless.

“
Don’t look at me like that
baby
, I will see you tomorrow
.”

Nate tugs me away and I manage to capture
Janelle’s
glare. Oh, so that didn’t go down well. Good, in your face.

“What did he say to you?” Nate asks.

“He said
don’t look at me like that
and that he will see me tomorrow
.”

“There
is
a lot of issues between those two, she was the love of his life. There are big scars.”

“Yeah it doesn’t take a genius to figure that one out.”

“So, we are all alone tonight, what do you say we do?”

“Movies, beer, and maybe
a snuggle
or two.”

Nate laughs.
“Deal.”

Nate and I spend the entire evening joking a
nd laughing. We snuggle on the couch and watch movies, and laugh stupidly at the funny parts. He is becoming a strong part of me and I adore him, he is without fail the best friend I have had in a long time. We plod off to bed around midnight, both tired and yawning.

“Thanks Nate, I had fun.”

He smiles. “Me too, you are the best thing that has happened to us in a long while Ari.”

I blush. “Yeah well, you guys aren’t so bad to have
around
either.”

“Give me a kiss.”

I lean forward and he presses his lips to mine.

“Night cowboy.”

“Night sweetheart.”

I plod off to my bed and sink into it.
I think of Ryder and my heart clenches, jealousy still
lurks
deep inside. I pick up my phone and hesitate, will he be mad if I text?
What the heck, it won’t hurt.
Things have been a little better with us since the night he came into my room. Since th
en, he kisses me often, touches me when we sit alone together, but he hasn’t pushed me in any way to go further. I thought it was because he cared and wanted to take it slow, but what if it is because he doesn’t want any more
period
?

I
missed you tonight.

He responds quickly, which makes my heart flutter.

Missed you too baby.

You missed out, we watched old Clint Eastwood re runs, you know GI, you could learn
something’s
from him.

Oh yeah? Sounds fun. I know
all the
Clint moves baby, all of them.

I bet you do, what are you doing?

Business.

That’s it, business?

That’s it.

Well ok then, I suppose I should let you get back to it.

Get some
sleep,
I will see you in the morning.

Ok then, night GI.

Night baby.

* * * * * *

It’s about time she stopped whimpering. I was sick to death of hearing her pathetic panting. Get over it love, I raped you, deal with it. After slitting her throat very slowly and watching her eyes bulge, I wrapped and bagged her. She would make a special treat for my little friend. Oh yes, I have the perfect place to hang her, I just have to find the right moment.

If the little tramp ev
er stops flaunting herself around
that  cop
, she might actually realize she is being stalked by a dangerous killer. She is making a damn joke of me, and my life’s work. She thinks she is safe, prot
ected by her little fuck buddy
but she isn’t, oh no, she isn’t. They might be able to protect her there, granted I won’t get close enough but I have plans, oh yes, I have plans to drag her out and away from them. It’s all about timing.

I peer down and the lifeless body wrapped in a plastic tarp. Good riddance, the girl was a drag. Sobbing and hyperventilating like a mental patient. Honestly, it
surprises
me she ever got fucked in her life before
me,
I was doing her a damned favor. Silly little girl, she was no more than a waste of good clean air.
One less skank to deal with.
I pick up my binoculars and peer out the motel window and over to the huge apartment complex.

Near impossible to get into,
guards
at every damned entrance. There was a back dock through, where the restaurant was stocked, with the right timing I could get in
un
noticed. It is about time little Maya
learnt
she can’t hide from me and it is about time she got some fear pumped into her. The idiot wasn’t going to make a fool of me any longer,
no,
it was time for her to get her present.

CHAPTER
5

“Ari, hey.”

I groan and roll over, too early, go away.

“Come on sweetheart, up and at em.”

I glare through bleary lashes at Nate, who is leaning over me with a stupid smile on his face.

“Nate, go away.”

“Come on, James is here to speak with us and Ryder just got home. Breakfast time, up you get.”

“What does James Clancy want?”

Nate grins. “He hates that you know? That you call him James Clancy.”

I wave an uninterested hand.

“He has news, come on, up.”

“Fine, fine, I am coming.”

I stand and run a brush through my morning hair, then quickly pull on some
pajama
bottoms, I wasn’t getting dressed nicely,
it
is too darn early. When we get into the kitchen/dining area, James Clancy is standing and chatting to Ryder. My heart thumps seeing Ryder, I missed him. He tur
ns to see me and gives me a
smile and a wink. Damn James Clancy for being here.

“Well, she lives.” James Clancy says, turning.

“Yeah yeah, what’s up James Clancy, I was having a nice sleep.”

He gives me a look, but keeps the smile. “I have news.”

“You catch him? Good, I need some sun.”

“No, sorry.”

I huff. “Damn.”

“Another girl went missing a few days ago.”

My blood just about stops pumping and my scalp prickles.

“She…could have been anyone. Girls sneak off all the time.”

“She was blonde, in her teens and out alone.”

“She could have a boyfriend.”

“No, she had no boyfriend.”

“That you know of.” I tremble.

“We are doing everything we can Ariana.”

“My name is Maya!” I snap, exploding with emotion. A tear streams down my face.

“Hey,” Ryder says, gripping my chin. “You are safe.”

“And she isn’t, she is alone with a sicko who will slit her throat, oh
God
, I am going to be sick.”

“No, you aren’t, breathe.” Ryder encourages.

“She will die, and here I am sitting in a nice apartment hiding. He wants me, and he is going to keep killing until he gets me.”

“No, he is going to kill with or without you, he is a killer Ari, it is what they do.” Nate says gently, handing me a cup of tea.

“Tell me you have something, anything.” I whisper.

“We do actually,” James Clancy says, sipping his coffee. “He took her from a street, it just so happens the building on that street had security. His face was covered but we have matched body type, weight and height on the data base and come up with a strong suspect.”

“Go on.” I whisper.

“Bill Jules, thirty year old man. He did time about five years back for
assault
and violence,
then
he just went off the radar. After digging further we found out he lived briefly in Miami, where he was charged again for
assault
but he managed to run and no one has seen or heard from him since. Credit cards,
licenses
, the lot have just ceased.
His mother and father lived out west, split up, abusive relationship. Father is locked away, mother is heavily into drugs.”

“So he could be dead and you are way off.” I mutter.

“I am not finished. His mother is blonde, blonde as blonde can be and pretty. She had him when she was fifteen and she treated him badly. He got taken when she was twenty and put into the foster system.”

“Blonde?” I whisper.

“And she had him when she was a teen. It fits. His mother abused him, she was a whore in his mind, or so he said at his first court case. He also said his day was not done. Could be nothing, but, I am thinking he is a strong lead.”

“Yeah well how do you find someone who has disappeared off the radar?” I ask.