Lips grazed her ear and she swallowed back the bile. „That’s better,“ a raspy voice declared. „Now, who is he?“
Sunday, February 22,
10:05 p.m.
She had a right to be hurt, Abe thought, pulling away from her house. A smart woman like Kristen had put two and two together. Unfortunately she got five. She was not a substitute for Debra. Was she? He thought about her walking into her house alone, all alone. I should have followed her in, checked her closet. But Charlie Truman was there, watching.
Abe went still, while every hair on his neck seemed to stand on end. Wasn’t he? He’d seen the cruiser, but had he seen Truman?
Panic closed his throat and he turned a one-eighty in the middle of the road. A car blew its horn, but Abe was already halfway up the block. He brought the SUV to a screeching halt next to the cruiser. Jumped out to peer in the window.
The cruiser was dark and empty. He yanked at the cruiser’s door, but it was locked. Truman was gone.
Kristen.
„Dammit.“ Abe ran up the driveway, his feet slipping on the ice. He fell and pulled himself back up to his feet, already running again. She’d locked her kitchen door. He pounded with his fists. „Kristen!“
He rounded the house to the back. The basement door was less secure. He could break it down. He threw himself at the door, again and again, until the frame cracked and he was inside. Mindlessly he took the stairs four at a time until he was stumbling into her bedroom, his weapon drawn and his heart hammering.
She knelt on the floor, her head down, gasping, the cordless phone from her nightstand in her hand. He went down on one knee, pulled her chin up. Her eyes were wide and glassy.
She looked at him, then looked at the phone in her hand and ironically his cell phone started to trill in his pocket. „I was calling you,“ she said, her voice oddly distant. „He’s gone. Out the window.“
Abe made it to the window in time to see a figure all in black against the snowy white of the backyard. The man took the back fence like a hurdle and sprinted away.
„Dammit,“ Abe snarled. He might have caught him had he stayed outside. But then again, his breaking in was probably what made the bastard flee. He turned to find Kristen struggling to her feet. In two long strides he was lifting her into his arms. He sank down onto her bed, holding her tight, feeling her body quake. She curled herself against him, her hands clutching the lapels of his coat. Her breath came fast, too fast, and he rocked her gently.
„It’s okay. I’m here.“ He cradled her, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. Oh, God, oh, God. I got here in time. He drew a deep breath, realizing his own breathing was nearly as erratic as hers. He rumbled in his pocket for his cell phone and dialed Dispatch. „Officer Truman is missing.“
The operator was calm. „Officer Truman called in a disturbance ten minutes ago. A young girl approached his vehicle to report her grandfather had fallen and was unconscious in her backyard. He went to help her. What’s happened, Detective?“
„The woman he was supposed to be guarding was just attacked in her own bedroom,“ Abe bit out. „Radio him to return immediately.“ He hung up and dialed Mia. She picked up on the first ring.
„What is it?“
„Kristen’s been attacked.“
He could hear Mia moving around, drawers slamming. „Is she all right?“
„Don’t know. Call Jack. I want a CSU team here ASAP. I’ll call Spinnelli.“
„Will do. Where’s the uniform assigned to her?“
„Took another call. He’ll be back soon. Get here as fast as you can.“
He hung up and, his hand shaking, tossed the cell phone onto her bed. She hadn’t said a single word since he’d picked her up. „Kristen, Kristen, honey, you need to concentrate. Listen to me, honey. Did he hurt you?“
She shook her head hard against his chest and he drew a breath of relief. Let it out. Started to feel his heart return to normal. „Okay, good. Did he say anything to you?“
She nodded.
„What, honey? What did he say?“
Her response was mumbled against his coat. He gently pulled her away from his chest and she valiantly attempted to control her breathing. „Who… is he?“
Shit. „He wanted to know who the killer was?“
She nodded, her eyes sliding closed. „He had… a gun. Cold. He… put it… to my head… said… he’d blow…“ She shuddered and gathered fistfuls of his coat in her hands. „Said he’d… blow… brains out Mine. He said… I was… getting letters. So… I… had to… had to… know him. Maybe… hired him.“
Abe uttered a foul curse regarding Zoe Richardson and, unbelievably Kristen smiled. „Such… chivalry,“ she said, taking even breaths through her nose.
Abe brought her close again, holding her tight. „What else did he say?“
„Said if I didn’t know… I’d better figure it out… Or people I cared about… would die.“
A siren sounded in the distance, growing closer with each second. Abe gently settled her on the bed. „I’ve got to check the perimeter. Maybe he dropped something on his way in or out.“
„But you don’t think so.“
„No. Stay here. I’ll be back.“
„Abe.“
He turned at the doorway to find her staring down at her hands, her breath still hitching. „Send one of… Jack’s guys in here to… scrape my nails.“ She looked up, her mouth set in a satisfied line. „I… got his face.“
Abe smiled grimly. „That’s my girl.“
Monday, February 23,
12:30 a.m.
It was over now. All the police and CSU were gone. The only people left in her house were herself and Abe Reagan. They faced each other in her living room and he held out his hand. She walked into his arms.
„How did you know to come back?“ she asked, her cheek pressed hard into his solid chest. A heartbeat later she was swung up into his arms and he settled on the sofa, holding her on his lap like she was a baby. To protest never entered her mind.
He pulled the pins from her hair with quick, efficient movements and she sighed as the pressure on her head disappeared and her curls sprang free. „I remembered I hadn’t actually seen Truman in the cruiser.“ He shrugged. „I just knew.“
„Thank you.“ One corner of her mouth lifted. „Either I’m getting good at playing the damsel in distress or you’re getting good at playing the white knight.“
He massaged her head with his big hand. „Do they have to be mutually exclusive?“
She closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of his hand. „No. I called you again.“
„Before you called 9-1-1,“ he said sternly and she just smiled.
„I guess I did. I knew you’d come.“ She sighed. „Thanks. For taking care of me.“
He was quiet for a long moment. „You were lucky tonight.“
She didn’t want to think about it. „Will Officer Truman get into any trouble?“
Abe shook his head and Kristen felt relieved. Officer Truman looked as upset as she’d felt when he’d returned mere minutes after Abe had broken down the door to save her. „No. He did everything right. How was he to know he was being lured away from you by a false report? The girl who approached his vehicle seemed sincerely frantic.“
„Who was she?“
„Truman will give a description to the sketch artists, but I’m not counting on anything. After he thought about it, he couldn’t even say for certain she was a teenager. She told him her grandfather had gone out to walk the dog, that it was a while before she even realized he was gone. That she’d found her grandfather facedown in the snow, and he was unconscious. He chalked up her not calling 9-1-1 to the panic of a kid. Of course, there was no old man.“