Karen Rose - I’m Watching You

Because in the end, it would still be the two of them. Whether they had a house full of children or not. Because in the end, he loved her, and she’d said she loved him.

Kristen watched him, watched the truth sink in. Watched his dream slowly die in his eyes. And as he sat there, saying nothing, she could watch him no longer. She turned and walked to the bedroom to stare out the window.

Abe watched her go, so terribly afraid he’d say the wrong thing that he was unable to say anything at all. His cell phone trilled, echoing in the dreadful quiet.

„Reagan.“

„Detective Reagan, this is the nurse from the ICU at County.“

His heart sank. Vincent must have died. He didn’t know how Kristen could take yet another blow. „I remember you. What’s happened to Vincent?“

„Mr. Potremski’s condition is unchanged. The reason I’m calling is that young man has returned. Timothy. He wants to see Vincent.“

Abe jumped to his feet. „Can you keep him there for a half hour?“

„I’ll try.“

Abe ran back to the bedroom, then halted abruptly. Kristen stood at the window, hunched over, her arms wrapped around herself. From where he stood he could see the violent trembles that wracked her body. She was at the end of her rope. She didn’t need to be dragged all over the city in this state. He knew by now how important control was to Kristen. The appearance of control, anyway. She needed to stay here, where she could regroup. He’d talk to this Timothy himself, then he’d come back and they’d talk and he’d make her believe that everything would be all right.

„Kristen, I need to go out for a little while.“ He made his voice as gentle as he could. „I’ll call Aidan to come stay with you until I come back.“ He crossed the room and stood behind her, wishing he knew what to say or do. In the end he just drew her into his arms and held her there while she trembled and quaked. „Lie down and rest. And then we’ll talk.“

She nodded and allowed him to lead her to the bed, where she sat. So quietly. He tipped her face up and brushed a kiss across her lips and left her staring after him.

Saturday, February 28,

2:15 p.m.

Of course it mattered. Kristen had only to look at the desolation on his face to know it mattered. Still she’d waited for him to say it was all right. That he loved her anyway, that they could still be happy. But he hadn’t said any of those things.

He didn’t say it was over, either . Logic started to break through, but logic was a poor substitute for the words she’d so desperately needed to hear. With a sigh she got up and walked through the house. It was so quiet. For the first time in a week, she was alone in her own house. It was unnerving.

„Here, kitty, kitty,“ she said, just to hear the sound of her own voice. It had always been this quiet before she’d met Abe Reagan, but she hadn’t realized before just how much she despised it. She wished she was back at Kyle and Becca’s, with its blaring TVs and constant activity. She jumped when Nostradamus rubbed against her legs. She hadn’t seen either cat since she’d torn down the wall. „Let’s go get you some dinner.“

But she had no kitchen. She looked around and for the first time wondered what had become of her dishes. She supposed Annie had stored them somewhere. So she cleaned out a potpourri dish and filled it with cat kibble. Then wondered what to do next.

The muted strains of her cell phone caught her ear and she grabbed it from her purse, her heart stuttering. The last call to her phone had been a threat, and even though the church hall was filled with cops, the Reagans would be at risk until this whole nightmare was over. „Kristen Mayhew.“

„Miss Mayhew, you don’t know me, but my name is Dr. Porter. I’m with the Lake County Coroner’s Office. I was told you were searching for Leah Broderick.“

Her pulse scrambling, Kristen sat down at her desk and pulled out a notepad. Lake County was where they’d found the Worth shack along with the sniper’s practice paraphernalia. „Yes, we are. What can you tell me?“

„Well, I signed her death certificate on December 27 of last year. It was a suicide.“

Kristen sighed. „That doesn’t surprise me at this point. Can you tell me who made the identification and arranged for burial?“

„It was her father, I remember that.“ Kristen heard a file cabinet opening in the background. „I’ll check his name.“ That was strange, she thought. She distinctly remembered Leah’s mother as a single parent. Still, it was worth a try…

„Was it Robert Barnett by chance? Or maybe someone named Worth?“

„No, I know that wasn’t it. Hold on… Here it is. Owen Madden.“

Kristen’s hand went limp, the pen rolling out of her grasp. Instant denial sprang from her lips. „No, that can’t be right.“

„I can assure you it is.“ He sounded offended. „I remember him well. I did the ID by closed-circuit video because the body was so disfigured. He stood there as stoic as a Marine.“

For a moment Kristen could only stare, her breath coming fast and shallow. Owen. It simply wasn’t possible.

My God . „Um, thank you, Dr. Porter. I’m sorry, this is just a bit of a shock.“ A bit? She struggled not to hyperventilate. „Thank you.“

„I made a copy of his photo ID,“ Porter said. „I can fax you a copy if you like.“

„Yes, thank you.“ She gave Porter her fax number. „Thank you for calling me.“

Her heart now pounding frantically, Kristen closed her phone . I have to think. Think .

Owen. How could it be true?

At this point, how could it not?

„I have to call Abe,“ she murmured and flipped her phone open with shaking hands.

„Maybe later,“ a gravelly voice said from behind her and before she could scream, one large hand had covered her mouth while another grabbed her cell phone and pulled her back against a rock-hard body. „For now, just shut up and do as I say.“

Kristen struggled, but the man was big and strong. She thought of Vincent and Kyle and knew she would be next. Where was Mclntyre ?

„Stop struggling,“ he bit out, „or you’ll be sorry.“

She thought of her new gun, safely stored in her desk drawer. She might as well not have it at all. She wrenched, trying to kick backward and the hand lifted from her mouth and cuffed the side of her head.

Blinking, she saw stars. Still, she drew a breath and screamed as loud as she could. Miraculously, the front door opened and there stood Aidan, key in hand. His face registered shock, then he leaped, pulling the man to the floor and setting her free. Kristen backed away, stopping when the edge of her desk bit into her back. Horrified she watched the men fight.

Police. Call the police . The man had her cell phone so she grabbed the land line. It was dead, the cord cut, so she grabbed her gun instead. The two men rolled across the floor, grappling for control, then Aidan gave a mighty shove and pushed the intruder into a wall. Not thinking, she acted. She squeezed the trigger, again and again and again and the man slumped to the floor. Aidan raised up on all fours and stared, breathing hard. She seemed frozen in place, her arms still extended, the gun still pointing at the wall where a line of blood now streaked her blue-striped wallpaper.

„My God.“ Aidan pushed himself to his feet and came to her, gently taking the gun from her hands. He pulled her into his arms and together they took great shuddering breaths. Then his body jerked and Aidan crumpled to the floor. As if disconnected from her body, she watched him fall, then looked up, taking in shoes, trousers, an overcoat. A hand holding a small club. And the annoyed face of Drake Edwards.