Flashback, p.23
Flashback, page 23
“Sorry about that.”
Chloe grinned. “My sister is paranoid about drop-in visitors.”
“I’ve been learning a lot about both of you.” Kendra was rubbing her throat. “From Paula, Detective Todd Williams, and a certain auto mechanic named Charles Davenport.”
Chloe grimaced. “Oh, God.”
“Yes,” Kendra said. “I must say, I dislike your taste in men enormously.”
“So do I,” Sloane said with a frown. “I made a lot of mistakes when I was younger. I’ve been trying to make up for them lately.”
Kendra was still rubbing her throat. “Any reason why you started to strangle me just now?”
She shrugged. “You were a stranger. I couldn’t trust you. But I didn’t finish it.”
“Thanks to your sister.”
“I was protecting her, too.”
“She’s not as bad as you think,” Chloe said quietly. “Apologize, Sloane.”
Sloane nodded. “I’m sorry if I hurt you. But I’ve been training for a long time and I could have really damaged you if I’d tried.”
“So that was practice.”
She nodded. “Sort of.”
“Then I should tell you that I also practice a good deal.” She looked at Chloe. “I work just as hard as you do and I’m very dedicated.” She patted the gun on her hip holster. “Another few seconds, and I would have gone for this.”
Sloane’s eyes widened. “How good are you?”
“Good enough. But that’s not why I’m here. We should talk about it later.”
“Why are you here?” Chloe asked. “Did Detective Williams think we might need more supplies? Heaven knows he gave us more than we could possibly use. But then he was always like that. Always taking care of us.”
“Yes, he cared for you both very much.”
Oh, shit. Sloane was sitting straight up, her gaze on Kendra. “Be quiet a minute, Chloe. She’s trying to tell us something and it’s not easy for her. Isn’t that right, Kendra?”
“Kendra?” Chloe whispered.
Kendra drew a deep breath. “She’s right. It’s not easy and it’s never going to be any easier. But you have to hear it, because it would be what I would want. Because you have to know he risked his life for you both.”
“He’s… gone.” Chloe said. “He didn’t just… send… you?”
Kendra shook her head. “In a way he did. It’s why you need to hear this.”
“Go ahead,” Sloane said as she went to sit beside her sister. “We talked about it. We knew he was putting himself in danger for us.”
The two sisters had gone through so much heartbreak over the years, Kendra thought. She hated to be the one to bring this new threat to the forefront. And it wasn’t over; new agony loomed on the horizon.
Get it over with. They could take it.
“Well, then I guess I should begin where it started for me when Paula asked me to help with the case she and Williams had worked together when you were children. At first I didn’t want to take it. I didn’t know enough…”
She had expected questions but both girls were silent as she told them about Paula Chase’s murder, Williams’ story, and later the rest of the events that had brought her here. Toward the end there were tears but she found she was also crying as she tried to comfort them. But there was no real comfort to be had at this time.
After she finished, she found that one of the girls had brought her a cup of tea. She didn’t even remember which one but was grateful for the kindness.
She finished the tea and set down the cup. “Enough?”
“Too much,” Sloane said. “You knew it would be, didn’t you?”
She nodded. “But we couldn’t even begin to try to solve it until you knew everything. It’s not over, you know.” She smiled. “As startled as I was by Sloane’s tackle, I totally understand it. And I appreciate that you’ve been on high alert out here. Williams obviously brought you both here because he thought it was one place you could stay safe. But what brought him—and you—to this point?”
Chloe let out a long breath. “It was my fault. I was the one who reached out to him.”
“You two were reaching out to everyone connected with the case, weren’t you?” Kendra asked.
“It was different with Detective Williams.”
“You should probably go back and tell her about Setzer,” Sloane said.
Chloe nodded. “After we started re-interviewing people, I was approached by someone named Justin Setzer. It was no one I’d ever heard of. He said he had some information for us, but he was limited in what he could say. We had to do the follow-up work ourselves, but he said he could guide us and push us in the right direction if he thought we needed it.”
“What did he tell you?”
“He told us to look into the Dayton Group and what they were doing at the Baum house around the time that our mother was killed. We started asking around, but we didn’t get far at first. So Setzer started telling us more and more.”
Kendra nodded. “We know about the Dayton Group.”
“Well, we didn’t have any idea until Setzer told us. He eventually admitted that he was a member of the group. He revealed how the Dayton Group enabled and covered for the Bayside Strangler, whose name was Rod Wallace. Setzer told us he even helped fake Wallace’s death.”
“Really?” Kendra thought for a moment. Although Highcastle suspected the man’s death had been faked, this confirmed it.
Chloe nodded. “I think he felt guilty that they had enabled this psychopath for as long as they did. Setzer left the Dayton Group not long afterward and started his own private security company. Anyway, we told Detective Williams all of this, and we probably would have gotten in touch with Detective Chase if we’d had the chance. Williams had just started reaching out to his law-enforcement and intelligence sources to confirm and investigate the story when Setzer was murdered. That’s when Detective Williams decided it was too dangerous for me and Sloane to stick around. He figured that Setzer’s old Dayton Group teammates found out that he was being too forthcoming with information about their activities, and they silenced him. Williams wanted to get us the hell out of Dodge as soon as we could.”
“Leaving behind your phones, purses, credit cards, everything?” Kendra said.
“He didn’t want us bringing anything that could possibly be tracked. Phones, of course, were out. But driver’s licenses and credit and ATM cards have RFID chips that can flag sensors all over the place. When Williams realized what we may be up against, he didn’t want to take any chances. He said that these people have resources we can’t imagine. He even made us take off our Apple Watches and fitness trackers. I took his file and the file we had started for Setzer and left everything else behind.”
“The bad guys were aware you knew about all of this,” Kendra said, putting it together in her own mind. “And they figured you most likely had some written evidence in those files of yours. That’s why they wanted your files so badly.”
“We gave those particular folders to Detective Williams,” Chloe said.
“I wish he had stayed here, too,” Kendra said.
“We asked him to stay, but he wanted to get back and get to the bottom of things,” Sloane said. “I guess that’s what he was working on when he was killed.”
“He was probably reaching out to his old law-enforcement contacts,” Kendra said. “I wish he had confided in Lynch and me sooner. But he didn’t really know us, and I think he was a little suspicious of Lynch because of his government work.”
Sloane shrugged. “Well, when Detective Williams left us alone on this island with food, blankets, and his old service revolver, we couldn’t be sure of surviving. We knew he would try to help us but he obviously didn’t want us to have any contact with the outside world until he could make it safe for us.” Her lips twisted. “But evidently that wasn’t going to happen. We decided that we were going to have to take care of ourselves. So we set out to do it. We did everything from setting up sentry posts to watching for any bad guys who might be coming after us over the horizon.”
“Speak for yourself,” Chloe said. “Don’t let her bullshit you, Kendra. She’s the one who set up all those defensive moves because she liked the idea of training herself to be Rambo.” She was grinning affectionately. “But I have to admit she did a good job of it. I just did what she told me.”
“Except for the cooking,” Sloane added.
“It kept me busy,” Chloe said. “Paradise can be extremely boring with nothing to do.”
“I imagine it could,” Kendra said. “I’ve never had to worry about that.” The sisters were obviously completely different and yet she could see the affection. She rubbed her throat again. The flesh was still sore, and she was glad she hadn’t had to deal with Lynch when she—
Lynch!
Dammit! She didn’t have to check her watch to know that she’d been more than twenty minutes. She headed for the door. “I’ll be right back. I forgot that I promised to meet Lynch.”
“Ah, the mysterious Lynch you told us about,” Sloane said with a smile. “I can hardly wait. Do you need us to run interference?”
“That’s the last thing I want. You might make him a sandwich if you like. Since he’s been trotting all over this island while I’ve been tucked in here with both of you for the past half hour.” She didn’t wait for them to answer. She was out the door in three minutes but she ran into Lynch just outside the radio shack. He didn’t look pleased.
“I know, I’m late.” She held out her hand to ward him off. “But good news: I located Sloane and Chloe, and they’re both alive and well.”
He nodded. “Well, that’s a relief.”
“They appear to be very familiar with the island. Did you see any sign of boat or helicopter activity while you were searching? Sloane said she’s been keeping an eye out and she’ll be glad to show us around.”
“How kind,” Lynch said caustically. “But I believe I’m up to date at the moment on Wallace and his ugly crew. Perhaps later.” He took a step closer to her. “What I’m really interested in knowing is how you managed to get that ugly bruise on your throat? I know you didn’t have it when you left me.” His fingers touched the bruise. “How?”
“An accident.” She moistened her lips. “A misunderstanding with Sloane. Now drop it, Lynch.”
“I will. I’m going to let you take me inside and I’ll be very charming. I just want you to introduce me and let me set the rules. Then it will be over.”
“I set the rules,” she said firmly. “They’ve lost people they care about.”
He nodded. “And I have no intention of losing anyone I care about. Don’t worry. I won’t be ugly.” He opened the door of the radio shack with a flourish. “So introduce me, Kendra.”
“I have to admit, he’s very interesting.” Chloe was watching Lynch move around the kitchen half an hour later. “And he’s getting along with Sloane very well, which is a relief. I was afraid that she’d be antagonistic toward him when he started telling her all the places on the island he was going to ask her to take him after dinner.”
“She offered to do it. I heard her.” Kendra shrugged. “Why were you surprised?”
“Because she regards this island as her own special place these days… and he’s a very dominant personality. Of course, he probably won her over when he ran out and got Harley and brought him back here. He’s a very appealing pooch.”
“Yes, he is,” Kendra agreed. “Though he’s capable of getting in a great deal of trouble. That’s why we try to keep him away from the seals. But everyone does love him.” She looked Chloe in the eyes. “Even Todd Williams liked him.”
“I’m sure.” Chloe smiled. “One blue eye and one brown. Detective Williams had a big heart. He could never resist an animal that unusual.”
“Lynch told you what happened when I took Harley to see Williams?”
“A few things,” Chloe said. “We were asking a lot of questions and Lynch was kind enough to answer them.” She was silent a moment. “And then he went on and told us how Todd Williams died and his last words to and about us.” She was blinking tears away rapidly. “And then we realized how kind a man your friend Lynch really could be.”
“Yes,” Kendra said quietly. “You should have seen Lynch after Williams’ car was found. He risked his life to get to him, and I believe Williams knew it. I think he knew we’d never stop looking for you. Because he trusted us.”
“So do we,” Chloe said. She smiled. “And you found us.”
“We located you,” Kendra corrected. “But we haven’t really found you until we bring you home. That comes next.” Her smile faded. “And it’s difficult waiting right now. I want it over. I want all the deaths to stop.”
“Me too,” Chloe said.
Kendra lowered her voice. “One question, Chloe… Why did you have a garrote under the floor of your bedroom? It looked like the same contraption the killer might have used.”
Chloe looked stunned. “You found that?”
Kendra nodded.
This obviously flustered Chloe. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered.
“Where did you get that?”
She looked down, unable to meet Kendra’s gaze. “I made it.”
“Why? Chloe, what was it for? Were you planning to use it?”
“Yes. But not in the way you probably think.”
“Then in what way?”
Chloe still didn’t look up at her. “When I was a freshman in college, I thought I’d found my mom’s killer. All the evidence I’d gathered seemed to line up with him. I presented it all to the police, and no one took me seriously. I decided if they weren’t going to do anything about it, I’d take things into my own hands. I made that garrote out of an electrical cord, the exact same type and gauge that the Bayside Strangler used. I was going to plant it in his place to help make my case. For a time, I thought I might even kill him and call it self-defense. But later, I decided it would be enough to plant the evidence I needed to have him locked up for good. Eventually, I lost my nerve and didn’t do anything. Good thing, because he wasn’t the strangler after all. He was just some creep who was fascinated by the case, and all serial killer cases.”
Kendra smiled. “I know a guy like that. They’re not all creeps.”
Chloe finally looked up. “I was going to burn my garrote, but something made me want to hold on to it. Maybe I thought I still might use it someday, I don’t know. But I tried to put it someplace where no one would ever find it.”
“It almost worked. So, that was your blood on it?”
“I thought I’d wiped it all off. I tried it out on myself to make sure it left a mark identical to the strangler’s garrote.” She managed a smile. “Kind of ridiculous, huh?”
Kendra put her hand on Chloe’s. “We all work through these things in our own way.”
“I still dream about the day my mother died. I don’t think it will ever be over.”
“Soon,” Kendra said. “I promise you.” She squeezed Chloe’s hand. “You won’t lose the memories, but someday the nightmares will end.” She shook her head to clear it. “What else do we have to do to finish dinner? Your sister and Lynch have done all the work.”
“I’m not worried,” Chloe said. “I could tell Lynch knew what he was doing when he offered to help cook this meal. What kind of training does he have? He appears to be ultra-competent.”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. I suppose we could start at Hell’s Kitchen and go from there…”
The foursome talked more over dinner, and Kendra was interested to discover how different the Morgan sisters were from the impressions she’d formed during her investigation; although much of their lives had been defined by their mother’s horrible death, there was little evidence of the serious, somewhat grim young women she’d expected to find. Chloe and Sloane were engaging and witty, and they seemed determined to enjoy life despite their shared tragedy.
Lynch was his usual charming self, but as the meal went on, he seemed anxious and distracted. Finally he stood. “I’ll be right back.”
After he’d left the shack, Chloe and Sloan immediately turned to Kendra. “Is everything okay?”
Kendra nodded. “Lynch is hypervigilant. If I know him the way I think I do, after we go to sleep he’s going to spend the entire night on that hill behind the sheds, keeping watch with his binoculars.”
Sloane looked away. “And tomorrow you’ll take us back to San Diego?”
“That’s the plan.”
“I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” Sloane said. “I’ve felt so safe here.”
“Lynch knows people. He’ll make sure you’re okay.”
Chloe was about to say something when Lynch burst back into the room.
“Turn off the lights! All of them!”
Kendra jumped to her feet. “What is it?”
“We have company. One small boat has dropped anchor about half a mile off shore, and a slightly larger one is now headed this way.”
“Is it a navy patrol?” Chloe asked as she turned off the solar-powered battery lantern. “Detective Williams told us they might sometimes circle the island, but he says they almost never come down this way.”
Lynch shook his head. “It wasn’t a navy craft. It was an electric speedboat, very stealth. I might have missed it were it not for the running lights. I counted at least six people on deck.”
“Shit,” Sloane said. “I can probably only handle three of them. Four, tops.”
“Stop it, Sloane,” Chloe said. “This is serious.”
“Whatever. Do you think I’m not? I’m not going down without a fight.”
Lynch pulled out his automatic and popped in the ammo cartridge. “We’re not going down at all. But we need to get away from these buildings. They’ll be the first things targeted. Is there a back door here?”
Chloe nodded. “At the end of the hallway.”
“Let’s use it. I want to be at the top of the hill by the time that boat gets to shore.”
