Always Watching (16 page)

He rubbed his forehead. “If you still think we need to go someplace else after the dinner Thursday night, I'll . . . consider it.”

Olivia nodded. “I think that's wise. Not as wise as leaving now, but I'll take what I can get.” Because she had a feeling Wade's stalker had more sinister plans for him and she was going to do whatever it took to keep him out of this madwoman's hands. She just hoped his sense of responsibility toward his charity didn't get him killed.

Wade backed out of Amy's room and shut the door. She was snuggled into her bed, the blankets pulled to her chin.

He leaned his forehead against the shut door and drew in a calming breath. What was happening?
Why
was this happening?
God, I don't understand. Give me strength, please
.

Footsteps fell softly on the carpet runner behind him. He recognized Martha's tread and turned. She looked shaken. Worried.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I think that should be my question for you.”

“I'm fine. Amy is asleep and whoever did this is long gone.”

“For now.”

“Yes. For now.”

“Olivia is downstairs looking for you.”

“Thanks.”

“I think I'm going to bed, if that's all right,” she said.

“Go on. If they need you for any reason, I'll come get you.”

He watched the red and blue lights from the law enforcement vehicles bounce off the walls in his hallway. He pulled his phone
from his pocket and dialed the station manager while Martha stood at the window and watched the action.

After making arrangements for the show, he hung up, relieved Dale could play the recording from his home. He and Dale really needed to sit down and figure out how to keep the show going until the building was repaired. If that's what the man wanted.

“You should build a soundproof room that would allow you to do the show from home,” Martha said.

He'd thought about it but hadn't wanted to shell out the expense. Not that he couldn't afford it. And it
would
be convenient. And safe. But it galled him. He shouldn't have to wonder if he was going to be attacked in the parking lot of the station or if someone was going to strap bombs to the doors. “I'll give it some more consideration.”

“Good.” She turned to go, then spun back. “And remember, Joanna and I are spending the day together again tomorrow. Since Amy's staying home with you, I told Joanna we could do some therapy shopping and see a movie. She needs more girl time since she broke it off with her latest.”

“Joanna and her men. You think she'll ever settle down?”

Martha shrugged. “She and I are kind of two peas in a pod. We just can't seem to find what we're looking for.”

“It'll happen.”

She smiled. “I'm not terribly worried about it. You and Amy are all the family I need for now. One day that might change. If the right man were to come along, but for now . . . I'm content.”

He hugged her. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

She laughed. “You'd manage.”

“Wade? Could I talk to you a moment?”

He turned. Olivia's silky smooth voice soothed his nerves and calmed his racing thoughts. “Of course.”

Martha patted his arm. “I'll see you in the morning.” She nodded to Olivia as she passed her and went to the stairs.

“Is Amy all right?” Olivia asked him.

“Yes. Thanks.” He tilted his head. “Do you think I should see if Stacy can come over here after school tomorrow? If it was my kid, I'd want her so far away from this house . . .” He sighed.

Olivia paused, then shook her head. “You could call Stacy's mother and let her know what's happened. Then she can make the decision for herself.”

He nodded. “I'll do that. After I speak to her, do you mind talking for a moment?”

“That would be great.”

He led the way and soon found himself seated in his favorite recliner with her across from him on the love seat. He made the call to Stacy's mother, but she didn't pick up. He left her a voice mail to call him as soon as she got the message, then turned his attention to Olivia. She leaned forward and clasped her hands together. He couldn't help noticing the strong line of her jaw, the sleek muscles in her forearms, the way her eyes never missed a thing. She was cool, professional, beautiful. And she'd made it clear she was off-limits.

“The officers spoke with your neighbors and no one saw anything,” she said.

“The houses are pretty spread out around here.” He shrugged and tried not to let his wounded pride get in the way of just talking to her. “It's one of the perks of living on the lake. A lot of land and a lot of privacy.” He paused. “Did they search the boathouses?”

“Yes and still nothing.” She rubbed her eyes. “You're right about there being a lot of land. We're going to have to patrol it.”

“Do you have the manpower to do that?”

She nodded. “We'll find it.”

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “For everything. For putting your life on the line and for making sure we stay alive in spite of my stubbornness.”

She nodded. “Sure.”

“I won't take the boat out tomorrow. Amy can still stay home, but we won't take the boat out.”

Her expression softened. “I think we can make arrangements for y'all to enjoy the boat on the water tomorrow.” Then her eyes sharpened. “After I have a conversation with Quinn.”

MONDAY MORNING

“Murder? You have no proof,” Quinn said. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

Olivia sat across from him, his wooden desk between them. She'd come to his office first thing this Monday morning while Haley and Katie took over bodyguard duties. After she went home and caught a few hours of sleep. Fatigue tugged at her, but she wouldn't give in until she got her way.

“Exactly. That's why I think you should exhume her body,” Olivia argued. She let her gaze fall on the wall behind him. Pictures of his family adorned it. He said he put those there to remind him to be careful and not take unnecessary risks. A picture of Maddy sat at the corner. She picked it up and her heart hurt for her friend and the man who cared so much about her.

“It's a hunch. You can't exhume a body based on a hunch.” Quinn eyed her holding the picture, but didn't say anything.

“What if I'm right?” she asked softly. She placed the picture back. “What if she was killed? If so, there's a murderer wandering around out there maybe targeting his next victim.”

“His victim? Or
her
victim? Because you think Wade's stalker has been planning this for a while, don't you?”

“I don't know. If she has, then I think maybe when she learned Wade and Justine were going to marry, it pushed her into action.” She pursed her lips, then blew out a low sigh.

“But he didn't start getting those gifts until recently.”

“I know. I don't have all the answers because the only person who can give them to me is doing her best not to get caught. I just feel like we're missing something and Justine's death may be a part of that. I don't want to let something slide just because it's a long shot.” She narrowed her eyes. “I want Francisco to do another autopsy on Justine.”

“What about Justine's family? How are they going to feel about it?”

“I bet they'll want answers.”

“Answers to questions that might not need to be asked. You could be opening Pandora's box all over again. This is serious stuff here, Liv.”

She ground her molars and paused before letting the words release from her lips. “I know that, Quinn. I'm not a novice. I'm not a cop anymore either—at least not in the normal sense of the word.” She narrowed her eyes and locked gazes with him. “But I haven't lost my cop instincts and I really think I'm right about this.” At his continued silence, she resisted reacting. Instead, she rose and took a step toward him, placed her hands on his desk, and leaned in. “Who sends a suicide note via text?”

“Someone who wants to be found fast?”

She grimaced. “Okay, I'll give you that one. But to say ‘I'll miss you'? Is that something a person who is so depressed they're going to end their life would say?”

Her intensity must have finally penetrated that thick skull of his, because he sighed. Then gave a slow nod. “I don't know.
I've never had anyone close to me commit suicide. But I see your point.” He tapped the open file folder on his desk, then shut it. “Guess this can wait a bit. All right, we can fill out the paperwork.”

“Good.”

He lifted a brow. “Good?”

“And thanks.” She shot him a smile and headed for the door. “I've got your number and you've got mine. Stay in touch.”

He grunted. “Yeah, I've got your number.”

After she finished her conversation with Quinn, Olivia made a quick trip home to water her plants and check her mail. She looked around her barren house and felt a pang of loneliness. For the first time in a long time, she'd met someone who made her wonder if her future could be different than the one she'd mapped out for herself. One where she controlled the shots, trusted no one, and worked enough hours that she didn't have to think about how empty her life was at the end of the day.

For a brief moment, she let herself envision a life with Wade and Amy. Her heart pounded at the thought and her breath caught in her throat. Then she pushed the vision away. She'd pretty much told Wade she wasn't interested. But the truth was, she was very interested, she was just scared.

Swallowing the sudden lump that had risen into her throat, she pushed all thoughts of domesticity away and called Katie to let her know she was on the way back to the Savage home. “How are you feeling? You need a break? Need to grab some sleep?”

“I'm fine right now. We're just waiting on you to get here so we can take the boat out.”

“Charlie and Lizzie are on board for the duration. They should be there by now.”

“Not yet, but I'll keep my eyes open.”

“Good. Thanks. I want everyone there while Wade and Amy are out on the lake. After they're safely back inside, we can send a few people home to get some rest. Haley is staying through lunch and Charlie will cover for you when you're ready to leave. If Charlie gets there before I do, make the introductions. Also let Wade know about Lizzie in case he feels like he needs to smooth the way for Amy, prepare her for the additional bodyguard.”

“You got it.”

Olivia hung up and walked out the door. When she pulled to a stop at the top of Wade's horseshoe-shaped drive, she saw a red Ford truck sitting in front of the house. Charlie was here. She sat in her car while she dialed Sarah's number at the lab.

She was getting antsy waiting on the results. She needed to know about Maddy's crime scene. Had they processed the car yet? And the bear left on Wade's porch, along with the knife recovered from his house. Not to mention she wanted to know if there were any fingerprints on the GPS tracker found on his car. She slapped a hand against the steering wheel and knew if Quinn had heard anything, he would have called, but she wanted answers. Now. She had to call, even though deep in her heart she knew it would be fruitless.

“Don't have anything yet,” Sarah said in greeting.

“Why not?”

“Because I have other cases ahead of the one you want answers for,” Sarah said with an unamused grunt. Olivia sighed. “But I bumped yours up,” she promised. “I'm getting to it.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“I'll call you as soon as I have something.”

“This is Maddy, Sarah,” Olivia said quietly. “We need something to help us find the person who did this to her. And Wade.”

“I know, Liv. Soon, I promise.”

Olivia knew she wasn't the only phone call Sarah would get today begging for lab results. Too many crimes, not enough lab workers or time. She climbed from the car and walked up the steps to rap on the door.

Charlie opened it. In his midtwenties, Charlie Lee was good-looking enough to take a woman's breath away. Fortunately, Olivia was immune. However, she had to admit it amused her to take note of the jealous glances she received from other women whenever she and Charlie went out in public together. “Hey, handsome.”

Charlie hugged her. “It's been a while.”

“Yeah. I know.” Although his tone had been neutral without any accusation, Olivia couldn't help the tug of guilt. “How is the family?”

He lifted a brow. “They're fine.” Which she would know if she bothered to call. She heard the unspoken words, but again, there was no accusation. She grimaced.

Wade stepped into the foyer. He blinked when he saw her. “Hey.”

“Hi.”

“Have you eaten? Joanna and Martha are in the kitchen. There's plenty if you're hungry. Charlie, you're welcome to stay.”

Her stomach growled as though on cue. She smiled. “Guess that's your answer, thanks.”

Charlie grabbed a small bag by the door and gave her and Wade a nod. “I appreciate the invitation, but I'm going to scout the other side of the lake and make sure everything is a go to take the boat out.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Stay in touch,” she said.

“Of course.” And then he was out the door.

Wade eyed her. “Thought you were going to get some sleep. I can tell you didn't.”

She grunted and walked toward the kitchen. “Careful with all that flattery, Wade, it could turn a girl's head.”

He caught her hand and spun her around, his eyes intense, determined. “Has anyone turned your head?”

And just like that, nerves attacked her. She swallowed hard, careful to keep her expression neutral. “Why do you ask that?”

“You're so closed off,” he said quietly. “Do you ever let anyone in?”

She thought about offering a flippant answer, but stopped it before the words left her lips. He deserved better than that. “No, not often.”

“Why?”

She sighed. “I think you probably can figure that answer out. People are unpredictable, they change with the wind. One day they want you, the next they don't.” She gave a slight shrug. “I suppose when you get hurt enough, eventually you push away the source of that hurt.”

“People.”

“Yes.”

“What was his name?”

“C.J. Garrison. We dated for about two months before I broke it off when I realized he just couldn't handle my work in law enforcement. But he's not even the reason I have a hard time opening up to people. I think it's just my past and the way I had to grow up. From one foster home to the next. The only reason I think I turned out halfway decent is because of the Lees.”

“I'm sorry.” He glanced at the door Charlie had just exited. “And your family? Why do you push them away too?”

She stiffened and pulled her hand away from his, just now realizing he was still holding it.

“What's Charlie to you?”

So, he'd heard the exchange. She sighed. “Charlie is Shana's
brother—and mine too, he says. But I've never really . . .” She shrugged. “I don't know.”

“You've never really accepted them as your family,” he guessed.

She fidgeted. Uncomfortable and wanting to run away from the conversation, but unwilling to do so. Which she found strange.

“I see.” He stared at her for a few more seconds, then looked away before nodding. “Thanks for telling me.”

Olivia rubbed her eyes, then felt his hands on her shoulders.

He steered her toward the kitchen. “I don't know about you, but I'm ready to eat and then hit the water.”

She nearly wilted in relief. She didn't have to tell him anything and yet she found she wanted to. It was a new sensation. A bewildering dilemma and one she wanted to spend some time thinking about. When she wasn't trying to figure out how to keep her client alive while staying off the water.

The watcher lifted a hand against the sun and smiled. Right on time. Wade, Amy, and Katie headed for the boat. Would they find it? The little gift that had been left? Maybe. The watcher shifted on the seat and ran a probing gaze down the shoreline. Cops were out in abundance. That Olivia sure had a lot of friends willing to do her favors.

A short laugh escaped. If only she knew it didn't matter how many people she had watching and protecting and working to find Wade's stalker—they'd never figure it out.

If only she knew.

It was time for Wade to die. It looked like today would be the day.