Cat 'N Mouse (27 page)

She had more money than anyone she knew. Her life wasn’t that bad. She had her health. Then why wasn’t she happy? Because she wanted more. More than just being Warren Prescott’s daughter.

She had the power to change her life, to make it what she wanted. And she wanted Sam. Not as a bodyguard. She wanted to be with him, to have a real relationship. But he said nothing, or even hinted that he wanted anything beyond what they’d shared, and she was afraid to ask. Perhaps she should just accept what he’d offered and not expect anything else.

“What’s wrong? You’ve been folding the same blouse for the last fifteen minutes.”

She hadn’t realized he had been watching her. After spending three wonderful hours in bed, they showered and then she’d decided to pack. Since he really had nothing to pack, he’d grabbed the laptop and taken it over to the secretary desk near the doors, leading out the balcony.

“Back to the real world,” Alexandria said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. “I’ve allowed myself a false sense of security in thinking that I’m safe. Once we leave the hotel room, we pick up right where we left off.”

She wasn’t just talking about the stalker. A lot had changed between her and Sam. Since they had not talked about what had happened last night and this morning, then it was safe to assume that they may not continue anything beyond the hotel doors.

“No.” Sam shook his head, staring at her intently. “At least not with us.” His eyes were bright, clear, and full of what? Love. Dare she hope?

Her heart started to beat faster. She was almost afraid to believe her ears, afraid to ask what he meant. Somewhere deep down she summoned the courage to do so.

“What are you saying?”

Sam got up and took the blouse from her hand. He folded it and placed it in her travel bag. He pulled her gently in his arms and held her.

“I’m saying that I’m not fighting it any more, Princess. I’m not fighting us. Once I find this guy and stop him, then we can talk about you and me. Okay?”

She could feel his heart beat against her chest, feel his breathe against her ear. She clung to him because if this was a dream, she didn’t want to wake up.

“Okay.”

•  •  •

At eleven o’clock they checked out of the hotel and Sam felt a sense of loss. He’d told Alexandria that once they found the stalker they could talk about a future. They were no longer in the sanctuary of the hotel room. They were driving away from the hotel back to reality where he was Sam O’Malley and she was Alexandria Prescott.

Out in the real world with phone calls from the stalker, getting run off the road and finding a video camera hidden in Alexandria’s bedroom—that was reality. The time they’d spent together was overshadowed by all of that. At the end of it all, could he live up to the promise he’d made to her?

She wanted stability in her life; a husband for one, along with a house and children. He was still trying to sort out his life. He didn’t have the money to keep Princess in the lifestyle she was accustomed to, and somehow it always came back to that in the back of his mind.

He didn’t even have the money for his car. Prescott had called the body shop. Sam figured he wanted to confirm the invoice. They had quoted him the entire cost. Prescott paid it. Sam had asked that the body shop refund the portion that didn’t have to do with the accident. He would pay for the other charges.

Sam didn’t think he would see a dime for his services from Prescott and would not accept money from Alexandria either. Where would he pull that money from? Out of a hat?

Being in Prescott’s debt made his stomach turn. Sam didn’t want anything from the man, but his daughter. He didn’t know if he and Alexandria stood a chance. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it, he told himself, as he pulled the SUV in the underground parking and grabbed her travel bag.

“Can you fix it so I can visit Robyn in the hospital?” Alexandria asked when he opened the passenger door and got out. She’d been quiet on the trip back to her condo and he knew that question was brewing. He pretended not to listen while she’d made her phone call to the hospital after her shower.

“I’ll talk to Dennis.” Sam didn’t have the heart to tell her he had already spoken to Dennis and the man had flat out said no. He intended to try again, once Dennis simmered down.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” he said, knowing he would have to disappoint her. Dennis was as stubborn as a mule.

She took his hand and they walked together toward the elevator. “I want to anyway. I can show you how much when we get up stairs.”

“Alexandria, you don’t have—”

“I want to very much.”

When the elevator doors closed, she snaked an arm around his waist. As the elevator moved between floors, she slipped her hand into the waist of his pant at the front, trying to undo the belt buckle. He caught her hand.

“There’s a camera looking down on us.”

“You’re no fun when you get into your bodyguard mode.”

“No? Perhaps I should bite you back,” Sam said with a wicked smile when the elevator stopped on their floor and he pulled her against him, nipping at her ear.

“You can try.”

“What makes you think I won’t?” he asked, pushing the key in the lock.

Sam knew something was wrong as soon as he opened the door, even before stepping into the condo. What was that smell?

“Wait here.” He dropped his duffle bag, pulling out his gun and entered the apartment. The alarm was still on and he punched in the code turning it off. Alexandria’s bedroom door was closed. It was wide open when they had left for the hotel. The smell got stronger as he moved into the living room. “Don’t enter unless I tell you to.”

“What’s that smell?” Alexandria wrinkled her nose.

“Go back out into the hall. If anything happens, pull the fire alarm by the elevator.”

“Sam?”

“Back out into the hall!”

He didn’t move until she followed his instructions and stepped away from the door.

One glance out on the solarium told him that it was clear. Sam started down the hallway, checking each room. His room was clear. Popping his head in the hall washroom, all clear except for a lone towel he’d left draped over the shower stall.

Sam came to Alexandria’s bedroom and stood to the left of the door. Wrapping his fingers around the doorknob, he pushed the door open. When he saw the walls and the bed, a chill ran down his body. He muttered an oath under his breath.

Blood.

Blood everywhere. He dragged his hand slowly down his face. He saw Cain’s body lying on the floor at the foot of the bed with a gunshot wound in his right temple and a piece of paper crumpled in his hand.

Using the mouth of his gun, he removed the yellow piece of paper from Cain’s grip. When it slid to the floor, he smoothed it out with his gun and squatted down to read it, mindful not to step in any of the blood on the floor.

“Damn.”

•  •  •

“Sam?” Alexandria called from the front door.

She didn’t like standing out in the hallway by herself. Besides, it was too quiet. Usually by now he would’ve come back to the door to tell her everything was fine. When he didn’t answer her call, she made her way down the hallway toward her bedroom. The door was closed. She pushed it open and Sam was leaning over the doorman’s body lying on the floor.

“Sam, what’s…”

He stood up. “I told you to wait in the hall,” he bit out, taking her elbow and pushing her from the room.

“No!” She pulled away and pushed past him into the centre of the room doing a 360 degree turn. Her eyes moved slowly from the body on the floor to the walls.

Blood.

It was as though the walls were bleeding. It started from the ceiling and ran down the walls. It felt like she was in a horror movie. But this wasn’t a horror film. She forced herself to process the evil in front of her. This was her life and someone who hated her had done this. She tried to hold onto reality, but was sinking in despair.

Her eyes drifted to the bed and her head began to spin. The headboard was slashed along with the mattress, both soaked with blood. Whoever had done this was angry for the slash started from the headboard to the foot of the bed. Edward Cain lay on his back, his eyes were open, but he was dead. Had he done this?

She looked at him the small red dot at his temple? Perhaps he was trying to stop whoever had done this and it had gotten him killed.

“Alexandria?”

She heard her name in the distant and wanted to answer, tried to answer. No words came. She felt a hand on her shoulder stalling her movement as she turned toward the washroom. There was a trail of blood that led into the washroom. She pushed his hand away.

“I want to see the rest of it.”

“No.” Sam’s voice was harsh yet she knew he didn’t mean it to be. He had seen what the washroom looked like and wanted to protect her. But he couldn’t shield her anymore.

Alexandria couldn’t stop herself from moving to the washroom any more than she could stop a runaway train. Whoever had done this had wanted her to see it. Had wanted her to know she wouldn’t be safe in her own home until he killed her…and no one could protect her. As much as Sam wanted to, he could die trying to save her. Could she risk his life?

As she moved slowly into the washroom, she saw her clothes strewn out from the walk-in closet all the way to the washroom.

Shredded clothing were in a blood-soaked pile on the floor. Nausea rose in her throat and she grabbed her stomach, rushed to the sink and threw up.

“Let’s get out of here.”

Sam handed her a towel after she washed her face. Wiping her face, she straightened up and drew in a deep breath, smelling the blood. She should be crying but no tears would come. She felt numb inside.

“Did he do this?” She glanced at Cain’s body?

“I don’t know,” Sam replied.

She couldn’t read his expression. Once again, he’d chosen to hide his emotions when she needed him the most, pulling away from her.

“What do you think? You always have an opinion?”

“The suicide note said he did.”

“I want to go home to daddy,” she said clutching the hand towel as if it was a lifeline. It was the only thing in the washroom that wasn’t covered with blood. She looked down at the towel. Whoever did this knew she would be sick and left it for her.

“I’d rather go back to the hotel.”

“No! I want to go home.”

•  •  •

Sam wished Alexandria would say something. She’d followed him out of the condo without a word. She wouldn’t allow him to touch her. He tried to get her to talk to him and she wouldn’t.

She was still in shock, that was a given. He had seen a lot of bad things, all in the name of doing his job but he was able to push most of it to the back of his mind. She couldn’t. Not yet. It was still too fresh.

Sam knew she was trying to figure out what had happened back at the condo. She didn’t understand that kind of anger. One thing he knew, Cain didn’t kill himself. Why would a left-handed man shoot himself in the right temple? Whoever trashed the place was angry. He fingered Cain for that, but if that’s the case, who had killed the man?

Glancing over at Alexandria, her eyes were fixed straight ahead, her face distorted with pain. She wrapped her arms suddenly around her body as if to ward off a chill. There was no chill in the air. He turned off the air conditioner, opening his window and hers, feeling the hot breeze blowing through the window. She turned her head to look out the open window then turned back to staring off into space. A tear slid down her cheek.

Taking her to the Prescott estate was the last thing he wanted to do, but he had no choice. After he agreed, the panic had left her voice, but the fear was still visible in her eyes. He’d informed Prescott that he was bringing her to the estate and filled him in on what happened. Prescott promised that he would send someone to clean up the place and hung up. Sam didn’t want it cleaned up. It was a crime scene. He wanted a forensic team to go over the condo. That’s why he’d called the police and waited for their arrival. Sam wanted to know if there was someone else in the apartment besides Cain. He didn’t give a damn about the press which was what Prescott was worried about.

Sam pressed the automatic garage door opener clipped to the sun visor when they arrived at the estate. The gate slowly opened and he looked over at Alexandria before moving forward, hoping she would change her mind. She gave no indication she wanted to leave.

He didn’t see Colt. Alexandria’s hand was on the door before he pulled the keys out of the ignition. He reached over, taking her hand in his and stroking the back with his thumb, wanting more time with her. The stalker was still on the loose and if Prescott had his way, this would be goodbye.

“You really don’t believe Cain killed himself?” She turned to him, wiping at a tear that slid down her cheek.”

“I’ll have to wait for the police report.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

Sam looked toward the house when the front door opened and Prescott appeared all business-like, obviously waiting for them. Alexandria didn’t move when he started down the steps and stopped at the path, staring at them in the vehicle.

“When someone commits suicide with a hand gun, if they’re right handed, they shoot themselves in the right temple.” Sam pointed to his temple. “Cain was left handed. I saw him open the front door several times with his left. He shook hands with his left hand. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s what he wanted me to see.”

“Tell me what you do know.”

“Sweetheart—”

“Just talk to me, please.” Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks. “Tell me the truth.”

“I think there was someone else in the condo, maybe someone he knew. I’ve no evidence to support that yet. When you left the bedroom you tracked blood out into the living room. If someone else was there with Cain then they should have tracked blood out as well. Let’s say Cain trashed your place and then killed himself? If so, where is the gun? I didn’t see one.”

“Basically, what you’re saying is that someone else was in the condo with Edward Cain,” she said as if trying to make herself believe it.