Common Enemy (18 page)

“It’s not like that, Jordan. She’s our daughter now. I’d live closed up in a cave with her if that’s what it took.

“I’m starting to wonder what Cal’s motives are though. He never takes his eyes off her. I knew he’d love her, but he seems almost obsessed with protecting her. It’s not like him to be away from the office this long. He’s always been a workaholic.”

The ride came to a stop.

“Speaking of Cal and Lizzy, I guess we’d better get over to the face painting booth. It’s getting late,” Jordan said. “We should head back to the house.”

“Yeah, let’s see what they’ve turned our little monkey into.”

As they walked toward the three-sided shelter Caleb had headed for, Connor’s expression grew dark. He walked more quickly and stretched to peer over people’s heads in front of him. Jordan could almost feel his pulse quicken as he led her along the path. She didn’t ask questions, but hurried to keep pace with him. She was developing a feeling of panic from his sudden change of behavior.

“Something is wrong, I can feel it. Cal’s in trouble.”

They found Lizzy sitting on a stool inside the booth. The clown smile painted around her lips did nothing to hide the worry in her eyes.

“I don’t know where Uncle Cal went,” she groaned when they reached her. “He was right over there, and then he was gone.” She pointed to the side of the booth to her right.

“Stay with her and don’t leave this booth,” Connor demanded in a stern voice. He headed in the direction Lizzy had pointed. Jordan was torn between keeping Lizzy safe in the tent and following Connor.

****

Connor found his brother only a few feet off the path between the booth he’d taken Lizzy to and the next one. He was laying facedown across the cables that ran along the ground. A broken board had been left beside him. He’d been struck across the left side of his head. He was bleeding.

As Connor turned him over, Cal moaned and reached up to feel the gash swelling on his head. With his eyes still closed, he spoke only one word. “Lizzy...”

“Lizzy’s fine. We need to get you to a doctor. What happened?”

“Hell if I know,” Caleb groaned. “I was watching Lizzy, and then the lights went out. Now, my head hurts like crazy.”

“Maybe somebody was after your wallet.”

“The surprise is on them,” Caleb grimaced. “I never carry a wallet in a place like this. My money is in the front pocket of my jeans. I guess there’s a pretty disappointed mugger somewhere around here. Are you sure Lizzy’s okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine, but you could use a few stitches. Let’s get the girls out of here.” Connor pulled off his shirt to staunch the bleeding.

The hospital was close by, but the ride seemed to take forever. Inside the emergency room, Caleb was taken straight to x-ray. Connor took care of the paperwork.

“Thank God it wasn’t Bobby Ray,” Jordan remarked. “We’d have known it if it had been. He’d have left something to take credit for catching us with our guard down.”

“I think it was a mugger, like Cal said,” Connor agreed. “We got lucky this time. From now on, we stick together. Dammit, this was my fault.”

“I wonder if that’s what Cal said when you got hurt. You know you guys aren’t super heroes. Sometimes things happen that we don’t have control over. This was the fault of the man who hit him, not you.”

A doctor came out of the double doors and walked to the corner where they were waiting, his long white lab coat swishing around his thighs. They were relieved to see a smile on his face.

“That brother of yours has a hard head. He does have a slight concussion, though, so we’d like to keep him overnight for observation.”

“Can I see him before we go?” Connor asked.

“Sure, but only you,” the doctor insisted. “They just started stitching him up.”

Connor walked into the room the doctor had indicated. A paper shield covered Caleb’s head with a hole over the injury. Connor winced when he saw the needle sink into his brother’s skin.

“Well Cal, it looks like you’re still going to be as pretty as ever after the hair grows back in that spot.”

“I guess you’re pretty glad it was me and not you.” Caleb laughed.

“Why would you say something like that?”

“Because, I don’t mind getting a hair cut once in a while. You’d be going apeshit on these poor nurses.”

Connor let out a laugh. “I’m going to take Jordan and Lizzy home. I’ll be back in the morning to pick you up. Try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Okay Con. You be careful too, and watch out for our girls.”

The nurse tied off the last suture and removed the shield. Connor stood by the door with a grave expression.

“You know I’d shave my head if it meant keeping you out of harm’s way, Cal.”

“I know bro, me too.”

Connor turned and walked away.

****

Jordan set the security alarm then led the way upstairs as Lizzy slept on Connor’s shoulder. She was glad that she’d washed the grease paint off her face at the hospital. She removed Lizzy’s shoes after she’d been laid in her bed, but decided to let her sleep in her clothes. It had been a long night. The morning would be soon enough for her to take a bath and change.

Connor was already in the shower when she left Lizzy’s room. She hesitated in the hallway for a moment before walking into the bathroom. Stripping away her clothes she joined him under the steamy water. He was just rinsing the shampoo from his hair, letting the lather slide down his muscular body to the floor of the tub.

“I knew I’d get you in here with me sooner or later,” he said as he soaped a sponge. He wrapped his arms around her and ran the sponge up and down her back.

Jordan leaned her head into his shoulder as the water cascaded over them both. She hadn’t realized how tense she’d been until her muscles began to relax.

“I’ve never done this before,” she murmured. “I mean, showered with anyone.”

“Let me show you how it’s done.” After a long warm kiss, he stepped back just enough to rub the sudsy sponge over the rest of her body. She took the sponge from his hand and began washing him while he shampooed her hair.

“I could get used to this. As a matter-of-fact, it could become a habit.”

“That’s what I’m hoping.” He kissed her again.

She was disappointed when he turned off the water. “Let’s save the rest of this lesson for the next time. It’s been a long night and I need to lie down.” He wrapped a large bath sheet around her and led her by the hand to the bedroom.

“You’re a tease, Mr. McCrae.”

“Who said I was lying down to sleep? I’m not finished with you yet.”

“Are you sure the house is secure? Maybe I should check on Lizzy.”

“The doors are bolted. The windows are locked. You set the security alarm yourself. But, I have a surprise for you.” Connor opened the drawer in the bedside table and brought out a white electronic device. A green light glowed below its speaker.

“Is that what I think it is?”

“Yep.” He grinned. “It’s a baby monitor. I picked it up at the store while we were out today. We can hear her, but she can’t hear us.”

He removed the towel from around her and threw it on the floor before sitting on the bed and pulling her onto his lap. She lazily lay against him as he ran his hands across her shoulders and down to her breasts. He lingered there, to tease her nipples, his erection stirring for attention. One hand came down to slide between her legs. She was more than ready for him.

“You take over from here, baby,” he whispered over her shoulder as he passed her a condom.

This time when they made love their actions were more physical than emotional, more urgent and varied. She had a need to work out the tension of the last few hours. Jordan was amazed at the way their minds and bodies synchronized to accomplish mutual waves of excitement, ecstasy, satisfaction.

Connor rolled onto his side, his arms still wrapped around her. They slept better than they had in weeks.

The next morning they woke together feeling well rested. They stretched lazily as the morning sun washed over them through the window. A tap on their door alerted them both to the fact they were totally naked. They scrambled out of bed to find clothes. Thankfully they’d had the presence of mind to lock the door the night before.

Lizzy bounced into the room as soon as the door opened. “I’m hungry. When are you guys going to come make breakfast? Your bed sure does get messy. The covers are all on the floor.”

“You need a bath before you do anything else,” Jordan told her. “Those clothes are filthy.”

“Well, okay, but do I have to wash off my tattoo?”

“What tattoo?”

“The one the man gave me at the carnival. After Uncle Cal left, he said a tattoo would make me feel better. He said you’d like it too, Mommy. He said it was a surprise for you. He did it with a marker like the ones I have. Are you surprised?”

“Show me your tattoo, Lizzy.”

Lizzy proudly lifted her sleeve to reveal the outline of a cross on her shoulder. Jordan could barely breathe. The drawing on her daughter’s shoulder was almost an exact replica of the tattoo Bobby Ray wore. He’d touched Lizzy, spoken to her. He’d practically been alone with her while she and Connor rode on a Ferris wheel. He could have killed Caleb. Images ran through her mind of all he could have done to Lizzy. Jordan wanted to throw up.

“I’ll call the police.” Connor eased her back to the bed.

Chapter Twenty-One

After Lizzy’s bath, she ate a bowl of cereal. Jordan and Connor quietly sat across the table sipping their coffee.

“Can I have the picture you took, Daddy?”

“No Lizzy, I have to give it to the police. They’re going to be here soon to ask you some questions.”

“You took a picture of it?” Jordan exclaimed.

“Yes, I did. I couldn’t expect Lizzy to wear the evidence on her arm.”

Jordan ran from the room and up the stairs. Her bedroom door slammed a few seconds later.

“Why is Mommy mad? Did I do something bad?”

“She’s not mad, monkey, she’s just upset. The man that drew the tattoo on your arm was the bad man. The one the police have been looking for.”

“He’s the man who killed my Tom?”

Connor nodded as he wiped a drop of milk from her chin.

“I’m sorry,” she whined. “I didn’t mean to talk to a stranger, but I didn’t know where any of you were. I was really scared.”

“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry the whole thing happened. But, now you know what he looks like. Do you think you can remember if you see him again?”

“Yes, I think so.”

“That’s my girl. Now go up to your room and try to remember everything he said so you can tell the policemen. I’m going to call Uncle Cal at the hospital and see how he’s doing.”

Lizzy left the room with her head down. Connor wished so badly this was over. The tension was getting to all of them.

Normally, Lizzy would still be talking about the carnival, laughing and happy. Jordan would be basking in the afterglow of lovemaking. He missed her sexy, secret smiles. Would they ever be that carefree again?

When the doorbell rang, he opened it to find two plain clothes police detectives, one male and one female. After introductions, Connor and Jordan agreed to allow the female, Detective Shannon, to take Lizzy for a walk around the yard. The male, Detective Tucker, seemed anxious to talk to them privately.

“Have you found out anything new, Detective?” Connor asked.

“We haven’t found Butler, but we did find the car. It was three counties away in a wooded area of a public park. It would have taken us forever to find it if they hadn’t been conducting a search in that area for a missing camper.”

“Did they find the camper?”

“No, not a sign of him. Have you noticed any strange vehicles lately?”

“No, but we were mainly looking out for the red Honda.”

“He had to have had another vehicle to get back from the park. There’s no doubt in our minds that Butler was the man who spoke to Lizzy last night. We’re just trying to determine if he said anything to her that may give away his hiding place. A current description is good, too.

“We’re going to have a patrol car pass your house frequently. Don’t let it alarm you. Also we need your brother to make a statement. Tomorrow will be soon enough. I know he doesn’t have much to tell us, but we still need it on record.” He turned to Jordan. “Is there anything you can tell me about Butler that I don’t already know? Any habits, phobias, or fetishes? I hate to ask, but we need to get this guy off the streets.”

She hung her head and thought for several minutes. Connor sensed her discomfort. He stood and walked toward the kitchen. “I’m going to make some fresh coffee.”

After he’d left the room, Jordan spoke. “He hates homosexuals and prostitutes. He has a fear of diseases, especially STDs. If any kind of bodily fluid touches his skin, he goes crazy. He has a way with women. He likes young pretty girls. The innocent types who don’t seem promiscuous are his favorite. He’ll target a woman who seems lonely and shy. He charms and flatters them into trusting him. At first, he seems too good to be true. Before you know what’s happening, you’re trapped. You’re too ashamed and embarrassed to complain. My first time was on my wedding night. I was so stupid. He convinced me that it was a wife’s duty to fulfill her husband’s every fantasy. The next morning I had to scrub blood off the wall. He said it would never happen again, but that was just the beginning. I think he may be worse now.” She gave a shy smile. “I’m sorry. I don’t think this was the information you were looking for. I guess I just got carried away. I’ve been remembering a lot about him lately.”

Connor pushed himself away from the other side of the doorframe where he had been listening. His hands shook as he ran water into the coffee carafe. Detective Tucker came up behind him and took it from his hand.

“She’s gone upstairs to rest for a while. I’ll finish the coffee. Maybe you should get some air.”

“You knew I was listening?” Connor asked.

“I know I would have if it was the woman I loved.”

Connor walked out to the front porch and found John sitting in the rocking chair by the living room window.

“How long have you been here?”