Dangerously in Love (16 page)
Read Dangerously in Love Online
Authors: Michele Kimbrough
How slowly the time ticked by after Hill discovered Caitlin was still alive. She had arrived in the US just after Hill had paid Rosemary and Gabe a visit. How convenient. That certainly wasn’t a coincidence.
Samantha had called saying she’d stop by after Hillary’s field trip. Bill was still against Hillary being anywhere near Hill, and Samantha didn’t argue with that. She complied with Bill’s wishes. He was, after all, Hillary’s father in deed, though not biologically.
Hill had received a call from Lowell with a little news from the private investigator. He wanted to drop by to discuss it with Hill and Samantha. He said the information could potentially exonerate Hill, which was precisely what he wanted . . . or so he thought. The news of possibly being exonerated didn’t seem to satisfy him now. The only thing he had on his mind was looking Caitlin square in the eyes and telling her he knew the truth, and she’d be going down for the murders.
Samantha arrived at the warehouse. She had dark circles under her eyes. Her hair was mussed. She looked a mess.
“Hill.”
“Sam. You look great,” Hill said as he kissed her cheek.
“I know what you’re up to.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t do it. Do go after her.”
“I have to.”
“Hill, she’s dangerous.”
“I think I know that better than anybody.”
“I know she used you as her pawn. I believe she created a situation that forced your hand. She didn’t want her hands dirty because she needed the insurance money to pay out, and she didn’t want the will to be contested. She needed someone else to do her dirty work. I understand that now. It all makes sense to me now.”
“So you’re saying you believe I killed Adam?”
She didn’t respond. She just looked away.
“Dammit Sam. I can’t do this knowing you don’t believe in my innocence. I
need
to know you have my back.” He reached out to her, holding her hands. Then, his ears lifted, and his eyes lit up. “Oh, I get what you’re doing. That psychology won’t work on me. You should know that. I have to do this, Sam.”
She snatched her hands away from his. “I always said your dick was going to lead you into a world of trouble. And it has. But you’ve gotten off pretty easy, all things considered. This chick is bad news, Hill, and you need to stay away from her — especially if she’s capable of killing four people. Please don’t go after her. Don’t do it.” She reached across the table and held his hand in hers. “I love you, Hill. I always have. You know that. I don’t think my feelings for you will ever change. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” he said, trying to erase the worry from her face. But the lines were deep, and her eyes were watering. He sat back and took a deep breath. He looked at Samantha, who managed to keep the tears from falling. He sighed softly. “I won’t go looking for her. Okay? I won’t do it.”
She took a deep breath. A sigh of relief. When she blinked, the tears fell. “Thank you.”
“No problem. But—Lowell wants you at his office this afternoon. He’s working on an appeal to exonerate me. Why don’t you go now? I’ll just sit here and enjoy as much of my freedom as I possibly can before going back to prison.”
“Give me his info, and I’ll go.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
Caitlin held her red umbrella high above her head as the heavy rain pounded on it. Puddles splashed under her feet with each footstep. Very apprehensive about what she had to do, she was emotionally exhausted and hoped tonight would go well and quickly. The taxi had dropped her off a block away from Hill’s warehouse. She had never seen his warehouse from the front before. It looked like an old Home Depot building.
When Hill opened the door, he pulled her inside, out of the rain. She fell into him. He was so close she could feel the warmth of his breath and the coolness of the spearmint mouthwash he’d recently used.
“That doesn’t look like happiness to see me, darlin’,” Hill said, quoting a scene in
A Perfect Murder
.
“Try surprise,” she said, quoting the same movie. “I thought you had another five years on your sentence.”
Hill brushed her short platinum blonde hair behind her ears and kissed her lips. Toying with her, he whispered, “I like your new look. You look edible,” then took her umbrella from her hand, leaning it against the bureau. Caitlin raised an eyebrow and backed away a little.
“Drink?” he offered.
She nodded.
“What gives me the honor of your presence?” he asked but before she responded he said, “Oh, let me guess. You were in the neighborhood.”
“Something like that,” she said.
He poured the tequila and juice into two tumblers, giving one to Caitlin, who thanked him. He took a sip of the drink then set it on the table. Repeatedly walking to the window, Hill looked out as if he were looking for someone.
“It’s just rain,” Caitlin said, as Hill stared out the window. He seemed nervous about something . . . and rightfully so. Either way, she was glad he was too distracted to notice her tainting his drink.
“Yeah, I know. It’s something about rainy days — like an omen of something to come.” He turned and looked at Caitlin who folded her hands in her lap. “Did I ever tell you my mother died on a rainy day?” When she didn’t respond, he turned toward the window again, staring out at the rain.
“That’s interesting. So did my cousin. He was murdered on a day like this.” Her tone seemed threatening. “Let’s talk, Hill,” she said after reading a text message that had just pushed through. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Hill had so many emotions rushing through his mind. He had lost everything on the account of her, having believed her every word, fell into every trap she laid for him. Hill tried to remain poised and calm but wasn’t sure if he was pulling it off. He paced back and forth for a few minutes then stood at the window, contemplating the situation. He knew Caitlin was watching him closely.
“I knew you were coming, Cate,” he began. “I understand now how your mind works. You had me fooled before. I thought you were afraid — fearing Adam and the men who killed your relatives. But you weren’t afraid at all. It was all an act, wasn’t it?” he said while looking out the window.
“Not all of it.”
“So how’d you do it, Cate? What happened that night—the night you killed Adam?”
She was more than happy to tell him. Actually, she had hoped he’d ask. She wanted him to know just how clever she really was, how cunning she had been—how she had turned him into putty in her hands. As she reflected back on that night, she didn’t leave out a single detail.
Caitlin had slid out of bed, double checking that Hill was out cold. She’d dug her camping backpack out of the closet and unzipped the outer pocket, pulling out the twenty-two caliber pistol that belonged to Adam and setting it on the chest. She checked for her passport, identification, and money. Everything was there. She’d stashed the backpack in a corner and slipped into a pair of black jeans, a black T-shirt, and black gym shoes. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail then waited in the chair that faced the bedroom door.
She’d heard Adam climbing the stairs. Caitlin released the safety on the gun, aiming it at the door. When Adam walked across the threshold, she had unloaded the gun into his chest. Adam fell to the floor, riddled with bullet holes. Caitlin had then checked Hill to make sure he was still passed out. He was. She dropped the clip and loaded a new one. Adam’s two bodyguards ran upstairs. As the first one entered the room, Caitlin shot him in the chest and the head. The second one shot at Caitlin but missed. She unloaded the rest of the clip in the second man’s chest and head.
Rosemary had run upstairs when she heard the shots subside. She stood in the doorway observing the mess.
“Come on, help me drag Hill out of the bed,” Caitlin said. Rosemary and Caitlin pulled and tugged at Hill until his legs dangled off the edge of the foot of the bed.
“How much did you give him?” Rosemary asked.
“Five or six drops.”
“That’s too much. You’d better hope he wakes up in time.”
“He’s so big, I didn’t think three drops would be enough.”
“Where’s that girl’s body?”
“Right there . . . in the chest.”
“Come on, hurry. Let’s get it on the bed.”
Rosemary and Caitlin had quickly pulled a woman’s plastic-wrapped body from the rattan chest, unwrapped her, and lifted her onto the bed, face down.
“Burn it. Take the golf cart and drive it to the gravel road. Burn everything down there,” Caitlin had instructed. “And don’t forget—you’re supposed to be on vacation.”
“I caught a cab from the airport after Javier dropped me off. Stop worrying. I know my part.”
“Okay.”
“Lo hiciste bien, Amelia,” Rosemary commended.
“Gracias, Mama,” Caitlin said. “Make sure that your medical examiner friend documents that Adam died first. Otherwise, we may not get the money.”
“Stop worrying, Amelia. He will do it,” Rosemary assured Caitlin.
“Te amo, Mama,” Caitlin said. She pulled Rosemary into a hug. “I will miss you.”
“Just don’t come back until I tell you it’s okay, my sweet baby.” Rosemary grabbed the plastic and left.
Caitlin had staged the scene, placing the gun in Hill’s hand. She’d bent over and kissed him, whispering, “If you had just done the job, it wouldn’t have had to end like this.”
When she was satisfied with everything, she grabbed her backpack, stepped over Adam and the bodyguards, and fled.
Smiling with the sweet satisfaction the memory brought, she stared at Hill, who had turned around to look at her.
“It was rather easy,” she continued. “I didn’t pick you, though. It was Rosemary.
She’s
the one who decided to take you the lemonade that morning — the morning Adam attacked you.
She
had said you would be the perfect man for the job. I had my doubts but she was certain you would go for the bait. She knew you weren’t afraid of Adam.” She raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t until that day I showed up at your warehouse that I realized
you
were the attorney who allowed that monster to go free. You are the reason why my family was killed. My uncle got what he deserved, but David didn’t deserve to die.”
“I’ve spent five years in prison because of you. And to think, I was actually happy to know you’re alive. I was happy because the thought of you being dead hurt. I was also happy because that meant I had a chance to get my life back. I never thought I’d ever be able to say that. Ever since I realized you were alive, I’ve replayed over and over again our entire relationship, trying to figure out how I ended up so blinded by you. Then I realized what it was.” He walked to the sofa and sat beside her. He took another gulp of his drink. “I thought it was love.” Then he knocked back the remainder of the drink.
“Hill,” she began with a sigh. “This walk down memory lane is nice and all, but time is of the essence here. I have a plane to catch.”
“Rosemary, huh? So, you and she plotted this whole thing?” He thought on the question for a moment. “Was Gabe in on it, too?”
“Gabe? Oh, God no. He was as clueless as you. Rosemary liked him. Apparently the feeling was mutual.”
He stood and walked to the window again. He wondered what was taking Perry so long. Hill had known Caitlin would show up. She couldn’t help it. He wanted the SBI and CPD to be there to arrest her. But they hadn’t come.
Where were they?
“They aren’t coming, Hill,” she said confidently.
“Who?”
“Agent Chadwich and his posse.”
“What have you done, Cate?”
“I thought you’d figured it out. Perry works for me. He’s my boy, my dog, my hound.”
Hill was flabbergasted. Not Perry. She had to be lying. It couldn’t be true.
“You know,” she began, “It’s interesting what motivates people. I’ve found that money and sex… and even love, really drive people to do some of the most terrible things. Agent Chadwich… well, the moment I mentioned your name, he was onboard.” She gave a sinister smile.
“I don’t believe you.”
She shrugged nonchalantly. “You don’t have to. I’m not trying to convince you of anything.”
“I am curious about one thing, though. I hadn’t been able to figure it out. Why did you will to me an empty safe deposit box?”
She smirked as he fell back against the wall trying to keep his balance. “I needed a witness, Hill. I needed someone with nothing to gain to know you were my lover who had threatened my life. I just wanted it to be well-known that you and I had a relationship. I didn’t want there to be any doubt that you had motive to kill me. But I had no idea you’d take a plea deal. Not
you
, Hill. I was sure you’d go to trial, and all the circumstantial evidence would point to you – the angry, jealous lover.” She sighed.
Hill’s skin turned pallid.
“Hill? You don’t look so good. Are you okay?” she asked, smirking. She held up a small white plastic bottle with a nozzle. “Know what this is?”
He shrugged and mumbled, “Eye drops?”
She shook her head, “Uh-uh, no. It’s a very potent pharmaceutical cocktail that I added to your drink. In a few minutes, you’ll begin to gently drift into a deep, eternal sleep. Painless
.
No blood, no gore, no violence. Just a gentle transition.”
His wide-eyed surprise made her look away. She shoved the small bottle back into her purse. She didn’t want to stay, but she had to confirm his death—she didn’t want any more surprises. She turned away because she couldn’t bear to watch him die. They did have a history together, though short-lived. The feelings she harbored for Hill made killing him particularly difficult. If she could’ve conjured up a plan which avoided killing him, she might have. So, the least she could do was make sure Hill’s death would be as quick and painless as possible.
“Cate,” Hill said, struggling to keep his balance, his vision starting to blur.
She didn’t want to look at him. She just couldn’t.
“Smile,” Hill managed to mumble, nearly indiscernible. “You’re on camera.” He was grateful that Samantha had kept his security system on all of these years – including the cameras he’d had installed. He saw Caitlin reach in her purse and pull out a small handgun with a pearl handle.
Caitlin sighed as she loosened her neck muscles, tilting her head from side-to-side, hearing her cervical bones pop. Just as she turned around, she heard one, two, three pops that sounded like firecrackers exploding. A stinging sensation that rapidly intensified burned through her. A metallic taste filled her mouth. The smell of gunpowder overwhelmed her senses. She looked down at her bloodied torso then at Hill who balanced himself against the wall pointing at the camera, then at Samantha who stood beside him, aiming a gun at her with a very steady hand.
Caitlin plummeted to the floor. She watched Hill slide down the wall. His eyes closed, and his head fell forward. She saw Perry burst through the door. And then everything went black.
***
Samantha dropped the gun and ran to Hill, cradling his head in her arms, rocking him, begging him, “Stay with me, Hill. You can’t leave me now. Stay with me.” She slapped his face, but he was unresponsive. “Hill!” she yelled. “Come on, baby. Please . . . please, Hill.” Tears streamed down her face as she screamed out his name. “We’ve been through too much for you to leave me now. Come on, baby. Come on. . .”
Perry stood over Samantha after checking Caitlin’s pulse. Caitlin was dead. He caressed Samantha’s mussed hair.
“Come on, Sam. He’s gone, baby girl. He’s gone.”
“No, he’s not!” She shook Hill’s shoulders. “Dammit, Hill!!” Tears fell from her eyes onto Hill’s face.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Perry said. Samantha gently laid Hill’s head on the floor, kissing his nearly purple lips, then stood with Perry’s assistance.
“I can’t leave. I’m not leaving until the medics take him. I can’t leave him,” Samantha said, hearing the sirens in the distance.
Then, in flashes, images of Mindy’s screaming kept invading Perry’s mind, messing with his head. He grabbed Samantha by the back of her neck, remembering how easy it was to snap Mindy’s. And even though he was able to kill Mindy as he was commanded to do, he didn’t
want
to hurt Samantha.
“My god, woman! What is it with you? For all of these years, I’ve been right here, wiping your tears, stroking your ego, lifting you up. Year after motherfuckin’ year. Did you even notice me? Did you?” He waited for an answer, but Samantha just stood there befuddled.
“Figures. When Hill fucked you over, I was there for you—for every goddamn minute of your whimpering and crying. And then you ran into some other fucker’s arms. What the hell did Bill have?” Again, he waited for Samantha to respond.
She shuddered. “You’re hurting me, Perry!”
He decided, in that moment, that if he couldn’t have Samantha, nobody could. He wanted to inflict as much pain upon her as she had on him.
“Stop Perry!” she yelled, while flailing her arms, trying to free herself from his grasp. She kicked his shin and tried to get enough balance to kick a little higher, but she couldn’t. “Why are you doing this, Perry?” she managed to say between strangled breaths.
“Because I want you. I’ve always wanted you, Sam. What does a man have to do to get your attention? Huh?” he asked while shaking her, banging her head against the wall in the process.
One, two shots rang out. Perry fell to his knees then toppled over onto his side. As his head hit the hard floor, Samantha saw Hill lying on the floor, aiming her discarded gun at Perry with an unsteady hand.