Every Move She Makes (26 page)

“If you’re sure, I think I will. I need to have a serious talk with my family about this situation. It’s time to take action.”

“Good for you.” Chandra leaned across the counter to give her a hug. “Be careful. This creep scares me, and I’m not even the one he’s after.”

“He scares me, too. That’s why I intend to do something about it.”

* * * *

Rachel climbed into the passenger seat and yanked the door shut. She gave the seatbelt a hard tug before snapping the buckle in place.

“I can’t sit back while some freak threatens my children. Taking a shot at me is one thing, but no one hurts my kids.”

Kane flipped on the blinker and pulled out onto the street. “We won’t let him get anywhere near them. After what happened today, the girls will be on high alert. They’ll know this isn’t a game. Everyone will be more careful.”

“That isn’t good enough. You said he’d focus on me. You said my girls would be safe.”

He glanced over at her before returning his gaze to the road. “I thought they would be. Hell, Rachel, I wouldn’t begin to take chances with your daughters.”

“Yet, the man actually spoke to Ivy! I want them completely out of the picture. I want them somewhere safe, and that means far away from wherever I am. They’re everything to me. I won’t take any more risks.” Her voice cracked. “What if you’re wrong again?”

Pain exploded in his chest. The last time he’d been wrong, it had cost his partner his life.
And a child had died.
His hands clenched on the wheel as he bent forward.

Rachel shifted in the seat and gave him a worried look. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”
Nothing he intended to talk about.

He parked next to the chain link fence surrounding the pool and turned to face her. “Your mom and dad would take them, or maybe Grace or Will.”

She shook her head. “They’re all too close. I have a brother in Portland and a sister in San Diego. Hopefully several hundred miles between my daughters and this...deviant will be enough.”

“Will the girls go along with it?”

“I think so. Jade and Ivy won’t mind. It’s hard to tell with Lark. Who knows, she might be thrilled to put some distance between us.”

“We can talk about it this evening. Let’s go get Ivy and finish up with the sheriff.”

Rachel let out a huge sigh before she pushed open the door.

As it turned out, the interview was over quickly and elicited no new information. Rachel thanked the sheriff and walked silently back to the car while Ivy ran ahead.

Kane squeezed her arm. “Is something else wrong?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. When Ivy described the truck and the man in it, I had the strangest sense of
déjà vu
. I can’t for the life of me figure out why.”

“Your subconscious will remember in the middle of the night while you’re sleeping soundly. Of course once it happens, you can never go back to sleep.”

“I hope so. It’s really bugging me.”

“Shall we head over to the soccer field? It’s almost time to pick up Jade.”

Rachel nodded. “I’m going to call Mom and invite us all for dinner. I need to tell them what happened, and I should probably do it in person.”

“That’s a good idea. You can talk to your parents while I take Lark to her dance class.”

“You don’t mind?”

Kane shut the rear door of the car after Ivy climbed in. “Of course I don’t. Let’s go get Jade.”

* * * *

Audrey poked at the remains of her pork chop. “It makes my skin crawl knowing how close that man got to Ivy.” Her shoulders shook. “To think he actually came right up onto your front porch last night, as bold as you please! A person should be safe in her own home. What will he do next?”

Rachel lay down her fork. “I don’t know, but he won’t be doing anything to my girls. I’m going to call Susan and Russ and see if either of them can take the kids until the police catch this lunatic. If we can book a flight, they’ll be on a plane out of here first thing in the morning.”

“What?” Jade stared across the table, a forkful of mashed potatoes suspended halfway to her mouth. “You’ve got to be kidding. I have soccer tomorrow.”

“And I have swimming.” Ivy’s lip stuck out in a mutinous pout. “I’m not missing my last day.”

Kane cleared his throat. “What if they go on Friday since their activities will be over?”

“I don’t know, Kane. I hate to wait even a day.”

“We’ve managed this long. We’ll make it work.”

“Go where exactly?” Lark walked in from the kitchen and returned to her chair. “What’re you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you girls spending some time with either your Aunt Susan in San Diego or your Uncle Russ in Portland. I want you somewhere safe.”

Jade swallowed a mouthful of food. “Do we get to vote on where we go? Because if we do, I vote for Aunt Susan’s. Scott promised to teach me how to surf.”

“Either place is fine with me, but it will depend on who can take you. It’s possible your aunt may have plans for the holiday weekend.”

“Can we at least ask her first? I really want to learn to surf.”

“If your sisters agree.”

Ivy bounced in her chair. “Fine with me. I haven’t spent time with Tanya and Trista in forever. How long are we staying?”

“Yeah, Mom, how long?” Lark pushed away her half-eaten plate of food. “What if the police don’t catch this creep? It could be the whole summer. I like working in the winery gift shop. I don’t want to go to San Diego or Portland. Why can’t I just stay here?”

“Because I want you to be safe. Because this man could have taken Ivy today if she hadn’t been such a quick thinker. God only knows what he might try next.”

Lark snorted. “Only a lame-brain would get in a car with a stranger. She wasn’t in that much danger.”

“Any danger is too much. You’re all three going, and that’s final.”

“Not tomorrow. I need to finish my dance clinic.”

Rachel let out a sigh. “All right, we’ll book a flight for Friday. I’m not going to relax until I know you’re safe.”

“I’m glad that’s settled.” Audrey crossed her arms over her chest. “Since no one is eating anyway, you might as well go call your sister.”

Rachel left the table, grabbed her purse, headed out to the patio and collapsed into a chair. She spent a moment pulling herself together before she punched in her sister’s number. Thankfully, Susan was home.

“Mom told me about the attack on you in Tahoe, but I had no idea the stalker followed you home. Of course I’ll take the girls.”

Rachel leaned her head against the padded seatback. “You’re sure? I can check with Russ and Dara if having the girls will cause a problem for you. I know how busy you are at the law office.”

“Actually, I took a couple of weeks off so the kids and I could do some fun things together this summer. The timing’s perfect.”

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.”

“Hey, that’s what sisters are for. You’ll call me with the flight times when you have them?”

“First thing in the morning.”

“Good enough.” Susan’s voice took on a teasing quality. “I’d tell you to take care of yourself, but I hear you have this really gorgeous man to do it for you.”

Rachel choked on a laugh. “Mom has a big mouth.”

“Is it true?”

A sigh shook her. “Yeah, it’s true.”

“Good for you. I hope it works out.”

“Right now, all I can think about is keeping my girls safe. Thanks, Susan.”

“You’re welcome.”

Rachel clicked the phone shut and closed her eyes. When she opened them, Kane stood in front of her.

“Well?”

“Susan agreed to keep them.”

“That’s good.” He took her hand and pulled her up from the chair.

As she rested her cheek against his chest, warmth spread through her. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am.”

“I am, too.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Shall we go tell them?”

“In a minute. Right now, I don’t want to move. I want to enjoy having you hold me just a second or two more.”

His arms tightened. “Take all the time in the world.”

The scent of fresh bread, pickles and onions was thick in the air of the deli. Kane ordered a turkey with provolone on wheat and iced tea. Taking his food to an outside table, he claimed a chair facing the street and hoped Dawson would show. When the man hurried across the parking lot a moment later, Kane eased his grip on the sandwich.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Curt flashed a quick smile. “Let me get something to eat, and I’ll be right out.”

He reappeared several minutes later carrying a meatball sub, a pickle spear and a bottle of water.

“Thanks for meeting with me.” Kane pushed out an empty chair.

“Not a problem. I finally got my client’s computer up and running, so I have plenty of time.” He took a healthy bite of his sub and wiped tomato sauce off his fingers with a napkin. “So, how I can help you?”

“The authorities told you about the attack on Rachel Carpenter?”

“They did, although I’m not sure why they would question me. Rachel seemed nice enough, but I barely know her. Tiffany thinks she’s terrific.”

“You’re still dating Tiffany?”

“Sure, though not as often as I’d like. Work has been overwhelming since we got back from Granite Lake.”

“Must be tough keeping a beautiful girl like Tiffany hanging. I’d worry some other guy might snag her interest.”

Curt shrugged. “Tiffany and I aren’t exclusive, and lately I’ve had other priorities.”

“Your business?”

He looked up from the dripping sandwich. “Yeah, it’s really taking off. I neglected it for a week to attend my family reunion. Now I’m paying the price.” He cocked his head as he looked at Kane. “Why, exactly, am I a suspect in a police investigation?”

“Someone followed Rachel up at Granite Lake, most likely a fellow camper. The authorities think it’s the same guy who attacked her in Tahoe.”

“Wow. None of those guys seemed the type.”

“People can be good at hiding secrets.” Kane sipped his tea. “I don’t suppose you were with Tiffany Tuesday night or have an alibi for yesterday around two?”

“Why, what happened?”

“Let’s just say Rachel’s stalker has been busy.”

Curt pulled several napkins from the dispenser and wiped his hands. “No, I was home alone with my computer Tuesday night and all day yesterday. Anyway, why would I hurt Rachel?”

“Her stalker doesn’t want to hurt her. He just wants her.”

“No offense to Rachel, but she’s a lot older than me. Besides, I have a girl.”

“Tiffany of the non-exclusive relationship?”

“That’s right. It works for both of us.”

“Must be nice.”

“It is. Why are you involved in the investigation? I thought you worked in San Francisco.”

“I do, but I’m on leave until we catch this creep. Rachel and I have grown close.” His gaze never left the other man’s face.

“Good for you.” Dawson crumpled his napkins and dropped them into the basket holding the remains of his sandwich. He picked up the pickle and took a bite. “You should finish your lunch. The food here is excellent.”

“I will. Don’t let me keep you if you have someplace to go.”

“I was thinking of driving into the city, taking in a ball game. I need a break after the hours I’ve put in lately.”

“You like baseball?”

“Sure, but football’s my game. Too bad the Niners stink.”

“It’s a shame. Not like the good old days when Bryce Carpenter was playing.”

“He was a hell of a quarterback.” Curt met his gaze with a steady regard. “Just because I was a fan of Carpenter’s doesn’t mean I’m stalking his ex-wife.”

“Of course not.” Kane finished his sandwich. “Will you be around if I have any more questions?”

“Sure. Good luck finding the man who’s after Rachel.”

“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”

Curt crossed the street to head straight to a parking lot where he unlocked the door of a black sports car. When he pulled out onto the road, he waved.

Kane lifted a hand in response. The man hadn’t seemed very concerned about being a suspect in an assault investigation. He wondered why. After finishing the iced tea, he tossed his trash into a nearby can. Then, using a napkin, he carried Curt’s water bottle to his Jeep and slipped it into a plastic bag. The bottle had Dawson’s prints all over it as well as his DNA. It wouldn’t hurt to have a sample, just in case. He’d send it to the lab along with Dennis Olmstead’s water glass, which he’d removed from the table when he left the restaurant the day before.

All he needed now was a sample of Bob Mayfield’s DNA, and his collection would be complete.

* * * *

Rachel answered her office phone and smiled. “Hey, Grace, how’s it going?”

“How’s it going?” Her sister’s voice was heavy with sarcasm. “It’s going fine. I’m not the one with a predator watching my every move. Why didn’t you call me?”

Rachel pictured her sister’s green eyes snapping with indignation. Grace liked to be kept in the loop first hand.

“I was too tired to talk after we got home last night. Everything sort of caught up with me. Thank God for Kane. At least I was able to sleep knowing we’d be safe with him in the house.”

“Mom told me you’re shipping the girls off to Susan’s.”

“I want them someplace safe.” Her gaze strayed to the framed photo resting on the desk. All three of her daughters smiling back at her. She’d taken it the previous Christmas, catching the girls laughing at Daisy’s antics in a pile of wrapping paper. They looked the way children should, carefree and happy. Her voice caught. “I don’t want this deviant anywhere near them ever again.”

“They’ll be safe in San Diego, and they’ll have a great time.”

“They’re excited to go, at least two out of three are.”

Grace laughed. “Let me guess, our little tattooed friend is putting up her usual resistance.”

“I think it’s more for show than anything. Once Lark’s at Susan’s, she’ll enjoy herself.”

“What’s not to like about going to the beach or trips to the zoo and Sea World?”

“Exactly. Their flight leaves out of SFO at ten tomorrow morning.”

“Why don’t you stop by my apartment afterward? We can have lunch together.”