If Looks Could Kill (24 page)

She inhaled sharply. “How could you have done such a thing to me!” she demanded angrily.

“What? I sent you a present for us to share.”

She shook her head. “I thought it came from Dan.”

His face hardened. “Why would it have come from Dan? You told me he was an ass who couldn't even come home on time.”

“I—I was wrong. Look, I know that I've kind of led you on, but…Dan is the father of my children. We're married, we've had problems, but we'll work them out. You've always made me feel good when I've been down, and I appreciate that, but…”

“But what, Kaila?”

“Please, no more presents. There can't be anything between us. Except the closeness we've always had.”

He shook his head. “You're wrong,” he said very softly, tenderly. “You love me. Eventually you'll realize it. So screw Dan.”

“You don't understand,” Kaila tried to explain.

“Yeah, I do. You're being a cunt, like most women. Like your mother.”

“My God, how could you—How dare you—”

“Sorry,” he said briefly. “All right, you're in love with your husband again. I'll put your bag in your car for you.” He took the bag from her and walked to the car with it. She was suddenly afraid that he was going to force his way in with her.

He didn't. He put the bag on the back seat and closed the door. “Look, Kaila, I'm sorry. What I said was awful. You have been leading me on, though. And you are going to have trouble with Dan again. You'll be looking for what I can give you again.”

“No…Please, I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just going through a bad time. And Dan is furious. I lied like crazy, but he's determined to find out where those panties came from. Please, you've got to be careful. We've got to stop talking, and—”

“Kissing?”

“Right. We have to stop kissing. Please, don't be angry with me. I care about you. Please, don't be mad.”

“I'm not mad.” He smiled at her. “Because you'll be back.”

She shook her head. “I won't.”

“Kiss goodbye?” he inquired.

“Sure.”

It wasn't a chaste kiss. He wanted more, and because she was unnerved at first, she didn't fight him. Then she found the strength to pull away.

He drew away from her. “I still love you.”

“The best of friends,” she murmured.

“We'll see.”

“Don't be mad.”

“I'm not mad. Not at all.”

He turned and walked away. She shivered fiercely. She wondered if she should come clean. Tell Dan what she'd almost done.

Oh, God, no, she couldn't. Too many other people were involved; she could ruin everything.

Kaila drove home quickly, called out to Dan that she was back and put her few groceries away. Dan was already in bed, watching television, when she went into their room. He patted her side of the bed, smiling hopefully.

“Just a sec—I'm going to shower.”

She showered, then brushed her teeth and rinsed with mouthwash, assuring herself that the taste of another man's lips couldn't possibly remain on her own.

“O
h, right! Let's bring Madison along. Let's make her look at another damn murder victim!” Kyle swore.

The light was on, and he was pacing back and forth in front of her bed. He was wearing black-cotton boxers, looking as hard and sleek as a panther, and just as edgy and dangerous as any caged cat. She remained in bed—relieved, oh, God, yes, relieved!—sitting up against the headboard, feeling the beginning of a pounding headache. Kyle was in a dark, angry mood.

Not that he hadn't been reassuring at first, encircling her with his arms, holding her tighter and tighter until she knew it was him and her trembling stopped.

“You—you were in my room,” she reminded him. “You scared me.”

“You
knew
I was coming back. And you were shouting and crying out in your sleep. I figured you were dreaming again, but if you were, I had to wake you up. And if you weren't…well, hell, hopefully I was going to save your life.”

“Then I'm sorry, but honestly, you scared me—”

“What was the dream?”

“I…don't remember.”

“Bull. You remember all kinds of stuff you don't tell me. You had a vision off your father's boat that day, and you didn't say a word to me. You waited until we were with Jimmy, the next day.”

“Well, Jimmy doesn't think I intrude on his life.”

He paused, taking a deep breath, shaking his head. “Damn it, Madison, this isn't the time to make me pay for any of the stupid things I might have said to you when I was upset.”

A violent shiver suddenly seized hold of her.

He stopped pacing, staring at her, coming back to her side. He sat on the bed beside her and drew her against him, and she felt the pounding of his heart, felt the different rhythm of her own.

“What is it?” he asked huskily.

“I'm all right. Just an aftershiver.”

“What was the dream? Was it about Tammy?”

She pulled away from him, looking at him, and shook her head. “No, it was strange, I can't quite seem to remember exactly…It had the past mixed up with the present. I was driving west along the Tamiami Trail to the hunting shacks. It was me, but it wasn't me…. It was like when we were kids, except that I was grown up, and the killer was trying to take me away somewhere, but I couldn't run, because…”

“Because?”

“There was a child in the car.”

“Carrie Anne?”

“I don't know. I don't think so. It was very, very strange. It was me, but it was someone else—”

“You always see through the victim's eyes.”

“Yes, but, this was different from the dreams I've had before.” She exhaled a long breath. “Some people have the gift of prophecy, but I never have. I've only seen what's already happened. This dream was different. It wasn't anything that's happened, and it was and wasn't me, in a different way. And the child…he kept saying, ‘Mommy.' Weird, huh?”

“So you don't think that any of it actually happened?”

She shook her head. “No. I mean…Please, tell me there haven't been any children involved in any of these murders, right?”

He shook his head. “No. No kids.”

“Then maybe…I don't know, maybe I have seen one corpse too many.” She hesitated. “How come Jassy never has nightmares?”

“She has a scientific mind.”

“I wish I did.” She hesitated. “Kyle, I still feel I can help on this. I feel it more and more.”

“And more and more, I get the feeling that you're in danger. Besides that, you're suffering. You're suffering for every poor woman killed, and it's bound to take a toll on you.”

“I'm okay. Cops and doctors learn to live with pain and death. I can do the same. I
have
done the same. I have to stay on this case. I
have
to!”

“Damn it, Madison, only if you promise to listen to me.”

“Oh, really? Who made you the boss?”

“The FBI.”

“Well, they didn't make you the boss of my life.”

“If you want in on this one, I am.”

“Mommy?”

They both turned. Carrie Anne, her thumb in her mouth, was standing in the doorway to Madison's room.

Guilt swamped Madison. She wasn't even doing anything, but she couldn't help feeling guilty. She'd had the best possible divorce, but she still felt bad for Carrie Anne. Carrie Anne adored her father, and this just felt…uncomfortable.

“Hi, sweetie, come on in!” Madison said, pulling away from Kyle.

Kyle stood. “Hi, munchkin.”

She glared at Kyle.

He hunkered down to her level. “Your mommy was having a nightmare.”

“Were you sleeping in here?” she asked him.

“I'm in the guest room down the hall.”

“No, you're not. You're right here.”

“I
was
sleeping in the guest room down the hall. Then your mommy had a nightmare.”

Carrie Anne glanced at Madison, then nodded gravely and looked back at Kyle. “She has a lot of awful dreams.”

“Thanks, sweetie,” Madison murmured.

Carrie Anne was still studying Kyle. “Are you going to marry Mommy?”

“Carrie Anne!” Madison gasped, stunned.

“There's nothing wrong with it, Mommy. He's not really your brother,” Carrie Anne said. “That's what Lindy told Daddy. Daddy's worried because he said you were supposed to have your own little girl, Kyle, and he doesn't want you thinking that you're my daddy or anything like that. He told her that he liked you a lot, though, even if the only thing wrong with
him
was that he wasn't
you.
”

Madison bounded out of bed, lifting her daughter up in her arms. “Carrie Anne, you know you're not supposed to listen to grown-up conversations, and you should
never
repeat things that Daddy says. Remember how I told you earlier that I didn't want to hear what Daddy and Lindy were talking about?”

Kyle rose, standing before her. He was trying to hide a very amused smile.

“I guess I should go back to the guest room.”

Carrie Anne nodded solemnly. “You can't sleep in here unless you're married.”

“I know that,” Kyle said. “And you know what? I like your daddy, and I did lose a little baby girl a long time ago, so it's nice get to spend some time with you. I don't think he minds that. I'll ask him next time we talk.”

“Go ahead,” Madison murmured. “Because I'm going to kill him!”

“Who? Daddy?” Carrie Anne asked, concerned.

“No. I mean…You know what? I'm going to make some hot chocolate. How's that?”

“I'll start the water,” Kyle said. “And I'm going to want Kahlua in mine!”

He left the room. Madison set Carrie Anne down. “Now, you, young lady!”

Carrie Anne frowned, her little face puckering. “I'm sorry, Mommy, what did I do?”

“Oh…” Madison groaned softly. She hugged her daughter to her chest. “So, you think maybe Daddy plans on marrying Lindy?”

“Maybe.”

“You know, Daddy comes down here a lot. I bet he's been getting to know her for a long time, making sure she'd be a good stepmother before he decided to introduce you to her.”

“Daddy would do that, wouldn't he? Make sure that a stepmother would like me? Stepmothers can be really bad, you know. Like in ‘Snow White.' And ‘Cinderella.”'

Madison laughed softly. “Daddy loves you more than anyone in the whole world. He would always think of you first. And so would I.”

“Then it's okay.”

“What's okay?”

“If Daddy marries Lindy. And if you marry Kyle.”

“Honey, you know, Kyle really lives near Washington. He's here to work, but when he finishes, he—”

“Hey, water's boiling! Where's the powdered stuff?” Kyle called from the kitchen.

“I'll show you!” Carrie Anne cried out, running from the bedroom to help him. With a sigh, Madison followed.

Carrie Anne chattered as they drank. She began by telling Kyle about her friends in kindergarten. Then she told him about the great movie he had missed.

And he was good with her. He listened. He didn't pretend to listen, he
really
listened. When he asked her what she thought about the movie, he really wanted to hear answer.

Sipping her hot chocolate, listening, Madison was sorry again. His wife and child should have lived. He would have been a good father.

Finally she broke in. “Carrie Anne, you have to get some sleep.”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“Want to sleep with me?”

“No.”

She kissed her mother. Then she kissed Kyle. Madison walked her back to her bedroom. When Carrie Anne was tucked in, Madison went back to the kitchen, only to discover that. Kyle had returned to his own room. She did the same.

It was a very long night.

 

Saturday morning, Madison decided to get artistic with breakfast.

The coffee was already made when she woke up, and when she tapped on Kyle's door, she discovered that he was busy at his computer, which he'd plugged in on the desk near the window. “Sorry to interrupt. Thanks,” she said, and lifted her cup of coffee to him.

He nodded briefly, looking at her.

“I didn't mean to disturb you.”

“It's all right.”

“I'm going to make Carrie Anne breakfast. Want some?”

“Sure.”

“I'll send Carrie Anne to tell you when it's ready.”

She told herself that she didn't need to impress him with her domestic skills—or lack of them. She wasn't really a great cook, but the things she could prepare, she did well. She decided to make French toast, strawberries with hand-whipped cream, omelettes with peppers, mushrooms and onions, fresh juice…and in the end, she broke down and fried bacon. She loved bacon, though she almost never indulged.

Carrie Anne helped her set the table in the breakfast nook. It was a pretty spot at the rear of the kitchen, overlooking the screened-in pool and patio. She had invested in her house as her first big expenditure after her divorce, thinking a new home was the way for her to begin a new life. She still loved the house, even if it sometimes felt awfully big just for her, Carrie Anne and sometimes Peggy. A young couple with a baby had had the house custom-built before discovering the husband was being transferred to Toronto, and they had thought of all kinds of wonderful little details. The breakfast nook was one of them. It had a bay window that overlooked the bubbling spa end of the pool. It was pretty and peaceful.

“Wow!” Kyle said, arriving with Carrie Anne. He was in denim cutoffs, sandals and a black tank top decorated with the name of a popular rock band. A lock of his dark hair fell over his forehead, as if he'd been running his fingers through it while deep in thought. He absently repeated the gesture, looking at Carrie Anne, the breakfast table and Madison, behind the counter. “Carrie Anne, do you have breakfast like this every morning?” he asked seriously.

“Oh, no. I usually have Cheerios and Mommy eats stuff with raisins in it.”

Kyle smiled. “Well, then, this is special.”

“I'm feeling restless, I guess,” Madison murmured. She looked reproachfully at her daughter. “And we do cook on weekends. Always.”

“Always?” Kyle asked Carrie Anne.

She smiled happily and shrugged. They had become coconspirators.

“Sit down and eat and quit torturing me,” Madison advised. As she was pouring juice, the phone began to ring.

Carrie Anne ran to the counter, then stood by the phone. “Can I answer, Mommy, or should I let the machine get it?”

“Ah, so you usually do screen your calls,” Kyle murmured, helping himself to food.

“And you don't?” Madison said, indicating that Carrie Anne should answer the phone.

“Hello?” Carrie Anne said into the receiver. She smiled right away and looked at Madison. “It's Auntie Kaila. She wants us to come over. She says she knows Kyle is here, and she thinks he should quit working so hard and come over this afternoon to swim and have a barbecue. Uncle Dan is home, and he wants to cook. Can we, Mom, can we?”

Madison hesitated. “Kyle may need to work.”

“If I'm needed, they'll call me. I put in a dozen hours yesterday. I wouldn't mind an afternoon in the sun.”

“Mommy?” Carrie Anne said hopefully.

“Sure. Tell her to give us time to eat, clean up and get some stuff together. What does she want us to bring?”