Had he killed them all?
Desperate to get away, she glanced in all directions. The elevator doors loomed in the distance, the metal glistening like the pearly gates. If she could make it to the elevator, she might get away. She took off at a sprint. I can make it.
She turned to see him strolling slowly toward her, his grotesque mask grinning.
“I’m coming.” He chuckled deep and low. “I’m going to kill you.”
Her chest tightened and her heart beat so fast it nearly burst through her ribs. His footsteps sounded behind her, and with each measured step, he taunted her.
“You can’t get away from me.”
He was gaining on her but she still had time. She slid into the wall beside the elevator, dragged in a breath, and slammed her trembling palm on the button on the panel beside the door. Machinery whirred and lights lit up on the screen showing the floors. The elevator was on the bottom floor and she was at the very top. “Come on, come on.” She pounded the button and stared at the readout as it seemed to creep up the floors in slow motion.
Five more floors to go, three more to go, two more. It was moving fast now.
He was faster.
“Got you.” He slammed her into the wall, forcing the air from her lungs.
The elevator doors slid open. Too late; he had her. She could not breathe. His weight pinned her like a butterfly to a collector’s board. Before she could fight back, he spun her around and wrenched her arm out, and something sharp pricked her flesh. She tried to say something bu
t her mouth refused to work. She stared into his pitiless green eyes and shuddered at his disgusting red grin. I’m going to die. The world tilted then folded in at the edges.
33
Flat out on the floor of Jane’s hospital room, she gasped for breath and rolled into a ball. Pain shot through her stomach. She might have known Bobby-Joe would use his classic move on her and punch her in the guts. At least Jane had got away. She would not fail to kill him next time they met, but right now she needed to get away before he came back to kill her.
The sound of dragging came from outside the door. With one arm wrapped around her ribs, she stumbled to her feet then slid into the shadows behind the open door. Moments later, Bobby-Joe entered the room, dragging Jane by the hair. He hoisted her onto the bed, and through the crack in the door, she watched him tuck her under the blankets. The man was careful, wearing a mask and surgical gloves, and would not leave a trace of evidence. When he looked under the bed and glanced around the room, she held her breath. One on one, he would kill her.
“Dammit, now I have a kid stalking me. Not that I have to worry. I’m a ghost.” He chuckled then went back to the bed and stared down at Jane “I told you, no one gets away.” Bobby-Joe turned away and sauntered out of the room.
She waited until she heard the elevator doors close then peered around the door and stared in horror at Jane. Her face was sheet-white. She moved close to the bed and checked for a pulse in Jane’s neck. Nothing. He had killed her. Anger raged over her like a tidal wave. “I’m so sorry.”
Her first priority would be to get out of the hospital. She peered cautiously out the door then, rather than take the elevator, turned the other way and headed for the fire exit. Her ribs hurt and she had learned an important lesson. The next time she met up with Bobby-Joe, she would be carrying a weapon.
34
Monday, week two
After finishing his workout with Jenna, Kane headed out to the stables to tend the horses. He inhaled the satisfying smell of fresh hay. It reminded him of his childhood and his misspent youth in a small country town before joining the marines. He smiled at the memories. Both animals had settled in well overnight and snickered in greeting at his arrival; they had accepted Duke as well, which was a bonus. He rubbed the horses’ silken noses and spoke quietly to them before moving them out to the corral.
He was mucking out the stalls when he heard Jenna’s voice calling his name. “I’m out back.”
He pushed the wheelbarrow toward the barn and met her. “Something wrong?”
“Yes, very wrong. Jane died overnight.” Jenna’s mouth formed a thin line. “The doctors have no idea what happened. She was fine when the nurse gave her meds at bedtime.”
He rolled the wheelbarrow into the barn then removed his gloves and dropped them onto a table. “Who was with her? Any signs of a struggle?” He wiped sweat from his brow with his forearm.
“Not that the doctor noticed. She died in her sleep, or so it seems.” Jenna stood with one hand resting on her service weapon. “It sounded suspicious to me so I sent Wolfe to take a look at the body. If he thinks a post is necessary, we’ll have to get her parents’ permission for an autopsy.”
He nodded in agreement. “It does sound suspicious, especially as we’d planned to interview her again soon. Problem is, who would kill her? The vigilante is killing the pedophiles not the victims.”
“The thought crossed my mind as well.” Jenna worried her bottom lip, turning it rosy-pink. “Although, from what the vigilante has told us, the men involved murdered a lot of kids—maybe one of them killed Jane?”
Kane met her gaze. “Yeah, but only we know what she told us. If she was murdered and her killer knows anything about hospital procedure for traumatized patients, he would assume Jane would need a doctor’s clearance before we interviewed her.” He rubbed his chin. “He would also need access to the hospital at night.”
“Yeah, which tells us it’s more than likely one of the men in the pedophile ring works at the hospital.” Jenna flicked him a worried glance and started toward her house. “Get ready. I want to get to the hospital, and we have to visit Angelique Booval in Blackwater today. We’ll go in your car.”