Chapter Ten

 

Jessica filled Lucy's bowls and put out two more with food and water just in case. Somehow, she had to assure Frank that the rumors about her were a mistake. But showing up at the gallery with a bodyguard wouldn't help her case. But maybe if Adam kept out of sight, it could work. She walked over to the window and saw Frank standing on the sidewalk in front of Artspace. He was looking her way. The last thing she needed was for him to see the police pull up in front of her house, which could happen at any minute.

She grabbed her purse and sweater and ran out the door. This would only take five minutes, she told herself. Ten, max. She hurried down the block toward Artspace, wondering how much Frank already knew, and how much she would have to tell him. Perhaps McCloskey had already shown up asking about her work. Maybe that was why Frank had called wanting to see her. How would he feel about working with her if he discovered she was the Charleston PD's number one suspect in a murder investigation? She had to play this cool. Maybe it would be best if she pulled her remaining pieces. She could paint over the logo and reinvent herself in another town.

Truth was, if it wasn't for Adam, she'd be already gone.

She stopped across the street from the gallery, weighing her options. Should she go in, play nice, assure him he had nothing to worry about, and put her life in the hands of Adam and the Phoenix Agency? Or should she do what she'd always done—get her work and run, take care of herself, and depend only on herself? It would make things so much easier. While she hesitated under the shade of the giant oak, contemplating her options, McCloskey's car pulled up.

She slipped behind the tree as he and Detective Kent walked inside, essentially making her decision for her. She would go back to the apartment, pack up Lucy and a few of her things, then get in her car and go. Maybe when this was all over, if it would ever be over, she and Adam could have a future together. But right now, the only future she was interested in saving was her own.

She turned back toward her apartment, but had only made it a few steps when a man stepped out from behind a car in front of her.

"Hello, Jessica," he said.

She froze. She knew that voice.

"It's so nice to see you again." He popped a mint into his mouth, and as he drew closer, she was overcome with mind-numbing fear and the smell of peppermint. Before she could move or scream, his hand was over her nose and mouth and he was pulling her backward behind a tree. She was vaguely aware of a sickly-sweet scent from the cloth he held against her face before everything started to fade and her legs weakened. She fell against him, and the next thing she knew, she was being shoved into the back seat of a car.

She heard voices and tried to call out, but her voice sounded raspy and faint. "Help me," she cried with the last of her strength. And then she heard the static and saw the Charleston PD baseball cap sitting on the dash. No! It couldn’t be. The last thing she saw before unconsciousness overtook her was the police scanner attached to the dash.

***

When Adam came out of the bedroom, he immediately knew something was wrong. It was too quiet in the apartment. He glanced in the kitchen and saw Lucy looking confused at four giant bowls of food and water. He called out Jessica's name, knowing it was futile. She was gone.

He hurried down the stairs, looking up and down the street, but didn't see her anywhere. He ran toward Artspace and didn't hesitate before bursting inside. McCloskey and Kent were already there talking to a tall, thin man with dark hair graying at the temples. This had to be Frank.

"LaSalle, what are you doing here?" Kent asked.

Adam scanned the room. "Jessica said she was coming here."

"We haven't seen her," Frank said, looking more than a little curious.

"Really?" Adam felt a stab of fear. He turned and glanced out the window. Maybe she'd seen McCloskey and Kent and decided not to come in? Different scenarios played through his mind.

"Is there a problem?" the gallery owner asked.

"No," Adam said, and flashed a smile. "No problem at all." He turned and walked back out the door, scanning the street. Where could she be? He ran back to the apartment, thinking he'd somehow missed her and she had doubled back. But the apartment was still empty.

He looked at his watch. She couldn't have been gone more than fifteen minutes. He climbed down the stairs, searching the area around him. "Come on, Jess, where are you?"

He rushed down the block and crossed to the next street over, where he'd left his car. He stopped. The trunk of his rental car wasn't closed all the way. He'd closed the trunk after he'd put Jessica's paintings inside it. He was certain. He walked toward the car, his heart pounding, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps.

"Please don't be inside," he said, as he leaned forward and, with an unsteady hand, opened the trunk.

It was empty.

A relieved breath escaped his chest before he realized all of Jessica's paintings were gone. Every single one.

He closed the lid and leaned against the car. A second later, his cell rang.

He looked at it, but didn't recognize the number. He glanced around him, scouring the street. Did the killer have Jessica? Was he watching him even now?

"Hello," he answered.

"Adam?" Jessica sounded weak and groggy.

"Jessica? Where are you?"

"Sorry…" She incoherently muttered something. "About Lucy and…"

"What?" She must be confused or drugged. "Are you all right?"

"She is for now," a stranger said. "And she'll stay that way as long as you do what you're told."

Adam's grasp on the phone tightened. The killer did have her. Mia's words came back to haunt him. We need to know his endgame. Adam had a feeling this was it.

"And what is that?" he asked.

"Meet us at the Harborwalk in Georgetown. Don't call anyone. Come alone or she dies. Don't keep us waiting. Remember, I have eyes everywhere."

The call ended.

Without hesitation, Adam climbed into his car and peeled down the street toward the bridge that would take him north out of the city, punching Georgetown into the GPS on his phone. One hour and fifteen minutes. He was going to have to fly and hope he didn't get pulled over.

As he drove, he replayed the conversation over and over in his mind. The bastard already had Jessica, so why did he want Adam? What did any of this have to do with him? Or his sister?

He drove like a bat out of hell toward the address plugged into his phone. He should call Mia. She could help him. But the killer had told him not to call anyone. Would he know? Could he take that chance?

"Trust us," Mia had said.

He wanted to, but he'd always faced his problems alone. This time couldn't be any different. Not if he wanted to save Jessica. And he did want to save her. In fact, he couldn't imagine his life without her. Not anymore. Somehow, she'd worked her way into his heart, and there would be no getting her soft voice and luminescent blue eyes out. Not now.

His phone rang. He looked down at the display. Mia.

I will know.

The phone continued to ring.

He should get it. He could trust her.

Call no one.

Damn.

Was his phone bugged? His car?

The ringing stopped. Ten seconds later, it started up again. He snatched up the phone. "Hello."

"What's happening?" Mia demanded.

He didn't say anything as he contemplated his options.

"Dammit, Adam. What is happening?"

His throat constricted so tightly around his vocal cords that he didn't think he was going to be able to breathe.

"Adam!"

"He has her!" he said in a loud whoosh.

"What?"

"That bastard has her. He told me to go to the Harborwalk in Georgetown. Gave me an hour and said I had to come alone. Not to call anyone."

"And you believed him?"

"He put Jessica on the phone, Mia. She'd obviously been drugged. I don't have any choice. I have to find her."

"Damn right. We will find her together. Think, Adam. What is his endgame?"

"I don't know," he yelled with frustration.

"Think about it. This same killer has killed every one of the girls in those portraits."

"Yes, we believe so, but are you sure?"

"Yes. That means he's been obsessed with Jessica and following her for years."

Adam's heart thumped. "Since she was a kid," he said. "He killed her best friend. She dreamed it. She tried to tell the police, but they didn't listen. Made her out to be the town freak."

"He must have got a rush out of that," Mia said. "Out of her life being destroyed by what he'd done. He became fixated on her then, and all these years he has killed to continue the process of her tearing down her life and moving, over and over, all because of him."

"So what's changed this time? Why is it different? Is it me?" he asked.

"Maybe. Except he outed her before you came."

"Because he wants her to himself?" The thought of that burned him to the core.

"Or he's finally ready to kill her, too."

Adam's stomach dropped as he flew down the road, weaving in between traffic, ignoring the blaring horns.

"Whatever it is," Mia continued, "I don't believe it has anything to do with you. There's no reason why he would want you there also."

Adam's hands tightened on the wheel. "So you think he's sending me on a wild goose chase?"

"He's definitely getting you far out of town. You have to go back."

"I can't take that chance."

"Trust us. Let us help you."

He drove on, torn in two by the decision he had to make.

"He wants you out of the way, Adam. Did Jessica say anything when you talked to her?"

"She was really out of it. Apologized for her cat."

"Her cat?"

That was it! He hit the brakes and swung the car in a wide circle, escaping two near misses before he stepped on it and headed back into the city.

"Yes, she asked me to feed it, but then she ended up giving it enough food for a whole week. It didn't make any sense."

"Unless she wanted you to think about the cat for some reason."

"You don't think?"

"It's the last place you'd think to go."

"All right, I'm going back. I can't let anything happen to her. She means too much to me."

"That's good to hear," Mia said quietly.

"I'll be at the apartment in twenty," he said.

"I'll meet you at her place."

"I just hope we're not too late."