I'm Watching You (54 page)

She said it like she thought she should have. „Why would you?“ Abe asked reasonably. „He ran a diner, served food. Why would you think he was a retired cop?“

Kristen shook her head. „I know up here that I couldn’t have known.“ She tapped her head. „But knowing it down deep is something entirely different. Anyway, apparently Leah got more and more depressed until Owen moved her to an apartment away from the city to give her a change of scenery. To keep her from having to walk the same streets that she’d been walking the day she was raped. He got her a place up in Lake County, not too far from the Worth property you found.“

„But it was too late,“ Mia added. „Leah ended up committing suicide.“

„The trauma we were looking for,“ Spinnelli said.

„How is the little girl?“ Kristen asked. „Kaplan’s daughter? She’s been weighing on my mind all day.“

Spinnelli clenched his jaw. „From what they can get out of her, she didn’t see her father killed. They don’t think she saw his body, just Madden. He was bloody and crazy. That’s what she keeps saying. Bloody and crazy.“

„She’s traumatized for life,“ Kristen murmured, guilt blatantly obvious on her face.

„It is not your fault,“ Abe said firmly.

„How did he know about his uncle, Paul Worth?“ Spinnelli asked.

Kristen shrugged. „He didn’t get that far. He stopped while he was writing about how he drugged me and copied my database from my hard drive. He must have gotten a call from Zoe Richardson, because that’s who he was looking for when he came into the warehouse.“

Spinnelli’s expression became even grimmer, his bushy mustache bunching as he frowned. „He may have gotten a call from someone saying she was Richardson, but it wasn’t Richardson.“

Kristen closed her eyes. „She’s dead.“

Spinnelli hesitated. „Yes.“

„How?“ Kristen asked.

Spinnelli exchanged a glance with Abe that spoke volumes. This was not something Kristen needed to know. At the prolonged silence Kristen opened her eyes. „
Tell me
.“

„Conti killed her, Kristen. That’s all you need to know.“

Kristen’s eyes flashed. „How did she die? Dammit, Marc, I have a right to know.“

Spinnelli sighed. „She suffocated.“

Mia frowned. „Suffocated? But – “

„Jack, are you done here?“ Spinnelli interrupted. „Because I need to schedule a press conference and I’ll need a summary of everything you’ve found. Kristen, there was a stack of books on Madden’s nightstand. He stuck a sticky note with your name on the top of the stack. Poetry, I think. Keats and Browning. Mia, will you take Kristen to look through them?“

Kristen regarded him steadily. „It doesn’t matter if you tell me or not, Marc. Sooner or later one of the reporters will find out and all I’ll have to do is watch the ten o’clock news.“ She left the room, Mia at her heels. When they were gone, Spinnelli sighed again.

„When news broke that both Edwards and Conti were dead, we got an anonymous tip that if we stopped them from burying Angelo Conti, we’d find a missing person. Luckily the ground is so soggy from the thaw that they couldn’t get the diggers out to the burial plot.“

Abe grimaced as Spinnelli’s meaning hit home. „No.“

Spinnelli nodded. „Yes. Kristen’s right. This will be all over the news sooner or later. I’ll leave it up to you how you tell her. Now, get her out of here and get back to your family. How is your brother?“

Abe checked his watch. „They should be letting him go home any minute. I’m taking Kristen home.“

„Not to her house,“ Spinnelli cautioned. „We’ll need to get someone to clean up her living room. There’s blood all over the wallpaper.“

Blue stripes. Fighting a shudder Abe visualized the scene Mia and Spinnelli had found, the dead body in her living room, the blood streaking the blue-striped wallpaper. Visualized Kristen shooting the man who’d intruded into her home. Who’d put his hands on her. And even through the horror, was fiercely proud that she’d acted with such precise calm. She hadn’t been able to fight her attacker ten years ago. Today, she’d more than made up for it.

„No,“ Abe said, his voice unsteady. „I won’t take her to her house. I’ll take her to my parents’. Everyone will be there.“ He turned to go when Spinnelli’s hand closed over his shoulder.

„I was proud of you today, Abe. You waited for us at the warehouse instead of charging in to save the day yourself. You did the right thing.“

And how hard it had been to sit there, hearing the seconds tick away in his mind, knowing Conti had Kristen, that he might be killing her at that very moment. But it
had
been the right thing to do. He never could have saved her alone. „Thank you,“ he whispered.

Spinnelli gave him one of those long hard looks that once again made Abe feel as if the man was looking straight into his soul. „You’re welcome.“

Saturday, February 28,

7:30 p.m.

The noise was such a welcome relief that Kristen felt tears sting her eyes. By unspoken mutual consent, she and Abe had not returned to her house, instead coming to the only place it made sense to come. Abe opened the door to Becca’s kitchen from the laundry room and it was like she’d come home. Sean and Ruth’s kids chased each other across the kitchen, Becca was watching QVC and Annie was peeling potatoes. Rachel sat at the kitchen table, working on what appeared to be algebra. The television in the living room was blaring some sports event, accompanied by the outraged shouts of Reagan men.

With a tearful cry, Rachel leaped from the table and rushed Kristen, nearly knocking her down with the ferocity of her embrace. Kristen hugged her close, rocking her gently. Rachel hadn’t been at the hospital when she and Abe had gone to see Aidan. Kristen understood the girl needed the reassurance that she was indeed unharmed. Perhaps Kristen needed the reassurance as well. She swallowed hard and drew Rachel’s head against her shoulder.

„It’s all right now, honey. I promise. It’s all over.“

„I was so scared,“ Rachel whispered, trembling. „When they said you were missing, I…“

„I was scared, too.“ She could admit that now, now that everything was over. She’d seen four men die this afternoon, one at her own hand. Somehow the reality that she’d killed a man in her own living room hadn’t yet sunk in. She supposed it would in time. For now, she held on tight to Rachel. „But you, honey, you helped save my life. Detective Mitchell told me how you recognized Owen from my office. Without you, they wouldn’t have known who he was. You helped them find Aidan, so they could get him to the hospital.“

Rachel pulled back, her lips curving in a faltering smile even as tears streaked her cheeks. „I did, didn’t I? He owes me big time.“

Kristen cupped Rachel’s cheek, wiping the girl’s tears away with her thumb. „Yes, he does. And so do I. Thank you, Rachel.“

„You’re all right?“ she asked anxiously. „Really all right? You’re not lying or anything?“

Kristen’s lips twitched. „I’m not lying. I’m really okay. Better now that I’m here with you.“

Rachel tilted her head to one side, studying her. „Aidan said you shot some guy and killed him.“

Kristen drew a breath. „Yes, I did.“

Rachel’s eyes narrowed. „Good. He deserved it.“

„Rachel, I don’t think Kristen really wants to talk about that right now,“ Becca said. She put her own arms around Kristen and brought her close. „We were so worried,“ she whispered. „I’m so glad you’re back here where you belong.“ She pressed a kiss to the top of Kristen’s head, men pulled away, briskly moving about her kitchen. „Abe, make yourself useful. Take that pie into your brother. He’s resting on the sofa in the living room.“

Abe frowned. „Aidan gets pie? That’s not fair.“

„He has a concussion. Of course it’s fair.“ She put the plate of pie in Abe’s hands. „And don’t be sneaking any on the way. Go on, now. Those boys,“ she clucked after him. „Kristen, we have a house full of people tonight. If you feel up to it, there’s lettuce and salad makings in the fridge. I could use your help, too.“

„Mother,“ Annie whispered and Becca shot her a frown. And Kristen knew Becca didn’t need any help at all. It was just Becca’s way of making her feel like family.

She was digging cucumbers out of the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator when Ruth appeared in the doorway, the baby on her shoulder. Her eyes assessed Kristen carefully, then she smiled. „I hear you had a bit of excitement today.“

Kristen heard the words, but had eyes only for the infant in Ruth’s arms. Not for one moment had she forgotten that she and Abe still had issues to discuss. She’d anticipated having a reaction to the sight of Ruth’s baby, but she was unprepared for the wave of emotion that nearly cut her at the knees, a rushing combination of yearning and fear. Yearning that she, too, could hold a child in her arms, Abe’s child. And fear that her inability to do so would come between them and she’d lose her place in this incredible family.

„Kristen?“ Ruth approached, tilting Kristen’s chin up with her free hand. „Say something.“

Kristen made her eyes blink, her lungs breathe and her mouth move. „I’m fine. It’s just the day catching up to me.“ She dropped the vegetables on the table. „But I think staying busy is the best thing. The christening was lovely, Ruth. I’m just sorry the party was ruined.“

Ruth looked unconvinced. „If you need anything, you
will
let me know.“

„I will. I promise.“ Kristen settled at the kitchen table and started ripping lettuce, a remarkably cathartic activity all in all. „So, Rachel, more algebra?“

Rachel grimaced. „Makeup work from all the days I missed. You’d think they’d cut me some slack, under the circumstances. But nooo. It’s all due on Monday.“

Kristen concentrated on the lettuce. „Welcome to the real world, honey.“
Where life rarely cuts you any slack. But couldn’t it, please? Just this once
?

Saturday, February 28,

10:45 p.m.

The house was quiet, relatively speaking. Sean and Ruth had gone home, taking all five children which eliminated 80 percent of the noise right there. Aidan had gone off to his old bedroom where Becca insisted he sleep for the night. Annie had also gone home, but not before quietly telling Kristen not to worry about her living room. She had some wallpaper that would be just perfect, and she’d fix it all up, better than new.

Now she and Abe sat with Becca and Kyle, the television showing pets doing amazing tricks. Abe’s arm was around her, holding her tight when she remembered.
Pets
. Damn. „I need to go to my house,“ she said, dreading the thought. „I have to feed the cats.“

Abe just tightened his hold. „Mia fed them. They’re fine.“

So Kristen indulged herself, putting off the nagging knowledge that there was still one major unresolved issue for just a little while longer. Then the program ended and Kyle stood with a groan.

„I’m sorry, but I have to go to bed. I’m getting too old for all this excitement. Becca?“

Becca rose, bent to kiss Abe’s cheek, then Kristen’s. „Where will you go tonight?“

„My apartment,“ Abe said firmly. Kristen was in no mood to disagree and a few minutes later they were sitting in the cab of his SUV, staring at his parents’ house. Abe hadn’t started the engine and the quiet was almost deafening. Kristen knew he’d been wrestling with the unresolved issues as well. It would appear the time of reckoning had arrived.

„We need to talk, Kristen,“ he said quietly, „but not here.“ In silence he drove to the apartment she’d seen only once, the morning after she’d been attacked in her room. Abe’s place was empty and sterile and Kristen found she dreaded it almost as much as returning to her own house. But perhaps it was the conversation she dreaded more than the location.

He took her coat and turned on some lights. Flipped a switch and the gas fireplace ignited with a whoosh. He stood with his back to her for a long moment while she waited.

„Last night I told you I loved you,“ he said abruptly and she was acutely conscious that he hadn’t said so since. „You said you loved me.“ He turned and focused those piercing blue eyes on her face. „Did you mean it?“

Kristen swallowed. „Yes.“

His eyes flashed. „What did you think I would say, Kristen? That my love was conditional? I love you, but only if you bear my children? That if you can’t, the deal is off?“

Kristen’s eyes stung at his brusque tone. „I told you I’d disappoint you.“

He looked up at the ceiling, blew out a sigh. „I’m disappointed,“ he admitted, then brought his gaze back down to hers. „But not with you.“ He crossed the distance between them and put his arms around her. „Never with you. How can I make you believe that?“

His arms were around her again and suddenly it was all too much. The dam broke and the tears rushed and she grabbed handfuls of his shirt and held on. And cried and cried. He scooped her up and settled her on his lap on the sofa and held her until the wave passed and the tears dwindled to a trickle. He lifted her chin and kissed her then, long and deep and… permanent. That’s what it was. Permanence. Possession. His stake.

Her breath shuddered out in relief. „I’m sorry, Abe. I wish I could change it, but I can’t.“

He delved into her eyes, his gaze intense. „We are who we are because of what we’ve been through, Kristen, and we can’t go back and change things, no matter how hard we wish. We are
where
we are because of what we’ve been through. Somehow, our lives came together. We’re together. And right here, right now, I wouldn’t change a thing.“

His face became blurry and she blinked, sending tears down her cheeks. „And later? When you want a child of your own?“

„Any child we have will be a child of our own. We can adopt. I wanted to say that this morning, but I didn’t think you wanted to hear it then.“

„There are long waiting periods,“ she murmured, still unwilling to let herself entirely believe what seemed too perfect to be true. „It’s not easy to adopt a baby.“

„Who said anything about a baby?“ he responded gently. „There are children everywhere that need homes, families to love them. We can be a family, Kristen. You and me. Even if we never biologically reproduce, I love you. Even if we never have any children, I love you.“ He kissed her mouth so tenderly she thought her heart would break. „Marry me.“