Killer Career (29 page)

Voice mail kicked in on Dade’s cell phone number. She didn’t have
time to mull over his disappearance. He had to be all right.

She pulled on her coat and rushed out, doing her best to stifle a
feeling of foreboding. Maybe Dade had gone over to the inspection
site by mistake and was waiting for Tyler there. His cell phone may
not be working. The batteries could be dead. Who knows?

He’d probably check in any minute, most likely while she was on her
way over. He couldn’t be in another accident. She couldn’t handle
that.

After instructing Dee and Pam to make sure Dade called her on her
cell phone as soon as they heard from him, she rushed out of the
building.

Wind and snow pelted her cheeks and eyelashes, as she peered for a
cab. Shivering, she wished she’d heard the weather forecast before
leaving the house. Boots would have been a better choice than
slippery heels.

An empty cab finally pulled up. As she sank onto its leather seat,
blessed warmth enveloped her, spreading through her numb toes. That
felt good. It made her feel like curling up and forgetting her
troubles. If only she could, but she was too wound up for that.

Five miles later, at Tyler’s, she quickly paid the driver and
instructed him to leave. She’d call for another cab later.

The foyer of Harbor View looked as magnificent as she remembered, but
this time she paid scant attention to the shining chandeliers and
marble flooring.

The feeling she’d had before grew stronger, telling her something
was wrong.

The doorman smiled at her. “Hello Miss. It’s good to see you
again. Let me call upstairs for you.”

He walked behind the desk, made the call, then nodded to Julie. “You
may go up now. I’ll show you to the elevator.”

“That’s all right. I know where it is. You’ve got enough to
do.” She fled before he could reply.

She jabbed the button for Tyler’s elevator. The doors opened
immediately. She stepped into the tiny opulent cab. Intent on
reaching her destination, she ignored her uneasiness about elevators.

The bell rang for Tyler’s floor. When the doors opened to the
foyer, Tyler himself greeted her. Where was the haughty Simone?

“Thank goodness you’re here,” he said, flashing a little boy
lost look. “I’d thought I’d been abandoned.”

Her heart lurched. “Dade didn’t make it yet?”

Tyler shook his head.

“What about the other attorney?”

“You’re the first. Let’s step into my private quarters.”

He led her inside the double doors to the right. She’d be more
curious about his furnishings and layout if she weren’t so
concerned about where Dade was. Instead she barely took in the plush
carpet and modern furnishings.

“May I take your coat?”

“Yes, please. I don’t know what could have happened. This is not
like Dade at all.” She tried to sound calm and professional, though
her heart was pounding fast. Where was he?

As Tyler helped remove her coat, Julie ignored the repugnant feeling
of his hands resting on her shoulders.

Coat in hand, he said, “Maybe you don’t know your partner as well
as you think. He did seem put out when you and I had lunch together
at the Italian Village. He could be carrying a grudge. This might be
his way of getting even.”

“He wouldn’t do that to me.”

“Don’t be too sure. Whatever the reason, he’s not here. Step
into my office. It’s the first door to the right. I’ll meet you
there as soon as I put your coat away.”

“I’ll wipe off my shoes first. I’d hate to stain your lovely
carpet.”

“Feel free to remove them, if you’d like.” His gaze traveled
slowly from her feet to her head, as if he were mentally disrobing
her.

His knowing eyes told her he’d like her to remove more than her
shoes. Their meeting was certainly starting off on the wrong foot, so
to speak.

“I’ll just wipe these off and leave them on. Going shoeless
wouldn’t look very professional to Mr. Danders.”

Covering a startled look, Tyler said. “Oh, yes, you’re right. I
forgot for a moment. I’ll be right back.”

The soft sound of the soles of her shoes touching the carpet was all
Julie heard as she glided down the hallway. This was no Gothic
mansion, yet for some reason it seemed spooky. She’d thought Simone
would be here. She didn’t care for the idea of being alone with
Tyler. Whatever they’d had between them had ended before it had
begun. Thank goodness, Danders would be here soon. There was safety
in numbers.

In what she presumed was the office, one chair was already occupied
by a partially opened file. On a nearby table sat a lacquer
tray holding cream and sugar containers, as well as a
half-filled mug.

How strange. Tyler struck her as an ultra neat type who wouldn’t
leave his belongings scattered. He must have been in a hurry and
forgotten them.

It was none of her business, but something made her walk to the chair
and glance at the open file. Even more strange, the paper on the top
held her handwriting. Wait a minute. It was the notes she’d made
about the bill of sale. She’d only given Tyler a printed copy,
which meant this sheet had to be from her own file.

How had the notes gotten here if Dade hadn’t brought the file? She
flipped over the page and found more of her notes.

Her unease intensified. Something was wrong. Until she learned what
was going on, she better be careful. She hastily flipped the papers
back to their original position and bolted for the other chair.

A soft sound from the doorway made Julie turn. Tyler stood still,
silently staring at her.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Had Tyler just arrived or had he seen her peek at the file and rush
back to the chair? It was hard to tell. The look in his eyes was
strange, almost haunted. Her breath caught.

“There you are. I couldn’t find you,” he said.

What was he talking about? Hadn’t he told her to go to this room?
Things were getting stranger by the minute. Hopefully, the other
attorney would arrive soon and the silliness would end.

“You told me to meet you here.”

“Did I?” He again shot her a little boy lost look, which didn’t
become him at all. Whatever game he was playing made her uneasy.

Her file, which could only have gotten here if Dade had brought it,
was sitting straight across from her on the chair, yet Tyler had
sworn that Dade had not shown up.

Something else was strange. She should have thought of it before.
Tyler had just said Danders was coming here, but at first on the
phone he’d said they’d all meet at Grand Granada. If she hadn’t
been in such a hurry to get over, she would have remembered that. Was
Danders coming at all? Was she stuck here alone with Tyler, who’d
apparently flipped?

Alarm bells rang. Her heart beat so fast she could barely breathe.
She’d best get out of here fast.

She stood up and inched a few steps toward the door, but stopped as
another thought struck her. Where was Dade? Had he been here or not?
Did Tyler know where he was?

Her overactive writer’s imagination switched into high gear. It
seemed absurd, yet was it possible Tyler had done something to Dade?
What if he were lying helpless in one of the penthouse rooms?

Calm down. Most likely Dade had shown up, and Tyler, being the
spoiled egomaniac he was, had insisted he drop off the file and
leave. Then Tyler had pretended that Dade hadn’t made it here, just
so she could cater to him instead. A childish ruse, that was all,
nothing sinister. Still, she had to call him in on it. She would not
stand for dishonesty in a client.

Julie pointed at the file on the chair. “Tyler, why did you tell me
Dade hadn’t come? It’s obvious he was here. This is the file he
brought over. Where is he? Did you tell him to leave?”

Tyler shot her a blank look from unfocused eyes and shook his head as
if to clear it. In a little boy voice, he answered, “Don’t you
remember? He’s asleep in the car. You said to leave him there.”

What was he saying? He made no sense at all. A feeling of dread
washed over her.

“The motor makes my head hurt, but you said to leave the car on and
let Dad sleep there.”

“You mean Dade, don’t you?”

Tyler glanced at her in confusion. She must get through to him. Was
it possible that at this moment Dade might be passed out downstairs
in his car with the motor running? If so, how long had he been there?
Was his life in danger?

Her brain went into full alert. Her heart pumped as if it would
burst.

She grasped Tyler by the elbows and spoke to him, as if he were the
child he appeared to be. “Tyler, you have to tell me. Where is
Dade? Is he in his car downstairs in your garage?”

The mystery writer looked at her strangely. “I like it when you
call me Tyler, but usually you call me Robbie.”

She wanted to shake him. Trying to keep her voice steady, she said,
“Robbie, please answer me. Where is Dade?”

“In the car where you left him.”

She dropped her hands and turned toward the doorway. “I’ve got to
get him out of there.”

He pulled her by the arm and stopped her. “No, no, don’t you
remember? That’s not the way it happens. He stays in the car,
because you don’t need him anymore, only me.”

“I’m getting out of here.” She brushed past Tyler.

He followed beside her, keeping pace. “Don’t leave me alone.
Please stay. I’ll let you do whatever you want to me. I won’t
tell. I promise.”

He’d lost it. There was no reasoning with him. Was Dade really in
the garage with the motor running? If so, was it too late to save
him? Oh God, she had to. If anything happened to him, it would be her
fault.

Julie dashed into the hallway and jabbed the elevator button. The
doors swung open.

“If you go in there, I’ll make sure you never get out,” Tyler
said, this time, in a deadly adult voice.

He knew about her fear of elevators. He knew what being stuck in one
would do to her. He could use that knowledge to stop her.

She had to take the chance. Dade was part of her and more important
than a phobia. Without him, her life would be empty. Ignoring Tyler,
she stepped inside.

Sounding hard and mean and not at all childish, he said, “I warned
you. I’ll teach you to choose him over me.”

Ignoring his menacing words, she concentrated on her task. She found
the garage button and pushed it. The door closed. The elevator began
its descent. Soon she’d be downstairs and would know for sure if
Dade was there. Hopefully, not.

If he is, God, please, don’t let it be too late
.

The elevator gave a strange lurch, stopped, then re-ascended. What
was going on? She’d pressed the garage button, yet the indicator
showed she was returning to the penthouse. The doors opened. Tyler
stood there with a grim smile.

Before she could think, he’d reached inside, grabbed her by the arm
and pulled her out. She struggled to get free, but he was stronger.

Shaking her hard, he said, “Let’s do this again. He stays in the
garage. You stay with me. Remember, I’m all you need.”

He pushed Julie in front of him. Losing her balance, she stumbled. He
dragged her down the hall, then jerked her to the left into what
appeared to be a bedroom.

She caught sight of a dark velvet comforter over a gigantic bed,
before she was flung face down on top of it. The breath swished out
of her and the bed rocked. The warm water inside, designed to lull a
person to sleep, instead awakened her to her present danger. She was
in bed with a crazy man. She had to get out before it was too late.

Intent on escaping, she turned. The water mocked her, trapping her in
its folds, fighting her movements.

Tyler rolled beside her, then on top. His knees dug into the outside
of her thighs, imprisoning her in their vice.

“Don’t do this, please.” In answer, he slapped her face. Tears
sprang to her eyes.

“It’s my turn now. You’ll do what I say.”

With his left arm, he held her down. She squirmed in his grasp, but
her efforts were futile. He unbuttoned and pulled off the right side
of his shirt, then held her down with his right hand and unbuttoned
the left side.

She swallowed hard at the realization of what would happen next. Soon
it would be her clothes he’d remove. Then he’d take her, whether
she wanted him to or not.

Before she knew it, he’d slipped the end of his shirt around her
right wrist and tied it tight, sending shooting pain up and down her
arm. She wriggled in his grasp, but he contained her as if she were a
weak kitten.

“You’re not going anywhere until I’m through with you.” Tyler
looked towards the head of the bed, as if perplexed. “It doesn’t
have a bedpost. It’s supposed to have a bedpost.” He shrugged.
“That’s all right. This once, I’ll improvise.”

He swung her face down on the bed, grasped her left wrist and tied
the other sleeve around it tight, so both arms were bound behind her
back.

“This isn’t right. I have to see you when I touch you.” He
turned her over. “That’s better.”

He lay beside her, his face next to hers. She almost gagged at the
smell of his breath. She wriggled, but he pinned her down, forcing
his hard lips onto hers, smashing his tongue inside, invading her
mouth.

Her stomach turned. Her first instinct was to bite down on his
tongue, but at the thought of his blood releasing itself inside of
her, she hesitated. Bile rose in her throat. Afraid she’d smother,
she forced it back.

She must think past her discomfort. With Tyler distracted exploring
her mouth, she’d use the time to plan. Her legs were still unbound.
Maybe she could use them as weapons. He lay beside her for now. Once
he positioned himself on top of her again, she didn’t stand a
chance. She mustn’t let that happen.

She inched closer to him and curled her legs slowly upward. Then,
with a quick jab of her feet, she struck at his crotch. He grunted in
surprised pain, releasing his hold on her mouth.