Mountain Peril (12 page)

For the next hour Jack watched from his hiding place. A little after nine, April stood, closed her books and walked to the circulation desk. She spoke to the worker there for a moment and nodded as he pointed toward the stacks upstairs.

“Good girl,” Jack breathed. So far she had followed their
instructions. Now she had to convince anyone watching that she was going to the stacks to find a book. This would be the ploy to get her to the conference room and for Ann to take her place.

Landon stood up, folded the newspaper and placed it back on the table. As April mounted the stairs that led to the second level, Landon walked from the building. Was it a coincidence, Jack wondered, or was Landon getting ready to follow her when she left? And what about Jeff Newman? Could he have slipped from his office and be waiting somewhere on campus?

Jack shook his head. For all they knew the stalker could be someone they’d never encountered. If they were lucky, tonight might answer a lot of questions.

A
nn pushed up from her chair as Jack slipped into the conference room. “Is it time?”

He nodded. “April’s on her way up now.”

The door opened, and April entered the room. Her hands shook as she laid the books and binder on the table. She tossed her hooded coat on one of the chairs and turned to Jack. “Were you watching? How did I do?”

He smiled. “I was hidden in the stacks and could see you from the time you entered. You did exactly what we’d asked you to do. Now we’ll see if anyone took the bait.”

Danielle moved around the table and put her arm around the girl’s shoulders. “I know this wasn’t easy, April, but maybe it’ll be over before long.”

Ann picked up the coat, shrugged into it and looped the buttons into their holes. She ran her hands down the front and smiled. “Perfect fit. I thought we were about the same size.”

Jack pointed to the hood. “Be sure and pull that up around your face. When you leave the building, hold the books close to your chest and tuck your chin down. We don’t want your face to be visible.”

Ann laughed. “You sound like I’ve never done this before.”

Danielle reached out and grasped Ann’s arm. Her forehead wrinkled, and concern lined her face. “Be careful, Ann.”

She patted Danielle’s hand. “Don’t worry. This is just part of my job. Besides, I’m wired to everybody. So I’ll probably be talking to them all the way across campus.” She took a deep breath and glanced at Jack. “Whenever you’re ready, I am, too.”

Jack nodded. “I’m going out the back way. Give me time to get in place. Then you leave through the front door and walk toward the dorm. The minute you spot anyone, let us know, and we’ll close in.”

“Will do.” Ann took a deep breath and picked up the books.

Jack turned toward the door, but Danielle stepped in front of him before he could get there. “What should April and I do?”

He stared down into her eyes. “Stay here. April doesn’t need to be seen by anyone until this thing’s over. If something happens, I’ll let you know.”

Before she could question him further, he eased from the room. He headed to the stairs at the back of the second level and descended. Exiting the library by a side door, he slipped into the shadows covering the Webster University campus.

Security lights burned in the buildings that loomed around the secluded quadrangle that lay within the campus. On most of his visits here he’d seen students strolling down the paths that crisscrossed the area or lounging underneath the huge oaks scattered across the landscape. Tonight the campus appeared deserted.

It only took a few seconds to find his assigned post behind a tree outside the library. Once he was settled, he pulled the radio to his mouth. “It’s showtime.”

He could imagine the officers stationed in the darkness as
they came to attention and waited for what was about to happen. As if on cue, Ann walked out of the library and began her journey into the night.

Her face wasn’t visible, and he breathed a sigh of relief. A gust of wind blew down from the surrounding mountain, and her coat fluttered about her legs. She clutched the books closer and bent her head toward them. He watched as she passed his point and proceeded in the direction of the dorms.

“Anything yet?” he heard her say.

“Negative,” someone responded.

She passed the stakeout positions of two more officers and received the same response. Jack fought the urge to leave his spot and trail her. He leaned against the tree and willed himself to stay put.

“I hear footsteps. Someone’s behind me.”

Jack jerked erect at the sound of Ann’s voice. “Slow down,” Jack whispered. “See if he’ll approach you.”

“There’s a parking lot to the side of the dorm. It looks dark because some of the lights aren’t burning. I think I’ll head there.”

“Be careful, Ann. We don’t know what this guy might do.”

“I will. I’m stepping into the parking lot now. On my way toward the back.” She paused, then spoke in an excited voice. “Here he comes.”

The sound of a collision echoed in Jack’s ear, and a groan as if the air had been knocked from someone’s body followed. Jack bolted from his hiding place. “All units to the dorm parking lot.”

As he ran, officers and university security personnel converged from their positions across the campus. Jack sprinted forward, his chest heaving. Just before he reached the parking lot, Will appeared beside him.

They jumped the curb and bolted between the parked cars
to the back of the lot. They stopped in surprise at the sight before them. Landon Morse lay facedown on the ground, his hands cuffed behind him. Ann Riley stood over him, her gun drawn and aimed at the man’s back.

“One false move, and it’ll be your last.”

Will stopped beside Ann. “Are you all right?”

She grinned. “Yeah. I’ll probably be a little sore in the morning from this guy jumping on my back. Too bad nobody told him I’m the judo instructor for all the policemen in this area.”

“Yeah, too bad,” Jack said, and grabbed the man’s shoulders. “Okay, on your feet, Morse.”

Landon wobbled as Jack propelled him upward. Once on his feet, he straightened to his full height and glared at Jack. “What’s the meaning of this? I was on the way to my car when this crazy woman attacked me.”

“Save it for the judge, Morse. You’re under arrest for stalking a female and attacking a police officer,” Jack said. He turned back to Ann. “Do you want to read him his rights? I need to get back to the library and tell them what’s happened. I’ll bring April and Danielle to the station.”

Ann nodded. “It’ll be my pleasure, Detective Denton.” She faced Landon. “You have the right…”

Her words faded as Jack jogged back to the library. He wanted April to know that her stalker had been caught, but most of all he wanted to see Danielle. He hoped before morning came he would have the answers to questions that had plagued her for years.

April pushed up from her chair and walked to the door of the conference room. “How much longer do you think it’ll take?”

Danielle smiled at the girl who’d asked the same question every five minutes since Ann left. She rose and went to stand beside her. Taking April by the hand, she guided her back to her chair. “I don’t know. Jack will let us know as soon as he can. In the meantime we have to be patient.”

April sat back down and massaged her temples with her fingers. “I know, but this waiting is awful.”

Danielle slumped into her chair and looked at her watch. Jack had been gone about twenty minutes. Surely it hadn’t taken that long for Ann to make her way to the dorm. Uneasiness probed at her mind. She’d had enough time unless something had happened. Danielle wanted to know what was going on as much as April, but she had to keep the girl calm until word arrived.

“Like I said, we just have to be—”

The door opened, interrupting her. Jack strode into the room. A big smile covered his face. “Good news. Ann was attacked on her way to the dorm, and we’ve arrested the stalker.”

Danielle sprang from her chair. She clutched at her throat. “Is Ann all right?”

Jack chuckled. “Yeah. Too bad I can’t say the same thing for the poor guy. He didn’t realize he was tangling with a judo instructor.”

April, her face pale, rose slowly from her chair. “So you caught the person who’s been sending me the notes and following me?”

Jack nodded. “It looks like we have. He’s on his way to headquarters right now. How would you like to go down there?”

April glanced at Danielle. “Will you go with me, Dr. Tyler?”

Danielle put her arm around April’s shoulder. “I’d be happy to go.” She turned back to Jack. “Who is it? Do we know him?”

A slow smile spread across Jack’s face as he glanced from one to the other. “You do. It was Landon Morse.”

April’s eyes grew wide, and her body tensed. “Dr. M-Morse?” April sputtered. “I’m in his music appreciation course. Why would he stalk me?”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. Have you had any problems? Have you been to his office for help?”

April thought for a moment, her eyes narrowed. “Yes, I went early in the semester. We were studying the Baroque period, and I was having some problems identifying the music of some of the composers. I went once or twice during his office hours for some extra help. I remember looking up once, and he had a strange expression on his face. But then, most of the kids think he’s weird.”

In all the years she’d known Landon, Danielle had thought him strange, but she really didn’t believe him to be capable of violence. Could she have been so wrong? “Do you think he’s the one who’s been sending me the roses?”

Jack’s eyes bored into her. “I wish I could set your mind at ease, Danielle, but at the moment I don’t know. I hope to find that out.”

“And Jennifer and Tricia?”

“I’d only be speculating at this point.” He pointed toward the door. “But let’s not waste time talking. I need to get to the station.” He pulled off the jacket he was wearing and handed it to April. “Wear this. It’s cold out there, and we’ll have to hold your coat as evidence.”

April frowned. “Why?”

“Ann came out of the confrontation okay, but Landon didn’t fare as well. There’s some of his blood on the coat.
We’ll need to do a DNA test to prove he was the one who attacked Ann.”

April shuddered. “Then you can keep it. I don’t want it back if it has a speck of his blood on it.” She pulled on Jack’s coat and walked toward the door.

Jack looked at Danielle, and she tried to determine what he was feeling. Was he wondering as she was if Landon had committed the two murders, or was he simply glad to put an end to April’s fear? How she wished he could end hers.

He pulled her coat from the back of a chair and held it open. “Ready to go?”

She turned her back and slipped her arms inside. He slid the coat over her shoulders. She didn’t know if it was her imagination, but he seemed to linger a moment before he released his grasp. Her heart leaped, and she turned to stare up into his face.

His gaze raked her face, but there was nothing personal in his scrutiny. She saw only the remote Jack she’d encountered when they first met, and despair settled over her. She had to quit trying to see feelings that weren’t there. The sooner she faced that, the better off she’d be.

Danielle swallowed the last of the cold coffee in the cup and tossed it in the waste can. She turned and looked at April, who sat hunched in a chair beside Jack’s desk. They had been in his office for what seemed like an eternity. A glance at her watch confirmed that in reality two hours had passed since Jack had ushered them inside and disappeared to question Landon.

April shifted in her chair and sighed. “When are they going to let us know anything?”

Danielle bit back the retort that April had asked the same question every ten minutes. Settling into the chair behind
Jack’s desk, she crossed her arms on its top and leaned forward. “I don’t know. I’m sure they’ll let us know as soon as they can.”

April stood and walked to the one window in the room. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she stared out into the night. “I still can’t believe it was Professor Morse.”

The memory returned of how she used to spot Landon wherever she went, and Danielle shivered. How could she have been so naive that she didn’t realize he was following her, too? Would Jennifer still be alive if she’d been more observant then?

Danielle leaned back in Jack’s chair, placed her hands on the chair’s arms and caressed the wood. It felt warm to her touch, and she could imagine his fingers having rubbed the same area. With a grunt she slumped back into the chair. She had to quit thinking like that.

The door opened, and she sat upright. Jack, his face lined with fatigue, entered the room. April hurried from where she stood by the window and stopped next to him. “What did you find out?”

Jack glanced from Danielle to April and let out a long breath as he rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re going to book Morse on the charges of stalking and assault with intent to do bodily harm.”

April collapsed into the chair where she’d sat moments before and began to sob. Danielle rushed around the desk and knelt next to her. “It’s okay, April. It’s all over now.” She hugged the girl before she pushed to her feet and faced Jack. “That’s wonderful news. But what about Tricia? Did he confess to her murder?”

Jack shook his head. “He’s confessed to stalking April and attacking Ann, but he won’t budge on the killings. He vows he had nothing to do with Tricia’s and Jennifer’s murders. In fact he keeps asking us to do a polygraph to prove him innocent.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“I don’t know. It might not be admissible in court. So we’ll see. But for now, he’s behind bars and isn’t going anywhere.”

Another thought struck Danielle. “What about Jeff and Nathan? Do they know about this yet?”

Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. Since you’re with the university, I’ll let you take care of that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back. You two might as well leave.” He glanced down at April, who still wiped at her tears. “You’re not going to be needed now.”

She stood and held out her hand. “Thank you, Detective Denton, for all you’ve done for me. Please thank Deputy Riley also. She put her life on the line for me tonight, and I’ll never forget her for that.”

The half smile Danielle knew so well pulled at Jack’s lips. “We were all just doing our jobs. I’m glad it turned out okay for you.”

He turned to leave, but Danielle grabbed his arm. “But what should I tell Nathan and Jeff about how long Landon will be in jail?”

Jack focused on her hand for a moment, and she released her hold. His shoulders drooped as he looked up at her. “Morse is facing some steep charges. If he’s convicted, he could spend up to twenty years in jail. He probably won’t be back at Webster anytime soon. And, unless there are some new leads in the murders, I doubt if I will be, either.”

His words were spoken in an ominous tone, but it was the grim line of his mouth that told Danielle this might be one of the last times she would be with Jack. She forced a smile to her lips. “I’ll tell them. And thank you, Jack…” She hesitated for a moment. “For everything.”