Now You See Me (4 page)

“Stay here.” He shoved her into a vacant office and slammed the door shut before she could reply. But the intercom blared through the thin walls, instructing all prisoners to get on the floor.

Kate crept closer to the door and pressed her ear against the wood. The loud blast of a shotgun made her cringe. What was going on out there? The reporter in her wanted more information but the mortal in her convinced her to stay put.

Heart pounding ferociously, Kate mentally recited the names of all the presidents, a calming habit she’d gotten into while in college. Facts soothed her, helped her regain focus. She’d reached Grover Cleveland when a white piece of paper came scooting under the door.

One hand on the doorknob, Kate considered peeking out, but common sense reared its head once more. Instead she stooped and picked up the note. As her fingers unfolded the 5x7 slip, they shook a little. It didn’t make sense that anyone would be sending her a note, so this had to be a mistake.

Except the words leaping off the page were definitely meant for her.

I’ll see you soon, Kate. Until then, stay safe. John Ramsey.

Brad managed to hang on to his temper by a thread, a slim one at that. While the detectives talked with Kate inside his prison walls, he wanted to wrap his fingers around John Ramsey’s throat.

The man was playing a game, had probably paid off one of the minimum-security workers to deliver the note. How he’d known Kate was there at that time was something he’d find out, and once he did, some prisoners would be spending some quality time in The Hole.

David bumped his fist against the office door and stuck his head inside. “The police are leaving now. You want me to bring Miss Elliott back in here?”

“No. I’ll go to her.”

“Hey, you might want to draw some deep breaths. You look like you could put your head through a wall right now.” David stood in his way.

“You got that work schedule yet?” Brad didn’t want to be pacified.

“It’s on its way. Are you listening to me?”

“I’m listening, but breathing isn’t going to make any of this go away. Ramsey has his sights set on Kate Elliott and we both know that man will stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

“He’s in a cell, Brad. There’s only so much he can do.”

“Then explain the flowers this morning.” Brad crossed his arms, gave his friend an expectant look.

David dropped his gaze to the carpeted floor. “I can’t, but I guarantee you there is a logical explanation. Ramsey probably paid one of the prisoners. A guy who gets visitation has his girlfriend or cousin or whomever order the flowers. It’s a smokescreen. He knows he’s limited in what he can do.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure of that.” Brad had seen what had happened the last time he’d underestimated John Ramsey. It wasn’t going to happen this time. He wouldn’t let one more woman die at that monster’s hands.

As Brad walked away David called after him. “Just be careful, okay? We all need to keep a level head.”

“Little too late for that.” Fighting his instinctual urges to hit something, Brad made the short walk from his office to the vacant office where Kate waited. He didn’t bother to knock.

Sitting on a wooden chair that had seen better days, Kate looked up when he entered, and smiled. “That detective I’ve been talking with, Detective O’Hara, he said he was a friend of yours.”

“He’s one of the only guys I’d trust with something like this. I asked him to wrangle the case from the other detectives who would have been assigned.”

Her smile wobbled. “So I’m officially a case now.”

Brad tugged a chair close to her and sat down. “For the moment. How you feeling?”

She ran a hand through the long strands of her hair before pushing it over her shoulder. “I’ve been better, actually. If this guy’s trying to get under my skin, he has marvelous skills.”

The collected façade of the reporter had slipped away, leaving a vulnerable woman in its place. Brad’s protective instincts kicked into full gear. “Do you have someone you can stay with? It’s not a good idea for you to be alone right now.”

Hazel eyes zoomed in on his face. “Why? You don’t intend to let him out, do you?”

Brad smiled. A peek of a sense of humor. Good sign. “Not hardly, but Ramsey’s got someone or several someones working for him, and until we know how far he wants his employees to go, you shouldn’t be alone.”

Kate nibbled her lower lip again. “I don’t want to involve my parents in this. They don’t like what I do anyway, and my dad will just want to shoot him.”

“Can’t say that I blame him.” Brad surprised himself by covering one of her hands with his. She didn’t pull away, which surprised him even more. “How about a friend?”

Her breath came out in a short huff. “There’s no one I’d want to throw into this ring of madness. If Ramsey has something planned for me, I don’t want to put anyone else at risk.”

“You can stay with me.” The words were out before Brad could stop them. He tried to tell himself it was because he used to be a cop, that the urge to protect was natural. But he’d never offered any other potential victim sanctuary at his house. So why Kate?

Her gaze flickered to the door before coming back to his face. The nibbling intensified. “Why would you want to get involved in this?”

“Ramsey’s my prisoner. I’m already involved. Besides that, I won’t be able to sleep unless I know you’re safe.”

She slipped her hand out from under his, ran her palm down the wooden arm of the chair. “We don’t even know each other.” She hesitated, then added, “I’m not even sure we like each other.”

“I think we do. We just got off on the wrong foot.” He gave her his most charming smile.

Kate crossed her legs, then uncrossed them. “I don’t want Ramsey to run me out of my home. I appreciate your willingness to help but I’m not ready to go anywhere just yet.”

“I kind of figured you for the stubborn sort.” He made a mental note to call O’Hara again. Kate might not think she was in all that much danger but Brad wasn’t willing to trust her beliefs, not when it came to John Ramsey.

Kate stood, her hands shaking as she reached for a purse that wasn’t there. She blinked, momentarily confused. Then her gaze cleared. “I should get back to work. I just need to collect my things from your office.”

Brad followed her out into the hallway, pulled the door shut behind them. “If you won’t leave your house, will you at least call me when you do get home this evening?”

She turned her head toward him and smiled. “Something tells me you shouldn’t have given up your badge, Detective.”

His steps faltered. If he’d had a choice… That type of thinking didn’t lead anywhere positive. He’d done what he’d had to do and wouldn’t regret the decisions he’d made in the past. “Some of us know when it’s time to hang up the shield. So about that call…?”

A smile passed over her face. “Yes, I’ll call you.”

“Good.” He handed her a card from the front pocket of his shirt. “Use the cell. I keep it with me.” Once she’d collected her things, he escorted her to the front of the building, leaving her with the warning, “If I don’t hear from you by nine, you’ll be hearing from me.”

Her nerves much calmer after the brief conversation with Brad, Kate headed to her car. The late-morning sunshine had already heated the inside of her Lexus to the boiling point and she quickly started the engine and turned the air conditioner on full blast.

An old Whitney Houston tune blared from her cell phone just as she fastened her seat belt. She reserved the ring tone for unknown callers, and the blocked number on her caller ID made her hesitant to answer.

“Oh stop it, Kate. The guy doesn’t get phone calls.” Sliding her cell between her shoulder and ear, she answered. “Kate Elliott.”

“Ms. Elliott, this is Angelo Salli. I’m John Ramsey’s attorney. We need to talk. Off the record. Can you meet me at the port?”

“Not a usual place for a meeting. How about Starbucks?” Kate backed the car out of the parking spot.

“No. No people. This has to be private.”

The hairs on the back of Kate’s neck stood on end. The last thing she wanted to do after the day she’d had so far was meet with a man she didn’t know in a place as big as the Port of Charleston. Though it was big, visitors were restricted so there wouldn’t be much traffic.

“Miss Elliott?” Salli’s voice held a sense of urgency. “Please. It’s important.”

“So is my safety. How about we compromise and I meet you at The Battery? Plenty of opportunities for seclusion.” But still within screaming distance of the locals.

A short blast of air came across the speaker. “Fine. The Battery. Can you make it by eleven-thirty?”

“I’m already on my way. Tell me what to look for.”

“I’ll be on one of the benches by the cannons. In this heat not too many people will be sitting, I’m sure.” A distinct click signaled the end of the conversation.

More intrigued now than nervous, Kate directed her car toward the interstate before placing a quick call to Aaron to let him know what was going on. She left out the part about the second note she’d gotten. Provided with that information, he’d have armed guards surrounding her house by the time she got home.

A rush of nerves had her pushing the button to slide the driver’s side window down even with the heat. She needed fresh air to clear her head. So much had happened so quickly, and if everything she’d read about Ramsey was true, he was only going to up the stakes.

What if he really did have someone working for him on the outside? She had no way of knowing the type of instructions he’d given the guy. Or maybe Ramsey had a fan who didn’t need to be taught.

And what if…? She shook her head. No. That was ludicrous. Still… She took the exit toward downtown Charleston, her palms damp against the leather steering wheel. During her short conversation with Salli, she hadn’t considered that he might be the accomplice.

“What kind of trouble are you walking into, Kate?” Before she could stop herself, she dug Brad’s card out of her purse, keeping one eye on the road. It couldn’t hurt to at least let someone know where she was…in case she didn’t return.

Ramsey was eating his lunch so calmly Brad had the urge to unlock the cell and smack the tray off the foot of the cot. With no conscience, the man didn’t care how his actions affected people. He only wanted the thrill of the scare.

Brad stopped in front of his cell, waited for Ramsey to look up. “I know about the game you’re playing with Kate Elliott.”

Ramsey took his time dabbing a blob of ketchup from the corner of his mouth. “Really? I wasn’t aware I was playing a game.”

“You have someone working for you, someone dumb enough to believe he isn’t expendable. I don’t have a doubt you’ll manage to have him eliminated once you’re through torturing Kate.”

“Who said I was torturing her? Did it ever occur to you, Warden, that she likes the attention?”

“Yeah, just what every woman craves—devotion from a serial killer.” Brad took a few steps closer, wanting Ramsey to get a good look at his face. The sorry excuse for a human being anticipated the moment of fear, the terrified expression on a woman’s face. But he wouldn’t find a victim here.

“I thought you might like to know that I’m going to turn over every rock in this city until I find your lowlife rent-a-thug, and when I do he’ll take up one of the cells here in my prison. Don’t think for one second you can beat me at any game.” He turned to walk away but Ramsey called out to him. Brad didn’t turn, just waited for the killer’s next words.

“Don’t you want to know if your sister suffered? Isn’t that what you’ve been wanting to ask me since I arrived here? I know you had a hand in my transfer to this prison. And it’s the reason you gave up your career, isn’t it?”

Brad forced himself to keep walking, though the questions pierced through his spine like poisonous arrows, burying deep into his heart. He didn’t need to ask the bastard the question. Ramsey wouldn’t have killed Hannah without making her suffer. It was the reason he killed.

He closed his eyes against the waves of pain and nausea welling up within him. Just when putting one foot in front of the other got a little easier, Ramsey had to twist the knife in his heart a little deeper.

Back in his office, he checked the calendar. Only four more days until Ramsey’s execution, and justice would be served for his sister. When she’d died, he’d lost so much more than a younger sibling. He’d lost the last remaining connection to his family.

Ramsey had taken that away, and nothing would ever return Hannah to him, give her back the life that had been brutally stripped from her, but he owed it to her to make sure Ramsey didn’t live past Saturday.

And he’d do his job without hesitation.

“What in the hell are you trying to do?” David met him in the corridor outside the death row dorm. “Lose your job?”

Brad’s hackles rose. “What are you talking about?”

“You’re letting this get personal.” David fell into step beside him. “And all someone has to do is put a bug in the state superintendent’s ear and you’ll be up for transfer before you can spit.”

“I’m not worried about the superintendent. And this happened in my prison. That makes it kind of personal.”

“That’s not why you’re doing this and you and I both know it. My advice would be to stay out of it, let the cops handle it.” David held up one hand. “And before you say you used to be a cop, I know that too. But this isn’t your case, and that reporter isn’t your responsibility. Don’t let Ramsey get to you like this.”