Slow Hands (13 page)

She sensed someone behind her. Startled, she turned.

No one was there.

Straightening, she scanned the rest of the cemetery. The place was deserted. Yet it felt as if someone watched. Goose bumps skittered up her arms in spite of the heat.

The wind kicked up, peppering her with grit and sand.

She looked at the sky, heavy with rain clouds. Maybe the changing air pressure was what felt odd.

Running her fingers over the smooth headstone one last time, she stepped toward the gate, swung it open, then carefully closed it.

Since her ancestors had been among the first to settle in the area, the Morgan section of the cemetery was in the farthest corner, a pretty good walk back to the parking lot.

A small copse of woods bisected the back half of the cemetery. Nicknamed Deadman's Forest, the ancient thicket hid several pre-Civil War graves and an ancient, spooky, half-buried crypt.

Actually, the concrete-and-stone crypt hadn't been used in ages and had fallen into disrepair, making it even creepier. Rumors of rattling bones abounded. In high school it had been a favorite
I
dare you
spot for boys to prove their manhood.

As she hurried past the woods, she once again had the sensation that she wasn't alone. Of being followed.

She heard a twig snap, felt the ground shake with a footfall.

She spun around. "Damn you, Alec!"

The words faded as she came face-to-face with Ian Griggs.

Franny had just finished cutting Alec's hair when Mabel sailed through the salon's front doors.

Winded, Mabel paused. "Keira here? Her truck's out front."

Franny mouthed the word "no" from behind Alec.

Mabel grimaced. "I saw her at the florist earlier. I thought maybe I could catch her."

Alec turned, pinned Franny with a frown. Immediately he realized he'd been bamboozled. "She's not upstairs?"

"She's got my car, so she'll be back."

"Did she go out to the cemetery?" Mabel interrupted.

Alec's gaze went to the calendar hanging on the wall as he remembered what today was.

"Is something wrong, Mabel?" Alec pressed.

"Well, I'm not sure. I talked to Fred a few minutes ago," the older woman said. "He's a county supervisor, you know. Anyway, he said one of the maintenance men had reported finding something weird at the graveyard this afternoon."

Alec stood, yanked off the cape. "What was found?"

"A fifth of Jack Daniel's, three shot glasses, and a pair of women's underwear. Perched on one of the Morgan headstones. But by the time Fred got there, they were gone. Sounds sorta sick to me."

Franny grabbed for Alec's arm. "Keira may still be out there."

But Alec was already at the door. "I'm on my way. Just do me a favor and call the sheriff's department. Have a deputy meet me there."

Chapter Seven

Five
years in prison had not been kind to Ian Griggs. Harsh lines creased his face, and his nose was flattened, crooked, as
if
broken more than once.

She wanted
to
scream, but her throat felt paralyzed. She wanted to run, but her feet were locked in place. Like in an unending nightmare.

"Hello, Keira. Long time, no see."

With Herculean effort, she managed a single, micro-step backward, too afraid to turn her back on him, too afraid to blink.

She tried again to speak, but no sound came out.

"What's the matter? Cat got that snotty little tongue of yours?" Griggs laughed, then started coughing. "How 'bout a hug for old times sake?"

A trembling started deep within her psyche.

"What are you doing here?" Her brain skittered to make sense
of
his presence. According to Alec, Ian wasn't supposed to be released for another week.

"Why, I'm doing the same as you. Paying respect to my dearly departed kin. You remember my two brothers, don't you, Keira? They're buried in the pauper section. What's left
of
them anyway. Fire got most everything."

Griggs eased forward a step. "Don't suppose you've ever been to the pauper sites before, what with your family having its own section. No fancy headstones for my brothers. Just little brass plates with numbers: 167 and 168. Wanna see?"

Revulsion twisted Keira's stomach as she managed another step. Away. Thunder rumbled overhead as the wind gusted. "Stay back."

"My mama's over there, too." Ian wheezed, ignoring her request. "You know they wouldn't let me out when she was dying. Not even to go to her funeral. Too bad I didn't think to bring my mama any of those pretty yellow roses."

Her knees threatened to disintegrate at the realization he'd been watching her the whole time. Earlier, while at her parents' grave, she'd had a feeling someone was there.

She tried to rally. "You don't scare me." "I don't?" Griggs smiled, eyes wide, feigning surprise.

He looked away, and when he turned back, the expression on his face was one of sheer hatred. "Guess I'll have to try a little harder."

Keira ducked sideways as he lunged. His fingers caught the sleeve of her shirt. Fabric ripped as she swung around, twisting free of his grip.

"Bitch!" he snarled.

She took off running at full speed, glancing over her shoulder often, afraid to turn her back completely on him. If he caught her... she knew what he'd do.

No. No. No.

The ground was slippery, the scent of recently mowed grass heavy. Nauseating.

She looked back again, tried to judge the distance, get her bearings. Make certain he wasn't gaining on her.

Pain erupted down her left side as she crashed into something solid. The blow knocked her backward, causing her to lose her footing.

Too late, she realized she'd run into the small crypt tucked into the edge of the woods.

She fell head over heels across the stone ledge, then stumbled down the moss-slickened stairs leading to the crypt's subterranean entrance. With a scream, she crashed against the rusted iron grating stretched across the door.

She struggled to her feet, her arm aching. Her leg, too. She glanced down at her torn pants, the bruised flesh, knew it was nothing compared to what she'd suffered the last time at Ian's hands.

Ian appeared at the top of the stairwell, blocking what little light remained in the face of the encroaching storm.

She heaved, wanting to vomit, afraid to take her eyes off him. "I said, stay back."

"Still bossy as hell." Griggs laughed and sat on the top step, effectively trapping her in the stairwell.

Fighting nausea, she tried to draw in oxygen. From behind her, from the crypt, the moldy smell of death permeated the fetid air. Something scurried under the pile of debris at one side.

"Probably just a couple of spiders," Ian called out. "We had 'em all the time in prison. Big ones. You ever been to prison, Keira?"

She eased away from the pile but couldn't quite manage to ignore it She looked up at him, could barely see him in the darkness.
Keep him talking,
her mind ordered. "You know I haven't."

"Prison ain't so bad. Kinda like a big frat house. Problem is they let anyone in. Can't keep the riffraff out." Griggs casually picked at his ear. "First thing I did when I landed there was stab someone. Let 'em know who's boss."

Model prisoner. Good behavior.

"You bastard," she lashed out, sickened. "They should never have set you free. You should have rotted in that damn prison."

"I like it when a woman talks dirty. Means she really wants ya." Griggs coughed, looking away briefly as he clawed at the ground with one hand. "You know how they rape you in prison? They get broomsticks. The size of baseball bats. And guess where they stick 'em? It ain't pretty."

Her muscles tensed. A rustling noise again caught her attention. Something was definitely under the debris. She moved back, away. Felt the metal grate press into her spine.

"Come 'ere spider, spider, spider." Griggs laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just remembered. You hate spiders."

Keira bit her lip, tasted blood. Some people feared snakes. Others heights. She had a spider phobia.

"You're awful quiet down there," Griggs tormented. "Want company?"

"No!"

"Ah, come on. Did you find a little present in your car the other night?"

Keira's mind reeled. A present?
Her doll.
When had it been left in her car? Five, six days ago? "That was you? How did ..."

"How did I what? Get to the bowling alley from prison? Demonic powers. The kind that lets me be anywhere, anytime." He spat. "The kind of power you get when you sell your soul to the devil."

"You never had a soul," Keira shot back.

Griggs laughed again, the sound dark, fiendish. "You scared, Keira? Afraid I might fuck up your life like you fucked up mine?"

She fought for a shred of courage. "You damned well better let me go. Now."

"Go? I ain't touched you." He held up his hands. "Hell, I'm just sitting here visiting. Reminiscing about old times. You do remember where we left off, don't you?"

How could she ever forget?

"Scream, Keira." His command was low, eerie, seeming to originate from the crypt behind her. "Scream for me."

Those were the same words he'd used five years ago when he'd attacked her. Beaten her. Tried to rape her. Revulsion clawed through her veins.

"No!"

A crash of lightning burst across the sky, followed by a huge boom of thunder.

Griggs stood. "Yes. And when I'm through, I'll stuff your body in one of those old coffins. Maybe bury you alive. Or cremate you."

Frantic, Keira turned in circles, searching for an escape route. Behind her, the crypt's door was padlocked against vandals. She grabbed the metal bars, shook them uselessly, before turning back to where Griggs blocked the stairwell's entrance.

To her horror, he took a step forward.

She braced herself, drew her hands into fists. She'd charge him as he came down the stairs. If she could hit him hard enough and slam him against the steps, perhaps she could get a head start and escape. If not, she'd fight to the bitter end.

But Griggs had stopped, wasn't even looking her way.

"Gotta go for now, Keira. We'll talk later. You and me got a lot of catching up to do." He threw something down the stairwell at her. "Don't forget. I owe you one."

She flinched sideways. A large earthworm landed on her shoe.

"Get used to 'em," Griggs sneered. "That and maggots are all you got for company when you're dead."

Another flash of lightning erupted, slicing open the heavens and releasing a blinding rain. When the lightning faded, Griggs was gone.

Was it a trick?

Demonic powers?
Did he wait for her at the top of the steps? The trees just beyond? Was he trifling with her, trying to lure her out in the open? Ready to attack?

I owe you one.

Oh, God... what if Griggs was on his way to see Willis? An eye for an eye.

The rain rapidly filled the stairwell, and with the rising water, the debris around her came alive, as rats and other vermin scurried toward the stairs to higher ground.

Keira screamed and dashed upward, felt her feet slip on the wet stone. She cleared the steps and kept running blindly, through the woods. Faster now.

She ducked to avoid a limb. Her side ached with a cramp, but she didn't dare slow. She drew in air, fighting the urge to be sick.

Griggs could be anywhere. Waiting to grab her. To finish what he had started five years ago. Did he plan to get her first, then go after her grandfather?

A hand closed over her shoulder. Cowardice rose like bile in her throat. She screamed, threw a punch as she spun around.

Her fist connected with Alec's chest.

"Keira! It's me."

It took a moment for his voice to register. Another moment before she could stop straggling. She tried to talk, but only incoherent sounds came out.

Alec drew her close, shielding her as best he could from the rain. She was wild-eyed, hysterical, frightened.

"It's okay, babe. I got you." He kept his voice low, soothing, giving her a chance to catch her breath. "Nod if you're okay."

She nodded, straightening, noticed Alec had a gun.

"Ian Griggs," she wept. "Back there."

The rain came down in torrents now.

Alec caught her chin, forced her eyes to meet his. He noticed that her shirt was torn at the shoulder, her jeans ripped as well.

"Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "But... Willis. What... what if he's gone to get my grandfather now?"

Alec's guilt mushroomed. "Come on. We'll call from my car."

"Why didn't you tell me he was getting out early?" she accused, misreading his guilty expression. "I—"

He tugged her toward the parking lot. "I didn't know."

Keira stopped short. Then she spotted movement.

Alec saw it, too, and stepped in front of her.

A sheriff's deputy moved toward them, wearing a yellow rain slicker, flashlight in hand. The deputy had his gun drawn as well. Alec quickly tucked his gun at his back, not wanting to raise questions.

"You found her." Carl Winters had responded. "What happened? Miss Franny called, screaming for help."

"Ian Griggs accosted Keira," Alec said.

"Griggs? What the hell is he doing out already?" Carl turned to Keira, taking in her torn clothes. "You okay?"

She nodded.

"Where is he now?" Carl asked. "I don't know," Keira said. "He took off. Toward the back."

A burst of lightning struck a nearby tree, splitting it. The awful
crack
made all three of them duck.

"Christ! This storm is getting worse," Carl said. "Let's get back to the station."

Ian Griggs watched Keira disappear into the rain. He knew someone had arrived; he'd watched headlights sweep into the parking lot minutes earlier. The timing had been perfect.

Did she think she'd been
saved!

He laughed, which triggered a hacking, coughing fit. Stupid bitch. She'd been
spared.
By the grace of Ian.

If he'd wanted to hurt her, she'd have been hurt. If he'd wanted her dead, she'd have been killed. Years ago. But where was the fun in that?