Target (A prequel Story)

  Agent Conners—Liam—shook his head and glanced around the crowded lobby, most of whom were staring at them. “We should do this upstairs.”

  Andrea followed them to the elevator, a visitor’s badge hanging from a lanyard around her neck. Their security measures were extensive, but she got why they were necessary. The whole office was imposing. It was good she’d never broken the law. FBI agents were intimidating, even if they didn’t keep their guns on display like cops.

  The Special Agents led her to a conference room and the female one said, “Coffee?”

  Andrea nodded. “Please. Just cream.”

  The woman strode out like she was supremely confident of who she was. Andrea had never been that sure of anything. Then she realized she was alone in the room with the FBI agent who hugged her hello.

  She caught his gaze and stared right back. His jaw was square and his blonde hair had been cut recently. The suit he wore was expensive and he had a Harvard pin on his lapel, even though he’d probably graduated at least ten years ago.

  He was the kind of guy who regularly broke hearts while he had an on-again-off-again girlfriend who was a yoga instructor. The kind of guy whose hair never got mussed and never looked like crap, even when he was tired or sick. But she’d definitely seen him somewhere before.

  Andrea tipped her head to the side. “Why do you look familiar?”

  Agent Conners’ lips curled up at the edges. “We live in the same apartment complex. That’s how I came to believe I witnessed you being abducted. He took a woman out of your apartment.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He smiled. “Am I sure a woman was abducted, or am I sure it was your apartment?”

  “My apartment.”

  “The door was open.”

  Andrea didn’t want to assume, but there was only one person who could have been at her place “It wasn’t a break-in, a woman was in there?”

  “It’s difficult to say, since whoever abducted this woman would have had to break in.” He seemed to measure his words carefully, in order to allow her time to absorb it all.

  “You’ve been out of town?”

  Andrea nodded. “I was in Chicago, visiting our headquarters. I work for Samuels-Kelper. I’m a CPA, and we had some problems with a client that had to be worked through in person. It was all wrapped up late yesterday evening, so I slept the night at my hotel and then flew back this morning. I got home a little while ago to find the police tape and an Officer guarding my front door. I had to show ID just to get into my home.”

  Her apartment had looked like they’d managed to touch everything she owned. The bathroom and kitchen were a mess and her bed even looked slept in.

  “You have your ticket, or a receipt?”

  Andrea pulled the paperwork from her briefcase and slid it across the table. It grated on her that she had to justify herself to them, but that was their job. Dotting I’s and crossing T’s and all that. Fine, if it helped people, and they caught criminals. But did she have to be okay with it when it was happening to her?

  Special Agent Conners gave the itinerary a once-over and handed it back. “Most of this is just procedure, but I’d like to say I am really glad you’re okay.”

  “Me too.” Andrea half-smiled, because what else did you do? Who wouldn’t be glad they hadn’t been abducted by a serial killer? Even though she was ticked the police had gone through her belongings, she understood now why they hadn’t felt the need to inform her first.

  “Whoever was abducted from your apartment spent time there. Ate there, slept there. Do you have a roommate, or significant other?”

  “No. There’s no one.”

  “Is there someone with a key, who might have stayed over while you were gone?”

  “Oh.” Andrea’s thoughts tumbled over each other like a wave. “She knew I was gone, though I don’t know how. Or maybe she came over to crash and stayed because I was gone. She does that sometimes. Brings her laundry and has dinner with me, or orders…pizza.”

  That was why the empty pizza box had been on the coffee table when Andrea hadn’t had a slice in years. “Sometimes I give her a little cash, but never too much. I know what she does with it, I’m not ignorant. I know I’m enabling her but what else do you do?”

  “She?”

  But if Keira had come over, that meant she was the one who’d been abducted.

  Andrea rummaged for her cell phone, found the contact for the house phone number where Keira usually stayed and dialed. Liam was talking, asking her something. Andrea squeezed her eyes shut and listened to it ring.

  “Yeah.” It was a man’s voice.

  “I’m looking for Keira.”

  “Ain’t no Keira here.”

  Andrea bit her lip. “Sunny?”

  “Haven’t seen her.” He hung up.

  The phone slipped from Andrea’s hand and fell to the floor. Liam crouched beside her and retrieved it. He set the phone on the table. Andrea squeezed her fingers together, but they wouldn’t stop shaking.

  “Ms. James?”

  “Her name is Keira. She’s my sister.”

  **

  Liam pulled his chair closer. Andrea James looked like she was about to lose what little control she was holding onto. “Tell me about your sister.”

  Caisey strode into the room, her mouth open about to say something. She stopped and swallowed whatever it was. His partner’s entire manner changed as she stepped quietly around Andrea, set the cup down in front of her and took her seat.

  Andrea clenched her fingers together in her lap. “She stays with me, sometimes, like I said. Our parents disowned her. They threw away every picture of her. They won’t say her name or even acknowledge her existence.”

  Caisey got out a notepad and started scribbling.

  Liam kept his focus on Andrea. “Is it possible she was the one at your apartment?”

  “I’d say it’s very possible she was who you saw being abducted. If the guy who just answered the phone isn’t out of it, then she’s not at the place she usually stays, not that that’s abnormal. But if she isn’t there and she’s not at my apartment, there aren’t many places she’ll be for long and nowhere else she would sleep. She’s paranoid about where she sleeps.”

  “How old is Keira?”

  “Twenty-nine.”

  Liam had seen Andrea’s date of birth, but he still said, “Older or younger than you?” She needed the space to focus on ordinary details while it sank in.

  “Two years younger.”

  Liam held Andrea’s dark gaze with his. “How long has she been an addict?”

  Surprise flared and she said, “A long time. Nearly six years, maybe. Since Brad died and she lost the baby. She was always wild, but not like this.”

  Liam squeezed her hand. “We need to talk about the Chloroform Killer now.” When she nodded, he continued. “Have you had any reason to think you were being watched or followed recently?”

  There was a slim chance the sister was the target and the crime had taken place at Andrea’s because that was where Keira James went. But given the surveillance photo he’d found in Andrea’s mail, he was leaning more to the idea that she was the target. That meant the killer had made a mistake and grabbed the wrong sister.

  How closely did they favor each other, if it truly was a case of mistaken identity? Otherwise it was a crazy thing, given how closely Andrea had escaped. If her sister really was the victim, there would be a whole lot of survivor’s guilt to work through.

  Andrea stood, shifting fast enough she looked antsy as she backed up, her eyes wide. “You think he was after me, not Keira?”

  “We have to look at all the possibilities.”

  She walked to the window and turned back to Liam and Caisey. “There have been some weird things. Emails with a picture of me doing something, like someone was following me and watching me.”

  “And in your regular mail?”

  “Not that I’m aware of. Was there?”

  Liam nodded. “
One.”

  “This is unreal.” She ran a hand down her face, her shoulders slumped. “Was it really the Chloroform Killer? The police officer said that, but I thought he might just be guessing.”

  “The evidence certainly points to it being him, yes.” The square of material with chloroform left on each of the victim’s pillows wasn’t something that had been made public. “Did you tell anyone about the emails, or file a report with the police?”

  “I just thought they were a nuisance. I told the IT guy at work and then I deleted them and didn’t think about it. I’ve been really busy at work. There wasn’t time to deal with some weirdo stalker.”

  “You didn’t think it was worth your safety?”

  “It would have been worth Keira’s, but I didn’t know she was going to be abducted, did I?”

  Liam sucked in a breath. She was always so staid; the rush of energy in her anger was like a sign of life. “We’re not blaming you, and this isn’t your fault. I don’t really get why you didn’t want to make an issue of it, but I need as much information as I can if we’re going to catch this guy.”

  “And find Sunny.”

  “Sunny?”

  “My sister.”

  “Keira’s name is Sunny?”

  Andrea sighed. “When she was disowned and cut off, she decided to change her name. She figured if they didn’t want her, then she didn’t want anything to do with them either. Not even their name. I helped her do it, so now she’s legally Sunny Chapman. It’s her fiancé Brad’s last name. They were going to get married, since they’d gotten pregnant. Keira figured that would have been her name anyway.”

  Liam nodded.

  You need to find her.”

  He didn’t want to lie. And since he’d come to terms with the fact it was Andrea he wasn’t going to be able to get back, didn’t that mean he knew, at least to some degree, how she felt?

  “We’ll do our best. There’s a window of time in which she’s likely to…remain alive. If we can figure out who he is before then, it’s possible we might be able to find her. But I’m not going to lie to you, Andrea. You need to prepare yourself for the worst. Your sister might not get out of this alive.”

  Andrea sank into a chair on the other side of Caisey, across the table from him. So much for remaining close, so he could reassure her. Apparently she didn’t want anything to do with his comfort. It stung, but he wasn’t going to leave her in the lurch.

  Her eyes swam with emotion. Andrea tucked hair behind her ear and looked away. She didn’t want him to see her upset? Or had she been conditioned not to show emotion?

  “I have to go home. I’m exhausted.” She labored to her feet and said, “Maybe you could keep me updated?”

  She really thought he was just going to let her go, so she could have her meltdown in private?

  Caisey held out her hand, stopping Andrea’s progress. “We actually need you to stay here for the time being.”

  “What? Why can’t I go?”

  “We need to update our boss and find out what he wants to do with regards to your protection.”

  “But I’m not the one in danger.”

  Liam said, “If you were the target, he may realize his mistake and come for you again.”

  Andrea’s eyes widened. “What?”

  “You could be in serious danger, Andrea.”

  Chapter 5

  LIAM STOOD WITH Caisey in their boss’s office. Special Agent Burkot was a former Marine and he’d never seen the guy drink anything other than coffee—even at the office Christmas party. Burkot’s suit came from the same tailor Liam used, the one he’d found tucked away on a side street on one of his runs through lower downtown Denver.

  Burkot peered at them with his “thinking” stare that meant he was assessing the situation and working through all the variables in his head. “What about her apartment?”

  Caisey said, “Should be cleared by the end of today.”

  Burkot’s desk was clear, but the walls were covered with pictures of his kids’ college graduations, his wife, him shaking hands with President Bush (both of them), and two flags—a US flag and the flag for the Marine Corps. He clicked the mouse on his computer, likely looking through the case file. Liam had added his write-up from the interview with Andrea, but that was only minutes before they’d come in here. He didn’t like making Andrea stay in the conference room, but they couldn’t just let her go home and leave her vulnerable to being abducted.

  Burkot looked at Liam. “You think the Chloroform Killer will come after her again, looking to rectify his mistake?”

  “It’s enough of a possibility that I don’t want to risk her being unprotected when it happens. There isn’t any solid indication, but he’s never abducted the wrong woman before, so far as we know. It’s unprecedented, and the best chance we’ve got of catching the guy if he does show up.”

  “Okay.” Burkot folded his arms. “The two of you sit on this woman, twenty- four/seven. Speak to the manager at the apartment complex and get a place where a team can set up with full view of Ms. James’ front door. You have fourteen days. If he doesn’t show up, if the sister’s body has been found by then, we’ll scale it back.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “But I want to know for sure if the sister is who he took. I don’t want any more surprises.”

  Caisey nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  Liam had no idea how they were going to ascertain that it’d been Kiera, short of the tests coming back to confirm it was her in the apartment. But it looked like they’d be doing interviews with friends and roommates for the rest of the day.

  “He shows up, you take this guy down.” “Yes, sir.”

  They filed out and headed for their desks.

  Caisey glanced at him. “You really think he’s going to realize his mistake and try to abduct Andrea again?”

  “I don’t know, honestly. It could get ugly, fast, when he realizes Kiera isn’t the woman he thought he was getting.”

  “And then he’ll be twice as determined to get Andrea.”

  “Which is why we have to protect her. She doesn’t need to be caught up in all this.”

  “Does anyone?” Caisey stopped and turned to him. “It’s not just about protecting her. This is our chance to catch him.”

  “I know. That’s why we’ll have a team on surveillance.”

  “But they won’t be in the apartment. We will. We’re the ones who can get him.”

  “Sure, but—”

  “Do you know how many agents would kill for the chance to take down a serial killer attempting to kidnap his victim?”

  Liam lifted his chin, not liking where this was going. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to catch the guy. He just didn’t like the idea of baiting a trap for a psychopath. There was no way that would end well. “I was there, remember? I’m the one who let him get away.”

  “Well, then, don’t let him get away this time.” Caisey’s face was flushed with excitement. She didn’t get out much. “This is our chance to become legends.”

  Liam wouldn’t mind the notoriety that came with an arrest like that, but he’d much rather the guy never murdered anyone in the first place. “Maybe I don’t want to be a legend.”

  Her face screwed up, like a three-year-old about to throw a tantrum.

  “I’m just saying I like where I’m at. Don’t you?” It was a struggle, but Liam kept a straight face. Caisey never reacted well to neediness. There was no way he was going to pass up an opportunity to tease her. “What, you don’t like being partners anymore? You want to move on?”

  “No, of course not. I—” Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, you’re such a jerk.” Caisey stormed to her desk, looking back over her shoulder. “I’m going to take this guy down, you’ll see.”

  Liam grinned to her back while she swiped up her mug and stomped to the coffee pot. Good for her. He could be proud, even while he understood the majority of her drive came from the fact that Caisey was a “legacy” agent. Her father had been
a Special Agent, too. He’d been killed in the line of duty, but not before he got to hand Caisey her badge at her Quantico graduation.

  Liam’s father was a retired Major General whose only emotion was a severe displeasure that his son had not gone into the Army, but to law school and then the FBI. But the Army would never have settled Liam. It would never have given him the chance to put to rest the powerlessness he’d felt when he found his sister’s body. Catching murderers was what did that. Putting in jail the same kind of people who’d twisted his sister’s mind into believing she was better off dead. There was just one problem.

  It wasn’t helping as much as it used to.

  **

  Andrea shifted aside the blinds and stared out the window at downtown Denver. In her other hand she held her cell phone, pressed to her ear, while her mom went on and on. And on.

  “I’m so glad, darling. So glad you’re okay. Just so relieved to hear your voice.”

  “I know, Mom.”

  “You can’t know, not until you have babies of your own.” Her mom’s breath shuddered as she sucked back tears. “I’m so relieved.”

  Andrea pressed her lips together. It was just after lunch, but still her mom was two drinks past sauced. A beautiful woman, a trophy wife with nothing to do all day but down glass after glass and wonder why she’d never done anything valuable with her life. Never mind that she’d raised two girls, or all the charity work she used to do. Andrea’s mother had given up her dream job in order to get married and had mentioned that fact to whoever would listen practically every single day of her life.

  Andrea enjoyed her job, most days. She didn’t intend to get married and wind up resenting everything and everyone around her for all the changes it made. That was no way to live life. Kids should be loved simply because they were. And if a parent wasn’t going to treat them as precious, then what business did they have even having kids in the first place? Andrea wasn’t willing to risk resenting anything about having a husband or kids even for one second. Not when she’d seen what drinking too much would turn her into.

  Or losing control, the way Kiera had.

  Andrea’s life was closely ordered between work and the peaceful solitude of her home life. She didn’t need anything messing that up.

  A rustle came through the phone line. Andrea could hear her mom still talking, but her voice was muffled. She’s passing out.