Target (A prequel Story)

  “But you’d rather I didn’t go anywhere, because the Chloroform Killer will have to find us, wherever we go?”

  “I’m not worried about him finding us, or about waiting around while he does. I don’t like the idea of him being near you…at all.” Liam sighed. “But we are already set up here.”

  Andrea let go of her suitcase handle and sank onto the end of the bed. “I don’t know if I can be here. He was in my apartment.”

  Liam crouched in front of her. “You’re not going to be alone. We’re going to protect you.”

  “I know you will. It’s just…” She shuddered.

  “As soon as this is over, you can move.” “Get a new place?”

  “If that’s what you want.”

  “I always planned to buy a house, eventually.” What would it be like to actually have her own little back yard? She could plant flowers and grow tomatoes. “Maybe now I will.”

  “I have an app on my tablet that will show you what’s for sale. We could look at it later, if you want.”

  It was nice of him to want to distract her, to keep her mind off the horrible tragedy that was her life right now. Even if there was little chance it would help. “I’d like that.”

  “Don’t worry about the Chloroform Killer, okay? Caisey and I aren’t going to let anything happen to you.”

  Andrea followed him out into her living room, now free of all the people who’d been there. “You can’t know that. You can’t predict the future any more than I can.”

  “You think I’m lying?”

  “No. I know you have no intention of letting me get hurt. I’m okay with that.” It wasn’t like she particularly wanted to get hurt. “But you can’t control everything. You can’t guarantee everything is going to be fine.”

  Liam looked at her, his face hard and his eyes stormy.

  “What is it?”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Liam—”

  “No. Just…hear me out, okay?”

  Andrea nodded.

  “When you showed up at the office, I was glad it wasn’t you who’d been abducted. I’m sorry about your sister. I’m so sorry she was killed...” He shook his head. “This isn’t the time for this.”

  Andrea laid a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. Tell me.”

  “My sister killed herself.” He swallowed. “I was fifteen. She slit her wrists in the bathtub. I saw the water under the door, it was pink. That’s why I went in. It was—” His voice broke. “I was glad when it turned out it wasn’t you in that van.” He looked at her. “I was really glad.”

  “I was, too.” That might make her a horrible person, or more like her father than she cared to admit, but Andrea was happy to be alive.

  “After she died, I pretty much went off the rails. Drinking, partying with my friends. High school is a blur, but I remember my pickup truck was blue.” He blew out a breath. “If something happened to you, I don’t know how I’d deal. Not now that I’ve gotten to know you a little.”

  Liam didn’t want her to be another woman he cared for, dead. Andrea might not have a problem with that sentiment, but if he was going to convince himself everything would be fine then what would happen if she was hurt—or killed?

  The thought of him checking out like Kiera, or winding up like her dad was the last thing she wanted to contemplate.

  Did she want another person like that in her life? She needed someone safe, not another powder keg waiting to erupt.

  And after the danger was gone, when she was just boring, ordinary Andrea with a dull job and a duller existence…what then? A guy like Liam wouldn’t want to stick around when there was nothing else to take care of.

  “I’m not your sister, Liam. I’m not going to die.” Okay, so she was going to die sometime. But for right now, he needed to know she wouldn’t do anything to put her safety in jeopardy.

  Liam rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry. You don’t need this, today of all days. I shouldn’t be dumping my drama on you.”

  Andrea took hold of his elbows and leaned in. “Its okay.” She liked how determined he was, even if he couldn’t know the outcome. Time would tell if they were suited to each other. She had to guard her heart or she’d wind up in love with him before she knew it.

  Liam pulled back, shaking off whatever he’d been thinking. He smiled, but it wasn’t convincing. “Let’s clean this place up. You can unpack and we’ll see what’s for dinner. Sound good?”

  “Sure.”

  **

  Caisey showed up ten minutes after Liam sent the text. Andrea was cleaning up the kitchen, but after his emotional meltdown, Liam needed space. And air. Caisey had better not make a big deal about this.

  When he opened the front door she took one look at his face, grabbed his arm and pulled him outside. “What is up with you?”

  “I just need some time. Are you going to give it to me, or are you going to make this as difficult as possible?”

  Caisey shut her mouth.

  He blew out a breath. “Sorry.”

  “Go.” She stepped around him. “I’ll tell Andrea there was a change in plans. We’ll see you later. Or tomorrow.”

  “Case—”

  She shut the front door.

  Liam didn’t go back inside for his coat. As he walked home, he sent a text to the surveillance team and found out Caisey had already informed them of the rotation. His apartment was dark, so he flipped the switch for the two living room lamps and sank onto his couch.

  He knew Andrea wasn’t Bethany. He knew that. And yet, if he found her covered in blood it wasn’t going to hurt the same way it had with his sister—it was going to kill him. That was why he couldn’t let it get to that point, because he might have been broken before, when Bethany died. But if something happened to Andrea, Liam would be destroyed.

  He shot up from the couch to pace the space between the coffee table and the TV.

  It didn’t make any sense. He barely knew her, so why did he care so much? What was it about Andrea that had caught his attention so thoroughly? Maybe he shouldn’t be asking that, just accepting the fact he’d found someone he wanted to spend time with and who seemed to like him enough to say yes to dinner. Maybe that was the secret—you just shut up and said thank you and got on with making your life the best it could be.

  Liam pulled out his phone. His dad was in town, and he’d wanted them to visit together. He dialed before he thought about it too much.

  “Liam!”

  He winced and pulled the phone from his ear. “Can I talk to you? I know you have dinners and such, but can you make some time for me?”

  “I can get away. If I don’t and your mother finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  Half an hour later, Liam pulled up outside at the lobby of a hotel downtown and gave the valet his keys. His father was in an armchair in the lobby with an empty cup on the table beside him and the Wall Street Journal open. Liam knew it was him, just by the shine on his shoes.

  “Hey.”

  The newspaper lowered. The old man’s face was older, even though it hadn’t been more than a few months since Liam went home for thanksgiving. “You look like crap.”

  “Thanks, Dad.” He slumped into the chair beside his father, for once seeing the man and not the rank he wore like it was a limb. Thank God.

  A perky waitress Liam would have looked twice at only a week ago bounced over with a refill for his dad. He was here, he might as well drink a cup while they got through the small talk to the real reason he’d called his dad away from his entourage.

  His father’s head was back behind the paper. “Why don’t you just cut to the chase?”

  Liam smiled. His dad was two inches taller than him, and working on his old-man belly if the empty plate of crumbs was anything to go by, but aside from the physical resemblance they were very different. It was probably why they had such a hard time communicating.

  Liam took a sip of coffee and set his cup back down. “Who says t
here’s anything to talk about? Maybe I just wanted to see you.”

  Newspaper rustled. “I thought you were busy tonight.”

  Liam leaned back far enough to see a smirk on his dad’s face. He grabbed the newspaper from his dad’s hands and set it on the table.

  “This is about a woman.” His dad’s eyes narrowed, but he was still smiling. “It has to be. Well, who is she?”

  “Her name is Andrea.”

  “And?”

  “She’s an accountant.”

  “Good Lord.”

  Liam laughed. “She happens to be very nice. And beautiful. It’s a long, complicated story.”

  His dad shook his head. “No, it isn’t.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Love. It’s never complicated. Either she’s the one, or she’s not. Finito.”

  Liam pressed his lips together.

  “Well?”

  “She is.”

  “Did you tell her that?”

  “Uh, no.”

  His dad nodded. “There’s your problem.”

  Liam got up. “This probably wasn’t a good idea. I do have a lot of work.”

  “Sit down, son.”

  Liam stilled, and then sat.

  “I told your mother I knew she was the one the first time I saw her.”

  “Did you?” Liam had never heard that story.

  “No. I was dating Sally Turnell at the time. But later, after the bloom of the Sally Turnell rose lost its luster, I saw your mother for the gem that she was.”

  They’d been together forever, as far as either of them ever said. “When was that?”

  His dad sniffed. “End of third grade.”

  Liam laughed. “My deal might be different. Neither Andrea nor I are grade school kids.”

  “Young people these days. They’re always making everything so complicated.”

  “It’s connected to a work thing—”

  “Chloroform Killer?”

  “How do you know that?” His dad shrugged.

  “Anyway, while I’m keeping her safe it’s not okay for us to be romantically involved, but things keep happening.” Liam sighed. “She’s a Christian, too. Prays before she eats, believes God will take care of her.”

  “Sounds like your mother.”

  “Does mom still go to church every Sunday?”

  His dad nodded. “Bible study with the ladies on a Thursday morning.”

  Liam didn’t want to ask, but he did. “So why didn’t it help Bethany?” He didn’t like how small his voice sounded, but it was past time for them to talk about this. “All Mom’s religion and it didn’t stop Bethany from killing herself.”

  “Your sister was eighteen. She was hurting. So much pain…and she made a choice to end it. As much as it kills me that she did, your sister took the power back. Maybe, for Bethany, suicide wasn’t cowardice.” His dad cleared his throat. “I was gone, but I knew she was spiraling. Your mom told me you were the one to find her.”

  Liam nodded. He couldn’t speak.

  “This woman, Andrea, you can do your best but people’s lives are their own. Your sister was loved and she knew that, but there was something inside her that couldn’t live with what happened to her.”

  Liam looked down at his clenched fingers. “I have to help her. I want us to have a future, a chance to see what we can build. But we can’t do that if Andrea is the next victim.”

  “So don’t let her be.” His dad shifted in the chair so he was facing Liam. “Your job to take care of her won’t end with this threat. It stays with you for the rest of your life when you sign up for the job of husband, and, God willing, you add kids to that scenario. It’s your role. It’s not bad, Liam. Don’t think that. You didn’t fail to protect Bethany. You were a kid yourself and all the treatment in the world didn’t stop her from purging that pain the only way she knew how. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Chapter 13

  ANDREA SCROLLED THROUGH listings of houses, but the rush of buying a place all her own had lost its luster pretty fast. She sighed and set the laptop on the table.

  Caisey glanced over from her side of the couch. “You want to watch a movie? I can see what’s on TV.”

  “You don’t have to entertain me. I don’t mind just hanging out.” Andrea smiled. “Truth is, the last few days have been the busiest in the last few years.”

  Caisey grinned. “I figured as much. Are we overloading you?”

  “It’s not bad, even given the circumstances. Maybe I’ll miss it when you’re gone.”

  “Liam will still be around, won’t he? And I’m sure we’ll see each other if you and my partner have a thing.”

  If that was even going to happen. “Sure, maybe.”

  “Liam didn’t tell you what he wants yet?”

  “Why does it have to be about what he wants?”

  Caisey chuckled. “Sort of helps if the guy is on board, too. You know?”

  “I’m guessing there’s something deeper behind that. A little personal experience?”

  “There was a guy.” Caisey shifted. “It was a long time ago, and he hasn’t been back since.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You know what? So am I.” Caisey stood. “Don’t worry about it.” She picked up both of their empty glasses. “You want a refill?”

  Andrea nodded. She wasn’t particularly thirsty, but Caisey seemed to need a moment by herself. It was easy to see the woman as impervious to just about anything, but apparently Caisey wasn’t tough all the way to her core. There was hurt there that Andrea didn’t think had anything to do with some long-ago guy.

  The commercial break ended and a local news program started. Kiera’s picture flashed on the screen and Andrea sucked in a breath, choking. “Ca-Caisey!”

  The Special Agent ran in, her gun drawn. “What?”

  Andrea grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

  “...latest victim. Our sources have confirmed that the death of local woman Kiera James was the work of the Chloroform Killer, an active serial killer whose first murder took place nearly twenty-two months ago. Ms. James was his sixth victim. We also have indications that the FBI is currently protecting an unnamed woman, although that has not been confirmed at this time.”

  “How do they know this?” Andrea turned to Caisey, whose mouth was pressed into a thin line as she shook her head.

  “Someone’s going to get my boot in their backside for leaking this.”

  “Our source has also indicated to us that it is common for the Chloroform Killer to contact his victims, prior to abducting and killing them. He appears to take pictures of his intended victims, which he then sends to them via email and regular mail in order to taunt them. We also have information that indicates phone calls were made to the victims by the killer.”

  Andrea covered her mouth.

  “If you have been the recipient of anything that could be from the Chloroform Killer, please call this number. We will put you in direct contact with police and federal agents working this case.”

  Caisey shifted. “Yeah, and get an exclusive in the process.”

  “So far the police have no leads as to the identity of this elusive murderer. If you feel like you are in danger, please take necessary steps to ensure your safety.”

  The newscaster took a breath and immediately launched into the next story, like that whole segment hadn’t even happened.

  Andrea twisted on the couch. Caisey lifted one finger, eyes on her phone. “In a minute.” She pressed a series of buttons. “Heads are gonna roll for this, believe you me.”

  Andrea did believe her.

  She put the phone to her ear. “No, I don’t believe this. What are we going to do?” She paused. “Seriously. This chick needs a lesson in what’s for public consumption and what most definitely is not. Inciting panic for no reason other than so she can get an exclusive on the Chloroform Killer? I need to head down to the news station and have a word with this girl.” Caisey looked at the cei
ling. “I know that…I am.”

  Andrea couldn’t help it, she smiled.

  The Special Agent sighed. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. But I better not bump into this Barbie- doll newswoman or I’m liable to speak my mind.” Her lips twitched. “Later.”

  “What did Liam say?”

  Caisey stowed her phone in the back pocket of her jeans. “That was my boss.”

  “You talk to your boss like that?”

  Her head tiled to the side. “Like what?”

  Andrea bit back what she’d been intending to say. “Never mind.”

  She wouldn’t ever talk to her superior that way. Although, her boss barely stepped foot in the office; he did most of his work from the country club where he settled things over eighteen holes with CFO’s of fortune five-hundred companies, and then let Andrea worry about the paperwork.

  “So what do we do now?”

  Caisey flipped off the TV. “Not a lot we can do, aside from what we’re already doing. Protect you and wait for him to make his move. Carry on with life as best you can and stay safe. The Medical Examiner will release Kiera’s body and you’ll be able to make whatever arrangements you need to make with regards to burial or cremation.”

  Andrea nodded. “That would be good.”

  “I’ll be here to help if you need it. I remember how hard it was after my dad died, having to make all those decisions that seemed more important than anything else ever had been.” She gave Andrea a small smile. “Half of me didn’t want to think about it at all, but I knew I had to. Then it was over, and I kind of felt ridiculous for making it a big deal. Like he wouldn’t have liked it if I got a black casket instead of a brown one, you know?”

  “I do. I’d like to bury Kiera alongside Brad, but I’ll have to look into that. See if it’s even possible. I guess his parents would know.”

  “I’ll get you their information. You can decide if you want to make the call, or if you want me to do it.”

  Andrea smoothed the creases from her pants.

  “One thing at a time.”

  She looked up. “Can we get out of here?”

  “Where do you want to go?”

  Did she even know? Andrea thought about it, but could only come up with one thing. “What about going to my office? It’d be nice to clean up before tomorrow morning.”

  “If you’d said anywhere else, I’d have said no. But your office is doable.” Caisey pulled her phone out again. “Sit tight for a minute and I’ll make the arrangements.”