Haven of Swans

“Yeah, Campbell called.”

  “That’s probably him parking.” Nick nodded toward the red car that rolled to a stop at the curb. “Where can we meet?”

  “The deputy said to use his office. They found the missing woman with the search dogs. Same MO. Missing face too. This time the feet were cut off.”

  He winced. The door opened, and the man who came through the doorway had to stoop to enter. “What are you, six-ten?” Nick blurted.

  The man glowered and ignored the question. “Nick Andreakos?” he asked. “I’m Captain Grant Campbell. Is there somewhere we can talk?”

  “Right this way.” So no time for niceties. The guy wanted to get right to business, which was fine with Nick. The sooner this thing was laid to rest, the better.

  He pointed to the two chairs by the desk, but Campbell went around and sat in the chair behind the desk. A little psychological warfare, but Nick knew where he stood. This guy couldn’t intimidate him.

  Nick settled into the chair and leaned back, striving for a relaxed pose. Campbell narrowed his eyes, and Nick had to choke back a grin. He’d played this game too many times himself.

  “So fire away,” Nick said. “I’ve got a serial killer to catch. The sooner we get this settled, the faster I get him off the streets.”

  “You seem very flippant about such serious charges.” Campbell opened the file he’d laid on the desk. “Excessive force, trespassing, even manslaughter has been mentioned.”

  Nick’s smile faded. “You know that’s a boatload of crap. What was I supposed to do? Let Bechtol haul that woman off where we’d never find her?”

  “These are serious charges, Captain. I have to investigate them.”

  “What do the Alpena officers say? You’ve surely questioned them as well.”

  Campbell looked down. “Well, yes, I did. They say Mr. Bechtol and his compound fired first, which is exactly what I would have expected them to say. They aren’t going to implicate you and themselves willingly. I need proof.”

  “What more proof do you need? You’ve got all the ammo recovered from the compound, thousands of bullet casings on the ground, the testimony of the other officers. I don’t see what more I can give you.”

  Nick tried to think of any personal reasons Campbell could have for coming after him but couldn’t think of a thing. As far as he knew, they’d never met. Maybe his dad would have an idea.

  “The woman you rescued has corroborated these charges. Don’t you think she would have been grateful for the rescue if it were done properly?” Campbell asked.

  “I’d like to talk to her myself,” Nick said. “Have you had a therapist talk to her? I think she was beginning to bond to her captors. It happens. She was with them for several weeks.”

  “Not to a woman like her. She’s a therapist herself and sees no need to speak to anyone.”

  “I think we should insist on it.” Nick wanted to stand and pace, but he couldn’t give Campbell the satisfaction of watching his agitation. Acid churned in his belly, and he longed for another antacid.

  Campbell flipped the folder shut. “The real issue is that you tend to use force way too often, Captain. I can’t believe I’m the only one who has questioned how often you pull your gun.”

  “I challenge you to come up with a single time I’ve used force when something else would have worked,” Nick said. “I didn’t get to my position by letting the bad guy get away. Or by being brutal. I work smart. I’m not bragging—you can read that in my file.”

  “So you say.” Campbell stood. “I’ll talk to my supervisor about your answers, but until then you’re still on suspension.”

  “I need to find the man who’s after my wife!” Nick jumped to his feet and balled his fists.

  “Your ex-wife, Captain.” Campbell brushed past Nick and went down the hallway. “You neglected to mention that when we first spoke.”

  19

  Even after two days, samson was still upset from his discovery of Hannah, so Eve and Bree played hide-and-seek with him and the children along the beach before supper. The spray of cold water from Superior cooled Eve’s hot face. It felt good to be doing something. Just waiting for Gideon to strike next kept her on edge.

  “The initial hearing is tomorrow,” Eve told Bree. She sat on a rock and dug her toes into the cool sand. Davy and Keri screamed with excitement as a wave sloshed around their ankles. They ran through the spray, then back to the partially completed sand castle. Samson barked and ran around them. When the cold water hit him, he yelped and ran back to Bree.

  Eve laughed and hauled the cold, wet dog onto her lap. He promptly nestled against her and fell asleep.

  “It’s going to be okay.” Bree sat on the sand.

  “Ronja thinks so too. She found a rap sheet on Patti. Problem is, I’m not so sure I want to hurt my own sister in court. I left a message at the hotel asking for her to come here to talk to me.”

  “Has she called?”

  “No.” Eve would like to believe Patti never got the message, but she knew better.

  “Are you remembering anything new at all? Won’t that be crucial for your case in court?” Bree voiced Eve’s own fears.

  “I sometimes get a brief flash of emotion that feels like I’m remembering something. Then it’s gone.”

  Bree didn’t seem to be listening. Eve turned to see what had caught her friend’s attention and saw Nick’s broad-shouldered figure at the top of the cliff. His head turned toward them and he waved, then started down the rock steps that led to the water.

  Eve shoved the dog off her lap, tucked her windblown hair behind her ears, and stood. From the grim slant of his mouth, she assumed his appointment with IA hadn’t gone well.

  Keri ran to him, and he scooped her up, wet sand and all, then put her back down to play and continued on his course to Eve. “I hear you found her,” he said to Bree. “You doing okay?”

  Bree nodded. “It’s never easy.”

  “How did it go?” Eve asked.

  Nick made a face. “Not great. I’m still off the case for now.” His phone rang, and he answered it. “Hey, Dad, what do you have?” He listened in silence and moved away. “The next one would have the tongue missing again.” His voice was softer as though he didn’t want her to hear. “The last one might be the tongue too. Or hands maybe.”

  Eve studied his back. It sounded like he knew what Gideon was looking for. Why hadn’t he told her?

  Nick closed his phone and turned back around.

  Eve examined his face, the way he wasn’t looking at her, the tight line of his lips. “You know something.” Funny how she could read him and not even realize she was remembering how to do it.

  “I don’t know anything.”

  “You suspect, then. What’s your theory? There seems to be some kind of pattern. He takes a different body part each time. It sounded like you knew what to look for next time.”

  Bree nodded. “Yeah, give us the scoop. We’ll keep it quiet.”

  Nick’s lips pressed together, and he looked away. “I found this passage in Proverbs. It looks like maybe he’s following it to rid the world of people who commit things God calls abominations.”

  The ominous word made Eve shudder. “What passage?”

  “Proverbs 6.” Nick pulled a notebook out of his shirt pocket, flipped it open, and began to read. “‘These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.’”

  “Which one am I?” Eve hugged her arms around herself, but she still felt cold.

  “Look, let’s not talk about it. It’s just a theory.”

  “One he’s been following so far,” she pointed out. “I was the first one he attacked, so does that mean I have the proud look?”

  He pocketed his notepad. “The verses he left online when you disappeared indicate he thou
ght of you as the proud look. And the one we think he took in your place also referenced the proud look.”

  It wasn’t what she’d been expecting. Maybe Gideon’s hunt had nothing to do with her relationship with Will Donaldson. “If he took a substitute, why did he follow me here?”

  “You seem to be special. You’re the only one he’s called taunting us about.”

  “He’s called you about me? Why have you never mentioned it before?”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.”

  “Good grief, Nick! Don’t you think I deserve to know what he has planned? Do you think he plans to kill a few more and then come back for me?”

  He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m not inside his head, Eve. I don’t know what’s inside his warped brain, but I’ll protect you. Look, this is getting us nowhere. We’re getting more leads every day. We’ll find him.”

  She didn’t argue, but she knew if they had a suspect, he would tell her. The police were as much in the dark as she was. A proud look. What had she done to make Gideon choose her to kill for that? If only she could remember.

  She decided to let it drop for now. “I need to talk to Patti. Did you happen to see her when you were in town?”

  “No, but we could call her at the hotel.”

  Enduring the way she felt in his presence right now soured the appeal of having backup when she talked to Patti. Nick took the decision out of her hands by taking Eve’s elbow. “We won’t be long, Bree, if you don’t mind watching Keri.”

  “We’ll be fine. I’ll just watch them play until they turn too blue from the water.”

  Bree’s eyes held amusement, and Eve knew her friend guessed her dilemma. “I’ll be back in time to help with supper,” Eve said, walking quickly ahead to escape Nick’s hand on her arm.

  His touch evoked a discomfiting warmth. She must be insane to have such a powerful visceral reaction to this man.

  “I’ll drive.” Nick’s clipped voice stopped her as she reached the car.

  She nodded and slid into the passenger seat. Every time they were alone together, he made her want desperately to remember the reasons they’d split up. On the surface, she could imagine nothing that would have driven her away.

  He got in the other side and put the key in the ignition. With his hand on the key, he paused, then turned to look at her. “Whenever we’re together, I can feel your tension. I’m sure Keri can too. How do we resolve it?”

  “I have no idea what there is to resolve,” she reminded him. “I’m sorry if being around me makes you uncomfortable, but we’re just going to have to put up with each other.”

  “I didn’t say that! I want to be around you. You’re the one who keeps pulling away.”

  “You expect something from me that I can’t give,” she whispered. “You want me to have some kind of response to you, to our past, but I don’t remember any of it. There’s a world of incidents that shaped our lives together, and I don’t have any recollection of them.”

  He sighed and gripped the wheel with both hands. “I’m not making demands on you.”

  “Not verbally. But in your attitude, your manner. There’s this whole undercurrent of expectation that I just can’t handle.”

  He nodded. “Fair enough. I don’t know how to change it, since I do remember.”

  He leaned over, and she smelled the spicy scent of his cologne. He touched her chin. “I remember the walks along Lake Huron when we were dating, the way you like to eat ice cream so slowly it melts before it’s gone, the way you look when you get out of the shower with your hair still damp at the temples. I can still smell the baby wash you use and the night cream you put on your face before bed. Your peach pajamas that make you look like you’re fifteen are still at the house. What am I supposed to do with all those memories, Eve? You tell me.”

  She looked down at her hands, but the motion just pressed the flesh of her chin deeper into his fingers. “I don’t have any answers. Only questions. You said you wanted to start over, but it feels like you’re trying to pick up where we left off. I’ve forgotten the directions to that location.”

  His hand dropped away, and she wanted to call back the warmth of his fingers. Fickle, fickle. No wonder Nick didn’t know which way was up. She didn’t know what she wanted herself.

  “So we act like we’re strangers?”

  She faced him then, chin up, anger chilling her words. “We are strangers, Nick. We only met a few days ago.”

  The muscles in his jaw clenched. He faced the dash without another word and twisted the key in the steering column. The engine sprang to life, and he gunned the SUV away from the curb.

  Eve leaned her cheek against the cool glass. Right now, she had to admit her attraction to the man. If she remembered all the history between them, maybe all she’d feel would be dislike. She’d never quite understood how love could turn to hate.

  Had she felt hatred, loathing the man who had shared her bed and her life? If so, maybe she didn’t want to remember.

  Nick parked the SUV outside the small hotel. The small neon sign read “Rock Harbor Inn.” Bree had told Eve that the building was a French trading post in the town’s glory days in the 1800s. Her gaze swept the vehicles parked in the lot, but she didn’t know what Patti was driving.

  “Let’s see if she’s here,” Nick said, opening his door.

  Eve’s legs felt heavy. Confrontation seemed unpleasant, though she knew it was necessary. She was willing to do anything to avoid baring their many problems in front of a strange judge.

  Nick’s fingers touched hers, then he drew away and an impassive expression replaced the concern that had flickered in his eyes. No doubt he was trying to honor her request to forget their past. She tried to feel gratitude for his effort, but a chill swept through her, and she had to resist grabbing his hand and hanging on.

  She could tackle this. Lifting her head, she walked briskly toward the entrance. Nick reached for the door, but she jerked it open herself and stepped inside. The air smelled fragrant with some kind of spicy candle. The warm colors of the interior added to the welcoming aura.

  The clerk at the desk put down her magazine and smiled. Before she could ask how she could help them, Eve stepped to the desk. “Is Patti, uh . . .” She glanced at Nick.

  “Patti Ostergard.” He supplied the name with a quick glance.

  The clerk wiggled the computer mouse, looked at the screen, then reached for the phone. “Who should I say is here to see her?”

  “Her sister,” Eve said.

  The clerk paused with upraised brows. She looked as though she wanted to ask why Eve didn’t know her own sister’s name, but she dialed the phone anyway. “Ms. Ostergard? Your sister is in the lobby.” She listened. “I’ll tell her.” She hung up the phone. “She’ll be right down.”

  Thank you, God. Eve had been afraid Patti would refuse to see her. “Thanks.”

  “Sit down over here.” Nick walked toward a seating area with a sofa, two chairs, and a coffee table. “I’ll run across the street and get you a peppermint latte.”

  Eve took the terra-cotta-colored sofa while Nick darted out the door. Through the big windows, she watched him jog across the street. A large vase of flowers on the coffee table hid her from the lobby. Her sight of the elevator was unobstructed.

  Her fingers tapped on the chenille fabric until she realized what she was doing and stilled her restlessness. Classical music played softly from hidden speakers, and she found herself humming along. What was the song? Bach’s Mass in B Minor.

  A smile lifted her lips. She remembered the title! Maybe she should listen to more classical music. Her fingers tapped out the melody. Could she play the piano? She’d have to ask Nick.

  Sitting here was driving her crazy. Was Patti deliberately keeping her waiting? She stood and stretched and walked through the lobby toward the restroom. Stepping into the bathroom, she ran a comb through her hair and slicked on some lipstick. She went into a stall for paper to blot it. She heard the d
oor open.

  Steps moved across the tile. They were heavy for a woman, and Eve turned her head from her downward position and caught a glimpse of movement. A hard hand shoved her, and she nearly toppled into the toilet. Her stall door slammed shut, and she caught a glimpse of a man’s shoes under the door. A finger poked through the broken lock hole and held the door closed.

  “Don’t think you’ve escaped me, Eve,” a harsh whisper said. “Our fun is about to begin. Only your sacrifice will accomplish its purpose.”

  Eve shrank away from the door. Her tongue worked, but only clicking sounds emerged from her dry throat. Her gaze stayed on the man’s finger. She glanced at the toilet. She could climb on top of it and look down on him, see his face. Or she could slide under the sidewall to another stall and run out.

  But her limbs refused to connect with either idea. Then the finger disappeared, and she heard his steps run across the floor. The door whooshed open, and she felt the emptiness of the room.

  She threw open the stall door and ran to the exit. The hallway was empty.

  Still shaking, she walked on wobbly legs back to the sitting area where Nick stood holding two lattes, looking around for her.

  He saw her and started toward her. “What’s wrong?”

  “Gideon was here.” She collapsed onto the sofa.

  “What?”

  “In the bathroom. He trapped me in the stall.” She told him what Gideon had said.

  “Did you see him?”

  “Just his shoes. And his finger.” Hysterical laughter bubbled in her throat.

  Nick sat beside her and shoved the coffee into her hand. “Take a sip. You’re shaking. I’ll go look for him.”

  “No!” She grabbed his hand. “Don’t leave me.”

  “He’ll get away, Eve.”

  “He already has.” She sipped her latte. “He wanted to scare me, not hurt me. Not yet.”

  “I want him.” Nick walked to the window and looked out. “Just tourists out there. Any one of them could be Gideon.” He took out his phone and made the call. “Fraser, come to the Rock Harbor Inn. Gideon was here and threatened Eve.” He put away his phone and joined her on the sofa. “You’re safe now.”