Lethal (Small Town Secrets Book 1) Read online

  “No. But I was right about that, wasn’t I? You need protection. But you weren’t prepared. If I hadn’t been there, you’d be dead.”

  Nikki couldn’t disagree. She tried to remember what the knife looked like. She felt like crying.

  “It’s okay. I was there for you. You were lucky this time.” He grasped her hand in his. “You’re mine, Nikki. My beauty. And no man is going to hurt you while I’m here.”

  “I know.”

  “Believe me, Nikki. You believe me, don’t you?”

  She nodded. She wanted to. She wanted to get what had happened in the car out of her mind.

  “Do you believe me?” he asked again. “I want to hear your answer.”

  “Yes.”

  “I have something that will cheer you up.” He held out a box of hair color.

  “Just for Men?” Nikki said, reading the label.

  “I want to see you as a brunette.”

  “I thought you liked my hair blond.”

  He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m bored with it.”

  “Bored? But you said blond was your favorite, that you thought it was sexy.”

  “This is better. Trust me.” He slipped an arm around her and steered her to the vanity. “I’m going to make you look wonderful.”

  He placed his palm on the back of her head and shoved her head down over the sink.

  Bending at the waist, Nikki braced herself with her forearms, trying to keep from hitting her head on the faucet. “Eddie, I don’t want dark hair.”

  “You don’t know what you want. It is going to be tremendous. Beautiful. You’re going to thank me.”

  Nikki wasn’t so sure. She had grown up with dark hair, and she’d hated it. She had blended in. Nothing special. It wasn’t until she’d dyed it blond that men started noticing her. Men on the street. Men at the restaurant where she worked. Men everywhere. As a blonde, she turned heads, and she liked it.

  “I became a blonde for you.”

  “And now you’ll be a brunette for me.”

  “Blondes are sexier. You said that yourself.”

  “And now I want to fuck a brunette.” He ripped open the box and opened the bottle inside. A second later cold dribbled over her scalp. He kneaded the dye into her hair with rough fingers, pushing her head into the sink.

  Nikki wanted to cry. She’d just started to figure out who she was as a blonde. She didn’t want to go back.

  “What’s your problem?’

  “I want to make you happy. I do. But—”

  “You want to make me happy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good girl.”

  She heard the sound of a zipper.

  He kicked her legs wide, then still working in the dye, he entered her from behind. Tangling his hand in her hair, he thrust into her, each stroke shoving her head deeper and deeper into the sink.

  When he was done, tears were streaming down Nikki’s face.

  He pulled her hair, lifting her head from the sink, forcing her to stare at herself in the mirror. “There. You see? You’re so sexy as a brunette I can’t control myself.”

  Nikki looked at her face, pale as death, her hair dark with purplish goo. Like staring at a stranger.

  Eddie released his hold, stepped back from her, and zipped himself up.

  Nikki brushed her fingers over her cheeks, hoping he didn’t notice she’d been crying.

  “Now rinse this shit out and meet me at the car.” He gave her a wink. “I can’t wait to see the new you.”

  She showered again, giving extra attention to washing the dye from her hair. When she stepped out and dried off, she avoided her reflection. She wrapped herself in a towel, then thinking better of it, let it fall to the floor and walked to the car naked.

  When she climbed into the car beside Eddie, for a moment, he looked at her as if he wanted to make love all over again. Then he started the car and drove. Away from the house. Away from the dead end road. Out onto the open highway.

  For a long time, Nikki watched him, saying nothing. She wasn’t clear on what had happened. Not with that man in the car. Not in the bathroom. But she knew her husband would do anything to protect her. And she wanted to make him happy.

  They were going to be so happy.

  “I’m sorry… about my hair. About everything.”

  “I’m the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  “I know.”

  “You have to trust me. I know what’s best for you.”

  Nikki nodded. No one had loved her like Eddie did. Not her whole life. It was as if he knew her. Everything about her. They really were soulmates. And now they were together.

  “I love you, Eddie.”

  “But?”

  “I just get a little worried. That’s all. A little confused.”

  “About what?”

  “The man in the car.”

  “We talked about that.”

  “I know. You were protecting me. But won’t they… If they find out…”

  “They can’t touch me, babe. I have them all figured out.”

  “You do?”

  “You doubt it?”

  “No.” If anyone had everything figured out, it was Eddie. Just one of the reasons she loved him.

  He moved his hand between her legs, stroking slowly, gently. “You could use some clothes. Otherwise I won’t be able to keep my hands off you. We need to get you into something nice.”

  “My suitcase…” It was back in the car. Her clothes. Her makeup. “We have to go back.”

  “We can’t go back, Nikki.”

  “Of course… of course…” For a second, she’d forgotten about the man. The blood. She wanted to forget. “That was stupid of me. But clothes…”

  He shrugged a shoulder, as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’ll handle it. Like I handle everything.”

  “How?”

  “You’re about the same size as your sister, aren’t you?”

  “Uh, yes.”

  “She doesn’t live too far away, does she?”

  Nikki glanced out the window. The lights of Sauk City glowed around them, the bridge spanning the Wisconsin River ahead. She’d been so focused on Eddie, she hadn’t even realized where they were.

  “No, not too far,” Nikki answered, wrapping her arms around her middle, holding tight.

  “And you have a key?”

  “There’s a code. It opens her garage door.”

  “You know it?”

  “Yeah. I had to let the plumber in when her sewer backed up, and she was at a conference. She has an automatic service that sends an alarm to her… Why are you asking about Risa?”

  “Your sister is hot, Nikki. And she dresses with style. Maybe you can find something nice in her closet. I think you could use an upgrade.”

  Nikki wanted to tell him she had nice clothes of her own, back in her suitcase. Clothes with more style than anything Risa ever wore. But she supposed Eddie knew better. He was just trying to make things right for her. That had to be it.

  But there was something else. “What if Risa’s home?”

  Eddie’s face widened in a grin. “Then she can pick something out for you herself.”

  Risa

  Even though Trent didn’t say a word, Risa recognized the expression on his face, and it shook her from head to toe. He was afraid. Afraid for her. And she had to admit, at that moment, she was afraid for herself. “It’s me this time, isn’t it? His wife is dead, so now it’s me.”

  The conference room was silent. Everyone waiting for Trent’s answer.

  “I think so, yes.”

  “You?” Cassidy asked. “Because of the article?”

  “I’m not following.” Chief Schneider had been quiet since she’d entered the room.

  Trent drew himself up, the flash of fear suddenly gone, replaced by the cool, in-control exterior she knew so well. But his calm facade did nothing to reassure her. Nothing to stop the spinning in her head.

  As he explained his thinking to
Cassidy and Schneider, Risa let his voice wash over her, willing his calmness to ground her as well.

  Risa had seen the malevolent hatred in Dryden’s eyes the day he’d married Nikki. She’d heard it in the guttural undertones of his voice. ‘Til death do us part. And even though he appeared to be threatening her sister, Risa had felt he meant it to hurt her. “I should have seen it.”

  Trent’s voice stopped, and she realized all three men were staring at her.

  “He seduced Nikki, married Nikki, and now is going to kill Nikki because of that article,” she said, trying to explain. “Nikki is going to die because of me.”

  “If not that article, chances are he would have searched until he found some other way you humiliated him. And if he couldn’t find anything, he would have made something up.”

  Trent’s argument was logical. And in her mind, Risa knew it was accurate. Dryden would have found someone to hate. Her for another reason. Someone else. But knowing it and feeling it were two different things. The mind versus the heart. And right now, her heart was holding her responsible. “I should have found a way to stop him.”

  Cassidy grunted. “You should have stayed away from him in the first place. But you couldn’t do that, could you?”

  “Cassidy. Cut it,” Trent said. “Ed Dryden is the one to blame here.”

  Risa glanced from Trent to the sheriff’s detective and police chief. Trent might have defended her from Cassidy’s attack, but she knew he felt the same way. That she should have steered clear of Ed Dryden. And that Trent had called off their wedding to shield her from the type of evil Dryden represented.

  Hunting Dryden had changed Trent. Something had happened on that trip to Wisconsin. Something that made it impossible for Trent to separate his work from the rest of his life. Something that made him afraid for her.

  And that was exactly what had made studying Dryden irresistible.

  “There’s nothing I can do now, is there?” Risa said. “Nikki’s running out of time and there’s nothing any of us can do.”

  “We can catch him,” the police chief said. “Right?”

  “Right.” Trent said. Grasping her chin in gentle fingers, Trent turned her head to face him. “When Dryden let those young women loose in the forest and hunted them down, he did it so he could make the experience last. Their panic. He wanted to draw it out. Savor it. If he kills Nikki right away, he loses his connection to you. He loses his power to torture you, to make your fear last. And that’s what he wants most.”

  Risa closed her eyes and latched on to Trent’s words, to the energy flowing from his fingertips. She wanted so much to believe him, it throbbed like a physical ache in her chest. “I hope you’re right.”

  A cell phone’s ring jangled through the room.

  The sound traveled along Risa’s nerves like a jolt of electricity. She drew in a sharp breath and opened her eyes. She was so close to the edge that any sound probably would have startled her. But the ringing seemed unnaturally loud. Unnaturally ominous. “Sorry. That’s me.”

  Trent dropped his hand from her chin, and she rummaged in her purse for her phone and looked at the number.

  “What is it?” Trent said, frowning.

  “I… I have to take this.” Turning away from the men, she flipped open the phone and pressed it to her ear. “This is Risa Madsen.”

  “Ms. Madsen, E&G Security. Sorry to bother you, but the alarm we installed on your sewer line is indicating there’s a backup in your home.”

  Risa slumped in the conference chair. It was such a small thing, a stupid thing, But right then, it felt like far more than she could take.

  “You’re sure?”

  “That’s what the sensors are indicating. Account number 587562. Correct?”

  The backups had been happening frequently enough that Risa had memorized her account number. “Thank you.”

  “What is it?” Trent asked as soon as she lowered her phone.

  “A problem at my house. Sewer backup.”

  Trent frowned. “That seems convenient.”

  “It’s legit. They gave me the account number. Same as always.”

  “And Nikki doesn’t know the number? She couldn’t have given it to Dryden?”

  “It wasn’t Dryden on the phone. And Nikki doesn’t know the number. I only remember it, because lately this has become a regular thing. Two weeks ago, I had to rip out all my basement carpet. I’m just waiting for my contractor to find the time to dig up the pipes to the road.”

  “What a nightmare,” Chief Schneider said. “You need a hand with it, just let me know. I have a cousin who’s a plumber. I helped him one summer while I was in school.”

  Risa gave the chief a polite smile then pulled Trent aside. “I’m going to need to borrow your car.”

  Ten minutes later, Risa leaned back against the headrest in Trent’s rental car and watched the lush green of Wisconsin’s spring whip by the window. Her arms lay in her lap, heavy, tight. A weight closed in on her chest.

  Of course, Trent wouldn’t let her check on her sewer alone. Even though it meant he would be cutting it close to return to Lake Loyal in time for the task force meeting, he’d insisted on driving her.

  And worse, she was glad. But that didn’t mean she felt safe. To be near him, even for one minute, was to be swamped in feelings from the past. Memories of walking hand in hand through Washington at cherry-blossom time. Feeding each other strawberry shortcake in bed and the resulting sticky mess. The warmth of his strong body holding her, surrounding her, inside her.

  She entwined her fingers together in her lap and concentrated on the familiar houses of her neighborhood scrolling by the window. She had to be careful. She couldn’t let her memories of the good times or her need for his help now swamp her. She had to remember the knife-sharp pain of losing him. And the fact that when this nightmare was over, however it turned out, he would be leaving her again.

  When they finally pulled into her driveway, she expected the tension coiling in her muscles to relax, but it seemed only to wind tighter. The glow of dawn hugged the east horizon and reflected off the front windows of her house, making them glow like the eyes of a demonic beast.

  “So what does this project entail?”

  “Best case scenario, I plunge the basement drain and dislodge whatever is causing this.”

  “Worst case?”

  “I have to wade through sewage to reach that drain.”

  Trent switched off the engine. His gaze scoured the front of her house, combing the Japanese yew out front, the shadows to the side of the garage. He unfastened his seat belt and unbuttoned his suit jacket. Reaching inside the jacket, he pulled a gun from his shoulder holster. “I’m going to check out the house. Stay close behind me.”

  Risa’s chest tightened. “You think he might be here?”

  “I’m not going to take the chance.”

  Suddenly the risk of stirring old memories and pain by being near Trent didn’t seem so dangerous. Not compared with finding a serial killer in her house. “I’m right behind you.”

  He held out his hand. “Keys?”

  She rifled through her purse. Her trembling fingers closed over the keys’ sharp edges. She fished them out and dropped them into Trent’s open palm.

  He turned away from her, opened the car door and climbed out in one fluid movement. She followed, falling in close behind.

  Trent’s footsteps clicked on the cement walk, shattering the dawn stillness. He mounted the porch steps and thrust her key into the lock. He threw open the door, hesitating a moment before stepping into the house, gun barrel leading the way. Once inside he stopped dead. His body tensed. He swung his gun in front of him, as if combing every inch of the foyer.

  Something was wrong.

  Risa stepped up behind and peered around Trent’s shoulders.

  At first she didn’t know what she was seeing. White fluff seemed to be everywhere in her little foyer. On the polished oak floor, on the shelf, on the antique bench. A
breeze from outside caught the fluff and swept it toward the far corner.

  Her pulse throbbed in her ears, the pieces coming together, and she realized what it was.

  Her teddy bears. Her collection of teddy bears. They stared at her with shiny eyes, their usually round bodies depleted, empty. Slashed and empty.

  Trent

  Trent grasped Rees tight to his chest. The soles of their shoes scraped concrete as they shuffled backward down the sidewalk. He held the gun steady, scanning the shadows behind the yew, the low branches of the spruce. He could feel Dryden’s eyes on him. On Rees. He could almost hear the monster’s satisfied chuckle.

  Dryden would want to see Rees’s reaction to the mutilated bears. He’d want to see her fear. He would feed on it. Revel in it. It would make him feel powerful.

  And he’d hunger for more.

  Reaching the rental car, Trent guided Risa into the passenger seat. “Lock yourself in.”

  “You can’t go in there.”

  “It’s my job. Lock yourself in and call 911.” He pressed the car keys into her palm. “If you see any sign of Dryden, get the hell out of here.”

  He returned to the house. The door was still open. Bits of stuffing skated across hardwood, pushed by the breeze. Gun ready, he cleared as much of the foyer as possible before crossing the threshold. Then taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.

  Trent took the living and dining rooms first. Walking with bent knees, he held his weapon in front of him in both hands, sighting with his master eye. Before he entered, he stepped to the side, sweeping the area, one slice of the pie at a time, listening for a gasp of breath, a shuffle of feet. Making sure there was little chance of surprise, he then stepped into the room and checked his blind spots.

  Around the corner.

  Behind the couch.

  Under the table.

  He moved on to the kitchen, the sunroom, Risa’s home office. As soon as he opened the basement door, he smelled sewage. A legitimate backup, no doubt. Only caused by Dryden as a way to lure Risa back to her house.

  A lure that worked.

  The basement was cleared out, as Risa had said, any carpet, furniture, or storage boxes already taken victim by an earlier sewer backup. An inch of water pooled in the center of the floor. Confident Ed Dryden would never be wading in sludge, Trent headed back to the foyer and up to the second-floor bedrooms.