The Last Move
Page 72
William leaned toward her a fraction. “Did you know I installed monitoring equipment in your mother’s house?”
When he’d called her that night at her mother’s, he’d been stating fact, not toying with her. “Mom said there’d been a break-in, but nothing was taken.”
“It was me. I even rented the house across the street from her.”
She maintained a calm facade as her mind raced. Buy time. Buy time. She only hoped Mrs. Lopez had called Mazur.
William regarded the girl. “I had an entirely different scenario in mind. Alyssa wasn’t on the original list. She and Drexler are . . . improvisations.”
“Who made the original list? Charles Richardson?”
He shook his head. “No, Richardson was just another instrument.”
William had been using Richardson all along? “You realized what Richardson was when you met him in prison, didn’t you?”
“Funny how people like you and me can see the darkness in people. That’s a special gift we both have.”
She hated the idea that they shared anything, but he was right. They both could see the monsters. “You must have told Gloria during one of her visits to the prison that Richardson was gunning down women.”
He grinned. “Why would I do that? You and I aren’t the trusting sorts.”
“You trusted Gloria. She was your half sister. You grew up with her. She knew everything about you, didn’t she?”
He winked and touched the tip of his nose. “She did.”
“I think you also cared about her.”
“I did.”
“Why kill her?”
He moistened his lips as if he’d tasted a delicious morsel. “When I told her about Richardson, she was fascinated, as I knew she would be.”
Gloria had been more like William than she’d ever imagined. “Richardson was more than a curiosity, wasn’t he?”
“Using what he’d done and this was all her idea,” he said. “Of course, she never envisioned this particular scene, but she carefully planned the first two murders.”
“She wanted you to kill her.” The pieces clicked into place. “She knew she was dying of cancer, and she found out about her husband’s affair with Rebecca.”
“She found out about the tumor and Rebecca on the same day. That kind of shock would have killed a lesser woman, but not my sister. She knew if she was going to leave this earth, she’d do it on her own terms and she’d take people with her.”
Drexler tugged at Alyssa’s hair. “She’s not waking up.”
The girl’s jaw remained slack and her eyes closed.
William didn’t turn toward Drexler or the girl. His gaze remained on the gun in Kate’s hand. “She will wake up. A few more minutes won’t matter.”
“Who was next on Gloria’s list?”
“Isabella Sanchez. Martin’s lovely daughter.”
“Why her? Is killing her another way to punish Martin?”
“Yes. Gloria is not a woman you cross. If she wants you to suffer, you will.”
Gloria had intended to strip away everything good in her husband’s life: herself, the business, his lover, his daughter, and perhaps even his freedom. This kind of cold, calculating plan suggested she was not a novice to killing or with getting away with murder. “She killed his first wife.”
He laughed. “She did! She wanted Martin from the moment she first saw him. I don’t know what she saw in the man, but she wanted him. But as much as he said he loved Gloria, he would not leave his wife.”
“She worked in the dealership then and learned about cars and brakes.”
He winked. “Anything that got in her way had to go bye-bye. When she told me about Martin’s affair with Rebecca, I told her about you and how I had not forgotten our special bond. She said there might be a way we could both get what we wanted.”
“She picked up Richardson’s gun from the bus station locker, didn’t she?”
“Richardson always kept his gun there. Weeks before you arrested him, he visited the prison and told me where it was. He said he couldn’t risk getting it. So I sent Gloria to his lawyer’s office to get the key and then the gun. She was more than happy to run the errand because she knew the gun could be of use.”
Kate tightened her fingers around the grip of her gun. “And you knew a Samaritan shooting would bring me to town.”
He laughed. “I knew it would get your attention. I knew if I could just get you in the game, I could keep you engaged to the end.” Darkness shuttered over his eyes as he clapped his hands. “I’m having fun, aren’t you?”
She didn’t respond.
William laughed. “What about you, Drexler?”
“I’m getting excited.” He gently kissed Alyssa on the cheek. The girl didn’t move or flinch. “She’s going to have fun, too.”
“Kate?” William asked.
“This is between you and me. Alyssa is not a part of this.”
He arched a brow. “She is now. Seeing you and the detective made me so mad. I watched as you two picked up Alyssa from school. I couldn’t follow you into the gated community, but I got the idea for taking Alyssa. I just want you to know what happens to her in the next few days is all because of you.” The smile vanished from his lips. “You need to put the gun down.”
When she didn’t, he raised his hand, and Drexler pulled Alyssa’s head back and pressed the tip of the blade to her jugular.
“You know how this works,” William said.
It took the human brain at least a second to process what was happening, so regardless of whom she shot first, she might have a millisecond to shoot the other.
If either man dropped his guard even a fraction, all the better.
Setting her trap, Kate lowered her weapon, the Wonder Woman bracelet slipping down. Her gaze dropped in apparent defeat as her heart thudded in her chest. Time slowed to a crawl. Seconds felt like hours. From under hooded eyes she watched Drexler relax his hold on Alyssa’s hair a fraction. A victor’s smile tugged at the edges of William’s lips. Who to shoot first?
Then she drew in a breath and rapidly raised her gun and fired. Her bullet struck Drexler in the center of his chest. He staggered back a half step, wearing an almost comical expression as he stared at the bloodstain blossoming on his chest. He lowered his weapon and dropped to a knee.
Praying for one more second, she shifted toward William. But he must have anticipated the move because as she turned to shoot him, he dived toward her and slammed his body into hers. He grabbed her wrist and banged her hand hard against the ground. A bullet exploded from the chamber and struck the wall behind them. His fingers crushing the bones in her hand, he again smashed it on the floor. Pain shot up her arm, and as hard as she tried to hold on to her weapon, her fingers released it.
He pinned both her arms over her head and straddled her body. His breathing was hurried and excited. His vice grip on her wrists snapped the plastic Wonder Woman bracelet, breaking it in two. “I knew you’d go for him first. You couldn’t risk Alyssa’s life, could you?”
She spotted a flutter of movement in the corner of her eye as she struggled. “Let her go, William! This is between you and me.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this. How much I’ve dreamed about showing you just how much you underestimated me.”
When he’d called her that night at her mother’s, he’d been stating fact, not toying with her. “Mom said there’d been a break-in, but nothing was taken.”
“It was me. I even rented the house across the street from her.”
She maintained a calm facade as her mind raced. Buy time. Buy time. She only hoped Mrs. Lopez had called Mazur.
William regarded the girl. “I had an entirely different scenario in mind. Alyssa wasn’t on the original list. She and Drexler are . . . improvisations.”
“Who made the original list? Charles Richardson?”
He shook his head. “No, Richardson was just another instrument.”
William had been using Richardson all along? “You realized what Richardson was when you met him in prison, didn’t you?”
“Funny how people like you and me can see the darkness in people. That’s a special gift we both have.”
She hated the idea that they shared anything, but he was right. They both could see the monsters. “You must have told Gloria during one of her visits to the prison that Richardson was gunning down women.”
He grinned. “Why would I do that? You and I aren’t the trusting sorts.”
“You trusted Gloria. She was your half sister. You grew up with her. She knew everything about you, didn’t she?”
He winked and touched the tip of his nose. “She did.”
“I think you also cared about her.”
“I did.”
“Why kill her?”
He moistened his lips as if he’d tasted a delicious morsel. “When I told her about Richardson, she was fascinated, as I knew she would be.”
Gloria had been more like William than she’d ever imagined. “Richardson was more than a curiosity, wasn’t he?”
“Using what he’d done and this was all her idea,” he said. “Of course, she never envisioned this particular scene, but she carefully planned the first two murders.”
“She wanted you to kill her.” The pieces clicked into place. “She knew she was dying of cancer, and she found out about her husband’s affair with Rebecca.”
“She found out about the tumor and Rebecca on the same day. That kind of shock would have killed a lesser woman, but not my sister. She knew if she was going to leave this earth, she’d do it on her own terms and she’d take people with her.”
Drexler tugged at Alyssa’s hair. “She’s not waking up.”
The girl’s jaw remained slack and her eyes closed.
William didn’t turn toward Drexler or the girl. His gaze remained on the gun in Kate’s hand. “She will wake up. A few more minutes won’t matter.”
“Who was next on Gloria’s list?”
“Isabella Sanchez. Martin’s lovely daughter.”
“Why her? Is killing her another way to punish Martin?”
“Yes. Gloria is not a woman you cross. If she wants you to suffer, you will.”
Gloria had intended to strip away everything good in her husband’s life: herself, the business, his lover, his daughter, and perhaps even his freedom. This kind of cold, calculating plan suggested she was not a novice to killing or with getting away with murder. “She killed his first wife.”
He laughed. “She did! She wanted Martin from the moment she first saw him. I don’t know what she saw in the man, but she wanted him. But as much as he said he loved Gloria, he would not leave his wife.”
“She worked in the dealership then and learned about cars and brakes.”
He winked. “Anything that got in her way had to go bye-bye. When she told me about Martin’s affair with Rebecca, I told her about you and how I had not forgotten our special bond. She said there might be a way we could both get what we wanted.”
“She picked up Richardson’s gun from the bus station locker, didn’t she?”
“Richardson always kept his gun there. Weeks before you arrested him, he visited the prison and told me where it was. He said he couldn’t risk getting it. So I sent Gloria to his lawyer’s office to get the key and then the gun. She was more than happy to run the errand because she knew the gun could be of use.”
Kate tightened her fingers around the grip of her gun. “And you knew a Samaritan shooting would bring me to town.”
He laughed. “I knew it would get your attention. I knew if I could just get you in the game, I could keep you engaged to the end.” Darkness shuttered over his eyes as he clapped his hands. “I’m having fun, aren’t you?”
She didn’t respond.
William laughed. “What about you, Drexler?”
“I’m getting excited.” He gently kissed Alyssa on the cheek. The girl didn’t move or flinch. “She’s going to have fun, too.”
“Kate?” William asked.
“This is between you and me. Alyssa is not a part of this.”
He arched a brow. “She is now. Seeing you and the detective made me so mad. I watched as you two picked up Alyssa from school. I couldn’t follow you into the gated community, but I got the idea for taking Alyssa. I just want you to know what happens to her in the next few days is all because of you.” The smile vanished from his lips. “You need to put the gun down.”
When she didn’t, he raised his hand, and Drexler pulled Alyssa’s head back and pressed the tip of the blade to her jugular.
“You know how this works,” William said.
It took the human brain at least a second to process what was happening, so regardless of whom she shot first, she might have a millisecond to shoot the other.
If either man dropped his guard even a fraction, all the better.
Setting her trap, Kate lowered her weapon, the Wonder Woman bracelet slipping down. Her gaze dropped in apparent defeat as her heart thudded in her chest. Time slowed to a crawl. Seconds felt like hours. From under hooded eyes she watched Drexler relax his hold on Alyssa’s hair a fraction. A victor’s smile tugged at the edges of William’s lips. Who to shoot first?
Then she drew in a breath and rapidly raised her gun and fired. Her bullet struck Drexler in the center of his chest. He staggered back a half step, wearing an almost comical expression as he stared at the bloodstain blossoming on his chest. He lowered his weapon and dropped to a knee.
Praying for one more second, she shifted toward William. But he must have anticipated the move because as she turned to shoot him, he dived toward her and slammed his body into hers. He grabbed her wrist and banged her hand hard against the ground. A bullet exploded from the chamber and struck the wall behind them. His fingers crushing the bones in her hand, he again smashed it on the floor. Pain shot up her arm, and as hard as she tried to hold on to her weapon, her fingers released it.
He pinned both her arms over her head and straddled her body. His breathing was hurried and excited. His vice grip on her wrists snapped the plastic Wonder Woman bracelet, breaking it in two. “I knew you’d go for him first. You couldn’t risk Alyssa’s life, could you?”
She spotted a flutter of movement in the corner of her eye as she struggled. “Let her go, William! This is between you and me.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this. How much I’ve dreamed about showing you just how much you underestimated me.”
