Abe wanted to put the whole scene on freeze-frame and whisk Kristen out of the room before she noticed the family’s reaction. But of course it was too late for that. Her smile at Rachel’s witticism disappeared like mist in sunlight.
Her green eyes shot to his, wary once more. „What?“ she asked.
„My God,“ Ruth breathed, then shook her head hard. „I’m so sorry, Kristen, I didn’t mean to be rude, but… you sounded like someone I once knew.“
Kristen grew very still, her eyes still on Abe’s. „Debra?“
He’d seen fear and courage in her eyes, vulnerability and sadness. Now he saw hurt as she jumped to her own conclusions and it sliced at him like a knife. „Kristen – “
She held up her hand, a smile on her lips. „It’s okay.“ But he could see it wasn’t. She turned back to the television. „Can we rewind a bit, Sean? We missed the last minute or two.“
Sean complied. Ruth sent Abe a silent message of acute apology. The movie went on, but Steve Martin just didn’t seem as funny after that.
Sunday, February 22,
10:00 P.M.
Abe pulled past the cruiser in the street and into her driveway. She’d sincerely thanked his parents for dinner, wished Sean and Ruth congratulations on their new baby, and crossed her fingers for Rachel’s good grade on the interview. But once in his SUV, she’d grown quiet and with every mile to her house, his heart grew heavier. He could almost hear the wheels turning in her mind and desperately wished she’d say something. Anything. Finally, she did.
„It’s okay, Reagan,“ she said. He winced at the formality. Her eyes wouldn’t meet his, focusing instead on her darkened windows with their new curtains. „I understand.“
He put his hand on hers. „What do you understand?“
„I understood before tonight that you needed to take care of me, to keep me safe. Because you didn’t keep Debra safe. Even though that wasn’t your fault. I guess I didn’t think that I was a substitute in every other way, though.“ She swallowed and looked out the window. „That hurt the old ego a little,“ she added wryly.
„You’re not a substitute for Debra. Dammit, Kristen, look at me.“
She shook her head firmly and opened the door. „Thank you. Really. I had a lovely time and you have a wonderful family. Call me tomorrow if you want to meet on the case. I’ve got Officer Truman here tonight. I’ll be fine.“
And she would be, Kristen thought. She’d been through a hell of a lot worse than this, after all. She slammed the SUV door, half-expecting him to follow her. She told herself she wasn’t disappointed when he didn’t. He backed out of her driveway with an engine roar that would most certainly make her neighbors complain. She entered her kitchen, not thinking about the fact it was the first time she’d entered her own house alone in the past five days. Not thinking about the kiss they’d shared over by her teapot. Not thinking about him at all.
It wasn’t a bad outcome all in all. She’d discovered that she could tolerate, even anticipate feeling strong arms around her. That she could kiss a man without throwing up, that she could even yearn for the feel of his lips on hers. So it wasn’t a total loss.
She dropped her coat on the kitchen chair. Bypassed the teapot. She didn’t think she could stomach tea tonight. At least he wouldn’t be able to peep in her windows anymore. Heavy curtains covered the glass.
She closed the door to her bedroom, not thinking about Abe Reagan at all.
But it was his name she screamed when the hand came out of the darkness to clamp over her mouth, muffling her scream, yanking her back against a large, hard body. She struggled violently, her nails raking against skin. A strangled cry met her ears and the hand left her mouth, an iron arm locking hard across her breasts, immobilizing her. She screamed again, kicking, her heel catching something hard. Then her body went still when cold, hard metal touched her temple. I’m going to die.
Lips grazed her ear and she swallowed back the bile. „That’s better,“ a raspy voice declared. „Now, who is he?“
Sunday, February 22,
10:05 p.m.
She had a right to be hurt, Abe thought, pulling away from her house. A smart woman like Kristen had put two and two together. Unfortunately she got five. She was not a substitute for Debra. Was she? He thought about her walking into her house alone, all alone. I should have followed her in, checked her closet. But Charlie Truman was there, watching.
Abe went still, while every hair on his neck seemed to stand on end. Wasn’t he? He’d seen the cruiser, but had he seen Truman?
Panic closed his throat and he turned a one-eighty in the middle of the road. A car blew its horn, but Abe was already halfway up the block. He brought the SUV to a screeching halt next to the cruiser. Jumped out to peer in the window.
The cruiser was dark and empty. He yanked at the cruiser’s door, but it was locked. Truman was gone.
Kristen.
„Dammit.“ Abe ran up the driveway, his feet slipping on the ice. He fell and pulled himself back up to his feet, already running again. She’d locked her kitchen door. He pounded with his fists. „Kristen!“
He rounded the house to the back. The basement door was less secure. He could break it down. He threw himself at the door, again and again, until the frame cracked and he was inside. Mindlessly he took the stairs four at a time until he was stumbling into her bedroom, his weapon drawn and his heart hammering.
She knelt on the floor, her head down, gasping, the cordless phone from her nightstand in her hand. He went down on one knee, pulled her chin up. Her eyes were wide and glassy.
She looked at him, then looked at the phone in her hand and ironically his cell phone started to trill in his pocket. „I was calling you,“ she said, her voice oddly distant. „He’s gone. Out the window.“
Abe made it to the window in time to see a figure all in black against the snowy white of the backyard. The man took the back fence like a hurdle and sprinted away.
„Dammit,“ Abe snarled. He might have caught him had he stayed outside. But then again, his breaking in was probably what made the bastard flee. He turned to find Kristen struggling to her feet. In two long strides he was lifting her into his arms. He sank down onto her bed, holding her tight, feeling her body quake. She curled herself against him, her hands clutching the lapels of his coat. Her breath came fast, too fast, and he rocked her gently.
„It’s okay. I’m here.“ He cradled her, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. Oh, God, oh, God. I got herein time. He drew a deep breath, realizing his own breathing was nearly as erratic as hers. He rumbled in his pocket for his cell phone and dialed Dispatch. „Officer Truman is missing.“
The operator was calm. „Officer Truman called in a disturbance ten minutes ago. A young girl approached his vehicle to report her grandfather had fallen and was unconscious in her backyard. He went to help her. What’s happened, Detective?“
„The woman he was supposed to be guarding was just attacked in her own bedroom,“ Abe bit out. „Radio him to return immediately.“ He hung up and dialed Mia. She picked up on the first ring.
„What is it?“
„Kristen’s been attacked.“
He could hear Mia moving around, drawers slamming. „Is she all right?“
„Don’t know. Call Jack. I want a CSU team here ASAP. I’ll call Spinnelli.“
„Will do. Where’s the uniform assigned to her?“
„Took another call. He’ll be back soon. Get here as fast as you can.“