'And so do we,' Nick said. As he was pulling Laurant toward the dance floor, he said, 'I like your friends.'
'They like you.'
The bandleader opened the piece of paper and smiled. 'Ah, now folks, this here song is a slow one, and it’s one of my favorites,' he announced. 'And so is the little girl it’s dedicated to. It’s for our own sweet Laurant Madden, and it’s from Heartbreaker.'
Nick had just taken Laurant into his arms when the bandleader made the announcement. He heard her drawn-in breath and felt her stiffen. He pulled her close, an instinctive response to danger.
He saw Noah and Tommy moving toward the bandstand. Another man separated from the crowd and came forward from the opposite direction. Nick knew at once that he was an agent. Damn, none of them knew who they were looking for, and the crowd was watching them, surrounding them, smiling because the song was for Laurant.
'Son of a bitch,' he muttered.
'Nick, what do we do?' she whispered in a shaky voice.
'We dance,' he said.
Laurant felt as though the world was closing in on her. She couldn’t catch her breath, couldn’t think. She tucked her head under Nick’s chin and closed her eyes. He wants me to know he’s here, watching me. Oh God, make him leave me alone. Please God…
'Now folks, grab your partner ‘cause like I said, this is our last request. The name of the song is ‘I Only Have Eyes for You.’'
Chapter 24
He stood in the crowd and watched, the intoxication building to a feverish pitch inside him. Laurant, his sweet Laurant. She mesmerized him. So lovely, so untouchable. For now. Soon, my love. Soon you will be mine.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw the mule walking toward her. He smiled then. He had snapped his fingers, and they had come. He was the spider now, and they were caught in his web.
He couldn’t take his eyes off the mule. He watched him cross the grass and pull Laurant into his arms. It was all a game. Oh yes, he knew what they were doing. Trying to upset him, as though he were a simpleton.
And still he couldn’t turn away. They were dancing, and he didn’t like the way the mule was holding her. It was too close… too intimate. Then Nick kissed her. He felt such a burst of rage explode inside him his knees buckled and he had to sit down. It was a game, a game. They were playing with him, tormenting him. Yes, he knew what they were doing… and yet, he was livid. How dare they torment him!
The surprises weren’t over. He was blatantly staring at them now, studying them, and he could see the way Laurant was looking at the mule. He jerked back against the bench. She loved him. It was as plain as day to someone as clever and astute as he was. She couldn’t hide it, not from him. Green-eyed girl had fallen in love with a mule. Lordy, lordy, what was he going to do about that?
She was ruining his good time. When the last song was announced and it was for Laurant, he’d felt flushed and dizzy. The joy and the rage were almost more than he could bear. And while he stood there in plain sight and watched his prey on the dance floor, smiling and laughing and acting like they were having a mighty fine time, he knew there must be mules rushing through the crowd searching for him. Fools, all of them. They didn’t know what he looked like, or who he was, so how were they expecting to find him? Did they think he was going to pull out a gun and point it to himself? He laughed just thinking about it. Priceless, he thought. Their stupidity was truly priceless.
Then he spotted good old Father Tom, running toward his sister with another priest by his side. There was a beautiful look of terror in Tom’s eyes. He savored it and sighed with pleasure. Now what in tarnation did those silly priests think they were going to do? Pray him into giving himself up?
Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord. Was Father Tom thinking about vengeance now? The possibility amused him. Perhaps the next time he went to confession he would ask him. A priest should understand. That was his job, wasn’t it? To understand and forgive? Maybe understanding would come with death. He mulled over that philosophical possibility and then shrugged. What did he care if Tommy understood or not?
My, oh my, he hadn’t had this much fun in a long, long time. And it was only going to get better, as long as he kept the anger reined in, controlled it, soothed the beast with promises of the havoc to come. How dare they think they could outwit him? Ignorant mules, all of them.
Still, caution was called for now. Bide his time, that was the ticket. He certainly wasn’t afraid or even worried about the mules. He had invited the FBI boys to Holy Oaks, now hadn’t he? But he so wanted to be a gracious host, a regular Martha Stewart, if you will and so he needed to know the exact number he would be entertaining. There had to be enough refreshments to go around. Did he bring enough C-4 with him? He thought about it for a minute and then smiled. Why, yes, as a matter of fact, he did.
Heartbreaker was always prepared.
His goal was to eliminate as many of the mules as he could, as long as it didn’t interfere with his primary objective. The target. Get the target and have a little old-fashioned fun at the same time, while he proved to the world that he was The Superior Being. None of the FBI boys were a match for him. And soon now, very soon, when it was too late and they couldn’t run and hide, they would realize it.
He would take care of his unfinished business and at the same time let the world mock them all on national television. Prime time. KABOOM. Film at eleven. Yes, sirree.
Chapter 25
Another day passed and the pressure was mounting. The thought of another crowded gathering was making Laurant physically ill, but she wasn’t about to disappoint Michelle on one of the biggest nights of her life, her wedding rehearsal and the dinner that followed.
After the first course, Michelle noticed that Laurant hadn’t touched her food. Leaning across the table, she whispered, 'You don’t look so good, sweetie.'
'I’m fine,' Laurant answered, forcing a smile.
Michelle knew better, and she turned to Nick for help. 'Why don’t you take Laurant home and put her to bed,' she suggested.
When Laurant opened her mouth to protest, Michelle stopped her. 'I don’t want you getting sick. I am not walking down that aisle tomorrow without you.'
Laurant and Nick said their early good-bye’s and headed home.
A dozen red roses were waiting on the front porch when they arrived. Nick picked up the vase on his way inside the house.
'They were delivered right after you left,' Joe said.
Nick read the card out loud. 'Please forgive me and come home. Love, Joel.'
Laurant took the vase and put it on the dining room table. Nick and Joe followed. The two men stood side by side frowning at the roses.
'It seems such a waste to throw them out,' she said. 'But that’s what I usually do. I don’t want to be reminded of Joel Patterson every time I walk through this room.'
'How often does this creep send you flowers?' Nick asked, trying not to let his irritation show.
'About once a week,' she said. 'He won’t give up.'
'Yeah? We’ll see about that.' He picked up the vase, went into the kitchen, and emptied the water in the sink, then dropped the vase and the roses into the trash can. 'He’s a tenacious bastard, isn’t he?'
'Patterson’s the man in Chicago who was doing his secretary while he was chasing you, right?' Joe asked.
His frank assessment didn’t faze her. 'Yes, he’s the one.'
