Dark Pursuit

He grasped her right shoulder and whirled her around.

Kaitlan’s arms flew out, pummeled his chest. Sickly little sobs spilled from her lips. He spat curses, hands slicing the air, trying to catch her wrists.

“Stop!” Kaitlan aimed a knee at his groin.

He swiveled to one side, raked up a handful of her hair and wrenched her head toward the floor. Her body twisted in on itself. She fell forward into his waist. He gripped her shoulders hard, shoved her upright and back against the door. The knob hit her left kidney, knocking the wind clean out of her. Kaitlan gasped.

“Want to try that again, huh?” Craig pushed himself into her, breathing hard. Rage hardened his features into a face she couldn’t recognize.

Kaitlan slumped in his arms and cried.

“Now you listen to me.” Craig’s words flattened to steel. “We are going in the bedroom. You can walk or I can drag you. But we are going. Got it?”

Kaitlan’s world blurred. She looked down at his feet. The shoes that had left the footprint, now swept away.

Craig stepped back, still gripping her shoulders. “Go.” He pushed her.

She moved.

At the angled entrance of the bedroom he shoved her forward until she could see the whole room. “Look around. Anything else that needs to be cleaned up?”

Now he wanted her to find lingering evidence?

Kaitlan gazed dully.

The body was gone. The bed straightened. But the smell of urine on her bedspread—that Kaitlan would keep to herself.

Craig raised an eyebrow—well?

“You’re the cop, Craig. What are you asking me for?”

He hit her hard with the back of his hand. She reeled, fell to the carpet. Her cheek flamed with fire, slugged twice in the same night. She struggled up on one elbow, head lolling, sucking air. Craig loomed over her, legs spread apart.

“Get up.”

She closed her eyes.

“Get up!” Craig kicked her side.

Slowly Kaitlan gathered both arms beneath her and pushed to her knees. She staggered to stand.

The world tipped.

Craig grabbed her chin, and Kaitlan flinched. He jerked her face to one side, examining her cheek.

In that moment a change swept over him. His fingers loosened, emotions rippling over his features like wind over water.

He let go of her. Stepped back.

“That’ll bruise by tomorrow.” Craig spoke the words as if he couldn’t believe what he’d done. He pressed a hand to his forehead. “Okay, look. When people ask, you’ll say you got up in the night to go to the bathroom and ran into the door. Got it?”

She nodded.

“Say it. Say the words.”

“I got up at night to go to the bathroom and ran into the door.”

“You don’t sound very convincing. Say it again.”

A tremor jagged down Kaitlan’s spine. “I got up at night to—”

“No! Laugh first. Shrug, wave your hand in the air. Something to make the story believable.”

Kaitlan swayed. Craig steadied her with stone fingers. “Try again.”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

She swished her hand and forced a chilling little laugh. Reached down inside for the words he wanted to hear, but in her righteous indignation the wrong ones blurted out. “Oh, silly me. I ran into my boyfriend’s fist.”

She shrank back, shocked at herself.

Craig’s jaw moved to one side. He took a slow, deep breath. “You think you’re smarter than me? Think I can’t shut you up?”

Kaitlan threw her hands up, palms out. “I’m sorry. Really. I’ll say whatever you want.”

His expression relaxed. Hints of the Craig she once knew softened his face. He gathered her hands in his and brought them to his chest. “Nothing needs to change between you and me. I still love you. You just have to keep quiet.”

Her cheek throbbed. Kaitlan tried to draw away, but Craig wouldn’t let go. The fierce control etched back into his eyes.

“Why?” she whispered. “Why did you kill them?”

His gaze drifted over her shoulder. For a drawn out moment she thought he wouldn’t answer.

“I don’t know.”

The words writhed between them. Kaitlan couldn’t breathe.

Defensiveness carved into Craig’s face. “It’s not going to happen again.” He gripped her hands until they hurt. “You are not going to tell anyone.” His gaze flicked around the room. “As you can see, there’s nothing to tell.”

“Where is she?”

“Who?”

“The woman on my bed, Craig.”

“Gone.”

“They’ll find her soon, like they did the rest.”

“Not this time.”

“Why did you bring her here?”

“Shut up, Kaitlan.”

“Why?”

“I said shut up!” He shoved her backward.

Kaitlan stumbled two steps and turned away from Craig. Crossing her forearms, she laid her palms on opposite shoulders. She focused out the sliding door to the black forest beyond. Was the woman buried out there?

If the body wasn’t found, what could she and her grandfather do? They’d have nothing for the police.

“I’m leaving.” Craig jerked her around to face him. “Tomorrow you’ll go to work as normal. Tell the door story to anyone who asks about your face.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you fully understand the situation you’re in, Kaitlan? Telling anyone, anyone, will do no good. Because no one will believe you. Even if they did, they’d be as powerless as you to prove it. And then”—he pushed a finger against the base of her throat—“I’d have to take care of both of you, wouldn’t I.”

He was going to get away with this. And there wasn’t a thing she could do. Her grandfather’s schemes— useless.

Craig exhaled and ran a hand down his face. “Please, Kaitlan, don’t even think of running away. Don’t ruin us. If you try running, I’ll have to stop you. Before you know it, you’ll have a warrant on your head for drugs found in your apartment.” Determination flattened his features. “That is, if I don’t catch up to you first.”

He surveyed her. “Plan on running?”

“No.”

“Telling someone?”

She shook her head.

“Good girl.”

Abruptly he turned away. “I’m taking your cell phone with me. And your car keys.”

“No! How am I supposed to—”

“Supposed to what?” He halted in the doorway. “Call someone tonight? Go somewhere?”