Killing Fear

premonitions or any of that nonsense, but something was wrong.

Over time, Robin’s fear dissipated. Theodore Glenn became a regular, always Wednesdays and Fridays. He dated a few of the girls, even Brandi, who was discerning about the men she slept with. Theodore Glenn was polite, smart, and attractive. He was a stripper groupie, and the girls all liked him. And even when he started going home with other women, Bethany never thought ill of him. By that time she had her sights set on another regular, an older man who Robin was certain was married. Bethany laughed that off as well.

Except for Robin, everyone liked Theodore Glenn. When he looked her way, she turned cold. Even if she couldn’t see him, she sensed his presence. Watching. Waiting-for what, she had no idea. She kept her distance and did her job and didn’t think too much about her initial reaction to Glenn until RJ called her in the middle of the night a year later and told her Bethany had been murdered.

Robin stared at the phone. “Dammit! It’s just another game to you, isn’t it? Call, you bastard.”

And even though she asked for it, when the phone rang Robin jumped.

THIRTEEN

Theodore heard the click when Robin picked up the phone. He smiled, picturing her. Maybe sitting in her bed, as it was still early and she was a night owl. What would she wear to bed? Sexy lingerie? Sweatpants? Nothing at all? Her hair would be mussed from sleep, though he doubted she’d slept much since the earthquake freed him.

That he was on her mind pleased him. It put him in control.

“I knew you would answer.”

“What do you want from me?”

Hanging up on him had been her fear, and he relished those two words-his voice speaking, “Hello, Robin”-had set her off. What power he had over her. Robin hadn’t changed. All kinetic action. He’d seen her energy when she danced, saw it in her paintings. Bold, brilliant art that seemed to move. She’d improved from when he’d known her seven years ago. During his time at the library yesterday he’d done some online research. Found out a lot about Robin McKenna and her achievements.

But she still feared him, and he would use that to his advantage.

“Did you miss me?”

“Go to hell.”

He laughed. Her verbal abuse certainly wouldn’t faze him. He expected it. Enjoyed it. “Hell would suppose that there is also a heaven, which I do not believe. You can’t have one without the other, though I find religious philosophy tedious. Life is what we make it, isn’t it? You’ve certainly made something out of your life.”

“What do you want?”

Her voice rose, as she lost what little patience she had. “You know what I want, Robin.”

“I can’t read minds, and if I could I certainly wouldn’t choose yours. You’re sick and twisted and the cops are going to find you. You can’t hide forever.”

“Neither can you. Which one of us can hide longer? My money’s on me.”

“I’ll kill you, Theodore. You killed my friends-”

“You picked them, Robin.”

She didn’t say a word, and he knew he had her.

He smiled and leaned back in his car. The cell phone belonged to Jenny Olsen. He’d be dumping both the car and the phone soon because he imagined that Jenny wouldn’t be able to keep her big mouth shut when the police came knocking at her door.

“You’re out of your fucking mind,” she finally said, her voice barely audible.

“Bethany told me that you treated her like an overprotective big sister. You cared about her, didn’t you?” Theodore continued without giving Robin time to answer. “And Brandi-she told me she’s the one who got you the job at RJ’s in the first place. She was jealous of you, did you know? She recognized that you were the better dancer. But she also respected you because you didn’t try to take her job. Why didn’t you, Robin? You were the leader of those sluts, why didn’t you just take over?”

She didn’t answer. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, wondering what she was doing. Pacing, most likely. She couldn’t sit still for this long. She never had before. Even when she’d been on break at RJ’s, she’d been moving. She might put her feet up in the Back Room, but her hands would be doing something, sketching on notepads, and her toes would be tapping to the music.

He’d watched Robin far more than she suspected.

“And Jessica. Now there was one hot little minx. It was a shame I had to kill her, really. She was the best fuck I’d had in a long, long time.

“I can only imagine what you’d be like in bed, Robin. Or on the floor. Or the kitchen table.”

“Why did you kill Anna?”

He knew she’d ask. “I didn’t.”

“You fucking liar! You’re playing your pathetic games again, doing this to torment me.”

“You don’t know what torment is, Robin.” His voice grew hard. “You put me in prison. San Quentin is a hell- hole. The food is barely edible. The men on death row are borderline retards. Stupid fools. I would never have been convicted if it weren’t for you. I meant what I said at the trial. You identified me off that sketch and that’s how the cops got my DNA. That’s how they framed me-”

“Framed you?”

“For Anna’s murder. And believe me, I will find out who did it and cut their heart out.

“But first,” he said, his anger building, “I have a special treat just for you.”

“You’re psycho,” she said. “If I don’t shoot you myself I’ll be there when the state kills you.”

“That’s not how this game plays out. I will kill you, Robin, slowly. And the last thing you see before you die will be my smile.”

“Fuck you!”

“How’s William?”

He hung up, heart pounding. Shit, he’d planned out the conversation perfectly, then something snapped and now he was angry.

She should have been cowering in fear. She should have been begging for mercy. Instead she threatened him.

He would kill her. He would make her suffer, but first he would make her fear him.

Trinity found Deputy District Attorney Julia Chandler in her office later that morning. As soon as Julia saw her, she said, “You’ll have to talk to Stanton. I have no comment.”

Trinity couldn’t help but grin. “Off the record, Julia. Five minutes.”

The pretty attorney eyed her suspiciously. “Five minutes.”

Trinity closed the door behind her. “Thank you.”

“Five minutes and counting.”

“Seven years ago there was a private meeting in the judge’s chambers where evidence that proved Theodore Glenn killed Bethany Coleman was thrown out on a technicality.”

Julia’s eyes narrowed. “Where did you hear that?” she asked, her voice deceptively calm.

“Theodore Glenn paid me a visit early this morning.”

Julia processed that information, blinking rapidly. “You saw him?”

“More or less. It was dark, I didn’t see much of anything, but it was him. He confessed to killing Bethany, Brandi, and Jessica. He denies killing Anna Clark.”

“He denied killing Anna?” Julia repeated.

“He wants me to prove it.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Julia asked. “Helping him? Why didn’t you call the police? I need to-”

Trinity interjected, “I called the police. Told them everything.” Almost. “And believe me, I’m not too keen on meeting up with him again even if he thinks I’m on his side. But he said a couple things