See No Evil

“Faye, I believe you. Come here.”

Reluctantly, she came to him. “You did excellent work,” he said. “But we have to protect her, if only to protect us. We can’t do anything like this again. Garrett Bowen was the last. Now we let things die down. Skip planted the note on his desk, right?”

She nodded, still pouting.

“Then we have nothing to worry about. Come here. Closer.”

She walked into his open arms and he kissed her. He didn’t want Faye to leave, but the bitch wanted everyone to split up for now. It was smart, but about this he didn’t want to be smart. “One last time.”

“What do you mean, last time?” Her voice cracked.

“We need to take a break until the police stop looking at Garrett’s patients. I don’t want you to end up in prison. I don’t want any of you to get hurt.”

“But-”

“Shhh.” He kissed her again. Even though he had places all over the world where he could hide, he couldn’t leave town now. Too many questions would come up. “Later, wherever I go, I’ll take you with me, but for now we have to be apart. It won’t be forever.”

“Promise?”

He kissed her. “I promise. Come to bed.” He handed her his favorite knife. “You’re the only one I trust. You know that, right?”

Her confidence returned and he finally relaxed. “I know.” She took the knife, stared at it. “Are you sure? Have you recovered?”

He nodded. “In your hands, I’m always sure.”

When Faye left, he called the stupid bitch who was going to blow everything.

“How dare you show your face!”

“I had to see for myself.”

“We agreed you’d be miles away. With an alibi.”

She laughed humorlessly. “I have an alibi, darling. I’m no fool.”

“We’re so close.”

“We’re done.”

“No, we’re not. You’re playing a dangerous game. You went to the party. What if someone recognized you?”

“I didn’t get into any of the media photos. No one recognized me. I’ve changed a lot.”

“Don’t be so sure,” he grumbled. He’d planned this for too long. Now he realized that he should never have brought her into the plan in the first place. What had seemed like a brilliant idea two years ago now was crumbling around him.

Maybe he should have let her kill Bowen back then and go to prison. Garrett Bowen would be dead either way.

But his game was perfect. It was the players who were flawed. Not him, not his idea.

“You worry too much,” she was saying. “Payback is sweet. Now you can sit back and have everything you wanted.”

She didn’t know what he wanted. Sometimes he didn’t even know.

“Can you be sure no one saw you at the party?”

She didn’t say anything for a long minute. “Julia Chandler was there.”

“Dammit! Julia Chandler! What were you thinking? You should never have gone-”

“She doesn’t know who I am. I chatted with her very briefly, barely a word. Don’t ruin this night. This was the best night of my life. Garrett Bowen is dead. An eye for an eye. I watched him die and enjoyed every minute of it. I had to be there. You don’t understand. Sometimes I think you’re just like him-”

“No. Stop.” He squeezed his temples. “Okay, I’ll take care of it.”

“There’s no need. Julia Chandler doesn’t know…”

“But you can’t know that. She’s connected and smart. She’s looking into Wishlist. If she makes the connection to Jason Ridge, then she might-”

“Don’t say his name.” Her voice was almost a growl.

“I’m sorry.” She had become a liability, he realized.

Maybe he’d always known it would have to end up like this.

He might have to dispatch his team one more time, to tie up loose ends.

But first, Julia Chandler.

He called Cami. “I need another job done. Call Robbie. If he balks, kill him.”

TWENTY

Connor couldn’t get her out of his head. Worse, in his thoughts, Julia was naked, laying on his bed doing things to him that left him needing a cold shower when he woke that morning at the crack of dawn.

When he got out of the shower, his cell phone was ringing. Seven in the morning? He glanced at caller ID and saw a number he didn’t recognize.

“Kincaid.”

“Hey, Kincaid. Billy Thompson.”

“Billy, what’s up?”

“I, um, am heading to the gym to play a little ball. I thought you might want to meet me. I haven’t seen you there much lately.”

“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy with this case.”

“I have some information.”

Connor glanced at the clock. He had time. “I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

Julia tried Michelle O’Dell again when she woke up early Sunday morning. Again, the answering machine picked up. This time, Julia left a message.

“Michelle, my name is Julia Chandler and I’m a deputy district attorney investigating a steroid-related death. I’d like to talk to you about Jason Ridge. Even if you think you have nothing to add to your statement, please call me.” Julia thanked her and left her cell phone number.

She hung up, frustrated. She showered, then went downstairs to review her notes. She drew out a timeline.

Jason Ridge is given a Deferred Entry of Judgment in a rape case.

Was Michelle O’Dell the victim? If it was Michelle, her mother probably wouldn’t have been so consolatory toward Jason.

Paul Judson is murdered.

Billy Thompson, a short-term member of Wishlist, had been investigated for the murder, cleared. He had posted an incriminating e-mail to the Wishlist loop. But he was innocent.

Jason Ridge dies.

Julia didn’t know much about steroid use, but she had to imagine it was dangerous. But could someone overdose on steroids like other hard drugs? She didn’t know and made a note to ask Dillon. The autopsy report said heart attack due to excessive steroid use. But what did that mean? Jason Ridge’s psychiatrist was Garrett Bowen.

Bowen’s name popped up everywhere. Everything connected to him.

Did Jason’s death have anything to do with Bowen? Or Wishlist? What if Jason was part of the group?

What if Jason’s rape victim was part of the group?

Stephanie Ridge.

After last night, Julia knew James Ridge wouldn’t say a derogatory word about his dead son. In his eyes, the kid had been perfect. But maybe Stephanie Ridge could contribute some realistic insight into her son’s death. And if it would help Emily, Julia would use every emotion at her disposal-guilt, remorse, anger if she had to-to find out the