Her Last Word
Page 54

“I need the public to know I’m not a monster.”
“I’d say you fit the bill. I know you killed Gina, and the cops have you on security footage stabbing the woman in the convenience store you robbed.”
Randy shook his head, but his grin turned sly. “The attorneys have worked out a deal. I’m gonna be taking the cops to Gina real soon.”
Marcus sat back. “You made a deal?”
“A real sweet one.”
“What happened to Gina?”
Randy rubbed the side of his head, his handcuffs jostling on his wrists. “I can’t tell you before the cops.”
“Why did you kill her?”
“I’ll tell you that after Friday.”
“Friday?”
“That’s when I talk to the cops about her. I’d do it today, but Kaitlin’s the one holding up the show. Cops say she can’t come with us until Friday, and I’ve got to have my sweet Kaitlin at the big reveal.”
“She was stabbed. She’s out of the hospital tomorrow.”
Randy couldn’t say he was sorry. He should have done the same to her years ago. “Ouch. Stabbed. Well, if there ever was a bitch who deserved it, it was her.”
“I thought you were tight with Kaitlin Roe? She was your girlfriend. From what people told me, she would have done anything for you at one point.”
“Not anymore. She’s a viper.” He’d been real nice to her when they’d been dating, and then at the Fourth of July party, he’d gotten a little too drunk. Yeah, he’d hit her, but looking back, he knew both she and Gina got what they deserved.
“When’s the last time you saw her?” Marcus asked.
“Last week.” He made a sucking sound as he ran his tongue over his teeth. “She’d been trying to talk to me for months, visiting and hoping I’d open up to her. She’s like you. She wants your precious little Gina found.”
Marcus shook his head. “Gina was never mine. I never knew her.”
“But you did all kinds of research on her, and you fell for her just like any other guy who spent any time with her. Shit, even dead, Gina could win a man’s heart.”
“If you’re talking to the cops, why am I here?”
“Like I said, I need my story told. I’m going to be on trial, and public opinion matters. You can tell my story best because you understand the effect Gina had on men.”
Marcus shifted, as if uncomfortable with the idea that he’d have anything in common with this piece of garbage.
Randy smiled. “You’re gonna have to put your own shit aside and suck it up if you want the whole story. You look like the kind of man who’d deal with the devil for a good story.”
Marcus tapped a finger on the phone. “What do you want?”
“Money in my cantina account is a nice start. And if you write about me favorably during my trial, I can tell you things that readers will eat up.”
“Consider it done.”
“And give a message to Kaitlin for me.”
“What’s that?”
“Tell her the next time, I hope whoever hates her as much as me finishes the job.”
Kaitlin pulled off the earphones and hit “Mute” on her computer, silencing Jennifer Ralston’s voice. Hearing the dead woman left her unsettled and more worried than ever about Erika. Adler had not returned last night, and she was anxious to see him not only for news but because, like it or not, she felt better when he was around. She’d left him one message, but he’d not called her back. Damn. If she could just get out of this hospital room, she wouldn’t feel so cut off.
She ran a hand through the tangle of her hair. More than ever, she wanted to see this podcast to the end.
The four walls of her hospital room seemed to close in around her. She now knew every inch of this room, and it was driving her stir-crazy. She’d watched more television in the last few days than she had in the last five years, and if one more nurse prodded her, she’d go nuts.
The nurses had said no more walking today. She’d pushed herself too hard already. But unable to sit any longer, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, grimacing as her stitches pulled a little. Drawing in a breath, she placed her feet on the floor, stood, and rolled her IV forward a few inches. The discomfort was manageable. She started a slow and steady walk toward the door and the hallway.
Moving more easily, she felt stronger, less vulnerable. She welcomed the buzz of activity at the nurse’s station as family and friends visited loved ones, but the strangers made her uneasy, and she had to remind herself she was safe here. Though tomorrow she’d be back in the real world.
When she made the turn around the corner, the ward doors whooshed open behind her. She turned to see Detective Adler. Relief flooded her, and she had to struggle not to smile.
His tie was neatly tied and his hair combed, but there were dark circles under his eyes. As he approached, his jacket flapped open, revealing his badge and weapon. As soon as their gazes locked, she saw his annoyance and anger. Whatever he had to tell her wouldn’t be good.
“You saw Erika?” she asked.
“I did.” He placed his hand under her elbow and started walking her back toward her room.
Calloused fingers rubbed against her skin, sending energy racing through her body. “Where did you find her?”
“In the city.” His jaw was clenched, and he seemed very aware that there were several people in the hallway watching them. The nurses knew he’d been here shortly after she’d been brought in and he’d sat by her bed for several hours until she had awakened. A few thought they were dating.
“Can you be more specific?” she asked.
“Not here.”
She wondered if he’d heard the nurses’ gossip about them. Either way, he didn’t look pleased by anything right now.
In her room, he closed the door behind them and walked her to the bed. She sat, and he gently helped her into it and then pulled the blanket up to her waist.
“Where is Erika?” Kaitlin asked again.
His expression softened. “She’s dead.”
The air whooshed from her lungs, and her head grew light. “How did she die?”
He pulled up a chair and sat beside her. “I can’t talk about that now.”
“Why not?” Frustration chewed at her. “Jennifer and Erika are dead, and I was stabbed. And you can’t tell me!”
“I would if I could, Kaitlin.” He sounded so damn calm. “But right now I’ve got to put the investigation first.”
Reason cut through her temper and reminded her that he couldn’t keep her in the loop and do his job. “I know. You’re right. Have you spoken to Brad?” she asked.
“I have. But that’s all I can say now.”
Being shut out was frustrating. “When is Hayward taking you to Gina?”
“Friday. Are you up for it?”
“I am.” The statement was more for her benefit than his. “I will be fine.”
He studied her a moment, and she sensed he wanted to say something, but whatever it was, it got shoved to a back burner. Not spoken. But not gone. “Okay.”
When Adler walked through the front door of his home, it was late afternoon. He’d stopped by only to shower, change, and eat a quick meal. However, his gaze was immediately drawn to the light in the dining room. Two sawhorses were balancing a large piece of plywood. The makeshift table was covered with papers and files.