 
# Journey to Murder

# (An Alex Warren Novel)

# By DJ Owen

# Copyright 2014 DJ Owen

# Smashwords Edition, License Notes

# Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoy this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy at Smashwords.com. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this and other authors.

# The following is a work of fiction and does not represent any factual person or event. Similarities to any person, living or dead, is completely unintentional. The sole purpose of this novel is to entertain the reader in hopes that he or she can escape into a different life, at least for a brief time.

# CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

BONUS CHAPTER – Journey to Redemption

CHAPTER ONE

Alex awoke as she usually did, quietly, utilizing all her senses before opening her eyes. It was quickly apparent she was not in her warm and comfortable bed. She was lying on her right side; the exposed skin on her arm indicated her body was on something cold, vaguely damp and unyielding. The stench of rotting leaves, decayed wood and the acrid smell of a long-extinguished campfire filled the air.

In the distance she heard sporadic traffic. There was also the _ker-plop_ of what might have been a frog landing in water. The water sounded much closer than the street with its traffic sounds. The next sound was right in front of her. There was the barely audible _eek-eek_ of a rodent scavenging three or four feet away. Alex fought the instinct to roll away from the rodent, but couldn't resist opening her eyes to see just how close it was. She didn't see it amid the underbrush as movement higher up caught her attention. A snowy owl silently descended with claws outstretched. It pierced the mouse's body, killing it instantly. Alex felt the air stir as the owl brought down its mighty white wings, taking the lifeless treat back into the trees for a late night (or maybe early morning) snack.

Still she did not move. The events of the night before began to flood her mind. She remembered a man in a bar called ... _what was the name? Oh, yes!_ The Last Call. They had driven to a lake just outside of town. Her thoughts were clear now: She met the man at the bar. He introduced himself as Brad. After her drink arrived, she told him she needed to visit the restroom. She walked purposefully into the Ladies' Room, then immediately left. She stopped where she could watch him. As she expected, he poured something into her drink and swirled the straw twice around the glass. No one else seemed to notice as the patrons flirted and tried to impress each other. She waited another few moments before walking back to her seat. Using her most beguiling voice, she asked if he had missed her while she was gone. They chatted as a few more lonely-hearts melodies played on the jukebox. She pretended to sip her drink, and then lowered her eyelids and let her head fall forward. She pushed her hair back from her face as she slurred her words telling him she wasn't feeling well.

Brad moved to her side of the table and suggested they go for a ride. "Perhaps the night air will clear your head," he murmured in a caring voice. She agreed and he helped her out of the booth. Alex was dead weight as he stood her up. He wrapped his arm around her small waist and ducked his head under her arm, holding it around his neck. Anyone who saw them would think she was drunk and he was simply helping her home.

They made their way to the parking lot and he led her over to a plain white work van. He opened the door and lifted her up into the passenger seat, pulling the seat belt across her and fastening it with a firm click. He closed her door with a solid thud. A moment later, he climbed into the driver side, started the van and pulled out of the parking lot. Alex slumped against the door and almost closed her eyes, leaving them open just a little so that she could see where they were headed. She mumbled something that vaguely sounded like, "Where are we?"

Brad told her to rest. "I'm taking you to a quiet place I know by the lake. It's beautiful, and you'll feel better once you get a little of the lake air in you. This is for your own good, you know. I can't let you drive home in the condition you're in."

About ten minutes later they turned onto a gravel road. Alex saw the dark bulk of a sign and couldn't read what it said in the dark, but she knew the sign for Lake Monroe well. The van began to bounce and shake as they drove along the gravel entrance road and then turned onto a dirt road. Alex used the bouncing as an opportunity to bring her right leg back toward the seat, and allowed her right hand to fall next to the door. As Brad opened his door and slid off his seat, Alex quickly reached inside her right boot and grabbed the knife she kept hidden there. At the same time she dropped her left hand to the seat belt latch and pressed it as quietly as she could. She heard Brad open her door as he mumbled under his breath, "Let's get the party started."

Brad's evil chuckle was cut short as Alex lunged out the door. She brought the knife up and out where she expected his neck would be. He saw the movement and stepped back just in time. "What the...," he started, but Alex was determined to prevent this man from getting away. She brought up her right foot and caught Brad in the chest, pushing him away with all her strength. He fell backward to the ground and she saw him roll over so he could get back up. Alex lunged forward and jumped on his back. She wrapped her long legs around his waist and repeatedly jabbed toward his throat with the knife.

Brad was not going down that easily. He backed up quickly, pounding Alex into the side of the van until she lost her hold. He grabbed her arm and swung her away from the van toward the trees. Alex fell hard. She blacked out when her head connected with a good-sized rock, worrying about what she would find when she awoke, or if she would wake at all.

Now here she was on the ground by the lake. Alex had no idea if Brad was watching her or if he had left. At least there had been no reaction when she opened her eyes. She didn't hear any movement. She tested her arms and legs, and they didn't seem to be confined. It's now or never, Alex thought, as she slowly lifted her head to take stock of her surroundings.

_Ow, that hurts_ , Alex thought as her head shifted. She brought her hand up and discovered a lump on her temple, just above her right ear. She looked under the van and saw Brad lying on the ground along the driver's side. He wasn't moving, and his head was at a very unnatural angle.

Alex spied her knife a foot or so away and grabbed it by the handle in case Brad felt up to going another round. She sat up facing the van. Still she neither saw nor heard Brad move. Slowly her body began to feel like hers again, at least other than her head. Alex expected that lump would remind her for several days what happened tonight.

She stood up, listening and watching for movement from Brad. She crept around the van, approaching Brad from the top of his head so he wouldn't be able to strike out at her with his legs. As she got closer, she noticed a wide, dark line across his throat and a large dark stain on his shirt. His eyes were open, but he didn't see her. He would never see anyone again.

CHAPTER TWO

Alex looked at the sky across the lake and could tell it was still pre-dawn. The moon had ducked behind the tree tops, but it didn't look like the sun was going to come up quite yet. Alex guessed it was around 3:00 or maybe 4:00 in the morning. "Whew!" Alex said under her breath. "This would have been awkward if anyone was going to be here soon." Still, fishermen head to the water early and time was of the essense.

The driver door gave a faint little creak as Alex opened it. Taking a firm grip of Brad's wrists, she dragged him the rest of the way to the doorway and propped him up in a sitting position with his back to the van. She stepped over him, pulling herself up by the steering wheel. She leaned down, grabbed Brad under his arms and heaved as hard as she could, leaning backward as she did. She pulled until she had Brad's back on the driver's seat. She readjusted her hands for a better grip and yanked with all her strength. Brad's waist cleared the edge of his seat.

Alex slowly released her grip, making sure his body was stable and didn't slide back out of the van. She exited through the passenger door and went back around to the open driver door, where she maneuvered Brad's legs inside toward the pedals as she grabbed Brad's shirt, pulling him upright. She finished positioning his body into the driver's seat to make it appear as if he had simply stopped to take in the lake view.

Alex searched Brad's pockets and found what she was looking for. Brad had pulled out a pack of Camel cigarettes and a lighter as they chatted at the bar, complaining about the dictators who didn't respect a man's right to smoke. That was shortly before they had left the bar, but it gave Alex the tools she needed to finish her task.

The back of the van was filled with boxes of hardwood flooring, waxes, polishes and cleaners, all surrounding a gas-powered generator. Most importantly, Alex found an almost full can of gasoline. She opened it, leaving the cap loose on top. She set it in the center of the back doorway. Finding a dirty rag among the bottles and cans of chemicals, she quickly wiped down everywhere she had touched...the seatbelt latch, door handles, and steering wheel. She took special care where her face, arm and hair had touched the passenger door, the seats, and then the cigarette pack and lighter. She even wiped down the exterior passenger side of the van where Brad had pounded her into it. She spied a trashcan nearby and found empty beer bottles inside. Using the rag to grasp them, she brought the bottles over to the van and put them on the floor around the driver seat. Hopefully the police would think Brad had too much to drink and passed out.

Alex noticed it was getting easier to see, and guessed it was probably nearing 5:00 a.m. _Not much time left_ , she thought. She went to the back of the van and used the dirty rag to knock over the gas can, spilling its contents toward the front of the van. She closed the doors and wiped them down again, just to be sure. _"A little paranoia never hurts,"_ she thought as she closed and locked the passenger door, making sure she left no evidence she had been there. Since she took nothing but a few dollars into the bar, she wasn't too worried about leaving anything of hers behind.

Going back around to the driver door, Alex stood on the running board as she used the rag to hold the cigarettes and knock one out of the pack. She lit the single smoke with the lighter and held it outside the van as she wiped the lighter again with the rag. This wasn't easy to do with one hand. She positioned the lighter on Brad's leg, picking it back up with the rag and wiping it down between her thumb and fingers. She returned the lighter and pack of cigarettes back to his pocket where she had found them. She used the rag to roll the driver window down about an inch. Dropping the rag onto the gasoline spilt on the floor between the front seats, she took one last look and dropped the lit cigarette in the gasoline near the rag.

Alex jumped out of the van and used her hip to close the door as the interior of the van went up in flames. It was light enough now that Alex was able to take a quick look around. She found the bloodied rock her head had struck and lifted it with great effort. She walked the short distance through the woods toward the water and hefted the rock up to her shoulder, hurling it into the lake like a shot put, hating the loud splash it made. She found a tree limb with a lot of branches and dead leaves, using it to brush away her footprints and the evidence of the fight from around the van. She also erased her footsteps leading toward the water. She then walked backwards through the trees using the limb to brush away any evidence she was there.

The flames in the van were now hot enough to break the windows. The added oxygen caused a large _whoosh_ as the flames leapt out and began to blacken the paint as it licked the roofline along where the windows had been moments before.

When Alex was at least fifty feet away, she made her way back down toward the water and tossed the branch and the knife as far into the lake as she could. Alex walked along the rocky beach before heading back into the woods, moving quietly and quickly around the lake until she found a campsite. She saw a Winnebago in the distance, about six or seven campsites from where she stood. There were other vehicles around, but all was quiet. She crept toward the Winnebago and just as she approached it on the side away from the other vehicles, she heard a door open a few feet away.

She heard someone yawn as they stepped onto the camper's steps. Alex could see that it was the small camper next to where she stood. She reached into the wheel well and found a Hide-a-Key. She quickly and quietly opened it and took out a key, shoving it into the door lock. She turned the key, opened the door and slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She looked through the window and saw the next camper sway back up as the person stepped onto the ground.

"That was too close for comfort," Alex said under her breath as she silently locked the door and made her way to the small bathroom. She looked in the mirror and saw the damage from the previous night. She slipped off her auburn pageboy wig to inspect her head. Blood had trickled down her face and her temple did have a lump, though she could use her long, curly strawberry-blond hair to hide it. Her face was dirty and her heavy make-up smeared, but worst of all was the blood on her blouse. She must have hit Brad's carotid artery at some point, by the looks of it. She had significant blood spray across her chest.

Alex took off her clothes and shoved them with the wig into a plastic garbage bag before stepping into the cramped shower.

Her scalp cried out in pain as the lukewarm water ran over her head. _I hope that's not bad enough to need stitches,_ she thought as she gingerly massaged shampoo into her hair. The light smell of grapefruit filled the shower and perked up her spirits.

The sound of sirens started up in the distance and grew louder as she finished soaping her body and rinsing away all evidence of her nightly foray. She dried off and dressed quickly, just in case visitors came by earlier than she expected. She towel-dried her hair and left it loose to help hide the lump protruding above her ear. She added just enough makeup to look presentable. One last look in the mirror told her to she needed a loose baseball cap and the transformation would be complete. No one would recognize this clean-cut, girl-next-door as the depraved woman Brad had picked up last night.

She looked at her boots and found they were relatively clean so she put them back in their boot box, which she placed in her wardrobe. She took the plastic bag of grungy clothes and wig into the kitchen and opened the corner cabinet. Removing the pots and pans, she pressed her hand against the back wall, sliding the loose board there to reveal a compact hiding place. She manipulated the bag until it fit the space, added the Hide-a-Key, and slid the panel into place. Putting the pots and pans back into the cabinet and closing the door, she felt confident no one would find any evidence of her escapades.

Alex was exhausted and her muscles sore from her fight with Brad, but a strong cup of coffee and scrambled eggs gave her a second wind. She put her dishes in the sink, and picked up her coffee. She opened the door to the Winnebago and stepped outside to find several of the campers clustered together near the picnic tables. She saw Joe, her next-door neighbor, but did not see his wife, Carla. _It must have been Joe leaving their camper as I came home_ , Alex thought. She pasted a smile on her face and wandered over to the group. She listened as they chatted.

"I got no idea," Joe was saying. "Mebbe I should wake the wife. She sure would hate to miss the ruckus."

This was followed by a communal chuckle. Carla was known to enjoy a little gossip now and then.

Just then, a man Alex knew only as Mr. Drake came out of the woods from the direction of the burning van.

"Crimeny!" Mr. Drake's normally pale face was red and beads of sweat trickled down toward his chin. "There's got to be two fire trucks and at least a dozen cop cars back that-away."

"What was it?" Carla had walked up behind Alex. "What's going on?"

"Seems there was a fire in a van about a half mile or so through the woods. Looks like somebody musta' been inside. Coroner's car was there."

"That's just awful!" Alex felt the need to chime in. "I wonder what happened." Everyone turned toward Alex and she began to worry that they were suspicious of her when she heard the distinct crunch of gravel beneath tires coming from behind her. She turned to look and saw Mike, the Park Ranger, easing his official Jeep to a stop not far from her Winnebago.

"Mornin'!" The Ranger looked as though he left off the "good" for a reason. "I suppose you heard the commotion this morning." Everyone was saying "yep" or "uh-huh" as they nodded.

"What happened?" Carla asked. "Mr. Drake mentioned he saw the Coroner over there."

"Well, there was a fire in a van. Seems the driver somehow managed to set it on fire with him still in it." The Ranger shook his head. "I don't rightly see how a man can set fire to his own vehicle and not try to get out. Smells a mite fishy to me."

"That's terrible! Who could do a thing like that?" Alex hoped she looked slightly ill at the thought of it.

"I surely don't know, but the police asked me to tell you all to wait here until they can send someone over to take your statements."

Everyone nodded in agreement again. Joe said, "I'm not surprised. They's gotta' cover their bases. Nobody here would do such a thing. Heck, we were all in our campers by 10:00 last night."

"Yes, at least I know I was," Alex interjected. "I settled down in bed to read and fell asleep early."

"I got up around midnight for a smoke, and it looked to me like everyone else was asleep." Joe said. "Pretty much all the campers were dark."

"I know he's my husband, but I'll still vouch for him," Carla teased. "He came back in by 12:15 and went right to sleep. Just needed that couple of puffs to stop the cravings. No way could he have done anything to that van guy." Carla wrapped her arm around Joe. "You really do need to stop smokin', Joe. That bad habit just made you the last person up and around out here! Good thing I was still awake to know when you came back in."

"I'm sure the police just want to know if anybody heard anything. Doesn't sound like it, but they'll want to do the asking themselves." The Ranger turned to leave but stopped when he heard Alex address him.

"Mike, my reservation was only through last night. Will I be okay to leave my motorhome here until after they come by?"

"Sure thing. We don't need your spot until Friday. Hopefully it won't take them _that_ long to interview everybody." The Ranger chuckled. "I'm sure the driver was too drunk to wake up when the fire started, or maybe he picked up a hitchhiker and got robbed and killed. We do a quick check on everybody who makes a reservation and all of you checked out clean. Just go about your day here and the cops will be over shortly."

Alex shivered as everyone started to get up from the picnic tables and stretch. "I'm going back inside. All this talk of fire and death has me spooked. What if you're right and it was a hitchhiker? We could all be in danger. In fact, would you walk me to my door and take a peek inside? I wouldn't want somebody sneaking in and hiding in my Winnie while I'm out here chatting with the neighbors."

The Ranger tipped his hat and said he would be happy to oblige. He turned on his heal and followed Alex back to her motorhome. "Thank you so much," Alex said as she opened the door for him. "It's a little messy. I haven't cleaned up after my shower and making breakfast."

As the Ranger made his way through the Winnebago, he looked anywhere a body could hide. Alex was glad she had left her bed messed up, and her e-reader obvious on her nightstand. "Would you hand me my reader, please? I fell asleep last night just before the good part. Now would be a good time to read a little more. Maybe it will calm my nerves."

The Ranger picked it up and handed it to her as he made his way back through the motorhome. "Here you go. Now don't get yourself all upset by this. These things happen. You just happened to be a bit closer to it this time. You lock up when I leave and make sure you only open the door for someone you know, okay?"

"Yes, sir!" Alex closed the door behind him as he left and made sure he heard her lock it. She promptly climbed onto her bed, fully clothed. Sleep came quickly.

CHAPTER THREE

Two sharp raps on her door woke Alex from her slumber. She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost half past noon. Alex groaned as she sat up and called out, "Just a minute!" She stopped by the bathroom to check herself in the mirror. Aside from looking a bit drowsy, she was presentable. No bruises, cuts or bumps visible as long as she kept the cap on.

"Coming!" Alex called as she headed toward the door. She looked outside and saw a clean-cut man in a County Sheriff's uniform. He was tall, maybe 6'4" or 6'5", and his many hours spent in a gym were obvious. His uniform fit him nicely. She looked past him and saw two Sheriff's cars. After taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, Alex unlocked the door and told the officer she would appreciate seeing some ID.

"Of course," the man said as he pulled out his ID to show her. "You can't be too careful these days." Alex noted his piercing blue eyes, straight blond hair and a jawline that reminded Alex of Brendan Fraser, who played the lead character in the 1999 Dudley Do-Right movie.

"Thank you, Officer...Buckley," Alex replied as she read his name from the ID. "I could see the cars and your uniform, but a little paint and a few badges and anyone can look like real officers. If I had any serious doubts, I would have made you show me your ID before I unlocked the door."

"Yes, Ma'am," Buckley nodded. "Ma'am, I understand everyone here at the campground knows about what happened near the lake this morning. Are you aware?"

"Call me Alex, and yes, at least I know some of it. I heard someone set themselves on fire in some kind a vehicle. I think Mr. Drake said it was a van. The Park Ranger told us someone would be by to take our statements."

"That's why I'm here. I'm not at liberty to give you any more information than you already have, nor confirm what you've heard. I do need to ask you a few questions, though. Would you and your husband prefer to do that here?"

"Here is fine, but I'm a widow," Alex stated. "I really don't know much. I came out here to enjoy some peace and quiet, and have spent most of my time in here." She motioned to indicate the Winnebago. "It's got all the comforts of home. Occasionally, I'll walk around the park and maybe go down to sit by the lake. About once a day I spend a little time with my neighbors at the picnic area. Ask away, Officer, but I don't know how much help I'll be."

"Tell me what you did last night and through this morning until you heard about the incident by the lake."

"Sure. Let's have a seat." Alex sat down on one of the captain's chairs in what served as the living room. She offered Buckley coffee or a soda, which he declined. "Well, I fixed myself dinner around 7:00 last night, walked outside to take my trash to the bin, and came back in. Oh! Wait a minute...I ran into Carla, my neighbor, on my way back. She was coming back from the showers and said something about their camper needing flushing. Once I came back inside, I started reading. I fell asleep and at some point I woke up enough to turn off the light, but I didn't look to see what time it was. Then I woke up this morning and heard the others outside. I heard sirens when I was showering, but they weren't close and I didn't think too much about it. I made myself breakfast and after eating I stepped outside to chat. We talked about what happened, but they didn't know much about it either." Alex paused as the officer jotted down her response. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, I just have a few more questions. Why did you choose Lake Morgan? What brought you here this specific weekend?"

"Oh, that's easy. When I was a little girl, my mom and dad brought us here. I haven't been back in well over twenty years. As for the timing, it just happened that way. I had the time and decided to make the trip. Thursday was the anniversary of my dad's death, and that's what made me think about coming here. No other reason."

"Okay. Did you hear anything overnight? Maybe someone leaving their trailer or out in the woods? A vehicle, perhaps?"

"Sorry. I was out of it all night. I wish I could be of more help, but it isn't like I was expecting to be questioned about it."

"One last request. Would you mind if I take a quick look around? We are just asking each of the campers to see if we find anything out of place. You do have the right to refuse."

"Oh, no. I don't mind; I even asked the Park Ranger to look around in case someone came in while I was outside. Please excuse the mess, though. I fell asleep again after the Ranger left. I wonder if I'm coming down with something. Anyway, go right ahead, Officer."

The Winnebago was obviously not made for someone of Buckley's height and shoulder width. He managed to squeeze himself all the way to the rear of the motorhome and began checking every closet and cupboard. Alex watched him as he checked out the bathroom and then opened the cabinet with the hidden panel, but he didn't appear to notice anything suspicious. He finished up and thanked Alex for her time.

"One more thing, we may need to reach you in the future. May I see your ID?"

Alex nodded and turned to pick up her purse beside the captain's chair. "Of course." She rummaged for her wallet and found what she was seeking. "Here's my driver's license." It gave her name as Alexandra Warren with an address in San Francisco. As Buckley jotted down the information, he asked for her phone number.

"Are you asking for personal reasons?" Alex asked with a smile. It was an innocent flirtation, though she did find him attractive.

Buckley blushed and started to stammer. "Uh, no! Absolutely not! That's against department policy...I think."

"What a shame," Alex flashed him her best flirtatious look. She gave him her cell phone number and he backed toward the door, still a bit flustered.

"Thank you, Ma'am. I'll be on my way now. You have a good day."

"Officer Buckley, am I free to leave? My reservation for this spot was up today, but the Ranger said I could stay if you need me to." Thoughts ran through Alex's mind. _What is with me? Am I really trying to get him interested?_

"That's okay, Ms. Warren...Alex. We probably won't need you and if we do, we have your number." Buckley held up his notepad to emphasize that he did indeed have her number.

"Okay, Officer. Thank you. I'll be leaving either this evening or first thing tomorrow."

Alex shut the door behind Buckley and peered out through several of the windows. There were three Sheriff's cars outside. She watched as Buckley walked over to two other officers and chatted with them. They each pointed out various campers, probably those they had visited, and identified two which likely still needed a visit. Buckley nodded at something one of the officers said and then began to walk back toward Alex's motorhome. Alex realized she was holding her breath as Buckley walked past her camper to Joe and Carla's. Relieved, she went back to her bedroom and made the bed. She finished cleaning up and realized it was close to 2:00 p.m. She would have been near Las Vegas by now if she hadn't had to stay to talk with police. She looked out again and saw that all the cars had left except for one. Alex was trying to spot the driver of that car when someone knocked on her door. She looked out to see Officer Buckley standing there and caught her breath. She opened the door, not knowing what to expect.

"Ms. Warren? I'm sorry to bother you again." Buckley was having a little difficulty looking her in the eye. "Are you sure you didn't hear anything this morning shortly before you heard the sirens?"

"No, I didn't. Why?"

"Well, your neighbor said he heard a noise as he was leaving his camper this morning and he thought it was right outside your door."

"Really? That's a little scary. I don't recall hearing anything." She thought about it and said, "I bumped my hand against the wall when I was getting up. Maybe that was it. Let's hope so, anyway." Alex paused for effect. "Wow. I really wish you hadn't told me that. I hope he was wrong. I hope no one was trying to get in!"

"I'm sure you're right, Ms. Warren. It was probably nothing. I'll be going now. We just had to follow up on that." Buckley turned to leave, then looked back. "You drive carefully, okay?"

"I will." Alex watched him get in his cruiser and heard the motor's low rumble as Buckley drove away. She decided to wait about a half hour before leaving the campsite and took that time to review maps of the area. She saw a few of her neighbors near the picnic tables and decided to go over and say good-bye.

"Hey, folks. I figure I'll be heading out shortly and wanted to wish everyone well," Alex said, putting as much sadness into it as she could. "I'm going to miss you guys."

Joe stood up and walked over to Alex with his arms out. "We're gonna' miss you, too, gal!" Joe wrapped his arms around her and squeezed just enough to let her know she had been properly hugged. Carla raised her eyebrows but didn't say anything since Joe's hug didn't linger. "You take care, now. Mebbe we'll run into you again sometime."

"I hope so!" With that, Alex turned and went back into her Winnebago, started it up and drove away. She stopped by the front office to use the dump station. Ready to hit the road, she drove out of the park, heading south on US Highway 93.

She passed The Last Call Bar on her right, and glanced at the gas station two doors down. The bicycle she left there was gone, as she had hoped it would be. While she had wiped off her prints, she was glad someone had taken it before the police had time to track down Brad's last hours and chanced upon the bike sitting there.

An hour or so later, Alex pulled off US 93 in a small town and treated herself to a sit-down meal at a small diner. She chatted with the waitress, asking how far it was to Las Vegas. As she paid, she confirmed with the cashier that she needed to continue South on US 93. She drove off in that direction.

A few hours later she turned onto NV 319 and headed toward Utah. Following the signs to Beaver Dam State Park, she came across a small picnic area with a cooking grill. _Just what I was looking for,_ Alex thought. She pulled over and rummaged in the kitchen cabinet, bringing out the bag with the bloody clothes and wig. She also retrieved the boot box from the wardrobe.

She found charcoal lighter fluid and matches under the sink and went out to the grill. Wetting the grill with lighter fluid, she put the bag under the grate and lit it all on fire. It only took a few minutes for the bag and clothes to become ashes. Anyone driving by would assume she was simply having a late dinner. As the fire died down, she tossed the boot box and boots onto the grate, letting them also catch on fire. These took longer to burn, but leather doesn't last forever.

Once the fire was completely out, Alex found a stick which she used to sweep the ashes onto the ground. She filled a gallon jug with water from her motorhome and drenched the ashes so she could verify nothing remained to link her to Brad. She found the charred heels and zippers of the boots in the ashes. She returned to her Winnebago and located her dustpan. Using the stick, she coaxed the heels and zippers onto the dustpan and walked into the woods. About forty feet from the edge of the woods, she discovered a ditch. She flung the heels and zippers into the ditch and made her way back to the motorhome. She returned the jug, dustpan and lighter fluid to where they belonged, and drove on toward Utah.

_That closes the book on Brad; tomorrow is another day,_ Alex thought as she drove East through the night, pleased with her efforts of the past 24 hours.

CHAPTER FOUR

The scenic views from the mountains of Utah and Colorado gave way to the flatlands of Kansas with its miles and miles of wheat and cattle farms. Driving past hundreds of acres of corn reminded Alex of the story she had written about the FDA's approval of blending corn crops containing higher levels of aflatoxin with crops of lower levels to end up with product that met the 20 ppb guidelines for livestock food. Alex knew one of her strengths as a writer was being able to see both sides of a story. Blending the crops saved the farmers from losses on the corn that didn't meet the guidelines. However, history has shown that greed often corrupts businesses, governments and individuals, and how long would it be before someone fudged the records and began feeding cattle corn with the higher levels of aflatoxin? Alex often worried about the food supply for future generations, and she often wrote of those concerns when she wasn't writing about serial killers and rapists.

The flat terrain gave way to the majestic vistas of the Ozarks, and then the plains of Illinois and Indiana. Alex drove straight through those two states, stopping only for necessities: sleep, food and gasoline. She arrived at her sister's house Wednesday morning and parked her motorhome on the far side of the double-width driveway. She used the key Monica had given her to enter the large colonial style house.

"Monica? Amy?" Alex called out as she entered. "It's me, Alex." Hearing no response, and not expecting any, she headed to the closet where her sister kept the vacuum and took it outside. She spent the next several hours thoroughly cleaning the motorhome, using her sister's laundry room for the bedding and her clothes. She finished her cleaning and locked up the Winnebago.

"Hey, Monica! It's me, Alex," she said, once her call was transferred to her sister. "I just got in this morning and thought I would start dinner. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"Alex! We were wondering when you would get back. How was your trip? Get everything accomplished?" Alex could tell by Monica's voice that someone was probably nearby and could hear the conversation.

"Yes, I did. We'll talk later. What about dinner?"

"Just fix something with the ground beef I have thawed out. It's your choice. Amy will be glad to see you. She has drama practice today, so she won't make it home until almost 5:30. I should be there about the same time."

"Okay, I'm on it. I'll have dinner ready when you get here."

Alex began to think about the dual life she was living as she chopped, measured and mixed their dinner. Monica worked as a paralegal in a large law firm, spending her days processing real estate deals. It suited her. She had always been the straight arrow, the Girl Scout, the responsible one. Alex, on the other hand, was more the free spirit. She had used her inheritance to buy the Winnebago, driving it across the country as the moment struck her. Her life afforded her the luxury of finding and disposing of the despicable; something Monica would never understand. Monica always looked for the good in everyone.

It was ironic that Alex, being the free spirit, would be the sister to bear a child. Amy was already verging on fourteen. Alex originally worked at being a dutiful wife and mother. She had married Jeremy when they were both 21, right after she found out she was pregnant. They finished their last semester of college the month before Amy was born. The family moved a month later when Jeremy was hired on as an architect in San Francisco. They decided Alex would stay home with Amy and start her writing career as a freelancer. It worked for a few years, but Alex soon became bored staying at home and felt she needed to make an impact on the world. When Amy started Kindergarten, the additional free time made it that much worse. Alex threw herself into her writing and found a penchant for researching unsolved crimes. She enjoyed trying to figure out who might be responsible, or why that particular victim was chosen. Mostly she liked figuring out the why.

As often happens in marriages, Alex and Jeremy grew apart. They separated, and Alex moved into an apartment nearby so they could both be part of Amy's life. One day, Alex drove Amy over to Jeremy's house for his weekend with her where she found Jeremy's front door slightly ajar. She locked Amy into the car and used her elbow to open the door wider, calling for Jeremy as she entered. She walked toward the kitchen and found Jeremy propped up awkwardly against the kitchen cabinets. He was surrounded by a pool of blood, a gaping hole in his unmoving chest.

She called the police immediately on her cell phone. Knowing the police always suspect an estranged spouse first, Alex next called Monica asking her to take Amy for the duration. She learned a great deal about police procedures from that dark time in her life. She was now the prime suspect, a central character in an unsolved crime. The fact she was the one to find the body and report it almost put her in handcuffs. It was a good thing that she and Jeremy still respected each other and remained kind in their discussions. They regularly attended Amy's school conferences and plays together. They both supported Amy at soccer practice. As the police spoke to their friends, neighbors, family and co-workers of Jeremy, the police found nothing to implicate Alex. Neither Jeremy nor Alex had started dating anyone new, and the police could find nothing in Alex's writing research that would make either of them a target. After six weeks of running down leads and tips, the police finally admitted they had nothing on Alex. They also had to concede they had nothing on anybody. There were no suspects at all.

Both Alex and Amy were listed as beneficiaries of Jeremy's life insurance, and Alex used the full amount to set up a trust fund for Amy's college expenses. Alex set about selling the house since she and Jeremy hadn't even started divorce proceedings. She managed to sell it quickly for a small profit which she added to the trust fund. The trust fund totaled just over $125,000. With interest accruing over the next ten years, Amy should be able to choose any college she desired without having to worry about financing her Bachelor's. If she chose to go further, she may have to work or borrow, but she was far better off financially than most kids her age.

Alex was pulled back to the present when she heard the mechanical grinding of the garage door opener. She set the table and adjusted the settings on the stove as her sister entered the house.

"Hey, Alex! I'm glad you're here. I always enjoy not having to cook as soon as I get home." Monica loved to tease her sister, but she really did worry about Alex. It didn't seem right for a mother to spend her life on the road, deserting her child for weeks on end. And how safe could that rolling monstrosity in the driveway be? Anyone with a screwdriver could break in, and let's not even mention how easy it would be for a mechanical breakdown to leave her defenseless by the side of the road. Alex was always the risk-taker, though. She seemed to have no fear of anyone or anything.

"Monica! Is that the only reason you're glad to see me? I hope Amy doesn't feel that way." Alex's smile betrayed her hurt look.

Monica perched herself on one of the barstools in the kitchen.

"Amy is growing up fast. She's caught up in all the goings-on at school, so don't be surprised if she doesn't even notice you're here. Sometimes she doesn't even notice if _I'm_ here. She is just like you were... always into everything, always making new friends, nobody a stranger. I always envied you that."

Alex remembered how shy her sister was in high school. She always sat by herself at lunch and never made waves. Chances were, her classmates only remembered her when they see her photo in their yearbook. Alex, on the other hand, was in trouble as often as not. She was almost on a first-name basis with the principal, and met a lot of her friends in detention. The forced study time was well worth it, though. She used that time to get her homework done and managed to keep her grades up. She hadn't been a bad student; she just didn't appreciate the cookie-cutter approach to teaching kids. She ended up Valedictorian and graduated with a full scholarship. Monica struggled a little bit more with her studies and graduated something like tenth in her class which suited her just fine since she wouldn't want to stand on stage to give a speech.

They were so different, yet they complemented each other. Monica could always rely on Alex to step in if there was any kind of confrontation needed. It was Alex who negotiated the price on her sister's house and car, whereas Monica would have just paid the asking price without argument. Alex could rely on Monica to provide Amy the stable environment kids need, leaving Alex free to travel the world.

"It wasn't all it was cracked up to be, you know. I was always the chief suspect every time someone pulled the fire alarm or started a food fight. Now that I'm older and have a kid of my own, I understand how hard it must have been for Mom and Dad, expecting to hear I was in trouble every time the phone rang." They sat in silence for a moment. "I really miss them, Monica."

"Me, too. They've been gone almost seven years, but it still seems like yesterday. I was making a pot roast the other day and almost picked up the phone to invite them over. I wonder if everyone reacts this way, or only family members who don't get closure."

"At least we were able to bury them, even if we don't know who is responsible." Alex remembered the late night call from her sister. Her parents had been driving home from a weekend in Chicago when their car slammed through the guardrail and down a small cliff, killing both instantly. The police said there was absolutely no mechanical reason for them to lose control of the car. Then the autopsy indicated they were both drugged with Benzodiazepine, probably from a common sleeping pill, but no alcohol was found in their systems. The investigators could not locate the source. In the absence of forensic evidence to the contrary, the police concluded the two decided to use the drug on the road, tossing their water bottles along the way.

"I'm still furious the police didn't even look for anyone. Mom and Dad would never do anything so stupid." Monica's hands shook as she absently thumbed through the mail on the counter. Both she and Alex were distracted when they heard a key in the lock.

"Mom!" Amy dropped her books and ran to her mother, leaving the front door standing open. Monica went to close it as Amy brought Alex up to date on the latest gossip at school. She was still at it as they ate.

"Dinner was delicious. You were always such a good cook," Monica said as they cleared the table an hour later.

"Thanks. I figure that's the least I can do when I'm in town. Amy seems so well-adjusted, considering I practically dumped her on you." Amy had excused herself to go work on her homework. Monica and Alex knew Amy's studies would often be interrupted by phone calls and text messages from her friends. They had agreed not to intrude as long as Amy kept her grades up.

"Come on, now. We've talked about this. I love having Amy here, and you would never be happy staying in one place. There's no way you could do the research you do sitting at home. This way, you can travel and write, Amy gets stability, and I have a family at home."

"True, but I still feel like I'm taking advantage of you. Don't you want your freedom so you can find someone for yourself, maybe get married and have a kid of your own?"

Monica glanced up at Alex and then studied the floor, a tell-tale smile beginning on Monica's face.

"What?! Have you met someone?"

"Maybe. I don't know," Monica stammered. "A new guy started working in our office. He's a criminal defense lawyer. He came here from some little town in Pennsylvania. We've bumped into each other getting coffee in the break room."

"Oh, really? What's he look like? Is he married? Has he asked you out?" Alex was happy for her sister, though she hoped this wouldn't turn out like the last time Monica dated someone.

"He's cute enough. He's a little older than I am, and I'm pretty sure he works out. He said he's trying to get back in shape after his divorce. He said he and his wife just didn't work out. It sort of sounded like you and Jeremy."

"Tell me more!"

Monica collected her thoughts for a moment. "He has dark brown hair and the greenest eyes I've ever seen. He has just a little bit of a Southern drawl. His dad was a teacher in Tupelo when Mark was young, but then they moved to Pennsylvania." She paused. "I really like him, Alex. He's a good guy, and I think about him all the time."

"So have you two gone out?" Alex was amused she had to ask this question twice to get an answer.

"Well, no, at least not yet." Monica blushed. "Not that I wouldn't, though."

"Knowing you, he's probably trying to figure out if you'll shut him down if he asks. I mean, it's not like you wear a DATE ME sign around your neck." Alex was torn between protecting Monica and encouraging her to put herself out there in the dating world. "You've got to work it, girl. Let the man know you're interested. Get in the game before some other woman steals him away."

"I know, I know. I just don't know how without looking like I'm desperate."

"Okay, well, let's head upstairs and see what you have in your closet that screams DATE ME." With that, the sisters went to contemplate the contents of Monica's closet.

CHAPTER FIVE

Alex had gone to the guest bedroom around 9:30, telling Monica and Amy that she was exhausted from the drive and needed a good night's rest. She woke up at 4:15 with thoughts of Brad, her parents, and Amy running through her head. She tried going back to sleep, but grew frustrated when it eluded her.

_I might as well make use of the time,_ Alex thought, sitting up and pulling her laptop close. She opened up Ixquick, an internet browser service that doesn't record IP addresses or use tracking cookies. This was especially helpful when she sometimes had to research how bombs are made, or her stories about serial killers. She started with Florida newspapers and when they didn't prove fruitful, moved on to Georgia. Next was South Carolina, and that was when she heard Amy start to take her shower.

Alex threw on a robe and headed downstairs to make breakfast. Monica joined her in the kitchen wearing a V-neck sweater which showed off all the right curves without being unprofessional. The deep cranberry red color brought out the natural pink hue in her cheeks, taking a few years off her face. She wore tailored black slacks and carried a black suede blazer over one shoulder. Her wavy black hair was left loose around her shoulders.

"Wow!" Alex was impressed that Monica took her suggestions to heart. Monica would usually lose her nerve overnight. This new guy was evidently different.

"Sweet!" Amy came down the stairs behind Monica. "Who are you trying to impress?"

"Nobody. Your mother just gave me some ideas on how to freshen up my look is all." Monica's cheeks turned more pink, giving her fib away.

"Yeah, right. Who is he?"

Monica gave Amy the basics and told her not to expect any romance. "We haven't even had lunch together."

"You will after he gets a load of those threads!" Amy turned to her mother. "I've got to go. We have an assembly this morning and I need to get there a little early. Good luck with your new beau, Aunt Monica! Mom, will you be here tonight, too?" Was that a flash of pleading Alex saw in Amy's eyes?

"You bet. I'll be here for a few days, at least. Do you want me to take you to school?"

"Nah. Meghan's mom is driving us today." They heard a car horn and Amy said, "That's them. Later!" She darted out the door, at least remembering to close it this time.

"That girl is always on the run. Is she like that when I'm not around?"

"Yep. Never stops. But she's really responsible and good about making whatever arrangements she needs to make to get where she needs to be. Once she gets her driver's license, we'll probably never see her again."

Monica took a last sip of her coffee and thanked Alex for breakfast.

"You paid for the food, you know. I just heat it up."

"I know," Monica said, "but you have no idea how nice it is to let someone else worry about cooking for a change." She smiled at her sister. "And I know Amy loves having you here, too. Why don't you think about sticking around for a few months this time? You know you're always welcome."

"Maybe I will. I haven't decided. I'm still looking for the next story."

"Well, if you need to run any errands, I drove your Mustang Monday. It needs gas." Monica ducked as Alex threw a dishcloth at her head and missed by a mile.

"Thanks a heap! Seriously, though, I appreciate you starting her up every so often. At least she isn't dry rotting while I'm on the road without her." Monica's house was her only home base. Once Jeremy's house sold, Alex broke her lease and moved back across country. She rented an apartment about a mile from her parents. It was just under two years later that she found herself selling their home after the so-called accident. When the estate was settled and the insurance money dispersed, Monica bought this house while Alex bought her first motorhome. She traded that one in last year for a new one to keep repairs to a minimum.

Monica tossed Alex an "Anytime!" as she headed out the door. Alex went back to work researching South Carolina newspapers. She moved up the coast to North Carolina and beyond. She finally unearthed an interesting article in The Narragansett Times.

Woman Hospitalized After Date Rape Attempt by Robin Leahy – Margaret Meadows, 43, of Eulate was hospitalized after she escaped from an alleged attacker on Tuesday. Ms. Meadows stated that she accepted a drink from a man at a bar near the county line. She began to feel ill after taking a few sips of the drink. The man offered to take her to the hospital, but instead drove her to a secluded area where he allegedly attacked her. She broke free when two teenagers in a truck drove up behind the attacker's vehicle. The 17-year-old male came to Ms. Meadows' defense, and the alleged attacker drove off. The two teenagers then drove Ms. Meadows to the hospital. The police are on the lookout for the man, described as a white male, medium build, 40-50 years of age, dark hair and eyes, driving an SUV, possibly red or maroon."

Alex printed out the article and continued her search of digital newspapers throughout the East Coast. She found several other reports of attacks, but none that stood out as premeditated. It was getting late in the day, so she shut down the computer and started dinner.

When Amy arrived home, Alex spoke with her about the living arrangements. Alex was concerned Amy would resent her for not being available like her friends' mothers.

"Really, Mom, I'm okay. I know you have to travel for work, and I can't do that and go to school. Someday I'll choose my own way. I may travel or I may not, but it will be my decision. As for right now, I like staying with Monica. She's cool. We're a different kind of family, but we're family." Amy certainly didn't seem to resent Alex's choices.

"Well, Honey, you know I love you and if you ever get to a point that you don't want to stay here anymore, you let me know. In the meantime, keep me posted on when your parent-teacher conferences are coming up so I can be here. Same goes for any other events you want me to attend. You know I'll be here if I possibly can." Alex still felt guilty, but Amy didn't take advantage of it.

"It's okay, Mom. Go do your thing." Amy paused. Alex could tell she was struggling for words to say something important. Amy finally continued. "But I do have one request."

"What's that? Just ask."

"Could you maybe take me on one of your trips? Like, this summer maybe? I don't care where, but it would give me an idea of what you do while you're gone. It would be a good learning experience, too!"

Alex wasn't sure how to respond. She wanted to chuckle because it was obvious Amy had rehearsed the part about the educational benefit. On the other hand, she also knew that with Amy along, she would have to play it safe and restrict the trip to research and writing.

"We'll see, Honey. It would be nice to have some company, but living on the road isn't all fun and games. I wouldn't want to have to worry about you getting in trouble or being bored to tears while I work."

Amy's face fell and her eyes moistened just a little. "Okay, Mom. I understand. I wouldn't be any trouble but I don't want to get in your way."

"Let me think about it. I sometimes spend hours in libraries, or speaking with witnesses and police officers, so I would need to figure out how to keep you entertained. I'll see if I can figure out a way for you to join me, okay?" Alex hated to see her little girl unhappy, but she wanted to protect Amy from what she did on her little trips.

They both turned to look toward the door to the garage as Monica came in, flushed and excited. "He asked me out! Oh, Alex! He asked me out and I said YES!" She giddily twirled in the kitchen.

Alex and Amy both congratulated her, clamoring for more details.

"There's nothing to tell yet. We bumped into each other in the break room and I could tell he liked the view. He said he had been wanting to ask me something. The next thing I know, he asked if I would be interested in showing him some of the restaurants in town. His treat. That sounds like a date to me!"

Alex chuckled at her sister's delight. "It sounds to me like he's planning on more than just one date. By the way, does this guy have a name?

Amy laughed and said, "Yeah! We don't even know his name. And Mom's right. You're going out a lot unless you two plan to visit a bunch of restaurants all in one night. Way to go, Aunt Monica!"

It had been a very long time since Alex had seen her sister so happy. Her eyes absolutely sparkled as she said with a sigh, "His name is Mark Bauer, and I really, really like him!"

CHAPTER SIX

Saturday was filled with shopping for Monica's new date outfit. Alex and Amy also helped Monica put together a list of local restaurants Mark might enjoy, choosing different cuisines and price ranges. Mark picked her up at 7:00, and had her home by 11:30. By all accounts, the date was a success. He asked her out for the following Friday night. Monica enthusiastically agreed.

Mark had seemed pleasant when he was introduced to Alex and Amy, and had seemed to respect Monica. He opened her car door and waited while she settled in so that he could also close it for her. Still, Alex spent the next couple of days researching Monica's new love interest. He had looked vaguely familiar when they met. She found no red flags, only information backing up what Monica had said. Considering Monica hadn't had the best luck with men, Alex was pleased nothing stood out needing further investigation. She could never tell Monica she had pried into Mark's background; however, she would never forgive herself if anything happened to her sister.

Satisfied she had nothing to worry about on the home front, Alex made a series of phone calls to Rhode Island from a cheap no-contract phone. She always used a burner phone when she investigated a possible attack. You never knew who might keep a number, and she didn't want anything to tie her to the area.

Alex first tried calling Margaret Meadows, who was evidently screening her calls or staying with friends or family. Alex could only get the answering machine. She left a message, though, giving the burner phone number and her name as Phyllis Carroll, a writer from Chicago working on a story about date rape.

Alex then called the local police, who provided "Phyllis" the name of the bar Ms. Meadows had visited. They wouldn't provide any additional information on the attacker. They did, however, agree to give her name and phone number to the two teenagers who rescued Ms. Meadows, stating they would not be held responsible if the teens agreed for their names to be used in the article.

She called the local hospital, but true to past experience, they would "neither confirm nor deny" any information about Meadows, her condition, nor the attack. Alex even tried to coax one of the nurses by explaining she just wanted to enlighten the public so no one else would fall victim, but the nurse refused to cave in and give her any other details. _Thanks a lot, HIPAA,_ Alex thought as she hung up.

Her last call was to Robin Leahy, the reporter whose byline appeared on the article in The Narragansett Times. Robin didn't give her anything more, either. She wouldn't give Alex the names of the teenagers, but said the police were good about passing along requests from the press to victims and minors. As Alex expected, Robin started to pump her for the angle of the story Phyllis was writing, hinting that she would like a mention or maybe a byline. Alex told her there wouldn't be a story unless someone came forward with more information. She told Robin she would be in touch if the teens or Meadows contacted her, but otherwise the story was dead. Alex hoped that would be the last she heard of Leahy. The last thing she needed was a nosy reporter looking into Phyllis Carroll's background.

\----------

Later that week, Amy told Monica and Alex about her role as Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew, and asked them to attend the Saturday night performance. Afterwards, they teased Amy about how convincing the boy who played Lucentio had been.

"I think Lucentio was truly smitten with Amy," Monica teased.

Alex joined in the fun. "Our little girl is all grown up. She's being chased by all the boys!"

"You're one to talk, Aunt Monica! You never told us how your date went last night. And Mom! He's just playing a role; he's _supposed_ to be convincing! I am NOT being chased. We're just friends."

Before they went to bed, Alex again brought up the subject of dating with Amy. "You will tell me when you start to date, right? Fourteen is a bit young to worry about settling down for a lifetime, but I know kids your age are a lot more pressured than we were."

"You're not going to write a story about my dating life, are you?"

"Don't be silly. I just don't want to turn around and find you walking down the aisle without me." Alex kissed her daughter's forehead and Amy gave her mother a hug in return.

"You'll know, Mom. And thanks for coming to the play tonight. I know you don't normally hang around this long but it was nice to see you in the audience."

"I wouldn't miss it for anything, Amy. You are far too important to me." Alex hesitated, then added, "But you do know I need to head out again for work, right? I thought I might leave Monday while you're at school." Alex usually tried to time her departures for when everyone else was gone. It seemed to reduce the tears and farewells when her sister and daughter were involved in their own lives.

"Yeah, I knew this was coming, I just didn't know when. How long will you be gone this time?"

"It depends on my sources, just like every other time. I could be back in a few days or two weeks. I wish I could be more specific, but I simply don't know."

Amy gave her mother a nod and said, "Well, you'll be missed. You always are. It's fun having you around."

\----------

Alex got dressed as soon as the house was empty Monday morning. She slid behind the wheel of her Mustang and heard it purr as the engine idled. A few miles later, Alex heard the familiar low growl of the engine as she accelerated from the entrance ramp to the freeway. She would often shop for groceries near Monica's house, but today's errands meant a drive at least an hour away.

She stopped at a mall in Columbus. She found some jeans in one store that fit like tights, showing off her long legs and narrow waist. Another store provided a nice selection of sweaters and tops that showed more décolletage than she felt comfortable showing. She chose a black top and a red sweater that gave her just a bit more curve than God intended.

She purchased a pair of black knee-high boots at a shoe store. Her next stop was a wig shop. She told the owner that she was looking for a wig for her mother, who had gone through chemo and lost most of her hair. Alex selected a short, curly not-quite-black wig and thanked the woman for her help.

On her way back to Monica's, Alex stopped at a discount store. She found a steak knife that didn't look like it would fall apart right away. To make it look innocent, she also bought a cutting board and a few mixing spoons.

Alex always paid for her supplies with cash. She discarded all the receipts and tags in different trash cans along the drive back, and took time at Monica's to wash the clothes. She also washed the knife, making sure she eliminated her fingerprints. While she waited for the clothes to dry, she cut a piece of cardboard long enough to hold the blade of the knife and hot-glued it low enough inside her right boot so that the knife handle wouldn't be visible.

She loaded her purchases in the Winnebago and returned to the house. Alex wrote a quick note each for Monica and Amy. She told Monica to email or call her with updates on the romance with Mark, and wrapped the note around $500 for Amy's expenses.

The note to Amy included another apology for having to leave yet again, and promised to give some thought to bringing her along on a trip over the summer. Guilt about leaving almost made her change her mind, but Alex was convinced her mission was necessary. She just hoped her daughter would never need to understand.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The miles passed quickly as Alex headed toward Rhode Island. It was so much faster to travel these days than when she and Monica were kids. She remembered their dad driving along the highways and their mom struggling to read the map as they bounced along. Now she could simply type in an address on a GPS (or talk to a cell phone) and turn-by-turn directions were provided every time she needed them.

The sun was setting in the Winnebago's side mirrors when Alex found the RV campground near Narragansett. Eulate was another 25 miles or more away, but Alex specifically chose this campground because of its proximity to a storage facility. She was in luck, eyeing a camper and a motorcycle as she drove past.

Anyone who really knew Alex would describe her as upbeat. She was always up for fun, and she chose ringtones that would always bring a smile to those who heard them. When Monica called, Sister Sledge belted out "We are Family". Amy's calls were announced with "Your Song" by Elton John. Any unrecognized number prompted "Don't Bother Me" by The Beatles.

That's why Alex was stumped when she heard a basic office phone ringing after she had parked her motorhome. She then thought of her burner phone and quickly answered it just before the call went to voicemail.

"Phyllis speaking," Alex stated, trying not to sound out of breath from rummaging for the phone.

"Ms. Carroll? My name is Justin Lieberman. I'm the one who helped that lady that was attacked. The police told me you called."

"Yes, Justin! Thank you for calling me back. Did your parents tell you it was okay to call me?" Alex wanted to treat the call as if it were a legitimate request for a story. Since Justin was a minor, she felt she should at least ask if his parents were on board with her speaking to him, or whether he was just a teen looking for notoriety.

"Yes, Ma'am. They told me to tell you not to use my name, but that I should help you any way I can. I don't want anybody else to end up like that woman. She looked awful!" Alex was pleased at Justin's response.

"Don't worry, Justin. I'm just looking for any information that wasn't already reported. I'm doing a major piece about how women can protect themselves, and I want to use examples from real-life showing what can happen if women aren't prepared. I won't use your name, or Ms. Meadows' for that matter."

"What do you want to know? I'll help if I can." Justin sounded like a really decent kid. She hoped he wouldn't grow up to be another Brad. Somehow, Alex didn't think he would.

"Well, Justin, can you describe the man you saw, his SUV, or anything else from that night?" Alex pushed for any information to help her identify the attacker when she saw him. She also asked Justin about the location where they found Ms. Meadows, the time of night, and Ms. Meadows' condition when they took her to the hospital.

Alex was happy to hear that the attacker had not pulled a gun on the teens. He simply gave up the fight and scurried away like the rat she knew he had to be. After she pulled as much information from Justin as she could, she ended the call by telling him how encouraging it was to know there were good guys like him in the world.

"I have a daughter who isn't old enough to date yet, but when she is, I hope she finds someone like you."

Alex could almost hear the boy blush.

"Thank you, Ma'am. I just couldn't drive off and leave that woman. She could have been someone's mom!"

"Thank you, Justin. I think I have all I need, but if you remember anything else, please don't hesitate to call me again." Alex hung up the phone and then immediately set up the voicemail greeting to indicate the caller had reached Phyllis Carroll and to please leave a message. She also changed the ring tone to Shawn Colvin's "Sunny Came Home".

She thought she had inadvertently played the ringtone by accident when she heard "Sunny Came Home" as she set the phone down. The display showed a number she vaguely recognized, and she answered as Phyllis once again.

"Ms. Carroll? This is Margaret Meadows. How can I help you?"

"Ms. Meadows! Thank you for returning my call! First of all, I would like to tell you how sorry I am about your recent experience. No one should have to go through anything like that."

"Thank you, Ms. Carroll. I must say, I'm really not happy that my name was in the newspaper. I just want to forget that it ever happened, but I don't think I ever will." Ms. Meadows' voice broke as she spoke, and Alex was afraid Meadows would start to cry. Interviews were always so much more difficult when the victims cried.

"Let me assure you, Ms. Meadows. I have no intention of making matters worse for you. My goal is to help other women avoid the same situation. Your story is important. Don't worry, though, I'll change your name so no one will know it's you."

"I want to meet you, Ms. Carroll. I hope you understand I can't trust anyone right now. I don't mean to insult you, but I have no reason to trust you, either. If I get any notion that you're not on the up-and-up, the interview will be over. Do you understand?" Ms. Meadows was stronger than Alex first thought. This was definitely a good thing.

"Yes, I understand. I've met several women who have had similar experiences, and they feel just like you do. I understand completely."

They elected to meet at 2:00 the next day at The Towers of Narragansett. Ms. Meadows agreed to wear a bright green scarf so that Alex would be able to spot her as she sat near the fountain. Now all Alex had to do was figure out how to get there.

\----------

It was dark when Alex headed to the storage yard. It was about a quarter of a mile from the campground, and Alex was able to get there by walking in the dry drainage ditch that ran behind the properties. She passed the storage area in case anyone saw her when she climbed back up. She certainly didn't want anyone associating the "storage yard thief" with the campground.

She pulled bolt cutters out of her backpack and began to cut the fence behind the stored camper. Quietly she worked, listening for any movement within the storage yard. She was prepared if the yard used dogs, but she didn't want to have to leave any evidence that someone had broken in.

Once she had cut a hole in the fence, she slipped through and took the license plate from the camper. She then examined the motorcycle and found nothing to prevent her from taking it. She steered it through the fence and put the fence back in place, using wire to fasten it so that no one would notice the fence had been cut. She walked the motorcycle along the edge of the drainage ditch farther away from the campground until she found some trees with quite a bit of undergrowth. The trees were about a half mile from the campground, and would hide the motorcycle until she needed it.

She headed back to the drainage ditch and moved quickly to the campground, making her way to her Winnebago. She quickly traded out the Winnebago's legal license tag for the stolen one before she went inside. She turned in early, expecting a full night's sleep.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The clouds looked like dirty quilt batting hanging low in the sky when Alex awoke Wednesday morning. She pulled out her laptop and checked the local weather. It wasn't supposed to rain, but it didn't look like the sun would come out either. While she was already on her laptop, she checked the local papers for any new reports of attacks and found none. She was just getting ready to take her shower when she heard the familiar chords of "Sunny Came Home".

"Phyllis Carroll here," she answered, expecting Margaret Meadows to respond, possibly to cancel the day's meeting. It wasn't unusual for a victim or source to reconsider overnight.

"Uh, Ms. Carroll?"

This wasn't a 43-year-old calling. It was a much younger voice. "Yes?"

"Um, my name is Rebecca. I was with Justin when we found that lady that was hurt." Rebecca sounded unsure of herself. Alex had heard some of her daughter's friends use the same hesitation, ending each sentence with an upward lilt, turning statements into questions. The caller was supposedly seventeen. Even at fourteen, Amy sounded more confident.

"Rebecca, thank you for calling me. I'm writing an article about how women can protect themselves and wanted to use some real-life examples. I've spoken with Justin already, but would love to ask you some questions as well. First of all, do you parents know you're speaking to me?"

"Yes. At first they didn't want me to, but Justin said you wouldn't use my name."

"That's right, Rebecca. I'm not going to use anyone's real name. You don't have to worry." Alex tried to sound as soothing and reassuring as she could.

"I try not to think about that night, but I'll try to remember for you. What do you need to know?" It sounded as though the last thing Rebecca wanted to do was relive that night.

"I understand, and I'll try to keep this brief for you. I want you to think about when you first drove up behind the SUV. Do you remember anything at all about it?" Alex already had Justin's descriptions, but they weren't a lot of help. Justin was more a man of action, not an observer. Perhaps asking Rebecca to walk through what happened would provide more information.

"I remember we were driving along Wampanoag Road and saw a red car stopped on the right-hand side. Justin and I don't get much time alone, and Wampanoag is usually pretty deserted at night. It leads to a couple of warehouses and barns and things, not much else."

"Do you remember anything else about the car?"

"I think it was a Ford, maybe an Explorer or Expedition? Ex-, Ex- ... something like that." Rebecca was trying hard to help.

"Do you remember any letters or numbers from the license plate? Was it a Rhode Island plate?"

"Yeah, I remember seeing the wave on it. The first two letters were RP. I remember because those are my initials. Hey! I didn't know I remembered that!"

"Do you remember anything else? Any of the numbers? Was there any damage to the car? Anything that stands out at all?" Rebecca was doing so well, Alex pushed as gently but firmly as she could.

"No, no numbers. Sorry." Rebecca thought for a moment. "Wait a minute. This guy had a bumper sticker on the back. It was torn and I couldn't really read it, but it was one of those 'My Kid is an Honor Student' ones. I couldn't see the school, though."

"Can you describe the red color of the SUV? Was it maroon? Tomato red? More orange?"

"It was hard to tell. It was dark and Justin's headlights weren't aimed high enough. I would say more maroon than orange, though."

"You're doing great, Rebecca. Now, walk me through what happened when you pulled up. What else did you see?"

"When we were driving up, the passenger door flew open and a woman fell out of the car. And then a guy crawled out the same side and would've landed right on top of her but she had rolled over and was trying to get away. She saw us and started waving us down. Then the guy came up behind her and started to strangle her. That's when Justin slammed on the brakes and grabbed his tire iron from the back of truck. He told me to lock the doors and stay inside, and then he started running toward them and yelling for the guy to back off. The guy saw Justin and pushed the woman toward him and ran to his car and drove off. Justin tried to catch the woman but she kind of knocked him down. He got her up and helped her to the truck, and we drove her to the hospital. She had some bad scrapes, and was having trouble catching her breath."

Alex was getting quite a bit of information from Rebecca, and tried for a bit more. "Try to picture the man. Describe him to me as best you can, okay, Honey?"

"Well....," Rebecca hesitated. "He looked a lot like my dad, but not so much."

Alex was confused. "What do you mean, Rebecca?"

"He looked, you know, ... old."

Trying not to chuckle, Alex asked, "Okay, but can you tell me anything else? Did he look like a weightlifter, for instance?"

"No way! He had a beer belly, but not a big one. He wasn't real tall, but bigger than the woman. And his hair was dark but I couldn't see the exact color. He was wearing old blue jeans, and a button-down shirt that was maybe white or light blue or yellow. That's all I remember, really."

"Did you see his feet? What kind of shoes was he wearing? Was he wearing a watch? A ring or other jewelry?"

"Oh! He was wearing tennis shoes, but I don't remember what brand. I couldn't see enough of them to tell. And I didn't see any other jewelry, but he was wearing a bulky watch on his right arm. I thought that was odd because most people wear them on their left. Does that mean anything?" Rebecca's eagerness to help had become an eagerness to learn more.

"Probably not, Rebecca. You've been a really big help though. You have my phone number if you do remember anything else. Just give me a call, okay?" Alex knew when it was time to cut loose a source. Writers walk a fine line trying to get information without giving any.

"Well, okay, Ms. Carroll. You helped me remember a whole lot more than I did when the police came by. Do you think I should call them and tell them?"

Alex thought hard for a moment. She suspected that in the police world, all that was out there right now was a BOLO, short for Be On the Look Out, for the red SUV with an older white guy. She really didn't want them to start investigating deeper, looking for someone with the specifics Rebecca had given. However, telling Rebecca to not report it would make Alex look suspicious and may lead back to "Phyllis Carroll". Once they found out Phyllis didn't exist, they may start looking at similar crimes across the country. Alex couldn't take that risk.

"I'll tell you what, Rebecca. Rather than you having to explain why you didn't tell them this up front, I'm meeting with Ms. Meadows later and I'll drive by the police station after that. I'll give them the details and not let them know where they came from. That will keep you from looking like you withheld information, and keep you out of trouble. How does that sound?"

"Would you? That would be terrific. I don't want to get into any trouble." Rebecca was relieved. Alex knew this tactic seldom failed. If she suggested someone would be in trouble for doing something and offered them a way out, they usually took it.

"I would be happy to help you out. You've really helped me, you know. One good turn deserves another." Alex was pleased with how helpful Rebecca had been. More importantly, she was going to keep quiet.

\----------

It was around noon when Alex left her Winnebago. She waved to several campers as she left the park. They thought nothing of the blond girl going for a jog. As she neared the trees where the motorcycle was stashed, she looked around and saw a car coming toward her. She slowed down and let it pass by. Once it was over the next rise and could no longer see her, she dashed into the trees and knelt beside the motorcycle. She unfastened the fanny pack around her waist and pulled out the curly wig. She put it on, pushing her blond ponytail underneath. She checked how she looked in the mirror of her compact and made a couple of quick adjustments before anchoring it in place with bobby-pins. She added a baseball cap turned backwards, the wig barely peaking out around the edges. She pulled some speaker wire out of her fanny pack and circumvented the ignition. The two-wheeler coughed and sputtered a moment, then roared to life. She checked the road, which was still clear, and walked the motorcycle out of the trees. She threw her leg over the seat and lifted the kick-stand with her heel. Taking another quick look and seeing no traffic, she rode the motorcycle up onto the street and headed toward Narragansett.

A GPS would have been nice, but Alex had looked up the directions to The Towers before she left her Winnebago. As she neared the beach, The Towers were easy to spot. The granite turrets with their shingled spires stood royally above the surrounding terrain. Alex parked along Ocean Road, took off the cap and stowed it in her fanny pack. She made sure her wig was still in place and headed toward the fountain. She admired the view of the pristine grounds leading toward the Atlantic. Sailboats filled with families and couples skimmed the white-tops with the aid of the ocean wind.

Finding Ms. Meadows proved easy since it was the middle of the week. There was a family of five on one side of the fountain and a woman seated alone on the other side. The woman looked to be in her forties. Her white blouse and yellow capris were a little tight, but she looked like she made a good effort at keeping the mid-life spread at bay. The woman's red hair hung in waves down below her shoulders. As with most red-heads in spring, the woman's skin was pale. Alex double-checked and the woman was wearing an almost fluorescent green scarf around her neck. She pulled out a micro-recorder and took a few deep breaths as she prepared herself for the coming interview.

"Ms. Meadows? I'm Phyllis Carroll," Alex tried to look both friendly but concerned. "I'm so glad you came. I know how difficult this is for you."

"Do you, Ms. Carroll? I'm not sure you do." Meadows used a rough approach to keep Alex at a safe distance. Alex was not surprised.

"Ms. Meadows, I'm sorry. You are absolutely right. There is no way I could know how you feel about what happened. I do know, however, that I am appalled that the scum who hurt you is free to hurt other women. I do know you didn't deserve what happened to you. And I do know that other women need to learn how to avoid being attacked. But you are right, I don't know how you feel."

Alex could see a slight shift in Meadows' demeanor as she relaxed her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"That's okay, Ms. Meadows. Every woman I've met under these circumstances has been a bit less than open and friendly. No offense taken." Alex paused and looked directly in Margaret Meadows' eyes for emphasis. "Would you like to sit here or go elsewhere to talk?"

The family of five must have overheard some of their conversation and started to leave. Meadows looked around and saw them walking toward the beach. "We can stay here, at least for now."

Alex turned on the recorder and set it down between them. She looked expectantly at Meadows, and received a nod of agreement to record the interview. She began by telling Meadows about other attacks to help her feel less self-conscious about having fallen victim. She asked how the man had approached her, how he had managed to slip something into her drink, and for any identifying marks the man might have had. Alex also asked about the vehicle and how she managed to escape.

She gleaned a few tidbits of information only someone at the bar or in the SUV would know. The discussion was worthwhile, yet Alex felt Meadows was holding back. Alex understood that victims had a difficult time coming to terms with their attacks, especially if it came from someone they knew. There was always self-doubt, a niggling thought that perhaps something they had done had caused the attack. Telling them it wasn't their fault seldom helped.

Alex still wanted to hear from the victim herself, though this was not always possible. She had been surprised when she first started looking into crimes at how many women are killed by their attackers. Rape by itself seemed to be less frequent these days as rapists turned to murder in hopes of avoiding prosecution, or perhaps that was just Alex's interpretation of what she saw reported. Only Meadows' attacker knew whether he initially planned to kill her or not, or if the attack simply escalated because she had broken free before he did what he wanted to her.

Ms. Meadows showed Alex the reason she chose a scarf as the way to be identified. She loosened the scarf and pulled it down so that Alex could see the bruises. Fat stripes of blue, purple and green wrapped around Meadows' neck. Alex winced and subconsciously swallowed hard as she couldn't help but imagine how it must have felt to have her airway cut off by a madman, her lungs screaming for air.

"I am lucky to be alive, Ms. Carroll. If those two kids had waited even five minutes before driving down that road, I wouldn't be here to speak with you."

CHAPTER NINE

Alex rode the motorcycle around Washington County looking for out-of-the-way bars and roads trying to figure out where Meadows' attacker would strike next. She then rode inland toward Kingston. She found a wig shop and purchased a shoulder-length, wavy red-haired wig this time, again "for her mother who has cancer". It was getting late in the day as she neared her campsite. Alex hid the motorcycle in the stand of trees, removed her curly dark wig and stashed both wigs in her fanny pack before jogging back to her camper. She saw only one person outside and was pleased it wasn't anyone she had seen hours earlier as she left the campground.

Entering her Winnebago, she freshened up and started dinner. As the can of soup was heating, she checked her cell phones for messages. There was nothing on the burner phone, but she had two voicemails on her permanent phone.

"Hi, Mom!" Amy's voice always sounded so cheerful when she left a voicemail message. "I know you're busy, but I wanted to say hi and see how your article is coming along." She followed that up with some unexpected news. "You should see Aunt Monica! She is really happy with Mark. He is taking her out three times this week."

Alex still had mixed feelings about Monica's love life. She was glad Monica had found someone, but maybe they were moving too fast. Mark had gone from not asking her out to three dates this week. Alex made a mental note to do some more checking on Mark's background.

Amy ended her message in her usual fashion. "Bye, Mom. Love you!"

The next message made Alex's heart skip a beat.

"Ms. Warren? Alex, I mean?" She recognized the voice immediately. "This is Officer Buckley." Alex had stopped breathing for a moment. She sat down to listen to the rest of the message, afraid of what she might hear.

"I just wanted to check back with you to make sure you are okay." _Good,_ Alex thought, _maybe he just took my flirting a little too seriously._ Alex relaxed a bit as the message continued. "I'm at a seminar and thought we might get together for dinner or a drink tonight. I'm only in town the one night. I'm sorry for the short notice but another officer was supposed to attend and got sick at the last moment. I volunteered to take her place. I was hoping maybe you would agree to see me while I'm in town."

_Oh, crap! Buckley must be in San Francisco. If he goes by my old address and starts asking questions...._ Alex couldn't finish the thought. Another thought came to her just as quickly. _Darn! He was really cute! I wish I could have been there!_

Buckley left his phone number and Alex found it on her cell's call log. She had missed his call by about a half hour. She took a deep breath to calm herself and hit 'redial' on her phone. The first ring had barely started when she heard an anxious, "Hello?"

"Officer Buckley? It's Alex Warren." She wasn't sure what voice to use, so she went with polite. "I just listened to your voicemail. I'm so sorry I missed your call."

"Call me Kyle, and that's okay, Alex. I know you weren't expecting me to call, let alone for me to be in town. Heck, even I didn't expect it."

Alex chuckled appropriately. "Well, that's the thing. I wish I had known you were visiting the San Francisco area. I would have made sure I was in town. You see, I'm in Chicago right now. There's no way I could meet you for dinner. I'm so sorry." _Thank goodness for cell phones,_ Alex thought, _he has no idea where I really am._

"Oh." Alex plainly heard the disappointment in his voice. "I understand. I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have expected you to be here. I'll let you go."

"Maybe next time, okay?" Alex could have kicked herself for speaking before she thought it through.

"Sure, but I don't know when that will be. You have a good evening."

"You, too. Hey, Kyle! What part of town are you in? Maybe I could suggest a restaurant near you." Again Alex couldn't believe what she was saying. Could it be she really liked this guy?

"That's okay, I'll just grab some room service or something. Thanks anyway. It was nice speaking with you again. Take care." Alex heard a click and then her display went blank.

_Whew, catastrophe averted,_ Alex thought. Her soup was beginning to scorch.

After he hung up, Kyle looked at the notepad where he had written Alex's contact information. He decided he didn't want to miss the perfect opportunity to surprise her and picked up the keys to his rental car. He had passed a nursery on his way to the hotel, so he headed back in that direction. He picked out a rosebush with peach buds, placing it in the floor of the passenger side. He typed her address in his GPS and headed there.

He arrived at the house and carried the rosebush to the back patio. He was startled when he saw a little boy's face in the window. "Hello, there!" Kyle didn't want to frighten the boy.

"Mom!" Kyle heard the little boy scream at the top of his lungs as he dashed somewhere inside the house. A few moments later, a woman appeared in the window. It certainly wasn't Alex.

"Who are you? Get off my property!" The woman was frightened. "I'll call the cops!"

"Ma'am, I'm so sorry. I am a policeman." He had raised his voice to be heard through the window. He took out his police ID and held it up for the woman to see. "I didn't mean to frighten you, Ma'am. I had this address for a friend of mine, Alex Warren, and was just bringing her a gift."

"Alex Warren? She hasn't lived here since her husband died. My husband and I bought the place from her years ago. You've got some really old information there, Officer."

Kyle was dumbstruck. "But she gave me this address a couple weeks ago. It was on her driver's license." He wasn't sure what else to say. "Do you have any idea where she moved to?"

The woman shook her head. "Sorry, last I heard she was moving back home. East, somewhere. Illinois? Ohio? That's it! Ohio. No telling where she is now, though."

"I am so sorry to have bothered you. Thank you for your help. Please, keep the rosebush as my apology." He turned and left, a million questions buzzing in his mind. Who was this Alex Warren, and why would she lie to the police?

\----------

Alex ate what she could of the scorched soup. She called Amy to stay in touch, and asked if she had heard anything more about Mark's background. Monica hadn't told Amy anything new, but Alex still wanted to dig a little deeper into Mark's past.

She decided she needed to earn her keep and spent the next few hours creating content for several clients with blogs. She had three emails requesting articles. Two were for travel agencies and one was for a chain of RV parks. Oddly enough, the chain owned the park where she was currently a guest. It didn't take her very long to find the information she needed online. A little condensing and rewriting, and new content was ready for submission.

It was only 9:00, so Alex set an alarm for an hour and dozed off.

Strains of "We Are Family" woke Alex just after she dozed off. "Hi, Monica! I hear you and Mark are becoming quite an item!" Alex turned off the alarm. _No need for that now,_ she thought.

"Hey, Alex! How's it going?" Monica's voice was just a little too upbeat for such a mundane topic.

"I'm fine. Work is fine. I hear you and Mark are fine, too." Alex hinted again, hoping Monica would provide additional details about the new lawyer.

"Well, that's sort of why I'm calling. Everything is going great with Mark. We've gotten to know each other a lot better, and it's amazing how much we have in common. It is wonderful to have someone to share my hopes and dreams with!"

"You've moved past food to hopes and dreams? Are you sure you two aren't moving a bit too fast?" Alex's protective nature was getting the better of her. She knew that relationships move a lot faster now than they did when she met Jeremy, but it hadn't even been a week since Mark first asked Monica out.

"Oh, that's hilarious, Alex. No, not too fast. But we talk all the time and I think he really cares about me. And besides, you're the one who told me I needed to encourage him."

"So you're going to throw that in my face, are you?" Alex was trying to lighten the mood of the conversation. "I should have known you wouldn't forget that."

Monica laughed. "Of course not! That's what sisters are for...to throw things in each others' faces!"

Alex chuckled. "You started to say something about why you were calling. Was it just to remind me of how wonderful Mark is?"

"Oh! That's right! I called because the partners decided to take all the lawyers and paralegals on a team-building event. They set it up at a camp about an hour from here. There's a ropes course and everything."

"Really? Those penny-pinchers are willing to spend that kind of money on their minions? I am completely shocked!" Alex chuckled. She often teased Monica about needing to find a job where she could get a raise now and then.

Monica laughed in response. "I know! I couldn't believe it, either! Here's the thing, though. It's scheduled for Friday and Saturday of next week. We'll come home late Saturday night.

"Are you kidding me? They're actually going to pay you for a day away from work? Is there mass hysteria going on between the partners?"

"No, no hysteria," Monica managed to get out through her laughter. She missed this ... laughing with her sister over silly things. "But going on this bonding expedition means I get to see more of Mark, and who knows? We may just bond! Besides, the trip is pretty much mandatory. They said we need to have a doctor's note to get out of it."

"That sounds more like the partners we all know and love. Forced bonding. I get it now that you tell me they are ordering you to go, like that's going to build the team. Oh, it will build the team...they will all join together against one enemy \-- the one holding them captive on their free time!" Alex never had a lot of respect for lawyers, and Monica had relayed enough stories about her law firm's partners to make her skin crawl. They paid the paralegals a flat salary and made them work sixty or more hours a week, while the partners billed a lot of the hours at lawyer rates so they could rake in the profit. Alex didn't think it was legal, and definitely not ethical. Monica seemed to be happy there, though, especially now that Mark had joined the practice.

Monica was still laughing. "So, Alex, can you come back to town next weekend to be here for Amy? If not, I'll have to check with the mothers of Amy's friends to see if she can spend the night. I know she's old enough and responsible enough to spend a night alone, but I'm not keen on us both being out of town and unavailable."

"I'll make it happen, don't you worry. I know you have been dreaming about going to camp since you were a kid." Alex may have to make a return trip to Narragansett, but she didn't want to cause any problems for Monica.

"Alex, you are the best! Any idea when you'll be here?"

Alex gave it some thought and promised to be there no later than Thursday. "That way, you'll know I'm there to take over before you go. You can forget all about your responsibilities and feel free to bond with Mark all you want."

"Terrific! I'll give Amy the news."

"No! Let me surprise her, okay? I'll plan something special for the two of us for Saturday. We haven't had a mother-daughter day in quite awhile."

"But I already told her about the team-building. I told her I had to ask you if you could be here," Monica explained.

"That's fine. Just tell her I'll try to make it but that you'll figure out a Plan B in case I can't get back. Make up some story that you're asking a friend from work to watch her or something, okay? I really want to surprise her." Alex wasn't sure why it was important to her that Amy not know she was coming back so soon. Maybe Amy looking forlorn when Alex couldn't promise a summer trip had her feeling a bit guilty.

"Okay, you're the mom. But I wish I had known before I ever mentioned this trip to her. I wouldn't have said anything at all." Monica made a mental note to always speak with Alex before mentioning anything to Amy.

"Thanks, Monica! I'll see you next Thursday." They said their good-byes and hung up. Alex debated what to do next. For the first time in a long time, Alex thought about the danger she was courting whenever she met up with a guy like Brad. She touched where her head had hit the rock and could still feel the last of the soreness. If she hadn't managed to stab him in the throat before he threw her down, she may have left Amy without a mother. That was a close call.

However, on the other hand, she knew that Amy and all other females were putting their lives at risk whenever they met a new guy. It didn't have to be at a bar, and it didn't have to include alcohol. The deaths of her mother and dad attested to that. Someone must have drugged bottles of water her parents left in the car or something. Amy could have the same thing happen to her at school. Alex shuddered, and made up her mind.

CHAPTER TEN

This was what Alex enjoyed the most. She looked at her clean-cut image in the bathroom mirror and began the routine that turned her into a bar maven. She changed into the skin-tight jeans, boots and the black revealing top she had purchased Monday in Columbus. She layered on the concealer, foundation, blush and powder. Next came vibrant eye shadow, bold eyeliner, and what seemed like half a tube of mascara. She finished up with a dark red lip liner, lipstick to match and gloss to make them shine. The final step in her transformation was adding the red-haired wig. She fastened it in place and looked in the mirror at the new person standing there. She looked like a younger version of Ms. Meadows, a little thinner and decked out to pick up a man.

Before leaving the motorhome, she tied on a scarf to keep her wig in place, added driving gloves, stowed her new knife in her boots and found where she had stashed her Hide-a-Key. She stuffed a few dollars in her pocket and left the Winnebago as quietly as she could. It was close to 10:30 p.m., and she didn't want the neighbors looking out to find the source of any noise. After locking up, she slid the extra key into the Hide-a-Key and slipped it in the wheel-well near the door. Silently she headed along the drainage ditch and crossed the road to the stand of trees where she left the motorcycle. She started it up and rode toward the county line.

Alex had a gut feeling that Meadows' attacker would be out tonight. Her intuition also told her he would be at The Lighthouse, a bar just a few miles away from where he met Meadows. She parked behind the donut shop a few doors down and repurposed her scarf as a belt. She felt a familiar sense of destiny as she sauntered toward the bar.

This tavern reminded Alex of so many others. It was darkened by closed blinds and heavy curtains. Stools stood like soldiers along the bar countertop. There were several four-top tables in the middle of the floor, and booths along the exterior walls. Alex looked around at the few patrons. Meadows had mentioned that the man who assaulted her had a tattoo on the right side of his neck. She said it looked like part of a larger tattoo, but what she saw was a crescent moon and the head of a baying wolf. There was only one man who looked to be the right age. Alex walked past him and glanced toward his right side. He was wearing a t-shirt which clearly showed an unmarked neck.

Making her way to an empty table toward the rear where she could watch the door, Alex caught the eye of a waitress and asked for a virgin Strawberry Colada. She heard the churning of the blender and the drink appeared a few minutes later.

A couple of kids came in the bar, prompting the bartender to ask for proof of their age. She heard bits and pieces of their conversation as the boys went from brash to pleading to anger. The bartender escorted them out as they loudly objected.

Five women entered the bar and sat a few tables away from Alex. They ordered drinks and spoke of working late, low pay and unfair bosses. Alex took a moment to appreciate working for herself, realizing that not everyone had the skills and willingness to freelance. She thought of Monica as a prime example. Monica could probably become a virtual paralegal, offering her services to various law firms and real estate agencies. She could probably make a lot more money, though she would have to carry her own insurance and pay her own taxes. The problem was that Monica would never be able to market herself. She rarely spoke to strangers, even taking a long time to warm up to co-workers.

It was nearing 12:30 when a man walked in and took a seat at the bar. He ordered a beer, and checked the watch he wore on his right arm.

Alex tried to see his neck, but couldn't tell if he had a tattoo or not from where she was sitting. She was about to get up and walk toward the restroom so she could see the right side of his neck when a woman walked into the bar. Alex was dumbfounded. She was sure it was Margaret Meadows.

A thousand thoughts hit Alex's head all at once. She couldn't believe Meadows would put herself in that same situation again, especially so soon. _What is that woman thinking,_ Alex wondered. _Why would a woman seek out the very same circumstances that caused her so much pain? Does she have a death wish?_

In all the years Alex had been researching unsolved crimes, she had never heard of someone returning to the same type of environment so soon unless out of necessity. Many of the crimes started in establishments just like this one, and usually the women would swear off bars and drinking in general for months or years, if not a lifetime. Assuming they lived, of course. Most of them didn't.

Alex leaned back in her chair so that she was sitting in the shadows. She watched as Meadows picked out a booth within eyesight of the man at the bar. He turned to look at her and nodded. Meadows nodded back and struck a come-hither pose. The man turned back around and ordered a drink. It appeared to Alex to be something creamy and fruity, something a woman would order. Once it was served, he picked up his beer and the drink. He slid off the barstool and wandered over to Meadows' booth.

They were too far away for Alex to hear the conversation, but she could still watch what unfolded in front of her. She expected Meadows to shoo the man away, but he sat down. Meadows leaned forward, showing the man the treasures halfway hidden beneath her blouse.

Alex could not move. She considered interrupting the duo and pulling Meadows outside, giving her a good talking to and sending her home. Listening once more to her gut, she stayed in the shadows at her table. She couldn't exactly let Meadows figure out what she was doing there, especially having gone from almost black to red hair, and professional to bar slut. So she sat and watched.

The man and Meadows were obviously flirting, and Meadows started looking for something in her purse. She spilled its contents on the floor, and as she leaned over to collect what had escaped the confines of her pocketbook, Alex saw the man add something to Meadows' drink. He stopped blending it into her drink as Meadows sat up straight in the booth.

_This is unreal!_ Alex was beside herself. She couldn't allow Meadows to be attacked again. _Something is really not right. Should I tell the bartender what I saw? He seems like a straight-up kind of guy. Maybe he will throw the bum out._

The people in one of the booths next to Meadows left the bar. The waitress wiped down the table and collected her tip. Alex saw her chance and moved to that booth, hoping Meadows didn't notice. She was able to see the right side of the man's neck, and there was no tattoo.

The waitress headed in her direction with a quizzical look on her face, but Alex shook her head and held up her hand in the traditional 'no thanks' gesture.

She listened in on Meadows' conversation and wondered if she heard correctly.

A soft, flirtatious voice was the first to speak. "I would love to go for a ride. Maybe we could talk and get to know each other better."

The man replied, "That sounds good. I've been waiting for someone like you for a long time." They both laughed.

Meadows started to get up from her seat and said, "Oh, dear! My head feels a little fuzzy and the room is beginning to spin. Could you help me up?"

"Of course!" The man chuckled. "I'll even help you out of those clothes, if you want me to. And maybe even if you don't!"

"Mmmm, yes, that sounds wonderful!" Meadows giggled. "I hope you find some place a little more private this time."

_THIS TIME???_ Alex considered what Meadows' was saying.

"Yeah, I though we would park in the garage. It's not sexy, but it's private." The man sounded matter-of-fact.

"I could not believe it when those two kids drove up. And then you left me there to explain! It's a good thing they didn't get the license plate, and that I had the sense to say you have a tattoo."

The two were moving toward the door. The last thing Alex heard was the man saying, "I panicked. I'm sorry! You're right, you're better at this than I am. Now, can we get back to the fantasy?"

Alex had been played a fool. She had believed Meadows' story, as had the kids, the cops and the reporter. Maybe that was why she couldn't get anything out of the nurses at the hospital. Perhaps they knew Meadows had been in on her own attack. _Could it be? Are they ... a couple?_ Alex wasn't normally this wrong about someone, but Meadows knew just what to say.

A maroon SUV was pulling out of the parking lot when Alex stepped from the bar. She saw Meadows in the driver's seat with a scowl on her face. Evidently their discussion became heated and had killed the mood.

Alex walked back to the motorcycle and rode back toward the RV park. She stopped and killed the engine a few doors away from the storage facility, and walked the bike around back. It didn't take long to find the wires that held the fence in place. She managed to get the motorcycle back where it had been and removed the wire she had used to bypass the ignition. She walked briskly back to her camper and removed the stolen license plate. She had been prepared in case she eliminated the attacker and the police started running license plates seen leaving the state. No one would connect Brad's murder with one in Rhode Island if no plate matched.

After she returned the license plate to the camper in the storage lot, she wiped down the plate and the bike to make sure no one found her prints. She fastened back the fence and returned to the Winnebago, mentally kicking herself for being suckered by Meadows.

She silently entered and put the Hide-a-Key in a drawer. She peeled out of the skin-tight clothes and wiped off her garish greasepaint. She lost count of how many make-up remover pads she used. She removed her wig and stashed it in her wardrobe for use another night.

Still furious with herself, Alex poured herself a glass of wine to take to bed. She never drank alcohol when she was going to be driving, but she knew she was home for the night. The wine did its trick and she eventually calmed down enough to fall asleep.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Nightmares replaced dreams as Alex slept. Visions of being strangled and unable to breathe caused her to whimper. A dream had taken her to a dark forest full of mist and slithering things with eyes that burned fiery red. The moon filtering through the treetops barely illuminated her way. She felt drawn to a particular place, but feared what she would find there. Almost feeling her way through the never ending forest, Alex was full of dread. She saw something in the shadows and crept forward until the form coalesced into a body. It was a female form with limbs askew. Alex moved closer until it dawned on her...she was looking at her own dead body. She saw a dark stain emanating from a hole where her heart should be. She heard the snap of a limb and looked into the surrounding trees for the source. There was her daughter's face peering out from the dark.

Alex sat bolt upright in bed, shivering in fear and taking quick, shallow breaths. She had never felt fear like that, not even when Brad was getting the best of her. She feared for the Amy in the nightmare, and she feared for herself.

A glass of water stopped her shaking, but she remained aware of a gnawing feeling of dread. Rather than trying to sleep, Alex decided to go online and research other attacks. The sun was up at 7:00 a.m., and was all the encouragement Alex needed to head to Monica's. She straightened up the Winnebago, ate breakfast and showered. Her singular goal was to take Amy in her arms and never let go.

She drove to the campground office and flushed the Winnebago. She spoke with the manager and explained that a family emergency meant she needed to leave prior to the end of her reservation. She settled the bill and bought a cup of coffee and a few snacks for the road.

Alex had always considered herself to be stronger than most. She was logical about everything, even when others thought her actions were reckless. She didn't believe in horoscopes, space aliens, Bigfoot or ghosts. She certainly didn't believe in premonitions or dreams coming true. Yet she could not shake the uneasiness her nightmare had caused. She tried listening to music and then talk radio. She would have called Amy or Monica, but they were in the midst of their own lives.

Her mind finally drifted to the night before. Why would any couple incorporate rape fantasies into their relationship? So much could go wrong. The man's hands had left deep bruising on Meadows' neck. What if the teens hadn't come by? Would he, in fact, have killed her? Or was the strangling a predetermined way for them to ensure her story was believable?

She could imagine that conversation: _"Hey, let's park somewhere and I'll attack you. If anybody shows up, I'll start strangling you and leave marks, then drive away. That way, if the interlopers take you to the hospital, you'll have evidence of being attacked. You can give a false description, and no one will be the wiser." Then Meadows would reply, "Yes, and our fantasy life will be kept secret because I can't bear for anyone to know about our role playing."_ Alex couldn't help but add Meadows saying, _"And for good measure, I'll talk with any reporters and fool them, too! What fun!"_

Alex mentally kicked herself again and noted to herself, _I have got to let that go! They're a weird couple. It's not about me. They didn't know I would call. It's my own fault for getting involved in the first place. Maybe I should just live a normal life._

Alex noted the Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs on barns and other buildings as she drove along I-80. She stopped for gasoline at a station with a roadside gift shop and on impulse bought a wooden sign painted with the traditional House Blessing, which she immediately mounted over her Winnebago's door. She continued through the Pennsylvania countryside as her mind went back to her nightmare and Amy's face mixed in amongst the trees. She thought again about her own dead body and the missing heart. _Maybe I_ _should_ _give it up,_ she thought.

\----------

Almost 2,500 miles away, Kyle Buckley was walking into the Sheriff's office in Elko, Nevada. He sat at his desk and began checking his email. The unexpected events in California refused to leave his thoughts alone.

Kyle's partner, when he wasn't driving solo, was Jolene Rayburn. She was a feisty woman in her late thirties, solidly built and an expert marksman. She was the one you wanted watching your back. She wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty in a brawl, and was stronger for her size than most of the men in the department. Jolene's husband of twenty years was Emmett Rayburn, who was generally referred to as "Ray" by his coworkers at the FBI office in Salt Lake City, Utah. The two lived almost an hour from Elko, so Ray had about a three hour commute when he was in the office. He was often in the field, so driving was seldom a problem. It did frequently keep them from seeing each other, which helped keep their marriage fresh.

"What's up, Kyle?" Jolene asked as she moved to her desk to sit. She could always tell when Kyle was working something over in his mind. "How was the seminar?"

Kyle looked up, frowning, and then smiled. "Oh, the seminar was fine. I mean, you get what you expect with a course name like 'Surviving Hidden Weapons for Female Officers'. I was happy to cover for you, though. You and Ray don't get to spend enough time together."

"It was almost like our honeymoon all over again!" Jolene's face bordered on angelic for a moment. "I really was planning to attend, you know. I didn't expect Ray to get those days off."

"I know, I know. Any time." Kyle became distracted as he weaved his way through the internet. His brow became furrowed again as he stared at the screen.

"What are you working on?"

Kyle typed a little more and hit return. "I don't know. Probably nothing." He again looked at the screen and frowned.

Jolene couldn't suppress her curiosity and came over to Kyle's desk. She looked over his shoulder and found him looking at a driver's license for an Alex Warren out of California. Kyle hit a few more keystrokes and soon they had confirmation that Alex Warren had no criminal past, other than having been questioned in the death of her soon-to-be-ex, according to the report.

"Isn't that the name of one of the people at the RV park where that man died? The guy in the van?" Jolene thought the name was familiar. "She's a cutie. Are you interested? I thought you might find someone at the seminar!"

"Yeah, its her. I'm just not sure what's going on with her." Kyle was trying to put together all the pieces, and half of them were missing and others seemed to be from a different puzzle.

"Out with it," Jolene demanded. "Why are you investigating her?"

"I'm not actually investigating her. There are some things that don't mesh, though." Kyle filled Jolene in on the details as he knew them: she was at the RV park, gave him her license and cell, he called while he was in San Francisco to check on her, she said she was in Chicago, he took a small gift to her house, and the homeowner said Alex hadn't lived there in years.

"You WHAT? You took her a gift? What kind of gift? I knew this was more than just regular police work...you LIKE her!" Jolene began the sing-song chant of a schoolyard girl. "Kyle and Alex sitting in a tree..."

"Oh, come on. It isn't like that. I knew she lived in San Francisco and just thought I would check in on her. I don't know if she would be interested in someone like me, but I thought I would see if she might have dinner since I was in town. She did seem to like me when I spoke with her at the RV park."

"Well, it is weird that the woman in San Fran told you this Alex woman hadn't lived there in years. She should have updated her driver's license. Maybe she didn't move far and was just waiting for her license to expire. What about her RV?"

Kyle busied himself looking at Alex's driver's license again. "No, she just renewed her license last April." More keystrokes gave him the license information on the Winnebago. "Nope, the camper was also renewed last April. Same address. I don't get it. The woman I spoke with at the house said she moved to Ohio or someplace back East."

Jolene could see the confusion on Kyle's face mixed in with something that might have been sadness or hurt. "Hey, Kiddo. I'm sure it's nothing. You should call her again. Ask her point-blank. But before you do, maybe you should look a little deeper into her finances. Can't hurt, right?"

"Yeah, I know. She just seemed so open and willing to help." Kyle sat staring at the screen a few more moments. "Jolene, what's the status of the investigation into the van guy?"

"Don't ask me...I was out sick, remember?" Jolene saw another officer getting ready to sit down. "Tommy, what's up with the crispy critter out by Lake Monroe?" She loved to rile the young deputy. He was a stickler for protocol and always eager to impress leadership.

Tommy Lane looked up and twisted his boy-like features into a scowl directed toward Jolene. "You know the Captain would have a fit if he heard you call the victim that."

"Victim?" Jolene and Kyle chorused.

"Yeah, we know he's a victim now. According to the M.E.'s office, the guy bled out from a puncture to his carotid. It looks like the fire was staged."

"Any evidence?" Kyle asked.

"Not yet. Haven't found any fingerprints on the van or anything, and the fire pretty much roasted anything else that might have been there. It did look like someone had wiped down the passenger side of the van, though, so there might be something in the ashes. It will take a miracle to find, if there is anything. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," Jolene replied innocently. "Just getting caught up on the status of the case, is all. Who's running lead?"

Tommy looked down for a moment before answering. He joined the Sheriff's Department to start an exciting career in law enforcement, but his experience so far was limited to transporting prisoners and helping direct traffic during heavy snows. It was no secret that he wanted more. "State has it. I'm not sure which detective picked it up."

"Thanks, Tommy. Let us know if it gets more interesting. We can always use a little excitement around here." Kyle wasn't inclined to let the younger detective know how interested he was already. He didn't want Tommy to run rampant investigating someone who was most likely innocent. The most Alex was guilty of right now was failure to report her current address and lying to an officer. Not exactly something that warranted a full court press.

Kyle looked up at Jolene, who surreptitiously nodded. She understood exactly why he didn't tell Tommy about Alex's false address. Not only would Tommy jump all over it, but she wouldn't put it past him to throw Kyle under the bus for visiting Alex's old house. Jolene liked Kyle and they worked well together. She could count on him to cover for her when she had a chance to see Ray, and Kyle would have her back during any confrontation.

The phone rang and Jolene picked it up with a curt, "Sheriff's Office. Rayburn speaking." After a few affirmative grunts and interjections, she hung up. She stood and cast a look toward Kyle.

"That will have to wait. Semi versus pick-up on 93. They need us to reroute traffic." Heading toward the door, she slapped Tommy's desk as she passed, almost causing him to fall out of his chair. "You, too, Kiddo. It's all hands on deck." All three filed out of the room to keep the public safe.

CHAPTER TWELVE

It was late when Alex finally parked in the driveway of Monica's house. She locked up the Winnebago and reached the front door just as it opened.

"MOM! It's really you!" Amy threw her arms around Alex's neck. Alex laughed and gave her daughter a squeeze in return.

"Yep. I'm back earlier than expected. It happens sometimes."

"Not often enough. I'm so glad you're here!" Amy held the door for her mother. "Monica should be home soon. She's out with Mark again."

Alex wasn't sure what to think of that piece of news. "She's seeing a lot of him these days."

"Yeah, she's so happy. He's all we talk about anymore."

"Well, I'm going to be here for awhile, and we have lots to talk about besides Mark. What's going on at school? Tell me while I fix myself a quick bite of supper. Have you eaten?"

"I fixed myself a salad earlier. I wouldn't mind a grilled cheese, though, if that's what you're in the mood to eat." Amy grinned at her mother.

"How about that? I was just thinking about grilled cheese!" They both laughed as Alex began making their sandwiches. Amy launched into her play-by-play of all the happenings at school. Seeing Amy gave Alex's appetite a boost, so she also opened a can of tomato soup for the two of them to split.

Monica came in as they were cleaning up the kitchen. "Hi, Alex! I'm surprised to see you here!" That was an understatement. She hadn't expected Alex for another week.

"I've been thinking. Maybe I could stick around here for awhile, if you don't mind. I'm beginning to miss sleeping in a real bed and cooking honest-to-goodness meals." Alex wasn't sure how long she would stay, but she knew she had some serious reconsidering to do before she hit the road again.

"You're always welcome here, Alex, you know that!" Monica was perplexed by her sister's words. It wasn't like Alex to want to stay put for very long. "Is anything wrong?"

"No, everything's fine. I just need a little down time, I suppose." Alex didn't want to worry either Amy or Monica. She was used to keeping her life to herself. "You know what? It's getting late and I've been on the road all day. How about we hit the hay?"

"Sounds good to me. I'm not used to going out every night. I need to get some beauty sleep before I start looking as old as I feel and scare Mark off. Good night, all!" Monica led Alex and Amy upstairs.

Alex fell asleep almost as soon as she closed her eyes. She was exhausted from her disturbed sleep the night before, then driving over twelve hours to get home. Her sleep was deep and dreamless.

After Monica and Amy left in the morning, Alex cleaned the house and thought about how her life had turned out. She was a strong woman, committed to making the world a safer place for her daughter and sister. Was driving an RV all over the country eliminating threats to women really going to have a positive effect at home? She felt exhilaration whenever she managed to thwart the plans of those who would harm her, and by extension other women. Was that thrill what was really driving her? Could it be she was really doing this for herself? Her thoughts were going down a path that made Alex distinctly uncomfortable. Could it be that her actions weren't all that altruistic? Was she becoming what she tried to eliminate?

Alex shook her head and deliberately forced her thoughts elsewhere. She found her MP3 player and tried singing while she cleaned, but her thoughts moved inward again. Eventually Monica's relationship with Mark forced its way into her mind. Alex had serious concerns about how hard and fast Monica was falling for this man. Despite working in a law firm, Monica remained a little naive. Her sister seldom considered whether someone might have an ulterior motive. Alex and her sister were complete opposites in this regard. Alex assumed almost every interaction involved an ulterior motive, probably because she lived a dual life herself. How can you assume everyone is on the up-and-up when you aren't?

The day progressed and Alex eventually began dinner preparations. Her thoughts about Mark morphed into thoughts of Kyle, which took her by surprise. She had not allowed herself the luxury of an intimate personal relationship for many years. She didn't want to have someone else placing demands on her time. She already adapted to Amy's schedule, at least for the important events. She may not be there 24/7, but Amy could count on her to be there when it counted. She had managed to make it to opening night of every play, every graduation, even all the playoff games and tournaments. She smiled as she remembered Amy dressed as an angel the first time they went trick-or-treating. Monica attended these milestones as well, giving Amy that needed sense of continuity.

Amy burst through the door earlier than Alex expected and ran to her bedroom. This was completely out of character for her daughter, so Alex put dinner on hold before following Amy upstairs. She listened at the door but heard nothing, so she knocked softly.

"Honey? Are you okay?" Alex wasn't sure if Amy was angry, sad, or just had something on her mind.

"I'm fine, Mom. Please go away. I need some time alone, okay?"

"I understand, Amy, but I'm still concerned. Can I come in just to give you a hug?" It was a gamble, but it worked. Amy told her to come on in. She was face down on her bed, her chin resting on her crossed arms.

"Thanks, Sweetie. I can tell you have something on your mind. No matter what's going on, you know I love you and support you, right?" Alex knew her daughter well enough to know she couldn't pry. Amy would tell her what was going on when she was ready.

"I know, Mom. Thanks." Alex began to lightly scratch Amy's back, something she had started when Amy was a baby. She had always been able to count on a light back scratch to put little Amy to sleep.

Her daughter sighed. "Why do kids have to be so mean?"

Alex was at a loss for words. "What do you mean, Amy? What happened?"

"There's this group of boys at school who are mean to everyone. They do stupid stuff like shove people down and knock their books onto the floor. Crap like that. They're mean and cruel, and they never do it in front of the teachers, so they never get caught."

"Oh, so that's what's on your mind. Did they hurt you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom. They just pushed me today and I lost my balance and fell down. I've been hurt worse plenty of times playing soccer. It's just not right. Last week they made Jackie cry."

Alex was angry. This was her daughter, after all. But Alex knew that the wrong kind of interference could make her daughter even more of a target.

"I'm sorry they did that, and I'm sorry there are people like them in the world. Is there anything I can do to help? Do you want me to talk to the principal? Maybe speak with the boys' parents?"

"Oh, no! Mom, you can't! If you get involved, they'll just look for other ways to get back at me." Alex could see real fear in her daughter's eyes. Alex knew these boys were headed down the wrong path and that something had to stop them.

"Okay, then. Do you want to transfer to another school? Or we could try home-schooling."

"Mom, I appreciate the thought, but my friends are at that school and if I run away, it means those boys win."

"Well, Amy, if you don't want to leave there and won't let me get involved, there's only one other thing I can do. How about I start taking you to some self-defense classes? I need to start getting to the gym again, and we could go together. In fact, I might invite Monica to join us. Since she's out more at night, she should probably learn how to defend herself, too."

"Monica? Really, Mom...I don't think self-defense is what she's thinking when she goes out with Mark." Amy gave her mother a knowing look. "I think Mark may be the one who needs self-defense lessons!"

"You might be right about that!" They were both laughing as they went downstairs to finish getting dinner on the table. Alex felt as though a cloud had lifted. Perhaps she would be better off staying here for awhile, guiding her family to learn how to defend themselves. Stopping rapists and murderers after they had done their evil deeds wasn't protecting her daughter and sister. Pushing them to learn to defend themselves, however, could.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

A name, an old address, a current address state and a cell phone number were really all Kyle had available for his search for Alex. He checked every database he could access, and found virtually nothing more current. Alex might as well have been a ghost.

The cell phone contract had been started when Alex still lived at the old San Francisco address. A search of her name turned up nothing of interest. There were other Alex Warrens, but most were men and none of them matched the history of his Alex. His Alex? When did he start considering her HIS Alex?

Kyle continued his search whenever he had a few moments free. He was determined to find something before he contacted her again. You couldn't buy a newspaper anymore without showing up somewhere. A little patience and he would find something.

About two weeks later, it occurred to him to go back by the campground where he had met Alex. He managed to drop by the park ranger's office under the guise of looking for an escapee from the Humboldt Conservation Camp. It was unlikely the inmate would be in the area. He left when his wife went into labor, so he had probably headed toward the hospital in Reno. However, Kyle was happy to have a reason to volunteer to visit Lake Monroe's Park Ranger.

"Hey, Mike! How have you been?" Kyle was happy to see Mike's familiar face. He usually stopped by the Ranger's office two or three times a year, but seldom did those visits happen only a few weeks apart.

"Well, hey yourself!" Mike enjoyed having the Sheriff's Deputy visit. Kyle didn't treat him like some of the state police did, like he was a police wannabe. The truth was that Mike enjoyed his job at Lake Monroe. He enjoyed being out in nature and getting to know the habits of the local wildlife. He liked having visitors stay at the campground or the cabins, for the most part anyway. The occasional jerk would visit, but most of the people were really nice and treated him well. He felt he made a real difference teaching people to respect the environment and animals. Mike had no desire to become a police officer, especially the state police. His days would be spent mostly in the confines of a vehicle, and his interactions would be limited to giving tickets or helping stranded drivers. No, he liked his life at the park just fine, thank you very much.

Kyle walked over to the shed where Mike was loading up a pick-up truck with a chainsaw and other tools.

"Looks like you might have a tree down from the storm the other night."

"Yep. Those winds blew down an old Aspen across one of the hiking paths. I'll cut it up and let the wood dry for this winter." Mike sat down on the truck's bumper. "What can I do you for?"

"Well, did you hear about the escapee from Humboldt? We're just making sure we spread the word and pass his photo around in case he shows. We think he's headed to Reno, but you never know. Will you make sure your guests are on the lookout?" Kyle handed a stack of wanted posters to the ranger.

"Sure, Kyle. This year has been something else, hasn't it? First the van driver's death and now an escaped inmate. This could be bad for business, you know." Mike walked toward his office. "You want something to drink? I got water and cola."

"Thanks, Mike. I was getting a little thirsty. I'll take a water, if you don't mind."

"Wouldn't have offered if I minded." Mike disappeared inside for a moment, returning with small cooler. Kyle heard the familiar sound of ice and water sloshing around inside as Mike set the cooler down and reached in. "Here you go."

"Thanks." Kyle opened the wet bottle and took a large drink. "Mike, before I go, I have a question for you. Remember a woman named Alex Warren who was here when that van caught fire? I need to know how she reserved the camping space."

"Credit card, of course." Mike studied Kyle's face. "You know we always check out our guests before we confirm the reservation. Nothing popped on her."

"Well, here's the thing. Since we interviewed everyone, I've had a hard time tracking her down. I don't have anything concrete, but my gut tells me I need to check this out. Could you get me the credit card number?"

"You know I shouldn't. Not if it isn't official police business." Mike didn't blink as he looked at Kyle. "What's this really about?"

Kyle broke the stare-down and leaned against the truck. "Alright, but this stays between us, okay, Mike?" Mike nodded, so Kyle continued. "Her license said she lives in San Francisco, and I went there for seminar so I called her up. She said she was out of town, so I went to her house to leave a little gift for her." Mike's head snapped up. He had never heard Kyle talk about being interested in anyone in particular since his last breakup a few years before. Kyle's ex had hurt him pretty badly, and Kyle had shown no interest in going down that road again. "I know, I know. I shouldn't get involved with someone from a case."

"That's not what I was thinking. I was just surprised you were showing interest in anyone. You have good taste, though. That Alex was a looker. Sweet girl, too."

Kyle's face softened as he half-smiled. "That's what I'm hoping. Here's the thing, though. When I stopped by, the woman who lives there said she bought it years before. I checked out Alex's license and she had just renewed it in April using that address. I probably wouldn't think much of it, but I can't find any record of her...no financials or anything. It's really weird. It's like she's managed to fall completely off the grid, which generally leads you to consider the type of people who choose to live that way. You know, people trying to avoid jail, for instance."

"Yeah, those and fanatical nut cases. We seem to get a lot of people in these parts that don't want to be found."

"They're everywhere, Mike. You're just aware of the ones around here because you're in close proximity. You hear things in town, and see things that would go unnoticed in a large town. Plus, people in less populated areas sometimes have alternatives to buying into utility companies, and get paid cash for odd jobs rather than having to have a bank account. But believe you me...they are everywhere."

Mike nodded. "I know. It just makes me nervous."

"You and me both. And that's one of the reasons my gut wants me to look into Alex a little more. It's probably nothing. She probably has legitimate reasons for being off the grid. I don't want to cause her problems, though, if it's nothing. That's why I haven't said anything to the officers handling the case. Who knows? Maybe Alex had a stalker or something."

"Like you?" Mike grinned at his friend.

"No! Not like me. I mean, I'm not stalking her. I was just being friendly. Now I'm looking into the life of a possible suspect. But I am NOT stalking!"

"Well, stalk or investigate, I don't care. Follow me and I'll give you the credit card number you asked for. But you tell no one that I gave it to you, okay? At least not without warning me first. We're both out on a limb on this one, so let's make sure we don't throw each other off."

"You've got it." Kyle put out his hand, which Mike shook twice in agreement.

"I keep a file box with all the old reservations in it. They're alphabetized so I can refer to them if they come back another year." He took a shoebox from under the counter marked 'T - Z' and thumbed through it. It didn't take long to find Alex Warren's record. He handed the three stapled cards to Kyle.

"This is terrific, Mike! You've not only got her reservation, which is pretty much all the information I already had except for the credit card number, but you've also got her father's information from years ago. This is wonderful!" He took out his notebook and started adding the new information to the old.

"I told you, we like to keep our records together. I can't take all the credit, though. Bob Tidwell was the ranger before me, and he's the one that set up this system. It made sense to me, and I've kept at it. The guests seem to appreciate it when you treat them like family."

"You have a note here: Parents died - car accident. Did Alex tell you that?"

"Yeah, when she came in. I had pulled her father's reservation and asked her how her family was doing. She seemed confused at first. You know, a little wary that I asked. I told her I had found an old reservation for John and Stella Warren, with daughters Alexandra and Monica, and thought maybe it was her. It caught her off-guard, but she admitted it was. Said she came back because it was the anniversary of her parents' death. Told me they both died in a car accident, but that she and her sister were fine."

"Really? Well, that's cool. Not about her parents dying, of course, but that she talked with you about it. Maybe she isn't trying to stay off the grid, after all." A frown crept across Kyle's face.

"What is it? I thought you were happy!" Mike wasn't following Kyle's train of thought.

"Poor woman! First her husband, then her parents." Kyle's eyes opened wide. "This isn't good at all!"

"What, already?!" Mike was completely bewildered.

"Think about it, Mike. Her husband died mysteriously in San Francisco when they were separated. Then her parents die in a car accident a few years later. Then she's staying here when you have a mysterious murder at the lake, which someone attempted to cover up. I hate to say it, but this woman is either the unluckiest woman in the world, or she might be responsible for all of these!"

"That's quite a leap there, Bud. I don't think sweet little Alex could hurt a fly," Mike offered.

Kyle handed the papers back to Mike. "Thanks, Mike. I really appreciate it." He headed out the door.

"Now don't go off all half-cocked. You said it yourself. She might just be unlucky. It could all be coincidence."

"I know, Mike. Don't worry. But I am going to look into this further. I've never been too fond of coincidences." He opened his car door and turned back to Mike. "I'll let you know what I find. You'll know well in advance before I tell anyone at the station."

"Thanks, Kyle. Just remember to give the girl a chance to explain. She was awfully sweet. I can't believe she's anything but unlucky."

Kyle gave Mike a mock salute as he drove away from the Ranger's station. "You be careful cutting up that tree!" With that, he was gone.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The days passed uneventfully for Alex, which made her long for the excitement of the hunt and eradication. She never learned to like the word 'kill'. Eradicate sounded more like getting rid of bugs or vermin. Kill sounded more like ending the life of humans or cuddly animals. She considered what she did as more of a service, like pest control. It didn't sound glamorous, but she didn't feel as though what she did was a bad thing.

After the strange couple near Narragansett and that awful dream that followed, she thought settling down at Monica's would be a good change of pace. Here she was, only a few days later and she felt almost like a prisoner. She knew she had been lucky. Brad had only been the latest example of her efforts. Alex mentally listed them in her mind.

Paul was the first, and a bit of an accident. Alex had traveled to the Detroit area to write a human interest story on a woman who had solved her own daughter's cold case murder. Alex had made a reservation at a campground, but ended up parked in an area that was more isolated than she preferred. The close-in spots were taken, and she was the first to park in a more distant area. She was walking back to her RV near dusk when she was attacked from behind. She managed to break his hold and flip him over her back and onto his. He lost his grip on the knife he was holding, and she grabbed it before he did. As they continued to struggle, the attacker knocked Alex on her back and jumped on top of her in an effort to pin her down. She saw what was coming and maneuvered the knife toward her sternum with the blade pointing skyward. Gravity worked, and brought the man down onto the tip of the knife. Alex had the presence of mind to shove the knife further in before he could pull away. She twisted it, and the man's strength drained along with his blood. It took a lot of strength to push his dead weight off her small frame. She noticed her green tank top had become a dark brownish-red from dirt and the liquid that had rained down on her. Her chest hurt, too, and she wondered if she had cracked her own sternum as the man's weight fell on the knife.

At first Alex expected people to come running, but no one was around to hear the commotion. The attacker had chosen a time when everyone was either out to dinner or at the Detroit Pistons game. She considered what to do now that the man was dead. She searched his pockets and found his driver's license, which provided his name. His wallet also contained a slightly faded receipt for items he had collected when he was released from Mound Correctional Facility. _So he's an ex-con,_ Alex thought.

She was concerned about the local police finding out she had been investigated in Jeremy's death. Alex worried that as an out-of-towner, she would be railroaded even though Paul had attacked her. She therefore did what she felt any rational person would do: she put on some gloves and shoved a towel into the man's wound, wrapping kitchen plastic wrap around his torso to stop the blood from draining further. She dragged him into her motorhome, and then cleaned herself up and changed into fresh clothes. She drove out of the campground and eventually found herself along Lake Erie. She settled on a deserted park and was able to drive her motorhome within a few feet of the water. She pulled him from her RV and removed the plastic wrap and his wallet, the only things she had touched with her bare hands. She rolled him into the water and took his wallet and the wrap back to the motorhome, where she put them into a plastic trash bag along with her ruined clothes and gloves.

Alex drove toward Monica's, burning the contents of the trash bag in a grill at another roadside picnic area several miles away from where she dumped the body. She felt a rush of relief blended with exhilaration after it was over, and the realization hit her that she would most likely get away with it. She couldn't quite bring herself to say "get away with murder", and that began the rationalization that she had simply eliminated a form of vermin.

The Detroit papers eventually reported the story of a body found in Lake Erie, and he was identified from his arrest record. Alex followed the story and found out that his only family was an older brother who was also in prison. His mother had died of lung cancer when he was a child, and his father was unknown, or so his birth certificate attested. No girlfriend or wife came forward, and no children claimed him as a father. He had been in and out of trouble with the law from the time he was twelve, but what would you expect when your only living family was picked up during a police raid on a local gang and sent to prison for life. Those stories eventually ended as fresher stories appealing to Detroit's middle and upper class took its place. The final article mentioned that there were no suspects but that police assumed his death was gang-related.

Alex almost considered what she had done an act of mercy. The man would have ended up back in prison eventually, and would likely never have lived a productive life. Yes, she had done a service to the community and an act of mercy, all at the same time.

There were times that she started to regret what she had done, but she was able to shake it off by remembering the attack and knowing she had prevented him from doing the same to other women...women who were less fit and didn't have the self-defense training she had taken before she went on the road. The thought that he might have learned his lesson and straightened out his life never occurred to her.

Months had passed before Alex realized there were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other men out there ready and willing to do the same thing to other women. She accepted an assignment writing her first article on women and rape, and she felt a growing desire to do more than just put words to paper. Alex began to think about how well her first experience at protecting women had turned out. Perhaps she could do it again, if only she could be sure that the person she targeted was guilty of harming innocent women. Her technique was born, and she had managed to rid the world of more than a half dozen other creeps.

There was Wayne in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The police eventually identified him as responsible for fourteen rapes, three of which ended in murder. However, it was only after he was dead and police ran his DNA that all those rapes were attributed to the one attacker.

George met his end in La Porte, Texas near Houston. He was so charming when she met him that she almost didn't continue her charade. However, once he had Alex in his Dodge, he began berating her verbally, calling her horrible names. Then came the punch that had her seeing stars. After the mental abuse Alex endured, George deserved the physical abuse Alex inflicted.

John's reign of fear was stopped in Happy Valley, Oregon. He would search for women shopping alone late at night. His target would accept his offer to walk her to her car, only to find out she would have been better off alone.

There was also the man in Bonita, California, outside San Diego. Alex was never able to find out his name. She had driven his body into the mountains to dump it and he dropped down a sheer cliff. Evidently, his body had never been found. Alex periodically checked the San Diego papers, but after two years, there was little likelihood she would ever be linked to his death.

Lamarr tried to outsmart the law by leaving his native Quebec to commit his crimes. He would disarm the women of Maine with his French accent and charming talk of international business trips, convincing them to let him drive them home. Alex disarmed him with her self-defense techniques just before he gave up the ghost.

Alex ran into a serious issue in Bozeman, Montana. She allowed her drink to be spiked and was picked up by a man named Austin. However, when they parked on a lonesome dirt road, another man came out of nowhere to aid in the attack. She really struggled that night, but her martial arts training eventually enabled her to incapacitate both men. After she finished what they started, she found the other man's name was Dustin. Twins, no less. Alex wondered if there was a specific gene that caused this kind of predilection toward rape and murder, and briefly considered whether she might have a similar gene. She decided she must not since she was actually protecting the public, while those she eradicated were putting the public at risk.

There was also Lyle in Toccoa, Georgia, who buried his victims in shallow graves in Tallulah Gorge State Park. His favorite target were women who jogged or hiked alone.

Alex was ecstatic when she finally identified Rusty as a serial killer near Roswell, NM. He preyed on those who came in search of extraterrestrial life. Many came alone because of a strong belief in aliens, while their friends and family truly believed in psychotic breaks with reality. Around 200,000 UFO-seeking visitors arrive in the Roswell area each year, many of them never telling anyone the truth about where they were headed. Alex's research turned up reports of female body parts found in the desert east of Roswell. Unfortunately, there were miles and miles of desert and thanks to the local coyotes and other wildlife, the area police had not identified any particular location for the murders.

Alex spent weeks reviewing various websites disseminating UFO information, and happened upon one that offered tours of the area run by a man named Rusty the Ranger. Alex called Rusty and there was something about the telephone conversation that caused her skin to crawl. In particular, he asked if she would be traveling alone. She booked a tour and sure enough, he made sure he found an opportunity to speak with Alex away from the rest of the UFO enthusiasts. Rusty offered to show her a secret place he knew where he could see alien ships almost every night. Alex realized that once Rusty had his target alone in the desert, he could torture and mutilate her for hours, her screams fading in the desert air. Since families and friends didn't know their loved ones were headed to Roswell, no one ever searched for them there. Rusty was left to carry on his perverse pastime for years. The next time body parts were found, they were Rusty's.

Yet here Alex sat at her sister's house, with a preponderance of sadists and serial killers still targeting women everywhere. She felt good about getting both Amy and Monica to visit the gym, and signed them both up for self-defense classes. Alex even stopped by the offices of the Columbus Dispatch, and was given a shot at joining the crime beat. At least she had something to do on a regular basis.

Monica reported that her team-building retreat went well, though she had very little alone time with Mark. They did manage to work together on the ropes course, and Mark buddied up with Monica for the obstacle course, which gave him a chance to provide some physical assistance to Monica as she struggled to make it over the wall. The trust exercise went well when Mark and Monica relied on each other, but both had issues relying on others in the group. According to Monica, Mark had great leadership and communication skills, while Monica was better at task-oriented activities and anything that dealt with balance.

With Monica's relationship progressing to something more physical, Alex decided to do a little more research into Mark's past. She hoped she wouldn't find anything, but she had learned to trust her gut over the years and her gut wasn't entirely happy.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Kyle was more perturbed than ever after he ran the credit card number the Park Ranger had given him for Alex. It turned out to be a pre-paid debit card, and used only for her expenses in the area. She had purchased gasoline and food products near the campground, and a meal at a small diner along US 93. The officer wasted his day off to drive down and speak with the staff of the diner, but he only found two who thought they remembered her, and both vaguely recalled a woman who might have been Alex asking for directions to Las Vegas. He never picked up a trail in Las Vegas, so it was back to the drawing board.

The pre-paid debit card was in Alex's name, but had been purchased three months before and loaded with cash. The card hadn't been used since she visited the diner, which brought the card balance down to $4.27. There was still no viable financial trail for him to follow.

Kyle resorted to searching the internet for any mention of Alex. He found a few articles written by her around the time of her almost ex-husband's death, but they were from various newspapers and blogs around the country. There was nothing more recent.

"Are you still trying to find that girl?" Jolene asked Kyle as she passed his desk. "Why don't you just give her a call again? Ask her outright."

"Oh, Jolene, I can't let go of this. Alex is completely off the grid. How does she manage that? More importantly, why? Why would anyone need to completely erase any connection to her private life?"

Jolene sighed. "Look, maybe she's got a stalker. Maybe that's why she drives around in a motorhome. If she doesn't put down roots, nobody can find her to stalk her. She wouldn't be the first woman trying to avoid a man."

"True, but I think this goes deeper than that. I'm just getting this funny feeling that the girl is hiding from more than a stalker."

"Okay, you win. She's in witness protection. It's either that or she's a serial killer and you're the only person in the world who's ever seen through her." Jolene laughed heartily at the thought that a Sheriff's Deputy in the northern-most reaches of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest would identify a petite female serial killer when no other law enforcement officer had done so.

\---------

Strains of "Don't Bother Me" emanated from Alex's phone at 10:30 one evening. She stared at the name on the display: Kyle Buckley. As Alex was accustomed, she had added Kyle's number to the phone's contact list after he called her from San Francisco, but she really didn't think she would hear from him again and had not yet given him his own ringtone. She would have to rectify that.

"Hello?" Alex decided to play it cool. She thought it would be too soon for Kyle to be visiting San Francisco again, so this was likely just a call to stay in touch.

"Hi, Alex? This is Kyle again...Kyle Buckley?" Kyle had to assume Alex had long forgotten him, and he certainly didn't want to tip his hand to her.

"Oh, Kyle! How was the class in San Francisco? Learn anything interesting?" Alex kept her voice light and friendly. She needed to figure out a way to chase him off without making him suspicious of her. But did she really want to chase him off? She wasn't sure.

Kyle found himself relaxing a bit as he realized she remembered why he was in San Francisco. She had a way of making him nervous, even when he was the one who initiated the call and had control of the conversation. "It was good, though geared more toward female police officers."

"And we are both well aware that you aren't female," Alex uttered before she could stop herself. She mentally applied her foot to her posterior before continuing. "I mean, I'm sorry it wasn't something more suited to you."

"That's okay. It may end up helping out my career in the long run."

Alex didn't catch any significance of that statement. "Well, that's good, at least." She paused for a moment and decided where to take the conversation from there. "So why do I have the pleasure of your call?"

"Uh, well...I just wanted to touch base with you." _Come on, Kyle, you can do better than that!_ Kyle thought to himself. "Truth is, I'm having a little trouble getting you out of my mind. I don't often run into single women driving cross-country alone in an RV. I've been a little worried about you." That wasn't entirely untrue.

"That's so sweet, Kyle. I didn't know you cared." Alex wasn't sure what to say at this point. She knew she should send Kyle packing, but now that she had settled down in Ohio, would it be so bad to keep Kyle as a phone friend?

"So are you doing okay?" The conversation sounded disjointed, as though both were unsure how to proceed.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking. How have you been?" Alex realized her answers were short, and her questions becoming trite.

"Oh, I'm fine, too." _This is ridiculous! It's almost like I've never spoken to a woman before. Of course, I haven't really spoken to one like this. I'm usually interrogating someone like her, a...suspect!_ Kyle was determined to bring the conversation back under his control. "So, Alex, I was wondering if you thought you might be back in this area again anytime soon. I sure would like to see you again, only this time it should be under better circumstances."

"I'm so sorry, Kyle. I was really in the area only for a short vacation. I hadn't thought about coming back to Lake Monroe." _There, maybe that will give him the right impression, that I'm not available._

"Well, that's okay. I understand." Kyle was setting her up and was just about ready to spring the trap. Alex, on the other hand, was feeling as though she had Kyle right where she wanted him.

"I hope you aren't too disappointed. It's probably for the best. I never thought much of long-distance relationships." _There, that should do it. I shouldn't hear from him ever again._ The thought saddened Alex just a little.

"Oh, no, not disappointed. I was thinking about coming back out to San Francisco again. It was really a nice city with a totally different atmosphere than we have here in Northern Nevada. You mentioned that I should let you know in advance the next time I was going to come to San Francisco. This is me letting you know I'm planning a trip. I already have your address, so I can just drop by."

Alex's jaw was frozen. This was not the way she wanted the conversation to end. She considered how to respond and went for the most obvious. "Oh, that's great news. When were you going to come back?" The more information she had, the easier it would be to push him away.

"That depends. When will you be in town?" The trap was sprung and there was no way out.

"Gosh, Kyle, I don't know. I'm out of town quite frequently, and sometimes on short notice. I would hate for you to make a trip and then I have to leave." Alex was feeling cornered. She could see a trip out West coming up pretty soon.

"Surely you can plan a few days at home. You've never told me what you do, come to think of it." Kyle was starting to get into the conversation now.

Alex was trapped and knew it. If she told him she was independently wealthy, there was no reason for her to have to leave on a moment's notice. If she told him she was a writer, he wouldn't find much published by her because she used a pen name. Any regular employment she picked would lead to him wanting to call her at work. Alex realized she had waited too long to answer when Kyle spoke again.

"Alex? Are you still there?"

"Sorry, Kyle! Yes! Yes, I am still here. I was just looking at my calendar trying to figure out when I would be back home." _Good save,_ Alex thought. _But now what?_

Kyle gave her another moment, but he wanted to keep the pressure on. "So? Have you figured it out?"

"Uhm...I'll tell you what. How about we plan on the first week of June?" Perhaps she could kill two birds with one proverbial stone. "Only I think what I would like to do is come back to Lake Monroe. This time, though, I'll have my daughter with me." Alex hoped the mention of a child would scare Kyle away, as it had done with other men in the past.

"That's great! I would love to meet your daughter." _Daughter? Maybe he had her wrong all along. She couldn't possibly have a daughter and live a criminal life, could she?_ Kyle really didn't want to wait several weeks, but the state police still didn't have any leads in the Lake Monroe murder case. As far as he knew, he was the only one looking at Alex and hopefully he had been completely wrong about her. _Of course,_ he thought, _this means he would have to figure out another way to ask Alex why she used a bogus address on her license._

"Terrific, Kyle. As soon as I make my reservation with the Ranger's office, I'll let you know, okay?" Alex wasn't happy about the situation. She may have to come up with some sort of explanation about why she doesn't want Kyle coming to San Francisco. In the meantime, she felt exhilarated at the concept of seeing Kyle again. He certainly was good-looking in his uniform. On top of that, she could let Amy travel with her. There was no chance she would flirt with any trouble while she was busy flirting with Kyle.

"Wonderful. I look forward to hearing from you."

They said their goodbyes and hung up. Kyle couldn't wait to tell Jolene about the conversation. He also needed to call Mike and ask him not to let on to Alex that they had been talking about her. That could all wait for the morning. Right now, Kyle couldn't stop smiling.

### CHAPTER SIXTEEN

A funny fact about freelancing as a writer is that your work is often feast or famine. After the call from Kyle Buckley, it was as if every one of Alex's customers awoke from a lazy winter snooze. She found herself inundated with requests for newspaper articles, blog postings and catalog copy. The more she wrote and submitted, the more work came her way. She didn't have time to drive all over the countryside, even if she wanted to.

By now it was early May, and Amy was giving her mother daily hints and reminders that she would soon be graduating from middle school to high school. Alex had not mentioned taking the trip to Lake Monroe. She was still debating about changing her phone number and never speaking to Kyle Buckley again. It would have been simpler to avoid seeing him, but Alex couldn't risk him trying to track her down in San Francisco. Besides, she was attracted to him. She could fool herself about a lot of things, but the mental image was impossible to erase with his dreamy blue eyes, strong jaw and perfectly-formed torso wrapped up like a present by his uniform.

Alex had spent several weeks living what most people would describe as a normal life. She slept in the same bed every night, spent her days working, her nights with family, and on weekends she often enjoyed some of the finer things in life. It was nice to live her life openly, not having to keep her lies straight or worry about how to dispose of a body. By golly, it was law enforcement's responsibility to take the villains off the street. Why should she get involved when she certainly wasn't being compensated for it?

She was, however, pleased that Amy and Monica were committed to the self-defense classes. They attended, but whined a little when it came time for class. Once they saw Alex throw down the burly instructor, though, they became more enthused. Amy told several of her friends at school about the classes, and three of them also signed up. With her cohorts meeting her there, Amy was happy to go. She also appreciated the looks of awe from her friends when her mother would incapacitate men more than twice her weight.

Mark wasn't as supportive as Monica had hoped. She assumed it was because he was a man and thought he should be the one to protect her. He didn't tell her to drop out of the class, but repeatedly told her he didn't understand why she felt the need to continue.

He would often say, "Seriously, Monica! Aren't you afraid you'll get hurt? Besides, it's my job to keep you safe."

Monica would tell him she was doing it to make Alex happy, or to encourage Amy to continue. Truthfully, though, Monica liked the feeling of power and confidence she was gaining. Her shyness still didn't allow her to volunteer for demonstrations, but she was becoming stronger and beginning to win during practice. She enjoyed knowing that she didn't have to be afraid of every stranger she met, and her physique was benefiting from the regular exercise. Certain parts of her anatomy were toning up, and while her weight remained steady, the muscle she gained was alluring.

Alex finally gave in and called Mike at Lake Monroe's reservation office. He was happy to hear from her and guaranteed a spot for her motorhome beginning the first weekend in June.

"You'll enjoy it here that time of year. Everything is lush and green, and the air is not so nippy. You know, our boat dock on the lake will be open, and there are boats for rent, if you're into fishin'. We also have a band playing Saturday nights at the pavilion, too." Mike offered up a plethora of activities once he found out Alex was bringing her daughter on the trip. "We've also got some activities just for the younger set. Hiking on various trails so the kids can learn to identify plants, especially the ones you don't want 'em to touch."

"I remember that from when Monica and I were there years ago. Mom and Dad palmed us off on the nature guide so they could have a little alone time of their own. Of course, we didn't understand that at the time, but I figured it out later." Alex laughed. It was refreshing to be able to talk about her past with someone outside the family. She hadn't been happy when Mike brought up her mom and dad during check-in on her last trip, but living life along the straight and narrow had its benefits. She wasn't worried about anyone learning any secrets since she wasn't creating any new ones. Besides, her old ones seem to be safe. She found no evidence of anyone looking for her, so she could let her guard down.

Alex hesitated briefly before asking Mike about the events from her earlier visit. "Hey, Mike, I have to ask you about that incident from the last time I was there. Have the police figured out what happened? If I'm going to bring Amy to Lake Monroe, I want to make sure it will be safe."

"That's understandable. You have to look out for your kid." Mike remembered Kyle's visit and concerns, so he didn't want to tell Alex that the police had determined it was murder. He also didn't want to scare off any visitors to the park. Most of his business came from word-of-mouth. "We haven't had any other problems since you left. It's been pretty dead around here...no disrespect to the guy intended."

Alex gave an appreciative chuckle and used her best prissy voice, "Mike! I can't believe you said that!" They both laughed before Alex continued, "That's good to hear, though. I wouldn't want to bring Amy if someone was still around up there. I guess they decided it was an accident after all, huh?" Alex pushed a little. She hadn't found anything about the van fire since the first article came out, which didn't tell her very much.

"I don't really know, Alex. I would love to tell you that's what it was, but I haven't heard anything about it. I think the police would've come by and told me to keep my eyes open if they thought someone else was involved." Mike was starting to sweat a little. _This better not hurt business_ , Mike thought to himself. _And Kyle better appreciate this._

Mike steered her away from the topic by asking for the reservation fee.

"You must not have the number I gave you last time. Hold on a second and let me grab my wallet." Alex was gone only a moment. "Here we go." She rattled off the numbers and the expiration date of the card she had used previously.

"That'll do 'er!" Mike ran the card and received the authorization code. "You're good to go. We'll see you in a few weeks. Drive safely, you hear?"

"Will do. I'll make sure I find you when we arrive. I'm looking forward to showing Amy how Monica and I spent some of our summers. See you soon!"

The moment the line went dead, Mike called Kyle's cell phone and left a message to call when it was convenient. "I've heard from your girl," he added.

\----------

Alex pulled Monica aside once Amy went up to her bedroom that evening.

"I've scheduled a trip out to Lake Monroe for Amy's graduation present. I stopped by there on my last trip out West, and it brought back so many wonderful memories of when we went there with Mom and Dad. You should have some vacation time built up. You're invited to join us."

"When are you going?" Monica asked.

"The first weekend in June. It takes a couple days to drive in my slowpoke Winnie, but I figure we will stay a week and come back the following weekend. We'll be gone ten days tops."

"I'll see if I can get that time off. Summers are hard for me, you know. Everybody tries to move over the summer, so the real estate market goes crazy. I'll have to make sure nobody else has requested the time off. We can't be short two people in the office."

"Well, I know Amy and I would love to have you join us, and you need some time away. You've been burning the candle at both ends between work and Mark."

"Oh, my time with Mark is relaxing. He is so kind to me, and takes care of everything. All I have to do is be there to enjoy his company. It's really nice to have someone who wants to make me happy."

"I remember that feeling from when Jeremy and I first got together. Trust me, it doesn't last."

"That may be true, but I plan to enjoy it for all its worth right now. It's certainly better than the alternative." Monica shot Alex a knowing look. She seldom mentioned her past, even in such a vague way.

"At least now you're learning how to defend yourself, in case you ever need it. And hopefully, you never will."

Amy's bedroom door opened and she came down the stairs. "I'm going to make myself some hot chocolate. Do either of you want any?"

Monica and Alex both shook their heads. "No, but thanks for asking," Monica added.

"Once you get your hot chocolate ready, could you come here for a minute?" Alex decided to go ahead and spring the trip on Amy.

"Sure, Mom." True to her word, Amy came into the den a few minutes later carrying a steaming cup of cocoa. "What's up?" The decadent aroma of rich chocolate wafted through the air.

"Well, remember when you said you wanted to go with me on one of my trips this year?" Alex continued once Amy nodded. "How would you like to go with me out West? It would be your graduation present. You've worked hard this year, and you deserve it."

"Where are we going? Out West is a big place."

"I was thinking we would go to a place your grandparents took Monica and me when we were young. It's called Lake Monroe, and they have all kinds of things to do there. You can make some new friends, and you'll have things to do while I work."

"Are you coming with us?" Amy asked Monica. "I'm sure you would like to go there again, too."

"I'm not sure I can get the time off, but I'll try," Monica promised.

Alex was so pleased that her daughter had enough empathy to think about how Monica would enjoy the trip. "So are you happy?"

"Of course, Mom! I'm thrilled you're taking me with you. It's just what I wanted! Thank you!" Amy sat her cup down and threw her arms around her mother. "You're the best mom EVER!"

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Kyle's cell phone indicated two missed calls and messages. The first was from Mike, the Park Ranger, wanting him to call. The second was from Alex. Kyle assumed they were calling about the same thing.

"Mike, what's up? You mentioned that Alex called," Kyle stated once Mike answered the phone.

"Yep. Planning on coming here again in a couple of weeks; the first weekend in June, actually. And listen to this: she's bringing her daughter."

"She mentioned one when we last spoke. I was hoping to catch up with her in San Francisco, but a face-to-face meeting at the lake will work, too."

"Here's the thing, I wanted to tell you that she asked about the van fire. She said she didn't want to bring her daughter here if it was unsafe. I didn't tell her any details about the investigation, only that I hadn't heard anything more and that we hadn't had other problems out this way." Mike was still torn. He wanted to help out his friend's investigation, even if it wasn't authorized. Still, he liked the strong, independent Alex, especially now that he knew she was also a mother. "And by the way, she used the same credit card number she used for the last trip."

"Did she sound like it was anything more than concern for her kid? Did she ask for details of the investigation?" Kyle needed to know Alex's state of mind. Was she truly just concerned about the possibility of putting her daughter in danger, or was she concerned that the investigation would lead back to her?

"No, she sounded like any mother would. She dropped it after I told her I didn't know anything. Really, Kyle, I think this woman is okay. You should spend some time with her while she's here."

"I plan to, Mike." Kyle was glad to hear that Alex didn't seem all that interested in the specifics of the investigation. Still, he was going to have to ask her about San Francisco eventually, and why she chooses to remain off the grid. "I'm glad the State Police kept the news about the murder out of the press. If she mentions anything other than what she told me the morning of the fire, I'll know she knows more than any casual observer should."

"Now, Kyle, you've got to give this woman a fair chance. Who knows, you two could really hit it off. You should ask her to the dance that weekend. Consider it a perfect opportunity to interrogate her while her guard is down." Mike thought the two would make a good-looking couple, and Kyle certainly needed a woman in his life.

"That's actually a very good idea, Mike. I think I will."

After they hung up, Kyle called Alex back. When she answered, Kyle told her it was about time she made her reservation.

"How did you know that was why I was calling? Do you have spies at Lake Monroe?" Alex asked innocently.

"Well, you told me you would call once you made your reservation. I was beginning to think you were trying to politely brush me off."

"No, nothing like that," Alex lied. "I had to take care of some things and make sure the dates were clear. We'll be arriving late Friday, June 3rd. Will that work for you? I hope so, because otherwise I would think you were politely trying to brush _ME_ off."

"That works for me. I kept that couple of weeks clear since you told me you were shooting for that timeframe. I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

Alex couldn't stop herself from a little flirting. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in a less-than professional way. I mean, you look good in your uniform and the handcuffs are a nice touch, but I was hoping we could spend some free time together."

"Me, too, but when we talked before, you mentioned you might bring your daughter. Will she be tying up all your time?" Kyle played along with the flirtation, expecting it this time. If he wanted to find out why she was so hard to trace, he would have gain her trust.

"Yes, she's coming. This is actually her graduation present."

"Graduation?! I didn't think you were old enough to have a kid graduating!" Kyle was taken completely by surprise. In his mind, Alex's daughter was young, maybe still in Kindergarten.

Alex was amused. "She's graduating middle school. I had her when I was pretty young. But thank you for the compliment, even though it was a bit back-handed."

"It's just that when you said she was graduating, I figured you must have had her when you were thirteen or something."

"Well, thank you. But back to your point, my daughter is old enough that I can leave her by herself some of the time, and I plan to send her to several of the activities at the park. We'll have a chance to get to know each other a little better, assuming you are still interested now that you know how old and decrepit I am."

Kyle guffawed. "Old and decrepit? Hardly!" Alex joined in with a chuckle before Kyle continued, "Yes, I would like to spend some time with you. Would you do me the honor of joining me for the dance Saturday night? It's nothing fancy. Jeans are okay."

"Well, how could a girl possibly turn down such a lovely invitation? Of course, I would love to attend the dance with you. Thank you for asking." Alex felt silly having a girlish infatuation with this man, but he seemed really nice and he sure was handsome. Not only that, but Kyle's law enforcement career might guarantee she continue living a 'normal' life. She worried a bit about going back to where she had fought with Brad and set his van on fire. However, the Park Ranger had said he hadn't heard anything more about the investigation, and surely the police would have to let him know if they were concerned about a killer being on the loose.

"Wonderful. I'll give you a call that Saturday morning." Kyle was more confused than ever. He would run that credit card number again, but he suspected it hadn't been used since the last time she was in the area.

\----------

Monica was unable to take the time to go to Lake Monroe with her family. That was okay with her, though, because having the house to herself meant she could invite Mark over and cook dinner for him. _The way to a man's heart is through his stomach_ , she recalled the old adage.

After Amy's graduation, which involved a small ceremony in the school's gymnasium, she and her mother packed the Winnebago with clothes and food to last them a couple of weeks. They left Monica's Thursday morning. Alex wanted to avoid the worst of the traffic by being between major cities when rush hour hit. She gave Amy the job her mother used to have, looking at maps and charting their course. Amy did very well, and the miles passed quickly. They would pull over and fix food in the camper for breakfast and lunch, but Alex wanted her daughter to experience a little bit of the local culture so they would take a break at a small-town restaurant for dinner. They stopped outside of St. Joseph, Missouri, Thursday night. Amy spotted a tiny restaurant offering "Chicken and Waffles". The food was worthy of a feature on the Cooking Channel, while the decor was quaint and the people friendly. The price wasn't bad, either, with dinner for both of them well under twenty dollars.

Later that evening, they stopped at a campground in Nebraska. Alex didn't mind pulling over onto the side of the road when she was by herself, but she liked having other campers around since her daughter was traveling with her. They were already missing rush hour traffic by staying in the middle of nowhere, as Amy put it, so they slept in a little later. They headed out after a breakfast of oatmeal, orange juice and a yogurt chaser for protein.

Alex took this time alone with Amy to talk about her plans for high school and college. Amy was young enough that she might still change her mind, but she was leaning toward becoming an engineer or scientist. She liked numbers. Math was easier for her than it was for her friends. She also enjoyed working with defined rules and methodologies.

"Don't you want to work more closely with people? I always thought you might want to be a doctor or teacher. You make friends so easily. Are you sure you would want to go into a field that might have you working alone a lot?" Alex knew her daughter was like she was at that age. The young Alex had many friends and enjoyed having people around. But here Alex was years later, freelancing and living a solo life except for Amy and Monica. And maybe Kyle, too.

"I don't know, Mom. I really don't want to spend all those years in school to become a doctor, and then there's your residency on top of that. And teaching just doesn't appeal to me at all. I don't have the patience for people who don't put in the effort to learn, and as a teacher you sometimes get stuck with students whose parents don't care. If the parents don't care, why should the kid? That's sort of what happened with those guys that knocked me down."

"What do you mean?" Alex recalled the incident from weeks prior, but had not asked Amy about those boys since. Alex was afraid she wouldn't be able to contain her rage, and would confront the boys or their parents, neither of which Amy wanted.

"Well, after I started taking those self-defense classes, I decided that I didn't need to be afraid of those boys anymore. I started to say hi to them in the hallway and whenever we had a class together. Two of them, Joey and Kip, started talking to me, too. They said that they were only going to school because of the law. Their parents aren't like you and Monica. They don't care if their kids drop out. They don't even care if their kids move up a grade each year, either."

"That's awful," Alex commiserated. "Maybe you'll be a good influence on them."

Amy watched drizzle accumulate on the windshield before Alex turned on the wipers. "I hope so. I try to talk to them about how they will have so many more options if they can catch up with the rest of us. They've never gotten any encouragement. I don't know what their parents do, but I'm betting it doesn't pay well." Amy paused. "Thank you, by the way, for not being like their parents. I know it has to be hard on you being a single mom."

"Oh, it hasn't been hard on me! You've been a blessing and I wouldn't have it any other way. But I have been lucky in that we've got Monica we can count on." Alex wished her sister had been able to join them. "Our lives could have been very different if she hadn't been around to help out. We'll have to remember to call her tonight and tell her how much we appreciate her."

Amy laughed. "I don't think that's a good idea, Mom. She's out with Mark again, I'm sure. It's Friday, isn't it?"

\----------

They continued on through Nebraska and Wyoming, finding a campground just before they hit Salt Lake City, Utah. Alex was enjoying this trip more than she thought she would, but she was beginning to feel just a little uneasy about going back to Lake Monroe so soon. She put her fears aside, however, feeling there was little risk if the police hadn't figured out it wasn't an accident. Even Kyle hadn't mentioned it. No, Alex felt relatively safe and was looking forward to dancing with that fine-looking Sheriff's Deputy.

They woke up early on Saturday and drove the last few hours in anticipation of the fun that awaited them.

At 10:00 o'clock sharp, the easy silence in the Winnebago was broken by strains of "You're the One That I Want" from the musical _Grease_. Alex's cheeks turned bright red as Amy looked at her mother. "New ringtone? Now who do you know that would get _that_ ringtone?"

"Just a minute," Alex said, as she quickly grabbed her cell phone from its spot on the console. She answered, "Hello?"

"Hi, Alex, it's Kyle," he responded. "I told you I would call this morning. How was your drive? I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No, we're still on the road. We should be there within a half hour or so, though. And it will take us a little while to get settled."

"Well, I won't keep you. I just wanted to tell you that the dance starts at 8:00 and should be over by 10:00 or so. It's open to everyone, so you can bring your daughter along. Maybe she'll meet some of the other kids and have some fun."

"That sounds fine. I'll give you a call once we're settled and I know exactly where our spot will be. We'll probably wander around the park for a little while this afternoon so Amy can learn the layout in case she wants to walk by the lake or something on her own. I know she can take care of herself, but I don't want her getting lost." Alex wanted to drag out the conversation as long as she could so she could avoid the questions she knew Amy would be asking.

"You don't need to call. I'll just ask the Park Ranger once I get there. It's not that big of a park, anyway."

"Oh, okay. We'll be ready by 8:00 then. Good-bye." Alex stared at the road as she hung up her cell and put it back on the console. Amy didn't say a word.

Alex tolerated the silence as long as she could. "Okay! I met this guy, Kyle, the last time I was here and we seem to like each other. He's invited us to a dance tonight, that's all."

"Did I ask?" Amy looked at her mother knowingly. She was well aware that her mother would cave if given the silent treatment.

"No, you didn't, but I knew you were asking telepathically," Alex responded.

"Hey, if he's 'the one that you want', go for it. I just wish you hadn't told me this trip was for me when it's really for you, though." Amy thrust her nose in the air and looked away from her mother in mock resentment.

"This _is_ for you, but who said I couldn't get a little enjoyment out of it, too? Besides, I need to talk with him for work."

"Sure you do, Mom. I believe you. You just keep telling yourself that."

Nothing else was said until they pulled into the park.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Alex had changed into a pastel blue sleeveless A-line dress with a large floral print for the dance. She chose an open-toed white pump with a low heel since they would be walking outdoors. Alex pulled her strawberry blond hair away from her face with a white headband, and tamed the curls into waves.

Amy commented on how nice her mother looked. "Wow, Mom! You look so young and feminine; you could still be in college!" Amy was accustomed to seeing her mother in jeans or slacks. Alex seldom had reason to wear a dress. When she did, it was usually a professional-looking suit in solid colors or with small prints.

"Thank you, Honey! I can't believe I'm actually nervous. It has been a very long time since I've been on anything resembling a date. Come to think of it, the last person I dated was your father." Alex thought about how that must sound to Amy. "You don't resent me going out with someone, do you? I wouldn't expect anyone to take your father's place in your life."

"Mom, Dad doesn't really have a place in my life. He died when I was so young, I barely remember him." Amy cocked her head as she looked at her mother. "No, you deserve to have someone in your life just like Monica does. Besides, it won't be too long before I'm off to college and you'll need someone else to take care of."

"Well, that remains to be seen. I've barely spoken to the man."

Amy grinned. "Well, that may very well be true, but you sure made an impression on him. And you will again tonight in that dress."

Alex checked herself out in the mirror. The image of her standing there covered in Brad's blood flashed across her mind, but she blinked and it was gone. Amy had changed into a teal blue sweater over white jeans, and wore a pair of strappy white sandals, pulling her blond hair back into her customary ponytail.

A firm knock at the door alerted Alex and Amy to Kyle's arrival. Alex opened the door and had to smile when Kyle's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped just a second. "Alex! It is so good to see you again!"

"Hi, Kyle. I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Amy." Alex introduced Officer Buckley to Amy, and Kyle offered his hand.

"Your mother is teasing you. I am a Sheriff's Deputy, but call me Kyle. I'm strictly off-duty tonight."

Kyle suggested they start walking toward the pavilion, and stepped out of the Winnebago first so that he could help the ladies down the steps. While his back was turned, Amy took the opportunity to give her mother a quick nod of understanding. Kyle had shown up in a blue athletic-cut long-sleeve shirt tucked expertly into black slacks. His dress shoes had been freshly polished. He didn't wear a tie, and left only the top button of his shirt open. Amy wasn't blind; she saw why Kyle had caught her mother's eye.

\----------

The Park Ranger, was right. Lake Monroe was much nicer in June. It was cold at night when she was here before. She was lucky she hadn't frozen to death when she fought with Brad and was knocked out. Now, however, it was still cool in the evening but that provided the perfect excuse for a man to wrap his arm around the shoulders of his date.

This was exactly what Kyle did when he walked Alex to the pavilion. Rather than tense up, Alex found the warmth of his arm reassuring. It had been a very long time since any man had shown interest in Alex as a person. The men Alex was used to dealing with were all interested in only one thing, and Alex fought back to the death.

As they neared the festivities, they were surprised by the quality and variety of the music. The group playing may have been a local garage band, but they were really good and had quite a repertoire. The band was also savvy enough to start out with a selection of lively music designed to get the crowd warmed up and singing along. They included "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang, "I Love Rock 'n Roll" by Joan Jett, and "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond, among others. Even Amy knew some of the songs. A couple of the kids waved her over to join them across the dance floor, and Amy took her leave.

The music selections suited Alex, as the tendency of the crowd to sing with the band made idle chit-chat difficult. It also set a mood that was fun and light-hearted. After the first set, which lasted about forty-five minutes, the band put a mix tape on while they took a break. This gave Kyle a chance to start a real conversation with Alex.

"Can I get you something to drink?" Kyle asked, as they headed toward the refreshments. "There's nothing alcoholic, since the dance includes children."

"I'll take something without caffeine. Thank you," Alex replied. "You have a nice voice, Kyle. Did you know that?"

"I won't say I think I have a nice voice, but I don't mind being one of the chorus. I used to sing in my church choir when I was a kid. Once I moved out here, though, I decided joining the choir would be too difficult since my schedule at work has to be flexible. You never know when you'll be scheduled for an extra shift or two." He watched Alex for a reaction to his involvement in church. That was often a turn-off for women, or they sometimes started looking at him as marriage material.

"You're right about that. If you don't have control of your work schedule, it can really play havoc with your personal life," Alex responded. She wasn't surprised by his choice of topic. In her experience, those who choose to do good in the world, such as law enforcement and other emergency personnel, were often involved in religious institutions. "I haven't gone to church since I left home. It's not that anything happened, but you tend to pull away when you leave home and it's hard to go back."

Kyle was pleased that Alex really didn't react one way or the other to his statement. He still needed to find out why Alex lived off the grid, though.

"You know, you've never really told me anything about yourself. I don't know what you do, or why you travel so much. You seem to lead such an interesting life. I would love to hear more." Kyle was doing his best to steer the conversation where he wanted it.

Alex considered her options. She could push Kyle away and be done with the whole relationship thing, but Kyle had an effect on her that she hadn't felt in a long time and hated to lose. Another option would be to continue on the ruse that she lives a normal life in San Francisco, but how would Kyle react if he wanted to visit her there?

She finally settled on her third option: the truth, or some semblance thereof.

"Well, I'm a freelance writer. I bought the Winnebago so that I could travel as needed to research my articles and books. I also write copy and blog posts for several clients. You probably haven't seen any of my work because I use a _nom de plume_. That's a penname, in case you don't know your French."

"So you keep a residence in San Francisco, but you're never there?" Kyle was surprised at how open she was, but she still hadn't told him why she lied about her residence on her license.

Alex looked up into his striking blue eyes and thought hard and fast about how to answer. "Well, I really don't want to answer that question since you're a cop. Can I take the Fifth?"

"First of all, we're not in a court of law, so you don't need to take the Fifth. However, would you feel better if I told you that tonight I'm just a guy who is trying to get to know a really fabulous lady, but hates that she doesn't feel she can be honest with him?"

"Okay, but don't be mad, alright?" Alex decided to tell him some more of the truth. Kyle nodded at her question. "I used to be married years ago, but my husband and I had started to grow apart after Amy was born. I eventually moved out into my own apartment. I was taking Amy for a visit one day, and found my husband shot dead in the kitchen. I went through a hell of a lot during the investigation since the police were convinced I had killed him, all because we happened to be separated. I didn't...I swear, but the spouse is always suspect, and on top of everything else, I found his body."

"Why would that make me mad? And was this in San Francisco?" Kyle pretty much knew all of this already, but he still needed to put his concerns to rest and didn't want Alex to know he had already looked into her background.

"Yes. After the police finally cleared me as a 'person of interest', I sold the house, broke my lease and moved back East to be closer to my family. Here's the part that might make you mad: at first I didn't change my license because I moved into an apartment and didn't plan to stay there. I didn't think it would be a big deal to wait until my license expired. Then, my parents died in a car accident, and my sister and I ended up with some money from insurance and the sale of their home. She decided to buy a house, but I decided it made sense for me to buy the Winnebago."

"So why does your license still say San Francisco? Did you move back there?" Kyle was even more confused as he heard the details.

"No, it just seemed easier to go back and renew my license when it was getting ready to expire. It's really hard to get credit or anything when you don't have a permanent address, and you have to have an address for every legal document, like a driver's license. Since I didn't have a permanent address anymore, I was sort of forced by the system to keep the last address I had. I didn't mean to mislead you, but I was afraid that telling you the address was wrong on my license would just create more problems. It might even make you suspect I had something to do with that fire the last time I was here. That _was_ an accident, right?" Alex had said all she wanted about her past, and it was time she maneuvered the conversation to suit her needs.

Kyle considered what Alex had said, and it had the ring of truth. In this day and age, if you want a driver's license you have to prove where you live. If you don't have mortgage or rent papers, or a utility bill, it was nigh unto impossible to get a driver's license or register your vehicle. She did explain why he couldn't find much by way of financial history, as well. He decided to test her by watching her reaction when he told her the fire wasn't an accident.

"Actually, we found out the man was murdered and the fire was an attempt to cover it up."

Alex was simultaneously shocked at the news, and afraid Kyle knew more than he was saying. She looked at him and saw him watching her intently.

"We've got to go, then! I shouldn't have brought Amy here where there's been a murder. How do I know it's safe for her? I only brought her here because Mike told me he hadn't heard anything more about the fire." Realization dawned on Alex. "He knows, doesn't he? The Park Ranger knew all along! How could he lie to me like that, and have me put my only daughter in harm's way?" She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Kyle.

"Did you tell him not to tell me? Did you think I had something to do with it?" Alex was on the attack and she took no hostages. "Is that why you wanted to see me again? To get me back to the scene of the crime?" She abruptly turned away from him. "I think we're done here!" She began to storm off toward Amy on the far side of the dance floor.

"Wait! Alex!" Kyle was now convinced Alex was innocent. "Please hear me out. Give me a chance to defend myself, just like I gave you an opportunity to explain."

Alex whirled around. "There's a big difference, don't you think? I don't think you murdered anyone!"

A few of the guests standing nearby looked at the two arguing, and took a step back when they heard the word murder.

"Alex, please...you're making a scene. Let's go sit down and I'll explain." Kyle reached out and gently grasped her wrist. She pulled away but followed him off the dance floor to one of the picnic tables. Kyle sat down and motioned for her to sit next to him.

"You've got two minutes." Alex was not going to cut him much slack. She had to keep up the appearance that she was angry at his suspicions. That wasn't too difficult since she was mad at him for manipulating her.

"Look, here's the truth. When I called you from San Francisco and you said you were out of town, I decided to surprise you and took a rose bush to the address from your license. I knew I couldn't see you to give you a cut bouquet, so I thought a rose bush would be a constant reminder of me."

Alex softened just a little. "You went by the house?"

"Yes. I know it was a bit presumptuous of me, but I thought we had a connection and I wanted you to know I was interested. When I got there, though, the woman you sold the place to told me you hadn't lived there in years. We had an open investigation and you had a false address, so I had to follow up. I promise, though, I didn't really think you had anything to do with that fire, and I didn't mention it to anyone who's actually working the case. I was always on your side, but I had to be sure. It's my sworn duty to uphold the law, you know."

Kyle reached out and took Alex's hand. She didn't pull away. It would be good to have a cop on her side.

The band had returned to start the second set, which was a selection of dance tunes that included "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", "Night Fever" and "Crazy In Love". With a good dance beat going, it didn't take too much effort for Kyle to coax Alex onto the dance floor. Alex looked over and saw Amy with the group of kids taking over a section of the pavilion to start gyrations of their own.

By the time the band started their third set, Alex and Kyle were ready for something less intense. The band knew how to work the crowd. Now that the guests had gotten in a little exercise with the fast tempo, they began to slow things down while still encouraging physical contact. They played "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and followed that up with "Say You, Say Me" and "Leather and Lace".

Alex wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but Kyle had taken her gently into his arms at some point. As "You Are So Beautiful" came to an end, Kyle reached down and lifted Alex's chin. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward and placed a kiss gently on her lips. Alex abandoned all hope of ever getting Kyle out of her life.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Alex spent most of Sunday with Kyle. They rented a boat and Kyle took it upon himself to teach Alex and Amy how to fish. Amy proved to be a natural, intuitively knowing where the fish would be gathered and what bait would work best. Alex was good at baiting her hook and getting it to land exactly where she wanted it, but the fish didn't seem interested in her bait. She finally gave up and took control of the boat, letting Kyle and Amy vie for the honor of best fisherman.

Kyle had to be back at the office on Monday, and Alex sent Amy to several of the park's events while she took the shuttle into town. She headed toward the library and looked up the history of Lake Monroe and wrote up several articles she would submit to travel blogs. Each article was different enough that she could submit them simultaneously. While she was there, she also pulled any information she could find on the van fire. There were no new reports in any of the major papers, but an independent bi-weekly local newspaper provided some personal information about Brad. His last name was Luther, and he had been the sole proprietor of a flooring business for the past twelve years. Alex was saddened to see that Brad had a wife and nine-year-old son. _I didn't mean to cause them pain,_ Alex thought _, but Brad sure didn't mind causing other families pain._ Alex knew she had done the right thing by stopping her dual life. She wondered if the others she had disposed of had families, and what pain she might have caused.

At noon, Alex strolled along the street to the Sheriff's Office. She asked the officer at the front desk if she could speak with Kyle Buckley for a moment. When he approached, his eyes lit up at the sight of her.

"Alex! What brings you here?" he asked.

"I thought perhaps you could take a break for lunch. If not, I understand. I know you weren't expecting me."

"Sure, I was just thinking about grabbing a bite. Let me introduce you around first." Kyle opened the gate to allow her access to the rest of the office. "I want you to meet my partner."

Jolene Rayburn had her back to the door when they entered.

"Jolene! Guess who came by to have lunch?" Kyle called to her as they neared her desk.

"I have no idea," Jolene teased as she turned around. She had heard all about Kyle's weekend with Alex, and was happy that Kyle had decided Alex was not involved in the murder and fire from weeks before.

"This is Alexandra Warren. Alex, this is Jolene Rayburn, my partner when we team up." Jolene stood and shook Alex's hand, noting the strong, self-assured grip in return.

"It's so nice to meet you, Alex. Kyle mentioned something about the two of you going to the dance Saturday." Jolene had heard everything about the dance, the fishing, Amy, the Winnebago, Alex's previous brush with the law over Jeremy's death, Alex's sister...you name it, Jolene had already heard about it....all morning long.

"Kyle mentioned you, as well. I understand you're the reason he recently went to San Francisco." Alex assumed Kyle had already told Jolene everything, including his concerns about her faux life in California.

"Yes, that was my fault. I had signed up for a course and couldn't make it at the last minute. I had no idea the seminar would put him within a stone's throw of your address." Jolene didn't want the misunderstanding about Alex's residence to cause any more problems for Kyle. She had already heard about the fight at the dance.

"Well, it caused a bit of a misunderstanding, but it wasn't your fault. I should have updated my license and registration a long time ago. I'll take care of it as soon as I get back to Ohio. I'll use my sister's address as my home address. Who knows, I might even sell off the Winnebago and find a permanent job somewhere." The words rolled off her tongue a lot easier than she thought they would. With Kyle in her life, she would need to settle down.

"Kyle's a good man, and a great partner. He's still an officer of the law, though, and has to check things out. We're both happy you came back for a visit." Jolene was glad Alex didn't seem to harbor any ill feelings.

"Hey, I'm right here, ladies!" Kyle didn't entirely understand the dynamics of the interaction. To him, the conversation was simply chit-chat between two people meeting for the first time. To Jolene and Alex, they were having a dance of their own, each determining the other's place in Kyle's life. Jolene had no interest in Kyle other than as a friend and partner, and wanted to make sure Alex knew that.

"So sorry, Kyle! I didn't mean to ignore you, but it was such a pleasure to meet Jolene." Alex turned to Jolene, "Would you care to join us for lunch?"

"Maybe next time. It's my turn to cover for lunch, so I'll be eating late. I brought something from home, anyway. Thanks, though, for asking. You two have a good time." Jolene shook Alex's hand again and headed toward the door.

Kyle walked Alex around the room to meet two other officers still at their desks. They left and headed toward the town's diner.

As they approached, Alex noted the white eyelet cafe curtains contrasting the deep green awning over the door. The building's doors and windows were trimmed in dark green, as well. The interior of the building had a homey appearance, with a soda fountain running the length of the left wall. Booths covered in dark green vinyl took up the right wall, and several free-standing tables and chairs were meticulously spaced in the center of the floor.

The diner was at about half capacity, with several tables needing to be bussed. An elderly woman was doing just that near the door when Alex and Kyle entered.

"Hi, Sophia! Where do you want us?" Kyle asked the woman.

"Officer Buckley, what a surprise! And this must be Alex," Sophia said, as she turned and thrust out her hand. "Small town, you know. Everyone around here has heard about Kyle's new lady friend."

Alex blushed but smiled warmly as she shook Sophia's hand. "Yes, I'm Alex and I'm pleased to meet you. So this is your establishment?"

"Yes, ma'am! My husband and I opened the place in '70, just after the big flood. He died in '01, bless his heart, and I've been sole proprietor, chief cook and bottle-washer ever since."

Alex chuckled. She liked this woman, who looked to be well-preserved for someone who had to be at least in her mid-sixties. "I'm sure the town is lucky to have you here. I'm sorry about your husband, though. I bet you two made quite a team."

"Nah, we argued constantly. I appreciate your sympathy, though. It was a shock when he passed. Died of pneumonia \-- of course the lung cancer didn't help. It was probably a blessing in disguise because he didn't suffer long with the pneumonia. The cancer would have drug on for months. Once I got over the shock, though, I figured it was time to do what I wanted with the place. I picked green because everybody was starting to ask for fresh food rather than typical diner fare, and I thought the curtains were a nice touch."

"It's lovely. I can't wait to try the food! Where do you want us to sit?" Alex asked. She hadn't expected to hear family secrets, but enjoyed Sophia's warmth and openness.

"Why don't you two take the back booth? It's more private and I can keep a good eye on your table while I work," Sophia suggested.

Kyle nodded and led Alex toward the rear of the diner with Sophia bringing up the rear. She stopped long enough wash her hands and pick up clean silverware along with two menus.

"Can I get you something to drink while you decide?"

"Coffee for me. Alex?" Kyle sat with his feet in the aisle, avoiding knocking knees with Alex under the table.

"I'll just have some water. Thank you," Alex said as she opened the menu. She was surprised to find an extensive listing of food items. Small-town diners tend to have a limited repertoire of dishes to minimize spoilage and waste. "Wow! I didn't expect such variety!"

Sophia turned back as she headed toward the soda fountain. "We've got salads, soups, hot plates, sandwiches and we still do a good business in hamburgers and fries. The special today is a BLT with avocado, if you want it. Comes with home-made potato chips or fries. Only $4.99, or you can add on a bowl of soup or a house salad for $2.00 more." She continued on to get their drinks.

Kyle settled on the special and Alex decided to try the chicken salad on a croissant. They chatted more about their families. Kyle mentioned that his father had been a State Trooper, and his mother had served in the Air Force before she married.

Alex told Kyle that her mother had been in insurance, and her father had served in Viet Nam. He struggled for awhile, trying to find his place in the world when the world was rejecting those who had served. He finally found a job with a furniture manufacturer and worked his way up through the ranks until he became Vice President. He had been tapped to become the next President when the car accident killed both of Alex's parents.

Kyle studied Alex's face as she described the wreck and told him of the damage her parents had sustained. He saw anger well up in her eyes along with her tears of frustration as she told him how little the police had investigated, and the final determination that they caused their own deaths.

"My mom and dad would never deliberately put themselves or others at risk. But nobody listened to us." Alex used her napkin to dab the tears still glistening in her eyes as Sophia brought over their food.

Sophia could see that Alex was upset, so she raised her eyebrows at Kyle as she set the plates down. "Here you go, folks. Enjoy your lunch!"

Kyle thanked her, and shook his head to indicate Sophia shouldn't ask what was wrong.

"Looks fabulous," Alex said, and without looking up she took a large bite of her sandwich. "Mmmm. Delicious!" The crunch of walnuts and tang of green grapes made what could have been a bland combination of chicken and mayo into a robust, palate pleasing meal.

"I'm glad you like it! Let me know if you need anything else," Sophia said as she went about cleaning and servicing the other customers.

They ate in silence for a few moments. "So, do you think the police ran into jurisdictional problems because your parents drove through three states? Their trip would have included the CPD in Chicago as well as the Illinois, Indiana and Ohio State Police. And that's not including any local department where the accident occurred."

"That may be true, but my family shouldn't suffer because my parents crossed the state line," Alex stated emphatically. "Someone murdered my parents and is still out there."

"How about if I look into this for you? It's been quite a few years, and all I can do is ask to see any files, but maybe a new set of eyes would help. I can't guarantee anything, but I can make a few calls."

"You would do that for me?" Alex had given up on ever finding out what really happened to her parents. Kyle's offer to talk with the police and look at what they had uncovered during their brief investigation was unexpected. Alex hadn't realized how much pain she still endured because of her parents' deaths.

"Sure. There's no harm in a couple calls. Still, no promises that we'll learn anything new." Kyle was pleased to see Alex brighten up at his offer. "It may take a few days, but I'll try to find out what they know before you leave."

"I...I don't know quite what to say. Thank you, for sure. You really don't have to do this, but I would greatly appreciate anything you can find out."

Kyle steered the conversation toward less upsetting subjects. They finished off their meal with Kyle filling Alex in on some of the more colorful characters in town. Kyle picked up the tab for the meal over Alex's argument that she invited him to lunch and should therefore pay.

"I'm a gentleman, Alex, and my mother taught me that the gentleman always pays." They left the diner and entered the bright sunshine of early afternoon. "Where are you headed? I'll walk you there."

"That's okay. I know you need to get back to work. Jolene will be wanting her lunch! I'm just going to hop on the shuttle back to the park. I think I've done all the damage I can do at the library."

"Well, thank you for coming by, anyway. I enjoyed our lunch. How about dinner tonight, or am I being too pushy?" Kyle would normally move more slowly at the beginning of a relationship, but Alex and Amy were only there for the week.

"Okay, dinner it is, but only if you let me cook. I can whip up a decent meal in the Winnie."

"That sounds good. What time should I come by?" This was a first for Kyle, having a park visitor offer to cook for him.

"How about seven or so? Is your shift over by then?" Alex was going to have to do some shopping before catching the shuttle.

"I'll be there with bells on! Can I bring anything? Some wine or something?"

"Just yourself. I think we're good on supplies. If I'm missing something, I'll give you a call, okay?" Alex was looking forward to the evening. She was surprised at how easily Kyle had maneuvered himself into her life.

"Okay. See you then." Kyle started to turn away and then turned back and kissed Alex lightly on her cheek. "Be careful," he murmured, then turned away and walked back to his office.

Alex found a small grocery a couple of blocks down the street and bought a few things for dinner. By the time she returned to the park, it was already nearing 3:00 p.m.

CHAPTER TWENTY

After dinner, Kyle suggested the three of them walk by the lake.

"Not me, I've got enough mosquito bites to last a lifetime already!" Amy asserted. "But you two go ahead. I'm just going to hang around here and maybe find something to read. I'm exhausted from all the hiking today, anyway!"

"Are you sure, Amy? We don't mind the company." Kyle found himself walking the thin line between wanting to get to know Amy better and wanting to be alone with Alex.

"I'm sure. Maybe I'll give Aunt Monica a call before she goes out with her boyfriend."

"That would be a good idea. We haven't heard from her since we left on Thursday. I would appreciate you giving her a call. We don't want her to get _too_ comfortable being there by herself." Alex wasn't really worried about her sister, but it was odd they hadn't even had a voicemail from her.

"Make sure you lock up. We'll knock when we get back, okay?" Kyle wasn't sure he liked the idea of a pretty fourteen-year-old hanging around the campsite by herself. He was too aware of how often young girls were attacked by guys people thought were good, honest family men.

"I'll be fine. I might invite Lacy over. She's only two doors down. Mom, is that okay?" Amy looked to her mother with all the eagerness of an eight-year-old asking for a puppy.

Alex had to smile. "Of course, but no boys if I'm not around, okay? I trust you, but I know better than to trust any boys hitting puberty."

"Ewwww, MOM!" Amy wrinkled her nose in disgust. "No way am I going to get interested in some boy I'll probably never see again." Realizing her statement could be just as appropriate for her mother, Amy added, "But you can travel whenever you want, so it's okay for you and Kyle."

Alex just shook her head as she left the camper. "We'll be back shortly. Invite Lacy if you want, but give your Aunt Monica a call first."

"It was nice of Amy to give us permission, don't you think?" Kyle slipped his arm around Alex's waist, pulling her close.

"She really needs to learn to think before she speaks, but she likes you, and that makes me happy. You're the first man I've brought around since her father died. Being on the road doesn't bode well for relationships. Frankly, if I hadn't brought Amy here for her graduation present, you two might not have met."

"I hope you're not implying that once you leave, I won't see you again. I know this is all fairly sudden, but I really like you, Alex. I know a long-distance relationship is difficult, but I'm willing to give it a shot if you are."

"We'll have to see. It's too soon to be making long-term plans, don't you think?" Kyle's face fell when he heard those words, but brightened when Alex added, "But I do want to keep in touch. You're a good man, and good men are really hard to find in this day and age."

"I'll take what I can get," Kyle responded. At least he would be able to talk with her. She was right in that they barely knew each other. He could understand Alex wanting to be sure, especially with her daughter in the mix.

The sun was setting as they neared the lake, and its reflection on the water showed orange and yellow. Crickets provided a continual backdrop to their conversation, and frogs added a bass line to the song of the park nightlife.

An owl hooted, and Alex shivered briefly at the reminder of her previous trip to the park.

\----------

Amy unlocked the door when Alex knocked and called to her. Alex noted that Amy was alone.

"Where's Lacy? Couldn't she come over?" Alex asked.

"I never invited her," Amy replied, her brow as furrowed as a young girl can manage. "I've been trying to call Aunt Monica, and all I get is voicemail on her cell phone. I tried calling the house and it rings, but then all I get is the answering machine. She's never this out of touch."

"She's probably out with Mark, and maybe she forgot to charge her cell phone. I'm sure it's nothing. She'll call back when she gets home."

Kyle looked at his watch. "Speaking of getting home, I should probably go. I want to be at the station a little early tomorrow. Will I see you for lunch?"

"Probably not. Amy and I are going to drive around and see some of the sights in the area. However, why don't you plan to come over for supper again, maybe Wednesday night?"

"I have a better idea. Why don't you two come over to my place Wednesday, and I'll cook." Kyle pulled Alex close and lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I'm not a bad cook, and you'll get a chance to see where I live."

"That sounds nice. I usually end up being the one to cook, so having someone else offer is new to me." Alex looked at Amy. "What do you think, Amy? Shall we go see what a real bachelor pad looks like?"

"Sounds good to me, Mom, but how are we getting around?"

"I'm going to take the shuttle in to town tomorrow and pick up a rental car. I'll just turn it back in on Thursday rather than Wednesday night."

"Better yet, how about I pick you up Wednesday evening when I get off work? I can meet you at the car rental place and drive you back here after dinner. It beats paying for an extra day. I promise, I'm a safe driver and nothing will happen to you or Amy."

"Are you sure you don't mind bringing us back here? It won't be any problem keeping the car an extra day," Alex responded. She wasn't accustomed to having someone who went out of his way on her behalf. She could get used to this.

"Don't mind at all! So it's settled. Call me when you drop off the car and I'll come pick you up. I'll see you then."

Alex raised up on her toes as far as she could and Kyle got the message. He leaned down for a kiss, though he felt a little odd doing so in front of Amy. He was gone a few moments later.

\----------

Alex was up bright and early on Tuesday and showered quietly. She wanted to rent the car early so they would have time to see as much as they could of the area. She packed a quick overnight bag for the two of them in case they got lost or decided to find a hotel room somewhere rather than return to the park.

When Amy awoke, Alex fixed them a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes. They were both surprisingly hungry. Amy took her shower, and Alex left on the shuttle while Amy dried her hair and got dressed.

Alex tried calling Monica's work phone since she wasn't driving. She began to get a little worried when she heard Monica's voicemail.

"Hi, you've reached Monica Townsend's desk. Today is Friday, June 3rd. Please leave a message at the tone and I'll return your call promptly."

Alex asked Monica to call her as soon as possible. Her sister was a bit compulsive when it came to work. She always updated her voicemail message as soon as she arrived at her desk. Did she simply forget, or had something happened? Alex could understand Monica forgetting to update it one day, but two? That was highly unlikely.

She called Monica's cell again and it still went straight to voicemail. Even if Monica had forgotten to charge her cell Sunday night, she would plug it into the car charger on her way home Monday, or going into the office on Tuesday.

The home phone rang the customary five rings before the answering machine picked up. Now Alex was seriously concerned. Losing her husband and parents to murder made Alex paranoid, and she accepted that fact. However, this was completely out of character for her shy and responsible sister.

_I know she's okay. She's just so involved with Mark that she's become scatterbrained._ Alex couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly, terribly wrong.

\----------

Alex practically ran to the Sheriff's Office when she exited the shuttle. When Kyle came to meet her in the lobby, she had managed to calm herself enough so that she wouldn't seem hysterical even though that's how she felt.

"Alex! What is it?" They may not know each other all that well, but anyone could see that Alex was upset over something.

"Kyle, it's my sister. She never called us back last night and I still can't reach her, even at work. I'm worried something has happened to her. This isn't like her at all!" Alex could hear the quiver in her own voice and hated herself for it. She took a deep breath and looked Kyle in the eye. "She _always_ changes her work voicemail message to let callers know she's in the office that day. Her voicemail says it's last Friday. We haven't talked to her since then. I'm scared, Kyle. I can't lose her after everyone else."

Kyle held her for a moment. Alex pressed her face into his broad, muscular chest. "What can I do, Kyle?"

"Have you tried calling anyone else at her office? Maybe that boyfriend you and Amy mentioned?"

"Uhm, no. As soon as I reached her voicemail, I panicked. Let me try."

Alex called the office again, but this time she asked the receptionist if Monica was in rather than just asking to be transferred to her phone.

"I'm sorry, but Monica Townsend hasn't come in today. Could someone else help you?"

"No, I'm her sister and I haven't been able to reach her. When was the last time she was in? Was she there yesterday? I really need to reach her," Alex pleaded.

The receptionist remained calm, but explained that Monica hadn't been in the office since last Friday. She said they had tried to call her home and cell phones when she didn't report in on Monday, but hadn't been able to reach her. "Would you like to speak with her supervisor?"

"How about Mark Bauer? Is he in?" Alex was certain Mark would know where Monica was before her supervisor did.

"I'm terribly sorry, but Mark Bauer turned in his resignation Friday. I was told to direct his calls to Mr. Helmsford, our Administrative Partner. Would you like to be transferred to Mr. Helmsford?" The receptionist was good at her job. She retained her composure but was determined to help Alex any way she could.

Alex was dumbstruck that Mark had resigned. "YES! Please put me through to him. Thank you," she added as an afterthought.

"Helmsford." The man came across as a no-nonsense man of few words. He was all business, and it didn't sound like he had a light-hearted bone in his body.

"Mr. Helmsford, my name is Alex Warren. I'm Monica Townsend's sister," Alex began.

Helmsford cut her off. "It's good to hear from you. How is Monica? We haven't heard from her and it's not like her to miss work and not call in. I hope she's okay." While the words conveyed concern, his tone of voice hinted at irritation. How dare one of the paralegals not report in, and fail to call in on top of it?

"I don't know. That's why I'm calling you. I haven't been able to reach her, either."

"Well, Ms. Warren, I'm certain we can't be of any assistance, then. Good day."

"WAIT!" Alex almost screamed.

"What is it, Ms. Warren?"

_This man is a real piece of work,_ Alex thought. _If I didn't like the partners before, I certainly have no use for them now!_

"Please, Mr. Helmsford, I need some information. I understand Mark Bauer resigned last Friday. He had been seeing my sister. I was wondering if you could give me his contact information so that I can find out when he last heard from Monica." Alex was trying to sound professional, but having to deal with this sorry excuse for a human was pushing her over the edge.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Ms. Warren. We don't give out that kind of information in order to protect the privacy of our employees."

Alex was at her wit's end and afraid Helmsford would hang up. Kyle had been listening to her side of the conversation and quickly took the phone from her.

"Mr. Helmsford, Officer Buckley here. Monica Townsend's sister is here at the Sheriff's Office asking for our assistance in locating her family member. I understand you have concerns about providing contact information for Mr. Bauer, who may be able to provide information regarding Monica's whereabouts. Mr. Helmsford, I'm certain your partners would not want the firm to become implicated if failure to provide the requested contact information resulted in harm to Ms. Townsend." Kyle's voice was strong and steady, and it was obvious he had dealt with lawyers before.

"Officer Buckley, I will be happy to provide you that information once you produce a warrant. Good day." The line went dead. Kyle was astounded, but also worried about how Alex would react. He located the most recent call on the log and redialed the number.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

"Law Offices. How may I direct your call?" The receptionist sounded bored, and this suited Kyle just fine.

"This is Officer Buckley of the Sheriff's Office. We need your help. We are trying to locate Monica Townsend, and believe Mark Bauer may have information we need to find her. Do you have a phone number or address for Mr. Bauer?" Kyle was hoping to appeal to the receptionist's sense of urgency and her natural desire to help a female in trouble. He also hoped to get the information before Helmsford had a chance to send out an email reminding the staff that all calls regarding Monica and Mark were to go directly to him.

"Certainly, Officer. His cell phone number is right here on our directory." The receptionist provided the number and asked Kyle to hold a moment. "I just found his address in the system. His records haven't been removed yet." She read off the address as Kyle jotted it down. "Is that all you needed?"

"Thank you. Yes, it is. Monica's family and law enforcement greatly appreciate your assistance." Kyle ended the call and looked at Alex. "We've at least got a phone number and address."

Alex threw her arms around Kyle's neck and hugged him unexpectedly with all her strength.

"Hey! If you break it, you buy it!" Kyle put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed until she loosened her hold. "Maybe you should call Mark. You know him, and I would have to identify myself as an officer. That sometimes causes people to forget things they might tell a family member."

"Okay," Alex agreed. She dialed the number as Kyle read it off to her. It rang several times before going to voicemail. "I can't believe this," Alex spoke during the greeting. Upon hearing the beep, she tried to speak as calmly as she could. "This is Alex Warren, Monica's sister. I haven't been able to reach her and was wondering if you had spoken with her recently. Would you please call me back at your earliest convenience?" She added her cell number and hung up.

"What am I going to do? I'm two days away and my sister could be dying right this moment!" Alex buried her head in Kyle's chest. He felt her shoulders shake and found he wanted to hold her tight and tell her everything would be okay. He knew better. Monica may have been missing for as long as five days. If anything had happened to her, it was probably too late for anyone to help her.

"You're going to sit here for a minute. I'll be right back. Write down your sister's address for me." Kyle lightly kissed the crown of her head as Alex wrote down the address. He walked purposefully back toward his desk. He was gone for almost twenty minutes, and returned just as Alex was getting up to leave.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be gone so long."

"Every minute counts, Kyle! I need to get back to the park and pack up. Amy and I have to leave right now! It's going to take us two more days to get back." Alex turned toward the door.

"Wait," Kyle said, as he took her arm. "That's what took so long. I'm going to drive you to the airport. I just called a pilot friend of mine. He's going to fly you back home in his plane so you can start checking on Monica."

"But what about Amy? I can't just leave her here. And then there's my Winnebago!"

"Alex, slow down a little and let me finish. Take a breath!" Kyle waited as Alex stared at him in frustration, then took a deep breath and let it out.

"Okay, breath taken. Nothing is resolved, though."

"Yes, it is. I just spoke with Jolene. She's going to contact the Sheriff's office in Fayette County, and have them go by Monica's house on a welfare check. Hopefully Monica is there and okay, and you can both laugh about this later."

Alex relaxed slightly. "If I don't kill her myself for making me worry like this!"

"Well, there is that, but I don't encourage it." Kyle allowed a little smile before continuing. "I've just scheduled my vacation for the next few days. I'm going to drive Amy back in your Winnebago. I drove a moving truck to help pay for college, so the Winnebago shouldn't be a problem."

"Really? You would do that for me? I hate for you to waste your vacation, and are you sure you want to spend that much time with Amy? Maybe she should go with me." Alex was concerned about leaving her daughter with a man she barely knew.

"I understand. Let's head to the park to pick her up. You might want to give her a heads up so she'll be ready to roll." They headed to the cruiser parked in the lot next door.

Alex called and was relieved when Amy answered. She wouldn't have been surprised to get yet more voicemail. "Hi, Mom. I thought you would be back by now."

"Honey, I've been trying to reach Monica and I'm not having any luck. Did she call you back, by any chance?"

"No, I haven't heard from her. Did you try her office?"

"Yes, and they haven't heard from her either. Everything is probably okay, but I can't help but be concerned. Kyle has made arrangements with a friend of his to fly us back to Ohio. You should grab whatever you need for the next couple of days and be ready when we get there."

"No problem. All I need is a couple minutes. Do you need me to get anything for you?"

Alex had to smile at her daughter's ability to always think of the other person. "No, Honey. Kyle will have the Winnebago back in a couple of days, and I can't think of anything that can't wait that long. It was nice of you to ask, though. We'll be there in just a few minutes."

The cruiser was exceeding the speed limit, and Alex was glad Kyle was behind the wheel. She realized she was too distraught to drive. She couldn't imagine how she would get the Winnebago back to Ohio as upset as she was. Looking at a two day drive would have sent her over the brink. Kyle was being so helpful, and it wasn't his problem.

Lake Monroe sparkled in the sunlight, and Kyle had to slow down to a crawl because of all the foot traffic. He tapped the horn as they pulled up, and Amy came out of the Winnebago and locked the door behind her.

"Here you go," Amy said, handing her mother the keys and her laptop. "I thought you might need this for research before Kyle makes it to Ohio.

Alex took them and held the keys out for Kyle. "You'll be needing these. I can't think of anything you need to do to prepare for the trip. There's food in the pantry and refrigerator, and I just took it to the dump station yesterday, so you should be good until you get it back. You've got Monica's address, so just head there. Give us a call and we'll meet you at the house."

Kyle took the keys and dropped them in his pocket. He reached over and wrapped his large hand around hers and noted how small it was. She had seemed strong before, both physically and mentally. She now appeared to be wasting away with anxiety.

He was about to tell her not to worry when his cell phone rang. He answered, "Buckley here." He listened for a few moments, thanked the caller and hung up.

Taking Alex's hand once again, he gave it a little squeeze and said, "That was Jolene. Your sister wasn't at the house. Nothing looked disturbed, but her cell phone was on the table by the door. Jolene is checking with the local hospitals to see if maybe your sister went for a walk and got hurt or something."

"No, Jolene doesn't go for walks. If her cell phone was there, something is definitely wrong. Please, hurry!" Alex was doing her best to hold it together, but each development brought worse news.

"Well, maybe she's with Mark. Maybe they eloped or something. Don't immediately think the worst. You've got several hours of flying ahead of you. You need to calm down. Jolene is having the locals check everything out. There's nothing you can do from here, and worrying isn't going to help anyone." Kyle lifted Alex's hand and motioned toward Amy with his thumb.

"I know, and you're right." Alex breathed deeply once more. "I really appreciate all you're doing to help. You are a wonderful friend, and I feel like I'm taking advantage of you. Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot of choices right now. I won't forget this, though."

Kyle turned sharply to the left and a municipal airport came into view. The three jumped out of the cruiser as soon as it stopped. He introduced Pete to Alex and Amy, and the pilot wasted no time directing them to the plane, which was a small twin-engine jet that vaguely reminded Alex of a mosquito.

"She's a Cessna CJ3. I was going to use my Mustang, but we would have to put down in Omaha for fuel. This baby ought to just get us there on a single tank. Just filled her up. You two go on and get comfortable." Pete knew enough from his conversation with Kyle to know where they were headed and why. They would be in the air a few hours, so idle chit-chat could wait until they took off.

"We really appreciate this, Pete. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you, though." Alex was practical, even in her current state. She knew a plane like this was expensive to rent, and it was going to be difficult to come up with that kind of money on short notice.

"Don't you worry about it. Kyle's a good friend. I owe him one."

"I don't know how to thank...." Alex had turned to look at Kyle and noticed Amy standing several feet away.

"Come on, Amy. Go on in. I'll be there in just a sec."

Amy shook her head no. "I don't think I can, Mom."

"You have to. Just go on in. You'll be fine once we're in the air." Alex walked over to Amy, who retreated as Alex approached.

"I really can't, Mom. You don't want me on that little plane. I can't do it. I'll ride back with Kyle, okay? I can help him with directions, and keep him supplied with drinks so we don't have to stop. That would be better, right? And Kyle would have company. And you'll be able to look for Aunt Monica without me being the in way, okay?" Amy was starting to ramble, and color was draining from her face.

Alex looked at Kyle, who shrugged his shoulders. "I just want to help. She can ride with me, or I can hog-tie her and carry her up those steps. You tell me what you want me to do."

"Oh, alright. Amy, you're going with Kyle. Kyle, you keep her safe, okay? I've got enough to worry about already. You're being really sweet, but don't make me come looking for you after I find Monica!"

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

A private plane was definitely the way to travel. There was no security to endure, no waiting to board. No noisy children or groups to drown out. Pete even invited Alex to sit in the cockpit with him, after making her promise not to touch any knobs or buttons. He thought that would more likely ease her nerves than sitting in the cabin all alone with her thoughts.

While Pete maneuvered the plane for take-off, he started to tell Alex a little about his family. He had married his high-school sweetheart over twenty-five years ago, and Shelby had given him six beautiful children in all, ages ranging between six and twenty.

"The youngest would have been six this July," Pete stated matter-of-factly.

"If you don't mind talking about it, what happened?" Alex asked, not sure whether Pete would want to share such personal information.

"Jimmy was born with spina bifida. They operated when he was only 23-hours-old. Poor little thing was so tiny." Pete paused for a moment and swallowed hard. "Anyway, infection set in and we lost him two days later. Shelby and I decided we didn't want to go through that again, so we started taking precautions. Five is enough, you know?"

"I'm so sorry to hear about your son. Life can be so unfair sometimes." Alex cleared her throat in an effort to stop the tears forming in her eyes. _Unfair? Life never seems to be any other way_ , she thought.

They traveled much of the way in silence, each one thinking about their own losses. Kyle had told Pete about Alex losing her husband and parents, and he was determined to do all he could to prevent Alex from losing her sister, too.

\----------

Kyle and Amy drove back from the airport to the Sheriff's office, and Jolene was waiting in her cruiser. As soon as they piled into her car, she pulled out on Main Street headed toward Lake Monroe as Kyle introduced Amy.

"What do you know about this Mark fellow, Amy?" Jolene tried to sound nonchalant. Amy didn't pick up on her concern, but Kyle did.

"All we know is that he's a lawyer and grew up in Mississippi. He moved with his dad to Pennsylvania a long time ago, but that's all I really know." Amy paused as the significance of Jolene's question began to sink in. "Why? Do you think he did something to Monica?"

Kyle noticed the upswing in Amy's vocal register as her tension rose. "She's just making conversation, Amy. Right, Jolene?"

"That's right. I didn't mean to upset you. I thought talking about him would be less stressful than talking about your aunt." Jolene shot Kyle a look that he knew meant they needed a private conversation. They were nearing Lake Monroe, and Kyle sent Amy in to tell the Park Ranger that Alex had left and Kyle would be taking the Winnebago.

While Amy was inside, Jolene told Kyle that she had looked into Mark's background and came up dry. She found no record of a house at the address Kyle had been given for him, and a review of his law license indicated he had graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Law; however, when she found his school ID photo, it didn't look anything like the photo from his driver's license.

"It's not good, Kyle. At the very least, it definitely looks like identity theft. I went one step further and found a death certificate for a Mark Bauer dated six months ago, about the time you said he showed up at the law office."

"You're right. It sounds like Monica is in a heap of trouble. Don't say anything to Amy, and keep looking for me. Alex is going to need all the information she can get when she lands." Kyle's brow was deeply furrowed. "Could you please do one more thing for me? Call the Fayette Sheriff's office and ask them to meet Alex and Pete when they land. I don't want Alex going off half-cocked. We don't need two women missing!"

"Sure thing. You just drive safe and take care of Amy. It's a long drive and you don't have a relief driver. Don't let your testosterone take over and try to drive it all in one stretch. Make sure you get some sleep, and make Amy keep you fed and hydrated." Jolene smiled. "You know, this could turn out to be a good thing so long as Monica's okay. You being the hero and all, and developing a relationship with Amy. Two days on the road should tell you if you can manage having a kid around. At least she's not a rug-rat. She's almost an adult, and frankly, I think she's more responsible than some kids twice her age."

"Jolene, that's the last thing on my mind right now. I just want to help Alex find her sister and get her camper home." Kyle looked up and saw the door of the ranger's office open. "Here comes Amy."

"You know, you missed your opportunity," Jolene added. "You should have flown back with Alex and then she would have had to come back for the RV."

Kyle quickly thought about it. "No, Amy was too afraid to fly, and it would have meant asking Pete to make another trip to pick her up or she would have to fly commercial. No, this is the best solution, though I wish I could be with her when she goes looking for Monica.

Amy slid back into the cruiser carrying a plastic bag full of snacks and drinks. "I told him to go ahead and charge Mom's credit card for whatever we owe. He told me to tell you to drive safe, and let him know what happens."

Jolene drove to where the Winnebago was parked. "Remember what I said," Jolene told Kyle. "I'll text you anything else I find out, or call if it's lengthy. Drive safe and be careful."

Kyle and Amy chorused, "We will," as Kyle saluted.

Amy added, "Thank you, Officer, for your help."

Kyle opened the passenger door for Amy and then walked around to get in on the driver's side. "I need to make a quick stop and pick up a change of clothes and my cell phone charger at my house. I wasn't exactly planning to make a two day drive when I left the house this morning. It won't take more than fifteen minutes or so."

Amy headed toward the refrigerator with the extra drinks. "No problem. I just really appreciate you letting me ride back with you. I just didn't think I could get on that little plane. I've never flown before, you know." Her voice caught as she continued. "My whole life is centered around Monica. Mom comes and goes, but Monica is always there for me, day in and day out." Kyle glanced toward her and noticed her eyes becoming moist.

"Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be okay," he told her with as much conviction as he could muster. Seeing Amy so vulnerable made him want to give her a hug, but he knew they shouldn't waste any time. He was also well aware of how delicate a situation it was, a grown man driving across country with a teenage girl.

"Do you want me to get out the maps? I was Mom's co-pilot on the way here. I can help give you directions."

"That would be awesome!"

Amy roller her eyes. "Nobody says 'awesome' anymore!" Then she grinned, and Kyle knew the road-trip would be more fun than he initially thought.

\----------

The Cessna had passed the midpoint and Alex asked Pete if she could get him anything to eat or drink.

"That would be great. I usually have someone on board as a stewardess, and they check on me while I'm stuck piloting. You can grab me a water. It's right behind you."

Alex unbuckled her seatbelt and maneuvered into the cabin. She opened a few of the doors in the galley and located the refrigerator. She handed Pete a bottle of water and asked if the plane had a restroom.

"Yep, I made sure this baby had one on board. Not all these small jets do, you know. You'll find it all the way in the back," Pete responded.

On her way back up to the cockpit, Alex also snagged a bottle of water for herself.

"This is really a nice little plane. How much does something like this cost?"

"This is one of those times when if you have to ask, you don't want to know. I bought her used and paid almost five million for her."

Unfortunately, Alex was swallowing when Pete made that revelation. She coughed for a moment, trying to clear her airway.

Pete chuckled. "Yep, that's sort of what I did when they told me what they wanted for it."

The realization began to dawn on Alex how expensive this little favor was for Kyle. "So, how did you manage to pay for it?"

"I rent her out as much as I can. I spend an awful lot of time up in the air. Something like this has to earn her keep." Pete checked the instruments. "Fact is, my wife would love for me to give up flying because I'm never home. I think that's why she wanted so many kids, you know? To fill the void."

"Well, I certainly appreciate you taking me back home. How much would you normally charge for this flight?" Alex was determined to know just how much in debt she was to Kyle.

"Now that is something I doubt Kyle would want me to tell you. Let's just say that I owed Kyle a huge favor, and this is my way of paying him back."

"What did he do for you? It must have been really big."

"I'm not sure he would want me to say." Pete studied her for a moment. "Don't tell him I told you, okay?"

Alex agreed. She couldn't imagine what kind of favor would be paid back with a cross-country trip in a multi-million dollar jet.

"Remember when I told you about Jimmy having to have surgery? Well, our oldest was only fourteen. Kyle came to our house when Shelby went into labor, and stayed until after the funeral. He took care of our five kids, even our two-year-old, so that Shelby and I could plan the funeral and have time to grieve. He handled everything. He did grocery shopping and cooked. He even changed little Maria's diapers." Pete laughed. "Of course, he didn't really know what he was doing, but he tried as best he could."

Alex hadn't thought of Kyle as a nanny, and the image of him changing a diaper made her smile.

"Seriously, though, being able to have that time to concentrate on Jimmy meant the world to us. We were so happy when Shelby went into labor, and then our heart sank when the doctor told us about the spina bifida. Next, we were full of hope when they took him to surgery and everything went okay. It was up and down, up and down emotionally. When Jimmy got that infection, we were worn out from everything that had happened. I don't think we could have handled the kids at that point."

Alex could tell Pete was still lost in thoughts of Jimmy.

"Kyle is really a good man. He'll take great care of your daughter, don't you worry."

While she didn't know Pete very well, she believed what he had said. She realized she wasn't worried about Amy any longer. Monica, on the other hand, was a different story.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Jolene had called the Sheriff of Fayette County and explained everything as she knew it. They had agreed to investigate on their end, and to meet Alex when she landed. She did everything she could to investigate Mark Bauer from several states away, but she had one more trick up her sleeve.

"Rayburn here," Jolene heard her husband say once he picked up his phone.

"Hey, Ray. We've gotten into a bit of a pinch here and I wanted to run something by you," Jolene explained. She had already told him about Kyle and Alex, but she still needed to fill him in on everything that had happened today. She started with Monica's disappearance five days before, and ended with the suspected identity theft.

"Let me look into this a little. It could be nothing, but I'm with you. I think there's a whole lot more to this story and I'm really concerned about this Monica Townsend. She could be in serious danger." Ray paused for a moment, and Jolene could hear the clicking of his keyboard as he typed information into the FBI systems. "You realize this means I'll be late for dinner, right?"

"So why should tonight be any different? Tell you what, you grab a bite there. Kyle needs our help and I want to update him whenever you find something out." Jolene thought about the romantic dinner she had planned for the evening. Ray had just gotten back into the office that morning, and it was customary that they have a nice dinner to reconnect upon his return.

"I'll give you a call whenever I know something," Ray promised.

\----------

The plane descended as twilight was falling. Alex checked her voicemail and listened to a message from Kyle. He told her to expect a welcoming party from the Sheriff's office, and told her they would go with her as she searched for Monica.

She had just erased the message as Pete shut down the engines and stood up.

"Pete, I don't know if I'll ever see you again. I would invite you to stay at Monica's, but I don't know what I'll find there. Thank you, though. You have been wonderful. I don't know if I could have made it flying commercial today, and I know I would have been a wreck if I were driving my Winnebago back." Alex hesitated, then threw her arms around Pete. "Kyle is really lucky to have a friend like you."

Pete gave her a quick hug in return before holding her at arms' length. "I'm lucky to have a friend like Kyle. You are, too, you know. I'm hoping the two of you stay in touch." He took her hand in his. "You are not alone in this. I hope everything turns out okay for your sister, but you rely on Kyle. He'll get you through this."

Pete looked out the windshield and saw a police cruiser pulling up. "Looks like Kyle arranged for an escort. Now, see? Even though he can't be here, he's making sure you've got law enforcement helping you out. You be careful, though. That little girl of yours needs her mother."

Alex hugged him again. "Thank you for everything!" She grabbed the few belongings she brought with her and followed Pete to the door. He exited first so that he could help her down the stairs.

"You're welcome. Take care, now."

"I will. You have a safe flight back. Your kids need their dad, too." Alex shook his hand and turned toward the deputy, who had just walked up.

"Ms. Warren? Alex Warren?" The officer was young, probably in his mid-twenties. His brown eyes matched his brown hair. Alex thought the officer resembled Jensen Ackles from the television show _Supernatural_. "I'm Deputy Riley of the Sheriff's office. I was asked to meet you and take you to your sister's house."

"Thank you, Deputy. That would be greatly appreciated. I have a car there, and it would save me from having to wait for a cab." Alex hadn't given much thought about her transportation needs once she got back into town. Having door-to-door service was an unexpected godsend.

"I told you Kyle would take care of you," Pete said, and turned toward the hanger to talk to someone about stowing his plane overnight and getting it refueled.

Alex walked over to the cruiser, where the deputy opened the passenger door. "I'm not going to make you sit in the back since the Elko Sheriff's office vouched for you."

"Thank you, Deputy Riley." Alex had been in the back of enough police vehicles to last a lifetime. "Do you know where we're headed?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I was one of the officers who went by your sister's house for the Welfare Check."

"Oh! Can you tell me anything about what you found? I've been so worried!"

"Well, Ma'am, we found the front door closed and we knocked, but didn't get an answer. I looked in the front window and could see a purse and cell phone on the hall table, so we tried the door and it was unlocked. We announced ourselves, but no response. We went in and looked around, but nothing looked out of place other than your sister's purse and cell phone. No woman I know would leave the house without those two things, at least not voluntarily." The Deputy looked at Alex to see how she was taking the news. "At least we didn't find evidence of any violence. We have every reason to believe your sister was physically okay when she left the house. Calls to the hospitals didn't turn up anything, either."

"So where do things stand? Are you investigating?" Alex struggled to keep her panic under control.

"We've notified the local and state police of our findings. The state police are taking lead on this because we have reason to believe the man you're sister was seeing might be involved in some way."

"Mark? But why would that bring in the state police?"

"Ma'am, I don't quite know how to tell you this, but the man you know isn't actually Mark Bauer. The initial investigation to locate him turned up a death certificate dated six months ago. It appears that someone stole his identity and used it to get the job at your sister's law firm. We're still trying to figure out who the man really is."

"Oh, no! Don't tell me that! So, was the address we had for him bogus, too? This is awful!"

"I'm sorry, Ma'am. The address is bogus. We have no idea where he is, but we suspect your sister is with him." The Deputy wished he wasn't the one telling her this. He could only imagine how Alex must feel. Luckily, they were nearing the house and one of the Detectives would take over.

Alex saw several police cars in the drive and along the street. The lights were on, and several officers were milling around the front door. There was no crime scene tape, since they found no evidence of a crime. As soon as Deputy Riley stopped the car, Alex thanked him and jumped out. She trotted to the group near the front door and asked who was in charge.

"Detective Kang, Ma'am. He's inside. I'll get him for you," one of the officers said.

"No, that's okay. I'll find him myself," Alex was not going to waste any more time. Hopefully, Monica was okay but Alex knew her sister was in trouble, and she was determined to find her.

"But Ma'am....." It was lost on Alex. She was already inside moving from room to room.

"Detective Kang?" Alex called out, and an older man turned toward her. He was stocky, wearing a dark blue jacket over a pair of grey slacks. His salt-and-pepper hair was slicked back, and he had a mustache and beard that were more salt than pepper. Alex could tell he was a smoker because the facial hair around his mouth was stained nicotine yellow. He also had some oriental heritage, though Alex thought it must have been a couple generations in his past.

"Yes?" The Detective spied her. "Are you Alexandra Warren?"

"I am," Alex responded. "I just came in on a flight. What can you tell me about the investigation? I understand Mark Bauer isn't who he claimed to be?"

Detective Kang considered her for a moment. He saw a worried woman, that's true. But he was good at reading people and he recognized that Alex had an internal strength that was helping her through this crisis.

"That's true. We are doing everything we can to locate your sister, but we believe she left the house sometime over the weekend since she was seen at work on Friday, but didn't go in to work Monday."

"I know all that." Alex was growing frustrated. She wanted answers and she wanted them now! "What are you doing to find out who Mark really is?"

"We are running through his financial records, Ms. Warren, and trying to figure out where he's been staying. The address he gave when he was employed was fake. There's no residence there. We know he's been living somewhere, though, and it has to be fairly close to town since he reported to work every day. We just need to find it, and we will." The Detective knew he couldn't tell Alex everything, but he had to give her something or risk her starting to rant about police dragging their heels.

He continued, "We've done everything we can do here, Ms. Warren. However, we would appreciate it if you could take a look around and tell us if you notice anything unusual or out of place. Is anything missing? That sort of thing. Here, wear these just in case." Kang handed her a pair of the same purple latex-free gloves he was wearing.

"Certainly." Alex was happy to have something to do. She methodically walked from room to room on the first floor. Everything looked in order. There was nothing broken or out of place, other than the purse and cell phone Monica had left behind.

Alex looked through Monica's purse and found her car keys, so there was no chance of locating her using the car's navigational system. Monica's wallet was intact, money and credit cards all there, as far as Alex knew. She picked up the cell phone and tried to unlock it, but didn't know the passcode.

"Detective Kang? Do you have someone who can open this up? Maybe Monica had an address for Mark, or something. I have no idea what she used to unlock it."

"Yes, we do." Kang called out the front door. "Mason! Take this cell to Barbara, pronto!"

A young officer appeared and placed the phone in an evidence bag. "Yes, Sir!"

After verifying Monica's car remained undisturbed in the garage, Alex suggested the police check the GPS to see if Monica might have used it to visit Mark. She then moved to the kitchen and quickly opened and closed the cupboards. She did the same to the refrigerator and noticed containers of leftovers that hadn't been there when Alex and Amy had left Thursday morning.

She opened the dishwasher and found that Monica had evidently run it before leaving, but Alex realized from the dishes inside that Monica had evidently prepared dinner for two. There were pots and pans, but two of the place settings were from her mother's fine china and crystal, not the everyday dishes they normally used.

"Detective? I believe Monica may have invited Mark over for dinner sometime after my daughter and I left Thursday morning. These dishes are used for special occasions, and there are two settings. Also, I saw leftovers in the fridge that weren't there when we left."

"Too bad they're clean. I would have loved to have gotten fingerprints off them." Detective Kang looked over at another officer. "Get the techs to look for fingerprints on the backs of the chairs at the table. Maybe he pulled out her chair before dinner. Its long shot, but we can try."

Alex went upstairs and started in her sister's room. The bed was made, and Alex couldn't find anything out of place. She studied her sister's closet for a moment as Detective Kang watched.

"I think she's wearing a sequined blue tank, but I have no idea if she's wearing slacks, a skirt or jeans. She usually wears a jacket over the tank top, but its here. Probably because she wasn't planning to go out."

Alex looked at the master bath and saw that her sister had straightened up after she had gotten ready for the date. She must have thought Mark might make it to the bedroom. Her sister usually left her make-up and hair styling tools all over the counter, but they were out of sight and the counter clean.

Amy's room and the guest room Alex used were exactly as they had left them, as was the communal bathroom at the top of the stairs.

"It doesn't look like anyone was up here, Detective, but it wouldn't hurt to have your technician also look at the half bath downstairs. If Mark washed up, maybe he left fingerprints down there on the faucets or toilet seat."

"You think like a cop, Ms. Warren. I'm impressed." Detective Kang went back downstairs and Alex went back to Monica's bedroom.

She stood in the doorway and looked around the room again. Her eyes fell on a photo leaning up near the lamp on Monica's dresser. She walked over and picked it up, turning on the lamp for extra light. The faces of her mother, father and Monica looked back at her. She remembered taking the photo during one of their cross-country trips. This photo showed Disneyland in the background. That would have made the photo almost twenty years old.

"Mom? Dad?" Alex spoke partially to the images in the photo and partially into the air. "Help me find Monica. She's the good daughter. It's not her time yet."

She sat the photo back where she had found it and went downstairs to find Detective Kang.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

It was two in the morning, and there wasn't much anyone could do for the rest of the night. The crime scene technicians had taken fingerprints from every surface Mark, or whoever the kidnapper was, might have touched.

"Ms. Warren, we're finished here. Do you have somewhere to stay or someone to stay with you, or do you want us to have a car patrol every half hour or so?" Detective Kang yawned as surreptitiously as he could. He was only going to get about four hours of sleep as it was, he really wanted to wrap things up.

"No, Detective, I'm fine. I'm used to taking care of myself, so don't pull any of your men to keep watch over me. I don't know how much sleep I'll get tonight, but I want to try. Please, though, if you find out anything at all, please call me. Especially if you find some way to identify who Mark really is." Alex provided her cell phone number and showed the officers to the door.

Once she had the place to herself, she made sure it was locked up and took her laptop upstairs. She went into Monica's room and sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed.

_I research for a living. I've investigated dozens of people like Mark, or whatever his name is. Let me think this through._ Alex's mind was racing, and she knew she had to slow it down. _Mark came to town around three or four months ago, and he has to live somewhere. Let's start by looking at property transfers around that time._

And so it went for the next few hours. If there was an avenue to follow, Alex made sure she thoroughly explored it. Almost every record was available digitally, and Alex reviewed hundreds of lists and photocopies of individual documents.

Looking at government records is not a lively activity, and Alex had been up almost twenty-four hours when she finally fell back onto the pillows. _You're the One That I Want_ blared from her phone, rousing her enough to answer it.

"Hey, Kyle. What's up? Have you heard anything? Where are you? Is Amy okay?" Alex realized she wasn't giving him time to answer, and was embarrassed that she had fallen asleep.

"Alex, no, I haven't heard anything. Amy is fine and has been doing a great job of navigating. We stopped late last night just outside of Lincoln, Nebraska. I sent Amy to sleep earlier than that, but I knew I had to pull over or put us both at risk. We're on the road again, and I'm really hoping to be there late tonight."

Kyle sounded fairly rested. _Or maybe he's just trying to keep it together on my behalf so I don't worry about them, too,_ Alex thought.

"Well, the police took fingerprints and Monica's phone last night, hoping Monica had Mark's address or something in there that will help us locate her, or at the very least help us find him. They're also checking the GPS on her car."

Kyle had thought they would have already done that. "Who's taking the lead on this?"

"A Detective Kang from the State Police. I'm not waiting on them, though. I was up for hours looking at everything I could think of online in hopes of catching a lead."

"Did you find anything?"

"Not really. There were a couple of houses bought around that time, but the records show they were purchased by a husband and wife. I'm still looking, but I had dozed off a bit." Alex swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge, standing as soon as she felt like she wouldn't fall over. She realized how exhausted she was.

"You should try to get some rest, Alex. You aren't going to do your sister any good if you're half asleep. Just wait to hear from the police, and hold on until we get there." Kyle knew that Alex would be going crazy over her sister's disappearance no matter how well she treated herself, but not sleeping wasn't going to help anyone.

"I will," she said, without a lot of conviction. It was daylight, and she didn't want to waste any more time when she could be looking for Monica. "Call me later, okay?"

"Okay. Take care, and try to keep your spirits up. I'll call Detective Kang and see if I can get him to give me more information."

"Call me back if you hear anything at all, okay?" Alex didn't expect much, but wanted to make sure Kyle wouldn't wait until later to give her any news.

"Alex, you should know I will call you as soon as I get off the phone with him. Get some sleep now." He ended the call wishing he were there to hold Alex tight. He wanted desperately to be there with her, to let her lean on him for strength. But he was taking care of her daughter, and that was important, too.

After splashing some water on her face and realizing she wasn't going to make it through the day without a few more hours of sleep, Alex took her phone into her room and pulled her bedspread over her as she dropped onto her bed. She was asleep before the bedspread reached her waist.

\----------

Alex woke up and looked at the clock. The sun was shining brightly and she hoped it foretold of good things to come. She showered and made herself some breakfast, though she was too worried to eat more than an egg and a slice of toast.

She had just settled on the couch with her laptop to start researching again when her cell phone rang. The display showed that the number was blocked, and her instinct was to reject the call. She reconsidered, however, thinking perhaps Detective Kang was trying to call her.

"Alex Warren speaking," she stated, as professionally as she could muster.

"Alex? It's Monica. I'm with Mark at his house. He wants you to come join us." Her voice sounded strange to Alex, almost mechanical.

"Monica? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Where are you? I'll come get you!" Alex was desperate for information, all semblance of professionalism gone.

He wants me to tell you not to tell the police anything. He says everything will be okay if you come here. He just wants to talk with you."

_Maybe she's been drugged,_ Alex thought. "Where are you? I can't come there if I don't know where you are."

"Don't know. Will call back. _Please_ don't call the police, or..." The line went dead.

Alex felt as though her stomach had been ripped out of her. "MONICA!!!"

The way she saw it, she had three options. She could call Detective Kang, but who knew if he could find Monica in time? She could call Kyle, but he was probably still in Missouri, or maybe Illinois. Most likely, he would contact Detective Kang to report the call. Her third choice was to keep quiet and follow the instructions Monica, or Mark, gave her. She could trust her wits and try to save Monica herself.

She called Detective Kang, but only to find out if he knew anything more about Mark's true identity. He told her he didn't, so she called Kyle. He had spoken with Kang, and hadn't learned anything more, either. _At least Kang isn't holding out on me_ , Alex thought.

"I do have other news, though. I don't think I told you that Jolene's husband is in the FBI. He has access to software, equipment and databases we can only dream about. Anyway, he's pulled all the phone records for the cell number Mark had given the law firm, and they also pulled the phone records for the law firm. There were a couple of numbers that had hits on both Mark's cell and his office extension. These were calls to a residence in a little town called Marsden, Mississippi. The house is owned by a Clarence Roache. Seems Clarence and his wife had two sons, Wayne Quincy and Robert Lee. Wayne's around thirty-eight years old now, and Bobby was nineteen when he died."

"Wayne Roache? Why does that name sound familiar to me?" Alex was befuddled. She racked her brain to figure out why she knew that name.

"Well, both sons went to college at the University of Southern California. Does that help you place the name?" Kyle was hoping to find a link between the Roaches and Monica, and it appeared he might have.

"Jeremy and I graduated from USC, but I can't place Wayne Roache there. Did he study architecture, or maybe Fine Arts? That's probably the only way we would run into him."

"No, he studied law. He worked with Monica at the law firm, remember?"

"But that was Mark...," Alex started, but by then the pieces started clicking into place. "Wait, this isn't making sense. If this Wayne guy went to USC, why did he go after Monica? She went to school at the University of Cincinnati."

"I'm thinking that Wayne is actually targeting you, Alex. I think he kidnapped Monica to get to you." Kyle hated to tell her over the phone, but he was concerned that Roache may come after her, or try to contact her.

Silence was Alex's response.

"Are you there? Alex?" Could Roache have grabbed Alex while he was talking with her? Kyle didn't realize it, but he picked up speed in the RV. Amy noticed, and pointed it out to him so he slowed back down to the speed limit.

"I'm here," she finally said. "I was looking up Wayne Roache at USC, and anyplace else I could think of to see his picture. I found him in a picture in the campus paper. He looked a lot different then. Nerdier. I still don't recognize him, though."

Kyle suggested she continue to think about it until he arrived.

"Has Jolene figured out where he lives, or might have taken Monica?" Alex was hopeful, but down deep she doubted it would be that easy. At least she had a name, though. Maybe.

"Not yet. Her husband is still trying to figure out where Roache went after he left USC. He didn't find any property records in Ohio for Roache, so he must be renting from an individual somewhere. I'll let you know if we hear anything else." Kyle still had several hours to drive before he arrived at Monica's, and the miles seemed to multiply. He couldn't get there soon enough.

Alex spoke to Amy for a moment to make sure she was okay. Aside from the fact Monica was possibly in danger, Amy was having the time of her life. This was the first time she could really remember spending two days alone with a male figure. She vaguely recalled spending weekends with her dad, but that was a very long time ago when she was just a kid. Kyle was treating her more like a friend, though he didn't hesitate to give her paternal advice. He kept physical distance, but was happy to listen to Amy's concerns about school and help her see the male perspective. Amy found herself wanting her mother to keep Kyle around.

Amy handed the phone back to Kyle. After he and Alex said their goodbyes, he called Detective Kang to give him the information Ray had discovered. Kang promised to send officers to keep an eye on Alex.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Alex hung up from talking with Kyle and figured he would ask Kang to send officers to check on her, so she quickly gathered her things and took off in her Mustang. She made sure she had her cell phone, in case her sister called again. She also had her laptop so she could continue trying to locate where Roache would be holding Monica. As she passed through the garage, she had picked up the palm knife kit her father had used when he started making rustic furniture from logs as a hobby. The v-shaped carving ends of the knives were sharp, the blades long, and the wooden handles fit nicely in her hand.

She looked in her rear-view mirror as she turned the corner and saw a police cruiser approaching the house. _Just made it_ , she thought.

There was a coffee house a mile or so from Monica's. Alex headed there because she knew they had free wi-fi. She ordered Paso Ancho Estate coffee, a brand out of Panama that had become a favorite of hers. Once she had her cup of steaming comfort to help sharpen her mind, Alex selected a table in the rear of the shop. She had more information this time, so she didn't waste time on property transfers. Instead, she pulled up the local newspaper's archives and began looking at old rental property listings. Most were for apartments and commercial office space.

Three rental listings were for single family houses. Two were managed by a large property management firm, which Alex knew would do a thorough credit and background check before they allowed anyone to move in.

The last listing, and the one with the most promise, was a stately house whose owner, Harry Wallace, was transferring out of the country. He was looking for someone willing to sign a year-long lease, and would prefer to rent the place furnished.

_If I were looking to move somewhere for a limited time, this would be perfect_. Alex tried dialing the number listed in the classified, and heard the familiar "We're sorry. The number you have dialed has been disconnected" message. It was something she had heard a million times before as she researched for her writing.

Alex was nothing, however, if not resourceful. She called the newspaper offices and asked for the classifieds. The phone was answered by a teenager who sounded as if he would rather be playing video games or trolling the mall instead of sitting in an office.

She told the clerk that she had rented the advertised house and needed to move before the lease was out, but she had misplaced the cell phone number for Mr. Wallace. By any chance did they have a second contact number for him?

The clerk wasn't overly enthusiastic about looking up the information in their files, so Alex tried another tactic.

"Once I get in touch with Mr. Wallace, I'll call you back to place an ad to sublet. You _do_ get commission for the ads you sell, right?" _If that doesn't work, I may have to tell him I'll bring Amy by._ Not that she would actually allow her daughter to meet the lazy boy. The promise of an easy sale was enough to get the clerk to punch the few keys it took to locate the record for Wallace. He gave her the number and made her promise again to call him back and ask for "Lonnie".

Alex tried the number and took a swig of her now-cold coffee while she waited. It rang, and a few moments later was answered by a woman who sounded to be maybe a decade older than Alex.

"Hello?"

"Good Afternoon. I'm trying to reach Harry Wallace about the house he had for rent a few months ago. Is he there?" It dawned upon Alex that she didn't know what to say to the man if he came to the phone. _Hi, I think my sister is being held hostage in your home_ wasn't going to cut it.

"He's over in Japan. I'm his sister, Lou-Anne. Is there something I can do for you?"

Alex trusted her gut instinct and said, "Lou-Anne, hi. My name is Alex Warren, and I'm in a bit of a pinch. I'm trying to locate my sister, and wondered if you knew how to reach her boyfriend. He was the one who rented your brother's house. I'm really worried about her, and I'm hoping he can put me in touch with her."

Her story was true, though she didn't provide Lou-Anne with all the information she had.

"Let me see, Harry left me a file around here somewhere." It took only a few seconds, but to Alex it seemed a month had passed before Lou-Anne came back to the phone.

"Here it is. Uhmmm....it looks like he rented it out to a Wayne Roache, and the phone number he listed isn't local, so maybe its a cell."

Lou-Anne gave her the cell number. "Did your sister move in with him? He indicated he was alone. Is there a pet involved, 'cause he isn't paying the pet fee."

Alex assured her that her sister hadn't moved in, nor had she taken a pet to live there. She thanked the woman and hung up.

She had confirmed it. She knew Roache had rented the house, where it was located, and now had a new cell phone number for him. She wanted to catch him off-guard and on her terms, not his. Neither he nor Monica had called back yet, so maybe she had time to set something up to her advantage.

More than once Alex had used a phone's GPS to locate someone. She accessed several different apps on her phone and entered Roache's cell number in each, hoping against hope that the number was still active and that he had the GPS turned on. The fifth app she tried indicated the cell phone was still located at the rental house.

Alex fought the urge to drive over and barge into the house. She didn't want to put Monica in a worse predicament. She requested a refill on her coffee as she contemplated her next move.

While she pondered, Alex continued to search for a Wayne Q. Roache. She found a W. Roache who was a doctor in Miami, and retired firefighter D. Wayne Roache, but it was the fifth listing in LinkedIn that caused Alex to drop her coffee cup the last few inches as she was setting it down.

Wayne Q. Roache, Attorney at Law. As she read his profile, she saw the connection as clear as day. Roache had been legal counsel for Kilson and Farks Architecture in San Francisco. That's why the name had seemed so familiar. A few months before her husband's death, Alex had met Roache at a retirement party for one of Jeremy's co-workers.

Alex stared at Roache's profile photo, which showed him wearing glasses. He also had blond hair and blue eyes. _He must have dyed his hair brown, and used green contacts when he met Monica,_ Alex mused. _He's lost some weight, too. I suppose at least that part of what he told her was true._

Now that she could place where she had met Wayne, she considered the short interaction they had at the party. She and Jeremy had been mingling primarily with the other architects, since Jeremy worked more closely with them. They were laughing and having a good time teasing the new retiree about how he would end up experimenting with sand castles on the beach, trying to figure out the most unique designs possible using sand as the medium.

She remembered feeling someone's hand on her right elbow and turned to see who it was. It was Roache, who smiled at her without saying anything. The look he was giving her wasn't quite a leer, but it made her uncomfortable. There was definitely something a little odd about his behavior. She had stepped back and jabbed Jeremy with her left elbow to get his attention. He turned and followed Alex's gaze to see Roache standing there, so he introduced the two. Alex was polite, but didn't say anything that would encourage the odd man to continue the conversation. She asked Jeremy where the restroom was and meandered off in that direction. By the time she returned, there was no sign of the lawyer and the party was starting to break up. Alex suggested they leave, and she had completely forgotten the entire incident by the time she was dropped off at her apartment.

Alex felt goose-bumps run down her spine as an unexpected thought crossed her mind. She suddenly realized that Monica's life was definitely in danger, if time hadn't already run out.

If the police got involved, they would want her to leave everything to them. They would have to follow procedure, whereas she didn't. They would likely walk up to the front door of the rental house and knock, planning to ask Roache to come to the station for questioning. In reality, they would likely cause Roache to kill Monica as soon as he realized he wasn't going to get what he wanted. If he didn't kill her, he would certainly use her as a hostage, putting her sister in the middle of harm's way.

No, she would have to handle this herself. She needed a back-up plan, though, in case something went wrong.

_When this is over, I'm going to have to sit Monica down and have a serious discussion about her choice in men,_ Alex thought.

The drive to the rental house took almost twenty minutes. Located on probably ten acres outside of town, the two-story house sat on a small hill, surrounded by lush gardens and mature oak, maple and willow trees. Alex parked a distance from the home. She tried to figure out the best path to take up to the house so she wouldn't be seen, and looked for any other buildings where Monica might be held.

She pulled out her cell phone and changed the ringer to vibrate. Setting it aside, she opened the kit of palm knives and hefted each one in her hand, finally deciding on a smaller, slimmer model.

Alex searched her car and found a pen and a used envelope. On the front of the envelope, she wrote a note to Amy, telling her how proud she was of her daughter, and telling her not to let anything keep her from making the most of her life. Below that, she listed instructions as to whom she would want to keep Amy, should anything happen to her. She named Monica at the top of her list, then added Jeremy's parents in Sedona, Arizona. She added Kyle's name to the list, then the parents of Amy's close friend, Meghan.

She flipped over the envelope and wrote the following:

Kyle, I don't know you that well, but you seem to care for Amy and me and I don't have too many people I can count on. First of all, I figured out when and where I met Roache/Bauer. He was the lawyer where Jeremy worked, and I met him briefly at a party. I think he might have killed Jeremy, so I have to do what I can to save Monica. You'll be mad at me, I know, for not letting Detective Kang handle it. I'm afraid, though, that Roache will kill Monica as soon as they knock on the door. I'm going to see if I can find a way in to help Monica, or maybe catch him off-guard outside the house. No matter what happens, thank you for everything. I really enjoyed our time together, and I'm so sorry it ended too soon.

She left the envelope plainly visible on her car seat and reached for her cell. She typed in the address of the rental house and Wayne's true cell number in a text to Amy. As soon as she hit "Send", she tucked her cell into her jeans pocket and quickly left the Mustang, quietly closing the door behind her. She pulled her shirt loose from her jeans and hid the palm knife in the small of her back under her waistband.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

It was late afternoon as Alex made her way from tree to tree toward the house. She headed toward the side wall to use the attached garage to shield her from view. There were no other buildings on the property, but she noticed the sloped doors of a storm shelter in the rear of the home.

There were no windows on the side of the garage, so Alex sprinted from the tree line to the garage wall and inched toward the back of the house. She edged around the corner, ducking down to keep her head below the line of sight of anyone looking outside. The first opportunity she had to observe inside was through a smaller window in what proved to be a mud room. It was barren except for an antique hall tree with a padded storage bench. There were no coats, hats or boots to be seen.

Alex could see a sliver of the kitchen through the doorway, which also looked as though it had been staged for sale. All it was missing was a decorative basket of fruit or vase of flowers.

It was as if even the birds knew someone evil lived in the house, and they gave it wide berth. Alex didn't hear any noises around the home as she strained to hear something that would tell her where Monica or her captor could be found.

She inched along the wall until she came to a bay window that looked into a dining room. No evidence of occupancy was located there, either. She continued on, and found herself facing a dilemma. She was nearing a large wooden deck, which was accessed by glass French doors from what was likely the living room or great room. However, she would have to either climb over the storm shelter doors, or move farther out into the yard, which would allow anyone inside to easily spot her.

The decision was made for her as she crouched beside the storm shelter considering her options. She heard heavy footsteps approaching the French doors, so Alex turned and ran back to the garage as if her life depended on it, which it likely did. She rounded the corner as she heard the plaintive metallic squeal of a door hinge badly in need of a little WD-40. Alex couldn't stop the thought: _I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he isn't handy around the house._

She could hear the footsteps on the deck, getting closer with each step, so she didn't dare chance looking around the corner. Instead, she ran as fast as she could around the house to the other side. As long as the person didn't turn around, she would be able to see along the back of the house to determine what he was doing. She crouched down, hoping that the deck railing would help hide her should the man be heading back to the French doors.

She tipped her head to the left so that she could see along the rear wall, and saw that her suspicions were correct. Roache was leaning over the storm shelter doors, unlocking the padlock that kept them secure.

_A lock on a storm shelter in tornado country? That's a really dumb idea._ Alex knew the lock was likely indicative of where her sister was being held.

Alex was at a complete loss as to her next move. She could run along the back wall and jump the deck railing, then enter the house through the French doors. That would get her into the house where Roache thought he was secure, but that door hinge might be loud enough to be heard down below.

There was no way she could surprise him in the cellar, and if Monica was down there with him, she would be at more risk than she was now.

Alex could retreat to the woods and call for the police, but they would either come with sirens wailing or start banging on the door. Roache would have no choice but to use Monica as a human shield or kill her outright. There was a small chance he would just give up and surrender, but really...how often do criminals choose to do that?

Alex was once again debating a course of action when she saw a head rising up above the open cellar doors. She instantly recognized the wavy black hair of her sister.

Monica looked around the backyard, probably seeking an escape. As she looked to her left, Alex threw up her hand in hopes that Monica would see her and know help was on the way. Monica looked away, and Alex's heart dropped a little. She had really wanted that moment of connection, some evidence that whatever happened next, Monica would know her sister was there doing what she could to rescue her.

Not wanting to risk being seen, Alex fell back so she was hidden again. Roache's head would pop up from the storm cellar any second.

Alex moved to the front of the house and looked through each window until she could see the French doors. There was nothing personal in the house at all. _Roache must have been planning this from the start_ , she realized.

There was movement on the deck and then one of the French doors opened, Monica entering the house first. Close behind her was her captor, the undeniable shape of a gun in his hand. She saw him give Monica a little push. He was saying something to her sister, and they passed through the room heading toward the dining room.

At that moment, Alex felt the familiar vibration of her phone, so she ducked down as she pulled it out to look at the display. She didn't want to miss Roache's call. This time it was Kyle calling. Alex didn't know, however, if he was calling to check in, or if Amy had seen the text she had sent and told Kyle about it.

She put the phone back in her pocket and lifted her head enough to look over the window sill. No one was there, but she saw movement outside at the garage. The bumper and tail lights of a dark gray sedan came into view as the car backed out of the garage. Completely exposed on the front of the house, Alex turned and dashed back to the far side for cover.

She felt her phone vibrate again. This time it was a blocked call.

"Hello?" Alex had to answer. She couldn't chance missing the call and possibly losing track of Monica again.

"Alex. It's so good to hear your voice again." Roache's voice was almost slimy with mock politeness.

"Wayne. Or do you prefer Mark?" It was too easy to let anger get the best of her. If it did, Alex knew she would give away her advantage.

"Oh, so you know who I am? Well, good for you. You realize I have Monica, don't you?"

"Of course. If you didn't, I wouldn't have bothered answering the phone." There it was again, the anger that kept bubbling up out of frustration that she hadn't kept Monica safe from this monster.

"Now, now, Alex. You don't want Monica to suffer the same fate as Jeremy, do you? You would be wise to be nice to me." The word 'nice' brought the image of a snake to Alex's mind. She could have sworn Roache had added a bit of a hiss to the word.

"You're right, Wayne. Neither of us wants anything to happen to Monica, right? Just tell me what you _do_ want, and I'll make sure it happens. Do you want to leave town? Just leave Monica somewhere and we won't tell anyone you're gone. I have a little money left that I can give you."

Alex watched as the sedan, which she identified as a Lincoln, left the driveway and pulled out of sight. She almost dropped the phone when laughter came barreling out of the speaker.

"Ha! You think I need money? I was paid very nicely before I turned in my resignation. I don't need money."

"So what do you need? Just tell me and it's yours," Alex almost pleaded. She was walking briskly back to her car.

"What I want is you, my friend. I need you to meet me. Start driving toward Columbus on US-62. I'll call you back in a few minutes."

"Wait! Let me talk to Monica first. I need to know if she's okay."

"Of course." Alex heard him say something to Monica, but couldn't make out what it was.

"Alex? It's me. I'm okay. Just do what Mark says so we can get out of this, alright? I'm so, so sorry, Alex. I didn't mean for this to hap..."

Roache didn't allow her to finish. "See, your sister is fine. I'll call back soon."

Alex slid behind the wheel of her beloved Mustang and gunned the engine, taking off in the direction the Lincoln had gone. She realized her speed could catch the attention of local police, so she slowed down closer to the speed limit.

Her cell phone vibrated again.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Kyle was calling her this time. She answered, "Kyle? Hey, sorry about earlier. Not a good time."

"Where _are_ you? Detective Kang sent officers to check on you and no one can find you." The concern in Kyle's voice helped mask his frustration.

"I'm driving. How's Amy?" Alex hoped Kyle would drop his line of questioning and allow her to change the topic.

"Amy's fine, but we're worried about you. Why aren't you safe at home? What's so important that you had to leave? You didn't go over to the address you sent Amy, did you?"

Alex decided it would be best to have some back-up, especially since she didn't know where she was going. "Yes, I did, and I saw Monica. She's okay, but Roache has her and they left the house a few minutes ago. He called my cell and told me to drive toward Columbus on US 62, and that he would call me again in a few minutes with more details. Roache has a gun, Kyle."

"Stop! Do not go there." Kyle didn't want to alarm Amy, but Alex left him no choice. He had enough to worry about without a panicked teenage girl to handle. "Call Detective Kang and let them handle it. They've got the experience and the equipment to get your sister out of this safely."

"Kyle, I have to. She's my sister. Don't worry about me, I'll be okay. I know better than to barge into wherever he's holding her. I'm not an idiot, but I have to try. I'll text you as soon as I know where I'll be, and you can call Detective Kang for me and explain." Her phone vibrated in her hand. "He's calling. I've got to go. Tell Amy I love her."

She hung up on Kyle, and answered the incoming call. "I'm on my way, Wayne, but I don't know where."

"I'm at a warehouse off Hwy 167. You'll see a chain-link fence on your right, one with razor-wire on top. The gate will be open. We'll be waiting for you inside. You should be here in about twenty minutes, assuming you left you house when I told you to. Don't be any later than that or your sister will be the one to suffer the consequences. And you should know better than to contact the police."

The call ended just as Alex saw the turn-off for Hwy 167. She slowed down and drove a half a mile or so until she saw a fence with razor-wire. There was scrub brush everywhere, which afforded Alex a little cover. She backed up her car until she felt comfortable that Roache wouldn't see it from the warehouse.

_At least he's not looking for me yet. I'm glad I wasn't coming all the way from Monica's._ Alex wished she had her tools from the Winnebago since she didn't have any wire cutters in her car. She took a moment to text Kyle with the location of the warehouse, and then exited the Mustang. She opened the trunk to see what she might find useful there, and pulled out the carpeting that covered her spare tire. She reached back into the driver's door and grabbed the rubber floor mat.

Bending down to make herself as small as she could, she scurried perpendicular to the road until she could see the rear of the warehouse. All the windows were up high, probably to discourage burglars, but still allowing some light into the building. The gray metal walls offered no hand- or foot-holds, and there was no door in the rear. If Alex wanted to enter this building, she was going to have to go around to the front. Wayne wasn't taking any chances.

Alex examined the back fence and found where a section of razor-wire had been damaged in the past. She climbed up until she could maneuver the carpet over the razor-wire, then placed the floor mat on top for added protection. She took her time, making as little noise as possible. When she dropped to the ground inside the fence, she found only one small cut on her thigh. It stung and was freely bleeding, but she had been hurt much worse during some of her nightly battles.

There was no time to waste. A check of her watch showed ten minutes had already passed. Her cell vibrated and she found Kyle had texted her back. "DON'T GO IN" was all it said.

She texted back, "No time to wait. Expecting me in 10."

Almost immediately, Kyle's response arrived. "Police in 15."

"Too long," she texted back. She started the voice recorder app on her phone, turning the volume up as high as she could. She tucked her phone back into her jeans pocket, leaving the microphone just above the fabric.

Alex made her way through the scrub brush and old metal parts to the back of the building and then around the side toward the front. She peeked around the corner to see if she could see where Roache or Monica were, but all she could see was a window and metal door into an office area, and farther down was a row of truck docks. Only one of the big, overhead doors was open.

Hoping for all she was worth that they were near the open dock door, Alex came around the front of the building and raised her head to look in the office window. She saw Monica there, in an old, dilapidated office chair, her wrists fastened to the chair arms with plastic zip ties. Wayne wasn't in the room, at least as far as Alex could see. She took a quick look back toward the open door and saw no movement, so she raised her head a little more.

Monica caught sight of her and motioned toward the warehouse with her head.

_Good, he's not around,_ Alex thought. She tried to raise the window, but it wouldn't budge. She slid along the wall to the office door and tried it, though she suspected it would also be locked.

Remarkably, the handle turned. She slowly tried to pull the door open but had to stop as a hinge started to complain. She looked at Monica and shrugged her shoulders.

Monica nodded and mouthed "open it". Once Alex nodded, Monica yelled, "Mark! Let me out of here!" Her yell was loud enough to cover the squeal of the hinge.

Alex propped the door open with a wedge of wood someone had left there for just that purpose. She scooted to Monica's side and used the palm knife to cut her sister free from the ties. She carefully placed the cut rings of plastic back around Monica's wrists and whispered for her to call out again.

"Mark! You can't do this! I thought you cared about me!" Monica yelled, her voice full of indignation.

Footsteps were heading toward them, so Alex flattened herself against the wall, her palm knife at the ready.

"Be quiet. Your sister will be here any moment," Roache said as he approached.

Alex watched the door handle turn. The door began to open, and she saw the barrel of the gun coming into the room. She flexed her hand around the handle of the palm knife and waited. As Wayne's right forearm entered the room, she brought down the palm knife like an ice pick, ramming it into his arm until it scraped bone.

Shocked and in excruciating pain, he dropped the gun and jerked his hand back. Alex lurched for the gun as Roache's pain turned to anger. He kicked the door open, slamming it into Alex and knocking her down. He grabbed the gun in his left hand and darted behind Monica, placing the barrel against her head.

Alex knew she had lost the upper hand for the moment, so decided on another tactic. She remained on the floor, but started talking to Roache in hopes of getting him to lose interest in Monica.

"What is all this about, Wayne? I remember meeting you in San Francisco, but I never did anything to you. And Monica certainly hasn't. All she's ever done was care about you."

"You really don't know what this is about, do you?" Roache's arm was bleeding from the V-shaped gash Alex had given him, but there was nothing he could do about it if he wanted to keep the gun on Monica. He let the blood roll down his arm and drip from his fingers onto the floor, creating a growing maroon puddle.

"I am at a loss. I have no idea why you're doing this." Alex hoped to get some sort of confession on tape before the police arrived. She only needed another five or ten minutes before Roache would start hearing sirens.

"I suppose you don't remember my brother, either." The gash in his arm was starting to clot, slowing the blood flow. "You met him at USC."

"Your brother? What does your brother have to do with this?" Baffled couldn't begin to describe how Alex felt. She realized she should have shown more tact in her answer, but Roache had thrown out a piece of information she hadn't considered.

"Yes, my brother, Bobby. He was in one of your journalism classes." Roache looked at her expectantly, waiting for Alex to realize the importance of his brother. It didn't happen.

"I still don't understand. I'm truly sorry, but none of this is making any sense." Alex eased into a more comfortable position, making sure Roache didn't consider her actions a threat. "Please, help me to understand."

"My brother was infatuated with you. Everything he wrote was about you. Week after week he turned in assignments that described his adoration. Every week you would walk past him as if he were of no more interest than a plant in the corner." Roache's face grew red as his anger built. "He finally got the nerve to ask you out, and you turned him down."

Alex thought hard about her college life. She finally recalled a boy named Bobby who had asked her out once, but nothing he wrote stuck in her mind. If he wrote about her, he kept his true intent to himself.

"Yeah, I vaguely remember Bobby. He asked me out, but I was going steady at the time." Something Kyle had said came crashing through. "Bobby died, didn't he?"

"Yes, and all because of YOU!" Roache shouted. "He was my baby brother, and he killed himself over the likes of you." He stopped pointing the gun at Monica and aimed it at Alex. Monica noticed, but sat still when she saw an imperceptible shake of Alex's head.

"I'm really sorry about Bobby, but I promise, I never did anything to him deliberately. If he misunderstood me, it wasn't because I was leading him on. I was pregnant at the time."

"It doesn't matter. You're responsible. Couldn't you see how fragile he was? He couldn't handle rejection. He dropped out of school and hung himself a few days later. I was the one who found him in our apartment. He left me a note and said it was all your fault."

"Wayne, if I had known, I would have talked to him. I swear, I had no idea!" Alex did feel a bit of remorse for not being just a little more kind to Bobby. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided. But no matter what happened then, it was ancient history and Monica certainly didn't need to be caught in the middle.

"I've been searching for a way to get even all these years. I came to your house one day to kill you, but you had already moved out."

Alex thought about the implications of what Roache had just said. "You? You killed Jeremy?" She hoped her cell phone was recording this.

"I had to. If I couldn't kill you, I would make you suffer. I swore I would make your life a living hell. I would take away everything you ever loved." An evil grin spread across Roache's face.

### CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

"Our parents, too? That was you?" Alex was furious. Much of her adult life had been spent trying to figure out who had killed Jeremy and her parents. She had no idea it all stemmed from her telling a boy she already had a boyfriend and couldn't go on a date with him.

Roache laughed. "Now you get it. Yes, I spiked water bottles and left them in your parents' car. It took awhile, but they eventually drank them."

That was all Monica had to hear. She had sat quietly with the plastic rings looped around her wrists and the chair arms, hoping Mark, or Wayne as Alex called him, would pretty much forget about her. This news about their parents was too much to bear. Her anger exploded and she shot straight up from the chair, grabbing Roache's arm and pushing it upward so that the gun was aimed high above Alex. In one quick move and still holding his arm, she turned around to face him and pulled down on his arm, twisting it behind his back.

Alex jumped at her chance and ran forward, grabbing the gun from Roache. She tossed the gun out the open door and seized his wounded arm. She couldn't help herself, she had to squeeze where she had cut him as she twisted that arm behind his back. He tried to shake them off, but both women had a firm grip and neither was willing to let go.

Several police cars arrived a few moments later, sirens blaring. State and local police poured out of squad cars, taking their positions behind their open doors.

"Wayne Roache! Come out with your hands up!" Someone yelled, and the distinct sound of guns being cocked came through the open door.

"It's okay!" Alex shouted. "We have him under control. You can come get him!"

"Toss out any weapons and come out immediately!" One of the officers called back.

Alex looked at Monica and said, "Do you see why I came alone?"

She turned back toward the door. "We can't come out. We're holding Roache. The gun is already outside."

One of the officers looked askance at his Sergeant, who nodded. The officer adjusted his bullet-proof vest and brought his pistol up in the traditional Weaver's stance as he slowly moved toward the open door. He looked inside and saw the two women holding Roache's arms behind him. He kicked Roache's gun to the side and kept his own pistol aimed at Roache.

"One of you come here and slap cuffs on this guy," the officer called to the others. They were all still behind the safety of their car doors. One of them came forward and holstered his gun as he took out his cuffs. As he approached, the first officer entered the room so his aim wouldn't be blocked when the other officer entered.

When Roache was cuffed, the two officers led him outside. The first officer pulled out a glove and picked up the gun for evidence.

Detective Kang drove up, exited his vehicle and walked over to Roache. He looked Roache in the eye and said, ""You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, other than yourself, during interrogation; if you cannot afford another attorney, one will be appointed to you."

He stepped back and told the officers to take Roache to jail.

"But I'm injured. You have to take me for treatment." Roache grinned his evil grin. "I'll sue the entire force if you don't get me medical care!"

Kang looked at the bloody gouge in Roache's arm. It had been clotting, but had started oozing again when Alex had given it a squeeze. "Somebody wrap a bandage around that arm. We don't want him getting the patrol car all bloody."

One of the officers walked toward an ambulance that had kept its distance.

Kang turned toward Alex. "Ms. Warren, I should arrest you for interfering in a police investigation."

"Look, Detective. If I hadn't gotten here when I did, there's a good chance Monica would be dead. He told me I had to arrive by a certain time or he would kill her." Alex pulled out her cell phone. "Not only that, but I think I might have recorded a confession. Not only did he kidnap Monica, but he said he killed my husband and our parents. We might have solved two cold cases, Detective."

Alex rewound the recording and began playing it back. She had to fast forward through a couple of minutes until she could hear Roache. His voice was distant, and there were places that you couldn't hear anything because Alex hit the floor or the fabric of her jeans passed over the microphone. But there it was, Roache's confession to shooting Jeremy and drugging her parents.

Unfortunately, Alex had forgotten the recording and neglected to turn off the app once the police arrived. The next thing she knew, her voice came out loud and clear. "Do you see why I came alone?" She blushed bright red.

Kang looked at her for a moment, trying to decide how to respond. It was embarrassing for Alex, but she had managed to make the case against Roache easier for the Prosecutor. And if she hadn't taken action, Roache might have killed Monica and gotten away. So he laughed. Then he noticed the cut on Alex's thigh.

"Get yourselves over to the ambulance and get checked out," Kang told them. "And don't go too far. We're going to need your statements."

"Not a problem," Alex told him. "I'm not going anywhere for a long time."

They headed toward the gate where the ambulance was parked. They passed Roache, who was having a bandage tied a little too tightly around his wound. Alex told him, "We're going to see you fry, Roache. Your confession was recorded. There's no way you'll get out of this."

That evil grin appeared again. "I'm a lawyer, remember? I'll tie this up in court for decades. I'll have to be tried in California and Indiana, too. This isn't over, Alex. You'll never know when I'll come after you again."

"Oh, shut up," Monica said. "I've had about all I can stand of lawyers."

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Detective Kang allowed Alex to leave after she and Monica promised to show up the next day at his office to give their statements. They walked back to the Mustang, after Alex took time to retrieve her trunk carpet and the rubber floor mat. She managed to nab the envelope with her note to Kyle before Monica sat down, stuffing it into her jeans pocket.

It was late by the time everything had wrapped up at the warehouse, and the women were exhausted as they neared Monica's home. The sight of the Winnebago in the driveway eased the last worry Alex had.

The motorhome was dark, but there were lights on in the house. Alex had to park in the driveway because the RV blocked her access to the garage. It was a small price to pay.

Alex used her key to unlock the front door.

"Hey! It's Mom and Aunt Monica!" Amy flew across the room and into her aunt's arms, then quickly hugged her mother.

Kyle walked out of the kitchen wearing Monica's "Kiss the Cook" apron. That was when Alex and Monica noticed the seductive aroma of something with garlic, tomatoes and some delectable spices.

"Mmmmm, that smells divine! I didn't know you could cook," Alex said to Kyle.

"Thanks, I've had a little practice." Kyle's boyish grin fell when he noticed the blood stains on Alex. Not only were her jeans stained from the cut on her thigh, but she also had Roache's blood on her blouse.

"I'm fine. Most of it isn't mine. I think I'll head upstairs and take a shower, though."

"Me, too. It's been two days since Mark...I mean Wayne, let me clean up," Monica added. "When I come down, you can introduce me to this guy."

"Hi, I'm Kyle, a friend of Alex's." Kyle came over to shake Monica's hand.

"She told me a little about you, but there has to be more to the story if you're cooking dinner for us," Monica smiled as she offered her hand. "I really must go get cleaned up. Pardon me."

"I'll have dinner ready in about thirty minutes. Will that work for you ladies, or should I hold it longer?"

"If you don't mind us with wet hair, thirty ought to do it," Alex called down from the top of the stairs.

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A half an hour later, the group was enjoying chicken parmesan, garlic bread and a mixture of broccoli, carrots and yellow squash. The adults were enjoying a glass of Chianti, Amy was drinking tea.

"I propose a toast. To Kyle and his law enforcement friends, without whom we might never have found Monica," Alex asserted.

Monica raised her glass. "Here, here! And to my sister, who put herself in harm's way to free me."

"That may be true, but if you hadn't sprung up to catch him off guard, we might both be dead."

"I'm not sure I want to hear all this. I could have lost both of you." Amy's brow was creased. "What would have happened to me then?"

Alex looked at her daughter. "I wasn't going to let anything happen to either your aunt or me, but if something ever did happen to me, Monica would keep you. If not her, your grandparents in Sedona would take you, I'm sure."

"Monica would be great, but I barely know Grandma and Grandpa. Not only that, but they're old, and they live in the desert." Amy thought for a moment. "I know, I could stay with Kyle. He took good care of me on the way back, and I took good care of him, too, didn't I, Kyle?"

Kyle nodded. "Yes, Amy, you really did."

"Well," Alex blushed, "I did think Kyle would be a good choice, too. It's obvious he can be trusted to look out for you. Best of all, he has a gun to chase off all the young boys."

"Hey! That's not what I meant!" Amy was becoming more like her mother each day. Today she was also blushing. "You know I'm not interested in boys except as friends."

"You will, Honey, you will." Alex looked at her sister. "But maybe not too soon, okay? Especially if you follow in your aunt's footsteps."

"That was not my fault!" Monica tossed her napkin on the table in a show of indignation. "Roache was after you, not me. And besides, you pushed me to start seeing him. This is all your fault!"

They all chuckled. "You never know what's going on in someone's mind. Who a person really is," Kyle told Amy. "You have to be very careful, but that's a few years off."

Alex couldn't look Kyle in the eye at that moment. She thought about his statement in context with her own escapades. _Could we ever have a life together_ , she wondered.

\----------

Alex and Monica were anxious for a good night's sleep in their own beds, and Kyle bedded down on the sleeper-sofa in Monica's den. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. The women had to meet with Detective Kang to give their statements, and they were going to have to figure out how to get Kyle back to Nevada, which was a shame because he fit in so well with the girls.

It had been a hellish few days, but at least the deaths of Jeremy and her parents were solved. No longer would Alex have to worry that the police would assume she was guilty of murder just because of the number of people close to her that had died. The other deaths she was responsible for were another story, but it seemed she had gotten away with those. That life was over, in the past where it belonged.

Alex wasn't sure what was going to happen with Kyle. It would certainly be a long-distance relationship, at best. Maybe Kyle would apply for a position in Ohio, or maybe Alex could spend most of her time in Nevada. Still, she hated the idea of leaving Monica behind.

There were too many questions, and Alex realized she was making assumptions about Kyle. Did he want to be a part of her life? She didn't know, but she was anxious to find out.

# # # #

## A note from the author:

Thank you again for downloading this ebook. If you enjoyed Journey to Murder and want to find out what adventures are next for Alex, Monica, Amy, Kyle and the rest of the crew, read on. Following is the first chapter of Journey to Redemption, available soon at your favorite ebook retailer.

#  Journey to Redemption

CHAPTER ONE

Labor Day weekend always meant a huge all-day party at Pete and Shelby's house. Not only was every adult in town invited, but their five kids invited all their friends, too. At any given time, there had to be at least 75 people at the house. Every adult brought food or drink, so there was never a lack of new dishes to try or something refreshing to drink during the warm afternoon. Even the folks from the campground were invited, though quite a few were busy packing up and getting ready to hit the road back to homes and jobs.

Alex had never seen anything like it. Her family had always kept to themselves, and there were never any aunts, uncles or cousins close by. She was so happy Kyle invited her back to Elko for this end-of-summer event. What was even better was that she was able to bring Amy, her daughter, and Monica, Alex's sister, along for the fun. They needed to get away for a few days after the harrowing experience of Monica's kidnapping a few months earlier.

Kyle walked over to Alex and handed her a glass of lemonade. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"I was just thinking how happy I am." She smiled as she took it and took a long drink.

"Thank you, Kyle. You're always looking out for me. A girl could get used to this pretty quickly, you know. You had better be careful or I'll latch on and never let you go." Alex hadn't had anyone to rely on for a very long time, and hadn't known what she was missing until Kyle came along.

"That's what I'm hoping for," Kyle responded. He looked deeply into Alex's eyes before wrapping one of his well-muscled arms around her waist and pulling her close for a passionate kiss. Alex melted into him and returned his kiss before pulling back. She glanced around feeling a bit flushed from embarrassment but didn't see anyone looking at them.

"Kyle, please! What if Amy sees us?"

"You know as well as I do that Amy would be cheering us on," Kyle stated. "At her age, she'll start kissing boys before too long."

"Don't remind me! She has grown up so fast. I don't know if that's partly because of her dad's murder, or if its genetics. Whatever the reason, she never really seemed like a child. She was always a little adult."

"That happens a lot with kids of divorced parents. They try not to be a burden on either parent, maybe in hopes the two will get back together. The fact your husband died before your divorce was final may have meant she was never able to realize that your separation wasn't her fault."

Alex took in his words and gave them serious consideration. "But I've always told Amy it wasn't her fault. Not the separation, not the murder, not her grandparents' car accident, none of it. She was just the unlucky one who saw so many bad things happen around her."

Kyle studied Alex's face and saw a flash of guilt. "Alex, you didn't cause any of that to happen. That murderer, Wayne Roache, was the one who staged your parents' accident and killed your husband. And he was the one who kidnapped Monica and almost killed both of you. Do not, I repeat, do NOT feel guilty for anything that happened."

Alex couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew things Kyle didn't, and worried that karma had decided her secret life was due some payback. Even though Alex had walked away from that life, seeking out those who deserved to die and removing them from this world, she still had to wonder if all the bad luck her daughter had experienced wasn't somehow her fault. If it _was_ her fault, how much more was to come?

Kyle took Alex by the hand and wandered across Pete and Shelby's lawn, pausing to watch toddlers in the wading pool and the slightly older kids climbing and sliding on the inflatable castle, waterslide and obstacle course placed around the yard. Alex caught sight of Amy sitting on the stone wall along the garden talking with a group of teenagers. Amy was laughing and Alex relaxed a little, thinking maybe Amy had survived everything thrown at her and was emotionally well.

They continued to stroll and Alex found Monica helping with the food table, shooing flies away and taking empty dishes back to the kitchen, then bringing out fresh supplies. Monica looked as though she were in her element. It was hard to believe her life had been in danger such a short time ago.

Kyle pulled out a chair at one of the rented tables and Alex took a seat. They continued to hold hands as they commented on all the activity around them.

"Alex, I'm really happy you came out here for this. I know it's a really long drive, but I cherish every moment I spend with you."

Kyle's eyes were on hers as he spoke, and Alex realized she could easily get lost in those deep pools of blue. Meeting Kyle had been the one good thing that had come from the secret life Alex led. It worried her, though, that he took his job in law enforcement so seriously. If he ever found out about any of the men she had killed, would he leave her to fend for herself? It was what she deserved, she knew, even though she only went after low-life creeps who would have killed her if given the chance. Self-defense might have been sufficient to keep her out of jail had she not covered up her escapades.

Jolene and Ray sauntered over and took seats across from Alex and Kyle. Alex wasn't too worried about Jolene, Kyle's partner at the Sheriff's Department. Emmett Rayburn, known as Ray to his friends, was another story. He was in the FBI and had more databases and technical apparatus available to him than Alex knew. If anyone could ever link her to any of the dead bodies Alex had left, it was Ray.

"So Ray, I'm in need of material for another book. Have you worked on any cases that would make for interesting reading? I could use some fresh ideas," Alex stated, hoping to get Ray to provide information rather than ask her for any.

"Well, we had a string of bank robberies that we had been investigating," Ray said. "Seems it was a group of six guys hitting up the banks sharing space in grocery stores. Those banks generally don't carry as much cash, but they usually don't have as many security guards, either."

Alex, Kyle and Jolene listened as Ray continued to give them an overview of the case. Ray had a unique style for an FBI agent. He had managed to maintain his sense of humor while dealing with the scum who broke the law in the worst imaginable ways. As Ray regaled them with story after story, the group laughed and poked fun at one another. Soon others from the party stopped by to see what all the fun was about.

Shelby stopped by and listened for a moment and then suggested that the sizable group be sure to visit the food table and get something to eat as there were more leftovers than she could keep in her refrigerator.

Alex noticed she looked distracted. "Shelby, is everything okay?"

Shelby took Alex's free hand and pulled her away from the table. Kyle watched as they spoke a few feet away.

"I can't find Maria. I'm sure she's around here somewhere, but she's not at the wading pool or the waterslide, or anywhere I can find. Will you help me look for her?" Lines of worry were starting to crease Shelby's face. "I don't want to get the police involved yet in case she's just playing hide and seek."

"Shelby, don't worry. I'll get Monica and Amy to help look, and I'll let Kyle, Jolene and Ray know that you need help putting eyes on her. I'm sure she's okay, but let's do a thorough search as quickly as possible, okay? You go inside and start looking up in the bedrooms and work your way down just in case she got tired and went in to take a nap. Meet us back out here once you're sure she's not in the house."

"Thanks, Alex. I just can't think. I appreciate you handling the coordination of the search." With that, Shelby jogged toward the house and disappeared inside.

Alex turned toward the others, who had all realized something was amiss. "Folks, Shelby and Pete's youngest, Maria, has disappeared from the party. We need to fan out and look anywhere and everywhere a five year old could hide. Let's get everyone over to the back door so we can do a grid search while Shelby looks through the house."

Amy caught up with her mother. "Mom? What's going on? Why is everybody headed toward the house?"

"Shelby can't find Maria. She's looking in the house. I need you and Monica to join her in there and look in every cupboard and closet and under every bed."

"You've got it, Mom!" Amy ran to find Monica and the two went into the house.

Kyle, Jolene and Ray stood apart from the others as they conferred about the situation. Ray walked up the steps and onto the back porch as everyone drew near.

"Folks, little Maria is missing. If you have any children with you today, we need you to ask your children when and where they saw Maria last. Same question for all you adults and teens. If you saw Maria at any time over the past hour or two, we need to know when and where."

Murmuring started among the crowd. "Hey! Folks, please keep quiet for just a moment. Once we've identified when and where Maria was last seen, we need to do a grid search around the house. Jolene, Kyle, Alex and I will each take a side of the house. We need every adult to space themselves out around the house and start walking away, looking anywhere a child could hide or fall or climb. Make sure your own kids are safe, and once we know Maria is not in the house, we'll get all the kids inside to keep them from becoming lost. We only have a couple of hours of daylight left, so let's get moving, people. If anyone has seen Maria, we need that info right now. Come see me immediately."

Parents ran to check on their children and get them together in one place, asking about Maria's whereabouts. Several of the children had seen Maria playing in the wading pool, but she had wandered toward the house and no one saw where she went after that.

After Pete had flown Alex back to Ohio in search of Monica, she knew she owed him a huge debt of gratitude. Alex wanted to do everything she could to help them find their youngest child. Alex just hoped this wasn't karma getting back at her again, not with little helpless Maria.

