“It’s messy. You don’t want to go down there.”
Messy. Oh, God. “But I do.” Then she could run outside and scream for help. She walked calmly to the door. Reached for the knob.
An arm came around her neck from behind. “I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”
His voice was so calm. She took a breath to scream, but he slapped his hand over her mouth. “Can’t have that, either.” He pulled her backward, leaning down to his backpack. It wasn’t zipped closed, and he dug around and pulled out a wad of cloth.
He was going to gag her! She tried to wriggle free, and he threw her on the couch, coming down on top of her and sending her breath right out of her. He got to his knees, straddling her and pinning down her arms with his legs. He shoved the cloth into her mouth and tied the gag around her head. She struggled, but she could hardly move.
Using all of her strength, she thrust her hips up, sending him off-balance. She shoved him the rest of the way, and he fell toward the coffee table. A basket of dried flowers scattered across the throw rug. She scrambled to the door, but he grabbed her ankle and sent her to her knees.
She tried screaming, but only muffled yelps escaped. She swiped at the gag, but he grabbed her arms and pushed her facedown to the floor. He leaned close beside her.
“You didn’t see me in the coffee shop that day. But I saw you. And when I picked you for my next victim, I couldn’t believe it when you turned around like I’d said it aloud. Then you touched your hair when I thought about your hair. And your scarf. You looked spooked the rest of the time you were there. I left but watched you through the front window. I couldn’t figure it out.
“Then I followed you to the police station. I’ve got contacts there, so I used the Kiss and Kill Cupid case as an excuse to go in and listen to what you were telling the detective. He didn’t believe you, but I did. Yeah, it sounded crazy, but it made sense, too. Then I gave you a final test. I thought about you having lipstick on your teeth, and you rubbed your teeth. You can freaking read thoughts.”
What am I thinking now, Kristy? That I’m going to strip you naked and touch that gorgeous body of yours anywhere I please? And that afterward I’m going to kill you?
Her body tensed. Through the gag she asked, “Why did you kill that other woman this morning?”
“To throw you off. You weren’t expecting me to come calling, were you?”
He’d killed a woman because of her. And he’d probably killed Adrian because of her. The thought turned her stomach and tightened her throat.
He grabbed something else out of his backpack. Rope. No, don’t do this!
“And you were so focused on those serial-killer characteristics.” He pulled her arms behind her and tied them at the wrists. “Guess what? I had a nice, normal childhood. I didn’t kill animals or set fires or wet my bed.” He rolled her over, leaning down into her face. “I do it for the story. I make the news. Do you know how powerful that is? To make people talk about you, fear you?”
She was trying not to show her fear. Not easy, considering her pulse was throbbing in her throat and her eyes were as big as eggs.
He pulled her to her feet. “Why don’t we go into your bedroom? I like it. The blue comforter and those frilly pillows.”
He’d been in her room! Those times the comforter was wrinkled, that was him. The thought sickened her, one more violation on top of everything else.
He grabbed his backpack and hauled her to her room. She kicked at him, sending him falling forward. He regained his footing quickly, grabbing her before she could dart to the door.
“You’re feisty. I like that.” But she could see anger burning in his eyes.
He shoved her into her room, where she lost her balance and fell onto the bed. She tried to crawl off the other side, feeling like a caterpillar with her arms tied behind her back. He grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her back up. He turned her around so that she was lying on her back facing him, her arms under her. He smiled as he climbed onto the bed. With a vicious kick, she sent him stumbling backward. He bumped into her dresser, and several bottles of perfume crashed to the floor, filling the room with the scent of…Intuition.
I have to do this for Adrian. I’ve got to get out of this and get to him.
She scrambled off the bed as he regained his balance. She aimed a kick right at his crotch. He doubled over with a groan. She darted past him, struggling to free her hands.
“Get back here, bitch!” he growled.
She felt the rope around one hand loosen. He raced out of the bedroom and blocked the front door. She ran to the kitchen, eyeing the butcher block knife set in the back corner. He came up behind her fast, shoving her hard. She lost her footing, falling forward. She landed on the floor with a thud, her forehead banging against the tile. A white flash exploded before her eyes.