Sight Unseen(41)
“No more than usual. She’s concerned. She wants me safe, with a big, strong man to take care of me.” She made a face. “Ridiculous when you consider how independent my mother is.”
“She’s a good woman and superintelligent. I’ve admired her all my life.”
“So have I.” She took a swallow of coffee. “And that’s why I let her still try to manipulate me on occasion. It’s all for love.”
Olivia nodded. “And that’s a damn good reason. You can’t fault—”
Kendra’s cell phone rang, and she glanced at the ID. “Griffin.”
She accessed the call. “I didn’t expect you to get back to me this early. It’s only a little after nine. I hope that means good news. Do we have a lineup for me to look at?”
“We’re working on it. But it shouldn’t be too long. But we do know how he got into your condo.”
“I’m not sure that qualifies as good news,” she said warily. “How did he do it?”
“He has a key.”
“A serial killer has a key to my condo. I can’t tell you how wonderful that makes me feel.”
“Take it up with your building’s management office. It turns out it’s probably the least secure place in your entire building. It’s fronted by a sliding glass door with a flimsy-as-hell lock. There’s no one there after six, and he was probably able to pop the lock with a screwdriver. Your key is missing from the peg board in the back room.”
“Their security cameras?”
“Disabled. No disks.”
“Great. I’d already decided to have my lock changed. I think I’ll forget to give the management office my new key.”
“Probably not a bad idea, at least for a while. Just a minute. Agent Reade is here.” She heard him cover the phone to speak to the agent, and there was a moment of silence. Then he said to Kendra, “She’s almost finished with coordinating the photos. Listen, do you want to come in around two and take a look at some photo lineups off the tips we’ve been getting? We’ve put together a few dozen pics from people who think they recognize the police sketch. I’ve glanced at some of them, and most aren’t even in the ballpark. A few might be promising though.”
“I’ll take promising. See you at two.” She hung up and told Olivia, “He used the key I gave to the management office. So simple.”
Simply deadly. A careless mistake, and she was left open and vulnerable to Myatt.
“It shouldn’t have been that easy for him,” Olivia said.
“No, but often crimes would never be committed except for a single error from someone who has nothing to do with the target themselves.” She grimaced. “We all depend on our precious conveniences. I gave a key to the condo superintendent, so he can let in a plumber or deliver packages. Didn’t you do the same thing?”
“Yes. After all, he’s bonded. I trusted that they’d keep it secure.”
“And so did I. But then no one expects a raid on a condo office by a serial killer. It’s outside the box. I don’t know how long he’s been planning his access to get to me. The security cameras … and then the actual intrusion.” She shivered. “And I wasn’t even the target. He could have attacked me anytime before all this started. But that isn’t what he wanted. He wanted me to know how clever he could be. He wanted me to admire him. And he wanted me to know how vulnerable I am.”
“You stay here,” Olivia said firmly. “No arguments.”
“And how do I know that he hasn’t scoped out your place, too? He’s studied me, and he has to know you’re my friend. He wouldn’t leave the possibility I’d turn to you out of his equations.” She got to her feet. “I’ll have Griffin check out the security cameras in this area, too. But I’m not going to expose you any more than I have to.” She leaned over and gave Olivia a kiss on the cheek. “I’ve got to get going. Thanks for the port in the storm. I’ll be in touch.”
“You’d better be. I want you back here, Kendra.”
Kendra smiled over her shoulder as she reached the door. “You just want to practice your wiles on my poor bodyguard. I have to save him from himself … and you.”
* * *
KENDRA HESITATED AS SHE LEFT OLIVIA’S CONDO. She’d been planning on going back to her condo to have a look around and see if Myatt had left any more calling cards that were more subtle than that shocking message on the wall. But she’d made Mom a promise, and she couldn’t put it off any longer. It was only a phone call, and she could make it while she was walking back to her own condo.