Chapter 17
Evelyn jerked awake. She blinked, adjusting to the bright light beating through the uncovered window.
She groaned against the intrusion and stretched her arms above her head.
Her fingers brushed against hard muscle.
Anxiety zipped through her veins and jolted her awake much quicker than any coffee she’d ever consumed.
Where was she? Her gaze landed on Connor, and the tension melted away.
Connor lay hunched on his side, his arm blocking the sun from his eyes. Her memories sprang to life, and she touched her lips. He’d kissed her. Not a gentle brush of his lips on her forehead or a friendly peck on the cheek, but an honest-to-God, I-want-you-bad kind of kiss.
The kind of kiss she’d never had before.
Heat scorched her face, and she studied him.
His thick thighs pressed against her legs.
Her gaze zeroed in on a small patch of exposed skin at the top of the waistband of his pants where his shirt had risen.
Her fingers itched to brush against the smooth skin.
Need built inside her, and she licked her lips, leaning closer for a better look.
Connor’s arm snaked around her waist and pulled her onto his chest. Amusement danced in his blue eyes. “Can I help you?”
Embarrassment competed with curiosity. He’d caught her studying him, but she didn’t want to stop. Her mind spun, trying to come up with some cute and witty remark, but failed. Evelyn brushed the side of her finger along the hard line of his jaw.
Connor turned his head and brought her fingertip into his mouth.
Desire shot straight to the pit of her stomach. Their eyes locked as his tongue danced along the curve of her finger.
An insistent whine sounded from the doorway, and she scrambled off of him. His dog stared at them with accusing eyes.
Connor groaned and sat up, rubbing his hand over his smooth head. “Great timing, Porkchop.”
Evelyn laughed and crossed the room to scoop the dog into her arms. She’d always been more of a cat person, but something about Porkchop’s scrunched nose and constant snorts pulled at her heartstrings. “Poor guy. You didn’t get any attention last night, did you?”
“Trust me, he gets more than enough.” Connor stood and rolled his neck back and forth. “I can’t believe we fell asleep on the couch. What time is it?”
Evelyn searched the room for a clock, finally finding one on the cable box. “Eight a.m.”
“I haven’t slept that well since the night before Monica went missing, even if we did sleep on the couch.
” He stilled and glanced at her, widening his eyes.
A vein pulsed at his temple, and he pressed his lips together, turning their pink color nearly white.
“Shit. I need to find out if anyone caught Gabriel last night.”
The sense of peace Evelyn had woken with vanished. She’d lost hold of reality while wrapped in Connor’s embrace and forgotten a madman was on the loose.
“What did I do with my phone?” He stalked to the kitchen and swiped the device off the counter.
Evelyn set the dog on the floor, but he stared at her with soulful brown eyes and refused to get his butt off her foot. She crouched and ran her hand over his soft fur, her gaze not leaving Connor as he checked the screen.
“Ben texted. They’re good. Nothing new to report. Mark left a voicemail.” Connor lifted the phone to his ear. His shoulders drooped, and he closed his eyes.
Gabriel’s still out there.
He lowered the phone from his ear and let his hand fall to his side. “No one’s seen him.”
Disappointment crushed her windpipe, and she lowered herself all the way to the floor. Porkchop scurried into her lap. “What now?”
“We either find him or figure out who’s helping him, and let that person tell us where he is. Mark interviewed Kevin Myers, the guy who works for Gabriel. Kevin confessed to calling Gabriel after I set up a meeting with him, but Mark doesn’t think he’s in on anything.”
“Gabriel must have decided to come after me because he knew you’d be busy. But I still don’t understand why he’d show his face. He risked everything last night. Why?”
“I don’t know. I can only guess we’re getting close and he’s rattled. Someone I’ve already talked to could have spooked him.”
“Which leaves Simon Thompson and Gabriel’s dad, right?”
“Exactly. I need to talk to both men again. With everything that happened last night, it might loosen their tongues.”
“I’m coming with you.” Placing the dog beside her, Evelyn stood and faced Connor.
A smile lifted his lips. “Trust me, I don’t want you to be alone, but I also don’t want to put you in danger if one of these guys is Gabriel’s accomplice. I’ll drop you off at Ben’s.”
“No. You’re not leaving me behind. If I’m with you, I’m safe.” The truth of her statement echoed inside her and shattered a lifelong fear rooted in her soul.
Security was a foreign concept, even after being freed from her deranged parents for years.
This feeling of having someone protecting her, fighting to keep her safe, broke a dam of longing and need so fierce her heart threatened to burst. For the first time in her life, hope blossomed for a future spent loving someone.
Connor nodded. “Okay. You can come with me. I want to speak to the Wilsons first. Even if Mr. Wilson isn’t helping Gabriel, his parents could have insight about where he might be.”
“Good idea. Are we just going to show up at their house?”
“Not this time. His dad didn’t buy my story, and his mom was too na?ve to be of much use.
His dad still goes into the office during the week.
It’s Monday morning, so chances are he’s already there.
I’ll call ahead and confirm. Mark might have uncovered more information that could be useful in getting Mr. Wilson to talk.
I’ll call him while I take Porkchop out. I’ll only be gone a minute.”
Evelyn waited for Connor and Porkchop to leave then clicked the deadbolt into place.
She hurried down the hall to the bedroom.
Opening her bag, she pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweater, and the necessary toiletries to make herself halfway presentable.
She didn’t have the luxury of vanity this morning.
Not when she needed to help catch a killer.
The sound of the door opening signaled Connor’s return. “Ready to go?”
Connor held a large envelope in his hands and turned to her. “Did someone stop by while I was outside with Porkchop?”
“No, why?”
Connor handed her the envelope. “This was sitting on the floor, like someone pushed it under the door. Both of our names are on it, but there’s no address.”
Lead pooled in her stomach. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out glossy pictures.
Evelyn gasped, and the envelope fell to the ground.
She flipped to the next picture and the next.
Each picture the same. Photographs of her asleep in her bed, oblivious to the monster who’d crept inside her home.
Connor and Evelyn’s footsteps echoed off the glossy tile floor of Gene Wilson’s office.
The lobby boasted only one desk near the front door and two chairs off to the side.
The building was around the block from Mr. Wilson’s residence, and he’d opted to occupy only the first floor of the rented space.
Connor made a beeline for the receptionist and had his badge ready in his hand when he stopped in front of the raven-haired woman with blood-red lips. “I need to speak with Mr. Wilson.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No. Please let him know Detective Mitchel is here to speak to him. I’d much rather ask him questions in the comfort of his office than at the station.”
The receptionist grabbed the phone receiver and swiveled in her chair. A minute later she spun toward him. “His office is the first door to the right.”
Connor nodded and turned toward the short corridor. Evelyn stayed close behind him. He’d gone over what she should expect on the way over. She’d agreed to hang back while he asked the questions. Hopefully they could get the information they needed quickly and get out.
The first door they came to stood wide open. He rapped his knuckles against the doorframe and took a step into the room. “Mr. Wilson? I’m Detective Connor Mitchel with the NYPD. I have a few questions about your son, Gabriel.”
Gene Wilson’s mouth pinched inward, and red colored his wrinkled face.
“You,” he said, pointing a finger at Connor.
“I knew you lied to my wife about wanting Gabriel’s number.
” He came to his feet, and his voice shook.
“I want the name of your superior. Just because you’re a cop doesn’t mean you can do whatever the hell you want. ”
Connor winced and raised his palms as he took another step toward Mr. Wilson. He’d figured this would be an issue, and acting contrite would get him further with Gabriel’s pissed-off dad than defending his actions. “I lied. I’m sorry. I was desperate.”
“You’re about to get a whole lot more desperate after I talk to your boss.”
He’d be in a shit ton of trouble if his boss found out he was interviewing civilians about a case he wasn’t supposed to be on, but he didn’t care. “I’ll give you whatever information you want, but I need you to answer some questions first.”
Mr. Wilson snorted. “Why would I do that?”
“Because your son is on the run from the police right now, and I need your help to find him.”
Mr. Wilson anchored his fists on his desk. “More lies. Enough, or I’ll sue you for slander.”
Connor fought to keep his temper in check. “Have you heard from him today? How often do you speak with him during the week?”
“I don’t need to answer your questions. My son has done nothing wrong.” Mr. Wilson rounded his desk, his finger pointed at Connor’s chest again.
The man wasn’t going to offer any information.
The prick was the kind of person who’d rather hire an army of defense attorneys to cover his ass than help with an investigation.
Time to push his buttons and watch his reaction.
“Did Gabriel do nothing wrong when he killed birds and kept them on the roof in homemade houses? What about when he pushed Simon Thompson into oncoming traffic?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Mr. Wilson ground his teeth together, his words tight and full of menace.
Connor pushed into Mr. Wilson’s personal space.
No way he’d let the jerk try to intimidate him.
The top of Mr. Wilson’s head barely reached Connor’s chin, and Connor stared down into hardened hazel eyes.
“Did you help him? Did you throw away the evidence that would have exposed your son for the monster he is? Why didn’t you get him help?
Maybe it could have stopped him from the downward spiral that led him to kidnap and murder innocent women. ”
A vein bulged from the side of Mr. Wilson’s neck. “Stop it. You don’t know what you’re talking about. Gabriel is a smart man. He’s not a monster.”
“Are you sure about that?” Evelyn asked, stepping out from the corner.
Tears lingered in her eyes and she lifted her chin, exposing the marks on her neck Gabriel had left.
“He tried to kidnap me, he threatened a child, and if Connor hadn’t come along, who knows where I’d be.
Your son did this to me. Where is he?” Her voice shook, and fire sparked in her eyes.
Mr. Wilson glanced toward Evelyn, his gaze sharpened on her neck. “Who are you? Some tramp trying to blame all your problems on my son? What do you want, money? Do yourself a favor and spread your legs instead of lies about my son. It will get you a hell of a lot further in life.”
Rage burned bright in Connor’s vision. “Don’t speak to her like that.
If you don’t want to cooperate, fine. I’ll see your pathetic ass in the station soon.
Gabriel’s wanted for a whole host of reasons.
We will find him, with or without your help.
And when we do, there’s nothing you can do to protect him anymore.
” He grabbed Evelyn’s hand and stormed out of the room.
A tug on his hand stopped him in the middle of the hallway. He turned toward Evelyn, and the worry in her brown eyes melted the anger firing his nerve endings. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I screwed up your interview.”
He closed the space between them and snaked his hands up the back of her neck, his fingers sliding through the soft tangle of her hair.
“You have nothing to apologize for. The guy’s an asshole.
No way he would have answered my questions, but he didn’t have to.
I got a pretty good picture of his relationship with Gabriel. ”
“So you think he’s helping Gabriel?”
“I think he’s helped him in the past. I’m just not sure how far he’s gone and how much he knows.”
“What now? Are we going to talk to Simon?”
Connor shook his head. He had so many emotions boiling over inside him he wanted to scream. Not to mention all the pent-up sexual tension he’d pushed down since he’d met Evelyn. Kissing her last night might not have been the best idea.
“No. I’m wound tighter than one of those stupid pop-up toys. If I don’t get some of this energy out, I’ll explode. We’re going to the gym.”