She heard the bang of what sounded like a drawer closing. At least he’s finishing up, she thought as she took their plates over to the dining table.
Another thump followed. It sounded like something hitting the ground. Then a choking sound came up the hallway from the bedrooms.
Zo? froze for a moment as her instincts kicked in, then went into motion before she even knew the conclusion her brain had reached.
She dropped the plates on the table, the pink sauce splattering the surface and her T-shirt, then lunged for the kitchen and snatched up a butcher knife from the block. It was heavy in her hand, which was good for momentum, but bad for agility. There was no time to change her selection.
From the corner of her eye, she caught movement in the dark hallway. A figure, large and black, held a struggling Jarocki in a one-armed headlock, dragging him toward her. In his free hand, he held a Bowie knife to Jarocki’s throat. She’d seen that knife before.
The Tally Man stopped at the threshold of the living room and watched her. He was dressed the same way as when he’d attacked her a few days ago—in black with a ski mask to hide his identity.
Thirty feet of living room separated them, but Zo? was less than twenty from the front door. She had more than a ten-foot head start, and she wasn’t encumbered by Jarocki. She could make it to the street before the Tally Man and wake the neighborhood, which would force him into a decision—kill her and be caught, or run and hide.
Jarocki was the flaw in her simple plan. If she ran, the Tally Man would kill him in a second. She’d abandoned Holli, and living with the shame had destroyed her life. There’d be no coming back from the guilt if Jarocki died because of her.
She felt the psychologist’s gaze on her, terror shining in his eyes. It had to be hard for him. He always dealt with other people’s fears. He never experienced them. She couldn’t abandon him. She wouldn’t abandon him.
“Don’t hurt him.”
“Drop the knife, Zo?.” The Tally Man waited for her to comply. He had over six inches in height on Jarocki, and he hoisted the shrink onto his toes, cutting off his breath. “I will kill him.”
As usual, the Tally Man thought he held all the cards, but he didn’t. The fact she’d already escaped him twice proved that. Having Jarocki as a hostage was an advantage, but it was also a hindrance. He couldn’t attack her and lug Jarocki around at the same time. He could kill Jarocki, but that would take time, and it was time she could use to attack him. Where the Tally Man really fell down in odds was that this fight was two against one. That was, if she could get Jarocki to join the battle.
“You’re going to kill us both. Why pretend?” she said.
A grunt of acknowledgement came from behind the ski mask.
She shared a quick glance with Jarocki. She hoped he got the message she was trying to transmit. He needed to watch for a distraction.
She sidled over to the dining table, then grabbed one of the dinner plates and hurled it Frisbee-like at the Tally Man. Instinctively, he raised his knife arm to protect himself.
In that moment, Jarocki yanked on the arm the Tally Man had around his neck. Off balance, the Tally Man staggered forward, losing his grip on the doctor. Suddenly free of his captor, Jarocki scrabbled toward Zo? as the plate of food hit the Tally Man in the chest.
Zo? charged at the Tally Man as soon as she released the plate. With so many things happening to him at once, he was vulnerable. Zo? wouldn’t get another chance like this. She hurled herself forward.
She slammed into him, but the Tally Man had turned his body to reduce the impact. Instead of hitting full on, it was only a glancing blow, and she went flying over the top of him. She crashed down on her back in the hallway, losing her grip on the knife.
She flipped over and jumped to her feet. She expected to see the Tally Man bearing down on her, but he was running the other way, chasing after Jarocki, who was making a beeline for the front door. He didn’t make it. The Tally Man dropped a shoulder, slammed into Jarocki, and drove him into the closed door. Jarocki yelled out, then slumped to the ground.
Zo? raced across the living room, but not before the Tally Man hauled Jarocki to his knees. The therapist gasped when the Tally Man jammed the knife back under his neck.
“You shouldn’t have done that.”
Zo? stopped dead and raised her hands in surrender. Any thought she had that the Tally Man wouldn’t harm Jarocki evaporated. The Bowie’s blade was tight against the doctor’s throat. Before, the Tally Man had just held it close. He wasn’t toying with her anymore.
“I have to kill him now.”
“No. Stop. Please.”
The Tally Man froze. “Give me a reason why.”
“It’s not right.”
“What do you know about right and wrong?” he said with disgust.