“I can’t. I’ve got to go.” Evie dropped her arms to her side. “I wish I could explain it to you.” She walked over and sat down on the low wall. “You know I’ll do anything for my family and friends, it starts there. With you. I can help. I know I can. I want that bastard caught so that you can at least feel a little safer. I want to take your nightmares away. And all the other women. There are so many. I want to protect them, too. The nameless women out there who don’t know, but might be next on his list. They don’t deserve it any more than the women who came before.”
Evie stood up and started pacing. “Then there is Anthony. He’s had so much happen to him that isn’t his fault. But even after all of that he’s got such a determination to find this bastard, to see things through. And all the time still take care of his business and his friends. Just friends because this monster took his only family. He’s alone out there trying to fight for justice.”
Evie walked over to stand behind Lexi and wrap her arms around her resting her chin on top of her head. “Lexi, he’s my shelter. When everything is going crazy around us like some wicked storm, when I’m with him it’s like everything is calm. It’s like we’re in the eye of the storm, everything is swirling and blowing around us, but the sun is shining and there’s blue skies when I’m in his arms, safe. I can see and think more clearly with him around. He’s my rock.”
Lexi sighed. “I don’t like it.”
Evie moved so she could look at Lexi. “What exactly is it you don’t like? The fact he looks like Jeremy or the fact I might get hurt.”
“Both. I know he’s not Jeremy and really after spending time with him I can see the differences. Trust me; my last encounter with Jeremy is something I’m not forgetting anytime soon. It still takes me back a little every time I see him, but after a few minutes I know it’s not Jeremy, it’s Anthony. But I’m so afraid that Jeremy’s going to get you and kill you. I don’t know if I could handle that.”
“I’m scared, too, but you know hiding isn’t something I can do. Look at you. How much did you frustrate people with your need for independence? Hello! Like everyone. I need to see this through, not just for you, but for Anthony, too.”
“I know. Please be careful. Come back to me.”
“I will, and hopefully with some answers.”
*
Evie looked over at Kat driving them to the address they had for the only thing Jeremy owned under the name of David Waters, not sure what was going on with her. Kat had never been overly warm, but there were times when she seemed to open up a little bit with Lexi and Evie over the past year. She remembered the one time Kat had really opened up to them. They’d been trying on swimsuits for the summer. They had fun picking out the funniest ones they could find and trying them on. Since Lexi loved the water and Kat would be spending time with her, she needed one, too. They all had tears running down their faces from laughing so hard.
It was like looking at someone completely different now. She wanted nothing to do with Anthony or Jackson. That was really unusual. Jackson always had women falling over him, and Anthony, well, he was just so gorgeous. But she could understand the hesitation there since Jeremy looked so much like him. Kat had made sure that she sat by herself on the plane. She didn’t want to sit near anyone, nor was she really talking.
They drove through the gates and up to a large house on the bluffs overlooking the ocean in La Jolla. A beautiful setting she knew hid a deep and dark secret. Would it hold what they were all wondering about? She didn’t ask any questions of Anthony on how they were getting access. She figured the less she knew, better.
They all had gloves on as they approached the house and Anthony pushed the buttons on the keypad somehow one of his men had gotten for them and that let them in. At some point, she knew they were going to get into trouble for finding evidence and not turning it over to the police first, but they wanted as much information as they could.
Spending hours going through the house and finding nothing, they finally ended their search in his bedroom. The view was spectacular from here. Evie was distracted by the view and the thoughts that were whirling through her head didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until Jackson said something to Anthony. Turning around, she saw Anthony looking at the wall then he would go out of the bedroom, walk into the master bathroom and closet, and then do it all over again.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Something is off. There seems to be something missing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, the only thing on the other side of this wall is his closet and bathroom, yet they are both smaller than they should be.” He grabbed her hand and they both started to pace it off. Sure enough either the closet or master bath should have been larger. They looked at each other their eyes filled with excitement.
“You start in the bathroom, I’ll take the closet.” She whirled from him and went into the closet looking at the back wall that should have been shared with the master bath. Running her hand along it with Jackson on the other side of her they started searching for anything that might be a release.
“Are you going to help Kat?” Evie called to her.