Jessie went still. She gave a low whistle. “That came out of left field. You believe one of them might be Zachary?”
“I believe that there could be a possibility that I don’t want to ignore. If Hagstrom isn’t guilty, we’re left with no one. Zachary has shown an incredibly strong understanding of how law enforcement works. The dream team is staying at the same hotel, so none of them would look out of place to anyone reviewing the lobby cameras. They’ve all lived and breathed these cases, and there would be no suspicion if they appeared on site at any of them. I want them watched until I can investigate them all in depth.” She wrinkled her nose. “In short, I want my own team to watch the dream team.”
“And I’m your team of choice?” Jessie was frowning thoughtfully. “I appreciate the compliment, but it won’t be easy. Hotels are notoriously simple to escape. Fire exits. Maids with pass keys. Room service deliveries. It didn’t surprise me when you said Griffin wasn’t finding any clues in Huston’s death. There have to be so many people at the scene they’re probably stumbling over each other. Police. FBI. Forensics. Plus those guys in the dream team milling around. If anyone knew the hotel, it wouldn’t take any effort to slip in and out.”
“Is this a refusal?”
“Hell, no. I’m just setting you up to let me call in a couple guys who work with me sometimes. I can’t watch all four rooms at one time. And what if one of the guys decides to go pub crawling?”
“Get them. No problem. Just make it happen.”
She nodded. “I’ll do it. And I’ll set up another guard to keep an eye on Olivia while I’m here.” She took out her phone and started punching numbers. She gazed at Kendra as she waited for an answer. “You’re charged. I can feel it. Huston’s death really shook you.”
Kendra wasn’t surprised she was being this transparent. Every nerve was tense. “Among other things. Every time I turn around Zachary seems to be there … waiting for me to make a mistake.” She got to her feet. “And he’s on the move. We’ve got to stop him.”
“Right.” Jessie glanced at Lynch. “So do your job and make certain that you keep the bastard away from her. It appears I’m going to be tied up here.” Then her call was answered and she began to talk quickly into her phone.
“I believe we’ve been dismissed.” Lynch took Kendra’s elbow and guided her toward the front entrance. “Or at least I have.” They were outside and he gave the valet his check. “She evidently thinks there’s no reason to urge you to get your ass in gear. You’re obviously motivated.” He tipped the valet as he got into the driver’s seat. “A little too obviously.”
“I suppose you mean something by that.”
“I mean that you’re going to slow down.” He started down the driveway. “I’m taking you to dinner and then I’ll take you home and you’ll get some sleep.”
“Bullshit.”
“We’ll start with dinner and go from there.” He tilted his head as he glanced at her. “Unless you have some scheme, some urgent plan, that you have to immediately execute? I don’t think so. I think that setting up Jessie with the dream team might have been an act of desperation.” He held up his hand. “Not a bad idea. Clever. It might be the way to go. But there might be other solutions and you need to think about what they might be. We’ll go to a quiet restaurant that has nothing to do with gaudy sombreros and we’ll talk about options. Heaven forbid I try to get you off the subject of Zachary for the length of the meal.” He looked her in the eye. “If you have somewhere to go and something to do, forget it. If you don’t, you’re mine.”
He knew her too well. He had read both her desperation and her driving need to get something, anything done. Assigning Jessie to the dream team had been the only thing she could think to do that might yield results. But now what else could she do? He was right, she had to think, concentrate, and search for that next step.
“Dinner might not be too bad,” she said. “As long as you keep your promise about no sombreros.”
*
WHAT A COZY EVENING, Zachary thought as he watched Lynch’s Ferrari pull into Kendra’s parking garage. First a quiet dinner and now they were going to her place to screw and comfort themselves that Kendra was not really in danger.
But there had been no smiles or laughter at that dinner. Kendra had been just as subdued and on edge as he could have wished. She had not given up, but Huston’s death had shocked her. She might be having thoughts of her own mortality. She had never faced an enemy of his caliber.
The realization sent a rush of pleasure through him. Even the sex with Lynch might not be so good tonight, Kendra. I’ve got you on the ropes. He’d had no doubt they were lovers since that moment he’d seen the two of them on the street after they’d seen Huston’s body. No question about the intimacy between them. No question either that he’d have to target Lynch before he took Kendra. Seeing a lover die was just too painful not to include it in Kendra’s final death agenda.
Lynch.
An important name to add to his growing list …
*
“I SUPPOSE I’M NOT allowed to stay,” Lynch said as he handed Kendra her keys. “All this contriving is nonsense you know.”
“No, I don’t know,” she said tightly. “And I won’t take any chances. Have you forgotten Huston was gutted this morning?”
“I’m not Huston.” He pushed the hair back from her temple. “And it might help to have someone to hold onto tonight.”
“Good night, Lynch.” She shook her head. “And I don’t need someone to hold onto. I need to figure out what’s going to happen next, so I can get there ahead of Zachary.” She grimaced. “And your quiet, restful dinner did nothing for me. I went blank, dammit. I felt as if there was something I should know, something just out of reach, but I can’t get there.”
“You will. Give yourself a chance. Relax and let it come to you. You know it always does.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll be down the hall in that condo Olivia exiled me to. Call me if you need me.”
She watched him walk down the hall.
She wanted to call him back. There was no way she wanted to be alone tonight.
But that would be another victory for Zachary and he’d already stolen too many from her.
She closed the door and leaned back against it.
Zachary was getting closer. She could feel it. Body by body, he was making his way toward her. But there had to be a way to stop him.
Think.
Concentrate.
There was only blankness.
She pushed away from the door and headed for the bedroom. Relax, Lynch had said. Let it come to you. It always does.
God, she hoped he was right.
8:45 A.M.
“You’re out of luck,” Olivia said to Kendra as she threw open her front door. “I thought you might drop by, but I couldn’t wait. When you didn’t show up by seven, I made a delicious omelet for myself and devoured every morsel. But I can give you a cup of coffee.”