Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [700]
“That’s right. It was nice,” he said, almost like a teenage boy. “We would talk about computer games and movies and stuff in the news. But then they would want to meet me.” His forehead creased with worry and his jaw became so taut she could see he was clenching his teeth. “That would have been okay, too, except that they always wanted to…go somewhere. To be alone with me. And by alone they always meant…you know,” and he looked to her for help.
“They wanted to be more intimate with you?”
“They wanted sex,” he hissed at her and his whole face seemed to turn a shade darker.
What was wrong with her? She was making him angry again, when she needed to keep him calm. She needed to make him believe she was on his side. That she agreed with him. He needed to consider her an ally. And yet there was one question that could not go unanswered.
“What about Dena?”
“Who?” He looked at her as though she had awakened him.
“Dena Wayne. My assistant?” Could she still pretend to be on his side if he called Dena a whore?
“I thought she’d be different. She was actually nice to me. I liked her a lot. We went out and had fun. We talked. But then, no matter how much I thought I wanted it…I kept seeing his face. Every goddamn time. I couldn’t do it without seeing him and smelling him and feeling him. I wanted to rip off his head. I wanted to take my bare hands and rip his fucking head off. And I did. Each time I killed one of them I was really killing him. But then I realized…” His eyes met hers. They could go from angry and mad to calm and pathetic so quickly. “I left you her earring ahead of time. I thought you’d stop me.”
“I…I didn’t recognize it,” Gwen said and her insides felt as if liquid ice had just been injected into her. He had meant for it to be a call to stop him and she hadn’t even recognized the earring as Dena’s.
Campion didn’t seem to hear her and continued, “The notes and even a map—I sent you all of it. I thought you’d help me. But you didn’t. You couldn’t help me.”
She had backed up against her desk and her hands reached behind her, feeling, searching for anything to use as a weapon since it was becoming obvious that her words, that her voice was not enough. But she had just slid anything and everything into her leather briefcase moments before he arrived. It sat on the chair next to the desk.
“I can help you, James,” she lied, not having a clue what to even offer. “We can go over everything.” She reached for her briefcase as if there was something in it that could help.
“No, goddamn it!”
His voice slammed her back against her desk again as if he had struck her with his fist, and Gwen pulled the briefcase to her chest like a shield, wrapping her arms around it tightly. It was closed, damn it. The locks snapped shut, making it impossible for her to just slip a hand inside.
“No, you can’t,” he said. “But I can.” He pulled out a small revolver from his pocket. He held it out and pointed it directly at her.
Her heart hammered at her rib cage. Almost instantly, her breathing came in labored gasps. And her palms were slick with sweat.
“James, where did you get a gun?” It hadn’t been more than a whisper and still it had been an effort. It was too late to worry about showing fear. But how could he have a gun? None of his victims had been shot. Racine had said strangled. But then how would they know for sure? All the torsos were missing. “James, put the gun down.” If she said please would it matter? If she screamed would anyone hear her?
“This feels good,” Campion said, waving it around. “This…this can help. I bought it a few days ago. I wanted to use this with Father Paul, but I couldn’t figure out a way to get it on the plane.” He was smiling now. And calm. Way too calm. His hand didn’t shake in the least as he held it stretched out in front of him. “It feels so good. Better than any of our sessions. Makes me feel strong. Yes, I wanted to see the fear in his eyes. But I got something better. I got to hear his last breath. His very last breath