Dead by Midnight - Beverly Barton [108]
“What about Sonny and Charlene?” Lorie had asked. “Has Powell’s been able to track them down?”
“Sonny’s in Europe somewhere, but that’s all we know right now. As for Charlene Strickland, she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth. But eventually, we’ll find them. The one good thing is that if we’re having this much difficulty finding them, then so is the killer. If his letters aren’t reaching them, he’d have no way to know since there’s no return address.”
Lorie watched as Jack scanned the letter and then carefully placed it in a plastic bag. Even though there was little chance the killer’s fingerprints were on the envelope or letter, Jack followed the proper procedure.
“How many letters did Shontee receive before he killed her?” Lorie looked to Shelley for an answer. “And what about Hilary and Charlie?”
“The number of letters received before each was killed has varied,” Shelley replied. “If each had received the exact number, then we could connect the dots and figure out who’s next. We believe that’s the reason the number of letters varies. He wants to warn the intended victims, frighten each of you, torment each of you, but not actually let you know for sure that you’re next. It’s all a part of the satisfaction he acquires from forewarning his victims.”
Jack placed his hand on Lorie’s shoulder. “I know it’s rough staying cooped up here. The offer for you and Ms. Gilbert to stay with Cathy and me is an open invitation. You’d still be confined to quarters, but you’d be with friends. It might be good for you to be with Cathy, and if you were with us, she’d worry a little less about you.”
“I’ll consider it,” Lorie said. “But for now, I’m staying put, here in my own home. And if that newspaper article hadn’t come out and those flyers hadn’t been circulated around town, I’d be going to work today.”
“It’s a good idea to keep a low profile a little while longer.”
Lorie nodded. “By the way, did Mike tell you about Hannah and M.J. coming here to see me yesterday?”
“He mentioned it.”
“Did he tell you that M.J. socked another kid because he said something ugly about me?”
“Yeah, Mike mentioned that, too.”
“This crazy business with the Midnight Killer is affecting not only my life, but the lives of people I care about. You and Cathy and Seth. And Mike…and Mike’s children. Maybe I should leave town, go somewhere—”
Jack grasped her by the shoulders. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying put right here where the people who care about you can look after you. If you left town, my wife would go with you.”
When Jack offered her a comforting smile, she smiled back at him.
“Speaking of your wife—did she open Treasures today?”
Jack’s smile faded. “No. We thought it best to keep the shop closed this week.”
“That’s certainly going to affect our bottom line.”
Lorie’s income came from her half of the profits from Treasures. Over the years, she had managed to buy a house and a car and open a savings account. But with the shop closed for a week—possibly longer—she would have no choice but to dip into her small savings, and it wouldn’t take long to deplete every penny.
“Don’t worry about money,” Jack told her. “Cathy and I will—”
“No, you will not! I’m not taking money from y’all. I’ve got some savings. If necessary, I’ll use it to tide me over.”
Jack grimaced. “You’re as stubborn as Cathy. I’ll let you two hash it out.” He gave Lorie’s shoulder a tight squeeze. “I’m just a phone call away.”
“I know. I appreciate everything you and Mike are doing.”
As Lorie walked Jack to the door, Shelley’s phone rang. They both paused and waited while she took the call. Her end of the conversation was limited to mostly listening and saying very little. The moment she hung up, she turned and looked directly at them.
“That was Maleah. She wanted us to know that Powell’s found Charlene Strickland. She’s dead.”
Lorie gasped. “Dead? But how’s that possible? He’s been killing only