Dead by Midnight - Beverly Barton [166]
“Both Ransom Owens and his son Tyler left home shortly before the Misners were murdered. According to his wife, Tyler Owens is off somewhere on a fishing trip. And the elder Mr. Owens’s housekeeper said he had gone off, in her words, on another one of his digging-up-bones research trips.”
“What about Heath Leroy?” Maleah asked.
“According to his secretary, Heath has been in LaRue County, Kentucky, inspecting some acreage that the Redeemer Church recently purchased,” Nic said.
“Damn,” Maleah cursed under her breath. “It’s taken us too long to narrow down the suspects. We should have had tails on these four men long before now. If we had, maybe at the very least Jean Misner and Shontee Thomas would still be alive.”
“Powell’s has been on this case less than six weeks,” Griff reminded her. “We started out with nothing except three unsolved murders that we—the Powell Agency—figured out were connected. If not for us, the FBI probably wouldn’t have gotten involved as soon as they did. We’re not miracle workers. We’re just investigators.”
“Sorry. I’m frustrated and worried sick about Lorie Hammonds. Until the Misners were murdered, we thought we would have a month between kills, but now…” She glared at Derek. “Don’t say it. I know you told us that it was a possibility that the killer would deviate from his MO, which could mean killing more than one person per month.”
“We’re all frustrated,” Griff said. “But from here on out, our four suspects will be under constant surveillance.” He turned to Nic. “Call Wainwright and let him know what we’re going to do. We don’t want our agents getting in the Bureau’s way during their investigation. It won’t help if we’re working at cross-purposes.”
He didn’t want to kill her. But he had known all along that it was inevitable. If she were the only one left alive, it was possible that those stupid FBI agents would wonder why she hadn’t been killed and actually would put two and two together. His original plan had been to save her until last. Killing her would be difficult for him because he loved her. She didn’t deserve his love; she never had. If only…
The past couldn’t be altered no matter how much a person wished it could be. Her unforgivable actions had colored every aspect of his life. He had never been able to recover from her desertion. Had she ever loved him? If she had, how could she have left him?
He had spent most of the day considering his options. He didn’t dare risk waiting another day. If he didn’t act immediately, it was only a matter of time before his identity would be revealed.
At this time of night, the Green Willows Rehabilitation and Convalescence Center was eerily quiet, with only an occasional cry from a restless patient or laughter coming from the nurses’ lounge. The front door was locked precisely at eleven every night and not reopened until six the next morning. The night-shift nurses didn’t make rounds except when they first arrived at eight and then again at six the following day. For the most part, they spent their time in the lounge, checking on their charges only if a patient buzzed for assistance. The night watchman was responsible for the overall security of the building, but only the restricted area of the center had its own private guard, who worked eight-hour shifts.
Timing was crucial to his success. He knew he had no more than ten minutes to get in, kill her, and get out. It had to be done during the time one guard left his post at ten o’clock and the other settled into his comfy seat at the entrance of the center’s deluxe suites. Officially, there was supposed to be a guard on duty at all times, but he knew for a fact that at shift change, the incoming guard usually took his time storing items in his locker, using the bathroom, chatting with the nurses, and getting himself a cup of coffee or a Coke from the machine in