Page 127 of I'm Watching You

Kendall didn’t flinch. ‘Come on, Lindsay, Detective Kier. I know this killer has been on a rampage since Monday. And it’s the anniversary week of Lindsay’s mother’s death. Lindsay lost her job because of him. He’s killed four, maybe five people.’

‘No comment,’ Zack said.

But Lindsay’s temper roiled. Not at the reporter, but at the Guardian. He had invaded her life, ruined her job, and watched her while she moved around her home. She’d promised herself this morning she’d not hide anymore. If the Guardian wanted her, he could come and get her.

Lindsay said in a loud voice, ‘I don’t know who the Guardian is.’

‘Lindsay,’ Zack warned.

Mike stepped sideways so that he had a clear shot of Lindsay. Kendall moved closer. Her eyes gleamed with hunger.

‘I can tell you this,’ Lindsay said. Zack grabbed her arm, squeezing a gentle warning for her to be silent. But she wouldn’t stay silent. This creep wasn’t going to hurt anyone else if she could stop him. ‘I’ve grown to hate and resent whoever is doing this to me.’

‘Why is he sending you the severed hands of his victims?’ Kendall asked.

‘I don’t know. He’s got a twisted form of justice that I want no part of. If the Guardian is watching, back off. Leave me alone. I don’t want your help or anything else to do with you.’

Zack slapped his palm over the camera lens. ‘Enough.’

Kendall smiled. ‘That was excellent, Lindsay. Really excellent.’ She’d gotten the quote she wanted. ‘We’re going. I’ve got to hurry if we’re going to get this edited for the noon news.’

Zack’s expression was harsh as he watched Kendall and Mike leave. ‘Get them out of here.’ He shook his head. ‘You could very well have turned yourself into a target, Lindsay.’

She dug her hands through her hair. For the first time since she was a child she felt oddly in control. ‘Good. Better me than another child.’

Richard Braxton sat in his rented Mercedes down the street from Lindsay O’Neil’s town house. The place was swarming with cops. There was no sign of Christina, but in the center of the cops stood two women. He glanced at the photo of Lindsay O’Neil and then back at the two women. The shorter one was O’Neil.

He twisted his wedding band around his finger. ‘Where are you hiding my wife, Ms O’Neil?’

The cops wouldn’t surround her forever. Soon there’d be an opportunity to get her alone. And when he did, he would make her regret that she’d ever interfered with his marriage.

Patience.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Thursday, July 10, 11:00A.M.

Lindsay felt dirty and violated as she watched the cops go through her house searching for electronic bugs. So far they’d found five: one in the kitchen, one in the back patio, one in the front entryway, and two in the living room.

Zack came down the stairs and moved within inches of her. ‘We didn’t find any bugs in your bedroom or the bathrooms upstairs.’

She didn’t feel any relief. ‘I guess that’s the Guardian’s way of protecting my privacy.’

Zack nodded. ‘I think you’re right. In his own way, he seems to be looking out for you.’

She glanced around the room at each of the vents. She hugged her body, warding off a sudden chill. ‘Nicole said this place gave her the creeps. I even felt it once or twice. But I shrugged it off to fatigue. Do you have any idea how long the bugs have been there?’

‘No. But if I had to guess I’d say all this started around the time that article came out in the paper about you.’

‘I agreed to that damn piece because Dana had said it would boost fund-raising. Now I wish I’d never met Kendall Shaw.’

‘That article landed you on someone’s radar,’ Zack said. ‘Anyone different you’ve noticed lurking around lately?’

She lifted an amused brow. ‘Zack, you know me. I’m so busy on any given day I couldn’t tell you if it’s raining or not.’

Zack offered her a half smile as if a memory played in his head. ‘Can you think of anyone who might have come into your home?’

‘Just Steve the maintenance guy as far as I know. But I don’t own this place. The property management firm has the right to send in anyone they want if there are maintenance problems.’

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