Page 36 of Crossing Lines

She was eating some kind of sandwich and had a coffee in a white stoneware mug in front of her. He couldn’t see from where he was, but he could picture the lipstick stains on the rim.

Why people communicated things about their daily life on social media was a mystery. Didn’t they realize how dangerous that was?

Vicky had revealed that she bought a new pair of jeans and a white tank top to her friend Carly. Vicky and Carly had also commented about their plans for Friday night. Those plans included meeting at a little picnic area.

The killer knew the exact spot. It was secluded and private. The kind of place where no one could hear you scream. If he was lucky, Vicky would arrive well before Carly, and he could grab her. The thought made his palms tingle.

But she might struggle like the others, especially since the news about Kirsten was getting around town now. People seemed to be on edge and taking extra precautions.

How could he get her to arrive early and leave himself enough time? Could he fake a message from Carly telling Vicky to show up a half hour early? Having been fascinated with computers since childhood, his skills were finely honed. He could at least try. He didn’t want anyone messing up his date with Vicky.

Funny, though, the ongoing police investigation didn’t bother him. He had resources, and he was clever. Once it was time to move on, he could easily pin the blame on someone else. Just like he’d done before.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sam, Jo, and Lucy hurried into Hillcrest. Lucy must have sensed the severity of the situation, as she was on high alert, ears forward and trotting toward Kevin’s room with a sense of urgency.

Sam glanced into the room. Kevin lay in the bed, looking much as he had the last time he’d seen him. It didn’t look like he’d woken up at all.

Sam turned to the nurse at the station. “Someone called about Officer Deckard. Did he wake up?”

The nurse smiled. “Briefly. He’s in and out, but we’re keeping him heavily sedated to bring him out slowly.” The nurse glanced at some monitors behind the desk then into Kevin’s room across the hall from the main station. “You can go in if you want.”

Lucy got to the side of Kevin’s bed first. She whined and put her nose upon the bed, sniffing as if she could sniff out consciousness. Maybe she could.

Sam stood on one side and Jo on the other. Jo took Kevin’s hand and felt a twitch. “I think he knows we’re here.”

Sam leaned over. “Kevin, can you hear me?”

“His finger moved,” Jo said.

Sam took Kevin’s other hand and put it on top of Lucy’s head. The edges of Kevin’s lips tugged upward.

“Is he smiling?” Jo asked.

Sam nodded. “I think he knows that his hand is resting on Lucy’s head.”

Kevin started moving, eyelids fluttering and legs twitching. He opened his mouth as if saying something, but it came out as a mumble.

Jo leaned closer. “Are you trying to tell us something? We’re here for you.”

“Thorne.” Kevin said the word clear as day, but Jo couldn’t tell if he was just having a bad dream or trying to communicate.

Sam’s eyes met Jo’s over the bed. “I’ve kept him up to date on what’s going on with Bascomb and Thorne’s case.”

“Don’t worry about Thorne, Kev. We’ll make sure he stays in jail,” Sam said, even though he knew that if the murder charges were dropped, he might not stay in jail for long. All they would have is the drug charges, and those didn’t bring as stiff a sentence as murder.

More eyelid fluttering. “’tel… corner.”

Jo looked up at Sam again, and he shrugged then put his hand on Kevin’s shoulder. “Just rest, buddy. Plenty of time for talking later.”

Kevin didn’t rest, though two of his fingers stroked the fur on Lucy’s head. Sam was encouraged.

“Lucy,” Kevin mumbled.

Lucy whined and nudged his hand for more petting.

“Loooshy... corner...” As if the effort of getting the words out had exhausted him, Kevin’s twitching stopped, and his hand stilled then slid from Lucy’s head.

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