Killer Career (18 page)

“See ya,” she said, ending the conversation.

He should have known better. How could Avery help him? She had no
idea of the radical change in his thinking and he didn’t care to
clue her in. No one must know, especially Julie.

“You chicken shit,” he said, shaking his head.

Boy, if Barabat or one of his other opponents could see him now.

The phone rang, interrupting Dade’s diversion into self-pity.
“Sergeant O’Connor here. We’ve drawn a blank on your accident
investigation.”

“How’s that?”

“Whoever did it was darn clever. No fingerprints, no solid
evidence. I’d still keep your eyes open, if I were you. This bad
guy means business.”

“Thanks Sergeant.”

Hell, with everything else going on, Dade hadn’t given a thought to
who’d cut his brake line. The idea seemed paranoid anyway. It had
to have been an isolated incident by a drugged-out kook who’d
picked on his Saab for a lark. After all, nothing had happened since.

Chapter Twenty-One

Dark pendulous clouds threatened to reach into the penthouse windows.
Staring at the gathering storm, Tyler felt the pressure build inside
of him. His head pounded and his throat ached with bitterness. A week
had passed, but time had not dulled the pain.

Julie didn’t want him. No matter where he went or what he did, her
glittering green eyes stared back at him dispassionately. Her full
lips pursed in a frown.

Turning from the windows, he strode into his office. With an angry
flip, he fired up the computer. At least it didn’t judge him, but
sat poised, ready to fulfill his commands.

Preceding the title page of his new manuscript, he inserted the
dedication, “In memory of Julie McGuire.”

That done, the words welled up inside of him, so fast his fingers
could barely keep up. This would be his masterpiece.

* * *

Gripping the receiver, he waited, counting the rings. One, two,
three, four.

“Hello,” she finally answered.

“Please forgive me. I promise I’ll be better. Can we try again,”
he asked, groveling at her feet. Pride didn’t matter. He must have
her back.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t think it’ll work.”

Her unyielding words bore into him like a boulder in the chest. She
had to be convinced. She was his last hope.

“All I’m asking for is one little chance. Don’t say no.”

He held his breath, waiting for her answer.
Give in, please
,
he mouthed.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t.”

“You’re in love with him, aren’t you? That’s why I’m not
good enough.”

Her silence was answer enough.

“It’s your loss, darling,” he said softly.

With infinite care, he replaced the receiver onto its cradle.

He’d convince her. Once she saw him in person, she’d relent.

* * *

Before he realized it, he was outside, rushing on foot down the
darkened street. Wind and rain pelted his coatless body, but he paid
no heed to the elements. Nothing mattered but her. She couldn’t
mean what she’d said. She was waiting and it was up to him to find
her. Squinting, he peered through the driving sheets of rain.

He’d play her game and find her hiding place.

His search led him from his posh upper class neighborhood into the
grimy labyrinths of the inner city. Head bent, he plowed on.

He looked up and suddenly there she was, leaning against an apartment
building’s doorway. Her golden hair shone like sunlight,
brightening his way in the darkness. She smiled invitingly.

He was right. She did want him. His heart quickened, as he bridged
the gap between the sidewalk and the door.

Stepping up to her, he said, “I found you. You didn’t hide very
well.”

“Of course not. Let’s go inside where it’s dry.”

A welcoming smile lit her face, as he followed her into the damp
vestibule of the nearby building. A stench of urine and mold almost
gagged him. Why was she here? She deserved better.

A dim bulb lit the cramped space, glinting off a silver chain hanging
around her neck. When she moved, a tiny charm dangled. Mesmerized, he
stepped closer and discovered an angel twinkling back at him. He
nodded at the apt symbolism. The angel wearing it would soon be his.
His mouth grew dry with anticipation.

Something about her seemed different, probably because of the poor
lighting. Technicalities didn’t matter. The main thing was he’d
found her.

He’d wanted her in the worst way. Now that she was finally here
with him, her presence seemed too astonishing to be true. Was she
real? He reached out and touched her cheek. The skin felt coarse, not
as soft as he’d anticipated. He frowned.

“Wait a minute. Not so fast, baby,” she whispered.

Her sly smile took the edge off her words.

He ached for her, but she played coy. Must she torture him? He
stepped closer until he was almost on top of her.

Unflinching, she held her ground. With knowing eyes, she slowly
perused him, her gaze finally resting on the bulging portion of his
anatomy.

“My, my, sweetie, you are eager. I see you’ve got a great big
present for me. And I’ve got something for you, too. Now don’t be
bashful. Come to mama.”

He pinned her by the shoulders and flattened her against the wall.
“No more games.”

In the yellowish light, her face appeared sallow, not as creamy as he
remembered. That was okay. He knew what she looked like. She’d
haunted his dreams forever.

“The money, honey. Then you can play as rough as you want. I can
take it.”

“You’ll get everything you deserve.” He yanked down his zipper
and pulled out his throbbing manhood.

“My, my, but you’re a mighty one.” Her eyes hungrily riveted on
his erection. “Okay, since you’re in such a big hurry, you can
pay later. Just don’t forget.”

She was no different. Like every woman alive, she was a slut.

“No more talk.” He slapped her face for emphasis.

Tears sprang to her eyes. “Hey, not that rough, baby.”

He smacked her again. “I call the shots.”

“That does it. I’m out of here.” She swung from him and bolted
toward the door.

“No, you’re not.” He reached out and grabbed her by the back of
the hair, catching her necklace in the process. He shook her like a
rag doll and flung her against the wall. With a ting, the necklace
bounced to the floor.

Using the tips of his fingers, he lifted her chin and stared into her
slit eyes. “Stop pretending. You want me bad.”

“Not anymore.”

“Yes, you do. Say it.” He leaned closer, stepping on her feet.
“Say it.” He’d not let her go until she admitted the truth.

“Yes, yes I want you.”

“You’ve got me, babe.”

He rammed himself into her warm hole. She’d given him hell, but it
was worth it. She was exactly where he wanted her.

His heart pumped like a locomotive. He thrust deeper. Sweat broke
over his body. She kicked and bucked and twisted.

He smiled, enjoying the warm wetness, feeling himself lifted higher
than ever before, so high he could almost die. Everything turned
bright red. Then, with a shudder, he climaxed, releasing his
bountiful fluids into her waiting cavity.

He lifted a blonde strand of hair away from her eyes. “Ah, that was
good. Was it good for you?”

She stared back at him defiantly, then spat on his cheek. He brushed
at the slimy spittle with his backhand. The bitch. She should be
grateful for what he’d given her.

This was no angel, but a wicked she-devil, who spat back at him,
spraying blood and snot over his lips and cheeks.

“Go to hell where you came from,” he said, hitting her hard
against the mouth. Her lip cracked and red droplets ran down her
chin.

“You think you’ve won, but you’ve lost big time, you prick.
I’ve got AIDS.”

His stomach turned. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pounded her
against the wall, harder and harder, rejoicing in the thumping sound.

“Say you’re lying. Say it.”

A buzz filled his ears, growing louder and more insistent. A
bear-like voice growled out, “What’s going on down there? Decent
people are trying to sleep.”

His heart leapt into his throat. He couldn’t get caught or
everything he’d achieved would be wiped out.

The stairs creaked. He didn’t have time to lose. He must get away.
First he had to make sure she couldn’t identify him. He was his
only weapon. With all his might, he jammed his thumb and index finger
into the slut’s eyes. He pressed harder, digging deeper into the
sockets and twisting. The steps drew closer until they were almost
upon him. With a jerk, he thrust the bitch against the wall then
reached for the outer door. The knob slid in his bloody wet hands,
refusing to open. He wiped them on the pane and tried again. Finally,
it turned.

“Hey, you,” he heard, but didn’t turn.

Outside, he flew down the street faster than he’d run in his life.

Eight blocks later, with lungs bursting and stitches doubling him
over, he stopped. Puffing loudly, he leaned against the alley wall to
catch his breath.

Thoughts raced through his head, matching his racing heart. What if
the bitch had given him AIDS? What about the DNA he’d left behind?
Could it be traced to him? Impossible. He had no record. Besides, no
one knew he was there, right?

His stomach roiled. Bile rose in his throat and refused to go back
down. He heaved over the side of the building, then wiped his mouth
with trembling fingers.

Tonight had been one huge fiasco. It shouldn’t have ended this way.
He couldn’t figure out why it had gone wrong.

He lurched and trotted the rest of the way home.

Only after the warm cleansing water of the shower hit him did the
pieces fit together. With the dawn of enlightenment, came relief and
dread.

How ironic. He must have been blind. From the beginning, he’d
thought something was different. Now he knew. It hadn’t been her at
all, but an imposter.

An imposter with AIDS.

* * *

Shaken, Tyler switched off the computer. The words he’d written
were frighteningly real. Again, he’d stepped into the villain’s
point of view and lived his sordid life.

Though he’d showered earlier in the evening, he felt unclean.
Tonight’s story had come straight out of his subconscious and
reminded him of how often he’d played with fire. Taking advantage
of his celebrity status, he’d reveled in a variety of sexual
encounters. The women were all beautiful, clean and willing and he’d
never seen a need to protect himself.

He’d denied the reality of AIDS, though on countless occasions the
media had warned him. Tonight was a wake-up call. As soon as
possible, he’d get himself tested. Also, he’d be more circumspect
in the future.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Real estate closings didn’t always go smoothly. That’s why
participants needed attorneys. It was Julie’s job to ease the
process for her client, in this case, the seller. She held her breath
as the buyer brought up the leaky basement. To everyone’s
satisfaction, fortunately, the buyer and seller agreed upon a credit.
The closing concluded without further incident. She snagged a cab to
take her straight to her office building. After she paid the driver,
the wind blew so fiercely she had a hard time closing the cab’s
door.

She dashed inside the building where an elevator awaited her. She
slipped inside the tiny cell. She was the only one inside and didn’t
like it one bit. She wished she could forget where she was, but as
usual, all she could think of was how soon she’d be free.

Hurry, I want to get out of here,
she pleaded silently, as the
cables whirred.

To torment her, the cab rose inexorably slow. Then, with a lurch, it
stopped between floors. Her heart skittered.

“Don’t do that,” she yelled. Paying no attention, the elevator
refused to budge.

It was happening again. She was trapped. She had to get out. She
jammed her finger on the alarm.

“Lobby,” the guard answered.

Trying to keep her voice steady, she said, “This is Julie McGuire.
I’m stuck in the elevator. Can you help me?”

A crackling sound answered. Panic rose in her throat. She was four
years old again, all by herself, scrunched in a dark corner. Any
minute the cab would crash to the ground and she’d be squashed to
death.

A voice broke in. “Hold on. We’ll get you out of there.” The
guard’s voice was reassuring. She must have sounded really scared,
but that didn’t matter. She’d embarrass herself a thousand times
if that’s what it took to get out.

The walnut colored walls closed in on her. To divert her attention,
she gazed upwards at the light fixture. It could use a good dusting,
but who was she to talk. She’d devoted so much energy to the firm
her house had suffered immensely and needed more like an overhaul
than a good cleaning.

Who cares,
her mind screamed. She couldn’t wait any longer.
She had to do something, anything to get loose.

She wasn’t a child any more. The console was within easy reach. In
desperation, she pressed the buttons in succession, hoping at least
one of them would restart the elevator.

Nothing happened.

Don’t give up. You’ll get through this
. That’s what she
told herself. If only she could believe it.

Back and forth, faster and faster, she pushed the open and close
buttons. The movements at least kept her occupied and sane.

A creaking sound startled her. The door panels suddenly drew closer
to each other and a hum started. The elevator lurched, then slowly
started upward.

Julie held her breath, as the cab continued its awkward ascent.

Keep going, please.
Miraculously it did. Then it stopped
again.