The American Soldier Collection 3: Amazing Grace (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (29 page)

“No,” he stated firmly, making her jump. She was startled as she turned toward him.

“You are staying right here with me where I can protect you and keep you safe.” He moved closer.

“You can’t make me. If I want to leave right now, I can. You have nothing to legally hold me here,” she told him, not backing down.

“Legally hold you here? For Christ’s sake, Grace, there’s a Goddamn killer out there who’s raping and torturing women. Tying them up like some kind of animal, beating them…Damn it. You only think you’re tough enough to handle this. Well you’re not.” He was so angry all he wanted to do was shake some sense into her.

“I’m tough enough to handle this. He went after Jamie. What about my mom or my sister-in-law Lindsey?”

“They’re being protected. He wants you. Only you. He wants you to come home so he can have his way with you,” Sandman told her.

“Is that what you didn’t want to tell me? He said it in the letter, didn’t he? He left a letter next to Jamie. Sandman, tell me?” she asked as she grabbed his arm.

Sandman grabbed Grace, putting her hands behind her back, pulling her close to him.

“I love you, Grace. I’m not going to hand you over to him like some piece of meat.” He slowly let go of her hands. He looked into her eyes and he could see that her anger was overpowering her fear. She wasn’t thinking straight and he knew that he needed to calm her down. Any decisions made out of anger were never the right ones.

“I need to go home. If there’s even the slightest way I can put a stop to this. I have to try,” she told him as she stared into his eyes.

Sandman took a deep breath as he held Grace close to him, hugging her against his chest.

“We’ll talk about it. Let’s not make any rash decisions. I’ll call Jim and Agent Lancaster in the morning and we’ll take it from there,” Sandman told her as he held her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

* * * *

Early the next morning Sarah turned on the television as she made Eric his breakfast.

“The attempted murder of Jamie Friedman is being investigated currently by the FBI, specifically Agent Lancaster and Agent Sullivan who’re in charge of the case. We caught up with Agent Lancaster early this morning on his way into the Houston Police Department.” The reporter turned the microphone toward the agent.

The reporter began asking the agent questions starting off with why he felt the killer let Jamie live.

“I’d rather not give my personal or professional opinion at this time. However, I do strongly believe by this afternoon we certainly will have more for you,” Agent Lancaster said as he headed up the stairs.

“Well there you go. It looks like there may be a possible break in the case. More information in thirty minutes.” The reporter continued to talk as they went to another report from the main news desk.

“What was that all about? Do they have a suspect?” Eric asked, fastening his tie. He had a board meeting this morning at city hall. Everyone had been very supportive to him and his family during this time, and the election was looking promising because of it.

“I don’t know, Eric. That agent sounded like he might know something but the boys haven’t called,” she said as she prepared the scrambled eggs.

Eric went over to the refrigerator and took out the butter for his toast.

Sarah placed the plate in front of Eric, and then poured his coffee.

“Thanks, honey. Come sit down and join me,” he told her with a smile.

“I can’t eat, Eric. I’m so worried about Grace and Jamie. I’m going to the hospital to stay with Tod all day. The poor thing is still out of it.” She kept busy cleaning dishes in the kitchen sink.

Eric patted her hand. “You’re so wonderful, you know that.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.

“Are you nervous about the meeting today?” she asked. She knew the elections were just around the corner and he didn’t want his competition catching up to him in votes.

“No, I’m not. I really think I have a good shot at this, Sarah. I know it’s negative and a real bad situation that’s going on right now, but our family name is out there. The people are backing us up, they’re backing me up. I think they figure I’m the real thing. Everything that’s happened in our lives, the tragedy, the loss of Clara and now Grace being chased by some madman. The public feels for us and they’re showing their support in the polls,” Eric said then continued to eat.

Sarah could understand what he was saying but it didn’t make her feel any better about it. This was not the way to win an election. She couldn’t lose her only daughter to the same person who took Clara.

“I don’t like that, Eric. People should not vote for you because they feel sorry for us or because we lost Clara and now Grace is not safe. It’s just not right.” She threw the dishtowel down on the kitchen counter.

“I would like to win this election, Sarah. I want to be town councilman and who knows, maybe mayor or governor next. You know this is my dream. Don’t ruin it.” He rose from the table and headed out the door.

Sarah was not surprised by his attitude. He did want this position. He had been after it for the past two years and finally it was looking promising. She went about clearing the table. She wanted to clean up so she could get to the hospital. Thank God the man hadn’t killed Jamie, too.

* * * *

“How’s she doing, Tod?” Frank asked as John shook Tod’s hand.

“She’s the same. No change since I found her,” Tod told them as he looked at Jamie. Her face was bruised and her eyes were swollen shut. The men couldn’t even imagine what she went through.

“My mom’s on her way over. She wants to keep you company,” John said as he looked at his poor cousin. He was so angry and he didn’t know what to do or how to handle it.

“My mother-in-law is a mess. She can’t handle looking at Jamie like this. She just keeps crying,” Tod said as he put his hands in his pocket.

“My aunt Julie is pretty tough but seeing her own daughter like this has got to be the worst. That’s why my mom wanted to come. She figured she could help both of you,” Frank told Tod.

“I don’t know how she’s being this strong. She must be worried sick about Grace. Hey Grace isn’t coming back, right?” Tod asked.

“As far as we know Sandman’s going to keep her in hiding. We told him not to tell her everything but I’m sure our sister will get it out of him,” John said.

“She shouldn’t come home with this guy on the loose. You guys read that letter. He’s obsessed with Grace. Make sure she knows we don’t want her to take a chance and come home,” Tod said and Frank and John agreed.

The hospital door opened and Sarah walked into the room.

“Hey, Mom.” Frank greeted his mother, kissing her on the cheek.

“Hi, Frank, Johnny,” she said as John gave her a kiss. Then she gave Tod a big hug and kiss on the cheek.

“How are you holding up, Tod?” she asked as she put her purse on the table.

“I’m hanging in there, Aunt Sarah,” he told her as the men watched Sarah fix Jamie’s covers then gently caress her hair.

“And how is my favorite niece today? I can’t wait to hear that beautiful voice of yours. We love you, honey, and you’re safe now. Everything is going to be okay.” Sarah pulled the chair next to the bed.

Just then Frank’s cell phone rang and he went outside to answer it.

He was walking down the hallway and headed out the front door when his brother Peter started rambling on in a panic.

“Okay now I know I heard Donald correctly last night but right now he’s an hour late to work. He’s supposed to be at the precinct being questioned by Agent Lancaster,” Peter stated, sounding worried.

“What do you mean he’s not there? Did you try his house? His cell phone?” Frank asked, and of course Peter had done both already.

“This does not look good, Frank. You’d better find him or he’s going to be hung alive,” Peter said as Frank agreed before he hung up the phone.

Frank and John headed back to the precinct after checking out Donald’s house. There was no sign of him and they didn’t know what to think.

As Frank and John turned the corner heading toward Donald’s office, they heard Agent Lancaster.

“Where’s Friedman? If he’s not guilty then where the hell is he?” he asked as he motioned both John and Frank to join the others in Donald’s office.

The captain was there as well as the homicide commander.

“We were just going over the evidence we have on your lieutenant. As I was saying, gentleman, Friedman had access to Stew Parker’s home and opportunity to plant the evidence. He was not at the house when we questioned Grace Thompson. However, he knew we were headed there and most definitely had the opportunity to shoot at her,” Agent Lancaster explained.

“Wait one Goddamn minute. There’s no way that Donald planted the evidence or took a shot at our sister,” John interrupted.

“I can’t prove that but I can show that there’s enough evidence to prove investigating him as a suspect is justified. Now his fingerprints were found all over the furniture in Jamie Friedman’s bedroom,” Lancaster told them.

“For Christ’s sake, Lancaster, he’s her damn father-in-law and he helped Tod move the furniture in there a few weeks ago,” Frank told him.

“Where was he during the time of the attack? No one seems to know and he’s not here now like he said he would be. Why else would he not show up?” Lancaster asked.

“What’s his motive, Lancaster?” Frank asked.

“He a psychopath and he’s obsessed with your sister. She looks like Clara who I’m sure he killed as well and he had traveled out of town a lot going to seminars and supposedly visiting his sick mother in Pennsylvania. Might I remind you that the other connected murders took place in New York and Pennsylvania.”

“I’d hate to admit this but it looks like he has some good evidence here, boys. We need to put out an APB on Lieutenant Donald Friedman.” Their captain reached for the phone and the agents scattered from the room to get moving on their suspect.

“This is crazy,” John said as the chaos began.

* * * *

“You have got to be kidding me, Frank,” Sandman said into his cell phone.

“No. I’m afraid I’m not. The federal agents are ready to hang Donald and the media has got wind of something going on. I give this until this afternoon tops before it’s all over the news.”

“Everyone who could possibly be a suspect needs to be investigated. If Lancaster feels that Donald needs to be questioned, just let him.”

“The problem is that Donald is nowhere to be found. John and I have looked everywhere. We even broke into his house,” Frank explained.

“Did it look like anything was out of place? Any drawers opened or closets emptied?” Sandman asked.

“No. Everything was in order. There were no signs that he left in a hurry or that there was a struggle.”

Sandman was asking questions as if Donald made a run for it, but Frank looked around as if Donald might have been taken against his will. Either scenario was possible.

“Let Lancaster do his thing. In the meantime there’s no reason why you can’t conduct your own investigation. No one needs to know. As far as Lancaster’s concerned, just tell him Donald was like family and you’re concerned about his safety. It will work out,” Sandman told him.

“Before this is over I’m going to tell that guy what I really think of him,” Frank said and Sandman laughed.

“Now tell me how my sister is doing? How was she last night?” Frank asked.

“She was pretty upset and still, as of this morning, determined to come home.”

“Well she can’t come home. You can’t let her.”

“Your sister is the most stubborn, bullheaded—”

Frank finished his sentence. “Pain in the ass. I know that but you can’t give in. I …I also know that you two have become pretty close. Or should I say you and your two brothers as well?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say she got under our skin.”

Frank laughed. “Well I’m sure that the three of you want to keep her as safe as possible. So please don’t let her come back. Donald’s not the killer. I just know it.”

“I hope you’re right, Frank, but if Lancaster proves otherwise and Donald is the killer, then my superiors are going to make me bring her back. I’ll have no choice.”

“Let’s hope that doesn’t happen,” Frank said.

Grace walked into the office.

“Hold on a second. Grace’s here. Why don’t you talk to her?”

Sandman handed the phone to her.

“Hello. Oh God, Frank, I’m so glad to hear your voice,” she said into the phone as Sandman gave a small smile.

“I’m fine…really, Frank…no…stop worrying. How’s Jamie doing?”

She continued to ask about her family and then about the investigation.

* * * *

“Grace, don’t even think about coming home. It’s not an option. It’s not safe here for you,” Frank told her.

“But I feel so responsible, like I could be doing more instead of running away, hiding.”

“You didn’t run away and you’re not hiding. I don’t want you to worry too much. It’s all going to work out. We’ll find this killer and then you’ll be home again,” Frank said.