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“You got a better setup?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. I got a gate to get through, a second gate, and a third gate to my place. I got security patrols going through the neighborhoods. I got a security system that a buddy who was in Kandahar set up because that’s what he does for a living, and he’s the best in the nation. I know because I researched. And I can also tell you that I’ll be getting a dog, one that’s trained. I put in a call to someone I know who trains K9 dogs. He’s also trained them for the military. That dog is going to be her best friend.”
“You know a lot of people.”
“I know some, yes.”
He didn’t comment on that.
I relented. “I’m in the NFL Honors. Guys like to talk to me. Sometimes I talk back with them.”
He gave a grudging dip of his head before indicating the house with his rifle. “I’m sure they’re done chatting by now. Travis took off when we were done with the buildings.”
We started for the house. “I’m going to do what she wants,” I told him. “If she wants to stay here, I’ll be here. If she wants to be at my place, I’ll be there. I can’t cover her Saturday nights.”
“I got her.” He glanced over at me. “When are you getting the dog?”
“It might be a bit, but my buddy said he’s got one that might be perfect. Only reason he’s not meeting the criteria for the K9 training is because he won’t just sniff out what he’s trained for. He keeps sniffing everything out. They can’t use him for his specialty. He was going to ship him to a different department, but he said he’d look into it for me.”
“And if that one doesn’t work out?”
“I’ll put in for another one. Might be a bit longer, but we’ll get one.”
We walked the rest of the way to the house in silence. When we got to the screen door, we could see the women in the dining room, hear the low murmur of their voices.
I waited for Howard to go in first, but he didn’t. He stared at the door, looking like the world rested on his back. “She might want a rescue dog that can be trained how you’d like,” he said. “She’ll say those special dogs will find a home, but the rescues already need a home. Some rescues are damn smart. It’s the people that are the problem. Expect that pitch from her.”
“Then I’ll make a few more calls.”
He sighed. “She’s going to love that dog.”
“She will.”
He held my gaze and gave me a nod.
I’d gotten his approval—and not just for the dog.
32
BILLIE
Deandra died because of me. Martell.
This was bad, so very, very bad. And it wasn’t like the last time when it all happened at once.
God.
Pain seared me, and my knees almost buckled.
They were dead because of me. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I had never thought—I choked out a sob, covering my mouth with my hand to stifle it. No one was supposed to die because they knew me, because I cared about them.
No, no, no.
I wouldn’t let it happen again. I couldn’t, and that meant I had to go.
A copycat serial killer. He sent him. It’s the only explanation. For this new killer to know how he killed, to have killed someone I knew, it was him. Cameron Fowler decided to come after me after all.
I wished so hard that it weren’t true. It was all a very bitter and twisted coincidence, but I knew better. I had lived this before and survived. Everyone that I loved died around me.
