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"I warned you to leave him, but you would not listen." He sent her a scornful look. "You women always go for that type. Turn left and try not to draw attention to yourself. We would not want the state police to start chasing us, would we? Now, where was I?"
Chapter 15
He could not concentrate on the meeting. The board had called an emergency meeting to deal with several important matters, and he could not focus. He kept looking at his phone to see if she had a text message. He was worried and could not think straight.
"Gentlemen, please excuse me." Pushing from the table, he made his way out and went into his office to get some privacy before calling her number. His heart thudded inside his chest when he got her voicemail. "Hey, call me back. I know it's just a few minutes, but I must hear you are all right."
Hanging up, he tried Derrick's number, which rang out. The fear spread inside his chest, and for a minute, he was paralyzed by it. Sinking into the chair, he dialed Wyatt's number.
"Hey. I am sorry I could not talk earlier, but there is a hell of a pile-up on I-95. It's a nightmare-"
"What about the officers assigned to Lynn?"
"They were pulled away because of this. All hands on deck."
"And you never said anything."
"What's wrong?"
"I cannot get in touch with her, dammit. I called the driver, and he is not picking up."
"I am at the precinct right now; let me go to the theater and find out what's happening," Wyatt suggested.
"I will meet you at the loft." Hanging up from him, Callum grabbed his jacket and keys. Something was wrong; he could feel it in his gut - she was in danger, and he had promised to keep her safe.
Practically running for the elevator, he headed out and started praying earnestly.
*****
He spoke freely, never taking his eyes off her; he told her everything.
"I was your biggest fan. I loved you - not in a sexual way, of course," he added hastily, a dreamy look on his plain face. He was sweating, the fine sheen of moisture beading his round forehead and upper lip. "I have too much respect for you. When I first saw you all those years ago, you gave me hope.
I was going through a particularly rough time. I loved my job and hated the people there. They were so tedious and ordinary, and I used to dream about killing them all. Eyes on the road!" He jabbed the gun into her side viciously, causing her to cry out.
The car swerved slightly, and she had to fight to control the wheel. "Now, look what you made me do." Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steady himself.
"Where were we? Oh yes, I was telling you about the tiresome people at work. You saved their lives." He grinned at her, eyes bright with madness. "I was walking home from work and saw the playbill."
He shook his head. "You were seated on a chair and wearing this red and white gown, your hair was loose around your face, and you were smiling. I stood there and felt that you were smiling at me and that everything was all right with the world again. I bought a ticket and went in to see you, and I was enraptured."
"You had this light around you that made me think of an angel. I loved you." He waved the gun at her. "You kept yourself pure - there was one time you made the foolish mistake of getting involved with a cast member, but thankfully, it did not last long.
I was relieved that I did not have to kill him to get him out of your life." His mouth turned down. "But you hooked up with this - this evil man, one who sold his soul to get rich. How could you?" he screamed suddenly. "I loved you, and you broke me into pieces."
Bringing himself under control again, he took a deep breath. "That's why I have to kill you."
"You don't have to." She was determined not to allow the fear to cripple her. For what she was planning, she would need her wits about her. "He asked me to marry him, and I turned him down."
"You did?" His eyes gleamed. "Why don't I believe you? You went away with him. Where did you go?"
"It was a business trip, and he asked me to accompany him. That was when he proposed."
"And you turned him down." He shook his head. "men like Callum Hammond get the girl. You were mine. I loved you for six years, and he just swooped in with his expensive clothes and padded bank account, and that was that. Well- Oh, here we are. It's a little more than a shack. It belonged to my dad. We are turning off here. We-"
She waited for the opportunity, and as soon as he turned his head to look out the window. Pressing her foot on the gas, she increased the speed. Holding the wheel with one hand, she released his seat belt and slammed on the brake.
The car spun around at that speed, the wheels losing traction in the loose dirt. Someone screamed, and the explosion of the gunshot was heard in the car as it slid on the patch of ice and slammed into the trunk of the redwood tree.
