Sue Read online

  Now Sue buried her face in her hands, trying to block out the visual nightmare that still woke her in the middle of the night. “Deep down I understood that he planned to kill her, but at the same time I just couldn’t believe Zeke could do that. Maybe he’d hurt her a little. But kill her? I didn’t think so. So I went along. Oh, god. I helped him trick that poor woman into coming with us. It’s my fault she’s dead.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  Sue lifted her head, lowered her hands, and stared at a spot over the therapist’s head. Her eyes darted back and forth as she relived the event. “We picked her up in the parking lot of the nightclub. She was drunk, staggering around, dropping her keys. Zeke told her there were DUI checkpoints set up around town and offered to give her a ride home.” Sue took a deep breath and reached for the glass of water sitting on the end table next to her. Her hands shook so badly she almost knocked the drink over, just barely managing to catch it. After taking a sip, she kept the glass, rolling it between her palms, looking inside. After gathering her thoughts, she continued, “It was all a lie; Zeke had made me rehearse things to say to her, to put her at ease. So I suggested that she party with us at this old abandoned building and she agreed. Once we were there, Zeke took over. He got her even more drunk, gave her some pills. He made me take something, too, and then, following prior instructions, I said I was tired and went into the other room. That’s where I was while he tortured and killed her. That’s where I was when I heard her screaming. But there was nothing I could do; I couldn’t help her.” Sue set her glass down. “And the horrible thing is, she wouldn’t have been there if not for me. It’s my fault she’s dead.” She pulled her knees to her chest, dropped her head into the crook of her arms, and shook with silent sobs.

  Dr. Camden waited until Sue’s distress subsided and the girl had lifted her head. She pulled several tissues from the box on her desk, and pushed them into Sue’s hands.

  “Thanks,” Sue murmured. She wiped her eyes, and blew her nose. Twisting in her seat, she tossed the ball of crumpled tissues into the wastebasket. “I guess I needed a good cry, but it really doesn’t change anything, does it?”

  The doctor ignored her question. “So, I’m curious, Sue. When you wanted to control Zeke, make him comply with your wishes, how did you accomplish that?”

  Sue looked at the doctor as if she had lost her mind. “What?”

  “How did you exert control over Zeke?”

  “I don’t understand what you’re asking. I had absolutely no control over Zeke. He called all the shots. All of them.” Sue’s expression changed from puzzlement to comprehension. “Oh, I get it now. I think I can see what you’re doing.”

  Dr. Camden raised a brow. “And what is that?”

  “You’re trying to make me admit that it wasn’t my fault because I didn’t have the power to stop him.”

  “That’s a good guess. Now let me ask you something. Do you really want to take responsibility for the actions of a criminal over whom you had no control?”

  “I don’t want to, no.” Sue’s lip trembled. “But what if I would’ve just refused to go along with his plan? That’s what I should’ve done.”

  “We’ll never know what might have happened. But I’d venture a guess that Zeke would have had no problem at all putting you out of commission and grabbing Brenda anyway.” She leaned forward, compelling Sue to meet her steady gaze. “Individuals like Zeke are cowards. They stack the deck in their favor, target vulnerable people. Brenda was vulnerable and so were you.”

  “Well, not anymore.” Sue’s expression grew hard. She lowered her feet to the floor and straightened her back. “In fact, I’m feeling stronger every day. I’m getting my head on right.”

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

  As usual, Dr. Camden concluded their appointment by shifting to a lighter topic and discussed a few entries from Sue’s journal.

  Chapter 15

  After their first encounter, every time Sue saw Mrs. Harrington at the club she grew distressed. Though the work itself was going well, she was uncomfortable being anywhere near the woman. She also hated working evenings and imposing on Melvin to see her safely to work and back home again. To top everything off, Martin had started flirting with her. She knew it was only a matter of time before he’d ask her out and she’d turn him down. Then their work relationship would be strained. He wasn’t a bad-looking guy but she had no romantic interest in him.

  Without saying anything to her employer, Sue began submitting resumes every time she was online.

  It was her day off and she was taking a break from the computer when her cell phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number.

  “Hello.”

  Silence. No, not silence. Breathing, but very faint. She gripped the phone. “Hello?”

  “Is this Susie-Q?” a man’s voice asked.

  “Who is this?” Sue’s breath caught in her throat. Zeke was the only one who had ever called her Susie-Q. “Who are you? What do you want?”

  “Chill out. I just want to see you, is all. Be with you.”

  “Oh my god. Who is this?”

  Without answering, the man disconnected the call.

  Sue’s heart pounded in her chest. Zeke? It didn’t sound like him but maybe he was disguising his voice. Fumbling with the phone, she brought up the last call and started to press ‘send’. She paused as her finger hovered over the button. What if it is him and I spook him? She stopped, pulled up Google on her phone, and did a reverse number look-up. Her hands shook so badly she could barely type in the digits. The screen loaded with agonizing slowness. Finally, the display gave her an answer. The call had come from a motel in Jasper, a town twenty-five miles to the south. A town she and Zeke had passed through on their road trip to hell.

  Sue broke into goose bumps. Without thinking, she grabbed her purse and keys, dashed to her car, and screeched out of the driveway. What will I say when I see him? What will he do? It’s too soon for this! I’m not ready. But, she drove anyway, careened onto the highway, and sped toward Jasper like a soldier on a mission.

  She barely looked over her shoulder as she changed lanes, almost side-swiped a semi, and earned a loud blast from the truck’s horn. Taking deep breaths, Sue forced herself to calm down and ease off the gas. It would have been better if I already had my gun and license. This is crazy.

  Memories flooded over her as she traveled. Good ones. Of breathless hours in Zeke’s arms, his tender kisses, and magical touch. Bad ones. Of Zeke’s trigger temper, his sexual perversions, and violence. She tried to recall the voice on the phone. It hadn’t sounded like Zeke. But I know it was. I can feel it!

  By the time she reached her destination, she felt feverish, drenched in sweat. Locating the motel, she pulled into the lot away from the office and watched. The area was dotted with a few automobiles, but there was no burgundy van. She cursed herself. Of course there was no van. The police had seized Zeke’s vehicle as evidence. He could be driving any of these cars. He could be in any of these rooms. What would she do when she saw him? Would she melt at the sight of his smile? Or would she shake from terror like she had in their final moments together? Would he pull her into his arms and tell her it had all been a horrible mistake, a sickness that had gotten out of hand? Or would he pull a knife and plunge it deep into her stomach? The scar on her side ached at the thought and she rubbed it absentmindedly.

  Sue got out of her car and treaded lightly along the sidewalk in front of the units. She couldn’t just knock on every door. How would she find him? Looking around the deserted parking lot, she shivered. There wasn’t a soul in sight to come to her aid if anything happened.

  Realizing he could be watching her from behind a curtain, she backed up, hurried to her car, locked the doors, and started the engine. Hugging herself to keep from shaking, she stared through the windshield at the long row of doors. Her hand went automatically to her purse for her phone. It would take just seconds to dial 911. But she hesitated. No, s
he wouldn’t, couldn’t, call the police. They’d be furious with her either way; angry if it wasn’t Zeke and she’d wasted their time again, angrier that she’d driven down here alone to confront the situation. She toyed with calling Melvin, or even Will, but changed her mind. She’d come this far; she would see it through on her own.

  Putting the car in gear, Sue pulled up to the office. She grabbed her purse, got out of her car, and hurried through the door of the building. Overhead a bell jangled, grating her nerves. A small artificial Christmas tree that had seen better days leaned in one corner of the lobby, decorated haphazardly with wads of tinsel and dull bulbs. Behind the desk, a young woman looked up and smiled. “Can I help you?”

  “I hope so.” Sue breathed slowly in an attempt to remain calm. “I got a call from this number about an hour ago. I’m trying to figure out who made the call.” She held the phone so the girl could read the info.

  “Well, I’m not sure. Let me check.” The clerk turned away and made a few clicks on her keyboard. “Okay, I see that a call went out from one of our rooms at that time.”

  Sue clutched her purse tightly in her hands. “Whose room is it?”

  “I’m sorry, I can’t tell you that.” She glanced behind her, through a doorway that led into the manager’s residence. “I’m just watching the place while my uncle runs some errands. Let me see if he’s back yet so he can talk to you.”

  “No.” Sue made her tone reasonable. “Look, I think it’s a friend of mine but I’m not sure. Can you tell me anything about the person in that room?”

  “Well...I guess that would be okay. He’s a tall guy, dark hair. Slender but well-built, you know?”

  A cold chill traveled down Sue’s back. “That sounds like my friend. Can you tell me what room he’s in?”

  “I’m afraid not,” the girl hedged, nervous now. Then she perked up. “But I can get him on the phone for you and you can talk to him. Would that work?”

  “That would be great. Thank you.” Sue’s heartbeat sounded in her ears, but she tried to appear calm on the outside.

  “I’ll get him on the line and then transfer the call to the lobby phone. What’s your name?”

  “Sue. Sue Cox.”

  The clerk dialed a number. “Hello, sir. This is the front desk clerk. There is a Sue Cox here in the lobby who believes you tried to call her. She’d like to speak with you. Can I put her on?”

  She listened for a moment and then said, “Please hold while I transfer you.” She pressed a button and the phone in front of Sue rang. The girl nodded and Sue picked up the receiver.

  “Hello.” Sue was in agony as she waited to hear Zeke’s velvety voice, wondering how she would respond, anticipating the visceral shock to her system.

  “Hi, Sue. I can’t believe you came down after the conversation we had.”

  Sue deflated. The man who spoke was not Zeke. She could tell that for sure now. “Do I know you?”

  At this, the girl behind the counter gave Sue a strange look. Sue turned a bit, trying to carve out a small bit of privacy. The phone cord wrapped around her shoulder.

  “Not yet. But we have a mutual friend. He told me I should get in touch with you if I was ever in the area. So, I thought, what the hell? I was just passing through and I figured I’d give you a call. Thought maybe we could hook up.”

  “I need to talk to you.” Sue looked out the picture window, past the motel sign, and spotted a crowded diner. “Meet me at the cafe across the street. I’ll wait for you there.”

  “Why don’t you just come to my room?” he suggested. “It’s pretty cozy in here.”

  “That’s not going to happen.” Then, afraid he might back out, she added, “At least, not until I’ve met you.”

  “Sounds reasonable. The cafe then. How will I recognize you?”

  “I’m wearing a brown leather coat and black jeans.”

  “How about you just wait there in the lobby and we can walk over together?”

  “No!” Sue flushed, nerves snapping. “We meet at the cafe or not at all.” Sue disconnected and ran from the building, darting across the parking lot to her car. She didn’t want to give the stranger a chance to catch her here.

  Whipping across the street, Sue parked and got out. She pushed through the outer cafe door only to find a garland-festooned inner door. Ducking under a loose strand, she hurried to a booth. Her emotions were in turmoil. Besides a strange disappointment, she struggled with resentment, fear, and morbid curiosity. She fiddled with the zipper of her coat, leaving it secured to the neck. Staring out the window, she watched as a lean dark-haired man tugged at the lapels of a faded jean jacket and looked both ways before crossing the street on long legs. She had no idea who this guy was.

  When the man slid into the seat across from her, she studied him briefly. He was rough-looking, at least ten years older than her, and not the most devout practitioner of hygiene. She detected the stink of body odor mingled with stale tobacco smoke.

  “Well, how do we get this thing started?” he asked, a sly look on his face. He removed his jacket and laid it on the seat beside him.

  “What thing?”

  A server with lighted Christmas earrings dangling from each ear stopped by the table with pad and pencil in hand, interrupting them. “Would you like to see menus?” she asked.

  Sue was flustered. “I’ll have a Pepsi, please.”

  “Coffee for me,” said her companion.

  “Coming right up.” The waitress flipped her pad shut, jammed it into her apron pocket, and spun on her heel.

  Sue returned her gaze to the man. “I want to know exactly how you got my number.” Up close, she could see the guy had streaks of gray running through his hair and his jaw sported a growth of short salt-and-pepper whiskers. Old-style indigo tattoos showed beneath the cuffs and collar of his blue work shirt.

  When he smiled, his grin revealed the gap left by a missing eye-tooth. “Ian gave it to me. Said if I wanted a good time, I should look you up. Thought we’d hit it off. And I have to say, you are a pretty little lady. Not what I was expecting at all. My name’s Harry, by the way. Harry Reed.”

  The server returned with their drinks and left again.

  Sue peeled away the paper and stuck the straw in her glass. Her mind raced as she tried to decide which of her many inquiries to address first. “Well, Harry, I have some questions.”

  “Fire away.” He dumped sugar in his cup and stirred. The spoon clinked against the glass side.

  Sue stared at his fingers with their scarred knuckles and the dark half-moons of grime wedged beneath his nails. This was obviously some kind of mix-up. Forcing her gaze to his face, she asked, “First of all, who is Ian?” She took a small drink of her soda.

  “Guy I met in K.C.” He blew on his coffee before taking a loud sip. “Worked a few temporary jobs with him unloading trucks.”

  “What did he look like?”

  “Well, let’s see. Blond, ‘bout as tall as me, good-looking guy.” He scrutinized her, eyes narrowing. “But I’m starting to think he was pulling my leg. You don’t come across as a party girl.”

  “I’m not.” Her heart slammed in her chest. “How long ago was this? Is he here now?”

  “Nah. I ain’t seen him since before I left Missouri. I don’t know where he is. He talked about heading north.” He took another drink of his coffee, pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, and looked around for an ashtray. “S’pose they don’t allow smoking in here.” With a sad look, he replaced the pack and leaned against the back of the seat.

  “This Ian, what was his last name?”

  “Don’t know. Never got that tight with him. He just said to call him Ian.”

  “Well, what agency did you work for?”

  “No agency. We’d just hang around the loading docks, waiting for truckers who needed help.”

  “Maybe you just got the wrong number when you called me.”

  “Don’t think so. He told me your name.” />
  “Then why did you hang up after I answered?”

  He shrugged, looking almost boyish for a second. “Hell, I don’t know. Guess I got a bit bashful. Wasn’t sure what to say once I had you on the line. Besides, you sounded kinda stressed out.”

  “Oh god. I can’t believe this.”

  “He an old boyfriend of yours? You guys have a bad break-up or something?”

  Sue was flooded with anger. “What he is...” she paused, then glared defiantly at the man. “He’s a serial killer.”

  Taken by surprise, Harry laughed. When Sue didn’t laugh with him, his mirth died out quickly. Sue smacked the tabletop lightly with a clenched fist. “If you think I’m just yanking your chain, think again. The man you know as Ian kills women. He killed one in Four Falls, Missouri. Look it up if you don’t believe me.”

  “Whoa, now. I don’t know about any of that.” Harry cleared his throat and played with the spoon next to his coffee. He looked uncomfortable, as if he wanted to escape this awkward meeting. “You know, this isn’t turning out like I thought it would.”

  “Same here.” Sue dug in her purse, tossed some bills on the table, and rose to leave. She waved the waitress over. “Can I get my ticket?”

  “Mine, too.” Harry smiled sweetly at Sue. “Ian said you like to pay for things and I don’t have much money.”

  “In your dreams,” Sue growled. She grabbed her ticket and looked Harry dead in the eye. “Lose my number. Okay?”

  “No problem.” Their eyes locked for a few seconds; his slid away first. He turned his face toward the window as if ashamed to meet her gaze.

  On trembling legs, she stopped at the counter, paid, and left the diner. Back in her car, she stared through the glass at Harry as he sat in the booth drinking his coffee. Disappointment and relief warred within her.

  Finally, Sue pulled onto the road for home, fighting an urge to cry. So, he’s calling himself Ian now. And still messing with my life.