The Third Victim Part 78

And then he got out and prepared to meet his fate.

In the attic of city hall, Sanders was restless again. Six-thirty.

Christ, for how long could one woman take care of her yard? That was a local for you. Perfectly good as long as the case was exciting. Once it got down to the grunt work, bailed out through the closest window.

He grumbled some more, strolling around the tiny attic and rolling out the knots in his neck. Luke Hayes had checked in briefly, but he was now back in the main office of the sheriff's department, writing up the day's worth of paperwork under Sanders's orders. Sanders didn't know how they generally did things around here, but in cross-jurisdictional investigations you needed up-to-date written reports or things fell through the cracks.

Speaking of which.

Sanders picked up Rainie's mail from the California school. Since she

wasn't here, he'd just have to take matters into his own hands.He opened the flat envelope and began to skim the contents.

"Oh s.h.i.+t," he said thirty seconds later.

"Oh s.h.i.+t!"

And then, in the corner of the room, the police scanner crackled to life with the first reports of gunfire.

Sat.u.r.day, May 19, 7:51 p.m.

"h.e.l.lo, Richard."

Rainie stood on her back deck in the gathering gloom. It was late, nearly eight o'clock. She'd stopped on her way back from Cabot to grab a sandwich and turn things over in her mind. She hadn't eaten much, but things had become clearer to her. Why the shadowy figure of a man on her back deck? Why some stranger spouting off about her mother in a Seaside bar? Why the shotgun on her sofa? Because, somewhere along the line, this had become about her.

And having found her, the killer would not magically go away. Quincy was right. He wasn't done yet.

Rainie had parked her car at the bottom of her driveway. She'd already known who she was looking for. When Danny had finally, brokenly uttered the name, she'd realized she wasn't even surprised.

She had carefully made her way up through the woods to the back of her house. Her efforts were not disappointed. Mann sat calmly on her back deck with her mother's shotgun cradled in his arms.

She boarded the stairs, then leveled her 9 mm at his chest.

"h.e.l.lo, Lorraine," he said conversationally.

"Hope you don't mind, but I'm tired of foreplay."

"Fine. Stand up and I'll shoot you."

"Lorraine." He gave her a chiding look. "Didn't you learn anything fourteen years ago?" "Yes," she said honestly.

"Don't wait so long. And confess sooner it does a body good."

Richard Mann grinned at her charmingly. He wore black jeans and a black turtleneck, making him harder to distinguish in the falling night. His brown hair was different. He'd bleached it blond and touched up his eyebrows and lashes. The effect was startling from conservative young professional to aspiring rock star. Rainie understood what that meant. Richard wasn't planning on continuing his starring role as Bakersville's school counselor. In fact, he was merely attending to one last loose end before he rode off into the sunset.

"I went under your deck," Richard said.

"Why did you move him?"

"I had my reasons."

"You visited Danny today, didn't you? Surely by now you know you can talk to me. In fact, I'm probably the only person in town who can truly understand."

"You're a sick, twisted b.a.s.t.a.r.d, Richard. I'm a cop. There's nothing you understand."

He laughed with genuine amus.e.m.e.nt.

"You honestly believe that, don't you, Rainie? How clever. You've manipulated your conscience into allowing yourself to live. But I'm curious. This beer thing. I've been watching you for months now, and I just have to know. When you dump the beer over your deck railing, what is it you say?"

"None of your business."

"And once again you disappoint. I had such aspirations for you in the beginning, but then you became p.r.i.c.kly and dull. I'm not sure I like you anymore."

"It's probably the gun," she told him.

"Stand up and surrender. We'll see if that improves your feelings at all."

He smiled.

"No, thank you. I'm more comfortable the way things are. I'm good at my job, you have to admit that. A good school counselor should be able to lead and inspire. And boy, did I lead and inspire. You should've seen Melissa's face at the end. She really hadn't a clue."

"Is that why you came here? To gloat?"

"You know why I came here."

"I'm not as easy to manipulate as a thirteen-year-old boy," Rainie said stiffly.

Richard stood abruptly.

"No. You're even easier."

He took a step forward.

"Stop or I'll shoot."

He threw the shotgun aside.

"But, Lorraine, I'm an unarmed man."

"Don't call me that!"

He took another step forward.

"You know you want to do it. Killing gets in the blood. Hard the first time, so much easier after that. I've read it releases powerful chemicals in the brain. No other high quite like it. Believe me, I know."

"Freeze!"

"Come on, Lorraine. Just pull the trigger. You've been talking to Danny, you know how good it feels. You hate me. You hate me for manipulating the boy. You hate me for helping him kill those girls.

You hate me for putting him in your dreams. Yeah, I've watched you sleep. I know it's all back in your mind. So pull the trigger, Lorraine. Do it one more sweet, satisfying time. Remember the power.

Celebrate your rage."