The Fifth Victim Part 21

Before Dallas could reply, Genny said, "No, we don't mind at all."

"I could give you a jump-start," Dallas suggested. "I'm sure Jacob's got some jumper cables somewhere here in the truck."

"No, no, don't bother," Royce said. "You need to get Genny home as soon as possible. I'll catch a ride into town with Jacob later. I'm sure he'll stop by to check on Genny."

Dallas grimaced, but didn't respond. Once again, for Genny's sake, he'd force himself to be polite. Even if it killed him.

Genny slept all the way home, so when they arrived at her house, she awoke the minute Dallas lifted her out of Jacob's truck and the cold air hit her in the face.

Dallas smiled at her. "Feeling better?"

"Some."

"I'm taking you inside, putting you to bed, and then fixing you some breakfast." He slammed the pa.s.senger door. "Do you want me to call Jazzy?"

"If you'll stay with me, I won't need her."

Royce leapt out of the backseat and slammed the door. "I'll be happy to stay here with Genny if you need to go back and help Jacob."

"I don't think the sheriff needs my help," Dallas said. Ignoring Royce, he headed for the back porch.

Genny called out to Royce, "Please come in and stay until Jacob stops by for his truck."

Dallas growled.

"I'm sure it won't be that long until Jacob comes by," she whispered to Dallas.

"It had better not be."

Genny cuddled closer to the warmth of Dallas's big, strong body. "I can't be inhospitable," she murmured softly.

Dallas grunted.

"If Jacob doesn't come by in a bit, I'll call into town to Pilkington's Garage as soon as they open," Royce said, following closely behind. He had to walk fast to keep up with Dallas's long-legged gait. "I must admit that I'm pretty unnerved myself by all these killings."

Dallas tromped onto the porch, unlocked the door, and carried Genny into the kitchen. Drudwyn lumbered toward them. He sniffed Dallas and licked Genny's hand that she held down to him.

"Go on out, boy," Genny said.

Drudwyn headed to the open back door, then halted when he saw Royce. The bristles on his back raised and he growled.

"That dog doesn't like me," Royce said. "He growls at me every time I visit Genny."

"Behave yourself," Genny warned Drudwyn. "Royce is a guest in our house."

Royce gave Drudwyn a wide path, staying in a corner of the porch until after Drudwyn raced out into the yard; then he entered the kitchen.

Dallas didn't say anything. He simply carried Genny through the house and straight to her bedroom. When he laid her on her bed, he stacked one pillow on top of the other and helped her into a semi-sitting position.

"You stay here and rest while I get us some breakfast. What would you like to eat?" he asked.

"I'm really not very hungry. Maybe just some tea...or coffee, if you prefer."

"You're eating something."

"Then just a slice of toast."

"If you need anything-"

"I'll be fine."

Dallas turned to leave her bedroom and nearly b.u.mped into Royce, who stood in the doorway.

"You go right on in the kitchen and get Genny's toast and tea," Royce said. "I'll keep her company."

"Genny needs to rest," Dallas told him.

"I won't disturb her." Royce looked to her for confirmation. "Will I, Genny?"

"No, of course not," she said, when what she really wanted was for Royce to leave. She didn't need or want anyone-except Dallas.

"Go on," Royce said. "You're leaving her in good hands."

Dallas grumbled under his breath. Genny thought she picked up on a couple of less than gentlemanly comments.

The moment Dallas disappeared down the hall, Royce pulled the cane-bottom, ladder-back chair from her dressing table and placed it beside her bed. He plopped down in the chair, then leaned closer.

"Special Agent Sloan is acting quite proprietorial around you," Royce said. "Should I be jealous?"

"You and I are friends. Brian and I are friends. And Dallas and I are-"

"More than friends."

"No, not exactly. We're not really even friends, but I'm not sure how I would define our relations.h.i.+p." Genny sighed. "I am not going to discuss how I feel about Dallas with you."

Genny burrowed her head and shoulders deeper into the soft goose-down pillows. She desperately needed rest. At this precise moment she felt as if she could sleep for days. She yawned. Her eyelids drooped.

"I'm bothering you, aren't I?" Royce gazed longingly at Genny.

"No, of course not. But you understand how tired I am after one of my visions or after I've used the other powers that I inherited from Granny. I used my gift repeatedly while we were searching for Misty."

"That poor woman."

"We came so close to saving her."

"And catching the killer."

"He was out there, you know," Genny said. "Afterward. Watching Jacob and the others. Watching me."

"Yes, I know."

Genny's gaze locked with Royce's. "What do you mean, you know?" she asked.

"You're aware that my sixth-sense abilities are very limited. Nothing to compare to yours," Royce said. "I've told you about how I've always had a keen intuition and sometimes I sense things are going to happen before they do. And I've had a few very unclear visions in my life. But this morning-"

"What are you trying to tell me?" Genny rose to a sitting position.

"I-I think I had a vision. Early this morning, not long before I heard about Jerry Lee putting together a team to help search for Misty Harte," Royce explained. "It was either a powerful dream or a real vision. I saw you out in an open field. You were with Jacob and Agent Sloan. And I saw a man's dark figure lurking in the woods. He was watching...watching you, Genny."

Genny held out her hand to Royce, who rose from the chair, took her hand, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"The dream...the vision frightened me because...because I sensed that this man wanted you, Genny. He wanted to harm you."

Tears gathered in Royce's eyes. Genny put her arms around him and hugged him to her. "It's all right. I'm fine. Nothing's going to happen to me. I have Jacob and Dallas to look out for me."

Dallas burst into the room, a cup of hot tea in one hand. "What the h.e.l.l's going on here?"

Royce jumped straight up on his feet and all but trembled in front of Dallas.

"Royce was upset and I was comforting him."

"What's he upset about?" Dallas asked, his voice a husky growl.

"Royce has possessed some mild sixth-sense abilities since he was a child," Genny said. "It's something we have in common, one of the things that helped form our friends.h.i.+p."

"And?" Dallas glowered at Royce as he bent down and handed Genny her tea.

Smiling at Dallas, she accepted the mug. "Royce had a dream vision early this morning. He saw the killer's shadow. And saw the killer watching me while I stood in an open field with you and Jacob."

"A dream vision, huh?" Dallas grunted. "Nice that you two have something in common."

"Look, I think maybe I should go. I can call around and see if there's another service station besides Pilkington's that might already be open and can send someone by here to pick me up and take me to my car and get it running." Royce edged his way around the room, avoiding getting anywhere near Dallas.

Dallas slid his hand into his pants pocket and scooped out a set of car keys, which he tossed to Royce. "Here, take my rental car and drive yourself into town. Just leave the car parked in front of Jasmine's and give Jazzy the keys. I'll pick it up later."

Royce clutched the keys in his hand. "Sure thing. And thanks." He carefully steered closer and closer to the bedroom door. "I'll just let myself out. Genny, you rest. I'll call later and check on you."

"You don't have to go," Genny told him.

Royce looked at Dallas. Dallas frowned.

"Yes, I think I do have to go." He avoided eye contact with Dallas as he all but ran from Genny's bedroom.

"You scared him," Genny said. "You shouldn't have intimidated Royce that way."

"Drink your tea. I have bacon frying and eggs to scramble."

"Don't change the subject."

"That guy is a phony. He's faking it. He isn't any more psychic than I am. He's fed you a line of bull because he wants to get in your pants."

Genny gasped, then laughed. "Dallas Sloan, you're jealous."

"So, maybe I am." Dallas shrugged. "I've got to check on the bacon before it burns."

When he headed for the door, Genny called, "You think Royce is a phony. Do you think I'm a phony, too?"

He paused in the doorway, his back to her. "No, I don't think you're a phony. I'm beginning to believe that, maybe, just maybe, you're the real thing."

Chapter 17.

Dallas's cell phone rang. He bolted out of the chair in the corner of Genny's bedroom, immediately s.n.a.t.c.hed the phone from the holder on his belt, and rushed out of the room. Since Genny had fallen asleep a couple of hours ago, he had notified Wallace to take the day off, fed Drudwyn, cleaned up the kitchen, and then returned to her room to sit quietly and watch over her while she rested. It was d.a.m.n strange the way he felt about Genny, a woman he'd known only a few days. Protective to the extreme. And totally possessive.

Keeping his voice low, Dallas said, "Sloan here."

"Are you all right?" Teri Nash asked. "You sound sort of strange."

Dallas cleared his throat. "I was up all night." Dallas closed the bedroom door and walked down the hall. "The killer struck again. At dawn this morning. We came awfully close to getting to the scene in time to stop him."

"My G.o.d, you mean y'all figured out where he'd taken the woman to sacrifice her?"

"Yeah, the sheriff had a lead he followed and it turned out to be right on the money."

"So if your theory is correct about this guy being the same one who committed the murders in Mobile, it means there'll be two more victims in Cherokee County before he moves on."

Dallas grunted.

"Look, I'm actually calling for a reason, other than to check up on you," Teri said.

"Has Linc finished the profile for us?"

"Not yet, but he said to tell you that he should have it ready for you soon and that at this point he'd say the Mobile murders were organized murders." Teri paused. "You know that means most likely the perpetrator has average to above average intelligence and is socially and s.e.xually competent."

"That covers all six guys on our suspects list."

"Speaking of which-I've run a check on the names on the list you sent. I've just started, so all I've got is information about their whereabouts in the past year, from the time the first murder occurred in Mobile."

Dallas clenched his teeth and steeled his nerves, preparing himself for whatever news Teri had. "And?"

"Okay. There are two men who weren't anywhere near Mobile in the past year. There's no record of any kind that shows Brian MacKinnon traveled to Mobile or anyplace within five hundred miles of the city during the time the murders occurred. And Dr. MacNair lived and worked in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for two years before moving to Cherokee Pointe. He hasn't had a vacation in all that time."

"Okay, that seems to rule out MacKinnon and the doc. What about the other four?"