Fear For Me (For Me #2)(62)

“You killed. A jury found you guilty—”

“One of the bastards changed his mind! He wrote to you!”

Pierce understood. “You made him write, didn’t you?”

The smirk was back.

“How? What did you do?”

“Let’s just say I found the right motivation to convince him I needed to get out of jail.” He laughed, bitter, mocking. “When you apply the right pressure, you can get a man to do just about anything.”

Pierce couldn’t get out of the bonds.

“But his notes didn’t work.” Walker’s jaw tightened, the smirk slipping. “So things had to get bloody for him. The bastard owed me, and I made sure he paid. Just like I’ll make sure you pay.”

He was staring at death. Walker’s slow, wide smile confirmed the hell that was coming. “You shouldn’t worry about other folks right now, Judge. Instead, you should probably be more worried about what’s going to happen to you.”





*


Paul whistled softly as the judge’s wife stormed away. “That is a woman with a whole lot of rage.” He shook his head. “Guess that’s what happens when you screw around on someone too long. They want their revenge.”

Lauren had seen the fury in Julia’s eyes, but she’d also seen the pain. At that moment, she wasn’t sure if Julia knew what she really wanted. Her husband being carved up by a serial killer? That might not be what she was praying for.

Paul’s phone rang. He held it up to his ear. “Voyt.” His body snapped to attention. “What? Hell.” A brief pause, then, “I was hoping the guy had just run.”

Anthony’s gaze met Lauren’s. They both knew who Paul was talking about.

“I’m on my way. Get the techs to check the vehicle for prints and see if the station attendant saw anything.” He ended the call with a long, rough sigh. His gaze drifted to the door on the right, the door Julia had exited seconds before. “I guess she’s getting her wish.”

“Is he dead?” Anthony asked. It was the same question on Lauren’s lips.

“We don’t have a body yet. The judge’s BMW was found abandoned at a gas station near Pontraine Lake. The attendant realized the car had been out there for a while. He went to take a look and found blood dripping down the side of the busted passenger window. The judge was nowhere around.”

Lauren’s heartbeat raced. “Walker took him. Just like he took me.”

A muscle jerked along Paul’s jaw. “I’m driving to the gas station. If I find out anything else, you’ll know. Count on it.” He focused on Anthony. “You’ll be staying with her.” It wasn’t a question.

Anthony nodded anyway.

“Maybe you two can get the wife to tell you something else—something we can use. Sometimes, spouses know a hell of a lot more than we think.” He headed for the front door, moving with quick, long strides.

Lauren’s fingers twisted in front of her. “Walker was ready to start cutting me the minute he had me alone.”

Anthony stepped closer to her. “That’s because the bastard gets off on hurting women. He enjoys their pain.”

She flinched. He’d sure enjoyed her pain.

“The guard at the prison—the man he murdered—Walker killed him quickly,” Anthony said. “The judge won’t have as much time as you did. Hell, Hamilton could already be dead.”

“What?”

Oh, hell. Julia had come back into the room. Lauren hadn’t even heard her footsteps. She glanced over her shoulder.

Julia was frowning at them. “Did you just say Hamilton is dead?” Her face had turned a stark white.

Lauren took a steadying breath as she faced her.

“Where’s Detective Voyt? What’s happening?” Julia seemed a whole lot less enraged now, and much more afraid.

“Detective Voyt received a call,” Lauren told her, fighting to keep her voice level. “Pierce’s car was found at a gas station near Pontraine Lake.”

“What?” Then Julia smiled. “Oh, Pierce must have just been going to the old fishing cabin.” The tension seemed to leave her shoulders. “I knew he wouldn’t leave me, of course. I’m the one constant he always has. He needs me, you see. We’re a team, we’re—”

“The car was abandoned,” Lauren said softly. “The judge wasn’t there.”

Julia trembled. Her smile faded.

Lauren had to tell her the rest. Julia deserved the truth. “There was blood found on the passenger-side window.”

“Pierce’s blood?”

“It’s too early to tell that.” Anthony’s voice was a low rumble. “The crime techs will have to test the blood before we can determine that for sure.”

The hope had vanished from the woman’s face. Julia’s knees seemed to give way as she collapsed onto the lush leather couch. “I didn’t mean what I said.” Her voice was a whisper.

Lauren sat next to her and reached for her hand.

Julia’s lower lip quivered. “I loved him once? but somewhere along the way, we both got lost.” Her lashes lowered. “I was the first to cheat,” she confessed in a voice heavy with emotion. Pain. “He worked so much, all the time, and I just wanted someone to notice me. Maybe I wanted him to notice.”