Soul Possession(17)

“Kirsten, thank God. It’s Jessie.”

“Jessie? Hon, are you okay? You sound like you’re crying. What’s going on?”

Jessie wiped angrily at the tear trickling down her cheek and tried to work the knot out of her throat.

“I need you to come get me,” she said in a shaky voice.

Chapter 7

Want me to go kick them all in the balls?” Kirsten asked with a scowl.

Jessie closed her eyes, cupped her hands around the warm mug of coffee, and inhaled the aroma. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the shaking. Her arms shook, her hands shook, even her teeth kept clanking together to make the most annoying sound.

She opened her eyes when Kirsten gently took the coffee from her and set it on the table in front of the couch.

“You’re going to spill that all over you, hon. You’re still shaking like a leaf.”

“Thanks for coming,” Jessie said because she didn’t know what else to say. She was so grateful that Kirsten had come immediately and had brought her back to her apartment. The idea of going back to her place alone knotted her stomach.

“Stop thanking me. What are friends for?”

Jessie’s eyes went watery again. “You’re the best friend I could ask for. You’ve had my back since sixth grade.”

“Damn straight. And you’ve had mine.”

Kirsten was a beautiful woman and she had a warm smile that just drew people to her. She was only slightly taller than Jessie but thinner by far. She was lanky, had a jean size that made Jessie green with envy, and she moved with a grace that made people stop and watch her go by.

She had long, straight auburn hair that in the sunlight reflected about six different shades. And she had the bluest eyes, light and clear. Mesmerizing to look at.

“You didn’t answer my question. Should I go down there and kick their asses?”

Jessie smiled. Or tried to. “No. I’m the dumbass in this. I never should have gone home with Rick and Truitt. I was upset over Merriam firing me. I wasn’t thinking straight. I hurt my knee and they were offering…comfort.”

Kirsten snorted. “That wasn’t all they were offering.”

“True,” Jessie acknowledged. “But of all nights to have given in. They not only think I murdered a woman but they think I’m some tramp who lured two detectives into her bed so I could sneak out to do my evil deed.”

“Sounds like something out of a B movie.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Jessie muttered. She covered her face with her hands. “God, I don’t know what I’m going to do. They totally think I did it. They supposedly have witnesses. What am I going to do, Kirsten? I can’t afford a lawyer. I can’t afford to be without a job, but who’s going to hire me now with this hanging over my head?”

Kirsten reached over and squeezed her hand. “You didn’t do it. Of course you didn’t do it. You couldn’t hurt a fly, Jessie. Try not to freak out yet. They haven’t arrested you. They still have to build their case. They’ll find who really killed Merriam. If worse comes to worst, I can call my dad. You know he loves you like a daughter and he’d be more than glad to help.”

Jessie lost the battle to hold her tears back and she threw her arms around her friend. “I love you,” she said fiercely. “I’ll never forget that you were there with me when I was in the hospital, and when I was struggling so hard just to walk again.”

Kirsten hugged her back and kissed her cheek. “And you were there for me when I absolutely needed you most, when I thought my entire world was going to end. You made me want to keep living.”

Kirsten leaned back and stroked her hand over Jessie’s bedraggled hair. “You need some rest, hon. I know it’s hard to sleep when you’re so scared and upset. Let me give you one of my sleeping pills. It won’t hurt you to take something to help you sleep.”

Jessie nodded, her eyes closed wearily. She was exhausted. Right now she’d do just about anything for a few hours of oblivion.

When the phone at his desk rang, Rick picked it up and barked a greeting. For a moment there was silence before the eerie, familiar electronic synthesizer crackle sounded.

He went tense and turned violently, motioning frantically for Truitt and anyone else he could get to notice.

“Good afternoon, Detective Broughman. I have to tell you, I’m disappointed. This latest one just wasn’t a challenge. Hardly worthy of my skills. Clearly I’ll have to do better next time. I’d give you coordinates but she won’t be hard for you to find.”

Rick’s stomach revolted and before he could respond, the phone went dead. He sank into his chair, still gripping the receiver just as the chief and several other police officers ran up.

“It was him. Christ, there’s another. He said this one wasn’t a challenge.”

Curses rang out. The chief pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “Damn it,” he said. “Nothing else?”

“Just that he would have to do better next time. Said she wasn’t worthy of his skills. He didn’t give a location this time. Said she wouldn’t be hard to find.”

“He’s escalating,” Truitt said. “It’s just been two weeks since the last. Half the time between the last two victims.”