Ring Around the Rosy Read Free Page B

played.
    “That’s not fair.”
    Bella jumped off the counter and
hid under a chair.
    At the fourth message, Susan
froze. That same raspy voice from the early-morning caller came through the
machine. “Remember,” the harsh voice said “Jack be nimble...tonight.” Then the
line went dead.
    Susan’s hands shook as she dialed
the number Detective Morgan had given her. She had to hang up twice after
hitting the wrong buttons. Finally, she got it right.
    “Dave, uh, Detective Morgan.”
Goose bumps broke out on her arms. Her stomach tensed. She tried to shake off
the feeling of impending doom. “It’s me, uh, Susan Weston, he called again. He
left a message.”
    “I’ll be right over. Don’t erase
that tape.”

 
    * * *

 
    Without waiting for a reply, Dave
hung up, got into his car, flipped on the siren, and rushed over to Susan’s.
She could be in danger. They had no idea what they were dealing with. One man
was already dead, if this caller was indeed the killer.
    “Damn it, it sounds like he’s
going to kill again, and soon.” Dave smacked his hand on the steering wheel.
    Just what he needed — a serial
killer. As if dealing with one murder wasn’t enough. He pulled up in front of
Susan’s apartment and threw open the door as he shifted into park and pulled
the keys out of the ignition. He flew up the steps and flashed his badge to
Horace, who let him in. Without waiting for the elevator, he took the steps two
at a time. Why he felt the need to rush, he had no idea. The guy only
called.   It wasn’t like he was in there
trying to kill her.
    He slowed down, caught his breath.
This was insane. What the hell was wrong with him? It was more than the case.
He had never reacted like this before. It was Susan. She had this strange
effect on him. He wanted to see her again, and this was the perfect excuse.
Still, he had to take these calls seriously.
    He knew damn good and well that
wasn’t it. Hell, he didn’t even believe these calls were real. More than likely
some nutcase trying to make a name for himself, trying to get noticed. He
walked up the last flight of stairs. She wasn’t in imminent danger. No reason
to panic.
    At the top of the stairs, he
stopped to catch his breath and smiled. He really couldn’t wait to see her
again.

 
    * * *

 
    Susan sat with Bella curled up on
her lap, half afraid to move.
    Why her? Why had this crazy person
singled her out? She wasn’t even an experienced reporter.
    The doorbell rang, and she looked
through the peephole to make sure it was Detective Morgan, who’d obviously
gotten past the security door again. She unlocked the door, and before she had
a chance to ask, he pushed his way in.
      “Where’s the tape?” The worry lines on his
face deepened.
    Susan closed the door and crossed
her arms. “Well, hello to you, too.” The man absolutely infuriated her with his
rudeness.
    “Sorry. Hello.”
    Susan pressed the playback button.
“You’ll have to listen to a couple of others first.” Her body trembled while
they listened to the tape. She hated this. What had come over her? She needed
to find the calm, steadfast, good-in-a-crisis woman, she remembered herself to
be.
    The evil in that voice got to her.
She walked away and stood in the doorway, studying Detective Morgan. His dark
good looks somehow calmed her. The worry lines around his eyes told her he took
this caller seriously.
    He drummed his fingers on the
counter while he listened to the telemarketer and shifted his weight from one
foot to the other during her editor’s comments, and straightened up when the
sinister voice came on. After listening to the message, he pulled the tape from
the machine.
    “I have to take this.” He put the
tape into an evidence bags and sealed it,
    Susan nodded. She understood a
little about police procedure. “No problem; I have other blank tapes.”
    “The phone records showed the
first call came from a nearby phone booth.” Dave arched an eyebrow.