Killer in The Woods: A Psychological Thriller Read online

  * * *

  They left the spa and salon, feeling refreshed after their facials and happy with their new hairdos. They stopped at a nearby café for lunch.

  When Selene told Elisa about her encounter with Michel Giovanni, she almost lost it. The memories of what he did to her came flooding back as if only yesterday. But what really disturbed her was the prospect of Michel and Quinn coming to blows. She didn’t want to see her husband on either end of violence, which Selene suspected would be playing right into Michel’s hands.

  “Sounds like a real creep,” Elisa said.

  “Yeah, and then some,” concurred Selene. “I never should have gotten involved with Michel. Guess I was just too young and stupid to follow my instincts at the time. I think I had a terminal case of denial.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Elisa said. “What’s important is that you saw the light before it was too late.”

  Selene’s mind drifted to Ashley Leighton. Would she see the light? Or would she continue to feel the sting of her husband’s fists until it was too late?

  Elisa brushed back the strands her newly styled hair. “Does your ex really think he can find out who The Woods Strangler is? That is, assuming he’s not looking at him in the mirror.”

  “I really don’t know what he’s thinking,” Selene replied. “He’s always been a big talker.” And a bigger puncher, she thought. “I seriously doubt he’s capable of doing what the police haven’t been able to do, reward or not.”

  “Well, have the police at least picked him up for questioning just to be sure?”

  Selene shook her head. “Not to my knowledge.”

  “This must be driving Quinn nuts,” Elisa said. “I know Marvin would flip out if I had an abusive ex and he just showed up out of the blue, talking a little crazy, and putting the fear of God in me like it made his day.”

  “Let’s just say that Quinn has accepted my past for what it was and doesn’t have any desire to stir the pot,” Selene responded. Truthfully, she feared Quinn would be anxious as long as Michel was in town. “Like me, he’s just hoping Michel will go back where he came from and leave us alone.”

  She wondered if that was possible. Had she managed to get through to Michel—with a little help from Julian McKenzie—so he’d leave her alone? For good. Or was it Michel’s intention to make her life miserable again?

  Selene dreaded the thought.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  On Sunday, Selene and Quinn went to church. Hearing the sermon and the uplifting choir performances always moved Selene. She tightened her grip on Quinn’s hand, grateful for a second chance at marriage and happiness. She looked at her husband, who was resplendent in a charcoal suit. He turned her way and gave her a comforting smile.

  “Love you,” he whispered.

  “You, too,” she whispered back, but felt like shouting it to the whole world.

  They both turned to watch the choir perform before the preacher stood up to deliver the sermon.

  Quinn enjoyed the warmth of Selene’s hand. He needed her more now than he’d ever needed anyone. He silently prayed that their relationship could survive the peaks and valleys of past errors in judgment and the threat that recent occurrences brought to their marriage.

  After the service, Quinn and Selene ran into Julian McKenzie with his three young girls in the parking lot.

  “What’s up, Julian?” Quinn asked routinely as they shook hands.

  “Just trying to keep up with these girls,” Julian said, grinning proudly. “Nice to see you again, Selene.”

  Quinn watched as they smiled awkwardly at each other and recalled what Selene had said about Julian showing up to help out when things had gotten rather dicey with her ex. Quinn supposed he should thank Julian for being there when it should have been him protecting his wife.

  “Look, uh, Julian, about that incident in the supermarket parking lot...” Quinn began. “I meant to—”

  “Hey, don’t even worry about it,” Julian cut in. “You would’ve done the same thing if it had been my wife who needed help.”

  “Yeah, well, thanks anyway,” he said.

  “No problem,” Julian said. “That’s what neighbors do. It’s not just about protecting each other from serial killers.”

  Quinn wondered just how much protection Selene needed from her ex-husband. Would he continue to harass her? Or had he gotten the message to leave her alone?

  “Where’s Loraine?” Selene asked.

  A look of embarrassment swept over Julian’s face. “She couldn’t make it this time. I think she’s coming down with something. Maybe the flu.” He smiled. “But, as you can see, Alicia’s stomach problems are over.”

  Selene smiled at the girl. “That’s good to hear.”

  “Well, we’d better get out of here,” Julian said. “I promised the kids ice cream, and then I’m on duty at the station. Life is never boring these days.”

  “Yeah, you’ve got that right,” Quinn said. He would gladly settle for boring on some levels, especially where it concerned Selene’s ex showing up in Bluffs Bay for reasons that couldn’t be very good.

  * * *

  That afternoon, the Herreras and Bonets went bowling. Selene hadn’t bowled since high school and wasn’t particularly keen on doing so now. But Quinn had talked her into it, mainly to appease Marvin, who was on a league and thought the four of them would have fun. Selene relented, feeling it would be a good way to take their minds off the bad things that had been happening lately.

  The bowling alley was crowded. Selene looked around to see if Michel was there, but she didn’t see him. She chided herself for being so paranoid.

  The lanes on each side of them were occupied by bowlers that Selene assumed were probably seasoned pros or gifted amateurs. She complained that this would only magnify her shortcomings in the sport.

  Quinn laughed as he put his bowling shoes on. “Believe me, I’m as out of my element as you are. Maybe together we can try to keep up with Marvin.”

  “Did I hear someone call my name?” Marvin asked. He winked at Elisa and looked at the Herreras. “No competition here,” he said. “It’s all about neighborly love and as many strikes as I can put down!”

  He laughed and Elisa elbowed him in the side. “Don’t pay any attention to him,” she told Selene and Quinn. “We’re just here to have fun!”

  A few minutes later, the group started their game. Selene watched as Elisa, with her petite body and form-fitting cute little red outfit, stood on the lane. With the grace of a ballerina, she took several measured steps, swung her arm backward then forward, and released the ball. It went right down the center of the lane and, just before impact, veered to the left. Three pins went down. On her second turn, she managed to only hit two pins.

  Marvin was next, eagerly jumping up to take his turn. With ball in hand, he turned to Selene and Quinn. “Take notes and watch the master at work.”

  Selene watched as Marvin confidently leveled all ten pins. He gave everyone high fives. Now it was her turn to make a complete fool of herself. I’ll be lucky if I knock down one pin.

  “Just take it slow, Selene, and you’ll do fine,” Quinn said.

  “Don’t try to show me up, girl,” Elisa joked.

  Selene chuckled. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach at the prospect of rolling two gutter balls. She placed her fingers in the bowling ball and stood up there.

  The pins look so far away. What if I trip over my feet or slip and fall?

  After sucking in a deep breath, she took a few steps and released the ball. Five pins on one side went down with something less than a roar.

  Half is better than none.

  As she waited for her ball to return, Selene heard someone come up behind her. She turned to find Marvin standing there. “Your steps are a little off, Selene,” he said. “And your stroke. I tell Elisa this all the time, and she’s learning. Watch this...”

  Selene batted her eyes with mild irritation as she stepped aside and watche
d him demonstrate the correct technique. Then he stood close to her and lifted Selene’s arm.

  “Like that,” he said instructionally. “Now try those steps and that release.”

  Selene thought Marvin was being a bit too chummy for her comfort. She inched away from him and smiled. “Okay, I think I’ve got it.”

  She glanced at Quinn, who didn’t seem to be the least bit affected by Marvin’s unwanted assistance. Selene wasn’t as sure about Elisa’s reaction behind her tight smile.

  Picking up her ball, Selene studied the remaining pins and thought about Marvin’s pointers. She sighed, took a few steps, and released the ball smoothly. She watched as it rolled straight down the lane and curved at the last moment into the remaining pins, giving her a spare.

  Selene raised her arms in triumph, deciding that Marvin was as good a teacher as he was a bowler and strictly aboveboard. She gave everyone high fives and said, “I think I’m ready to go on tour now.”

  Later, in the ladies’ room, Elisa joked with Selene about Marvin’s hands on her while giving bowling instructions. “If you want to switch husbands, Selene, just say the word. I think I can manage just fine with Quinn. Since I’ve always wanted to be a writer, maybe he can give me some pointers.”

  Selene raised a brow, and then grinned, getting the picture. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll hang onto my man and you do the same with yours. But if you’d like to switch bowling partners, we might be able to deal.”

  They both laughed and Selene realized this was the most fun she’d had in some time.

  On the way back to join the men, Selene told Elisa, “I think Marvin’s better at this game than even he thinks.”

  Elisa shook her head. “I doubt it. He knows he’s good.” She chuckled. “The problem is, between the bowling league, his work, and other activities, including neighborhood patrols, it doesn’t leave us much time for you know what.”

  Selene detected a clear undercurrent of resentment in her. Was Marvin aware of her displeasure? Selene thought about the different schedules she and Quinn had. For the most part, they accepted the fact that there wasn’t always time to do things together or even for one another. But was that bad? Did they need to reevaluate their priorities so they didn’t get lost in the shuffle?

  * * *

  Michel Giovanni watched from a safe distance, beer in hand, as Selene and the other lady walked back to join the men. He had been careful to avoid being spotted by Selene, not wanting to create a ruckus. Not with all these potential witnesses.

  He had heard the cops were asking around about him. Let them ask, he thought. So what if Selene had done a really stupid thing going to the cops. They didn’t have anything on him and wouldn’t. He was too smart for that.

  But not smart enough to hold onto my woman. Michel grimaced with regret. It pained him to see Selene cozying up to the bastard who had stolen her from him. It wasn’t right. He had no intention of vanishing into the night as she’d suggested. Not when he had other ideas—ideas that would turn the tide in his favor.

  Michel gulped down the rest of his beer and seethed as he watched the foursome gather up their belongings and leave. He waited an appropriate amount of time and followed.

  * * *

  That evening, Quinn made love to his wife. He loved the silky smoothness of her skin, the way she smelled, the sounds she made when he touched her. And he wanted to touch every inch of her, as though for the first time.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said.

  “We’re beautiful together,” Selene murmured, pulling him closer. She lost herself in their sex, kissing him feverishly. She grabbed his buttocks and arched her back as the moment of complete fulfillment neared. “Take me,” she gasped. “Take all of me—now!”

  Quinn increased the intensity of his thrusts and the bed started to rock as they pounded against each other.

  Selene cried out when her climax came. She held onto Quinn tightly as his orgasm followed soon after.

  When it was over, she wanted him to stay inside her for a while, content in the knowledge that he was hers and they had become a part of each other. She couldn’t imagine ever being with another man again.

  Selene’s mind turned to Michel. She recalled the violence that had often accompanied their sex life and how it had nearly destroyed her desire for intimacy. She’d thought such feelings were lost forever. But they had come back in full force now that she had Quinn. He made her feel like a woman and he respected her—two things Michel was incapable of.

  * * *

  Michel stared up at the window where he’d watched Selene undress before she disappeared from view. His eyes burned with rage as he sucked nicotine from a cigarette and pictured Selene and that bastard in bed together.

  She belongs to me and I want her back.

  And he would have her.

  But not this way. Not by charging into that damned house like a bull and taking the woman he’d let slip through his fingers. He had to be smart about this or he’d only end up buying himself more trouble than he needed and that son of a bitch would get to keep bedding his woman every night.

  Michel had waited more than a year to get Selene back. He could wait a while longer. And maybe even to the tune of three hundred and fifty thousand reasons why they belonged together.

  Michel took a final drag on the cigarette and tossed it into the nearby bushes. He glanced up at the window again before quietly slipping off to his car parked a block away.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  The Woods Citizens Against Crime patrol was divided into groups of four and equipped with flashlights, whistles, energy, and strength in numbers.

  The Herreras and Bonets patrolled The Woods Park this night, looking for anything or anyone that seemed suspicious or threatening. They had decided to focus on areas outside the well-lit jogging paths, tennis courts, and gardens, where a killer was most likely to lay in wait.

  “He probably won’t show his face while we’re out here,” Marvin grumbled.

  “That’s the whole point,” Quinn said. “If he knows we’re here, he’ll think twice about going after another female—especially in this park!”

  “I just want him caught,” said Elisa.

  “Me, too,” Selene said as she kept pace next to Quinn.

  They approached a cluster of trees and some thick bushes that could be an ideal hiding place. Selene thought she saw something and reacted, catching Quinn’s attention.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure,” she said. “Maybe nothing.”

  They heard a noise coming from the same direction, putting everyone on guard.

  “Who the hell’s in there?” demanded Marvin, as all four flashlights pointed toward the bushes.

  There was no response, but they could see the bushes moving. While Selene and Elisa took an involuntary step backwards, the men looked at each other with nerves of steel.

  “Let’s take him...” Quinn said bravely.

  “I’m with you, man.”

  “Be careful,” Selene uttered.

  Quinn nodded and coordinated his attack plan with Marvin, before lunging into the bushes with a thud. With her flashlight pinned on the pair, Selene watched as a raccoon darted out of the bushes, scurrying off in the opposite direction.

  “Looks like you two bozos nearly snared a raccoon,” laughed Elisa. “That ought to be worth about a buck-twenty-five from the reward money.”

  Selene chuckled. “If you guys hurry, you might still be able to catch the culprit!”

  When Quinn and Marvin emerged from the bushes, they were laughing with embarrassment, but no worse for the wear.

  “Well, it was good practice anyway,” Quinn said. “It might come in handy later.”

  “Yeah,” Marvin said as the two men brushed themselves off and the seriousness of Quinn’s prophetic words dawned on them.

  Soon another patrol group, which included Todd Foxworth and Julian McKenzie, joined them. They were forcibly holding a short, thin
man in his early twenties.

  “What’s up with him?” Quinn asked.

  Julian gave his captive a dirty look and said, “Caught the son of a bitch trying to steal an old lady’s purse.”

  “We’re escorting him to the police,” Todd said, “whether he likes it or not.”

  Marvin glared at the young man. “You picked the wrong night to do something so stupid. Hope it was worth it to you.”

  The man grumbled, but gave no decipherable response.

  “Any sign of other criminal activity?” Selene asked Todd.

  Todd shook his head. “Afraid not. Our strangler seems to have taken tonight off, at least in the park.”

  “Yeah, but there’s always someone else more than happy to cause trouble,” barked Julian, glaring at the thief.

  “Well that’s one less person causing trouble tonight,” Quinn muttered.

  Selene wasn’t sure if that made her feel any safer or not. She had a feeling the killer welcomed this distraction and was somewhere lying in wait to strangle an unsuspecting woman again.

  * * *

  Much later that night, he walked around the park by himself, as he often liked to, pondering the events of the day as though viewing a movie in his head. He was amused that The Woods watchdogs were trying to play heroes and catch him.

  Did they really think he would play hide and seek with them just to make someone’s day?

  Not a chance.

  Give him some credit for having a brain. This thing wasn’t going to be over till he was good and ready for it to be. And that time was not here yet.

  Quite the contrary, he was just starting to hit his stride going after the lovely babes. If they made themselves available to him without much of a fuss, could he be blamed for what happened as a result?

  He sucked in the fresh night air and contemplated his next move and his next victim.