Chapter Twelve
Gabe looked over his notes, rereading what the department press release official had deemed newsworthy and mixing it with what he and the Captain had come up with to try and coax their suspect out into the public eye. All it would take would be one person to see his picture and recognize him and they could have him, finally.
But then Kaylee could go home. Gabe wasn't sure if he liked the idea of her not being there for him. He turned and looked over at where she was brushing her hair, something the Captain and the department shrink said she needed to do right before they went out.
Their suspect had a thing for hair, brunette hair. He had a thing for good looking girls of about Kaylee's age and physical attributes. Hell, Gabe thought, the psycho had a thing for Kaylee period.
That thought made him even less happy with the idea of her being involved in all of this. He went up to her, crouching in front of her chair and resting his hand against her thigh. "Are you sure you want to do this, Kaylee? It could get dangerous for you."
"It could get dangerous for you, too, Gabe," she said in all seriousness, wishing she could reach up and touch his face or rest her head against his shoulder.
"Yeah, but that's why they pay me the medium size bucks," he joked. "So I can get my ass shot at." He sighed. "You don't need this, Kaylee. Last night was the first that you didn't have any nightmares."
"Someone didn't let me sleep long enough to have nightmares last night," she laughed, setting the brush on the desk and pulling out some makeup. "I promise, Gabe. I'll be fine. Besides, how hard can it be? You know, sitting ducks just... sit there."
"That's not funny," he growled, the image of her covered in blood or strangled with those horrid black bruised circling her throat popping into his mind.
"But if it works, you'll be off of babysitting duty, that a plus. Right?" She glanced up at him casually as she finished speaking.
"Yeah, it's a plus, but having you out of my bed isn't. Neither is not seeing you anymore." He resisted the urge to stroke his hand over her hair, but just barely. "I don't like the idea of you not being next to me at night. I've gotten used to your grunts."
"Pigs grunt, Mr. Police Officer sir, not delicate little girls like me," she answered him back primly, making him laugh.
"That's Mr. Detective, to you, baby."
She smiled, liking the way that sounded coming from him. "So, what are you saying, here? That if we make it through this, you want me to move in or something?"
"Well," he said, smiling and trying to cover it with his hand. "We could start with dinner and go from there."
Kaylee grinned. "I think I could do that," she said, reaching over and picking a tiny bit of lint off of his lapel. He was dressed in a dark navy suit with a lighter blue shirt that made his eyes shine an incredible shade. His hair was brushed back from his face and, despite the shadows under his eyes, he looked amazing. "Have I ever told you that you look yummy in blue?" she asked him, her eyes sparkling.
"Yummy? I don't think I've ever been described as yummy before," he laughed.
"Oh yes you have," she quipped and then sobered, remembering it was Tina who had described him as such the first time she'd seen him in the restaurant. "Tina called you yummy the day you came in to talk to me, the day we met."
Gabe saw the sadness in the dark brown of her eyes, reaching out and brushing her cheek with his hand, despite where they were. "You'll see her again, Kaylee. I promise."
"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep, Gabe." She looked down, picking up the brush and playing with it as she did.
"Hey," he said, reaching out and covering her hand with his. "I never make promises I can't keep. I have a good feeling about this. I know we'll find her, and alive. It's just a matter of time."
"I can't help but think what she's going through, and that other girl, the one he took last night. What are they going through? What are they thinking? They must feel so helpless." A tear started in her eye, falling down her cheek and she swiped at it angrily.
"You can't think like that, Kaylee. Besides," he wiped off her cheek with his thumb. "You'll wreck your makeup and you don't want your viewing audience of one to see you with runny mascara do you?"
* * * *
He turned on the television, turning the set so that it angled enough that Tina could see it from where she was tethered. He had cable hookups all over the house, an easy thing when he did all his own wiring work.
"Ready ladies?" he asked, clapping his hands in glee like a small child. Tina shot daggers at his back with her eyes, taking tiny steps along the floor for her thigh muscles were screaming with pain and her ass hurt. He was acting like a child now, not the monster he'd been last night. It was as if, with this news conference, he'd reached a new goal, a new high.
There was a picture on the screen, a high school yearbook shot of Michelle, her name and age under it when the television screen flashed on. It was followed quickly by a picture of Tina, her arms wrapped around a beaming Angie. Tina felt a sob well in her throat, remembering how happy they'd been together when that picture was taken.