Stalker. Faye Kellerman

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СКАЧАТЬ you’re not okay!” Jason interrupted. “You’re a wreck. You and Tara have gone through hell!” Anger had made him red-faced. Suddenly, his lower lip quivered. “You need your rest, Farin!”

      He was about an inch away from breaking down. Decker understood the feeling firsthand, the helplessness that clouded and infuriated. Men were supposed to protect their families. When they couldn’t, the guilt washed over them like a tidal wave.

      Truth be told, Farin Henley was a mess. The woman had deep lacerations on her left cheek, probably down her entire body as well. Her left leg was in a thigh-high cast. Not that the leg was broken, the docs had told Decker. But her ankle had sustained multiple fractures. The more the leg was immobilized, the better the ankle would heal.

      Even through the scrapes and scratches, Decker could tell that Farin was a “cute” woman. She had a round, pixie face framed with clipped, honey-colored hair. Big blue eyes, which were red-rimmed at the moment. She appeared to be in her late twenties. Husband Jason was probably around the same age. Light skin surrounding dark brown eyes. He had a head of thick brown hair that had been blow-dried. His black eyebrows were shaped in a perfect arch. His teeth gleamed white, although he had yet to smile. Medium height, but well built. Jason worked out.

      Rather than a direct hit, Decker used the sideswipe approach. He looked down at the crib abutting Mom’s hospital bed, peering at the sleeping form. Tara’s porcelain complexion was marred with scratches, but the wounds appeared superficial. The baby was sucking in her slumber.

      Decker said, “What is she? About eighteen months?”

      Farin wiped her tears. “Exactly.”

      Jason remained hostile. “What is this? A pathetic attempt to gain rapport?”

      “Jason!” Farin scolded.

      “Are you going to catch this monster?” Jason rolled his eyes. “Probably not. You have no idea—”

      “We have an idea.”

      The room fell silent.

      “And?” Jason asked expectantly.

      Decker turned his attention to Farin. “Did you see your assailant’s face, Mrs. Henley?”

      Farin licked her cracked lips, and shook her head no. “He told me not to look.” A hard swallow. “He said he’d shoot me if I did.”

      Jason said, “You don’t look surprised, Lieutenant.”

      “We’ve had other reported carjackings,” Decker said. “Most of them have been in daylight involving women with small children. The jacker—or jackers because we think it’s a ring—tells you not to look or he’ll shoot the kid.”

      “That’s right!” Farin exclaimed. “He said he’d shoot …” She lowered the volume to a whisper. “He said he’d shoot …” She pointed to Tara’s crib. “What happened to the other women? Are they okay?”

      “They’re okay.”

      “Well, thank God for that.” Farin was quiet. “Did I do the right thing, Lieutenant? By trying to escape?”

      “You survived, Mrs. Henley. That means you did the right thing.”

      “Did the other women escape like I did?”

      Decker ran his hands through his graying ginger locks. More silver than red at this point. What the hell! Rina loved him, and people rarely mistook Hannah for his granddaughter. Decker supposed he looked okay. Not young, but decent for a rugged, older guy. “They’re alive,” he answered. “They’re ongoing cases. I can’t tell you the specifics.”

      The specifics being the home invasions, the robberies, the beatings, and the rapes. The jackings had started two months ago, and had escalated in their violence. If the crimes continued unbridled, murder would be next. He had ten full-time Dees working the area—a joint effort between sex-crimes, CAPS, and GTA. With some luck, the crimes would stay in those three details, and leave Homicide out of the picture.

      Jason squirmed. “This asshole has my wife’s purse. I already changed the locks and canceled the credit cards.”

      “That’s good thinking.”

      “Has …” Jason closed his eyes for just a second, then opened them. “In the other cases, did any of these … these people come back to the house?”

      “No,” Decker said.

      Not yet, he thought.

      Relief passed through Jason’s eyes. He regarded his wife. “See, I told you this guy is a coward. Crooks who prey on women are cowards. Just let him come to me. He isn’t going to come back, Farin. And if he does, I’m prepared for the SOB!”

      Prepared meaning a gun. A bad idea unless Jason knew how to handle a firearm under pressure. Few gun owners did. There was nothing Decker could do to stop this man from buying protection. And he understood the motivation. He just hoped Henley was smart enough to stow the gun away from the kid. He’d have to get Henley alone and mention a few gun safety rules.

      Farin said, “I keep thinking there was something I should have done … something I should have noticed.”

      Decker shook his head. “These guys are pros, Mrs. Henley. You did really well.”

      “So what are you doing to catch them?” Jason demanded to know.

      “Talking to people like your wife … hoping they can furnish us with some important details.”

      “You just said the creeps ordered the women not to look.”

      “Maybe one of them managed to sneak a glance.”

      “So you have nothing. Basically, you’re sitting on your derriere until someone does your work for you.”

      “Jason!” Farin scolded. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant—”

      “You don’t have to apologize for my behavior,” Jason interrupted. He turned to Decker. “What are you doing about it?”

      Five women working undercover, Decker thought. And it ain’t easy, bud, because we can’t use babies as decoys. We’ve got to use dolls or dogs or other undercovers dressed up like elderly. Something to make these motherfuckers think they’ve got a mark.

      “I wish I could tell you more, Mr. Henley.” Decker spoke calmly. “But I can’t.”

      “Probably doing nothing.”

      Decker didn’t answer him. To Farin, he said, “Are you up for walking me through the ordeal?”

      “Yes.”

      “Are you sure?” Jason asked.

      “I’m sure.”

      Decker looked at Jason. “Do you want to hear this?”

      “Of course, I want to hear it.”

      “It’ll СКАЧАТЬ