“She’s lucky to have you around to help.” Lisa felt the pill kicking in. “Richard’s okay with you being gone?”

TJ stretched as far as her stitches would allow. “He’s been pulling nights to cover for a friend of his. Makes it less likely he’s wonderin’ about me.”

Wednesday morning when Eric finally returned her calls, Danielle apologized profusely for calling him so often the day before. “I’ve been looking at a BMW at the dealership in Delafield, and I wanted to check the price with you before making an offer.”

It was a plausible excuse. He knew she’d been looking at cars since she’d gotten her divorce settlement. “I’ll fax you some figures from our books.”

She said, “Tell you what—I’ll treat for lunch at the Machine Shed. You can give them to me in person.”

After their lunch, Eric thought he’d been diplomatic. He’d explained to Danielle he didn’t want a relationship. It had been the right thing to do, but he didn’t feel good about it. Had he gotten through to her?

Funny how he’d been comparing her to Lisa. The two women were about the same height with similar coloring, but other than that there weren’t many similarities. Lisa wore her intelligence like a cloak of honor, and Danielle kept hers carefully hidden under expensive designer clothing and chic hairstyles.

He turned into his dealership, glad to be distracted from thoughts of women. He had cars to prepare for shipping.

32             

Present day

It had been weeks since he discovered Lisa Rayburn and her evidence posse trying to root out the reason abused women were disappearing. Meddling cunt. He watched her—and her little band of followers. He didn’t know her well enough to be sure if the world would be better off without her, but his world would and that’s all that mattered.

After he’d found out they’d all taken up residence at Eric Schindler’s estate, he knew he’d have a difficult time singling out Lisa. But she represented the head of the snake—without her, the rest would shrivel and desist.

He’d been watching Schindler’s place for a few days when he noticed someone else staking it out. Sitting in an old Buick, the guy couldn’t have been part of security. Probably nothing to concern himself with, but he remained aware of the watcher’s comings and goings.

Danielle had been separated from her husband for nearly two years before the divorce. Eric was the first man she wanted in a long time. She knew there had to be another woman in his life. He hadn’t actually said he didn’t want to see her again, just said he didn’t want a relationship. In her experience, it all translated to another woman in the background.

Thursday afternoon she sat in her car, discreetly parked in a lot across from Kristy’s Classics. She could tell by the flurry of activity that they were getting ready to go to the auction. Two car carriers were being loaded with classic autos, most of them muscle cars. After all the cars were loaded, Eric drove off in his Delorean.

Danielle felt ridiculously adolescent following him to his house, but she had to know if he was in for the night, not on a date. Shortly after Eric pulled into his driveway, another car drove in behind him. In the beam from her headlights she saw the silhouettes of two women. Two women! Is he having a party? But he’d hardly be throwing a party the night before he leaves for the auction.

Danielle parked her car on a side street. Clutching a tiny flashlight she kept in her purse, she got out and crept along the edge of the heavy woods that extended behind Eric’s property. Darkness fell before five now, the visibility nil in the damp woods. Her imagination flickered back to the shadow she thought she’d seen when she drove by the other night. She shivered, progressing clumsily through the thicket of the woods.

Eric’s property was covered with mature pine and spruce trees, and the house backed up to a wooded area that spanned about a square mile. Prime real estate—he was a wealthy man. Her determination to snag him mounted.

Glad she’d worn dark clothing, but hoping not to ruin her new leather boots or snag her cashmere jacket on the thick, thorny undergrowth, she continued toward the house. Edging quietly onto a patio running along the north wall, she peeked into the side of a bay window and counted three people. Two women. Damn, which one could he be seeing? Both attractive women, one of them even reminded Danielle of herself, except for the dowdy figure. God, the woman must wear a size fourteen. Couldn’t be her, must be the tiny one with the short, curly hair.

Danielle, moving slowly in her narrow heels, stumbled her way back to the car, embarrassed at her behavior. Her mind reeled with possibilities, none of them attractive.

Hard as he tried to forget about the Peacock woman, Eddie had a difficult time letting it go. Even though common sense told him he was safe from detection, his curiosity about her drove him to distraction. But he’d be seeing Doreen tonight. Maybe an evening out would get his mind off things he’d rather forget.

At six, she called with an excuse about spending the evening with her daughter who needed a shoulder to cry on because her boyfriend dumped her. What was with kids today? They weren’t independent like his generation.

Now what to do with his evening? He had the bar staffed for the night in anticipation of his date. It had been a while since he’d seen a porno-flick; that usually cheered him up. He headed to the adult bookstore to get a video, then on a whim he got on the interstate and drove to the last place he’d seen Peacock.

He staked out the house he’d seen her and her friend drive into the week before after all the excitement at the Mexican restaurant. It wasn’t long before he saw her turn into the driveway in her little car.

After an hour Eddie thought he’d give it another thirty minutes then take off. An old woman walking a dog strolled past his car, giving him the stink eye. Nervous because of her obvious curiosity, he hunched down lower in the seat.

Twenty minutes later, no one had left the house. The hag with the ugly dog still hovered, the dog lifting its leg to anything standing still. Bored, Eddie drove away, looking forward to a quiet night in his recliner with a six-pack and porn. He’d have to think of another way to get info on the broad.

34             

When Eric called Danielle before he left, she read into it what she wanted, still believing in the possibility of a relationship with him, yet disturbed he hadn’t told her what he’d done the night before. What she’d seen in his house still bugged her.

Shopping, a favorite pastime on Friday nights, led her to the high-end boutiques, where she found a great dress for her next date with Eric, a date she was sure would occur as soon as he got back from Texas. But as she drove home on I-94 and passed the exit for Waukesha, she couldn’t resist driving past his house again. She noticed lights on; maybe he’d left them on for security. But no one left that many on. She told herself she wouldn’t go sneaking through the woods again; last night had creeped her out.

Disgusted with herself, but out of control, she parked on the side street again. She covered the same route to the window she’d peeked through the night before. When she looked in, her stomach lurched. The same people were gathered in the kitchen. They looked comfortable with one another, obviously making dinner. What the hell?