Kendra could see that, too. “Yes.”

“If I’m here, I’ll go for him. I won’t let him do stuff like that.”

“Let?” Sam repeated.

“Let.” She turned back to him. “Stop being an ass. Kendra would feel terrible if anything happened to you. I have to make sure it doesn’t.”

“I’ve taken care of myself for a number of years, Beth.”

“And you can take care of yourself for the rest of your life after we get rid of Colby. Until then, you belong to me.”

“Really?”

“Don’t smirk. This isn’t about you, it’s about Kendra and the fact that I pay my debts. I owe one to you, and though I’m not sure you deserve—” She stopped. “That’s not true. You deserve everything I can do for you. I don’t care whether you helped me because it was a challenge, it was my life. And you helped give it back to me. So shut up. It’s going to happen.”

Sam blinked. “I believe it is.”

Beth turned back to Kendra. “Don’t take chances. Don’t worry about us. I’ll be in touch every day, and I’ll make sure that he works until we get what you need.”

Kendra hesitated. Beth’s decision had come out of left field, and she wasn’t sure that she liked the idea of having her out of sight. Yet what else could she do? Beth was a grown woman and would do what she wanted to do. Give in gracefully. “Thank you. I’m sure you will.” She hugged her and turned to Sam. “And you take care of her, too, Sam.” She hugged him, and turned toward the door. “I’ll let you know what’s happening.”

“Do that,” Beth said absently, her gaze fixed on Sam. “’Bye, Kendra.”

Kendra paused at the front door, looking back at them. So different. Beautiful, intelligent Beth, who had been lost and was trying to find herself. Sam who was volatile, worldly, and lively and yet was discovering new things about himself because of the monster in their midst. How would they cope with each other in this forced proximity?

Not her problem. They would have to work it out for themselves. She had her own worries.

That monster in their midst was getting closer all the time.

*   *   *

BETH KEPT TO HER WORD. SHE CALLED Kendra early the next afternoon. “Everything’s fine here … I guess.”

“You guess?”

“I haven’t seen Sam for more than a few minutes since you left. He’s been closeted in that office except for trips down the hall to the bathroom and to the kitchen to grab a sandwich. I think he slept on the couch in the office.” She added sarcastically, “Or maybe hovering from the rafters like a bat over those blasted computers.”

“Regretting your decision to stay?”

“No. The reasons are still the same. I’m just facing the reality of Sam Zackoff. As long as I’m here, I’ll know he’s safe. And I’ve had time to look over those prison-visitors records, and I’ve narrowed it down to five possible.”

“Five?”

“Evidently, Colby attracted a lot of computer geeks. I don’t know why. Maybe they’re so removed from reality that they can’t differentiate between monsters and geniuses.”

“No one can deny that Colby is clever. Do you want to send them to me? I’ll help you do searches on all of them.”

“Let me try to pare it down a little more. I’ll get back to you. I’m sure that you have other things to do.”

“I’ve been working with Griffin and visiting the families of those victims and trying to get firm confirmations on those trophies. We’ve got two so far.” She added wearily, “It’s very painful, both for us and for them. They never forget, but the sight of those belongings just brings their loss home again.”

“But it may help Colby to be caught if you can just get law enforcement to admit he’s alive and go after him.”

“That’s what I tell them, but when the pain is there, it’s difficult to think of anything else. Oh well, we’ve got to do what we think is right.”

“It is right.”

“I know. It just seems as if I’m spinning my wheels. I feel as if Colby is out there watching … and waiting.”

“Waiting? Waiting for what?”

“I don’t know. What he’s been waiting for since he managed to escape that prison. My death? Absolutely. But he’s not ready for that yet. He’s planning something. That’s why he sent me that message.”

“You’ve done everything you can to protect Sam. This house is like Fort Knox.” Beth added with forced lightness, “And you’ve got me to keep an eye on him. So maybe Colby is just hunkered down somewhere and gnawing his nails with frustration. I’ll enjoy imagining him doing that.”

“Me, too,” Kendra said. “But send me those names as quick as you can. Okay?”

“You know it.” She paused. “You won’t change your mind about coming here? Much safer, and I could use the company. I’m not getting any from Sam.”

“No. I can’t hide away. Colby has to see me moving and coming after him. He has to feel as if there’s a chance of getting at me when he’s ready.”

“I don’t like the way you’re thinking.”

“It’s the way he taught me to think. I told you he was waiting. If I hide away, he’ll only burrow down until I surface. Or start killing again to force me out.” She changed the subject. “But it’s making me feel much better to know you and Sam are safe. Stay that way. Keep in touch.” She hung up.

Were they safe? Kendra wondered. Lord, she hoped they were. She had done everything she could think to do.

Now, like Colby, she had to wait, and see if that was enough.

*   *   *

“WOW, SAM. I’M DAZZLED. I DON’T know if it will work, but it looks as impressive as hell.”

Beth was staring at the array of monitors Sam had set up in Lynch’s study, tied to a pair of laptops and a stack of black boxes. “I’ve been wondering what you were doing in here for the past day.”

“Setting up. Making adjustments. Trying to find any computer out there that’s specifically trying to connect with the software that Colby planted in Kendra’s computer. If it just happens once, only once, it can lead us back to Colby. I’ve been busy.”

“And shutting me out.”

“Nothing personal. I’m just accustomed to working alone.” He glanced soberly at her. “But I appreciated the fact that you were here.”

“At your beck and call?”

“Why not?” He grinned. “Hey, what guy wouldn’t want to have a gorgeous woman to meet his every need? You shouldn’t complain. You’re the one who set it up.”

“Not every need,” she said dryly.

“Now you’re spoiling it. I was having fantasies of—”

“And those fantasies would last only as long as that agile brain of yours wasn’t occupied with those computers.” She looked around the office. “So tell me about your first and probably only real love.”

“Pretty special, huh.” Sam smiled proudly as he stepped back from his creation. “Yeah. If Colby makes contact again, I want to be ready.”

She looked at the large monitors. “When did you bring all this stuff in?”

“I didn’t, actually. I just brought in the laptops. I had them delivered and left on the doorstep.”

“That was what was in all those boxes?”

“Yeah, the rest was in the office closet. This guy Lynch must be a real techie.”

“You just helped yourself to his gear?”

“Sure, why not? Kendra told us to make ourselves at home.”

“Yes, she did,” Beth said warily. “And you certainly took her at her word.”

“Anyway, I’ll feel a lot safer in this place than I did the last time I reached out to Eric Colby.” Sam looked at the windows. “Check these out. Glass-clad polycarbonate, almost an inch thick.”

“Bulletproof?”

“And even bombproof, up to a point. I’ve done consulting work with foreign embassies that weren’t as secure as this place.”

“Who needs a house as secure as this?” Beth said.

“Someone who has really pissed off a lot of people.” Sam smiled. “My kind of guy. I hope I get a chance to meet him sometime.”

“When you do, you can explain to him why you appropriated about twenty thousand dollars’ worth of his gear.”