The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but if she didn’t do what he said, he’d make her. He had too much at stake right now.
He stepped to the back door of the ceramics lab as a second and third siren joined the first and tried the knob. It was unlocked.
Just like it had been two afternoons ago. He’d almost gotten Jessica then, but she’d left the art room—presumably for a faculty meeting, judging by the announcement he’d heard—as he entered through this door. Forty minutes later, when the janitor came to clean, she still hadn’t returned. So Patrick had sneaked out the back door.
Yesterday, Sylvia had appeared out of nowhere right after school, and she and Jessica had driven away. He’d tried to follow them, but he’d gotten stuck in the crush of crazy teenage drivers in the back parking lot and lost her.
Today, he had a plan. While all the emergency personnel and concerned citizens headed north of town to fight the barn fire, he’d be heading south with Jessica.
He stepped into the pottery room and closed the door behind him. It stunk as bad as it had the other day. He’d hated it when Jessica came home smelling like dirt from that pottery studio she used to go to all the time in New York.
That had been one of the first changes he’d made to her routine. Getting her away from her job had taken a little longer because they had needed her income until he’d gotten the raise with his move to Seattle.
At the sound of voices in the adjoining art room, he froze and made sure he was out of sight. He recognized Jessica’s warm, alto tones. “This looks amazing, Savannah. You’ve got great spatial awareness and depth going on here.”
The other voice was softer and younger. “Do you really think so, Ms. Jessie?”
Ms. Jessie?
It irked him that she’d gone back to her art after all, but it didn’t surprise him. What did surprise him was that she wasn’t making the kids call her Mrs. Pendleton. Or maybe she’d gone back to her maiden name.
The blood pulsing through his body heated a few degrees.
“I don’t have to tend my brothers tomorrow. Is it okay if I stay after to paint?”
“You’re always welcome, Savannah. I’m sorry I had to leave early yesterday for my doctor appointment.”
Doctor appointment?So that’s where she disappeared to. But what was wrong with her? She wasn’t still having problems with her wrist, was she?
It took several seconds for Patrick to realize the student had left and the other room was quiet except for the rustle of papers.
Pasting on his most charming smile, he leaned against the door frame adjoining the two rooms. “Hello, Jessica. Did you miss me?”
Chapter 37
No. It can’t be.
Jessie dropped the water bottle she’d been drinking from and grabbed her desk. Her hands turned ice cold while her legs melted like hot rubber. How was that possible?
She stared at the man in the doorway.
The voice was Patrick’s but the man before her looked nothing like the suave, debonair charmer she’d married. The man she’d married wore nothing less than business casual, unless he was headed to the gym. Yet this man wore faded jeans and a rumpled hooded sweatshirt. Patrick hated hoodies. He thought they looked sloppy, and that only gang members dressed like that.
He also hated facial hair because it looked unprofessional. But the man slowly approaching Jessie had shaggy, unruly hair and a beard. A full beard and cold, hard eyes.
Jessie had seen many unpleasant emotions displayed in Patrick’s eyes before, but never any as deadly looking as what she saw there now.
Her racing heart caused her body to tremble, or maybe the trembling was from the sudden chill surrounding her. She stepped sideways, keeping the desk between her and Patrick.
“W-what are you doing here?” She grimaced inwardly at her stutter. “You’re not supposed to come within five hundred feet of me.”
Patrick held up his hands, palms forward in a pacifying motion. “Come on, honey. I just want to talk to you. Can’t we have a nice, civilized conversation?”
Right. It only stays civilized when it goes the way you want it to go.
Jessie didn’t for a second believe he’d come just to talk. Patrick always had an ulterior motive. Besides, the cold, menacing look in his eyes didn’t match the placating tone of his words.
Jessie’s gaze darted to the door, willing Emily to open it and say she needed to leave early today. Every nerve in her body screamed,Run!
