Operation Xoxo

Elise braced herself for the day ahead, wondering if she’d get a moment to call Paul and Melissa for an update.

Gerri glared at her over the heads of the teens. “I’ll take this matter to the principal. Just you wait. We’re not through yet.”

Oh, goody. One more thing to worry about. As if she didn’t have enough on her mind with a death threat. She stared after Gerri Finch. Could the pushy mother be the one who’d sent her the letter? She certainly had access to the school. She volunteered on occasion and knew every teacher by name.

Elise made a mental note to talk to Paul about Gerri. In the meantime, she had a full day of teaching to get through before she could meet up with the FBI agents later that afternoon.

The day passed much like the others in her teaching job. With the added stress of the note, she fought to be patient with the teens. Every minor thing was a major problem to them. Drama, always drama. The “me” mentality wouldn’t let them see past their own little worlds to the bigger, harsher world outside Breuer, Texas.

On good days, Elise put herself in their shoes and tried to empathize, but today…not a chance. What to wear to the football game on Friday was the last thing she considered important.

How to survive a serial killer ranked just a bit higher on her list.

If the constant chatter wasn’t bad enough, Caesar Valdez was up to his usual tricks, as well, in her last class of the day. Her challenging class, as the seasoned teachers called it. The young man couldn’t sit still to save his life. After Elise had told him to return to his seat for the fourth time, she snapped.

“Caesar, I can’t teach when you’re interrupting the class constantly. Go to the principal’s office. You can spend the rest of the week in the Student Alternative Center.”

Caesar stood, puffed out his chest and said, “No.”

Elise blinked, surprised by his blatant refusal to do as he was told. “What do you mean by no?”

He shrugged, his lip curling into a sneer. “No.”

The bell chose that moment to ring, indicating the end of the longest day of Elise’s life.

While most of the students grabbed their books and raced for the door, Caesar stood his ground.

“That’s fine, Caesar. I’ll inform the principal of your behavior. She can deal with it.”

“Why don’t you deal with it?” He stepped forward until he was only two feet away from her.

Her personal space threatened, Elise refused to back down. “Just because you’re bigger than me, doesn’t mean you can push me around, Caesar. Back off.”

“You heard her, Caesar. Back off.” Kendall dropped her backpack on her desk and stepped up beside Elise.

“That’s right. We’re tired of you pushing people around.” Alex moved to stand on Elise’s other side.

Caesar’s brows rose at the united front. After a quick glance around at the room still full of his peers, Caesar’s glare returned. “You three don’t scare me. You can’t do anything to me.”

“Maybe they can’t, but I can.” Paul Fletcher stepped through the doorway and stood a good six inches taller than Caesar. His muscular chest was developed and solid. Not to mention, Paul was a trained federal agent and he looked like it, from the way he stood to the cold look he directed toward Caesar.

Elise let the breath out that she’d been holding. Glad for the interference, she knew she’d ultimately pay for not dealing with the problem herself. Now that Paul had stepped in, Caesar would find another time to test her and possibly Kendall and Alex. Not good.

Caesar stared at Paul as if weighing his options and then he shrugged. “I got better things to do.” He pushed past Paul and left the room.

“You okay?” Paul looked at her with a concerned frown.

With a half-dozen students still gawking, she squared her shoulders and nodded. “Yes. I’m fine. Just another day in the classroom.” She shot a glance at the teens still standing around, her eyebrows rising. “Don’t you have homes to go to?”

They ducked their heads and scurried out the door, except for Alex and Kendall.

“I can’t believe what Caesar tried to pull. Someone needs to take him down.” Kendall threw back her shoulders as if she’d like to be the one to do it—all five foot two of girl with attitude. “We’ve got enough going on around here without him playing the class jerk.”

Elise grabbed Kendall’s arm. “You be careful around him. He’s got a lot more bulk to him than you, and apparently he’s not afraid to throw it around.”

“He doesn’t scare us,” Alex said, standing as tall as his five-foot-four-inch frame would go. “I’m a black belt in tae kwon do.”

“Yeah, but he has eighty pounds on you,” Elise reminded him.

The teen’s eyes narrowed. “Doesn’t matter how big you are. What matters is how you use what you have.”

“Yeah,” Kendall added. “I took self-defense, too.” When Alex shot her a surprised look, she blushed. “My dad insisted.” Kendall’s brows rose. “It could happen to anybody. Look at that woman who disappeared last night. She was taken from her home right here in Breuer.”

The blood in Elise’s head rushed to her stomach and she swayed. “A woman disappeared?” She frowned at Kendall. “How did you know?”

“My dad works for the sheriff’s department.” Kendall laughed. “I guess the cop thing runs in the family.”

Elise’s gaze connected with Paul’s. “Did you know about this?”

Paul nodded, wishing he’d taken Melissa’s advice last night and called Elise as soon as he’d heard. “I got word about it last night.”

Elise’s face went from white to red. Instead of blasting him, she turned calmly toward the teens. “Kendall, Alex, did you need me for anything?”

“No, ma’am,” Kendall responded.

Kendall and Alex left Paul and Elise alone in the classroom with the door half-closed.

Paul braced himself.

As soon as the kids were out of earshot, Elise launched her attack. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“We don’t know whether or not the woman’s disappearance had anything to do with the note.” Paul knew his answer wouldn’t be good enough for her. She wanted to be in on every little detail, to stay on top of the threat to herself and her children.

“Still, I want to know what’s going on.” She paced across the classroom and back, only to stop directly in front of him. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. How could you? You know what it means to me. You know I’m scared.”

“Exactly. If I’d told you about the woman, you wouldn’t have slept a wink.”

“You think I slept last night?” She dropped her voice to just above a whisper. “I had nightmares about him all night. This morning, I swear I saw Stan in every face on the street. Is he or is he not dead?”

Paul sighed. “We don’t know with absolute certainty.”

“That’s not good enough, damn it.” Her eyes glazed with moisture and she stepped closer. “You don’t know what it’s like to look over your shoulder every second of the day. Or the hell you go through when you let your children out of your sight to go to school. To school, for heaven’s sake.” Her voice cracked and tears spilled over the edges of her eyelids and down her face. “Why didn’t you make sure he was dead then? If he is alive, what have I done to this town? What have I brought with me by moving here?”

“You haven’t brought anything. We don’t know if it’s your husband or someone playing a prank on you. You have to give us time.” He clasped her arms and stared down into her tear-streaked face.

“Time?” She looked up at him through hazy blue eyes. “Does that missing woman have time?”

A noise at the door drew Paul’s attention, saving him from answering truthfully.

Kendall stood there, her eyes wide, her hand hovering, as if to knock. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Her glance darted to Elise and then to the desk where her backpack lay. “I forgot something.”

“Get it,” Elise said through her teeth, turning her back to the girl.

Kendall dove for the backpack and almost made it out the door when Elise swung back.

“Kendall, wait.” She scrubbed her hand over her cheeks and frowned at the teen. “How much of our conversation did you overhear?”

The girl eased around. “Not much.” She didn’t look Elise in the eye when she responded. “I have to go.” She spun toward the door.

“Kendall.” Paul stepped in front of her. “How much did you hear?”

“Nothing I’ll repeat. I swear.” Kendall looked around Paul to Elise. “Alex and I like you, Ms. Johnson. You’re our favorite teacher. We’d never do or say anything that would hurt you.”

Elise stared at her for a long moment. “It’s very important that whatever you think you might have heard doesn’t go outside this room.”

The girl nodded, her eyes wide, scared. “I promise, it won’t.”

“Go home, Kendall.” Elise gave her a crooked smile, but the smile faded and she added, “And lock your doors.”

When the young lady had gone, Elise glanced up at Paul, a worried frown drawing her brows together. “If word gets out about my problem, I’ll be kicked out of this school so fast, I won’t know what hit my backside.”

“I don’t think the kid will rat on you.” Paul stared into her tearstained face. “Are you ready to leave?”

“Yes.” She glanced around the room one last time as if checking for stray students. “My boys will be home soon.”

But she didn’t move yet. “Maybe I should turn in my resignation now and save the school the worry.”

“Don’t borrow trouble, Elise. You’re a good teacher. You have a right to a life.”

“Yeah, so do the rest of the people of Breuer.” She looked up into his eyes, her face pale and pinched. “So did the woman who disappeared.”

What could he say to that? Paul fought the urge to pull Elise into his arms and shield her from all the ugliness the world had to offer.

After Elise slung her handbag over her shoulder, Paul hurried her out of the classroom and off campus.

“We’ll take my truck.” He waved toward a big, dark gray pickup parked in the visitors’ parking area.

“No, I’ll need my car.” When she tried to step around him and go to her car, he snagged her arm.

“That’s what I came here to talk to you about.” He held the passenger door open. “Before the boys get home, I have something to tell you and I don’t want you driving while I tell you.”

“You mean there’s more?” She closed her eyes, her face going dangerously pale.

“Yeah. Get in.” He all but lifted her into the seat and closed the door. When he’d climbed in beside her and had the door safely shut, he turned in his seat. “They found Lauren Pendley this afternoon. She was the missing woman.”

“Oh, God.” Elise pressed her fist to her lips, her blue eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. “Where?”

Paul wished he didn’t have to tell her. This woman had gone through so much already. He hesitated.

Elise laid her fist in her lap and her chin rose. “Just tell me.”

“They found her in the Guadalupe River bound with Ethernet cable.”

“Oh, God, oh, God.” Elise wrapped her arms around herself and rocked back and forth in her seat.

The woman had been strangled, tied with Ethernet cable and dumped, just like the women in the Dakota Strangler case.

“One other disturbing item to note…She went by Lauren, but her first name was Alice.”

Chapter Four

Elise’s eyes burned, tears held in check by the cold wash of fear snaking through her body, stiffening her limbs. “It’s him.”

“We don’t know that, but Mel and I will be working with the local sheriff’s department and city police to find the man responsible.”

“It’s him.” Her voice sounded hollow, even to her own ears. “He didn’t die in the fire.”

“That wasn’t his usual M.O.” Paul shifted into Drive and pulled out of school parking lot, careful not to hit loitering teens waiting for parents to get off work. “Stan didn’t care about first names. He chose smart women.”

True. Her grip on the armrest loosened slightly. She no longer believed in coincidence, not since the Dakota Strangler. She wouldn’t let herself. “But it’s too much of a coincidence. It has to be him.” And if it was him, even the kids at school could be in danger, especially the girls. Elise scrambled for the button to lower the window so that she could shout out a warning to the female students still loitering on school grounds. Her hands shook and the tears filling her eyes made it impossible to see. “How do I open the window?”

Paul brought the truck to a halt. He reached across her lap and laid a hand over her shaking one. “Alice, it’ll be all right.”

She jerked her face toward his, heat rising up her neck and into her cheeks. “Don’t call me that! Alice Klaus is dead as far as I’m concerned. She was stupid and deserved to die along with all the other women her husband killed.”

Paul grabbed her hand and kept her from lowering her window. “No. Alice didn’t die. You’re alive and kicking and living in Texas.”

“No, she’s not.” Her faith in herself had died a little more with each one of the women Stan murdered. How could this man think she was the same woman?

“Alice—Elise.” He turned her to face him. “You’re beautiful and smart enough to realize you aren’t to blame for what happened. Stan, and only Stan, was responsible.”

“How can you say that? I lived with the man. I should have stopped him. Now that maniac is out there. These kids could be in danger. I have to let them know.”

“You can’t, Elise. You’ll have an entire town up in arms and like you said, you’ll lose your job.”

Anger burned in her chest and she wanted to take it out on Paul, but she knew it wasn’t his fault. He’d been nothing but kind to her and her children when her world had shattered. Even back then, she remembered thinking how nice it would have been to be married to a man like Paul—a man who cared enough to protect them from harm.

The steam fizzled out of her and she slumped in her seat, pulling her hand free of his. Paul was a nice man. Stan was nice, too, when Elise married him. But people changed. She’d changed.

She stared out at the lingering teens. She wanted to warn them. Warn everyone that she was the plague. That a killer had followed her all the way to Texas. “It’s not right for me to keep this secret. So many could be at risk.”

“We can’t be certain that Stan did it. We don’t know if you or anyone around you is the real target. This could all be a fluke.”

“I don’t think so.” She shook her head and stared out at the stunted live oak trees, gnarled and twisted by weather. “But you’re right. I can’t leave. I used all my savings to move us to Texas. I don’t have any money left to keep running.”

“You can’t keep running.” Paul spoke in low, steady tones, his voice caressing her with a calm she couldn’t manage on her own.

She breathed in and out, willing her heart rate to slow. But then it cranked up again. “We don’t know where he’ll strike next.”

“If he strikes,” Paul said.

Elise stared out at the clear blue sky, mocking her dark thoughts. How could it be so bright and sunny when a killer stalked the streets? “We can’t let him hurt anyone else.” She sat up straighter, squaring her shoulders. Now wasn’t the time to go soft. She had to be strong. A glance at the clock made her blood race. “I won’t let him take my boys. Can you go a little faster, Agent Fletcher? Their bus will be there in less than five minutes.”

“Yes, ma’am.” A hint of a smile flashed on Paul’s face before he pulled out onto the street, focused on beating the traffic.

For the first couple of minutes, she remained silent, her thoughts churning over her options. She didn’t have the money to gather her belongings and move to another city. Her house wasn’t wired with a security system and she’d used the last of her meager savings to replace the air conditioner, a must in the blazing heat of a South Texas Indian summer. “Do you think the bank would loan me enough money to install a security system?”

“You don’t know until you ask.”

With a sigh, she forced herself to lean back in her seat. “How long does it take to install one?”

“Depends on the contractor.”

Elise snorted softly. “Maybe a gun would be the better investment. More immediate.”

“There’s usually a waiting period to purchase a gun.” He shot a glance at her. “Do you even know how to use one?”

“No.” Her lips twisted. “Actually, they scare me.”

“And you don’t want to risk your boys getting their hands on a loaded gun, and loaded is the only way a gun is of use to you.”

Hopelessness washed over her and she shook her head. “So what you’re telling me is that I’m basically defenseless in my own home.”

“Not quite. I have a proposition for you.”

Her gaze narrowed on Paul. “What do you mean, a proposition?”

He didn’t look at her, but kept his attention on navigating the turn into her driveway. “I could stay with you at night until we catch him.”

Elise’s heart fluttered and her hands grew cold and clammy. She hadn’t lived in the same house with a man since North Dakota. Heck, she hadn’t trusted herself with another man since.

The last time she’d been with Paul, he’d played with her children in the evacuation shelter. She’d been drawn to the sexy federal agent more than she wanted to admit, but chalked it up to vulnerability. Tall, blond and incredibly handsome, Paul remained hard to ignore. But that didn’t matter. She couldn’t get involved with anyone, not now or ever. “No. That’s not possible.”

Her voice quivered and her hands shook as she fumbled for her seat belt, the interior of the truck suddenly too closed in, the air thick with tension. The scent of Paul’s aftershave drifted beneath her defenses, making her think thoughts she hadn’t dared to in a very long time.

Before she could climb down, he was out and holding the door for her. He helped her down and held her arms in his hands. “Please reconsider, Elise.”

The big, yellow bus turned onto Highland Street, its brakes screeching as it came to a halt halfway down the block. The doors opened and a backpack flew off the bus, landing on the pavement. Luke leaped to the ground, laughing.

Brandon clambered down after him, his gaze shooting immediately to where Elise stood in Paul’s arms. His eyes narrowed and he grabbed Luke’s hand, hurrying him home.

“You should go.” Elise could see the storm brewing in Brandon’s eyes.

“Okay, but I’ll be back later.” He stared down into her eyes. “To stay.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Paul climbed into his truck, feeling like he was running away when every instinct told him to stay. He, too, had seen the look on Brandon’s young face. The little guy had been through enough, losing more than a father. Elise wanted to handle her children her own way. He’d give her the space.

For now.

At least until he could get back to the office and have a powwow with Mel. He hadn’t planned on staying with Elise, but he didn’t see any other way to protect her during the dark hours when most people slept.

He slid his cell phone open and speed-dialed the Kendall County Sheriff’s department. “This is Special Agent Fletcher. I’d like to speak to Sheriff Engel.”

He pulled into a church parking lot and waited while the operator made the transfer.

“This is the sheriff. What can I do for you, Agent Fletcher?”

“I’d like to meet with you concerning the woman found murdered.”

“This case isn’t in your jurisdiction, unless you’ve got something to share from the FBI?”

“I understand.” He’d known he’d have to dance around Elise’s connection, but he had to open the lines of communication with the men actually working the case. “We can discuss it in further detail when we meet.”

“How’s nine o’clock in the morning? The Denny’s in Breuer. I’m partial to their chicken-fried steak. Just don’t tell my wife I eat it for breakfast. She’s trying to get me on some danged low-fat diet.”

“Your secret’s safe with me.” Paul’s stomach rumbled at the mention of food. He hadn’t eaten since he’d grabbed a biscuit at the McDonald’s on his way to work that morning. “I’ll be there at nine. Thanks.” He clicked the end button and hit the speed-dial button for Agent Melissa Bradley.

“Hey, Fletcher,” Melissa answered on the first ring. “How did Alice take the news?”

“Elise. She insists we call her Elise. I just left her house.” His grip tightened on the phone. “She’s pretty shaken. Wants to buy a gun.”

“I would be, too.” Mel snorted. “Does she even know how to use one?”

“Not a clue.”

“Almost as scary a thought as a serial killer returned from the dead.”

“I’m not buying that it’s Stan. That house was in flames. If the fire didn’t get him, the smoke would have.”

“Yeah, but we didn’t find the body.” Mel’s voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “We can’t rule it out.”

“If he’s alive, he had to have been in a hospital for burns or smoke inhalation.”

“I’ll check with all the hospitals in the Riverton area around that time frame.”

“Good. And also check the hospitals farther down along the Red River. If Klaus did live, he could have ended up miles down river.”

“Hey, boss, here’s a chance for you to get to know Cain’s abilities. Want me to get him to help make the calls?”

Paul hesitated. On the one hand, Cain had been itching for a case with more meat. Then again, he still didn’t know how much he could trust Cain to keep his mouth shut. Paul had only been on the job for two months, not long enough to get a good feel for the other man’s capabilities or loyalties. Not to mention, Cain hadn’t been overly pleased with an outsider moving into his territory. “I don’t know what to think about Cain yet.”

“What? He hasn’t warmed up to the ol’ Fletcher charm yet?”

“No, the district coordinator warned me that some of the men had been up for the job I got. I wonder if he was one of them.”

“Sour grapes?”

“Could be. I don’t want him involved until I get a better feel for his work. Especially with Ali—Ms. Johnson’s need for confidentiality.”

“Gotcha. Mum’s the word around Cain.” Mel paused. “You want me to take lead on this one, boss?”

“No, I’ll take lead.”

“Not trying to overstep your authority to decide, but I just want to remind you that you’re the boss now. You’re supposed to delegate duties.”

“Point taken.” He grinned. “I’m still taking the lead.”

Melissa chuckled. “You got it. Do we need to assign protection to her?”

A twinge of guilt pinched his nerves, but he quickly shrugged it aside. “I’ve got that covered.”

“Going to use the local police force?”

Here goes. Explanation time. “No, I’m going to stay with her.” He braced himself for the onslaught of questions.

A long pause stretched from the other end of the line.

Paul heaved a sigh. “Go ahead, I know you’re holding back.”

“You sure you can handle that?” Mel asked. “Last time you were around her, you were pretty taken with her, serial killer husband and all.”

Damn, nothing escaped Mel’s notice. That’s what made her such a good agent. “I’m taken with all the ladies, you know that.”

“No, boss, this was different. You were really taken with her, not your usual love-’em-and-leave-’em style.”

Paul’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. Mel hit too close to home with her observation. He had felt something back then. He’d chalked it up to pity for the beautiful bride of the Dakota Strangler. Still, he wanted to be the one to see to Elise’s safety. “I was only doing what anyone would have done to help her through the trauma.”

Mel chuckled. “Yeah, right. Whatever you say, boss. And she’s agreed to this plan?”

Paul’s lips firmed into a straight line. “Not yet. But she will. I’m on my way to the Bexar County coroner’s office.”

“I’ll meet you there as soon as I get those calls started.”

“Good deal.” He slid the phone shut, tossed it into the cup holder and pressed his foot to the accelerator, shooting his truck out onto the narrow streets of Breuer. The coroner’s office in San Antonio only stayed open until five. He’d just make it if he hurried.