Rafe’s words hit home. PTSD was exactly what she was experiencing. It was real. But it wasn’t a good reason to reject what really was a good idea. It’s just a locket. Just silver. Just jewelry.
‘You’re right,’ Daisy agreed. ‘It was a dumb idea.’
‘No, it’s not dumb.’ Mercy was startled to hear her own voice. ‘It’s smart. It’s also a way to taunt Ephraim Burton if he’s watching. Maybe make him so angry that it lures him out, makes him do something rash.’
Rafe was shaking his head. ‘I don’t like that idea. At all.’
‘Neither do I,’ Mercy said, grateful that her voice didn’t tremble. ‘But he’s killed three people in the last twenty-four hours. Three people. At least two of them – the minivan lady at the airport and the college kid at the costume store – were killed as a direct result of his obsession with me.’ About the brothel madam, she had no idea. ‘I don’t know why he’s obsessed, other than I got away and he can’t handle it, but if this continues, more people could die. It costs me nothing to wear the locket.’
‘It costs you peace of mind,’ Rafe protested.
‘My peace of mind isn’t more important than the lives of innocent people who get in Ephraim’s way.’
Sniffling got her attention and she turned away from Rafe to see his mother wiping her eyes. ‘You’re a good person, Mercy.’
Mercy managed a small smile for the woman who’d given her comfort the night before. ‘Thank you.’ She drew a breath and exhaled carefully. ‘But I don’t need to wear Eileen’s locket. I brought mine with me.’ She met Gideon’s eyes. ‘And Mama’s.’
Gideon went very still. ‘You what?’
She nodded. ‘The locket was the only thing I had left of Mama and I didn’t think you deserved to have it, but I was wrong. So I brought it to give you.’
‘You didn’t have to bring them, Mercy,’ Gideon said quietly.
She sighed. ‘I know, but I’m tired of keeping things from you.’
He leaned across the table and gripped her hands. ‘Thank you. I was going to call John later today. Will you stay with me when I do?’
More sniffling from Irina had Mercy smiling again. ‘Of course.’
The table fell silent until Erin cleared her throat. ‘I have a question,’ she started, then stopped when her phone began to vibrate on the table. She checked the screen, then looked up at Rafe, troubled. ‘It’s Tiff.’
‘Please, take it,’ Rafe said.
With a nod, Erin excused herself and stepped into the hallway off the kitchen.
‘Who is Tiff?’ Mercy asked.
‘Our lieutenant’s clerk,’ Rafe said. ‘She’s the one who passed on the information about the murdered madam in Santa Rosa and the discovery of June Lindstrom’s body this morning. She promised to let us know if any more bodies were discovered.’
‘So more than three,’ Mercy murmured, and no one said a word to dispute her. No one said anything at all until Erin came back in, her expression drawn.
‘An elderly woman was found dead in her home north of the city, discovered by her grandson. She’d been shot in the chest twice. Bullet appears to be a .45, but we won’t know for certain until the ME does an autopsy and sends the bullet to Ballistics. Rigor had set in, so she’d been dead at least eight hours or so.’
‘She was the reason Burton didn’t want to use the golden gun on the college kid,’ Rafe said bitterly. ‘That’s why he broke her neck. Burton was carrying a gold-colored gun with a suppressor when he killed the young woman in the costume store – a gun he took from the Santa Rosa madam. He didn’t want to shoot the college kid and have the bullet match with the old woman.’
But the death didn’t make sense. None of them did, and tears burned at Mercy’s throat. ‘Why did he kill an old woman?’
‘It appears he slept there,’ Erin said gently. ‘The bed was unmade and the shower had been used. They’ll dust for prints and screen the drains for any hair he might have lost. It’s being handled by the sheriff’s department right now. I’m assuming the FBI will take over at some point.’
Gideon had slumped in his chair. ‘We need to find this bastard, and soon.’
Mercy squared her shoulders. This was the reason she’d come back. ‘I can be bait. Use me.’
Two loud nos had her flinching. Gideon was halfway out of his chair, leaning on the table to get closer to her. Rafe had lurched to his feet, standing taller with a white-knuckled grip around the handle of the brand-new cane that his father had made for him that morning.
‘I won’t let you be bait,’ Rafe gritted through clenched teeth.
‘No way in hell,’ Gideon added.
Farrah looked stunned. ‘Mercy, please. Let’s think this through.’
Mercy ignored Rafe and Gideon, turning to Farrah with a tired smile. ‘I have. I knew when I came back that I’d have some role in finding Eden. This is it. Erin? What do you think?’
Erin hesitated, then nodded. ‘I think we can make it work, but only if my boss and Gideon’s boss agree and only if they provide a lot of backup.’
‘Erin,’ Rafe growled.
Erin didn’t drop her gaze, meeting Rafe’s eyes directly. ‘Rafe. This can’t go on. He’s murdering innocent people all over the damn place.’
‘No.’ Gideon was shaking his head vehemently. ‘I won’t have it.’
Mercy felt surprisingly calm. ‘I didn’t ask your permission. Erin, what do you need me to do?’
‘Nothing for now. Get a little rest?’ Erin glanced up at Gideon, who was glowering. ‘If we do nothing, he’ll get her, Gideon. He’s obsessed. He won’t give up. And we can’t maintain this level of security forever, short of WITSEC. Sooner or later something’s gonna slip, and she’ll be unprotected. That’s when he’ll strike, if we don’t take care of him first. If the powers that be agree, we will set this up so that Mercy has complete coverage.’
‘I’m still here,’ Mercy said, ignoring the glares coming from her brother and her . . . She faltered, not sure what Rafe was. Her friend, she decided. That word was perfect for now. ‘Gideon, this isn’t your call. Nor yours, Rafe. It’s my decision and I’m deciding to say yes.’
The doorbell rang at that moment and Irina rushed away to answer it, but paused in the doorway to give Mercy a thumbs-up. ‘Brave,’ she said.
I hope so. I sure hope so.