Cold Death Mary Stone (most read books TXT) 📖

who lacked self-control into a strong, disciplined young man.” She pressed a palm to her impressive bosom and heaved a theatrical sigh.

“I do remember those days fondly. I credit you, in large part, for the man I am today, and my accomplishments over the years.”

At my compliment, she arched her back and all but purred. “Let me have a better look at you.” The slow circle she prowled around me was so reminiscent of one of our secret academy sessions that nostalgia filled my mouth like warm honey. “My my, did you make a deal with the devil? Because time has been ever so gracious to you. Quite a transformation, bravo.”

Her fingernails grazed my neck as she circled. The touch roused unwanted feelings that forced me to call on my hard-earned reserves of self-control. “And you look almost exactly the same.”

“What a lovely falsehood.” Her coquettish smile hinted otherwise.

I went utterly still. “I neglected to ask, how were you so sure it was me when I answered the door? Since, as you mentioned, I did undergo a rather extreme transformation.”

“Love, I’d recognize you no matter how much you altered your appearance. Did you forget what I always used to say? Like calls to like.”

Perhaps the realization that Letitia was the only person who’d recognized me despite my extensive plastic surgery should have come as no surprise, but it did. In all my moments of reminiscing, I’d never once bothered to speculate over whether or not the eerie power this woman wielded over me would remain intact decades later. Like a dormant volcano poised to erupt.

This wouldn’t do.

I stepped away and faced her squarely. “Why are you really here?”

She pouted, and when that didn’t yield the desired effect, sighed. “I came to tell you that you should turn yourself in.”

After the initial shock of recognizing her on my porch, I’d predicted she wouldn’t catch me by surprise again. I’d predicted wrong. “Is this your idea of a joke? If so, might I suggest you search for new material? Because the punchline on this one didn’t quite hit.”

Her eyes turned glacial. “Don’t get smart with me. You’re the one who’s acted like an utter dolt. Really, how could you be so stupid? Leading an officer to me like that? After everything I’ve done for you?”

My vision narrowed on her face. “I see. So, this visit is merely because I’m inconveniencing you?”

“Of course not! I already told you that I missed you so very much. More than you could possibly know.” She peered at me from beneath her lashes, but I wasn’t a green adolescent anymore. I saw right through her tricks.

She kept at them, though. Like I was the same little boy from the academy. A lump of clay ready for her to mold.

“My darling boy, I just want you to be safe. If you turn yourself in, at least I’ll know the police won’t show up on your porch one day, firing guns into your windows.”

The rage built in my veins and acted like antivenom, flushing her poison from my blood. “And then poor, mistreated Letitia could go back to getting her hair done without fear of the big, bad cop ruining her relaxing outing, is that it?” A muscle throbbed in my jaw, but years of practicing self-control rendered my voice calm. Pleasant. “And why would the cops show up on my porch? Not because you’d tell them where I lived, I hope?”

Perhaps like truly did call to like, though, because Letitia seemed to sense my fury. Alarm flickered across her beautiful face before she launched herself into my arms.

I stood like a statue, not moving as her hands roved over my shoulders, my back, my sides, and those sweet, lying lips blew warm air in my ear and whispered seductively. “You know I only ever want the best for you. Let me help you again, the way I did so many times in the past. Without me, you’d still be a shadow of a man, but look at you now. So strong and powerful. I promise not to steer you wrong.”

She plastered her bosom to my chest as she blabbered on while I came to a painful realization. In her eyes, nothing had changed. This was no different than that night all those years ago when the boys were locked out in the cold. When we’d woken to the news that our punishment had misfired, gone so much further than we’d intended.

“I still need you.” Her hand moved down my chest. “We need each other, now more than ever. We’ll keep each other safe, just like we always have.”

The words she whispered echoed the ones she’d said that morning.

With a pang of sorrow, I understood now what I’d been too immature, too naïve to comprehend back then.

Letitia wasn’t the woman I’d believed her to be. She never had been.

As a lonely, weak boy, I’d bestowed upon her attributes that simply didn’t exist, turning an ordinary woman into a figment of my imagination. A superhero, so to speak.

Gazing upon her with a man’s eyes, all those fictitious embellishments fell away. She was a beautiful woman, but nothing special. No better, in fact, than Helen Kline.

My hands were gentle as I pushed her away so I could gaze into her eyes. I swept a loose strand of platinum hair behind her ear. “Sweet Letitia, thank you for being there when I needed you.”

I basked in the light of her radiant smile for several heartbeats before I snapped her neck.

She collapsed to the floor, and without another glance, I stepped over her dead body and returned to the dining table.

Such a nice surprise I found there.

The plate that waited in front of my empty chair contained the entire sandwich.

30

This late in the day, even the lilting strains of the Mozart symphony spilling through the SUV’s speakers made Clay’s skull pound, especially when combined with the tick-tick of the turn signal as he waited for the stoplight to change.

With an irritated jab