"Well, recently, you’ve been coming a lot," she teases and squeezes me tight. "‘Start spreading the news, I’m leaving today,’" Kels begins singing softly.

Oh, what the hell, at least it’s not a Kermit song. "‘I want to be a part of it – New York, New York.’" I can sing too.

My Little Roo is waking up a bit more. Her voice gets stronger, "‘These vagabond shoes, are longing to stray.’"

"‘Right through the very heart of it - New York, New York,’" I continue. We both join in on the next section, struggling to keep from dissolving into laughter. "‘I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep. And find I’m king of the hill - top of the heap.’"

Okay, we’re losing it now. Somehow one of us manages to sing at least one of the words in the next section, making for a very broken harmony, but a very good time. "‘These little town blues, are melting away. I’m gonna make a brand new start of it - in old New York. If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere. It’s up to you - New York, New York.’"

I nearly die when I hear applause coming from outside our bedroom door. "Encore!" Mama calls.

Kelsey groans and collapses against me once more. "Welcome to the family, darlin’," I whisper. "It doesn’t get any better than this."

"No, it doesn’t, Harper; no, it doesn’t."


* * *

Mama announces through the bedroom door that if we have enough strength to sing, we have enough strength to come down for lunch. Even though it means giving up my spot on my new mattress, I agree and nudge Harper into agreeing as well. However, we do make it clear a shower is required first.

Right when she is about to join me, Mama actually sticks her head in the bathroom causing poor Harper to nearly go through the roof. Mercifully, I am already safe in the shower, hidden by the opaque shower curtain. I stand under the warm water and snicker at her distress.

"Harper, there is a phone call for you from Los Angeles, a Detective Brice. He’s says it’s urgent." She exits, much to Harper’s relief.

I stick my head out of the shower. "Why would Bear be calling you here, Tabloid?"

"Dunno." She shrugs, pulling on a robe. "I’m sure it’s nothing, Kels. You finish your shower and I’ll see what he wants. My poker check probably bounced, that’s all." She laughs, trying to hide the anxiety in her voice.

"Yeah, right. I’m coming with you." I get out, toweling off quickly and throwing on a robe in order to follow her to our room. I lean against the doorframe, while she takes a seat on the bed, picking up the extension.

"Yeah, Mama, I got it. Thanks. Hey Bear, what’s up?"

Harper smiles at me as she listens to him. I know that smile. That’s the ‘Oh, this is bad, but I can’t let Kels know it’ smile. I don’t intend to tell her I’ve figured that one out. It’s way too useful.

"Yeah, I understand." She swallows hard. "We’ll be back in L.A. tomorrow. Bear, Kels and I are thinking of making a move to New York. That should stop him, right?"

I knew it. This has something to do with my stalker.

"Hmm. Just as soon as we can." She extends her hand to me. When I take it, she pulls me down on the bed next to her, holding me so close I’m in danger of becoming part of her. "All right, I’ll tell her. Keep me posted." She drops the receiver back onto the cradle then her other arm wraps around me. Her reaction is worrying me more than anything else.

"What?" I can barely whisper it.

"I don’t know where to start, Kels. It’s bad news all the way around."

"Just tell me."

"There’s been another murder."

"Oh God!" I feel sick. She holds me close. I know I’m shaking now. How can the sick bastard do this? These girls, they’re dying because they look like me.

"They," she pauses, then tries again, "they found this one in Santa Monica, locked in the trunk of a car."

"The trunk of a car?" I pull back a bit. "Harper, that’s different from anything he’s ever done before. Are they sure it’s him?"

"Yeah, I’m afraid so, Kels." She pauses again. I don’t like this at all. "It was your car."

"What?"

"He stole your car from your apartment’s garage. Then he apparently put the body in the trunk, drove it to Santa Monica, and set it on fire."

I’m going to be sick now. I promptly head to the bathroom and close the door behind me.


* * *

Harper’s family must be wondering what in the hell she has gotten herself into. She decided since Bear called here, we need to give the latest news to her family. She knows Mama is not going to let us out of the house without an explanation.

"We could lie to them and tell them it was for a story," I offer quietly, tying the laces on my sneakers.

"Have you figured out nothing, Little Roo?" She kneels in front of me, smiling and trying to bring me out of my funk. "You don’t try to lie to Mama because she’ll catch you every time."

"Harper, when you tell them this, they are going to demand…"

"That we do whatever is necessary to keep you safe, and an explanation about why they weren’t told sooner. They love you, Kels, get used to it." She leans in, giving me a very gentle kiss. Staying with me after, our foreheads touching, she continues, "We’ll get through this together."

"He wants me, Harper."

"He can’t have you, Kelsey. I got dibs." She grins a little. She’s not making light of the situation, she’s just being supportive. It’s a wonderful feeling to know I’m not alone, because I’m scared as hell. "But, right now, we need to go fill in my family. My brothers are already downstairs. Papa called them the moment Mama told him there was a problem. Never accuse the Kingsleys of waiting until the last minute to get involved."

"Wouldn’t think of it." I try to smile, for her at least. I know I don’t feel like smiling.

I’ve lost track of how many women have died because they look like me. And he’s taken further action by stealing my car. Not that the car means anything, but, my God, he was that close to my home. Hell, for all I know he was stealing the damn thing while I was on the phone with Erik.

I need to call Erik and warn him. "Erik…," I whisper as we head down the steps. "I need to call Erik."

"Honey, Erik is fine. Bear went up to check on the condo after they found your car. He talked to Erik and filled him in. He’s okay."

"Thank God." I’d never forgive myself if something happened to him because of me.

We make our way into the kitchen. Mama immediately guides me to the table, placing a cup of tea in front of me, then places a kiss on my temple as her hand strokes through my hair. "Are you all right, ma petite?"

"I’m fine, Mama. Thank you."

She settles down next to me, never releasing my hand, listening intently as Harper stands behind me, filling everyone in on what’s going on. I block it out. I can’t listen to it again.

"I don’t see why you cannot simply stay here until this monster is caught," Mama says, bringing me back into the conversation. "Kelsey would most certainly be safe in this house."

"We can’t hide, Mama," Harper sighs, her hands massaging my shoulders.

Papa nods. "That’s the problem: once you start running, you never stop. Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be extremely cautious. This one has plans, that’s for sure."

"Do you have police protection arranged?" Robie asks.

"Ever since they found the fibers, yes. One of my buddies is on the LAPD, and we have the head of the Threat Management Unit working on the case too. We just don’t have protection while we’re on the road. He doesn’t seem to follow us on our stories. He’s local and staying local."

"Makes sense, from his point of view," Jean mutters.

"It makes no sense at all," Mama disagrees. "Comin’ after this little one makes no sense at all." I feel her hand making broad strokes across my back. It’s very soothing. My own mother never touched me like this.

"Is the FBI involved?" Gerrard inquires.

"They are. But, we’ve never talked to them," Harper explains, taking a seat next to me and wrapping her arms around me. God, it feels good to be able to sink into her arms without worrying what the people around us are thinking.

"Why not?" Mama is indignant.

"The link between my stalker and the killer was only recently made," I tell her, trying to get involved, instead of sitting here like an idiot.

"Gerrard, can’t you do something?" Mama is almost acrimonious toward him with her request. I have to chuckle a little into Harper’s shoulder. That’s what he gets for being a judge.

"I will, Mama. I have some friends in the Bureau. I’ll give them a call and find out what I can." Gerrard excuses himself from the table and goes into the living room to make the phone call.

"I’d like to see him come down here and try something." Robie leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. "He’d have to go through every one of us to get to Kelsey then."

"Robie, don’t go all macho Cajun on me," Harper tells him. "This is one scary psycho and I don’t want any of us near him. For any reason."

"He knows I’ll come back to LA eventually. He doesn’t need to go anywhere. He can do it at his time on his own terms." I shake my head to help the shiver pass that runs down my spine at the mere thought of what he has in store for me.

Harper’s hold on me increases and she places a soft kiss to my hair. "Sweetheart, nothing bad is going to happen to you, I swear it. They’re gonna catch this sick son-of-a-bitch and lock him away for ever and ever."

"Amen," Mama intones. Guess Harper’s swearing is okay in this context.