Page 86 of Sentinel's Kiss
Chapter 20
Sentinel woke himself up snoring and rolled over to find Ryder sitting in a chair watching him.
“Jesus Christ, no wonder Munson kicked you out. That’s fucking creepy. Get the hell out of my bedroom. I’m naked.”
“I’ve seen it. It’s not that impressive.” Ryder didn’t move. “You didn’t return my calls.”
“I was exhausted. I fell asleep. Unlike you, some of us do sleep. Don’t worry, it’s done.”
“You killed Stan?” She leaned forward eagerly.
“No, damn it. He was already gone by the time I got there. He was meeting Ashley around eleven.” He rolled over and pulled the covers over his head. “I’ll get him tonight. Go away.” However, Sentinel couldn’t get back to sleep, knowing Ryder was watching him. “What do you want?” he groaned into his pillow.
“Stan gave me the slip. He’s in the wind.”
That was like a shot of adrenaline. “Ashley?” He threw off the covers.
“She’s safe at the studio. Warden’s watching over her.”
“What time is it?” He rubbed his face. Maybe this was all some sick dream he was having.
“It’s about four in the afternoon.”
At least he got four hours of sleep. That drive back from Massachusetts had been brutal. He grunted and swung his legs out of bed. “How did he get away?”
“He found my cameras. He’s a little more paranoid than I gave him credit for. Look, just in case he’s still lurking around, can you bring Ashley home from the city with you and stick to her like glue for a few days? Just until I find him.”
“Sure. I’m not scheduled at the hospital until next week.” He slipped on his jeans, not bothering with underwear. “Are you all right?”
“Pissed.” She shook her head. “I underestimated him.”
“It’s my fault. I took too long with Lewis.” It had been brutal too. Sentinel had taken a long shower when he got home and he still didn’t feel clean. At least he hadn’t dreamed about it. Still, when he closed his eyes, he could see Lewis sitting in that chair.
“I caught the news. Housekeeping found him around lunchtime.”
“Damn it, I put the DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door.” He pulled on a shirt.
“How did you make it look like a suicide?” Ryder kicked his boots toward him.
“I didn’t. He had still been working as a janitor when Sarah died. He saw Stan sneak out of his cabin the night she was murdered.”
Ryder stood up and clutched his arm. “Those ten men lied?”
“Those ten men were staying at the same campsite, but in different cabins. Stan was in his own private cabin. They saw him go to bed. No one but Lewis saw him leave. Stan was back in his cabin before anyone woke up and they saw him come out for breakfast the next morning. His friends assumed he had been there the entire night. Only Lewis knew differently.”
“Lewis didn’t go to the police once he realized Stan’s wife was murdered?” Ryder’s grip on his arm was getting painful.
“No. The stupid son of a bitch tried to blackmail Stan.”
Ryder let go of him. “Fuck.”
“So Stan decides that instead of paying off the janitor, he would get his friends to teach him a lesson.”
“Sexual slavery is one hell of a lesson.”
“After Lewis escaped, his plan was to frame Stan for the murders. But there were so many men he wanted to get even with and so few of them who had pregnant wives or girlfriends. I think he was starting to lose his fire for it, so I gave him a choice.”
“What choice?”