Kiss of a Killer Read online

  Jonathan sat in the kitchen with two police officers, staring at them across the table. Everyone else had left, and now it was his turn to be interrogated by Sweet Valley's finest.

  Detective Marsh ran his hand over his thinning hair as Officer Reyes flipped through his notes. "OK, Jonathan, let's go over this one more time," Reyes said, looking directly at him. "You left the living room just before the lights went out?"

  Jonathan kept his expression even and calm. "As the lights went out, is what I believe I said. I can't remember exactly where my feet were at the precise moment of the blackout." He was sure that Jessica's statement would back up his own.

  Officer Reyes flipped to another page of his notebook. "You say your parents are in Europe at this time, on business?"

  "For a few weeks," Jonathan replied, trying not to sound bored. He was getting tired of repeating the same information. "Would you like a cup of coffee, some wine perhaps?" he offered, pleased with the gracious tone of his voice. Although the kitchen was still quite bare, Jonathan had managed to find a stove and refrigerator that worked. It was enough to make the room appear functional.

  Officer Reyes's eyes narrowed. "We take underage drinking very seriously around here," he warned.

  Jonathan raised his hands and shook his head. "And I would never touch the stuff, but I found a bottle of old wine in an upstairs closet. The previous owners of this house probably left it behind."

  "Where are your parents right now?" Detective Marsh interjected.

  "In Germany," Jonathan replied evenly.

  "Where in Germany?" the detective asked.

  Jonathan ran his finger over his bottom lip. "I don't know exactly. They left the village of Mainz today and should be arriving in Kiel in a few hours. I'm sure they'll call me from there."

  Officer Reyes's eyebrows rose sharply. "You're saying you don't have a phone number to reach them?"

  Jonathan shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

  "What exactly is the nature of your parents' work in Europe?" Detective Marsh asked.

  Jonathan clenched his fists under the table, struggling to keep his temper under control. "I mentioned it earlier. My parents are musicologists, currently conducting research on a cache of music manuscripts that was recently discovered in an abandoned farmhouse in Germany."

  "We'd like to speak with your parents as soon as possible." Reyes snapped his notebook shut and turned to his colleague. Both officers seemed satisfied.

  "I'll tell them to call the police station as soon as I hear from them," Jonathan assured them.

  "You do that," Detective Marsh replied. "And remember, there's a ten o'clock curfew in effect until all this trouble is over. No more late-night parties."

  Jonathan bowed his head and looked up at the officers with an expression of sincerity. "Don't worry, sir. It'll never happen again. I promise."

  "See that it doesn't," Reyes added.

  After he'd walked the police officers to the front door, Jonathan shuffled through the huge, empty house, shutting off the lights. As he returned to the living room, he pulled down a green streamer dangling from the ceiling.

  A few colorful balloons still decorated the walls, although most of the party debris had been cleared away by Enid Rollins, one of his hopeless admirers. He chuckled as he recalled how difficult it had been to get rid of Enid that evening. The foolish girl had demanded the privilege of serving as his housemaid.

  Jonathan picked up the iron poker and crouched down before the fireplace. Slowly he began to stir the dying embers. It had been an interesting night, but he knew the time was quickly approaching when he'd have to leave Sweet Valley. Normally the thought wouldn't have bothered him at all. He made it a rule never to become attached to people, no matter how much they fawned over him.

  There was only one person keeping him in Sweet Valley. Thinking of Jessica, Jonathan hung his head and moaned aloud, the sound reverberating through the drafty room. How can I tear myself away from her? he agonized.

  Jessica Wakefield had managed to wedge herself into his life—and his heart—in a way no girl had in a long, long time. He tried to push away the image of her as she'd been that evening—beautiful, as always, and so sweet and willing. Jonathan glanced up at the portrait above the fireplace. Even in the shadows, the painted eyes seemed to be gazing down at him with scorn.

  I should have left this place days ago, he told himself. He crushed out the last of the fire, wishing he could do the same to the one that burned in his heart. All of a sudden a small, cunning voice in his head asked, But why leave her behind? Why not take Jessica away with me?

  "Sharing my life with Jessica," he whispered, tempted by the idea of having her at his side forever. Her beauty and vivaciousness could make his world bright again. Maybe he could find the joy he'd lost.

  Immediately he rose and threw the poker across the room. It banged into the plaster wall and landed with a loud thump on the hardwood floor. Jessica belongs right where she is, in her own world, Jonathan warned himself. And don't you forget it!

  Suddenly there was a soft, creaking step on the front porch. Jonathan jerked his head around, his body tense and his senses alert. His heart throbbed painfully as he waited.

  Someone knocked at the door. "Jonathan?" she called.

  "Jessica," he groaned, instantly recognizing the sweet, feminine voice. He held his breath and forced himself to remain still.

  She banged on the door again, louder.

  He clenched his fists at his sides, striving for control. Leave, Jessica, he thought, before it's too late!

  She banged again, thumping hard enough to rattle the walls. Jonathan smiled tenderly as he pictured Jessica standing on the other side of the door, trying to kick her way through to him. "What am I going to do with her?" he whispered, shaking his head.

  "Please let me in, Jonathan," she pleaded.

  Jonathan exhaled sharply, his hands trembling. His honorable intentions crumbled to dust. Cursing himself and his weakness, he rushed to answer the door.

  "It must've been horrible," Joey said, pulling Elizabeth into his arms. They were sitting side by side on the front steps of the Wakefields' split-level home, talking about what had happened at Jonathan's house that evening.

  "It was. Katrina's body was so horribly white—" Elizabeth shuddered. "And the police still don't know who's committing these horrible murders."

  Joey brushed his hand across the back of her neck and kissed the side of her head. "It's OK," he whispered comfortingly.

  Elizabeth looked into his emerald green eyes and sighed. She could just make out the outline of his sharp features in the dark. He really is gorgeous, she thought.

  "I was pretty angry at you for not asking me to go with you to the party," he admitted. "But considering how badly it turned out . . ." His voice trailed off as he lowered his lips to hers.

  Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to lose herself in Joey's kiss, but worry and confusion stalked through her thoughts. She suspected his presence was the reason Todd had stormed off in such a hurry.

  Joey pulled back and hooked his finger under her chin. "You're really upset, aren't you?" he asked gently.

  She nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "And I still have a feeling Jessica is in big trouble at this very minute, even though I'm sure she went home with Amy after the party." Elizabeth sighed and shook her head. "Maybe my twin radar is stuck."

  Joey dropped a brief kiss on her lips. "Did anyone ever tell you that you worry too much?"

  Elizabeth smiled sheepishly. "Only everyone."

  He chuckled softly and rose to his feet, pulling her up beside him. "I recommend a good night's sleep and hot, heavy dreams about me." He winked. "I'll call you tomorrow and you can tell me all about them."

  After Joey left, Elizabeth went inside and plunked herself down on the living room couch, determined to wait up for her sister. Their parents had gone out for the evening and wouldn't be back for hours.

  Elizabeth's gut kept flashing a warn
ing that her twin was in danger. But Jessica isn't in trouble, she mentally argued. Amy had been shaken up terribly by her cousin's murder, and Jessica had offered to stay with her for a while.

  Maybe I do worry too much, Elizabeth thought, doubting herself. But it sure feels like Jessica needs me right now.

  Chapter 3

  Jessica crossed her arms and glared impatiently at Jonathan. She'd been sitting on the dilapidated couch in his living room since she arrived, waiting for him to stop poking at the fire he was building in the fireplace. "Maybe I should have stayed at Amy's house," she complained.

  Jonathan glanced at her over his shoulder, his expression masked. "I agree."

  Jessica's eyes filled with tears. "A few hours ago I thought you really cared. I guess I was wrong." She took a deep, shaky breath and rose to her feet. "I'm leaving."

  "No!" Jonathan shouted. In the span of a heartbeat, he was by her side, pulling her into his arms. "Jessica, I love you so much, it hurts."

  She held him close, pressing her hands against his lean back. "Then why do you keep pushing me away?" she cried.

  Jonathan moaned as if he were in pain. "I push you away because I love you."

  "That doesn't make sense!" she snapped.

  Jonathan touched her lips with his finger, stilling her protests. "Maybe you're right," he replied. He traced a line over her chin, down her neck. A strange fire burned in his eyes, hotter than the one in the hearth. He combed his fingers through her hair and pushed it back from her face. "I do love you, Jessica," he said, lowering his lips to hers.

  As the kiss went on and on, Jessica felt herself being pulled into a hot whirlpool of sensations. She couldn't think straight, and her heart felt as if it were about to explode.

  Jonathan raised his head and looked into her eyes, capturing her with the intensity of his gaze. "I'm going to show you something wonderful," he promised.

  Jessica swallowed hard, suddenly terrified of his power over her. She finally understood with gut certainty that, whether she wanted to or not, she would never be able to escape Jonathan.

  "It's OK, my love," he murmured soothingly, as if he'd read her thoughts.

  Jessica trembled as he kissed her again. Closing her eyes, she drifted into a pool of sweet bliss. Her fears melted away like warm honey.

  His lips blazed a hot trail of kisses down her neck, nipping at her heated skin. "You belong to me, Jessica," he murmured, his voice thick with passion. "For these few moments, you will be mine."

  Jessica tilted her head in response, welcoming him. "Oh, yes," she murmured, her heart throbbing. "I want to belong to you forever, Jonathan." Her mind began spinning, and a sense of weightlessness came over her. She felt as if she were floating, fluttering on a breeze like a feather. A gust of cool wind whipped through her hair, taking her breath away. She was afraid, but incredibly excited.

  "Open your eyes," she heard Jonathan say.

  Jessica immediately obeyed. At first she saw nothing, as though she were soaring through a sea of blackness. The air smelled sweet and fresh, heavy with the salty scent of the ocean. As Jessica's eyes began to focus, she gasped. A million tiny lights sparkled below her. "Jonathan, what's happening?" she shrieked. She turned to him, and for a moment she found herself looking into the jet black eyes of a raven.

  Jessica opened her mouth to scream, but then the bird's eyes turned blue and she was looking into Jonathan's face.

  "Don't be afraid," he whispered.

  Lulled by his reassuring words, Jessica nodded. She looked around and saw that she was still sitting on his lap in the living room of the old mansion. But when she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, she felt as though she were resting her head in a pile of soft, downy feathers. The sensation of soaring through the night sky returned. Maybe I'm losing my mind, she told herself. But I don't care.

  "I love you, Jessica," Jonathan whispered, his soft breath tickling her ear. Then he was kissing her again, and Jessica felt as if she were falling out of the sky like a shooting star. In the next moment, she was aware of the damp ground under her back, her arms wrapped tightly around Jonathan and her heart ready to burst with happiness. The fragrance of wildflowers hung in the air, enveloping her in a cloud of sweet perfume.

  Jonathan brushed his lips across her face, dropping featherlight kisses on her eyelids, her chin, her neck. He gently teased the sensitive spot below her jaw, where her pulse was jumping wildly.

  Jessica's eyes filled with tears as her heart overflowed with tenderness and love. She wrapped her arms around Jonathan and turned her head, silently urging him to continue.

  Jonathan groaned and pressed harder, sucking hungrily at her neck. "Oh, yes," Jessica gasped, digging her fingers into the soft dirt at her sides. She felt as though hot syrup were pulsing through her veins.

  A sense of tingling delight began to flow through her. The pleasure grew slowly at first, then faster, until the whole world was spinning out of control. She could feel Jonathan's heart pounding as fast as her own. An incredible need blazed through her, engulfing her body, her mind, her very soul.

  "Jonathan," Jessica moaned softly, running her fingers through his dark silky hair. She hungrily kissed his neck, his ear, his lips. "I love you, Jonathan." Then everything went black.

  Elizabeth paced back and forth across the living room, pausing every now and then to gaze out the window. It was long past midnight, and she was growing more and more frantic as she waited for Jessica to come home.

  "I should have gone with her," Elizabeth mumbled, clenching her fists. She followed her path back to the window and absently pulled aside the edge of the curtain. Where are you, Jess? she wondered desperately.

  She glanced outside and gasped. The twins' black Jeep Wrangler was parked in the driveway. Elizabeth reeled back, as if she'd been splashed in the face with a bucket of ice water. The Jeep hadn't been there the last time she'd checked. This can't be, she thought.

  She ran upstairs to her sister's room and threw open the door. A Jessica-sized lump in the bed stirred. It just can't be her, Elizabeth's mind argued. She switched on the light. The "lump" had long blond hair and Jessica's face.

  A feeling of cold dread crept along Elizabeth's spine as she stared at her sleeping twin. How did Jessica get by me? she wondered. There was no logical explanation.

  "I don't worry too much," Elizabeth whispered, thinking of what Joey had said earlier. She was absolutely convinced that Jessica had been in terrible danger that night. And she still is, Elizabeth thought.

  Jessica felt as if she'd slept for a hundred years when she woke up the following day. Slowly she sat up in her bed and stretched. Her mind was in a fog, but a delicious warmth radiated through her whole body. She settled back against her pillow and sighed. "Jonathan," she whispered, smiling.

  She recalled the passion in his kisses, the strength of his arms around her. But some of the details of the previous evening seemed hazy, as if parts of her brain were shrouded in thick clouds. She couldn't even remember driving home. "I did go back to Jonathan's after I left Amy's house—didn't I?"

  As she struggled to piece together the puzzle of her memory, a few crazy images popped into her mind. Flying with a bird and landing in a field of wildflowers? she thought, giggling. Talk about wild dreams!

  From downstairs came the enticing aroma of breakfast—coffee, bacon, and pancakes. Jessica took a deep breath and grinned, positive that it was going to be a wonderful day.

  A few minutes later she plodded downstairs to the kitchen, where her twin and parents were already gathered at the butcher block table. "Good morning, everyone," Jessica chirped.

  Three pairs of somber eyes stared back at her. Jessica blinked, nonplussed. For a moment she couldn't understand what had put everyone in such a bad mood. Then she glanced at the front page of the Sweet Valley News, which was on the table, and scanned the headline: "Serial Killer Claims Third Victim—Teenage Visitor from San Francisco."

  How could I have forgotten that Amy's cou
sin was murdered last night? Jessica wondered, shaking her head. It seemed that the thrill of getting together with Jonathan had overshadowed everything else in her mind.

  "What a tragedy," she murmured as she sat down at the table. "Poor Amy. She was really upset last night." Jessica helped herself to two pancakes and some bacon, then impulsively added another pancake to her plate. "I'm starving this morning," she declared.

  "It certainly is a tragedy," her mother agreed emphatically. "I'm terribly disappointed in you girls for putting yourselves in danger."

  Jessica washed down a mouthful of food with a gulp of orange juice and looked up. "What do you mean?"

  "What I mean is this." Alice Wakefield firmly set down her coffee cup before continuing, obviously very upset. "My daughters went to a party last night, after curfew, and a girl was murdered there." Her voice began to tremble. "You should have known better. There's a serial killer on the loose. When I think what might have happened if—" Her voice broke on a sob.

  Ned Wakefield rubbed his wife's shoulder, then picked up where she'd left off. "The town curfew is for your own protection," he lectured. "That doesn't seem to be such a hard concept to understand, but apparently the kids of Sweet Valley just don't get it. Especially the guy who threw the party—what's his name?"

  "Jonathan Cain," Elizabeth murmured.

  Jonathan Cain, Jessica echoed in her mind. A warm tingle shimmied up and down her spine.

  "Jonathan Cain," her father spat, as if it were a foul word. "He exposed everyone to serious danger by deciding to ignore the curfew and have a party. Obviously he's either a troublemaker or just not very bright." Mr. Wakefield glared at Elizabeth and Jessica. "But that doesn't excuse the two of you," he continued. "You girls should have known better than to break curfew and go to that party. I'm holding you both entirely responsible for your actions."

  Jessica forced herself to maintain a somber expression, despite the fact that inside she was dancing for joy. Jonathan is mine at last, her mind sang.