At Risk Read Online Free PDF Page B

wasn’t thinking clearly last night.”
    “You told me that Rafferty just got out of jail. What was he in for?”
    “Assault and attempted murder.” Even in California, a world away, Liz had heard the story. Her sister had sent a clipping from the
Delaware State News
. Headlines had read “Local Waterman Convicted in Four-Day Trial.”
    “I think I remember that one,” Michael said. “A dispute over crab traps, wasn’t it?”
    She nodded.
    “Rafferty. Rafferty.” Michael looked thoughtful. “Wasn’t he involved in a drug-running operation on the bay? Something about picking up shipments of cocaine from Colombian vessels off the coast and—”
    “That was George, Jack’s brother.”
    “No, I’m certain it was two of them. And I think a Rafferty boat was confiscated.”
    “George was convicted. The drug charges against Jack were dropped.”
    “That doesn’t mean he’s innocent.” Michael took a sip of coffee and shrugged. “It means the D.A. didn’t think he had enough evidence to convict. Jack’s conviction on the assault and attempted murder proves he’s capable of violence.”
    “He’s a waterman, Michael. They take robbing traps seriously.”
    “Dead seriously, apparently. Don’t make excuses for him. He’s gone to a lot of trouble to cast blame on Tracy’s boyfriend. You’re in deep water, Elizabeth.”
    “But why would Jack want to kill Tracy? And why do it here, at the school?”
    “Don’t put words in my mouth. There were no prints found in your office. We’re not dealing with a stupid criminal. Most of them are idiots. But not this one.”
    Liz forced herself to speak lightly. “Now you’re jumping to conclusions, aren’t you? You said
he
. How do we know Tracy’s murderer wasn’t a woman?”
    “If she was, she would have had to be an unusually powerful female. A wound such as Tracy suffered was delivered from behind, one quick slash. And from the angle of the cut, her assailant would have had to be close to six feet tall.”
    The coffee lost its flavor, and Liz placed the cup on Michael’s desk. “How concerned should we be that the killer may be on the prowl for another victim?”
    “There’s no way to tell. Until he’s safely behind bars, we have to assume that any woman could be the killer’s next target.” Michael shut down his laptop and closed the cover. “Could you take a few weeks off, fly to Dublin, and spend time with Katie?”
    For a few seconds Liz considered the possibility. Seeing her daughter would be a joy. Getting away from all this would be heaven. “No, it’s not possible.” She shook her head. “Too close to end of term. I have a commitment to my students.”
    “Think about it.”
    “Why would I? There’s no logical reason to think I’m in any danger. And if I leave, I may not have a job to come back to.”
    “I thought that was what you’d say. If you won’t go, the least you can do is to take steps to protect yourself. Let me teach you to use a gun. I saw just what you need at the gun shop, a K-22 Smith & Wesson Revolver. Minimal noise and minimal recoil, with the same weight and feel as a .38.”
    “Absolutely not.” Liz shuddered. “You know how I hate handguns.”
    “Is it easier to see yourself lying on the floor in a pool of your own blood? Tracy Fleming never had a chance against her killer.”
    “I’ll think about it,” she agreed reluctantly, “but I warn you, I’m a tough sell.”
    “Think hard, Elizabeth. It might be the most important decision you ever make.”
    “They found the murder weapon,” Cameron said, taking the chair across from Liz’s in the cafeteria. “It was right there under the body.”
    Liz looked up from her untouched lunch tray. “The weapon? Where? I didn’t see—”
    “Under Tracy’s body.” Cameron sniffed his egg salad sandwich, took a bite, and chewed with gusto.
    Liz glanced away, wondering why she’d ever been even remotely attracted to the jerk. Too long without getting laid,