"The rent was paid. Why would he care?"

She hesitated for a moment before she opened the door. What little affection she'd felt for the apartment had gone. Nathan stood behind her and slid his arms around her waist.

"Is all this furniture yours? Do I need to hire a truck?"

"It's mine, but you don't need to hire a truck. I just want my clothes, books and personal things. Why don't you go and check your mail at your office and come back for me."

"I don't want to leave you."

"I'll be fine. Jack's locked up in Ashlands. I'll go see my neighbor. When you pick me up, we can go by the store and get something other than beer for your refrigerator."

"Sure?"

Kate nodded. "Sorting through my clothes isn't going to be very interesting. If I'm not here when you get back, I'll be next door with Jeannie." He took hold of her face and kissed her. A quick kiss turned into a moment of deeper passion. Nathan rested his forehead against hers.

"I'd only intended to give you a soft, quick kiss, but you're too tempting," he whispered. "You're sweet and sexy, brave and fragile all at the same time and despite everything that's happened you can still laugh and make me laugh. I don't want to go." He kissed her again.

Kate didn't want him to go either, but she knew she'd be quicker doing this alone and she didn't want to be owned by fear.

"Right-before I go, give me your hand and a pen," Nathan said.

"Why?"

"Because I want to make sure you have the number of my other cell phone."

"You're going to write it on my hand?" Kate laughed.

"I don't want you getting lost."

She let him write on her palm and when she looked, the air whooshed out of her lungs. As well as the number, he'd put "I" then a little heart shape followed by a "U". One last kiss and he left.

Kate closed the door and leaned on it. Did he love her? Could it happen that fast? She thought she loved him. She knew she needed him. Nathan made her strong. So was it love or need? Both? When he smiled at her, it made her heart do strange things. Even standing near him made her feel good.

But her life was a mess. No job, no money, and pregnant by a man they despised. Nathan didn't know about the baby and he had his own ghosts to deal with. Kate clung to a tree in raging floodwater knowing any moment she could get swept away. But she wanted Nathan. He was more than she'd ever dreamed of, better than any hero in a book, better than any movie star she'd imagined by her side. Kate felt alive when she was with him.

She went into the bedroom. Her clothes had been piled on the bed. Fingerprint dust lay on every surface. Kate would have liked to walk away from it all but she couldn't. She had no money for new things.

When the knock came later Kate ran to answer it, thinking it must be Nathan.

It wasn't.

She sprang back from the peep-hole, her heart thudding. She'd never seen this gray-haired guy before but she knew who it was. He looked like an older version of his son. He knocked again and she opened the door with the chain in place.

"Kate? I'm Don Thompson. Jack's father." He smiled through the gap.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I spoke with your building superintendent. May I come in?"

"Why?"

"I think we should talk."

"Kate? Is that you?" Jeannie had come up by his side.

Kate opened the door and stepped into the hall. Jeannie wrapped her arms around her. "Oh, it's good to see you. I was so worried." Over Jeannie's shoulder, she saw Jack's father staring at her as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Jeannie held Kate at arm's length and looked at her face. "You're too thin." Her gaze fell to Kate's hand. "You're married?"

"To my son," Don said.

Kate didn't think he sounded happy about it.

"That's wonderful. Come and tell me everything."

"Perhaps another time. I have something I need to discuss with my daughter-in-law."

"Of course. I'm sorry. I'll speak to you later," Jeannie said, looking hurt.

They watched her shuffle back to her door.

Don waited. "May I come in?" He smiled.

Kate stepped aside.

"Nathan here?" Don asked as he looked around.

"No."

"Expecting him?"

Kate hesitated. "Yes. Soon." She wondered if she should have waited until Nathan came back before she spoke to Don Thompson.

He turned to face her. "Your wedding photo didn't do you justice. I hardly recognize you."

His smile had changed. Something's wrong.

"I needed to speak to you because I wanted to be sure you knew what you were doing."

Kate moved farther into the room. "What am I doing?"

"Leaving your husband without trying to make your marriage work, giving up at the first hurdle."

Oh, that's why his smile changed. Kate sighed. "This isn't the first hurdle."

"I want to explain-"

"There's nothing to explain. It was never-" Don's brow furrowed and he raised his voice. "Please hear me out." He dragged his fingers through his hair. "Sorry. This is just such a mess. Please sit down."

He patted the cushion next to him but Kate leaned against the kitchen counter.

"I know Jack can be...difficult. After his mother was murdered, he disintegrated. I tried my best, but I couldn't even buy him the help he needed.

He's flitted from job to job, from woman to woman without any idea his actions were irresponsible. But he's my son. My only son. When you have your child, you'll understand that no matter what your offspring might do, it's impossible to stop loving them. You always hope things will get better." Kate swallowed. Her child wouldn't be like Jack. She wouldn't let that happen.

Don didn't know what Jack was like.

"I'm a rich man, Kate. When I die, I want my money to stay in the family. I'd like to use it now to support you and my grandchild. I'll build you a house. Find you a job, if you want one. I'll pay for your vacations. Your child can go to the best schools."

Kate's heart raced. When he found out she'd be testifying against his son, would he even speak to her again? He wanted to tie her up and control her, just like Jack, only his ropes and knives were money and mortgage payments.

"I don't know what Jack told you about how we met, but I doubt it was the truth," Kate said in a quiet voice. "He raped me when I was sixteen. When he found me again, he took me from this apartment. He hurt me." Did he believe her? His face was a mask. Her voice rose. "He carved his name on my back with a knife. He handcuffed me to a pipe in a burning house and swallowed the key to the cuffs."

Don's eyebrows rose. "I had no idea."

Kate knew she was hurting him, but he had to know the truth. "He killed an old man who tried to help me. He...he stabbed him. He tried to kill Nathan." Kate took a deep breath. "And I think he killed his mother and brother." Don remained quiet and Kate wondered if she'd gone too far.

"What makes you think Jack killed my wife and son?"

"Because Jack wanted his mother to himself. He hid Steven's body so there'd always be the suspicion his brother was the one responsible. Then he stabbed himself and jumped in the lake, maybe wanting to die, maybe knowing you'd come back and find him."

"Dear God." Don stared at her for a moment and then got to his feet and walked over to look out of the window.

"I'm sorry for-" Kate broke off and her shoulders dropped.

Don turned away and picked up the same framed photograph of her parents Jack had looked at. He glanced at her and then back at the picture. He stared at it so intently she wondered what he was doing.

"I think I've figured out the game Jack's been playing. I need to show you something back at my house. The link between you and him. Then you can decide what to do."

"I'm waiting for Nathan."

"We won't be long. No more than an hour. I feel terrible about what Jack has done. It's partly my fault. I should have seen-Kate, please let me help you. This is going to be a difficult few months for you. Even if we can persuade Jack to plead guilty, and I have a feeling he won't, what lies ahead will be traumatic. But when you see what I have in my house, I think it will help you understand why he did this."

"Can't we wait for Nathan?"

Don exhaled. "I have to tell you, Kate, I'm not sure it's a good idea to expect Nathan to look after you."

"I don't need looking after."

He frowned. "I suspect Nathan's motives. He's taken advantage of you. Jack did something very cruel to him. Nathan's never gotten over finding Jack and his fiancee in bed together."

"I know about that."

"Do you know how obsessed Nathan has become with getting his own back on Jack? Stalking him? He lied to try and get into Ashlands when Jack was a patient there. Everything Nathan has done has been with the aim of hurting Jack. He wants to wreck your relationship in the way Jack wrecked his. When we get to my house, I'll prove it."

Kate swallowed hard. Nathan wasn't like Jack. "I need to call him." Don stood when she picked up her phone. There was no dial tone and she put it down.

"Not working?" Don took out his cell. "What's the number?" Kate read it out from her palm.

Don listened and then handed her the phone. "He's not answering. Leave him a voice mail. Tell him we've gone to my house. He knows where it is. He can meet us there."

"Hi, Nathan. It's me. I'm at my apartment with Jack's father. He says he has something important to show me at his house. Come and get me?"

Chapter Thirty-Eight.

When Kate didn't answer her buzzer, Nathan pressed the one for her neighbor.

"Mrs. Lawrence? I'm a friend of Kate's. Is she with you?"

"No."

One word to make his heart race. "Have you seen her?"

"I had a quick word with her and her father-in-law earlier, yes." Don was there? "Could you let me in?"

She ended the intercom connection. The door stayed closed. Nathan tried the superintendent.

"I was here earlier this morning with Kate Evans. I need to speak to her," Nathan said.

"Use her buzzer."

"She's not answering."

"Well, maybe she doesn't want to speak to you." Nathan clenched his jaw. "Open this door right now and get your keys, otherwise I'm calling the police."

"If you don't stop harassing me, I'll be the one calling the police." The connection was cut again.

A moment later, a man and his dog came to the door and tapped in the entry code. Nathan slipped in with them, ignoring the angry shouts and raced up the stairs, his bad knee screaming with every step. He took out the gun he had strapped to his ankle. Using his good leg, he kicked in the door of Kate's apartment.

Kate had piled up her things but she wasn't there. Would she have gone somewhere with Don? Why? And where? Nathan knocked on the neighbor's door, shouted, but there was no answer.

As he stepped outside onto the sidewalk, Nathan took out his spare cell phone.

He was about to press 911 when the phone began to vibrate. Elisa.

"Nathan, where are you?" She sounded frantic.

"What's wrong?"

"I need you to come over right now. And bring Kate. It's important. Hurry."