Chapter 53

The suite's phone rang at nine thirty the next morning. Sarra had been talking to Evan on her cell phone, Brian was in the second bathroom. She felt him get up this morning and get a cup of coffee, and he got dressed. Apparently he was planning to stay in for the morning.

Play cards?

The thought sank into her skin and gave her goosebumps.

Brian walked in from the bathroom just as the key board on the front door beeped.

Eddie.

What was he doing here if Brian was staying?

"The guard called and said you were on your way up" Brian said making a beeline to the door. "What is going on?"

Eddie glanced at Brian , then at Sarra then Brian again. Sarra folded her arms. "I'm not leaving."

Brian gave Eddie a nod. Damn him for getting to decide what she gets to hear and not gets to hear.

"A car belonging to Foster's crashed this morning." Eddie said. "One of the employees, Hanna Mitchell was driving it . She had just come from Sarra's house."

'Oh my god." Sarra said.

"She is at Gulf Coast Medical Center. She is hanging on."

Brian was furious. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I am telling you. It only happened thirty minutes ago man. Dean says he will call as soon as he knows something. Looks like tampering though."

"No". Brian said. "How could Brandon tamper with a car at Foster's? Surveillance is this thick.. No way he could get to a vehicle on the premises."

"Off the premises then?"

Brian's phone rang. "Fuller." He answered.

Eddie eased Sarra away from Brian. "Your friend is in surgery." He said. " Her husband is there and Both sets of parents are on their way."

Sarra reeled, half listening, feeling as if the floor was made of liquid. God she thought. Not Hannah. "I am going to the hospital." She said.

Brian hung up. "No you are not. You stay here with Eddie."

"Damn you Brian___"

He took her shoulders. "Sarra we need you here. There is something we need to do."

"What?"

"You need to look at the next doll."

Sarra's heart stopped. "What doll?"

"The one they just found stuffed under the hood of Hannah's car."

Brian swung by the accident site, nothing to do there, then he and Phil went to see Lexi.

"Evan Foster called." She explained. " He told me Hannah was coming to pick up some pottery to show someone to sell. She has a key card, so I stayed out of it."

"What time did she get there?"

"I heard the garage door go up at eight. She pulled her car up and and left the garage door open. She was in here for about twenty minutes. They said her steering failed. But I watched her drive away from upstairs. Didn't see anything weird."

Phil said" The ball joint was separated from the tire. Easy to do Take off the cotter pin and loosen the bolt. Do it right it will hold a while , then starts shaking loose, and one sharp turn makes it fly. It could of taken minutes days, even weeks to come apart."

"We need to find out how much that car has been driven," Brian said. "Where it has been and check on anyone who has been to Foster's and might have gotten in the garages. Anyone who attended the preview or has a reason to have targeted Hannah."

"Dean has that going, Brian."

"Who is on surveillance at the Antique gallery?' Brian asked.

'Four of my guys and two feds. Foster's is under guard. Abby is wrapped up tight in Jacksonville, Sarra is tucked into a safe hotel. Not much else to do until Brandon James decides it is time to act again. Call or something."

"Something?"

Brian went to the basement stairs into Sarra's family room, took a deep breath. He remembered coming here the first time, when Abby was on the couch with Justice and Sarra was trying to be strong, pretending she wasn't being terrorized by a physco. The back of his neck prickled as Lexi walked up beside him.

"Freaky isn't it?" she asked

"What is?"

"Knowing he is out there, planning another one, just biding his time."

She was right. Brandon James was closer now, he called from nearby, and had struck someone Sarra knew. Closer and closer. Just like Stard had said. Brian looked at Lexi

"Are you OK sitting here waiting for him?"

"Sure wish he would hurry though." Lexi glanced around. "This place is a little to domestic for me. Starting to make me think about kids and dogs and white picket fences."

"Do I hear a biological clock ticking?"

"Fuck you Fuller."

"Not me," Brian said striding to the door." Ray would pound in my face."