Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

national television. Who knows where that list ended up?"
    Roberta laughed again. "Very good, Holly. You just came to the same conclusion that the FBI team of investigators arrived at... with Rachel's guidance. O'Day was drugged and his genitals were removed, exactly like with Ziegler. Also, just like the first time, a message was left behind with the words, 'Just Punishment for a Rapist'.
    "Since Cheryl was the only person known to have a relevant motive and her alibis are airtight, the general consensus is that the perpetrator is a militant feminist who's gone off the deep end. Since none of us publicly fall into that category, there's no reason for anyone to look our way. So you see, there's no need for you to do anything about this matter yourself. No need at all."
    Holly might have been more receptive if the woman offering her such assurance had been the same one that had walked in her door fifteen minutes ago, but this one, her alter ego, gave her the creeps.
    "I understand you've already passed the Frampton information on to a reporter. Rachel and I are very concerned about you, Holly. The last thing we need right now is some nosy reporter in the middle of this mess. You can't do anything to stop him at this point, but we strongly suggest you forget the idea of staying in contact with him."
    Holly nodded, though she had no intention of taking suggestions, no matter how strong, from either Bobbi, Roberta or Rachel.
    Roberta walked toward the door, then faced Holly with an expression that was as threatening as her words. "Remember what I said. No talking to anyone about us, or I guarantee you, you'll regret it."
    Holly locked the door as soon as she ushered Bobbi out. Her head was pounding and her stomach burned with acid. What should she do?
    The safest course of action would be to follow Bobbi's orders. Let Rachel handle it. Don't talk to anyone.
    What had Bobbi meant by saying that she'd regret it? What could she do to her if she told anyone about what Ziegler and O'Day had in common, or that there was a group of women systematically seeking revenge against the list of men? The answer came easily enough. If either Erica or Roberta were a cold-blooded butcher, they wouldn't hesitate to kill Holly as well.
    But what if they weren't? What if none of the women had done anything more than what they had told her about originally? After all, none of the other men on the list had ever been physically hurt. That fact, more than any others, seemed to point to the killer being an outsider. The murderer could turn out to be a total stranger and going to the authorities would call attention to herself and the other women unnecessarily.
    However, that still didn't explain why Roberta would threaten her. If none of the women were responsible for the murders, why the threat? It seemed much too extreme just to maintain their privacy. The more she considered possibilities, the more frightened and bewildered she became.
    Her thoughts abruptly turned to David. What if Jerry Frampton was next on the killer's list? Could David be walking into a deadly situation unknowingly? She should have told him everything as soon as she heard about O'Day, but her brain hadn't been working fast enough to overrule her natural tendency to keep her problems to herself.
    Curling up on her couch, she let herself think about David. Her scheme had clearly backfired. She may have captivated him, but he had ensnared her just as securely. She genuinely cared about him. No, that was too mild. She was crazy about him, thought about him constantly... couldn't get enough of him. Though she knew nothing permanent could come of it, that didn't stop her from acknowledging the fact that she had fallen in love with David Wells.
    She should have confessed everything that afternoon but now she couldn't think of any way to rectify that. He had never given her a phone number. She called information, but he wasn't listed. Stomach acid started churning again as she realized that since she didn't know where he lived, she couldn't go to see him before he left in the morning. She didn't even know what airline he would be flying out on.
    The only thing she could do was call his paper first thing in the morning and leave a message for him to contact her as soon as possible. She couldn't count on him calling her as she'd asked him to, but she was fairly sure he would keep in touch with his editor.
    Holly tried to get some rest, but concern for David, as much as Bobbi's