"Why do you need to see Barker?" Yasmine asked. "Is something wrong?"
"Just something I need to discuss." Like how on earth did Otis Crump find her on Patmos? This stalking had to stop. It had been bad enough when it was focused just on her, but Olivia was worried that he'd broadened his scope to include her family, especially her grandmother, who lived alone most of the year. Otis was locked away, but what if he had an accomplice who was free to harm her loved ones?
A spurt of alarm emanated from Yasmine. "You're not thinking of transferring, are you? We don't have enough women in this office as it is. You can't leave."
"I don't want to leave." Olivia kept an eye on Barker's door, wondering how long his meeting would last.
Yasmine gasped with a sudden thought. "I know what will cheer you up! A package came for you this morning."
Olivia stiffened. "Not apples."
"No, no, of course not." Yasmine waved her hands, then lowered her voice dramatically. "We don't accept any mail from you know who."
"Is he still sending mail here?" Olivia asked.
Yasmine shook her head. "Not for several months. He gave up when it was all returned."
"Do you remember what return address he used?" Olivia always checked that. The last few times she'd received apples, the return address had been a post office box that had turned out to be bogus.
Yasmine frowned. "I think it was his address at Leavenworth. But that was months ago." A wave of curious excitement rolled off her. "Are you still getting stuff from him?"
Olivia didn't want to discuss it further. "You said there was a package for me?"
"Oh, right. I'll get it." Yasmine hurried off, her low-heeled pumps clicking on the wooden floor.
Olivia booted up her computer to check her e-mail. For the hundredth time she chastised herself for not leaving her e-mail address in the note to Robby. Or her cell phone number. The island seemed so far away now. The memory of her time with Robby seemed magical. Not quite real.
She suspected there was a part of her that hadn't wanted to make it easy for him. She'd had her doubts that two people could fall in love in less than a week, so maybe now she wanted proof. She wanted to know if he'd make the effort to find her and contact her.
She glanced up when Barker's door opened and her supervisor exited with Harrison. At six-foot-six, Barker was easy to spot. He murmured something, then slapped the special agent on the shoulder. Harrison laughed before heading toward his work area.
Olivia jumped to her feet and approached her supervisor. "Excuse me, Barker. Do you have a minute?"
"Sotiris, I didn't know you were back." Barker's brown eyes narrowed. "Are you supposed to be back?"
"Not till after Christmas, but there was something important I wanted to discuss with you in person."
"All right." He motioned for her to enter his office. "Take a seat."
She perched on the edge of the black leather and chrome chair and gripped the armrests.
Barker approached his desk slowly, studying her. "I sent you away to relax, but you still look tense."
"I - " She lifted her chin. "I want to take another look at the Otis Crump files."
Barker closed his eyes briefly with a weary look. "Olivia, we went over this before. He was tried and convicted for three murders, and he's serving three life terms. Thanks to you, he confessed to ten more murders, but at this point it's a waste of taxpayer money to prosecute him. He's not going anywhere. Ever."
"I believe he may have had an accomplice."
"Not for the murders. Our forensic team went through all the evidence with a fine-tooth comb. He worked alone."
"He hinted to me several times - "
"He was playing you." Barker planted his hands on his desk and leaned forward. "The man is desperate to keep you on a leash. He'd tell you little green men helped him if it got you to heel. The case is closed, and frankly, I'm getting worried about your obsession with him."
"I'd get over it if the bastard stopped stalking me!" Olivia took a quick breath to calm herself.
Barker straightened. "You're still getting apples?"
"Yes." She jumped to her feet and paced to the window. "He sent them to my grandmother's house on Patmos. My grandmother! I had to rush her over to my dad's house in Houston to make sure she'd be safe."
Barker winced. "I can see why you're upset."
Olivia paced back to the chair. "There has to be someone helping him. Someone's mailing the apples for him."
Barker crossed his long, lanky arms over his gray pinstriped suit jacket. His frown made his long, lean face appear even longer. "I agree he has an accomplice now."
"It could be someone close to him," Olivia suggested. "If we reopen the investigation, we can interview all his friends and family."
"Or it could be a groupie. The serial killers always acquire a few of those." Barker rubbed his chin. "Does your family understand the importance of keeping this quiet? We don't want the media turning this into the latest fashion. Next thing you know, every prisoner in the country would be stalking their favorite officer of the law."
"And Otis would love the publicity," Olivia grumbled. "Don't worry. My family thinks this is awful enough already. They're not going to make it worse."
Barker frowned at his desk, deep in thought, while she paced about the office.
"I want to go back home a few days for Christmas," she murmured. "I'd like to be able to tell my family that we found the accomplice, and that it's all over."
Barker nodded. "This person was able to track you to a remote Greek island. There could be a different explanation for this."
"Like what?"
"Not an accomplice, but an employee. Crump may have managed to hire a P.I." Barker leaned over his desk once again. "Think, Olivia. Did you see anyone on that island who could have been a private investigator?"
She halted with a jerk. MacKay Security & Investigation. The room swirled around her, and she grabbed onto the back of a chair. No. It couldn't be. But there hadn't been any other P.I.'s on the island.
"It would most likely be a man who was visiting the island and keeping a low profile," Barker continued.
A shudder racked her body. No, not Robby. Anyone but Robby. Carlos? But they worked for the same company. They were probably on the same assignment. She pressed a fist to her mouth. What if the assignment had been her?
"Hey, are you all right?" Barker skirted his desk.
"I-I need to go."
"But we're not - "
"I have to go!" She wrenched open the door and lurched outside. Heads turned her way. No, she couldn't think about it. It was too awful. She couldn't fall apart here.
She dashed into the hallway to the women's restroom. No, not Robby. He couldn't have done that to me. She shoved the stall doors open. Empty. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. That pale, panic-stricken face was hers. Could she have been duped? Had she fallen in love with the enemy?
With a sob, she ran back and locked the restroom door. A long keening cry escaped, ripped from her soul, and she slapped a hand over her mouth. She couldn't let anyone hear.
Her knees gave out and she slid down the door to plop onto the linoleum floor. Oh God, she should have known. Maybe a part of her had always known. He couldn't have fallen in love with her so fast.
Tears streamed down her face. What a complete fool she'd been! The first time in her life that she couldn't detect lies, and she'd fallen for such terrible deceit.
No! She shook her head. She still wanted to believe. She wanted love to be true.
"Robby," she cried. She didn't want to lose him, didn't want to lose the dream, the magic, the glory of his love. She leaned her head onto her knees and wept.
Oh God, the last time she'd cried like this, she 'd been in Robby's arms. He'd held her and comforted her. Then he'd made love to her.
A twinge of nausea twisted in her gut, and she breathed deeply to get control. She was at work, dammit. She needed to get a grip. She could fall apart later when she was alone in her apartment.
She stumbled to a sink and splashed cold water on her face. She leaned over the sink, reluctant to even look at herself. She didn't want to see living proof of how badly her heart was breaking.
The door shook as someone tried to open it. Then she heard a knock.