Past Will Haunt (22 page)

The man glanced over at the Fed. “Thank you for handling it. I don’t allow people like that in here.”

Livy pushed the plate away. “Well, someone is using this place to find victims. Both women were here, and now they’re in body bags in our morgue. That’s a big problem.”

He shook his head. “I think, starting next week, I’m going to begin working the night shift. I need to make sure this business doesn’t go down the tubes. This is our livelihood, Meghan.”

She looked embarrassed. “Sorry, Dad.”

He patted her on the hand. “It’s okay. Go handle the other customers.”

When she was gone, he stared at the two Feds. “What can I do to help? You’ve already been in here staking the joint out, so tell me how to help find this bastard.”

“Keep an eye on any women here who are redheads. He seems to favor them. That’s all we have right now. If you see anyone acting suspicious, call me.”

The man nodded. “I will. If I see anything?”

Elizabeth pulled a card out from the back of her badge. “Don’t worry about the time. I can be here in twenty minutes. I only live in Georgetown. Whatever you do, don’t engage him. Trust me when I say he’s sick.”

The man got up. “I will.”

As he headed away, Elizabeth threw down some cash. “If you puke in the ride, you’re cleaning it up, Livy. I swear to God you’re a glutton for punishment.”

“It was really good. I saved you a blood sausage. It was a little liquid-y, but not too bad.”

She stared at her. “Are you out of your mind? Did you just hear the sentence that came out of your mouth?”

Livy laughed. “I’m nervous about tonight. When I get nervous, I eat. When I eat, I forget that I’m going to jump my sexy dream man’s bones.”

“Did you forget that Gabe is likely going to see you naked tonight, and you just downed half a cow, a field of greasy potatoes, and blood sausage?”

She stared, openmouthed. “Oh, shit. I may be sick.”

“Yeah, you will be in about two hours.”

They headed out.

“You don’t think I’ll get sick, do you?”

Elizabeth laughed all the way to the Denali she’d left there the night before. “Follow me back so we can drop off a vehicle. Then we’ll head to Missy Kelly’s house.”

“You didn't answer me.”

“Yeah, and that should tell you what I’m thinking.”

Livy started cursing.

Elizabeth was right.

She was screwed.

       
         
* * *
  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

He watched them scouring the city for him, and he found it amusing as hell.

They were out and about, trying to find a lead to bring him in. Well, it wasn’t going to happen.

He was invisible. They couldn’t catch him in Boston, and they certainly wouldn’t find him now.

He’d make sure of that.

Not only was he smarter, but he had so much more on the line. There was no way in hell he was going to surrender, only to be locked away for the rest of his life.

Or worse…put to death.

No, it wasn’t happening.

These two women were simply out of luck.

Unfortunately for them, specifically the sexy redhead he wanted to work on, they would be meeting, and soon. 

She wasn’t worthy of trying to find him, but she was worthy of being his to immortalize forever.

He was better than her.

He was an artist, and she was nothing more than a canvas. In life, these thoughtless women tried to prove they had power.

Well, they had none when it came to him. The control was his to wield, and he would. 

Granted, he did appreciate her tenacity. They were getting closer and closer, but he had something in mind. It would turn the tables and push her even closer.

He always had a backup plan.

Tonight, he’d start making it happen.

It was time to have some fun.

       
         
* * *
  B l a c k h a w k - W h i t e f o x   * * *

Wednesday Afternoon

Missy Kelly’s Home

After dropping off the spare Denali, they arrived at Missy Kelly’s residence. Once inside, the stench was beginning to intensify. The blood on the walls was turning, and the stains were moving from bright oxidized red to vile brown.

That was all that remained of the crime scene, and both Elizabeth and Livy knew that soon the clean-up crews would be coming.

This place would be sterilized for the next occupant.

It was a sad testament to a woman’s life. They had Missy Kelly’s personal information, and she was alone in the world. Her possession would be sold or scrapped, and she would be nothing more than a distant memory.

Come to think of it, Stephanie O’Malley had been a loner too. Was that another reason the killer had picked them? The profile indicated that he was a watcher, and certainly, he was finding these women fascinating.

He was prolific, and that worried Elizabeth and Livy. At some point, he was going to move on. The last thing Elizabeth wanted was this case haunting her every step of her career. They needed to lock this bastard down and throw away the key.

They couldn’t lose this game. Too much was at stake.

As they walked through the woman’s space, Elizabeth tried to figure out what made the woman a victim. All the windows had locks, all the doors were intact.

“He’s got to be grabbing them outside,” she stated. “As they open the door, he has to be attacking.”

Livy headed back across the room to the front door. Carefully, she examined it for any sign of distress.

“Here,” she said, pointing at one spot. “It looks like a dent.”

Elizabeth picked up her phone and made a call.

“Doctor Leonard.”

“Hey, Doc, it’s me.”

“Are you heading here already?”

“Not yet. I’m at the last victim’s home. Did our women have any head injuries?”

There was a rustling of paper. “Yes, there was an impact wound on their frontal lobe. They may have fallen forward and hit the ground.”

“Is it possible that they may have had their heads bashed off a door?”

There was silence while he pondered it. “That’s definitely a possibility. I can’t give you a definite. All I do know is that it was a hard flat surface—door or floor—either fits the bill.”

Elizabeth pondered it. She’d have to be knocked out. If she wasn’t, she’d fight like a hell cat. “He’s got to be stunning them enough to incapacitate, but not enough to kill.”

“I concur.”

“Thanks, Doc. We’ll be arriving soon.”

“I’m running to my place to get my bag. I’m done with the reports.”

She didn't really hear him since her mind was spinning a mile a minute. Elizabeth was adding the information to the profile from Gabe’s golden boy. “Okay, Christopher, I’ll see you then.”

When she hung up, Livy was grinning.

“Shut up,” Elizabeth said, ignoring her. “He and I can’t have sex. I’ve already called him twice today, and I’ve had breakfast with him. We’ll be in each other’s way. Trust me on this one.”

She simply shrugged.

“Let’s get back to the reason why we’re here. I think I know what happened.”

“What?”

“He hit her here,” she said, gently grabbing her partner’s head to show her “After he did this, she’d fall, right?”

“Yeah, she’d be stunned, and then she’d be on the floor.”

Elizabeth got behind her partner. “Lean back.”

“If you drop me in anything gross, I’m going to hurt you, Lyzee,” she warned. “I don’t need to be a biohazard for tonight. I want Gabe all over me, not coated in plastic and wearing a hazmat suit.”

She laughed. “I won’t drop you. Come on!”

Livy leaned back so Elizabeth could drag her into the main living area. “He’s going to be looking around. There’s no blood in here. He didn't start hurting her in this room.”

Livy stayed still. She listened to her partner walk through it as she played in his mind.

Elizabeth pulled her toward the kitchen.

“There’s no space here. He’s going to find someplace better. He might have been pissed. He’s used the kitchen in all the other cases.”

“The dining room was his backup plan,” Livy stated.

Elizabeth pulled her in there, and finally, Livy stood up. “I’d be exhausted,” she admitted. “You’re not that heavy, and I’m in great shape, but still.”

“I’m one twenty of dead weight. We all know how hard it is to lug a body. Our killer has to be younger and in decent shape, or he would have just taken care of her wherever. The foyer was big enough.”

She agreed.

They looked around. The room was processed. There were black smudges everywhere and the place was stripped by the tech team.

“Want to help me check her bedroom?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yeah, that’s generally where all the action happens, and we both know it.”

Upstairs, they searched everything that wasn’t pulled apart by the team.

They found the usual suspects.

Sex toys.

Lube.

Lingerie.

“Someone liked playtime, and this fits what Meghan stated. She’d pick up a man, come home, get her sex on.”

Livy laughed. “You know you have the same shit in your room.”

She stared at her. “I don’t have lingerie, and I don’t need lube. As for the sex toys, I don’t have them either. You seem to think that I don’t have sex. I’m not celibate, Livy. I’m just selective.”

“Do tell.”

“Not happening. You have a big mouth.”

Livy laughed. “The girlfriend code demands you spill it. These are your rules.”

“Last month I had a few dates with a Capitol cop. Against better judgment, I broke my ‘no dating cops’ rule. We had sex a few times and had a couple of dates.”

“And.”

“It fizzled out. I need something unique, special, and hot. I’m not finding it lately, so I’m opting to just bide my time.”

“Until what? Your girl parts rust out? I say you jump the ME. You can get your sex on, and relax. Besides, he’s attractive in that geeky way.”

“It has nothing to do with him being a geek. I think smart men are incredibly sexy. I could have sex with him, and I would probably enjoy it.”

“Then what’s the issue?” she asked, digging through Missy’s personal possessions.

“He’s not my type.”

“You keep saying that, but who is your type? It’s a guy. Pick one, start something, and see where it goes.”

Elizabeth dug through Missy’s closet without saying a word.

“Did you have sex with Gabe?”

It caught Elizabeth off guard. “WHAT? Why would you go there?”

She was embarrassed that she had to ask this. “I really feel something when I’m with him, and I don’t want it to destroy us. You’re my best friend. This is your one chance to tell me to back away. I know you and he are very close, but I don’t know just how close.”

“Livy, I’m not going to tell you to not sleep with someone. Even if I had done it with Gabe, we clearly aren’t together.”

“So you have had sex with him.”

“No, I’ve most definitely not been to bed with Gabe. I’d have sex with Chris before him. That should say it all.”

“Have you ever kissed him?”

She paused.

“OH. MY. GOD! You have!”

Elizabeth had to stop her from getting derailed. This was out of control. “Livy, I have kissed him, but not because I’m hot for Gabriel.”

“I don’t understand.”

She hesitated.

“What’s wrong?”

“You two as a couple puts me in a predicament. I’m not exactly comfortable with it.”

“Why?”

“He tells me shit, and you do the same. I’m the person you both confide in, and I can’t tell you what he says to me. He’s my best friend too.”

She understood. “I think you making out with the man I may be in love with supersedes any rules.”

“If I tell you, then you can never say a word. Deal?” she asked, holding out her gloved hand.

“Deal.”

“He had his high school reunion a few months ago, and he needed a date. Gabe was a bit of a loner when he was young. His mother bailed, and his father was a Fed. He spent more time shoved in lockers than hanging with friends.”