There was an imperceptible shift behind her, not quite a footstep or sound but a change in the air pressure. When she turned, Ranger Spencer stood in the room. She took a defensive step back. His expression telegraphed a mixture of curiosity and maybe humor. He had caught her off guard, and he knew it.

“Ranger Spencer. What brings you here?” Jordan asked.

His hair was thick, black, and cut short on the side, and the longer layers on top were slicked down. He had shaved, but she suspected by lunchtime a thick stubble would cover his chin.

He nodded toward the body. “Your boss, Captain Lee, asked me to attend.”

“What the hell? This is my case.” Frustration soaked each word.

“He’s asked for the Texas Rangers’ help. He’s afraid he has a serial killer, and he wants all hands on deck.”

“I’m perfectly capable.” As tempted as she was to string together a half dozen expletives, she paused. The trick was to sound confident and not defensive. “It’s not been twenty-four hours.”

“Fourteen days if you count the first one, assuming she’s the first.”

There had been moments in Jordan’s career when she’d faced real trouble. Ranger Spencer was certainly not an armed assailant lurking in an alley, but he was not here simply to help. He was going to take what was hers.

Dr. McIntyre entered the room. She was a tall woman with thick blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. She moved like she came from money, but she was also approachable. Jordan had seen the doctor answer hard questions asked by family members seeking answers about a loved one’s death. The doctor always kept her explanations to the point and factual, but her tone was also soft. She was married to a Texas Ranger, so Jordan suspected she did not have an issue with Spencer’s presence.

“Good morning, Detective Poe and Ranger Spencer,” Dr. McIntyre said.

“Morning,” Spencer said.

“Good morning,” Jordan said.

Dr. McIntyre flipped on the overhead light and angled it over the body. “Before you ask, Detective Poe, there’s no word on the first victim’s DNA.”

Jordan had called the lab twice and had gotten the tried-and-true story of backlogs and understaffing. “I’ll call again.”

“Let me call the lab,” Spencer said. “I’ll let them know we have a second case. That’ll move it along.”

Jordan drew in a breath, shoving down her frustration. A word from a ranger could magically speed up the labs. “Terrific.”

“We might have better luck identifying this victim,” Dr. McIntyre said. “Her fingerprints are intact.”

Her technician entered the room and opened the sterilized instrument packet before removing the sheet.