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Chapters (49)
  1. “YOU’VE BEEN STUDYING ME, NARI?”
  2. Also by
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Prologue
  8. Chapter One
  9. Chapter Two
  10. Chapter Three
  11. Chapter Four
  12. Chapter Five
  13. Chapter Six
  14. Chapter Seven
  15. Chapter Eight
  16. Chapter Nine
  17. Chapter Ten
  18. Chapter Eleven
  19. Chapter Twelve
  20. Chapter Thirteen
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-One
  29. Chapter Twenty-Two
  30. Chapter Twenty-Three
  31. Chapter Twenty-Four
  32. Chapter Twenty-Five
  33. Chapter Twenty-Six
  34. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  35. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  36. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  37. Chapter Thirty
  38. Chapter Thirty-One
  39. Chapter Thirty-Two
  40. Chapter Thirty-Three
  41. Chapter Thirty-Four
  42. Chapter Thirty-Five
  43. Chapter Thirty-Six
  44. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  45. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  46. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  47. Chapter Forty
  48. Epilogue
  49. Teaser chapter

When he looked up his eyes were expressionless. Completely. “We have another body.”

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Lanterns set every few yards marked the muddy trail from the dark parking area at Soapstone Valley Park outside of DC, their light, small beacons leading to hell. Dead leaves smashed beneath his boots as Angus ducked his head against the punishing rain pelting through bare tree branches to attack his head. “You should go back to your car, Nari,” he said. Again.

“No.” She stepped lightly behind him, unsuccessfully attempting to share her umbrella as they walked through the night.

He didn’t want to be dry. Didn’t want to find any comfort right now. Most of all, he didn’t want her to see what no doubt lay ahead. “Go back to the car and wait with Roscoe. You shouldn’t be here,” he muttered.

“Neither should you,” she countered, slipping on the mud and quickly regaining her balance. “I’m surprised the cop at the trailhead let either of us pass.”

A lot of bluster had helped, as had Nari’s HDD badge. “Listen. I appreciate the ride, but trust me, you don’t want to be here.” He wiped rain from his face to see better. Movement sounded up ahead, and brighter lights flickered through the wet underbrush and desolate trees.

“But I enjoyed our talk on the long ride here,” she said dryly.

They hadn’t said a word. Either one of them. He’d been consumed with thoughts of another body and she’d been uncharacteristically silent. Yet another thing to irritate him about her. The woman knew when to give him space. Plus, he’d had time to sober up while she’d driven. He scowled into the night.

A small creek lay nearly still and dark to their right and he followed its path.

She kept close to him. “If this is the same killer, he’s killed one night apart. If he’s copying Lassiter, that’s not part of the MO. Right?”

“Right.”

She cleared her throat. “One night apart is crazy. I mean, there’s no cooling down time.”

“We’ll see.” Angus finally turned a corner and the scene came into view. “Jesus,” he breathed.

Nari drew abreast of him, stopping silently.

Angus took in the entire area. Yellow crime scene tape cordoned off a large area, wrapped around thin trees and bushes to protect the area. Bright spotlights shone from four directions, two on either side of the creek toward the center. Darkness encroached outside the circle of lights. A thick tree—old, with rough bark—had fallen across the creek and provided a bridge to the other side. The victim lay on the log, tied to it, with one rope around her neck and the other around her feet. Both arms hung uselessly toward the water and she stared up into the rain.