“No problem.” As the room cleared, Zach went back to where Smitty stood next to Alex.
Smitty nodded to where the captain and McKay stood. “It appears to me someone is getting dressed down.”
Zach glanced over his shoulder. Whatever the two men were saying, he couldn't hear and didn't really want to, as long as McKay got his act together. “The captain wants to see us in his office.”
“Do tell,” Smitty said. “Wonder what we did now?”
Zach shrugged. They'd find out soon enough.
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They'd only been in his office a couple of moments when Captain Craig came in. He sat behind his desk and folded his hands and leaned forward toward Alex. She assumed the smile on his face was for her benefit, but it looked forced and uncomfortable. “First let me thank you, Dr. Waters, for your cooperation so far.”
Which sounded like he was going to ask for more. “It was my pleasure.”
“What's your take on what happened tonight?”
“Your killer wants to take credit for what he's done. He coopted a bit of Walter's pattern to divert attention from himself. He could have known Walter or known enough about Walter to find him and kill him to keep him from either getting picked up or trying to claim he wasn't responsible. But if this man is after immortality, he can only gain that by eventually revealing who he is.”
“You think he'll do that?”
She nodded. “But not yet. He's got something else planned. Something that will eclipse what he's done so far.”
“And he wants you watching.”
“Apparently, though I'm not sure why. My only certainty is that the man you're looking for is in some way connected to my old practice. Hence the business card on the envelope that came with the flowers. Mine were the only fingerprints found on that, correct?”
“Yes. And we're waiting until tomorrow to show the sketch of the kid around to some schools to see if anyone can identify him.”
Alex nodded. She didn't hold out much hope that the boy would be able to tell them anything even if they could find him. Anyone clever enough to pull off all this had to be capable of putting on a disguise.
The captain sat back. “Thank you, Dr. Waters. If you can think of anything else, let us know. If you'll excuse us for a moment, I'd like to talk to the detectives.”
“Sure.” Alex stood. A trip to the ladies' room wouldn't be out of order at the moment. She glanced at Zach, who winked at her. But his arms were crossed and his jaw was as grim-set as it had been on the drive over here. What was that about?
She let herself out of the office, got directions to the nearest bathroom from one of the officers, and went inside.
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After Alex left, the captain sat back in his seat and wiped his hand across his face. “This is some shit.”
Zach couldn't disagree with him, but he was waiting to hear what Craig said next. He thought he knew where this was going and he wasn't having it. The case had shifted in more ways than one with the discovery of Thorpe's body. This was no case of one sicko enacting his fantasies through murder. Whoever they were hunting was more gruesome, more calculating, and definitely a lot scarier, particularly since they had no idea who he was.
He didn't know how Alex fit into this mess, but he wasn't going to allow anyone to use her in any way to lure this man out. That was Zach's first thought when he first heard Craig's comment about her “cooperation.” Despite his obligation to the job, his first mission was to protect Alex.
Craig cleared his throat. “I want someone with that girl at all times. Where is she staying?”
“She's at my place.”
He knew from the expression on the captain's face that he wanted to say something, but didn't. “Then I hope you don't mind being watched because I'm putting a car outside your place. I've already subpoenaed Dr. Waters's files from the hospital. I want her to look through them and see if she can find anyone with a connection to both her and Thorpe.”
Zach relaxed a little, seeing that the captain was more interested in Alex's protection than her participation. “Anything else?”
“Check out the victims of Thorpe's trial. See if any of the male relatives are still holding a grudge.”
Zach had already thought of that and dismissed it as a possibility. Why go through all this trouble doing to other young women what was done to their own loved ones and worse? Why not just hunt Thorpe down and kill him outright? Then again, if criminals made sense, ninety-nine percent of cops would be looking for another job.
Both he and Smitty turned to leave.
“By the way, Stone,” Craig said. “McKay has been reassigned.”
Zach nodded, instead of spoke, since the most likely words to come out of his mouth were “About fucking time.” He didn't ask what McKay was transferred to since he couldn't care less. Not until he stepped outside the office and realized Alex wasn't outside waiting for him.
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Alex surveyed her image in the mirror above the basin as she washed her hands. Most of her makeup had worn off and lines of fatigue showed around her eyes. What she wouldn't give for one long, uninterrupted night of sleep. Since that didn't appear to be coming any time soon, she splashed some water on her face hoping for a temporary improvement in her appearance, then shut the water off.
She patted her face dry and threw the towels in the trash. She needed to get back upstairs. Zach and his captain must have finished their conversation by now. Undoubtedly, she was at least part of their topic of discussion, which necessitated her leaving the room. She wanted to know what was said and what more they planned to do to find the killer.
She pulled open the bathroom door, then took a step back in surprise. She hadn't heard anyone outside the door, but Detective McKay was standing on the other side. The expression on his face was both weary and troubled.
“Dr. Waters,” he said. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Nineteen
Alex swallowed. McKay had startled her, but she wasn't afraid of him. She was in the middle of a police station on top of that. But all things considered, his sudden appearance was unnerving. Aside from that, she couldn't imagine what he wanted from her considering his behavior during the meeting. Perhaps his superior had suggested an apology was in order, but she didn't want one, even if it was his own idea. “What about?”
“I want to apologize for the way I've treated you, both now and before.”
At least she'd had his motives down. “That's not necessary.”
“I honestly thought it was him. If we hadn't found the body, I'd still think it was him.”
She didn't doubt that. He went after Thorpe with a single-mindedness she'd rarely rarely exhibited by those who couldn't use her services. She'd always wondered why and it occurred to her this might be her only chance to find out. “Why?”
McKay ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “I have a woman waiting for me at home who was one of Thorpe's victims. That's the question she wants answered, too. Why? Why did he pick her? Why did he put her life and her children's lives in danger? I wanted to be there when they caught him and ask him that for her. What am I supposed to tell her now?”
He spoke the last words so quietly, as if they were more for himself, not to be shared with her. She couldn't believe she actually felt sorry for this man. But he was thinking like a man, not a cop. Half the time these predators didn't even have a motive or one they could recount to others. The truth of it was, his woman fit Thorpe's victim pattern and she was available. Beyond that, Alex hadn't a clue. “That you love her and that he can't ever hurt her again.”
McKay looked at her for a long moment, then slunk away without saying another word. She let out a sigh as she watched his exit, thankful that for the moment, at least, she wouldn't have to contend with him again.
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“What was that about?” Zach asked, coming up beside Alex.
She smiled up at him. “It's not important.”
Maybe it wasn't, but he had the feeling she was covering for McKay, which surprised him. As long as the man hadn't done anything to hurt or upset Alex he didn't really care. She looked tired, which was understandable considering it was almost midnight. He lifted his hand to graze his knuckles along her cheek. “How are you doing?”
“If I yawned now, would that give you a clue?”
He chuckled. “Then let me get you home.”
“Don't you have work to do?”
“I'll get to it.”
He slung his arm around her shoulder. Either she didn't object or she was too tired to put up a protest. Considering the scene in his kitchen earlier, he chose to believe the former. What he still didn't know is what her answer would have been if his phone hadn't rung.
The car Craig had promised was already parked across the street from his house when they drove up. He was sure Alex noticed, but since she said nothing neither did he. Despite their presence, he went inside to check the house before he let her in. Now more than ever he couldn't afford any carelessness.
When he finally let her in, he asked her, “Do you want to switch to the bigger bedroom?”
“Right now, I'm too tired for anything but sleep.”
He knew the feeling.
At her door, she turned to face him. A small smile tilted her lips. “I guess this is good night.”
“Mmm,” he agreed. “That it is.” But he didn't move. He studied her face in the pale light from the hallway. Although he could see the fatigue in her, she looked as beautiful as he'd ever seen her. God, he wanted her, and not just sexually. He wanted to understand her, the woman she was now, to know what made her tick. To know how she could remain so calm and steady given all that had happened in the last few days. Surely she had to realize that their perp was gearing up for something, which probably included hurting her. Most of all he wanted to know why she'd walked away from him all those years ago.
“Tell me something before I go. Why did you give up on me, Alex?”
“Why did I give up? You were the one who disappeared. You were the one who wouldn't answer my calls.”
“I was ashamed of myself, Alex. I'd fucked up. The last words your father spoke to me were to protect you. I don't think putting on a condom was what he had in mind.”
She shook her head. “Oh, Zach. I know you have this built up in your mind that big bad you seduced poor little me out of her virginity and that's just not what happened. I wanted to be with you. I didn't want to be alone and I didn't want you to be alone. I wasn't even a virgin.”
“Butâ” he started to protest, but thought better of it. He remembered asking her, but she hadn't said anything. She'd buried her face against his neck and he'd figured she was embarrassed by her own inexperience. But he also remembered her tears when he'd eased himself inside her. “Then why did you cry?”
She huffed out a breath and gestured in a way that showed her exasperation. “I guess I was a virgin in all the ways that counted. You were the first man to show me any tenderness or consideration or kindness. I cried because it didn't hurt, not because it did.”
He didn't ask the question, but he knew the answer. He wanted to find whoever had hurt her and smash them and smash them until there was nothing left but pulp. He pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair. “I'm sorry,” he whispered against her ear.
She let him hold her for a moment before she pushed away. “A woman answered your phone.”
He had no idea what she was talking about. “When?”
“Thirteen years ago. I wasn't stupid, Zach. I knew there wasn't really a future for us in that way. I knew I wasn't a match for women your age. I wanted that one night, but I didn't expect it to cost me everything. That woman who answered the phone was laughing. I could hear you in the background laughing, too. It was like being slapped in the face with the fact that I was just wasting my time. I hung up and never called back.”
For the life of him he couldn't remember any such call or any laughing woman in his apartment save for his sister-in-law Barbara, who, when he'd told her what had happened with Alex, told him to man up and make things right with her. But by then it had been too late.
“There was no other woman, Alex.” In many ways there hadn't ever been another woman, not one who gained more than a little piece of him, not even Sherry. Yes, she'd been needy, like Stevie said, but he'd done that to her, casting her in the position of constantly knocking on the door never to be let in. That's why he'd never really found it in his heart to fault her for what she'd done.
It occurred to him that when it came to Alex, both of them had let their insecurities waylay them. He'd believed she'd never forgive him and she'd believed that any interest in her on his part ended with her father's death. Then they'd each proved the other right, at least as appearances went. He could understand Alex's behavior, as she'd been little more than a child; he'd been a grown man who should have known better.
But did any of that really matter now? He stroked his thumb over her cheek. Her eyes were, huge, luminous, and trained on him. He had no idea what she was thinking, but when her tongue darted out to trace her bottom lip, his first impulse was to lower his head and claim it.
He stopped himself, knowing she'd never really answered his question about what she wanted. As much as he wanted her, he wanted more not to make another mistake with her. He started to pull away when she leaned up and pressed her open mouth to his.
Zach squeezed his eyes shut at the pleasure of the contact. His tongue plunged into her mouth and his arms closed around her, crushing her to him. Her arms wound around his back and her fingers went beneath the fabric of his shirt to touch his bare skin. She pushed the fabric upward, obviously seeking to divest him of it. He obliged her by pulling the shirt over his head and tossing it aside.
Then she was back in his arms, her mouth under his, her fingers gripping the flesh at his shoulders. This is what he remembered of her, the all-consuming heat of the passion she aroused in him. He was no more able to resist her now than he'd been then. He ran his hands down her body to grasp her buttocks in his palms. She moaned into his mouth, a guttural cry that inflamed him further.
He lifted her with his hands under her hips, carried her to the narrow bed, and laid her down on it. He straightened, long enough to set his gun on the small end table next to the bed and toe off his shoes. He gazed down at her. What a sensuous picture she presented with all that dark, dark hair spread around her and her eyes narrowed in passion. Maybe he should put an end to this madness now, since he knew in many ways there would be no turning back if he did what he wanted.
But she offered him a siren's smile and called his name. He couldn't walk away from that, not that he wanted to. He wanted her, whatever she would give him. He covered her with his own body, his lips finding hers, then the side of her throat, then the valley between her breasts over the cover of her clothing.
She pulled the shirt over her head, exposing a lacy black bra. Leaning up on one elbow, he undid the front clasp of her bra and ran his hand over one breast and then the other, squeezing, kneading the malleable flesh. His mouth sought one hardened peak and then the other. Her head tipped back and a soft sound of pleasure escaped her lips. She moved against him restlessly, one of her thighs insinuating itself between his legs. A groan rumbled up from his chest having any part of her rubbing against his erection.
She laughed, the only sound in the room aside from the rasp of their breathing. The only light in the room washed in from the hall, casting sensual shadows on her body. The only scent in the room was the aroma of their arousal mixed with the perspiration that had broken out on both their bodies. It was a heady mix of sensations that left him feeling reckless, out of control.
His hand strayed down her rib cage to her belly and his lips followed. He unbuttoned her jeans and pulled down her zipper, using his lips and tongue on the skin he uncovered. Her stomach contracted beneath him and her fingers gripped his shoulders. He slid the rest of her clothes from her body, then shed his own.
And then he was inside her. His entire body shuddered with the pleasure of it. His mouth found hers as he started to move inside her, slowly at first, but neither of them could handle that. She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him to go faster. He buried his face against her throat and thrust into her, giving her what she wanted.
Her hips bucked against his, as her orgasm overtook her, serving as the catalyst of his own. His fingers locked with hers as he came in several bursts of the most intense pleasure he could remember.
For a moment, they lay together recovering, their bodies still tangled, their fingers laced. When he could breathe somewhat normally, he rolled over, pulling her on top of him. With her cheek resting on his chest, he couldn't see her face. She seemed contented, but he didn't know what he'd do if he looked in her eyes and saw regret.
He scrubbed his hands up and down her back. “How are you doing?”
Only when she lifted her head and smiled down at him did he relax. “Do you really have to ask?”
What they'd shared had been spontaneous, hot, unadorned sex that had almost literally left him breathless. “Yeah, I do.”
Somehow she managed to stretch her whole body without toppling off him. The way she moved against him almost brought him to life again. “If I weren't so damn tired, I'd feel great.” She laid her cheek on his chest again.
Contented, sated, exhausted, he tightened his hold on her. He had one more question for her before he'd let her sleep. “Just how crazy was your husband?”
She lifted her head. “What do you mean?”
He brushed her hair away from her face. “How'd he walk away from you?”
She rolled her eyes and a mocking smile came over her lips. “It was more of a gallop than a walk. Although Devon worked, his family had been wealthy for a couple of generations. Still nouveau riche by some standards. I think he enjoyed my work as a novelty and the source of occasional funny stories at dinner parties, but he never took it seriously. When my name started appearing in the papers and not in a good way, he took off. His family couldn't tolerate any scandal that didn't in some way make them richer.”
Rat bastard
. “Did you love him?”
She shrugged. “I don't know if that's what I was looking for when I met my husband. I wanted someone stable, even tempered. Someone I might have children with one day. I think I mistook stodginess for dependability. See, even headshrinkers make mistakes.”
She snuggled against him. Whether this was an attempt to stifle this avenue of conversation or simply a sign of her fatigue he wasn't certain, but he was willing to let the topic go. He secured the covers more tightly around them. “Good night, sweetheart,” he whispered against her ear.