Authors: Morgan Kelley
“Great. Run it.”
“I am, but it’s going to take a couple of days.”
“WHAT?”
Doctor Allen laughed. “We don’t have the facility to run it here. I have to send it out. Unless you have access to a fast lab, we have to wait for the information to come back.”
Yep, screwed wasn’t the word.
Boned without lube was pretty much the outcome of this mess.
“She was burnt pretty badly, but I can give you stomach contents too. It looked to be a beer bash.”
“So, she was drinking?”
“Oh, that isn’t the term I’d use. Our victim, Mandy Ryan, was trying to kill herself the good old fashioned way—by drunken partying.”
Rhett made notes. “How drunk are we talking?”
The ME grabbed his papers. “Her BAC level was twice the legal limit. She was partying it up.”
All of this was making his life hell. Not only did he have to tell the mayor that his daughter was definitely dead, murdered, and raped, but that she was drunk, partying, and alive when the house was burned down around her.
The man was going to freak the hell out.
“Anything else? I was in the mood to hand in my badge today anyway. Anything you say after this point will just add to the fun.”
The doctor laughed. “You’re an elected official, like myself, so you really can’t be fired. I’d stop stressing that.”
Yeah, but his boss could make his life hell.
“I also found stress fractures in the hyoid. It wasn’t completely broken, so I’m guessing he tried to strangle her at some point.”
“Great. We have an incompetent killer who likes to leave his swimmers, burn people, and can’t get his killing methods locked down. This day blows. I want to go back to bed.”
“He is incompetent. I’m betting that he thought that semen wouldn’t be present if he burned the body. He’s not a genius by any means. Had he even Googled it, he would have realized that anything that far into the human body is going to be preserved. We found some swimmers working their way into the womb. We don’t have a lot of sperm, but we have enough.”
“Well, at least there’s that. Our killer is a moron. Awesome. I’m sure the news will love that. I probably shouldn’t provoke him by calling him that on the news.”
“I wouldn’t. Hey, but at least this is all a start, Sheriff.”
Rhett didn't think that was going to help. He was still going to have to face down the mayor.
“Are you going to be okay investigating this?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rhett asked.
“Just that I looked over the old files, and most of the deaths here in Crosspointe are of a natural nature. When’s the last time you had a homicide?”
“We had a drunk driver kill a jogger a few months ago.”
The man stared at him. “I’m thinking that’s not quite the same thing.”
Rhett knew he was absolutely right. This wasn’t going to be the same thing. This whole thing sucked, and he was smack dab in the center of it.
What he really needed was a freaking miracle.
Then he had an idea.
“I need to keep this quiet,” stated Rhett. “Is there any way you can keep this report off the record until tomorrow morning?”
The man stared at him. “Why?”
“Leaks happen. The media has already made this a mess. I don’t trust anyone and I need to talk to the mayor first. I don’t want this to get out before I can brace him for what’s coming.”
The doctor thought about it. It wasn’t normal procedure, but this was a special case. “I can buy you a few hours to get ready.”
“I appreciate it, Doc. I just need until tomorrow morning. You weren’t going to get to her autopsy yet anyway. Let’s just pretend we don’t know that there’s some sicko running around.”
“You have until tomorrow at nine. Then I have to submit it. If I stall, the media is going to be shouting a whole different story,” he stated.
Yeah, a cover-up.
Rhett was well aware.
Time was all he wanted. If he could just get a little break, he’d go from there.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You have a killer to catch. Let’s just hope this is the only woman on his list, and this isn’t some serial mess. You don’t need more people getting cooked in the privacy of their own homes.”
Rhett agreed. “Amen, Doc, amen.”
With that, he headed out.
He had to go deliver bad news, and hopefully, Rhett would keep his job. It was all about keeping his cool and not losing his temper when the mayor blamed him for all of this.
He had to do it.
There was no choice.
The clock was ticking, and he needed to find who killed Mandy Ryan, and fast.
Somehow, he didn't think this was going to be the end. In fact, he was willing to bet money on it.
This screamed serial killer.
* * *
O R A C L E * * *
Across Town
He was watching her.
Even as she moved through her day, shopping, running errands, and doing her daily tasks, he followed.
The best part was that she didn't even see him. This woman was oblivious. As he gathered all his information, he knew she’d be easy.
He could tell.
She wasn’t even paying attention to her surroundings. Instead, she was shopping, going about her daily business, and spending money like it was water.
This one was like a lost sheep.
Oh, she was greedy and flawed. Before this was over, he’d teach her a lesson. Her vileness made her fit into his plan.
All he could hope was the one he was also hunting would show up in his mind. Eventually, she’d slip and he’d learn more about her.
Like where she lived.
Once he had that, she was dead too.
Oh, they would have time together, but he was going to save her for last. He’d never met anyone like her before, and she intrigued him.
She saw the real man, and that turned him on.
He was going to assume that she hadn’t seen his face, or the cops would be at his door. Instead, she was able to see into his head, understanding him.
That scared and enthralled him.
No one ever had that bond with him before—not his friends, and certainly not his family.
Maybe, before this was all done, she could be his prize. After all this killing, maybe she could satisfy that craving he had to punish the entitled, weak, and pathetic sheep.
Then he laughed.
Yeah, that wouldn’t happen.
She saw too much.
She was afraid of him.
Instead of going willingly to him, she was going to fight, and that was more than okay.
He loved that in prey.
Watching the woman, he checked out his watch. “Tonight is your night, sweet thing. We’re going to light this town on fire.”
Then he laughed.
Truer words had never been spoken.
Chapter FOUR
Juliett Deveraux’s House
Well, he never saw that one coming. Had he, there was no way he would have opened the door. Nathaniel Carter didn't think that when he tried to access the closet, where Juliett was hiding, he’d be on his back with electricity flooding his body.
It fried his nerves.
It shocked his system.
It rattled his cage.
Granted, in the FBI, you had to take a shot from a Taser to pass your training, but Juliett was packing some pretty heavy volts, and at a close range too. It numbed his body, sent him into convulsions, and scared the hell out of Avalon.
Okay, him too.
All he could focus on was the ceiling as she continued to hold in the trigger of the Taser. When Jagger had jumped on her, knocking it free, the pain stopped and his body struggled to recover.
It had been the longest five seconds of his life. Well, that wasn’t true. When he was tortured to betray Avalon, that was a small eternity.
Still, this hurt like a bitch.
At that moment, Avalon was kneeling beside him with his head in her lap. Gently, she was touching his face, stroking away the pain. It soothed his nerves that they weren’t being attacked by the killer, but the victim they had been trying to protect.
At least his girlfriend was safe.
Speaking of her, just before he flung open the door, she hissed out a warning, but he opted to ignore it. While they were wearing the new military grade Kevlar, safe from bullets, Juliett had gotten him in the legs.
In fact, she’d come dangerously close to parts of him that he really needed. He liked having sex with Avalon, and he didn't want to fry his junk. One day, they might actually want to have kids, and he needed all his man parts intact.
“I’m okay,” he muttered, as he began getting the feeling back in his legs.
“Oh, Nathaniel,” she whispered, leaving kisses across his brow. “You scared the hell out of me.”
Yeah, that went double for him.
They both turned their heads toward Jagger and the other psychic.
Juliett Deveraux struggled on the bed, trying to scream. Unfortunately for her, Jagger was incredibly strong. She was pinned and not going anywhere.
When she turned her head, trying to bite him, he barely managed to dodge her teeth. When she flailed her legs, missing parts of him that he liked to keep safe, he’d had enough.
Jagger pinched the back of her neck in a specific spot, and she went out.
“Finally,” he muttered, checking out his arm. Fortunately, she didn't break the skin and his balls were still intact.
Avalon was glad it was over. When she had heard Nathaniel’s pain filled shout, everything began spinning out of control. “Are you really okay?”
She couldn’t help it.
After what happened to him, she was always worried that she’d let him slip from her grasp and he’d be hurt again.
He sat up, shaking his head to get the stars and fuzziness to leave his vision. “Yeah, honey, I’m good. She just zapped me. I’ll recover.”
Avalon relaxed.
Nate yanked the barbs from his legs before trying to get up. “I just didn't see it coming.” Then he glanced over at the woman on the bed.
She was out cold.
Oh, crap!
“Jagger!”
She heard the tone in his voice. He wasn’t happy. “What did he do now?”
“What the hell? Did you knock her out?”
“She gave me no choice. You don’t need to freak out. She’ll be back in a couple of minutes. It was a simple pressure point. I suggest you get her in handcuffs first. She might kick your ass, Nate.” He paused, grinning wickedly. “Again.”
He glared at the man. “Thanks for your faith in my skills and training.”
Avalon accepted his hand as he pulled her to her feet. Already, her pulse was back to normal. “Nathaniel, when I say ‘don’t do it’, I think you should probably listen. It’s kind of my thing.”
Yeah, he was well aware. Still, she also wanted to be the one who opened the door, and he wasn’t letting that happen.
Not now.
Not ever.
“Let’s get her to the couch. No cuffs,” Avalon stated. “I’ll handle it this time. You two scared the heck out of her.”
Jagger tossed the brunette over his shoulder as Nate helped Avalon navigate the new space. When he dropped Juliett Deveraux onto the couch, he pulled his gun.
Just in case.
“Jagger!” Avalon said, seeing his aura. “She’s going to be scared enough. Let me sit there. The last thing she needs is to wake up and have an armed guard standing over her. You’ll intimidate her. That’s not why we’re here. We’re supposed to keep her safe. I think you both are going about this all wrong.”
Nate was about to protest.
Maybe they were, but this is how they rolled. As a Fed and soldier, they weren’t accustomed to gentle tactics.
They got you killed.
Nearly getting his junk fried was proof enough.
“She’s not going to hurt me. Once she realizes who I am, Juliett will be okay. Really, I need your trust, Nathaniel.”
He hoped she was right.
This woman was feisty, and he didn't want the woman he loved getting hurt.
“Okay, Avi, but if she starts swinging,” he began, not needing to finish as Jagger’s safety clicked off.
“Oh my God! You two need to scale it back. She’s an unarmed woman. I’m sure that I’ll be fine.”
They didn't add anything to that. Instead, Nate gave the Marine a hand signal. He was to act fast if it went bad. There was no way they were going to risk Oracle.
It wasn’t happening.
Avalon shook her head. The men on the team were over the edge, and they had a lot to learn.
She wasn’t as helpless as she seemed.
* * *
O R A C L E * * *
Her head swam.
Her body was tingling from numbness.
She didn't know where the hell she was.
As Juliett was pulling from the fog, she could hear talking. Immediately, she got scared and tried to get up. As she opened her eyes, she could see them surrounding her. Before she could bolt, the woman sitting on the coffee table had her attention.
“Stop!”
“Who…who are you?” Juliett couldn’t help but notice she looked like a child. She was petite, delicate, and seemed… innocent. While Juliett knew she should bolt, there was something about this woman that offered her peace.
Avalon gently smiled. “I’m Oracle. If you think back, you’ll recall speaking to me in your head.”
“Really?” Juliett asked. “You’re real and not a figment of my imagination?”
Avalon held out her empty hands. “I’m real.”
Immediately, the woman calmed down. With hesitant fingers, she took the redhead’s offering. The second their fingers touched, there was peace.
“You’re definitely empathic,” stated Avalon. “I can feel your energy trying to soothe mine.”
“Only you feel really calm and safe,” Juliett offered.
“Well, there’s only one thing that works me up,” Avalon offered. When she turned her head, she was facing Nathaniel.
“You’re here to help me?”
She nodded. “I am.”
Jagger leaned over and whispered in his boss’s ear. “You should have let her open that closet door,” he stated, snorting. “All it took was a few calm words, and she has it under total control. We all know the pro here.”
Nate gave him a look. “I will hurt you while you’re asleep.”
Jagger winked at him.
“So this is all real?” Juliett asked, her body shaking. “I can’t believe this.”
Avalon nodded. “I heard you from miles away, Juliett. You told me you were scared, and I told you I was coming. Remember?”
Juliett nodded.
Then she focused on the two men.
Immediately, she wanted to cry.
Avalon pulled her closer to her body. “Shhhh, it’s okay, Juliett. Let me introduce you to my family. I think you’ll like them.”
She didn't look convinced.
Nate thought she was going to vault the couch and head for the door at any second.
“The man you tasered is my boyfriend. He’s Director Nathaniel Carter of the FBI, and the man beside him is Captain Jagger Armstrong. They won’t hurt you.”
“How do I know you are who you say you are?” she asked, glancing back and forth.
Nate moved forward first, pulling his badge from his pocket. While he wasn’t really ‘with’ the FBI anymore, but the secret division, he still had his credentials. Elizabeth had made sure they all had them in case they had any run ins with the law.
She read his name and carefully checked out his picture. It indeed matched. “Okay, and him?” Juliett asked, pointing at the other man.
Jagger pulled his badge too. Granted, he was ex-military, but he now had a shiny badge courtesy of Director Hot Stuff.
She read it.
Immediately, she looked contrite.
“I’m so damn sorry,” Juliett said. “I felt like I was being followed, and then I heard you in my cabin. It really sent me into one hell of a panic. I hope I didn't hurt you with the Taser.”
Nate shrugged it off.
Oh, it hurt like a bitch, but they had been in her personal space. He would have done the same thing.
Actually, he would have used bullets.
“No worries, Ms. Deveraux. It’s an occupational hazard. I’ll recover.”
He hoped so. He really wanted feeling back in his lower extremities, and soon. He had a younger woman to keep happy in bed.
Jagger glanced over at his boss. “I’m going to head outside and patrol. I want to make sure we’re not trapped in here. If someone tries to ambush us, I need to make sure we can get Oracle out.”
At his words, the woman looked freaked out.
Nate was good with that plan. When it came down to it, he had to make sure his girl didn't get snagged, or hurt.
Juliett began shaking.
Avalon patted her hand. “Don’t worry. Jagger is a Marine. He tends to over stress situations, because he lives his life in the worst case scenario. We weren’t following you, but if someone is out there, he’ll take care of it. I swear.”
Avalon’s words seemed to calm her further.
The woman clung to her hand. “Thank you for coming. I don’t know who or how, but thank you.”
Avalon could sense Nate moving closer. He was going to help her navigate the strange room. When she took his hand, she could see the confusion in the woman’s aura.
“I’m blind,” she stated. “I can’t see the furniture around us, and I don’t really like knocking my shins. That may hurt more than being Tasered.”
“Don’t bet on it,” Nate whispered in her ear before nipping it with his teeth.
Avalon nearly swooned.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Juliett offered, sliding over. “I didn't know. You look normal…I mean…you don’t look…”
Avalon’s laughter filled the room. “I know what you mean,” she offered.
Nate cringed, not feeling so magnanimous.
He really hated when people saw Avalon as a broken person, and not the amazing woman she was inside and out.
Hell!
She literally played in the minds of crazies.
Avalon squeezed his hand when she saw Nate’s aura morphing.
He wasn’t happy.
So, she opted to let it go. “It’s okay, Juliett. Normal is a matter of perspective. I have other skills that replaced my vision. I happen to see just fine.”
Nate smiled, dropping a kiss to the top of Avalon’s head. ‘Seeing’ was her specialty.
“Thank you, Nathaniel.”
“You’re welcome, honey.”
“How did you find me?” Juliett asked Avalon, needing to know how she pulled it off. She’d been so careful, ditching her credit cards, losing her car, and picking a small podunk town to play hide and seek in.
“We traced your last cell phone call,” she answered honestly. “You weren’t really hiding all that well. I can ‘find’ people, but only when I’m really focused. Nathaniel didn't want me wearing down, so we opted to use technology first.”
“I see,” stated Juliett.
Then she realized that she did it again.
“Wait, I didn't mean to say that like I was…” She was flustered.
Avalon laughed. “Relax. It’s not your fault I can’t see. You have to treat me like I’m normal. Really, there’s no reason to freak out.”
Sure there was.
The woman couldn’t see her boyfriend behind her. He stood there, arms crossed, and he didn't look happy. Actually, he looked pissed.