Use
me.
Test
me.
Bring up my dirty little secrets like that. Fuck you, Hyatt
.
‘Lucy, honey, wait up.’
It was Daphne. Lucy had to force herself to stop, draw a breath so that she wouldn’t be sharp with the assistant DA, who she’d come to appreciate the first time she’d testified on one of Daphne’s cases. The woman was smart, sassy, and used her twang to put people at ease and sometimes to make them underestimate her. Then, if they were guilty, she decimated them.
They were three for three, Lucy and Daphne. Three cases so far, and three convictions. Daphne Montgomery was new, but she was good.
Daphne put an arm around Lucy’s shoulders. ‘You okay, baby girl?’
It made Lucy wistful.
Nobody’s called me that in a long time.
‘Yeah, I’m okay.’
‘I just wanted to be sure you knew that nobody appreciated that dickhead Hyatt.’ Daphne grinned when Lucy laughed in spite of herself. ‘See, I knew I could make you smile. Seriously, Mazzetti and Fitzpatrick did not know. You got that, right?’
‘I got it. I just don’t understand why he did it.’
‘Well, if it makes you feel better, he’s that way with everybody. Don’t take it personally.’
‘You’re joking. Why is he allowed to get away with that?’
‘Because he’s a good cop. Look, we all hated what he did in there. JD looked like he wanted to smack Hyatt upside his bald head. But it’s good he didn’t. That was as much a test of JD as it was of you. You got that too, right?’
Lucy stared at her. ‘Why would he test Detective Fitzpatrick? Why do any of it?’
‘Well, I didn’t know either, until JD walked in the room and looked at you.’
Stevie’s words came to mind. ‘How did he look at me?’
‘Like you were all that mattered. If he’d sprung to your defense, he would’ve been off the case. For your sake, I’m glad he didn’t. You need him. If a tenth of what I hear about him is true, you won’t find a braver cop.’ Daphne pushed at Lucy’s mouth with her thumb, making Lucy realize she was frowning. ‘Plus, he’s hot. And he’s coming up the hall.’
‘Thanks, Daphne. I appreciate it.’
‘I know,’ Daphne said quietly. ‘And you need to find a different way to tell that story of yours, sugar. You make yourself sound only slightly less guilty than Ma Barker.’
‘It wasn’t any of their business,’ Lucy hissed, feeling her ire rise all over again.
‘No, it wasn’t. But now it is, because some killer’s made it our business. So help JD and Stevie find him so I can put his ass away for ever.’
Lucy drew a breath. ‘Okay.’ She was calm now. ‘Thank you.’
‘Good girl. Here’s my cell and home numbers.’ Daphne slipped her card into Lucy’s jacket pocket. ‘You call me if you need me. I mean that.’ She turned them both around so that they could watch Fitzpatrick and Stevie approach and gave a low hum of approval. ‘I wish I were you, baby girl. That man is somethin’.’
He was indeed. Showered and clean-shaven, he could easily have graced the cover of a magazine. There was something about him, and every last bit of it was masculine. Then again, first fiancé had been the same.
And look how that ended up
.
‘You might want to try breathing,’ Daphne whispered. ‘I’m told it’s good for you. Now I’ve got to go. Call me.’ She patted Fitzpatrick’s arm as she passed.
When Fitzpatrick was two steps from Lucy, he shoved his hands in his pockets. His gaze was intense and he leaned forward slightly, as if he’d have his hands on her if he could. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said simply. ‘That shouldn’t have happened.’
‘It’s not your fault,’ Lucy said. ‘Did you pass
your
test?’
‘Barely. Stevie’s the star pupil, but I’m learning the ropes. Are you ready to go? We need to get to the first wife so we can get over the Bay Bridge to the Bennetts.’
You’re going home
. Lucy wished she hadn’t asked to go along. But she owed the Bennetts a lot. Their son was dead. They’d need support, someone they could lean on.
‘I need to get the bag I packed when I went back to my apartment.’
‘I’ll meet you at the first Mrs Bennett’s house,’ Stevie said. ‘I need to get the list of Bennett’s girlfriends to Hyatt’s clerk so she can run them. I’ll make you a copy, Lucy.’
‘Because I’m your native guide,’ Lucy said dryly. ‘You know, you could have just asked. I would have been happy to help, especially, as Hyatt so noted, because the killer left a heart in my car.’
‘It wasn’t a done deal,’ Stevie said with a sigh. ‘Hyatt said he wanted to talk to you first. I didn’t know he had an ulterior motive. We
are
sorry.’
Lucy studied their faces. ‘You haven’t asked me what really happened.’
‘Because it’s your business,’ JD said. ‘You’ve had enough for one day.’
‘And it ain’t over yet,’ Stevie added. ‘I’ll meet you there, JD.’ With a wave she was gone, leaving Lucy alone with JD Fitzpatrick for the very first time.
No, that wasn’t true. They’d been alone that day in the autopsy suite. When he’d cried. ‘Who was the child to you?’ Lucy asked softly, before she could lose her nerve.
His eyes widened. ‘Excuse me?’
‘Two years ago you witnessed the autopsy of a child. Who was she to you?’
He looked uncomfortable. ‘A victim,’ he said so quietly she had to lean closer to hear. ‘I didn’t know her. I found her dead in the street.’
‘No one else came. Her parents didn’t come to ID the body. There was no one.’
‘Which is why I was there.’ He took her elbow gently. ‘Let’s get your bag.’
She let him walk her to CSU where she fetched her bags. Fitzpatrick reached for them both, but she held on to the bag that held her violin case. ‘I’ve got this one.’
Fitzpatrick lifted her heavy suitcase as if it weighed nothing. ‘Then let’s go.’
They said nothing until they got to his car and he opened the trunk. Lucy leaned forward and sniffed. ‘It still stinks.’
‘Then we can put your bags in the back seat.’
She wrinkled her nose. ‘Where addicts puke?’
He laughed, his dimple appearing. ‘That was in the car I drove in Narcotics. So far nobody’s puked in the back of this car.’ He put her bags on the seat next to a pile of old clothes. Then he winked at her. ‘That I know of, anyway. Anything could have happened before I got the car.’
‘Ha, ha,’ she grumbled, surprised when he opened the passenger door for her. But she supposed she shouldn’t have been. JD Fitzpatrick had been the epitome of good manners all day. Which would make his bad-boy mode even more enticing, she knew. That he had a bad-boy mode was not even in question. Of course he did.
And the thought of it turned her on. A lot.
Dammit
.
He said nothing more, taking them northwest, out of the city. They had at least a half-hour drive ahead of them and she suddenly found herself edgy. It had been a roller-coaster day, and as Stevie had said, it wasn’t over yet.
‘Why did Stevie drive separately?’ she asked.
‘Her daughter graduates kindergarten tonight. If we run late, she’s going to take off so that she doesn’t miss it.’
‘Kindergarten graduation? They do that?’
He nodded, smiling wistfully. ‘Yeah, it’s really cute.’
‘I thought you didn’t have kids,’ she said, then wished the words back.
He glanced over at her. ‘Been asking about me?’
Her cheeks heated. ‘Yes.’
‘Good.’ He glanced at her again, a little longer this time before returning his gaze to the road. ‘I was there when Stevie’s son graduated from kindergarten.’ He cleared his throat harshly. ‘I’ve known Cordelia since she was born. I wish I could be there for her tonight, but she’ll have tons of family there for her.’ He handed her his wallet. ‘Her picture’s in there.’
Lucy opened his wallet hesitantly, feeling awkward handling his things. But the awkwardness fled when she saw the little girl’s sweet smile. ‘She’s adorable.’
‘And happy,’ he said, a little too fiercely. ‘Stevie’s a good mom.’
She remembered him saying he’d had no Big Wheel as a child and wondered if he’d not had happiness either. Or a good mom. She wanted to ask, but he’d respected her privacy about her trial. She’d respect his. If he wanted to talk about it, he would.
Besides, if she asked about his mom, he’d ask about hers. She gave him back his wallet and he slipped it in his pocket.
‘So what are my responsibilities as your native guide?’ she asked.
‘To keep your eyes and ears open, tell us if the people we talk to in Anderson Ferry have relationships that aren’t obvious.’
‘I haven’t lived there in a long time. There will be a lot I don’t know.’
‘You’ve kept up, though. You knew Bennett’s mother had a recent heart attack.’
Lucy barely remembered telling him that, but he was a detective. Of course he’d pick up on details. She’d have to keep that in mind. ‘Because I talk to her on the phone and visit with her when she has her doctors’ appointments, here in the city. I haven’t been back to Anderson Ferry in years.’
Again he glanced at her. ‘Why not?’
She hesitated, then shrugged. ‘There isn’t anything there for me anymore.’
‘No family?’
This time she didn’t hesitate. ‘No. None.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘It’s okay.’ Although it really wasn’t. ‘And you? What about your family?’
‘None to speak of.’
So it was as she’d thought. ‘I can respect that, Detective.’
‘JD,’ he said. ‘My name is JD.’
‘What does it stand for?’
‘Just Deserts,’ he said lightly, a diversion tactic, she knew.
‘No wonder you don’t wish to speak of them,’ she said dryly. ‘I’d wouldn’t either, if they’d saddled me with a name like that.’
This drew a chuckle. ‘JD is just initials,’ he said. ‘Doesn’t stand for anything.’
She didn’t believe him, but let it go. ‘Okay. But you still haven’t honestly answered my first question. Why am I here? I don’t think I can help you with anything in Anderson Ferry. You never even asked me who I still knew. So why am I here?’
‘You asked to come. To be there when we notified the family.’
She studied his profile, noting that he was careful not to look at her now. A muscle twitched in his taut jaw. ‘You’re afraid,’ she murmured. ‘For me. Aren’t you?’
‘Aren’t you?’ he countered. ‘Because if you’re not, you damn well should be.’
That gave her pause. And then she understood. ‘You’re my bodyguard?’
‘No. We are not bodyguards.’ He said it as if reciting from a handbook. ‘That’s why you’re our consultant. Unpaid, of course. Donating your time out of the goodness of your heart, a desire to support your community and to catch the psycho who had a human heart delivered to your car.’
‘Of course,’ she murmured. ‘Your native guide.’
Now he looked at her. ‘Yes. Do you want to quit?’
She thought of Russ’s brutalized body. Of the number ‘I’ burned into his back. Fitzpatrick and Stevie had manipulated the system to keep her safe. ‘No. I think I like this arrangement just fine. I certainly won’t fight you on it. And I’ll be the best native guide you could ever want.’
‘Okay. Now, can I ask you a question?’
She steeled herself for a question about her trial. ‘You can ask.’
‘Are you involved with Thomas Thorne? Specifically, I mean romantically.’
She blinked. ‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘Friends only. We’re not at all compatible. Thorne keeps a veritable harem and I . . . haven’t.’
‘Good. Are you involved with anyone?’
‘No.’
‘Would you?’
‘Become involved with someone?’ She still studied his profile.
He’s as nervous as I am
. She’d expected confidence. Swagger. She hadn’t expected nerves. Maybe he wasn’t as dangerous as she’d imagined.
No, Lucy. He is. To you, he is. Say no. Just say no
. But her mouth would not cooperate. Just saying no had left her alone for too long. ‘Maybe. It would depend.’
‘On what?’
Think, girl. About the killer leaving you a human heart. You don’t need JD Fitzpatrick distracting you. It would be nice if he stayed focused, too.
‘Lucy?’ he asked when she said nothing. ‘What would it depend on?’
She sighed quietly. ‘Well, for starters, on whether I’m some killer’s number two.’
Monday, May 3, 5.00 P.M.
He lifted his face into the wind, letting it cool him. Then he looked down at his feet. Janet Gordon was done. He hoped she found hell to her liking, because that’s exactly where he’d sent her. She’d died beautifully, with much screaming and weeping and begging.
Just as he’d hoped. He turned the
Satisfaction
back to shore. He’d take care of her worthless heart back at his plant. The wind was kicking up and he needed a steady hand. Plus, the cement floor would be easier to clean than the deck of his boat. He’d learned the hard way with Bennett – cutting out a human heart, even after death, produced a lot more blood than even he’d anticipated.
But he hadn’t been thinking, and cleaning up the deck of the
Satisfaction
after Bennett’s kill had taken hours and tons of bleach – which couldn’t be good for the hardwood finish or the marine life in the Bay. So this time he’d planned ahead.
He had a Shop-Vac set up in one of the rooms designed to clean fish. It had a drain, so he could easily empty all the blood he vacuumed out as he cut. He’d have just enough time to prepare the body before delivering Janet.
She didn’t need to be frozen, which was a shame. It’d been fun sending Russ through that big freezer. Kind of an experiment, just to see how he’d come out. Boys and their toys. But Janet would keep until he got her where she needed to be.
Which was wherever Lucy Trask planned to be tonight. The woman was a total creature of habit, thank the good Lord. So if good old Lucy’s habits held firm, he knew exactly where he’d find her. And then she’d find Janet.
Then the cops would come and there would be much brouhaha. A second one, they’d say. A serial killer, they’d moan. The press would go wild.
It would be easy to identify Mrs Gordon. He’d left her breasts. Kind of. They’d find the serial numbers easily enough, which would lead them right back to Bennett. Her son Ryan would come straightaway – if for no other reason than to be certain his inheritance was well tended.