Linc was already on his feet and reaching for his cell phone.
“Who was it?” Quinn asked hesitantly, wincing at the fact that she didn’t have the right to inquire about such information. She was only here because she could potentially still be on The Widow Taker’s list of targets. It was hard to ignore that his messages had become few and far between. Was it a sign? “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you that.”
“Quinn, it’s Lily Hudson.”
“Am I missing something?” Linc asked, grabbing their jackets off one of the chairs. It appeared she was going with him to the crime scene. “Who is Lily Hudson?”
“Lily was the wife of Parker Hudson, the heart surgeon who was sent to prison after it was found out that he’d been drinking before performing open heart surgeries,” Quinn replied, thinking back to the three-part story she’d written on his death. “He was killed three months into his life sentence. Lily lives off that single dirt road that leads to the old lighthouse at the base of the cliffs.”
“I’ve alerted Agent Malone and the sheriff,” Deputy Jordan advised as she and Linc put on their jackets. “Evans is driving to their location now to relieve them for the night while Agent Malone heads to the hospital and the sheriff diverts to the crime scene. I’ve also got a call in to Dwight to meet up with Evans, as well as the state police in order to get some assistance to canvass the crime scene.”
Deputy Jordan stepped to the side when Quinn passed him after having grabbed her backpack. She’d shoved her laptop inside without even shutting it down, but she quickly turned around once his words began to register.
Linc beat her to the follow-up question.
“Hospital?”
“From what I’m being told by dispatch, Lily Hudson managed to make it to another residence after her attack. That’s saying something, considering how far apart those houses are in that neck of the woods,” Deputy Jordan said, giving his two cents. “Lily was bleeding pretty badly, but the homeowner was able to keep her stable until an ambulance arrived. I believe they’re all still on the scene, but they’ll have already left for the hospital by the time you’re halfway through town.”
“Hold on a second,” Quinn said, hoisting the strap of her backpack over her shoulder.
Linc was already lifting his phone to his ear, no doubt to contact Agent Malone about this major break in the case. He hadn’t hesitated to have her by his side, just as she hadn’t waited to tell him how she’d truly felt about their relationship.
For the first time since her teenage years, she was no longer alone.
“You’re saying that Lily Hudson survived an attack by The Widow Taker?”
“If that’s who attacked her, then yes,” Deputy Jordan replied with a nod, passing them quickly to answer one of the many phone lines that had lit up in a matter of seconds. No doubt that Katie was one of those callers, wanting to confirm what she had no doubt heard over the airwaves. “Winter Heights Police Department, this is Deputy Jordan.”
Quinn turned back to Linc, who was already speaking into his phone.
“We’re leaving the station now,” Linc said, resting a hand on Quinn’s lower back as they hurried through the station. “We’ll meet you at the hospital. Evans is heading in your direction now, as well as Dwight. We cannot take eyes off Olivia Harper’s residence. There’s no telling how the unsub will react now that his latest target was able to survive what he feels is his duty to society.”
Quinn opened up the reinforced steel door to the lobby, stepping through it before Linc could finish the phone conversation. The significance of this lead wasn’t lost on her. The Widow Taker had finally made a mistake, most likely caused by the emotional spiral of his downfall. The sands of his hourglass were just grains away from running out.
“…see you there.” Linc disconnected the line before slipping his cell phone into the pocket of his jacket. He focused on her, making no move toward the double glass doors that would take them outside to the station’s parking lot. “We’re closing in on the unsub, Quinn.”
“Yes, you are,” Quinn agreed, purposefully taking that step toward him that he mentioned last week. She then slowly held out her hand, deciding not to put on her gloves. His warmth was all she needed. “And I wouldn’t be anywhere else but at your side, Agent Roche.”
The serial killer had made his second mistake of the night.
First, he’d murdered Rhonda in cold blood, going against his own moral code.
He then allowed one of his victims to escape her death and find refuge at a neighbor’s house. There was a very good chance that she would be able to identify the serial killer who had been preying on widows for the past seven months.
Lily Hudson was now the key to apprehending him.
Together, Quinn and Linc walked out of the station hand in hand, one step closer to taking down the The Widow Taker.
~ The End ~
USA Today Bestselling Author Kennedy Layne brings you the stunning conclusion to The Widow Taker trilogy…
Click HERE
Ridge Killian would have preferred to stay anonymous, given his past life as one of the most efficient snipers in recent U.S. military history. He even bought a house in a peaceful neighborhood where the most prevalent crime was not picking up after your dog. His quiet life is turned upside down when his next-door neighbor turns up half-dead on his doorstep.
Lily Hudson always had an aversion to attention, but that doesn’t seem to matter when she narrowly survives an attack in her own home. She has somehow caught the attention of a serial killer dubbed The Widow Taker and is now known to the public as the lone surviving victim.
Ridge finds himself in a predicament when the press leaks his identity as her savior, along with Lily’s ability to identify the killer. Their forced commiseration in protective custody spins into a sizzling chemistry neither one of them can ignore, but that only fuels The Widow Taker to eradicate the one woman who is responsible for his public humiliation.
Books by Kennedy Layne
The Widow Taker Trilogy
The Forgotten Widow
The Isolated Widow
The Reclusive Widow
Hex on Me Mysteries
If the Curse Fits
Cursing up the Wrong Tree
The Squeaky Ghost Gets the Curse
The Curse that Bites
Curse Me Under the Mistletoe
Gone Cursing
Paramour Bay Mysteries
Magical Blend
Bewitching Blend
Enchanting Blend
Haunting Blend
Charming Blend
Spellbinding Blend
Cryptic Blend
Broomstick Blend
Spirited Blend
Yuletide Blend
Baffling Blend
Phantom Blend
Office Roulette Series
Means (Office Roulette, Book One)
Motive (Office Roulette, Book Two)
Opportunity (Office Roulette, Book Three)
Keys to Love Series
Unlocking Fear (Keys to Love, Book One)
Unlocking Secrets (Keys to Love, Book Two)
Unlocking Lies (Keys to Love, Book Three)
Unlocking Shadows (Keys to Love, Book Four)
Unlocking Darkness (Keys to Love, Book Five)
Surviving Ashes Series
Essential Beginnings (Surviving Ashes, Book One)
Hidden Ashes (Surviving Ashes, Book Two)
Buried Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Three)
Endless Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Four)
Rising Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Five)
CSA Case Files Series
Captured Innocence (CSA Case Files 1)
Sinful Resurrection (CSA Case Files 2)
Renewed Faith (CSA Case Files 3)
Campaign of Desire (CSA Case Files 4)
Internal Temptation (CSA Case Files 5)
Radiant Surrender (CSA Case Files 6)
Redeem My Hear
t (CSA Case Files 7)
A Mission of Love (CSA Case Files 8)
Red Starr Series
Starr’s Awakening(Red Starr, Book One)
Hearths of Fire (Red Starr, Book Two)
Targets Entangled (Red Starr, Book Three)
Igniting Passion (Red Starr, Book Four)
Untold Devotion (Red Starr, Book Five)
Fulfilling Promises (Red Starr, Book Six)
Fated Identity (Red Starr, Book Seven)
Red’s Salvation (Red Starr, Book Eight)
The Safeguard Series
Brutal Obsession (The Safeguard Series, Book One)
Faithful Addiction (The Safeguard Series, Book Two)
Distant Illusions (The Safeguard Series, Book Three)
Casual Impressions (The Safeguard Series, Book Four)
Honest Intentions (The Safeguard Series, Book Five)
Deadly Premonitions (The Safeguard Series, Book Six)
About the Author
First and foremost, I love life. I love that I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister… and a writer.
I am one of the lucky women in this world who gets to do what makes them happy. As long as I have a cup of coffee (maybe two or three) and my laptop, the stories evolve themselves and I try to do them justice. I draw my inspiration from a retired Marine Master Sergeant that swept me off of my feet and has drawn me into a world that fulfills all of my deepest and darkest desires. Erotic romance, military men, intrigue, with a little bit of kinky chili pepper (his recipe), fill my head and there is nothing more satisfying than making the hero and heroine fulfill their destinies.
Thank you for having joined me on their journeys…
Email:
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twitter.com/KennedyL_Author
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www.kennedylayne.com
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www.kennedylayne.com/meet-kennedy.html
The Isolated Widow (The Widow Taker Book 2) Page 22