by Jackie D
A slow smile crossed Erica’s face. Bella was apparently a safe and welcomed topic. “Your parents watch her for me.”
“She’s very sweet.”
“Don’t let her fool you. She’s as stubborn as they come, and bossy.”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that she’s doing just fine. Holly and her hit it off, and when we left they were curled up on my bed together.”
Erica looked like she was going to say something, but whatever she was thinking was interrupted by Grayson standing up and offering to buy the next round. And just like that, they were alone at the table together. Lucy stared at Erica’s hand on the table, and she wanted so badly to touch it. She wanted to see if her skin was still as soft as she remembered, if it still burned at her touch. Instead, she tightened her grip around her glass. Drops of water slid down the side, cooling her hot skin.
“How’s San Diego?”
Another safe subject to discuss, perfect. “It’s warm and sunny, lots of traffic though.”
“I couldn’t live in Southern California. Too many cars, too many people.”
Lucy wanted to tell her that she already knew that. She hadn’t forgotten Erica’s adversity to any type of city life, to having to deal with traffic on a daily basis. She hadn’t forgotten the late-night conversations that she now clung to when she tried to fall asleep. The way those memories were like blankets of warmth and safety that she laid out across her body when she needed them the most. “I know.”
Grayson was back, drinks masterfully balanced between his fingertips. He nudged Erica. “Bogey, two o’clock.”
“Bogey? I don’t think that means what you think it does.”
Grayson put his hand on his hip and moved his head in the direction of the bar, eyes widening. “That woman over there seems pretty drunk, and the bartender is paying very close attention.”
Erica pulled her phone from her back pocket and slyly took a picture. Then she pulled a small notepad out and jotted down the time. “Thanks.”
Grayson, thoroughly pleased with himself, had a smug smile plastered on his face. “I’m clearly a natural.”
Erica stood, tracking someone with her gaze. “She’s going to the bathroom. I’m going to make sure nothing happens.” She was gone a moment later.
Grayson got in her seat and slid closer. “Okay, the chemistry between you two is off the charts.”
“What? You heard her. She’s seeing someone.”
“I don’t care what she said. There’s fire with you two. And from the way she made it sound, it’s nothing serious.”
She knew what he meant, because she could feel it, too. She just wasn’t sure if Erica reciprocated the feelings. “I don’t know.”
Grayson rolled his eyes as he sipped on his drink.
“She looks great.” Lucy hadn’t meant to say it aloud. It was just so apparent that it seemed to jump from her mouth.
“Mmm-hmm. What are you going to do about it, is the question.”
“I’m not going to do anything. I’m going to do what I came here to do, my job. When that’s done, I’m going to go back to San Diego. And she’ll stay in Clearbrook. Worlds apart.”
“Lesbians, always making things more difficult than they need to be.” He snorted.
“You don’t get it.”
“What’s there to get? You two broke up, there’s clearly still something there, so work it out.”
“We didn’t just break up, I broke her heart.” She felt dirty even saying it.
“She’ll forgive you.”
“No. She won’t, not the Erica I knew.”
“People change.”
“Not fundamentally.” One of the things Lucy had always appreciated most about Erica was her loyalty. If she cared about you, there was nothing she wouldn’t do. She was fierce in her love for others, a rare quality that was seldom replicated. Lucy knew she had broken that loyalty, that trust. People like Erica didn’t hand out second chances.
“I guess we’ll see.”
“I’m not sure I want to see.”
“Don’t be dramatic.”
“Don’t you mean realistic?”
“No, I meant dramatic. What do you have to lose?”
“You mean besides my self-respect and pride?”
“Oh, sweetie, we can make those things disappear with a few glasses of wine. May as well risk it on true love.”
Was Grayson, right? Well, besides the wine thing. Was there something there to salvage? Was it possible that Erica would be open to trying again? Those weren’t the questions that needed to be acknowledged. The only question that mattered was, was she brave enough to try? Could she put it all out there, bare her soul and deal with whatever her reaction was? Her therapist would tell her yes, she was brave enough. She would tell her that she needed this closure one way or another. That knowing, even if it was an ugly and agonizing truth, was better than not.
Chapter Thirteen
Erica Chance, so smug and arrogant. Sitting in his bar as if he wouldn’t notice. He found it almost comical that she believed she could saunter in here unnoticed. She never came in alone, and hardly ever came in with other people. As if he could’ve gotten to where he was by being stupid, careless. And now, she followed the drunk girl to the bathroom. Some deranged knight in shining armor complex. How wrong she was. He wouldn’t pick such an easy and obvious woman. Where would the fun be? Yes, he had seen both Claudia and Jessica at the bar. But everyone in this town, at some point or another, had been inside Junior’s. He wasn’t a fool, and he’d waited until he found Claudia at Starbucks. Well, “found” was a rather loose word. He knew the route she ran; he heard her describing it to her friends. Then it was just a matter of waiting.
These small-town cops weren’t smart enough to connect those dots. They would chase their tails, trying to put pieces together that couldn’t be traced. There were dozens of regulars that frequented Junior’s. It could be any number of people if that was the direction they were headed. He had a front row seat to their thought process, and he liked watching them flounder. As soon as they started pulling people in from Junior’s for questioning, he would take Jessica and disappear. They didn’t find him the first time he’d left this town, and this time would be no different.
No matter. She wouldn’t find what she was looking for. It didn’t matter how many bathrooms she lingered around. He had already taken the necessary steps to throw the detectives off his trail. It would only be a matter of time before they found her, giving him more time with Jessica.
Teresa Ortiz had never really been on his radar, not until he needed a distraction, that is. It hadn’t taken much convincing. It never really did. Women were predictable. They had very specific triggers, and babies were one of them. The ruse was simple; he had a car seat with a fake doll in his backseat. He would park next to his intended victim and struggle with the car seat. He would ask for help, and most women jumped at the opportunity. They would bend over the car seat, already half in the car, and by the time they realized it was a fake baby, he’d already have the chloroform over their mouths.
He would take them back to the farm and go back for their cars. No one ever gave him a second look since he had the keys. He would hang on to the car for a few days or get rid of it when he saw fit. He liked to make sure there was no evidence left behind, no way to track him. Plus, he liked being in control of when and where the police came upon their evidence. This was the best way to ensure he was in charge of all aspects. He hadn’t had time to go back for Jessica’s car, something he regretted. But he had her, and that’s what mattered most. In the best cases, there would be no car to worry about, like with Claudia. Claudia. He’d had high expectations for that one, just to be let down.
Erica walked past him, back to her table. Didn’t find anything, Detective? He smiled to himself. That was the problem with the police, they thought they were smarter than everyone else. They wouldn’t be able to get ahead of him, and if they got close, he would just disappear
again. They were easily distracted. Not like him. He had one clear objective, and no one would push him off course. In a few hours, he would be right back on that track, back with Jessica. Hopefully, she had some time to think about her behavior and was now ready to be a bit more ladylike.
He almost punched the computer screen thinking about their last encounter. He had dragged Teresa down below the barn so he could prepare her for presentation. Jessica had started wailing like a banshee, not only distracting him but making his skin crawl. He hated the emotional cries of women; they were like nails on a chalkboard. He hadn’t even waited for Teresa to awaken before taking the hammer to her head. If Teresa had been awake, she’d have fueled Jessica’s cries, and he didn’t want to deal with it.
Instead, he taped Jessica’s mouth and let the blood from Teresa’s skull splash her face. Upon impact, the blood had covered her eyes, dripping down her lovely cheeks. When it fell upon Jessica’s lips, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The shock and horror that gripped her face, choking her sobs, and blinding her humanity, were breathtaking. He did it as a warning of what could happen if she didn’t comply. He wanted her to see how special she really was to him. He saved her, not only from herself, but from the demise he would serve to her if she didn’t give him what he wanted.
He was caught up in the memory when the man who had been with the detective was in front of him, ordering drinks. The stark contrast between his life at the farmhouse and his life here, in the world, warmed him. If he had been younger, it would’ve made him hard. The adrenaline of maintaining the mask he had created was exhilarating. But he had learned to control those impulses years ago. Now, he had the ability to channel what he wanted the world to perceive versus what he craved. He nodded and gave the order to the other bartender on duty.
Chapter Fourteen
Diego put the small cupcake down on her desk. He smiled, knowing it would be Erica’s favorite. Her favorite was absolutely any pastry Diego’s wife made. She rubbed her hands together, her mouth already watering.
“You look just like my daughter when I put a cupcake in front of her.”
She picked it up and ate half in one bite. She closed her eyes and let the chocolate and strawberry mixture wash through her mouth. “Your daughter is a smart girl.”
“Happy birthday, Chance.” He leaned down and hugged her.
“Thank you.” She shoved the other half in her mouth and licked her fingers. “I just want you to know, if you and Melanie ever divorce, I’m keeping her.”
“And here I thought loyalty was your best attribute.”
“I’m very loyal, to these cupcakes.”
“Did you notice anything at the bar last night?”
“Nothing blatant, but I just can’t shake the feeling that we’re on the right track with the bar. It has something to do with it. I’m just not sure what yet.” She didn’t want to tell him about being there with Lucy. Not because it would have bothered him but because she didn’t want to answer any questions. She also didn’t have the desire to do any self-reflection at the moment. She hadn’t expected to be transfixed on the similarities and differences between the girl she had once known and the woman Lucy had become. Lucy had always been intuitive, with good instincts. She had clearly honed those skills over the last several years, and had chosen the right career. But in brief moments, Erica still caught glimpses of the young woman she had loved fiercely. It was the way Lucy’s face would flush when she caught Erica looking at her. The way she had left her hand so close, an unconscious gesture to anyone watching. But it wasn’t unconscious; it was something they had done before they came out to their families. The need to be close when eyes were watching. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.
He grabbed the files from her desk and started flipping through them. “Did you find anything of interest in here?”
She had been so caught up in the cupcake, she had almost forgotten about the case files. She wiped her hands on her pants and walked over to the board. “Yes, pretty much everything. Did you bring any more of those?” She looked at his desk, in search of more cupcakes.
“There will be more at dinner tonight. What did you find?”
She started writing as she talked. “Both victims in the old cases were college-age women, Latina, close to their families, good grades. One went missing from a parking lot after a movie with friends, the other was last seen at a clothing store. They were both missing for several days before a body was found. Both had been killed by blunt force trauma, both cleaned up, and left at a rural farm house.”
“Were there any leads?” Diego had stopped flipping through the files and was listening.
“Everyone was a suspect back then. They brought in everyone for questioning, from the store clerk to visiting cousins. But there was no physical evidence, there were no leads, and no one could think of anyone who would want them dead.”
Diego rubbed his face. “So, we’re in no better position now than they were twenty-five years ago.”
“Well, comparing all the autopsy reports, we might have something. All three women were struck in the head, the murder weapon appears to be a hammer, and the coroner suspects the murderer is right-handed. Also, we think we know what trophy he takes after he kills them. Each of the women had their left earring removed. I didn’t think anything of it when we found Claudia, but the same earring was missing on Mariana Cruz and Angelica Peña.”
“So, what, this guy has a thing for jewelry?” Diego looked over her shoulder and smiled.
“Three victims? You realize that means serial killer.”
The familiar voice smacked Erica in the back. It pushed against her, the strain of desire mixed with a need for self-preservation pulling her in different directions.
So she did the only thing she could, she made a joke. “Jesus, you’d think the security in a police station would be a little stricter. They’ll let anyone in.” She turned around.
Lucy had her arms crossed over her chest, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. She wore a tank top, and there was a large scar on her right arm that hadn’t been there twelve years ago. Erica fought back the urge to ask what happened.
Lucy pushed a strand of her dark brown hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. “Security? You do realize we went to school with pretty much everyone in this building.” She smiled slightly. “Now, about your serial killer…”
Her accuracy was annoying. “You can’t report that. You weren’t even supposed to hear it.” Lucy might be able to come and go as she pleased anywhere in her town, but Erica wasn’t going to let a reporter, any reporter, publish anything to put this case in jeopardy. Not while Jessica was still missing. It was too risky.
“But you do think they were all done by the same guy?”
“Or woman,” Diego added. “We don’t have any suspects yet.”
Lucy snorted. “Unlikely. Women only make up seven percent of all serial killers, and when they do kill, it’s almost always through poison. Not only that, the vast majority of female serial killers usually fall into one of four categories: Angels of Death, Black Widows, Munchausen’s, or post-partum killings. It’s very unlikely they would be targeting college age women.”
Diego stared at her for a long moment before saying anything. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or worried about you.”
She walked closer to the case board, seemingly mesmerized. “I have a thing for true crime novels. And you seem to forget that I cover the criminal beat in San Diego.”
Erica was caught off guard by Lucy’s comfortable ease in their meeting space. Did she not have any boundaries? “You still can’t be in here. This is an open investigation.”
“I know.” She kept looking at the board. “Are you sending out the samples from the earlier victims, to check for DNA evidence?”
Erica crossed her arms and shifted her weight. “Lucy, you can’t be in here.”
“Yes, I can.”
The absolute gall of this woma
n was astounding. Erica’s neck burned with anger, but she fought the urge to argue with her. “No…you can’t.”
Lucy turned and faced her now. The sneaky smile that used to send Erica over the edge crossed her lips. “I ran into the chief this morning at the bagel shop. I explained to him how much experience I had doing investigative reporting in San Diego. He thought since there were only two of you, I could be of some assistance.”
What? Erica walked over to her desk and grabbed her cell phone to call the chief and put an end to this.
“I’m not going to get in the way. I’m just going to observe, help where I can, and I get the exclusive. You won’t even know I’m here.”
Erica held the phone up to her ear, and she was relieved to see it wasn’t shaking.
“Think of me like a consultant.” Her voice held the tone of promise and a bit of determination. She emphasized it with an innocent smile.
Erica turned her back on the rehearsed proposal. It only took a few rings before the chief answered her call. But before she could even get her objection out, he derailed her hopes of keeping Lucy away.
“I know why you’re calling, Chance, and there’s no need to protest. Lucy is going to help. She’s seen and reported on dozens of cases like this and we haven’t, which means she’ll be a good set of eyes to have around. She’s going to help, so keep her safe. I have to go. We’re on the fourteenth hole.” She turned around to find Lucy shoving a cupcake in her mouth. Her cupcakes, that Diego had told her she needed to wait for.
“These are really good.” She kept chewing. “Oh, happy birthday.”
Diego shrugged, looking guilty. “I had one more and she’s my sister.”
Lucy still had chocolate on her lips, and she swallowed hard. “Yikes. Was this yours?”
“It’s fine.” She was irritated Lucy had inserted herself into her world so easily, irritated that she ate her cupcake, but mostly irritated that she still found her utterly adorable. “You’re going to consult, there’s nothing I can do about that, but you need to stay out of our way. It’s for your own safety.”