He’d been living and breathing murder since the first body had been found here almost three months ago. His instant, sharp physical attraction to Jordon had momentarily shaken him.
He now followed her up the wooden stairs that led to the ridge where the cabins were located. At least out here in the cold air he couldn’t smell the enticing flowery perfume that had permeated the air the moment she’d sat next to him in the dining room.
She reached the top of the ridge and turned back to wait for him. When he joined her he pointed to a small structure just to the right.
“That’s the guest shed where Rick Sanders was found.” She fell into step next to him as they approached the building where a cheerful hand-painted Welcome sign hung over the door.
They stepped inside to the tinkle of a little bell, and even though he’d been in the shed at least twenty times since the night that Rick’s body had been found, his gaze took everything in as if it was the very first time he’d been inside the small building.
A bifold door to the left hid a stackable washer and dryer. A round table and chairs to the right invited the guests to sit and relax. Beyond that was another closed door that led to a small storage room.
A counter held a fancy coffeemaker with a carousel of little flavored coffees, and beneath the counter, a glass-doored refrigerator displayed a variety of sodas and bottled water for the guests to enjoy at no cost.
“What a nice idea for the people staying here,” Jordon said.
Gabriel nodded, although his head filled with the vision of Rick Sanders dead on the floor, his back riddled with stab wounds. “He never saw what was coming. It appeared that he was standing in front of the coffeemaker waiting for a hot chocolate when he was attacked from behind.”
She looked up at the bell hanging over the doorway. “He didn’t hear it coming?”
“The bell wasn’t hung there until after his murder,” Gabriel explained. He watched Jordon closely as her narrowed gaze once again swept the room. He couldn’t help but notice the long length of her dark eyelashes and the slightly pouty fullness of her lips.
She opened the door to the storage room, where Gabriel knew the space held only cases of soda, boxes of the little coffee pods, paper napkins and other supplies.
“Okay,” she said and gazed at him with eyes that gave away nothing.
“See anything me and my men might have missed?”
“Yes. In fact, I think I’ve solved the case. It was Colonel Mustard in the library with a wrench,” she replied flippantly. He stared at her in stunned surprise. “Where to next?” she asked before he could even begin to formulate a response.
They exited the guest shed and he led her down a path that would eventually take them to the place where Samantha Kent’s body had been found.
“There’s about seven acres of trails here,” he said.
“Good grief. I hope we aren’t walking them all now.” She pulled her coat collar closer around her slender neck. “I hate this weather. I’ve got a date with a beach in Florida at the end of next week and I can’t wait to get in a bathing suit and enjoy a fruity, fun alcoholic beverage.”
“Then I guess you’ll need to hurry to solve this case in time to get to the beach,” he replied. He took another couple of steps then halted when he realized she wasn’t with him.
He turned around. She stood stock-still, her green eyes narrowed as if he was a puzzling crime scene she was analyzing. “Are you normally a jerk or are you just acting like one especially for me?”
Despite the cold air, a wave of warmth filled his cheeks. “No, I’m not normally a jerk,” he replied. He drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “But I guess I have been acting like one since you arrived and I apologize.” He had to admit to himself that he’d been a bit antagonistic with her. It wasn’t her fault she was here. She was just doing her job like he was trying to do his.
“Apology accepted,” she said easily and grinned. “Can I expect more jerk from you or are you over it now?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “It’s not you personally.”
Her grin widened. “Trust me, I didn’t think it was about me personally. You haven’t known me long enough to have attitude with me, although I’m sure if I’m here for a few more days that will eventually come.”
He gazed at her curiously. “Why? Are you difficult to work with?”
“I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.” Her smile fell and she wrapped her arms around her chest. “Look, I get it that you probably aren’t happy about FBI presence here. But I am here, and we might as well try to work together to solve these murders. Now, can we get on with this? I’m freezing my tush off.”
And a fine tush it was, Gabriel thought as they continued walking on the narrow trail. Within minutes they were at the spot where Samantha Kent’s body had been found.
“The trees were still fairly full of leaves when she was killed,” he said. “Although you can see the cabins from here now, they weren’t visible at the time of the murder.”
Once again Jordon silently surveyed the scene. “She didn’t scream or cry out for help? Nobody heard anything?”
“Nobody admitted to hearing anything. She was attacked from behind like Rick. She didn’t have a single defensive wound and Billy didn’t see or hear anyone else in the woods when he found her.” The frustration of the cases burned in his stomach as once again his mind provided a memory of this particular crime scene.
Samantha had already been carried away to the hospital by the time Gabriel had arrived on scene, but her blood had stained the autumn leaves where she had fallen, transforming this piece of beautiful woods to a place of haunting, violent death.
“I’ve seen enough,” Jordon said softly.
They were both silent as he led her to unit number three, where Sandy Peters had been found stabbed in her bed.
“Wow. Nice room,” Jordon said after they’d stomped the snow off their boots and stepped inside. They both had donned gloves and bootees, as the room was still officially a crime scene.
“All the rooms are this nice,” he replied. He stood by the door as Jordon wandered the area.
A king-size log bed was the center focal point, along with a stone fireplace and a sunken Jacuzzi tub for two. The bed had been stripped down to the mattress, but Sandy’s suitcase was still open on one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, and a thick pink robe still hung on a coat tree next to the dresser.
He’d kept things intact in the room as much as possible for Jordon’s perusal, although his men had already taken Sandy’s cell phone and computer and the bedclothes into evidence. The room had been gone over with a fine-tooth comb and fingerprinted, so this evening he’d have some of his men clear the rest of Sandy’s things from the room.
Jordon disappeared into the adjoining bathroom and then reappeared and stared at the tub, where a little basket held packets of bubble bath and two wineglasses with a bottle of white wine perched on the tile.
“There was obviously not a struggle.” It was a statement of fact rather than a question.
“And the door wasn’t forced,” he replied. “It appears that she opened the door and was immediately stabbed. She fell backward to the bed and the attack continued there. She was stabbed a total of twelve times.”
A frown danced across Jordon’s features. “Overkill... That indicates a rage.”
He nodded. “The same kind of rage was evident with the other two victims, as well.”
“And the time of death?”
“The coroner placed it between around midnight and five in the morning,” he replied. “Hannah, the owners’ fifteen-year-old daughter, saw Sandy leaving the guest shed at around nine in the evening. She had a soda in her hand and told Hannah she planned on being up late working.”
“One of her jobs here is to make sure the refrigerator is restocked each evening. She was later than usual that night.” He looked toward the window where dusk had moved in. “I’ve arranged interviews with all the staff here to start in the morning at eight. In the meantime, we should get you settled in for the night. I’ve made arrangements for you to stay at a motel not far from here.”
She looked at him in surprise. “Why would I stay at another motel? I’m assuming there are vacant rooms here?”
“Yes, but there is also a killer using this bed-and-breakfast as his personal playground.”
“All the more reason for me to stay here,” she replied.
Gabriel frowned. “I really don’t like the idea. I think it would be much better if you stayed somewhere else.”
“I’ll be fine here. I’m armed and I’m trained. Just get me a key and point me to a room.”
The burn in his gut intensified. Even though he barely knew Jordon, he recognized the stubborn upward thrust of a chin, the resolute shine in her eyes.
The killer was savvy enough not to leave any evidence behind. In savagely murdering three people he hadn’t made any mistakes that Gabriel had been able to find.
The last thing Gabriel wanted was for FBI Special Agent Jordon James to become the fourth victim.
Chapter Two
When they returned to the main dining room, two adults and two teenagers awaited them. Gabriel introduced them as owners Ted and Joan Overton and their two children, fifteen-year-old Hannah and seventeen-year-old Jason.
“I made fresh coffee and some sandwiches,” Joan said as she and her husband jumped up from the table where they’d been seated. She hurried over to stand next to the table with the coffeemaker and twisted her hands together as if unsure what to do next.
“Thank you—I’d love a cup,” Jordon said. “And the sandwiches look wonderful.” Joan’s pretty features lit up as if she was pleased to be able to serve somebody.
“We’ve canceled all of our reservations for the next two weeks,” Ted said. Jordon took a seat across from him and Gabriel sat next to Jason.
“There weren’t that many to cancel,” Joan said as she set a cup of coffee in front of Jordon and then sat next to her husband. “This is our slowest time of year, but reservations had already fallen off because of the bad publicity we’ve received. Social media is destroying us.”
“Your place is lovely,” Jordon said. “How long have you all owned it?”
“We bought it a little over a year ago,” Ted said. “We’d talked about leaving the rat race behind and doing something like this for years, and then this place came on the market as a foreclosure and so we bit the bullet and made the move.”
“Made the move from where?” Jordon asked. She took half of one of the thick ham-and-cheese sandwiches that were on a platter and placed it on the small plate in front of her.
“Oklahoma City,” Ted replied. He was a tall, thin man with dark hair and brown eyes, and his children took after him rather than their shorter, blond-haired, blue-eyed mother.
“Do we need to be here?” Jason asked. His cheeks colored slightly as Jordon turned her gaze on him. “I don’t know anything about what’s happened around here and I’ve got homework to finish.”
Jordon shifted her gaze to Gabriel, who shrugged. She turned back to Jason. “I don’t see any reason for you to hang around here while we talk to your mother and father.” The young man was nearly out of his chair before Jordon had finished speaking.
“What about me?” Hannah asked. “I’ve already told Chief Walters everything I know.”
“As long as it’s okay with your parents, you both can be excused for tonight,” Jordon replied. Hannah also flew out of her chair and pulled a cell phone from her pocket.
“Go directly to the house and no place else,” Ted said.
“Where’s the house?” Jordon asked as the two teenagers left the building.
“Across the street. It came with this property,” Ted replied. “It’s a nice three-bedroom with a lake view.”
“And it has a huge detached garage that’s far enough away from the house that I can’t hear the banging and curses or noises that Ted makes when he’s working on one of the cars or in the middle of a woodworking project,” Joan added.
For the next hour Jordon questioned the couple about the murders, the victims and the daily operation of the bed-and-breakfast.
Gabriel was mostly silent during the conversation. She was grateful he allowed her to go over information she was certain he already knew.
The body language between the couple indicated a close, loving relationship, and Jordon sensed no underlying tension other than what would be deemed normal under the conditions.
By the time they’d finished up, night had fallen outside. “Agent James would like to stay here,” Gabriel said when the interview had wound down. A deep frown cut across his forehead. “That wouldn’t be a problem, would it?”
“Of course not,” Joan replied with a touch of surprise.
“Are you sure you want to do that?” Ted asked.
“Positive,” Jordon replied without hesitation. Gabriel’s silent disapproval of the plan wafted in the air, but Jordon’s mind was made up.
“We’ll put you in unit seven,” Ted said. They all got up from the table. “I’ll just go get the key for you.” He left the dining room through a door that Jordon assumed led into the main office.
“Breakfast is served from seven to nine. If that doesn’t work for you just let me know,” Joan said. “We’ll be glad to do whatever we can to accommodate you while you’re here.”
“I’d like you to keep things the way you would for any other guest,” Jordon replied.
“And I’ll be here around seven in the morning so that we can begin interviewing the staff at eight,” Gabriel said. “I hope you don’t mind me joining Agent James here for breakfast.”
“You know you’re always welcome here, Chief Walters,” Joan said warmly.
Ted returned to the dining room and handed Jordon a room key. “I’ll just grab my coat and show you to the room.”
“Don’t worry about it, Ted. I’ll see her to the room,” Gabriel replied. He pulled on his coat and Jordon did the same.
“Thank you for the sandwiches. It was very thoughtful of you,” Jordon said to Joan.
“It was my pleasure,” Joan replied.
“And I won’t be needing daily maid service while I’m here. Once a week or so would be fine just for clean towels and sheets, and I can change my own bed.”
Joan nodded. “If that’s what you want. Hopefully the case will be solved soon and you won’t even be here long enough for that.”
“We’ll see you in the morning.” Gabriel picked up Jordon’s suitcases.
Jordon took the smaller of the bags from him. “They seem like a nice couple,” she said when they were out of the building and heading up the stairs to the cabins.
“They are. They have good kids, too. Both Jason and Hannah are excellent students and they work here for their parents after school.” He shifted the suitcase he carried from one hand to the other. “But these murders are quickly destroying their livelihood.”
“So, who would want to do that?” The cold air nearly stole her breath away as they trudged up the stairs to the row of cabins. She sighed in relief as they reached the unit she would call home for the duration of her stay.
“A few people come to mind.”
She set the suitcase she carried down and retrieved the room key from her pocket. Although she was intrigued by any suspects he might have in mind, at the moment all she wanted to do was get out of the frigid night air.
She sighed in reli
ef as she stepped into the warm room. Gabriel followed her just inside the door and set her suitcase on the floor. She shrugged out of her coat, flipped the switch that made the flames in the fireplace jump to life and then turned back to look at him. “So who are these people who come to mind?”
“Actually, I’d rather not get into all that tonight. It’s getting late and I’ll just let you get settled in. Why don’t I meet you in the dining room at seven tomorrow morning and we can discuss it more then.”
It was only eight o’clock, hardly a late night, but it was obvious by the rigid set of his shoulders and how close he stood to the door that he wasn’t comfortable having a long conversation in the intimacy of the room.
Maybe he had a wife to get home to, she thought, although there was no wedding ring on his finger. She pegged him in his midthirties, certainly not only old enough to be married, but also to have some children running around.
“Okay, then I guess I’ll see you in the morning,” she said. “Oh, and one more thing. If it’s possible, I’d like to have a car at my disposal while I’m here.”
He gave a curt nod. “I’ll see to it that you have one first thing in the morning. And we should exchange cell phone numbers.” He pulled his phone from his pocket.
With her number in his phone and his in hers, Gabriel stared at her for a long moment. “You know I don’t approve of you staying here. You need to call me immediately if you feel uncomfortable here or believe you’re in any kind of danger.”
The only danger at the moment was the possibility of getting lost in the simmering depths of his eyes. She’d watched those blue eyes through the course of the evening. She wondered if he had any idea how expressive they were.
As she’d spoken to the Overtons, his eyes had alternately radiated with a soft sympathy and a deep frustration. It was only when he gazed at her that they became utterly shuttered and unfathomable.
“Jordon?” he said, pulling her from her momentary contemplation.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine.” Her hand fell to the butt of her gun to emphasize her point. “Good night, Chief Walters. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Scene of the Crime Page 2