Wild

by Meghan O'Brien

  But what about in the days and weeks since? After all they’d shared? Eve was convinced that their bond, though new, went deep enough that Selene would have trusted her with that secret. In a crazy way, Eve felt like she would have sensed it.

  Unless Selene was a very, very good liar.

  The thought chilled Eve. Jac was a good liar. That was exactly why dishonesty was the one thing Eve couldn’t abide in a relationship. Not even with someone who felt as right as Selene did.

  “I wouldn’t lie to you about this,” Jac said softly. “I can play the tape for you.”

  “No.” Eve’s voice came out more forcefully than she intended. But she was angry with Jac for introducing doubt into a situation that had, until that point, brought Eve nothing but pure happiness. Selene was the best thing in her life right now. She was possibly the only thing holding her together in the face of this Golden Gate Park killer debacle. She couldn’t allow Jac to destroy the trust between them, the way everything about their relationship felt both natural and intense beyond reason. It was far too valuable. “I don’t want to hear it.”

  A shadow passed over Jac’s face. “She might know something, Eve. Maybe she saw something, or maybe…maybe she’s involved somehow.”

  Eve flinched, taken aback that Selene might have more information about her attacker than she was letting on. Selene knew how frightened Eve was and had offered nothing but support. She couldn’t comprehend that Selene could be hiding something like that from her. Eve refused to believe it and hated Jac for even going there. Lowering her voice to an angry whisper, Eve said, “Fuck you. Fuck your tape. And fuck your suspicious bullshit.”

  “Eve—”

  “No. I’m not listening to any more of this. I’m going to get in Selene’s car and she’s going to drive me to the lab. If you want to meet me there, fine. We can review the evidence together.” Eve folded her arms over her stomach, needing the illusion of self-protection. Jac’s insinuations had shaken her. “If not, then I’ll see you later. But we’re not talking about this again.”

  Irritation flashed in Jac’s eyes. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “Great.” Eve turned and met Selene’s concerned gaze, soothed momentarily as their connection sparked to life. “Thanks for calling me.”

  “I just want to catch this guy,” Jac said to her back. “That’s all. I know I was a jealous bitch the other morning when I showed up at your place, but that’s not what this is about right now. It was her, Eve. If you don’t want to listen to the recording, ask her. You don’t believe me? Ask her. See what she says. But don’t let your feelings for a woman you just met cloud your judgment. There’s a killer out there, and I guarantee you he’s not done yet. If there’s a chance, any chance, that Selene knows something that could help us find him, isn’t it worth pursuing?”

  Tensing, Eve watched as Selene’s expression hardened and her focus shifted to Jac. It had to be obvious to Selene that they were arguing. Did she have any idea what about? What if Jac was right? For all the times Jac had been dishonest within their relationship, Eve had never known her to be anything but honest and ethical when it came to her investigations. Even if she was insanely jealous of Selene, Jac wouldn’t just pull this type of accusation out of the air.

  “I’ll think about it.” Eve turned back to meet Jac’s eyes. “But even if she did make the call, I don’t believe for a second that she’s involved. There’s no way.”

  Jac’s jaw tightened. “Just be careful. Okay?”

  “Always.” With a tired wave, Eve left Jac and walked to Selene’s car. She opened the passenger door and slid into the seat, resting back against the headrest with a weary sigh. “Mind taking me to the lab now?”

  “Of course not.” Selene started the car, giving Eve a sidelong glance. “You okay?”

  “That wasn’t fun.”

  “I know.” Selene’s voice radiated sympathy, washing over Eve like a calming wave. “It was bad, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes.” Eve caught Jac’s eyes one last time as Selene pulled away from the curb, but glanced down quickly, not wanting Jac to see how unsettled their conversation had left her.

  Back in the car with Selene, Eve was even less convinced that what Jac said could be true. How could Selene—her Selene—hide something of that magnitude? Knowing that Eve was frightened, knowing that the killer could be targeting her in some way, would Selene really remain silent about having played an integral role in discovering Yasmin Mandujano’s body? It just wasn’t possible.

  Closing her eyes, Eve said, “It’s the same killer. I don’t have to get the body back to the lab to know for sure. It’s definitely him.”

  “So what happens next?”

  Eve sighed. “All I can do is hope he left us more to go on than he did with the first one. Bodily fluids, hair or fiber samples…anything. Otherwise, I just cross my fingers that a witness comes forward with something substantial this time.”

  If the pointed comment disturbed Selene, she didn’t show it. “Looked like you and Jac had an argument. Was it because of me?”

  Eve shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose firmly. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It upset you. It does matter.”

  Selene had just given her the perfect opening to bring up the topic of Jac’s anonymous tipster, but Eve didn’t want to. Asking Selene was just taking Jac’s bait, admitting that a part of her still found it difficult to trust anyone completely. Eve didn’t want to feel that way with Selene, especially not because of something Jac had said. Jac was the one who’d made her so afraid of being lied to in the first place. To allow Jac to sow distrust within this new relationship was giving her far too much power over her future happiness.

  “She’s just jealous. Old news.” Eve mustered what she hoped came across as an indifferent shrug. “She’ll get over it.”

  “She’ll have to.” Selene’s hand landed on Eve’s thigh and squeezed gently. “I plan on sticking around for a while.”

  “You’d better.” Eve stared out the car window at the darkened city streets. He could be anywhere right now. Watching her, even. Aware of her movements, the company she kept. Eve’s throat tightened at the sudden thought that if a killer was targeting her, everyone she knew could also be in danger. Whipping around to stare at Selene, Eve tried to decide how to broach the subject without causing unnecessary alarm.

  “I’ll be fine, sweetheart.” Selene gave her a sideways glance. “I promise.”

  Eve blinked, wondering for a moment if she’d been thinking aloud. But she hadn’t. Selene just had a spooky way of sensing her thoughts. “Can you read my mind or something?”

  Selene stiffened and Eve swore she could feel the shocked guilt that quickly passed across Selene’s face. It was gone in an instant, leaving behind only an amused expression that made Eve wonder whether she was searching for signs of deceit where none existed. Had Jac succeeded in planting a seed of doubt that would only grow and tangle their relationship in constant mistrust?

  “I could tell you were worried about something. Since you’d just said that I’d better stick around…well, I just assumed maybe you were worried about me.” Selene’s eyes darted away from the road for an instant to search Eve’s face. “I wasn’t sure if you were worried about me in regard to Jac or this Golden Gate Park killer, though.” When Eve said nothing, Selene shrugged and looked back to the road. “Or maybe I’m just completely off the mark.”

  “You’re never off the mark when it comes to me, Selene.” Frowning, Eve thought about just how true that was. She didn’t actually believe that Selene was a mind reader—the scientific evidence for telepathy was sketchy at best—but it did seem that Selene was a highly empathetic individual. There was hardly anything sinister about that. “I was worried. If there’s any chance the killer is targeting me, he could learn about my routine. That includes where I go, who I see.”

  “I’ll be careful.”

  “Just…” Eve bit her lip, worried about Selene’s abi
lity to defend herself if something did happen. Not that Eve had been a powerhouse of self-defense. But the idea of Selene getting hurt because of her was heart-wrenching beyond anything she’d ever felt before. “Just be aware of your surroundings. If something looks suspicious, trust your gut. Okay? And call me.”

  Selene nodded easily. “I promise. I really will be okay.”

  Eve exhaled. She wished she could be so certain about her own safety.

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Selene dropped Eve off at nearly five thirty at the medical examiner’s office, Jac was already waiting for her in front of the building. The sky had lightened to a foggy gray, but the morning was still dark enough that Eve was very glad she didn’t have to walk inside alone. From the easy wave Jac gave her as she approached, Eve knew they were about to play the everything’s-fine game and pretend they hadn’t just argued at the crime scene.

  That worked for Eve.

  “How in the world did you beat me here?” Eve said lightly as she carded them into the building. “I saw you standing on the sidewalk as we pulled away.”

  “I drive like a cop.” Jac chuckled lightly as they walked down the still-deserted hallway to Eve’s lab. Their shoes squeaked on the tiled floor, so loud that Eve couldn’t help searching every dark, empty doorway they passed for fear they were announcing their presence to some unseen enemy. “Remember?”

  “We did go on some pretty wild rides together.” Stopping in front of her lab, Eve willed her hand not to shake as she swiped her card through the reader, then opened the door. She stepped into her sanctuary with a sigh of relief. For whatever reason, she felt as safe in her lab as she did at home. Probably because, for a workaholic like her, the lab was her second home. “Is the body en route?”

  “It is.” Jac held up a zippered plastic evidence bag that contained a cell phone, and another smaller bag that contained the victim’s jewelry. “I brought the rest of the evidence.”

  “That’s all she had on her?” Eve sat at her desk, watching silently as Jac pulled over a chair to sit at her side. Regardless of their personal history and their current tension over Selene, she and Jac had always made a good team. She didn’t know anybody she’d rather have by her side on this case, anybody she trusted more to help find this killer before he could hurt anyone else.

  “That’s it. No wallet or purse, unfortunately.”

  “He likes to take their purses,” Eve said softly. He’d taken hers, hadn’t he? “Maybe he keeps them as trophies.”

  “Or else he’s just trying to slow down the identification process.” Jac shrugged, pulling two latex gloves from a cardboard box on Eve’s desk. She slipped them on and dumped the cell phone out of the bag. “At least he left the phone behind. Maybe we can find her name in here.”

  Eve watched Jac power on the phone and flip through menus with a flick of her thumb. What bothered Eve most about this murder was where it had happened. Not only the proximity to her apartment, but the open, public nature of the kill site. From her cursory examination of the body, she estimated that the murder had taken place between twelve thirty and one thirty in the morning. While her street certainly wasn’t the most heavily traveled in San Francisco, it was close enough to a few popular bars that it attracted moderate foot traffic even in the middle of the week. That traffic wouldn’t make it impossible to kill a woman in that alley without being detected, but taking the risk indicated a killer with real confidence.

  Was that confidence earned or merely foolish?

  Jac gasped sharply, eyes shooting up to meet Eve’s in a way that turned Eve’s stomach to stone. “That woman. Did you recognize her? Did you know her?”

  Eve had stared at the woman’s face long enough to know the answer without thinking. “No, of course not. Why?”

  Biting down hard on her lip, Jac held the phone so Eve could read the on-screen text. It was the call log. The last recorded outgoing call was at the top of the list, made just after one o’clock in the morning.

  To Eve’s cell phone.

  Eve felt the blood drain from her face, leaving her light-headed and dizzy. “Oh, my God.”

  “That’s your number, right? I’m not crazy.”

  Eve flashed back to the first phone call that had woken her up at Selene’s. No words, not even the sound of breathing. Just quiet street noise, then beep. “He called me. He didn’t say anything and I just chalked it up to a wrong number, but…” Shivering, she imagined what the killer might have felt, listening to her sleepily fishing for a response. Totally ignorant of what he’d just done, apparently with her in mind. “This murder was about me, wasn’t it?”

  “I’m assigning a protective detail to stay with you twenty-four seven,” Jac said, already dialing her own cell phone. “No arguments.”

  Eve shook her head, dazed by the enormity of the situation she could no longer deny. The man in the ski mask—the man from her nightmares—had called her tonight from a dead woman’s cell phone. A woman he’d killed less than a block from Eve’s apartment. Why? What did he find compelling enough about Eve to risk his anonymity? If he knew her cell phone number, that meant he’d definitely taken her purse. Which meant he knew she worked with the police—her purse contained the identification and credentials to prove it. By pursuing her, he was not only making it easy to link his crimes but also increasing his threat of exposure. Was his motivation simply that she’d escaped his grasp?

  Was he that determined to maintain a perfect record of murder?

  As she listened to Jac speak to her captain in a hushed tone, another, more sinister thought struck her. Maybe her attack hadn’t been a matter of chance. All this time Eve had assumed that she’d been jumped due to pure dumb luck. Because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, unfortunate enough to take that particular running path on that particular morning. But what if that wasn’t true?

  What if he had intentionally targeted her? Perhaps this had always been about Eve, even before Yasmin Mandujano was stabbed to death in the predawn hours of that fateful morning. It wasn’t too big a stretch to think that he had some kind of vendetta against her. Or, perhaps more likely, the man in the ski mask had created a challenge for himself.

  After all, in criminal and forensic circles, Dr. Eve Thomas was something of a celebrity. Her book had spent eight weeks at the top of The New York Times best-seller list, and since Charles Dunning’s arrest and the subsequent publication of her account of the role her science had played in his capture, she had enjoyed moderate attention in the mainstream media. The country loved a juicy serial-murder case, and when it had a happy ending, CSI-style, even better. What if this man had seen all that and decided to take Eve down a notch? Or even to make her a victim in his own string of sick killings? The ultimate trophy.

  “Protection detail’s all set. They’re sending a couple of detectives over right away. I’ve asked them to keep a car on your apartment at all times and someone with you whenever you’re out.” Jac hesitated a moment, then made eye contact. “I know this will make dating a little…awkward. But please believe that’s not why I’m doing it.”

  Eve nodded, too numb to worry about the impact Jac’s surveillance might have on her relationship. “I know.”

  “And I’m getting you a gun. I want you to carry it concealed.”

  Eve winced. “I don’t have a permit.” And she hated guns.

  “We’ll take care of that. I insist, Eve. Carry a gun, at least until this is over.”

  Eve could hear from Jac’s tone that she couldn’t win this argument. Dropping her shoulders in resignation, she said, “Okay.”

  “Okay,” Jac said quietly. She lifted a hand as though she might touch Eve’s face, then dropped it to her side. “What are you thinking?”

  Exhaling, Eve said, “I’m thinking that maybe this has always been about me.”

  “In what way?”

  “These murders, my attack…maybe this guy is taunting me. Trying to prove something.”

  “But w
hy?” Jac’s throat tensed as a familiar, protective fire flared in her eyes. “Why come after you?”

  “Maybe he didn’t like my book.” Eve managed a weak laugh. If she could find the humor in this, perhaps she wouldn’t fall apart. It was a theory, at least. “Or he wants to be part of the sequel.”

  “You think this is about your work on the Dunning case?”

  “I don’t know. Possibly the attack was a coincidence, and he just doesn’t like knowing that I’m ‘the one who got away.’”

  Jac shuddered. “If he does know who you are, if this was intentional, it’s possible he’s tried to make contact with you in the past. Do you keep fan letters and e-mail?”

  One of the more interesting aspects of her newfound celebrity had been the outpouring of interest, gratitude, and just-plain-creepy messages from the general public. Eve had hundreds of e-mails that ranged from curious to flirtatious to downright disturbing. They all lived in a special folder in her e-mail account. “Yes, I keep them.”

  “I’d like copies, please.” Eve knew Jac well enough to realize that she was desperately trying to maintain a calm façade. But the quaver in her voice betrayed inner turmoil. “Everything you can dig up.”

  “Of course.” Eve dropped her head in her hands and groaned. “God, Jac. Why me?”

  Jac put a gentle hand on her back, rubbing circles over her spine. “We’ll catch him, Eve. I promise. He will not hurt you.” In a soft, fierce voice, Jac murmured, “I won’t let him.”

  Touched by the obvious love in Jac’s voice, Eve turned and fell into the familiar embrace she found waiting for her. All of a sudden their arguments over Selene seemed trivial. The important thing was that Jac truly did have her back. Even if she hadn’t been there for her as a romantic partner, Jac would always be her friend.

  “Thank you,” Eve mumbled into the shoulder of Jac’s leather jacket. “And I’m sorry I said ‘fuck you’ before.”

  Jac squeezed her tighter. “Let’s not talk about it right now.”