The Seventh Victim

by Mary Burton

  The bartender popped the top on a beer and handed it to Mike. Both with drinks in hand, they faced the crowd.

  Danni took a long sip. “Thanks.”

  “Sure.” Raines glanced at the artsy crowd. They lived in an insulated dream world. He worked back alleys and dark streets. “So what can you tell me about this art, Danni Rome? I’m helpless in places like that.”

  “You, helpless?” Laughter twinkled in her gaze.

  “What can I say? The artsy types aren’t for me.” He glanced down at her. “Present company excluded.”

  “Thanks.” She took another sip. “Lara uses a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old bellows camera.”

  He listened as she explained the photography process to him. “Sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”

  “As of yesterday. She asked me to help her with a shoot, and I got a chance to prepare a glass negative and shoot a picture.”

  “Nice. So what did you shoot?” He knew the answer but wanted to hear it from her.

  “What she always shoots. A crime scene.”

  “A crime scene.” Tension rippled up his spine. “I’m surprised she’d take an underage kid.”

  Danni sipped her drink. “I gave her a note from my mother saying it was okay.”

  So she was as young as he thought. “Did your mother write the note?”

  Danni sipped her drink, her lips wide in a grin.

  “Thought so. When do you hit the big one-eight?”

  “Nine days.”

  Raines let out a sigh. “Kid, you are far too old for seventeen.”

  “Technically eighteen.”

  “In nine days.” He raised a brow. “So where did you go?”

  “A clump of land off of Interstate 35. Not much to look at, but she was determined to get the shot.”

  “When did you go?”

  “About dusk. She’d been there earlier in the day at sunrise. And she wanted to get a different perspective on the site.”

  He thought about the woman’s sunglasses in his breast pocket. “And did you?”

  “I’ll know tomorrow. We’ll be developing the negatives.”

  He spotted Lara across the room and for a moment was taken aback. When he’d first met her she’d been traumatized and so afraid. And during their subsequent interviews she’d drawn deeper into herself. The harder he pushed, the deeper she’d burrowed.

  However, this Lara wasn’t like the woman he’d interviewed countless times. This Lara was hot. Her blond hair draped over her shoulders, and her black dress hugged her curves in all the right places. Her smile was radiant and her gaze sharp.

  “So do you know who died at that spot?” Mike said.

  “Some woman was strangled there. Apparently, she was pretty decomposed when a utility worker found her body.”

  “You two should be careful,” Mike said. “Killers have been known to return to the crime scene.”

  She cocked a brow. “So that line you gave me about being a cop was true?”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “I don’t know you. You could have been feeding me a line.”

  He winked. “Smart girl.” He sipped his beer. “Yeah, I was a cop. Best twenty years of my life.”

  “Was?”

  Regret always mingled with these words. “Gave it up about six years ago. Time to expand my horizons.”

  “And the new horizon is?”

  “I own a security firm. We aren’t huge, but we get by and do well enough.”

  “So do you follow or find people?” She tapped a finger against her glass.

  He sensed the deep curiosity behind her questions. She wasn’t just making small talk but was intrigued. “So, Danni Rome, do you need me to follow or find someone?”

  She offered a whatever shrug. “Just making conversation.”

  “I hear interest. There a boss, neighbor, or boyfriend out there giving you a hard time?”

  “No,” she said quickly. “No one.”

  His cop radar said differently, but he let it pass. Not only did he like her, but she was close to Lara and that connection might prove beneficial. “Danni Rome, let’s have a look around this place.”

  She stopped tapping her glass. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Chapter 11

  Friday, May 24, 11:15 PM

  By the time the evening ended, Lara’s feet ached from the heels, and her face hurt from so much smiling. Cassidy waved good-bye to the last guest and locked the front door behind her. A wide grin softened her face. “You, my dear, were a huge hit tonight. Huge! This is just the beginning.”

  Lara shrugged, trying to shake loose the knot between her shoulder blades. “It’s been a long time since I’ve talked to so many people.”

  Cassidy walked to the bar and poured them each a glass of wine. She handed one to Lara as she took a sip from the other. “You were great. A natural. And you looked stunning.”

  “Thanks.”

  “It’s almost as if I was looking at a different person tonight. The first time I proposed the show, you looked as if you wanted to run and hide.”

  Lara swirled her wine in her glass. “That’s not too far from the truth.”

  Cassidy tipped her glass toward Lara. “But you did not run. You were like your old self tonight.”

  Lara recognized seeds of change growing. “You’re right.”

  Cassidy sipped her wine, her eyes keen and sharp. “Why didn’t you run? What made you say yes?”

  Lara stared into the gold depths of her wine, wishing she could drink, knowing she wouldn’t. “I was tired of hiding.”

  Cassidy cocked her head to the side. “And what were you hiding from?”

  Lara’s secrets rose up again begging to be spoken. “You need to know this because I shared it with Vera tonight.”

  Cassidy stilled her entire attention and fixated on Lara.

  “I had a trauma in Seattle about seven years ago. It sent me inward.”

  Cassidy’s glass paused inches from her lips. “What kind of trauma?” Her cousin always drove straight to the heart of the matter.

  “I was sexually assaulted and nearly strangled to death by an attacker.”

  Cassidy’s grip on her glass tightened. “What?”

  “I don’t remember what happened.” She recapped what she did remember.

  Cassidy set down her glass. “So you don’t remember who did this to you?”

  Fatigue rushed over her. “No. I have no memory of the attack.”

  “How can that be?”

  “Doctors said it was the trauma of the concussion. Some even thought I was lying so that I could avoid the police investigation.”

  “You weren’t lying.” She shook her head as if pieces of a puzzle fell together. “Grandma was upset around that time. I thought it was because she was sick and couldn’t attend your graduation.”

  “I called her and told her what had happened. I begged her not to tell anyone, but she asked Jonathan to come and be with me.”

  Cassidy’s lips thinned. “I would have come.”

  “You were in New York. Life was going so well for you. I wouldn’t have wanted to drag you into my mess.”

  “I would have come,” she said softly.

  “I know.”

  After a heavy silence, Cassidy said, “Jonathan always liked you.”

  “He was great after the attack and so good to me, but I couldn’t stand being in a town where my attacker lived. I’ve been on the move until eight months ago.”

  “And that explains why you take pictures of so many crime scenes.”

  Lara set her glass down. “I told Vera because I know she’ll write about it, and I’m tired of hiding.”

  Cassidy raised a brow. “Oh, she will. It will be an eye-catcher for her readers when it runs in Sunday’s paper. That kind of news could take the exhibit national.”

  “That wasn’t my intent.”

  Cassidy tugged off a clip-on earring and rubbed her earlobe. “Then why talk to Vera?
”

  “I’ve been hiding for seven years. And I’m tired of it. I want my life back.”

  Cassidy nodded with approval. “Well, after that article hits you will have a different and, I hope, a very lucrative, life.” She took one last sip and set her glass down. “You want to stay the night here?”

  “No, no, I’m fine. But do you need help cleaning up?”

  Cassidy laughed. “Lara, you must be more of a diva. Artists do not clean up.”

  A chuckle rumbled in her throat. “I’ll remember that when I’m walking Lincoln and bagging his business.”

  “No, I do not need help. I was offering a bed so you don’t have the long drive home.”

  “I can’t leave Lincoln.”

  “The wolf will survive a night.”

  “Likely. But I’d worry. I better get home.”

  “If you must.”

  Cassidy hugged Lara. “I’m proud of you. Tonight was a big step for you.”

  An understatement. Lara thanked Cassidy again and then headed outside. The night air was cool and crisp and a welcome break from the day’s heat and the gallery crowds. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she crossed the street to the parking lot where her truck remained. She dug her keys out of her purse and shoved the key in the lock.

  “You had an impressive crowd there tonight.” Beck’s rough voice startled her.

  She turned, surprised to see him stepping out of the shadows. “What are you doing here?”

  “Working late at the office. Thought I’d swing back by and see how the show was going.”

  “It’s over.”

  “I can see that.” He moved closer, his steps purposeful. “You should have had your keys in your hand when you came out of the gallery.”

  “The street is well lit, and this is a good part of town.” A wry smile lifted the edge of his mouth. “You, more than anyone, should know that the safe part of town is never really safe.”

  She bristled, annoyed because he was right. “Is this some kind of safety lecture?”

  His white hat shadowed his face, making it hard for her to read his expression. “Friendly advice.”

  “Duly noted. Is that all?”

  “See anyone in there tonight that might have set off alarm bells. Not so much in your memory but your gut.”

  Fear slithered down her spine as she imagined the Strangler close and watching. “No. Why?”

  “Bit of a coming-out party for you tonight. If I were the Strangler and I were back in Austin, I’d have made a point to be at that opening.”

  Beck’s observations ratcheted up her worries about Vera’s coming article. “Someone like that would stick out in the crowd.”

  “Don’t you believe it for one minute, Ms. Church. Those kinds of killers can blend in real well. Can be as charming as the best. Fact is, their charm can be as smooth as a magician’s sleight of hand.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “When a magician wants you to look away from his hand while he makes a switch, he’ll move his other hand to distract your attention. A killer is all nice and charming, and that’s all you see until he attacks.”

  Had her attacker been a charming guy who’d simply fooled her before he’d placed the rag over her face? “Sergeant, I have the chance to really rebuild my life and start fresh. Stop digging up all the dark and scary.”

  “I didn’t go looking for the dark and scary. It found me and now you.” Menace lurked behind the words.

  Her heartbeat quickened despite her mind’s demand for calm. “I am tired of living in fear. I won’t live in fear.”

  “I don’t expect you to live in fear,” he said clearly. “I want you to remember, so we can put this guy away forever.”

  “I have no memories to give.” The words sounded defeated even to her ears. “And you might as well hear this from me. I told Vera about my past.”

  The subtle tightening of his jaw coupled with a slowly drawn-in breath had her anticipating a sharp response. “You told her about Seattle?”

  “Yes.”

  Beck stood silent as he stared at her.

  “I’m tired of being afraid. If he knows I’m in Austin there’s no point in hiding.”

  His eyes narrowed.

  “Your timing is fortunate. You and your show will get a lot of publicity.”

  Frustration had her taking a step back. “That’s not why I did it.”

  “That so?”

  Her fingers clenched into fists. “That is so.”

  He took one step, reclaiming the distance she’d tried to put between them and more. “You shouldn’t be talking to reporters but to a psychologist.”

  “I don’t want any more shrinks poking in my head.”

  “Talk to my gal once. If it doesn’t work, I’ll back off.”

  That made her smile. “You would really back off completely if the doc and I came up empty-handed? Really?”

  He frowned.

  She shook her head. “Don’t kid yourself, and don’t kid me. Once would not be enough. You’ll hound me until this case is closed.”

  He didn’t address her statement. “An article like that is going to bring a lot of nuts out of the woodwork.”

  In the rush of emotions, she hadn’t thought beyond the telling. “There’s only one nut I fear right now.”

  Beck rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m going to have DPS step up patrols near your house.”

  “I don’t regret what I said.” A half-truth.

  He shook his head. “Not going to get into it with you tonight.”

  “But tomorrow.”

  A smile tugged at the edge of his lips. “Like you said, I don’t give up easy.”

  Stunned by his clear-cut honesty, she got into her car and started the engine. He waited, watching as she backed out of her space and drove down the block. At the stop sign she paused and glanced in her rearview mirror to find Beck watching her.

  Her life wasn’t going to come close to normal until Sergeant Beck had his killer.

  Blair Silver was irritated.

  She lit up a cigarette and slid into the front seat of her Bronco just before midnight. She was bone tired, and she’d spent the better part of her Friday night studying. With exams just over a week away, she had been studying nonstop for three days so she could pass her econ exam. Her grade hovered between a C and a D, and she needed a C to graduate and leave Austin.

  On top of school pressures, her mom had called three times today, nagging her about her AA meetings. Blair had been polite the first time her mother had called, promising that she’d attend and that, yes, she was still clean and sober. Four hundred and ninety days sober. She’d told her mother to stop worrying. But her mother had called a second time while Blair had been in the middle of a class. Her phone had vibrated loudly and caught the attention of the teacher. A call back to her mom had been a replay of the earlier conversation.

  Are you going to AA? Are you all right?

  Yes.

  Are you sure?

  Shit.

  She loved her mother, was trying to be patient, but the woman was smothering her.

  Smoke swirled around her head as she pulled in a long drag, held the smoke in her lungs for a moment, and then slowly released it. “I am going to pass econ and Mom is going to chill. I can do this. I can do this.”

  It had been a long road for Blair the last couple of years. And she could acknowledge that she’d created her own problems. No one had forced her to start drinking or using. Her shitty choices had not only jeopardized school, but they’d nearly killed her.

  Her hands trembled as she dug a slender hand through her blond hair. Don’t go there. You screwed up, but you’ve fixed it. Life is better. Even Mom is more chill than she was six months ago.

  She started the engine and prepared to back out of her space when there was a knock on her driver’s-side window. She jumped. “Shit!”

  Her heart racing, she turned to see a guy standing there smiling in an embarrassed sort of wa
y. “You scared the shit out of me.”

  “Sorry,” he said loud enough to penetrate the glass. “I was hoping you had a cell phone I could use. My battery is dead, and so is my car engine. I just need to call my wife so she can come and get me.”

  Blair glanced at his left hand holding the cell and noted the wedding ring. He had an easy smile, looked nice enough, and she could have sworn she’d seen him on campus. “Sure, why not?”

  Holding her cigarette between her teeth, she fished her phone off the bottom of her purse and then lowered her window halfway and handed it to him. “Here ya go.”

  “I won’t be more than a couple of seconds. And the call is local.”

  “Sure, whatever.” She drew on her cigarette and watched as he dialed, waited as the phone rang.

  “Hey, baby, it’s me,” he said, turning away. “The car is doing that thing again. It won’t start.” He nodded, listened. “Yeah, I’m near the econ building, but just pick me up at the River Diner.” He grinned. “Thanks, baby.” He ended the call. “Hey, thanks a lot. You saved me from a long walk.”

  She accepted the phone. “Sure. No worries. So your wife is on her way?”

  “Yeah. It’ll take her about an hour, so I’m going to hoof it over to the café. Hey, thanks again. I’m Bill, by the way.”

  “Blair.”

  “Aren’t you in Roger’s econ class?”

  “Yeah.”

  “He can be tough. How’s it going?”

  She smiled. “He’s killing me.”

  “He’s littered the halls of the econ building with lots of failed students.”

  She stubbed her cigarette in the ashtray. “Grr. Don’t say that. I need to pass so I can graduate.”

  “You look like a smart cookie.”

  “Let’s hope.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, take care, Blair, and I’ll be pulling for you and a passing grade.”

  “Thanks, Bill.”

  She put the car in reverse and started to back up as he walked across the parking lot. A part of her wanted to give the guy a lift and another chided her for being reckless. Yeah, she’d seen him around campus, but that didn’t mean much. He could be trouble.

  But he’d been nice. He’d called his wife baby. And he wasn’t asking for favors. If he’d wanted to cause trouble he’d have stirred it up by now.