Diablo trotted into the room. He stopped and scanned the room, no doubt looking for an easy mark. Chris held up her half-eaten sandwich. “Can Diablo have this?”
“Yeah.” Diablo, having heard his name, looked up at Marcus. “Go see Chris.”
She pulled the lettuce and tomato off then held the sandwich down for the dog. “Okay. Tell us what we missed,” she said.
“I think we’re dealing with two serial killers. Only one of them is fixated on you.”
“Two? You found proof of two?”
“No. It’s a hunch.” There was no use keeping anything from her. “None of the blondes was raped. The other women were brutally assaulted. It’s either two different men or one with a split personality. It’s possible the blondes were facsimiles of you or Chelsea.”
“Now I’m sure Dalton should dig into your past,” Nate said.
“I told you to go ahead,” she said. “There’s nothing there.”
Marcus hated to ask his next question. “An autopsy was performed on your parents. Right?”
“Not both. My father’s body was in pretty bad shape when his car was found. His death was ruled accidental. My mother was autopsied, which I didn’t understand since the empty pill bottle was found in her hand. Her death was ruled a suicide.” Chris’s eyebrows drew together. “What difference does it make? Why do you need to know?”
A band tightened around Marcus’s chest. Damn, he hated to put her through this query. If he was right, it was just the beginning. “I’m sorry to dredge up hurtful memories. What if your parents’ deaths weren’t accidents?”
Chapter 18
Chris tried to formulate a response. She waffled between wondering if she’d heard Marcus correctly and telling him his question was ludicrous. A deep ache settled in her chest, cold as ice and heavy as a boulder. The pain was too much to deal with, so she took a defensive attitude.
“The problem with that theory is that my parents had no enemies. They were active in the church and community and had lots of friends.” She caught Marcus’s troubled gaze. He was trying to solve a puzzle. One nobody had been able to figure out. She softened her tone. “I suppose it’s possible.”
“If the blond victims’ parents and siblings died under suspicious circumstances, we’ll know if their deaths are related to Chelsea’s murder and Chris’s stalking. It will tell us if I’m on the right track or not. If I’m wrong, I’ll drop this line of thinking. For now, it’s all we’ve got.”
Kay returned and gathered the lunch trash, stuffing everything into one sack. “I caught the last part of that. What can I do to help?”
“I’ll know more after I speak with Dalton.”
“Okay.” Kay paused at the door. “In the meantime, I’ve got you the perfect place lined up for tonight. Do you want us to keep Diablo?”
“No, thanks. We’ll take him,” Marcus said.
Chris struggled to stay with the conversation. Her mind couldn’t shake the bomb Marcus had dropped. What if her parents had been murdered? The idea just wouldn’t compute inside her head. They’d been sweet and loving to her and Chelsea. Losing them had devastated her. To learned they’d been murdered, too? It was just too hard to fathom.
“I can help with research. Looking up death records online is easy.”
Marcus tilted his head. The corners of his mouth lifted and for a second, all her troubles vanished. “I thought you’d zoned out.”
“Why? What did I miss?”
“Don’t let him tease you,” Nate said. “I offered to lend you the company’s extra tablet.”
“Marcus is right. I wandered off for a minute, but I’m back. I appreciate your offer, but mine’s in my bag.”
“That purse must weigh a ton. No wonder it’s so big.” Nate laughed and stood. “Our tablets have certain programming loaded on them that will get you information a lot faster.”
“Then I’d love to borrow it.” Chris smiled as Nate left the room. “I’ll be careful with the equipment.”
Marcus walked around the table and sat beside her. “It’s a lot to take in, and I didn’t know an easy way to ask you about your parents’ deaths.” His gaze moved to the desk phone and back to her. “And then there’s the message. You don’t have to listen. I can give you the gist of it.”
“The killer wanted me to hear what he had to say. I’ll listen.”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed, squinting as if he disagreed with her decision. “I was hoping you’d let that slide.”
“I can’t.”
He nodded and pulled the phone in front of them. “It’s mostly rambling. Hell, it’s gibberish. Shut it off any time you want.”
“Okay.” She held out her hand, and he wound his fingers through hers. With him holding on tight, she could face anything. “Go.”
Marcus started the message. She leaned forward, paying close attention, hoping she’d recognize the voice. The killer’s words were slurred and hard to understand. He left sentences unfinished. The emotion, however, came through loud and clear. Venomous and full of spite, he poured out his contempt. His hatred had been directed at her, not at her family. The rambling ended abruptly.
Marcus hit the off button. “Words from a killer who probably wishes he hadn’t lost control. He’s unraveling, and now we know it.” Marcus sounded so confident that she relaxed her grip on his fingers.
“I’ve never heard such hate and anger. I pride myself on having a good memory. Putting names with people’s faces has never been a problem. You’d think if I’d pushed someone to the point of hating me, I’d know who and why.”
“To an unstable mind, his interpretation of a hurtful act could be very different from mine or yours.”
The guilt she carried multiplied, weighing her down and making it hard to breathe. If Marcus proved to be right, her entire family had been murdered because of her. As badly as she wanted to sink into the mire of self-pity, she couldn’t allow it. Whoever this bastard was, she wouldn’t give up until he was in prison. Or he’d killed her.
“Where do we start?”
“By leaving the office and moving somewhere secure. If we’re being watched, the killer already knows we’re here. We’ll have two company tablets with access to background checks and records. Soon as we get situated somewhere else, we’ll start digging.” Marcus released her hand.
Nate returned, carrying a small bag, which he handed to her. “Here you go. Marcus can get you into all our programs.” A broad smile lit his face. “We don’t usually allow clients to work on their own case. Only two women have ever helped.”
Marcus stood abruptly. His chair flipped back and would’ve fallen had he not grabbed the back. “Has Kay secured a vehicle and a safe house for us?”
Nate’s grin only got bigger. “I can ask.”
“If she has, we need to get out of here. It’s too dangerous to you and Kay for us to hang around here. I’ll leave it to you to explain my theory to Dalton and enlist his help looking into the deaths of Chris’s parents.”
“You got it.”
When Nate was out of earshot, Chris had to ask. “What was that about? You reacted rather strongly to Nate’s comment about two women.”
Marcus glanced at the open doorway, as if waiting or hoping somebody would come.
“Is it a secret?” she prodded.
“No,” he said. “Nate was being cute. Kay and Ana are the only two clients who actually worked hands-on with us.”
“Ana?” A new name really stirred up Chris’s curiosity.
“Ty Castillo’s wife. Nate was scheduled to do a job for the government, but he’d been shot during Holly’s rescue. Ty went to Colombia in his place. Ana was supposed to supply him with guns and explosives, but she’d been kidnapped by the cartel and taken to the very compound he’d gone to blow up. He went in after her and then blew the place off the map. Hardheaded son of a bitch finally met his match in Ana. They’re married and live outside of Bogota. She’s dedicated herself to the war on drugs, and Ty still work
s for Lost and Found.”
“I see.” Chris dropped the subject. Obviously, Nate had wanted to watch Marcus squirm by putting her in the same category as the other two women.
Nate stepped into view and gave them two thumbs-up. She stood, assuming Kay was ready with a new safe house location. “I’m ready when you are.” Chris grabbed her purse.
“Then let’s get started.” Marcus picked up the briefcase and computer bag. “Diablo, come.”
All smiles, Nate clapped Marcus on the shoulder as they walked to Kay’s desk. “Just in case you need to take Diablo inside somewhere, I asked Kaycie to print you a copy of his papers. I figured the fire had taken care of the original set.”
“You figured right. One big blaze, and pretty much everything was wiped out,” Marcus said. “I’m glad you thought of it.”
Nate bent down, scratched the dog’s head, and then winked at Chris. “He’s officially in training for police work.”
“And if you get caught with phony papers, I’ve never met any of you.” Kay removed pages from her desk printer. “Actually, this was Tomas’s idea. We didn’t want to lie and try to pass Diablo off as a service dog. It just didn’t feel right. So we put him in a training program.” She rolled her eyes while she slipped the documents inside a folder. She handed them to Chris and gave a set of keys to Marcus. “The car rental company dropped these off a few minutes ago. It’s the beige SUV out front.”
Marcus leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Nate doesn’t deserve you.”
“You got that right.” Kay came around from behind her desk and handed Chris a slip of paper. “My cell number. Call if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
Nate and Marcus went to move the suitcases from Kay’s car to the rental while Chris and Diablo familiarized themselves with the SUV. She settled in her seat while the dog smelled his way around the interior.
The sun heated the inside of the SUV, relaxing her and giving her a much-needed break from all the tension. This was her favorite time of year. For a few short months, Texas weather was warm in the daytime and cool at night. Soon, winter would arrive, bringing dreary, sunless days. She slipped the scrap of paper into her slacks pocket, leaned her head back and closed her eyes.
Her thoughts turned to Marcus. Her heart beat faster when he was near. That reaction had to be controlled. She couldn’t allow herself to create a nonexistent relationship with him, even if he did give her world-class orgasms.
Marcus was a loner. Sure, he cared deeply for his friends, but he’d loved one woman with all his heart. She wondered if he could commit like that again. He’d said “things” didn’t matter, and the people in your life were what’s important. All she could do was wait to see if he believed in his own statement.
A cold, damp nose on her neck startled her. Diablo’s soulful eyes studied her for a second. Then he rested his head on the back of the seat as close to her as he could get. “I can’t imagine you as a killer. What a horrible life you must’ve had.”
Marcus opened the back of the SUV, and he and Nate loaded the suitcases.
“Chris,” Nate said. “I’ll get in touch with Dalton right away. Things are moving slower than we’d like, but we’ll figure this out. In the meantime, just know we’re working hard and will use all our resources.”
“Thank you.”
“This may sound ludicrous, but try to enjoy the scenery at the safe house.”
“I will,” she said, knowing it was a lie. He waved and went back inside.
Marcus opened the driver’s side door and slid behind the steering wheel. “That didn’t sound too convincing.” He ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek, wiping out all the instructions and warnings she’d given her heart. He’d rolled up his sleeves, revealing strong forearms.
“I tried,” she said, leaning into his touch. She caught herself and moved back. He tweaked her chin and then reached over and scratched Diablo.
“Did you know that a dog’s reaction to a person can be telling?”
“I did. Diablo’s affection for you says a lot. What has he said about me?”
“Among other things, that you’re a beautiful, warm, and caring person.” Marcus’s scent swirled around her, sending heat racing toward her lower belly.
Leaning closer, cornering her against the door, Marcus stroked her earlobe with his tongue. She hoped the dog had whimpered and not her.
“And do you agree with his opinion?” She thought it touching that he and Nate, while using different tactics, were trying to get her mind off the fact a killer may have been targeting her and her family for years.
“You’ll have to wait to learn the answer.” Marcus tugged her ear with his fingers and then moved back to his side of the car. Before she could blink, he’d buckled his seat belt and started the engine. “First, we have to get to the safe house and put these tablets to good use.”
Had she been caught in a revolving door? One minute, the man was distant, and the next he had steam rolling off him. Whether he’d admit it or not, he felt something for her. Why else would he work so hard not to show it?
“Good. I need something to do. My mind is jumping all over the place. If all these killings were because of me, I don’t know how I’ll handle it.”
“Don’t start doubting yourself,” Marcus snapped. “You’re stronger and smarter than the killer. Together, we’ll figure it out.”
She didn’t argue her point. Instead, she leaned back in the seat and stared at the scenery out the window. After a few miles, he exited the freeway and headed east onto a two-lane road. “We’re pretty far out of town.”
“About twenty miles. We’re staying in a fishing cabin. Ty and Ana spent the night there before they returned to Colombia.”
“Is there Internet coverage?”
“I’m sure there is. Nate knew we were bringing the tablets.” Marcus turned off the two-lane and maneuvered the SUV down a winding farm-to-market road. Chris was almost convinced they were lost when he drove under a huge sign that read Camp Watson. For the next couple of miles, she thought for sure the SUV would bottom out in one of the deep ruts. Then the ground beneath them leveled out, and a bait shop and small grocery store came into view. A row of small houses lined the bank of a monstrous body of water.
“Welcome to Lake Watson. The third cabin is ours.” Marcus drove past the main buildings, straight to the house and parked to the side.
“Won’t we look odd, showing up without a boat and fishing gear?” Chris got out and walked to the porch. Marcus retrieved the keys from inside an old mailbox that was obviously there for decoration. He opened the door and then went back for Diablo and the suitcases and tablets.
“They’ll think we’re newlyweds or lovers sneaking off for some alone time.”
Chris scanned the area, deciding the word isolated was an understatement. Marcus walked past her carrying their suitcases. “Sorry. I could have helped.”
“Not a problem.” He paused in the doorway. “Come in.”
She and the dog followed Marcus into the house. He placed one suitcase and both tablets on the couch. “I’ll put your stuff up in the loft.”
The inside of the cabin wasn’t too bad. Rustic would have best described the few pieces of mismatched furniture. Blinds and bright yellow curtains covered three windows. The couch had seen better days, but the place was clean, private, and quiet.
She and Marcus set the computers on the table and turned them on. Marcus took over, his oversize fingers moving smoothly across the small keys. His ability and dexterity didn’t surprise her. He’d worked wonders on her body with those hands. The memory of him skimming across her bare skin set off that ball of heat that seemed to be firmly seated in her lower stomach.
“Ready?”
She nodded and took her place next to him. For a few minutes, they worked as teacher and student. He took one of the blond victims’ files and demonstrated how to use the Lost and Found online access to records. They would start wit
h the parents and siblings, pulling the records of those no longer living.
“You got this?” he asked.
“I think so.”
He moved to the opposite side of the table and picked up a file. His cell buzzed, startling them both.
“It’s Dalton.” Marcus placed his phone between them and accepted the call. “Dalton. You’re on speaker. Chris is here with me. You find something already?”
“Maybe. Chris, I’m glad you’re listening. Kay sent me the names of your family members and the dates of their deaths. I started by pulling the police record of your dad’s accident. Was he a heavy drinker?”
“No. He was a surgeon and always on call. He didn’t consume alcohol of any kind. Why?”
“Without a toxicology screening, I can’t be sure. The state trooper who found the wreckage made a note that he detected a strong order of alcohol in the car. It was one sentence, and nobody thought it significant enough to pass on to anyone. That there was no autopsy is ridiculous, because that one statement should’ve triggered an investigation.”
“They swept it under the rug?” Chris couldn’t believe her ears. Her dad had dedicated his life to helping others, and somebody had murdered him? She shivered even though the cabin was warm.
“I wouldn’t say they covered it up. There could be any number of reasons the medical examiner didn’t do an autopsy. Those Texas boys are usually better than this.”
“So the first death you’ve looked at is suspect,” Marcus stated.
“That’s the key word. Suspect. Doesn’t prove a damn thing except somebody overlooked the trooper’s statement, but I didn’t have to dig deep to find it.”
“Now what?” Chris asked, hanging on to Dalton’s words that he had no proof.
“I’m taking a few days off and coming to Texas. Nate has to leave on his next assignment in a little over a week, and we’re going to put this to rest before he leaves.”
Marcus’s gaze held hers for a second. “Is it feasible to do an autopsy on the remains?”
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