Leaning back in her chair, she balanced the folders on her lap, picking up the first one. She studied the hastily written scrawl on the folder’s front cover. Stephen and Jennifer Carovella. Her parents. Closing her eyes, she tried to remember them in happier times. Instead, she saw them dead - their mutilated bodies spread out over their bed, the sheets stained blood red. Opening her eyes abruptly, she tapped her fingers against the files. Why did Jase have a file on her parents?
Taking a deep breath she opened the folder, pulling out photos of a scene she recognized only too well. Tossing the crime scene photos onto the desk, she ignored them, her eyes skimming over the crime scene report. Flipping through the pages, she couldn’t stop her eyes straying to the logo emblazoned on the top of the Crime Scene Report.
Picking up another file off her lap, she avoided the file with her name on it. Opening the second folder, she pulled out the crime scene photos, stunned by what she saw. Leaning over, she reached to pick up a photo of her parents crime scene. She compared it to the first photo in the unmarked folder. “Holy shit,” she muttered, unable to tear her eyes from the near identical crime scenes.
She tossed her parents crime scene photo back on the desk, slowly flipping through the photos from the second folder. She was surprised to find seven other crime scenes similar to her parents. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. A serial killer, really?” she muttered again, shaking her head in disbelief. “When Gena said I was a danger magnet, she wasn’t joking.”
She thumbed through the crime scene reports in the folder, seeing the same logo emblazoned on them. Shaking her head, again she wondered what Jase was doing with them? Carefully placing the crime scene photos and reports back into the folder, she placed it back into the drawer.
Her eyes dropped the last folder in her lap and she grimaced. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was inside, but had a feeling she already knew. Opening the file, she wasn’t surprised to see the same logo emblazoned on the first page within the folder. She turned page after page, her expression inscrutable. Whoever had compiled this dossier on her had done their homework. Her whole life was in here. From the moment she’d been found wandering the streets, covered in blood after her parents murder, to Katrina’s death.
Pushing aside the report, she glanced at the photos within the folder. Picking one up, she smiled bitterly at the picture of innocence. It was a photo taken a few days before her tenth birthday. Less than a week later, her life had been shattered forever.
She flipped through several photos taken at various stages of her life, stopping when she saw a photo of her and Katrina together. It had been taken during their university’s orientation Week and showed them both laughing, their faces radiating with happiness. Stroking her thumb over Katrina’s image, she closed her eyes again. So many lives had been lost already, all because of one man’s obsession. This had to end. She couldn’t lose anyone else.
Tucking the photos back into the folder, she smiled grimly. Closing it, she tapped it against her knee. Gathering her parents’ folder up, she placed it carefully on the side of the desk with her sealed file. Jase Devlin had some explaining to do, starting with why her parents’ crime scene photos were identical to seven other murders and ending with how the hell he’d managed to obtain her sealed file from the FBI.
***
Gena lifted her head from her arms when someone rapped loudly on her front door. Ignoring them, she picked up her drink and took a large gulp, coughing when it went down the wrong way. Closing her eyes, she willed whoever was at the door to go away. She was in no state or mood to deal with anyone right now. Opening her eyes, she scowled when the rapping started up again, slowly rising from her chair and moving towards the door.
She looked through the peephole, freezing when she saw Jake waited impatiently on the doorstep. She took a unsteady step back, not sure she was ready to speak to him. She was still hurting from his attitude earlier tonight and really didn’t feel like an interrogation or screaming match.
As if he knew what she was thinking, he slammed his hand against the door impatiently, growling, “Gena, put down the Jack Daniels, and open up this door. We need to talk.”
Taking another step back away from the door, she shook her head tiredly. She couldn’t face him tonight, not after everything. If she did, she’d fall to pieces. She was barely holding it together as it was. “Go away Jake, I’m not in the mood,” she said irritably.
“Gena, you’ve got two choices here. You can open up the door and invite me inside so we can talk rationally, or you don’t and I pick your lock. Either way, it’s going to end the same. I’m coming inside and we’re going to talk. It just depends on which way you want to play it. Personally, I’d go with choice number one. Now what’s it going to be?”
Gena glared at her wooden front door, weighing up her options. Knowing Jake would do exactly as he threatened, she moved to the front door, jerkily unlocking it before pulling it open. “What do you want, Jake? I’ve had a shit day and an even shittier night and I’m in no mood to deal with your dramas right now,” she snapped, refusing to meet his gaze. Instead she dropped her eyes to the ground.
Jake reached out and put two fingers underneath her chin, lifting her head up so she could meet his gaze. “Why?” he asked.
Gena rolled her eyes. “Why, what? Why am I drinking? Why am I angry? Why am I having a shitty year?” she began, glaring at him when he interrupted her.
“Let’s start with why you lied about being my alibi,” Jake said, his voice almost a whisper. He inched closer to Gena and she stepped backwards. He followed, grinning dangerously when she retreated. He casually kicked the door shut behind him, stalking her. Gena kept backing up until she was pressed up against the kitchen bench. She scowled when Jake trapped her by placing both his hands on either side of the bench.
“Step away Carlisle,” she ordered, a tremble in her voice. Her scowl deepened and his grin widened.
“No chance, Evans. Tell me why you lied,” he repeated, pressing his body against hers.
Gena closed her eyes, the feel of Jake’s hard body pressed up against her too much. He was too close. He was too everything. Opening her eyes, she gulped at the blazing hunger raging within his eyes.
“Jake -”.
He cut her off, silencing her with a deep kiss. She automatically kissed him back, wanting to forget everything but his kiss. Leaning up, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing into him. She sighed softly when he pressed her deeper into the bench, his tongue meeting hers. She gave him her moan and took his groan as he moved his hands from the bench to slide around her waist. Breaking apart, Gena tilted her head up to stare into Jake’s eyes. Sliding one arm from around his neck, she reached out to touch his face. Tentatively, she stroked her hand against his jaw line, whispering, “What are we doing?”
“Finally getting our priorities right,” Jake muttered, closing his mouth over hers again. Gena’s eyes fluttered shut when he kissed her, her heart beating wildly.
Opening her eyes, she wrenched her mouth from his. “Jake, we need to talk. There’s so much -”
“Later Gena, we’ll talk later,” he growled, gripping the bottom of her t-shirt and yanking it up over her head.
“Jake…” she started again and he yanked his own t-shirt off, throwing it onto the floor. She paused, momentarily distracted by the sight of his sculptured abs. She was unable to resist running her hand over them, gasping when he lifted her up against the kitchen bench. She grabbed his forearms, as he moved to stand between her legs. “Later Gena, we’ll talk later,” he emphasized, before he closed his mouth over hers again.
***
Jase closed the apartment door, stopping at the sight of Stephanie sitting on the living room floor, her back pressed against the couch. Crime scene photos surrounded her and files littered the living room floor. He smiled at the scene in front of him. He felt completely at ease, coming home to find her wrapped up in her own work. It was almost like she belonged here with him.
His smile widened at the fact she hadn’t even noticed he’d entered the apartment, she was so engrossed in research. Stepping further into the apartment, he moved to stand behind the couch. He put his hands on the back of the couch, bracing himself as he leaned over, surprised to see her laptop open to university Alumni photos.
He grinned when she flicked to another screen, recognizing The L.A Times insignia on the page. He leaned even closer, realizing she was looking through their archives. His grin faded, when he read the headline Hollywood Glamour couple slaughtered. He cursed underneath his breath. The sound made Stephanie’s head snap up, and she twisted around to look at him. “Hey,” she said simply.
“Where’s Carlisle?” he asked, his eyes scanning the living room for Jake.
“He’s with Gena. He was worried about her, so I sent him off to check on her,” Stephanie said, grinning when he glared at her.
“You did what?” he asked, disbelief on his face. “Stephanie, you have a serial killer after you and he’s your protection, he and Rafe. When are you going to get it into your head, this isn’t a game you’re playing with this psycho, it’s real? Your life is on the line.”
“Jase, I know, but I was safe here. I promised Jake I would stay inside and I’ve kept the Glock by my side,” Stephanie said, smiling sweetly at him.
“You didn’t even notice when I walked into the apartment.” Jase growled.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Of course I did. Besides I knew it was you.”
“And how exactly did you know it was me?” he asked sarcastically, moving from behind the couch to sit on it.
Stephanie shifted so her back was pressed up against Jase’s legs. Tilting her neck to look up at him, she said, “Your aftershave gives you away, so does the tread of the way you walk. It’s cautious and careful. You walk like a Detective.” Pausing, her eyes narrowed and, she said softly, “Or should I say, an FBI agent.”
Jase bent down to kiss her lips briefly, lifting his mouth from hers to study her. He grinned at her last comment, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I should have known,” he said slowly, shaking his head, his grin widening.
Stephanie put the laptop on the ground, twisting around to look at Jase, her hand on his knee. He absentmindedly covered her hand with his own. “I’m curious, did you work it out before or after you snooped through my desk?’
It was Stephanie’s turn to grin. “I suspected you weren’t kicked off the force, but snooping confirmed it.” Cocking her head to one side, she said, “How’d you guess I’d snoop?”
Jase chuckled softly, gently cuffing her underneath her chin. “You wouldn’t be Stephanie Carovella if you didn’t.”
Her grin fading, her expression turned serious. “I saw the files, Jase. When were you recruited by the Feds? Before, or after, you started dating Angel?”
Jase leant back against the couch, patting the seat beside him. He watched Stephanie silently move onto the seat beside him. “It was about a year before. I’d worked with the Feds on a number of occasions, so when they offered me a position I didn’t think twice about taking it.”
“It’s a step up,” Stephanie acknowledged quietly.
“I didn’t do it to get ahead. I did it because I was beating my head against a brick wall within the L.A.P.D. I didn’t exactly play by their rules, and they didn’t like it. To be honest, I think Roberts was happy to palm me off.”
“You wanted to make a difference,” Stephanie said, watching Jase nod. “Did you know Angel was my friend when you got together with her?”
Jase took her hand in his, spanning her hand with his own, linking their fingers together. “Yeah, I knew. I’m guessing you saw the file we have on you?” When Stephanie nodded silently, he said slowly, “After your parents’ murder, the FBI kept loose tabs on you.”
“Were my parents murdered by a serial killer?” she asked bluntly.
Jase smiled at her direct question. “The FBI thinks so. We think they were killed by a bi-coastal serial killer. We have murders, matching your parents, from New York to Los Angeles and in between.”
“I saw the crime scene reports and photos,” Stephanie interrupted.
“You saw a few of them. Not all of them,” Jase corrected gently. Changing the subject he said, “I didn’t mean to fall in love with Angel, it just happened.”
“You weren’t out getting drunk when she was murdered, were you?” she said quietly.
He shook his head. “The night she was murdered, I was in Washington.” When she opened her mouth to speak, he shook his head. “And no, I can’t tell you what it was about.”
Stephanie turned on the couch to face him, drawing her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “Actually, I was going to ask why everyone thinks you got kicked off the force. Why not tell them the truth?”
“Babe, you should know the answer to this better than anyone. Sometimes it’s better to have people believe the worst, rather than tell them the truth,” he chided, adding softly, “It allows me to fly under the radar. As a private investigator, I get more answers than I would if they knew I was actually FBI. The less people who know I’m an agent, the better.”
“Did you read my sealed file before or after you announced to everyone my parents were murdered?” she asked, her eyes flashing dangerously.
“After. I requested it. I had your parents file and the dossier on you, but knew nothing about the file. I didn’t have clearance to access it. Once I explained my situation to the Bureau, they granted me access,” Jase said, grinning devilishly. “You’d be surprised by how many people within the Behavioral Analysis Unit find you interesting. You intrigue them.”
“That’s wonderful,” Stephanie said sarcastically, adding, “It’s all I’ve ever wanted. All my dreams are complete now that I know the Feds are fascinated by me.”
Jase wrapped his hand around her ankle, jerking her foot until she lost her balance, falling back on the couch. He pinned her onto the couch with his own body, grabbing her arms and pinning them above her head. “Babe, you fascinate them because you survived not one killer, but two. They were even more fascinated when I showed them your files. The fact you put together a profile so detailed and so articulate has unnerved them a little.”
Stephanie smiled impishly at his words, reaching out to stroke his jaw line. “Delucci knows, doesn’t he? He knows you’re a Fed.” Watching him nod, she asked cautiously, “Does Gena?”
Jase shook his head. “No. The only people who know, apart from the Bureau, is Delucci and the top Brass.”
“She’s in a lot of trouble isn’t she?” she whispered, watching him scowl, before he silently nodded. “Will she lose her job?”
“She lied to protect Carlisle, forgot to mention her relationship with three of the victims and crossed more than a few departmental boundaries,” Jase said, moving off Stephanie to sit up. He lifted her up until she was sitting on his lap. “She’s going to have to face a disciplinary hearing, will probably have to deal with Internal Affairs, and she risks losing her badge.”
“She’s a good Detective, Jase,” she said, her eyes flashing with pain. “She’s worked so hard to get her career to where it is. I’d hate to see her lose it all.”
Absentmindedly stroking her back, Jase teased, “I thought you were done with Gena?”
“Our relationship is complicated,” Stephanie admitted, giving him a small smile. “We will scream, say we hate each other, but it won’t change the fact we will always regroup and band together when we need one another. And Jase, we do need each other. We always have. We’ve always had a love hate relationship and we always will. It keeps us both balanced.”
“You should talk to her. Let her know you care. Right now she’s going to need all the friends she can get,” Jase said softly, watching Stephanie nod. He nodded his head towards her laptop. “What were you researching?”
Stephanie slid off his lap, standing up and leaning down to pick up her laptop. Jase hooked his
fingers through the belt hoop at the back of her jeans, drawing her back down onto his knee. She sank back onto his lap, balancing the laptop on her own knee.
“I was researching Leigh,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “After you told me he was Katrina’s ex-boyfriend, it got me thinking. I’ve spent most of the afternoon scanning my graduation year photos. I figured if I found Leigh, maybe then I could find our serial killer.”
Jase tensed at her words, his arm wrapping around her waist tightly, supporting her balance. “You think they’re connected?”
Stephanie nodded. “It’s possible. I mean it would make sense wouldn’t it? Leigh is a suspect for Katrina’s murder and for months no witness comes forth. But as soon as the noose starts tightening around Leigh’s neck, suddenly a witness comes forth.”
Jase shook his head. “You were attacked by one killer.”
“Jase, I’m not saying they were a Buono and Bianchi. I don’t think they killed together. But maybe they played together.” Stephanie’s face twisted in distaste at her choice of words. “Leigh stalked me. Maybe he stalked me with someone else. Maybe this is how it all started. Maybe I wasn’t the first person they stalked. And just maybe, I wasn’t the intended victim the night Katrina was killed. Maybe it was a sexual assault gone wrong.”
Jase nodded, his expression contemplative. “You think Leigh and this psycho were sexual predators together?”
Stephanie shrugged, tapping her fingers against her laptop. “I don’t know Jase. It’s worth thinking about. Leigh certainly liked it rough and considering everything you found in his apartment, maybe he’s being framed. Maybe he got in the way. I’m just tossing ideas up in the air and seeing where they fall.”
“Do you think they killed together?” Jase asked, watching Stephanie’s expression. He knew she was analyzing every bit of information, processing it all and trying to find a place to fit it together. He shook his head with a grin. It suddenly hit him this was like a puzzle to her, one she had to put together. She didn’t profile people intentionally, she just did it without thinking. She was a natural at it. It both fascinated and terrified him.
Nowhere to Run (Stephanie Carovella) Page 35