Emma joined him.
“We have to talk.”
He hated when she said that to him. It was never good. No husband wanted to hear those words from his wife’s mouth. It pulled up past demons, making him worry.
“About?”
“Randall and tonight.”
Yeah, he was right. This was going to suck. “Let’s walk and talk,” he stated, hoping to burn off any anger that he knew was prone to rear its ugly head over this conversation.
He couldn’t help it.
Croft got the impression that the old man was trying to poach his babe. He knew Randall had a soft spot for Emma, but it was getting on his last damn nerve.
The calls.
The presents.
The…everything.
“Since I have to go play for him tonight, he took the liberty of sending me a gift.”
Yep, here it was. Croft knew this conversation was going to blow and in a big way. Now, he waited for it, so his temper could explode. This was undoubtedly one more present to try and woo his wife away. While his brain told him to chill, his gut was screaming foul.
Croft was a smart man.
He always trusted his gut.
“And? What is it?”
“A dress,” she said, at the elevator.
“What kind are we talking about?”
She pulled out her phone and showed him. Immediately, the flush went up his neck and to his ears. It was a sure sign that he was over the edge.
And ready to kill.
“I can skip wearing it,” she offered, knowing how much her husband hated when the man gave her things.
Especially clothes.
“No, it’s fine. I’ll suck it up.”
She touched his arm as they got into the elevator. “I love you, Greyson. You’re the sexiest pirate in the world.” With that, she ran her hand up his torso, before touching the scar on his cheek. “In fact, I could stop this elevator right here and climb all over you.”
He wished she would.
What he really needed was to feel her hands all over his skin, just to offer reassurance. Greyson might be tough on the outside, but there were times that the fissures of his past made an appearance, threatening to break him open.
Leaning in, she kissed him. Her lips moved across his, and their tongues mingled in a steamy battle.
It was a pretty hot kiss. He was surprised the paneling didn't melt off the inside of the elevator walls.
“Emma,” he murmured, as she broke away.
“Later, my pirate.”
He grinned like a lunatic. “Argh.”
Once the elevator doors opened, they headed toward the daylight. Already, they could see their friendly reporter waiting for them. They knew what he wanted.
It was time to pay the piper.
Outside, he rushed them. “Okay, was that place the epicenter for this serial killer?”
Croft shrugged. “Maybe.”
“What’s the company’s name?”
He shook his head. When the man looked over at Emma, he cleared his throat. “You made the deal with me. She’s off limits. Do you hear me, Powell?”
Keith didn't want to piss him off. “Okay, so give me something.”
“First, why was the report you gave today peppered with more facts than I gave you?”
“So, the killer is stalking blondes?”
Croft was right. The man was testing him. “I’m not confirming or denying at this time.”
Keith Powell got that feral look on his face.
“You have the power to check public records. You can do the legwork on that building, but your secret source will confirm they may be part of it.”
The man put away his notepad. “You’re the best! Thank you!” he stated, rushing away.
When he was gone, she glanced over. “You let him think his information is right. He’s going to be pissed when the truth comes out.”
“Oh! Did I? Well, then I guess he and I will have something in common. We both get to have really shitty days.”
Emma laughed. “You’re tricky.”
“Yeah, I’m well aware.”
~ Chapter Thirteen ~
After arriving at the house, it took banging on the door to get the man’s attention. It was obvious that he was taking that Sunday morning to sleep in.
Well, when the cops came calling, bedtime would have to wait.
As he opened the door, he yawned. “Yes?”
“Are you Michael Rogers, and are you presently employed as a teacher?”
He looked suspicious.
“Yes, on both counts. Why?”
They flashed their badges. “We need to have a talk with you,” Emma stated. “May we come in, or do you want to do this out here on the porch?”
He looked horrified. “NO! Come in!”
After following him in, they were offered a seat in his comfortable living room. Immediately, Croft began taking in his surroundings. He wasn’t one to let anything slip by, and the man before them was one of their main suspects.
Not that they had many.
“What’s this about?” Mike asked.
“Did you work with a Polly Anderson?”
He leaned back in his chair and released a sigh of frustration. “What did she say I did now?”
It was good to know that the principal of the school didn't let anything slip. Since it was summer, the man was obviously out of the loop.
“Did you have a sexual relationship with her?” Greyson asked, ignoring his question.
“Yes. I keep telling everyone the truth. It was one hundred percent consensual. She came on to me, asked me to play some kinky games with her, and then went as cold as ice.”
“You need to tell us all about it,” Emma stated.
“Really?” He once more looked appalled. “You want me to share all the details?”
“Yes,” they replied together.
Taking a deep breath, he jumped into the story. “We worked together at the high school. Polly would always flirt and wear short skirts with nothing under them, as she came on to me. I wasn’t complaining. She’s hot. So, one day, she corners me in the teacher’s lounge, and grabs me. I mean a full frontal grope that made my toes curl and eyes roll back into my head.”
Emma made notes.
“Then, she whispers in my ear that she’s interested in an extra marital affair. Well, I know she’s taken, but the woman was all over me. We ended up having sex in some janitor’s closet. It was hot and sweaty, and she loved it.”
It made sense. Polly was definitely into cheating.
“Go on,” Greyson stated.
“It escalated. She wanted to play some kinky nurse game, and I was all over that too. So, one night, she shows up here and we have the best sex ever. It was earth shattering.”
Emma glanced up. “Okay, and?”
He shrugged. “Then, it was over. I saw her at work the next day, and she blew me off. Then, I waited for her after work and asked her if she wanted to work on some of my fantasies next, and Polly lost it.”
Croft spoke up, “That’s when she reported you?”
“Hell yeah! I didn't see that one coming. I knew we weren’t going to get serious. I mean, she’s married. I really thought this was going to be some workplace sex, and that’s it.”
“When she reported you, what happened?”
“I didn't know what to think. I tried to ask her why, but she told me to go away. It was like getting sucker punched. I didn't know what I did wrong. Trust me, she wasn’t complaining during the sex. Polly ate it up like it was candy. She didn't mind in the least.”
Emma looked around the room. It was definitely a bachelor pad, but a well maintained one. In one corner was a bike, the other one had other sporting goods. “That had to piss you off.”
He was getting angry. “Yeah, it did. She came on to me and was calling foul after the fact. That’s just typical of a woman.”
Croft lifted a brow. “You get that a lot from the babes?”
“Not like this. I was sent to a new school, and Polly is walking around like she’s queen. If I didn't think she’d tell people I raped her, I’d confront her.”
“Yeah, well, that’s not going to happen,” Emma stated.
“What did she say I did now? She didn't actually say I assaulted her, did she?”
It was time to tell him the truth. “She didn't say anything, since we found her dead and buried in the desert.”
He stared at them as if they were crazy. “What? Wait. What did you just say?”
Croft picked up for his wife, “Have you been watching the news?” he asked.
“That was Polly?”
Now, his anger was gone and panic had replaced it.
“You don’t think it was me, do you?” he asked, almost afraid to know.
Greyson nodded. “We think that when a man is burned by his lover, bad things can happen. Where were you when she went missing?” he asked, rattling off the dates.
Mike thought about it, and finally gave up. “I was nowhere. It was summer break. Once school is out, I wander around, relax, and enjoy the great outdoors. I was hiking, camping, and rock climbing.”
It sucked for him, but this was one of their best breaks yet. This gave them an angle to begin working.
“Do you have any receipts?”
He stared at them. “Camping, hiking, and climbing rocks are free things. How would I charge Mother Nature? Invoice her?”
Croft didn't like his sarcasm. Up to that point, they’d been respectful. “You’re funny. Let me tell you something even more entertaining. You were sleeping with our first victim. She’s dead. You’re being an asshole, and the bodies are adding up. Maybe you liked killing Polly, and decided to pick other people to toss into the mix.”
He looked scared.
Real scared.
“Do you belong to a site called, ‘Perfect Indiscretions’?” Croft asked.
“Uh, no. I don’t even own a computer.”
“If you did, would you tell us?” Emma asked, hoping to catch him off guard.
“Yes, I would. I’m not a murderer. I had sex with her, but I didn't hurt Polly. I may have killed it in bed, but that’s it.”
Croft was disgusted by the man’s attitude. “Great. You had fantastic sex. I’ll pass that on to her husband. I’m sure it’ll give him so much comfort in his time of mourning.”
“Hey! I’m sorry she’s dead. I’m also sorry that she stopped having sex with me. Polly was a phenomenal lay.”
Croft wanted to slap the stupid out of the man. Reading off the other victims’ names, he wanted to know if the teacher knew them.
“I’ve never heard of any of them.”
It looked like this lead was drying up.
Emma had enough. “Would you care to give us a DNA sample?”
He thought about it. “Sure--after I talk to my attorney. I know how the police roll. I’m not becoming your scape goat.”
That was the official end of the questioning.
Croft stood, holding his hand out to his wife. When she was on her feet, he glanced over at the man. “We’re not done, so you probably should call an attorney. If he’s a good one, he’ll tell you to cooperate with the police. If he’s a bad one, you’re going down for four murders.”
“I didn't do this,” he objected.
Emma headed toward the door, her husband right behind her. “Funny, Mr. Rogers. No one ever comes out and admits it at first, but DNA, and evidence always wins in the end. It never fails.”
With that, they headed out.
At their car, Emma went up on her toes to kiss her husband.
“What was that for?” he asked, not that he minded.
“For not treating women like nothing more than a lay,” she stated, using the other man’s terminology. “It’s good to know that my caveman is a gentleman.”
He grinned. “You can thank my mother. She raised me right.”
Emma couldn’t disagree.
She absolutely did, and she would be forever grateful.
* * *
When they arrived back at the precinct, the media was gone, and the team was working hard. Once inside the room, Croft swore he could smell the smoke as they ground away at the work he’d given them. The wheels of justice were turning.
He loved that in a team.
They were working as if they were on fire.
“What do you have?” he asked, taking a seat beside his wife. Immediately, she placed her hand on his leg, much like she always did.
It made him relax and tense all at once.
Paris started giving him the information, “Well, Benji Johnston was clean. We finished his cell records, and the only woman he called was his girlfriend. Unless he had a burn phone, he didn't look to be stalking any women.”
Curtis took over. “I checked his ISP against the website hits, and he never searched from his phone. We had hits from the home’s Wi-Fi, but it was likely Lidia. Most of the times, when the account was accessed, it was at night when he was working.”
“So, when the boyfriend is away, the woman did play?” Emma asked.
“Yep. It appears that way.”
“I just wrapped up the financials,” Tessa stated. “I cross checked all the deceased women against his bank statements. There wasn’t one place that popped. He didn't casually run into them. He’s clean.”
“Yeah, too bad he took his life. He would have been released today.”
Tessa shrugged. “Let that be a lesson to steroid users. Might is not always a good thing. Give me a smart man any day.”
Paris grinned at her as he glanced over the rims of his glasses. “Thank god for that.”
Croft grinned at the two. It was good to see love in bloom. “What do you think, Paris? Is this guy smart enough to hide his trail?”
He thought about everything that he’d learned. “I’m not the most ‘gut’ driven person, but nothing points to that.”
Damn!
Tessa could sense the frustration. “What about the man who hooked up with the last two victims?”
They did have one person who they could connect. Maybe he was the next big break in this case.
Curtis broke it down for the bosses. “We found Scott Greensmith in the company’s records. He contacted two of the victims, trying to hook up. If he did or not, I can’t tell you. They don’t have a way to track the meetings. That would skirt the line and be like pimping.”
“Only two of our victims connect?” Croft asked.
Paris took over. “While he may hunt under his identity, this killer is smart enough to know not to do it with all four. It’s likely he had a bogus account, or in this case, a few of them.”
Great.
Croft hated smart killers. He preferred the ones who screwed up at regular intervals.
“What do we have on him?” Emma asked.
“Scott Greenfield is a bachelor. He has the normal everyday job as a maintenance supervisor for a local company. He eats a lot of pizza, watches a lot of porn, and isn't married.”
“Gee, and he’s single?” Tessa asked sarcastically. “Why would a catch like that still be on the market? It makes me want to run over to his place and snatch him up.”
Paris lifted a brow, but said nothing.
Brynn tossed in more sarcasm. “He’s such a keeper. I know I wish I had a man who did that.”
Curtis glanced over. “Oh, do you? Looks like you’re out of luck.”
She winked at him.
It gave Curtis Briggs hope.
Maybe she was happy with what fate had dealt them.
“There’s no way we’ll know if the accounts are bogus. I wish they would pop as such, but let’s face it. You can download a picture of anyone and use it. There are plenty of male models on the internet.”
“So we’re back to zero again?” Croft asked.
It didn't make him happy.
Paris spoke up, “I told you. Our killer is relatively smart. He’s going to know ho
w to avoid drawing attention to himself. This lunatic managed to take four women, con, and then kill them. It’s not easy, and he’s going to enjoy it too much to stop.”
Croft thought about it.
“He thinks he’s clever, but he’ll slip up,” stated Paris. “It’s only a matter of time. As he gets more and more lost in the act, he’ll lose his judgment skills.”
No one liked that. They didn't want to watch a killer run free in the streets of Vegas, shopping for the next victim. Not only was it bad PR for the city, it was bad karma for the investigators running the case.
“Once more, tell me what you have, Paris,” Croft asked.
“Our killer is going to be older and a planner. His job is going to be a thing of pride to him. He’ll be using it as cover.”
“That sounds like one of the owners of the company,” Brynn stated. “They’re all smart geeks who can play with the information we’re seeing. They can skew it to mess with us.”
They were well aware.
Paris continued, “He’s going to already have his next victim. He’ll kill, and then prep until the time is right. He’s a watcher.”
They hated that kind of killer. They took their time, were methodical, and so much harder to stop.
“He’s not going to be someone you think will commit a crime,” Paris added, “That’s why he’s not using a condom. He’s well aware that he’s not in the system. So, he’s not afraid of the police.”
“He should be,” Emma stated. “We’re going to catch him.”
They had no doubt.
“What’s our next avenue of investigation?” Croft asked, hoping his team had a plan.
“We have a few heavy hitters on the site who messaged the women, but so far, none match all four victims. I’m still pulling them apart, so I need some more time.”
“Curtis, no offense, but we don’t have that much at this point in the game.”
He was well aware.
“I’ll find you something,” he promised. “I always do.”
They hoped he’d keep his word.
Someone’s life depended on it.
* * *
He was so excited.
After responding to his message, they made their plans to meet.
Heaven is Weeping (A Croft & Croft Romance Adventure Book 5) Page 31