by Paris Hansen
“Maggie had planned on being in San Diego the whole month Dan was gone but came back early because something came up in a case she’d handed off to a coworker. She ended up only being gone three weeks,” Sloane said more for herself than anyone else. “Jeezus. So, Danielle probably wasn’t even on his list, but when circumstances changed, he went after her instead.”
Nobody said anything for longer than was comfortable, but they all seemed to take things in slowly. If they were right, they’d just made a huge breakthrough in the case. Sure, they didn’t have a viable suspect, but now they had at least someone to focus on. While the unsub hunted the other victims, finding them all in one place, he would have to know Danielle some other way. Was she a friend or a neighbor? An acquaintance he saw at the grocery store every once in a while?
He’d gone from watching Maggie Whitten one day to attacking Danielle Zimmerman the next, which meant she was likely someone he saw on a semi-regular basis. With some understanding of how he worked, Sloane realized the unsub would’ve needed to have at least some semblance of familiarity with Danielle to attack her, especially in her own home. It would be too risky to follow some random woman home from the store so he could attack her. Not when there could be a husband or roommate inside waiting for her.
“Your brain’s working so hard right now, I can almost see the smoke pouring from your ears.”
Cade’s closeness startled her. She’d been so wrapped up in her thoughts and new theory she hadn’t seen him move, hadn’t heard him come closer. Their gazes met, and she saw in his eyes the same dawning she figured must be in hers.
“If this is true, there are so many other things about her attack that make more sense. The hesitation in the surgical cut when there hadn’t been with anyone else. The fact she wasn’t knocked out first before being injected with the sedative. Maybe she knew her attacker well enough to open the door, but not well enough that her attacker knew she was carrying twins, and therefore not far enough along for them to survive.”
Cade nodded. “We need to go back to Danielle’s neighborhood and interview the two people who weren’t home today, Belinda Thompson and Zach Bennett. Someone in that neighborhood could be our unsub, and one of them could have the key to figuring out who it is.”
Adrenaline rushed through Sloane’s veins. This was it. The break they’d been looking for. Glancing to her left, she saw Reid watching her and Cade, his brows furrowed. She didn’t know what his deal was, but he needed to get over it.
They were finally getting somewhere in the case that had haunted her for years; she wasn’t going to sit back and not be a part of it. He’d asked her to come so she could help, and that’s exactly what she was going to do, in whatever way she could. Even if she had to piss off her ex by teaming up with a guy he didn’t seem to like very much.
That part was just an added bonus.
Chapter Twenty
Even though it had been hours since he witnessed the miracle of natural childbirth, he was still riding the high of not only seeing it but also helping with it. He marveled at how the human body worked and how women could be so strong, their bodies so amazing. He didn’t like having to kill them or take their babies, but he didn’t have a choice.
Thankfully, it was starting to look like he wouldn’t have to do it again, which was a huge relief.
As soon as he handed her the baby last night, everything seemed to fall into place. When he left for work that morning, everyone was healthy and happy. His lunch date had added to the high he was feeling, leaving him nearly on cloud 9 for the rest of his workday.
Looking over at the passenger seat of his beat-up sedan, he smiled. He was bringing home her favorite food for dinner. They’d have a nice quiet evening and then do it all again the next day. By the time he parked in their driveway, the smile hadn’t left his face.
It was really happening. He had such a good feeling about all of it. He wouldn’t have to hurt Amber. Instead, he could talk to her, maybe ask her out. Could he come up with the courage to make a move? She seemed down to earth and friendly; perhaps she’d take it easy on him, find his nervousness endearing. Maybe he’d get to add two new faces to their happy family before much longer.
Lost in thought, the chaos in his house didn’t register until he’d closed the front door behind him. He was halfway to the kitchen when the screams of two little boys reached his ears, followed by the steady chant she repeated over and over. The chant that haunted his dreams.
“Baby, baby, baby, baby,” she chanted, her voice growing louder with each repetition of the word.
Dumping the food on the counter, he covered his ears, hoping he could drown out the noise enough to think. It was way too loud. He was thankful he’d installed soundproofing around the house after the accident, so the neighbors wouldn’t come running. He didn’t doubt if they could hear what was happening in his place the cops would be there in seconds flat.
He needed to get her to agree to the move. If they lived in the country, it wouldn’t matter how much anyone screamed. No one would hear them. He’d already proved his theory about that. He wouldn’t have to worry all day while he was at work.
But that wasn’t something he needed to think about just yet.
He needed to focus on taking care of the babies first. They were probably hungry and most likely needed to be changed. She was unhappy again, which meant she was neglecting them. He couldn’t keep leaving them here with her if she wasn’t going to take care of them. At least he didn’t have to worry about the oldest one. She was being fed every day, but he couldn’t be sure if she was doing it herself or her mom was taking care of her.
Making his way to the back of the house, he looked into the nursery. The wails loud enough to make his ears ache. He picked up the first baby, his face red and streaked with tears. His olive skin cold to the touch. She hadn’t even bothered to dress him after changing him that morning.
He went through the motions of removing his soiled diaper, then putting on a new one before putting him in a fleece onesie to get him warmed up. The baby whimpered, but the wails subsided for the moment. With a pacifier in his mouth, the baby was appeased enough he could shift his focus to taking care of their newest addition.
Baby number two was still crying, but his cries came out hoarse like he was losing his little voice. His curly black hair was matted to his head with sweat. He quickly took care of changing his diaper and getting him dressed, thankful the day of neglect hadn’t ended in his death.
Once they were ready, he held a baby in each arm and carried them out into the living room. He set each of them down in a carrier and strapped them in, then followed the chanting sounds. He’d need help feeding them, and he knew just who to ask.
“Baby, baby, baby, baby.”
Over and over, she repeated the word. It was driving him crazy, making him angry that nothing he did was good enough for her. That the precious little girl he knew would be sitting by her side was no longer good enough for her.
When he walked in, Rebecca looked up at him from her coloring book and gave him a bright smile. He didn’t know how she could sit in that room listening to her chant. It was the chanting that had started him on the path that resulted in Rebecca joining their family. It was the return of the chanting that spurred him to begin again, even though he didn’t want to.
“Rebecca, can you come help me feed the babies? They’re starving.”
“Sure,” she said before looking up at the woman in the rocking chair next to her.
When the woman didn’t acknowledge her, Rebecca’s smile faded. He hated it when that happened. It made him so damn angry that after everything he’d done for her, she’d treat Rebecca like that. A girl she’d once loved with all her heart, she now ignored.
Deep down, he knew it wasn’t her fault. The accident had left a permanent mark on her, but still, Rebecca deserved better. Her well-being had made him hesitate when the chanting started again. How would giving her what she wanted affect Rebecca and her happiness? The litt
le girl was important too, but he couldn’t ignore the chanting no matter how hard he tried.
“Come on, sweetie. The boys need you.”
The last part made her smile brighten. Rebecca liked to help. She especially loved feeling needed, just like he did.
He let her lead the way out of the room so he could close the door behind them. He noticed Rebecca’s red hair was matted and tangled in the back. He’d have to brush it before he put her to bed, otherwise, it’d be worse the next day. The little girl didn’t mention being hungry at all while they got the bottles ready, which meant she’d at least eaten at some point, either by getting it herself or by...well, she’d probably gotten it herself, the more he thought about it. He’d reheat the dinner he brought her after they fed the babies. What he brought home was her favorite too.
While he and Rebecca fed the babies, he thought about her. He’d need to take her some food, knowing she probably hadn’t eaten all day. When she got like this, she let everything go, and it seemed to be worse this time. He had to fix things. He had to figure out what she needed and make sure he got it for her.
In the meantime, he needed to do something about the babies. She obviously didn’t want them since she refused them both and neglected them all day. He couldn’t take care of them, not between working full-time and trying to figure out what to do next. And Rebecca was too young to be forced to take care of two babies on her own.
No. He needed to come up with a plan. He couldn’t afford to keep the babies around. He couldn’t risk someone hearing them if they ended up too close to the house, even with the soundproofing. There was nothing he could do but get rid of them. It was the only way he could keep everyone in the house safe until he found the answer.
He’d wait until the middle of the night before he took them out of the house. He couldn’t run the risk of anyone seeing him with them when everyone thought he lived alone. Too many questions would be sparked, especially once the babies were found.
Hopefully, the blonde would have what she needed. Tomorrow he’d find out. Even though it was only a day after his last one, he’d spent so much time following Amber, he wasn’t worried he was moving too fast. He knew her. Probably better than he’d known all of the others combined. It was just too bad he’d never get to find out if she would’ve given him the time of day. He needed what she carried inside of her more than he needed to know that.
She was just one more thing he had to give up for his family. Just another willing sacrifice he made for the one person he loved above all others. He only wished he knew whether or not it would work out. Then maybe he’d be able to get rid of the unwelcome bitterness taking up residence in his chest.
He was doing the right thing giving up his future with Amber so she could be happy. He knew it deep down, yet he couldn’t forget the happiness he felt earlier when he’d watched the beautiful blonde eat lunch with her friends. He’d been filled with a contentment he’d never known before. Yet, he should’ve known not to get too attached to the feeling. Not when her happiness was still up in the air.
She always came first.
Always.
Chapter Twenty-One
As Sloane looked around the room, guilt slithered through her.
Setting up for a birthday celebration was the last place she should be, yet there she was, tying clusters of balloons to chairs both inside and outside of Emily’s house. It didn’t matter that she’d stayed at the office later than most of the team, only leaving when Cade and Reid did at six. It also didn’t matter that there wasn’t anything for her to do until the next day. She still felt like she should be doing more to catch the killer.
It was the sole reason she was in town, after all. Even though she enjoyed the hell out of seeing Emily and Tally, she had a job to do, and celebrating Emily’s boyfriend’s birthday was not part of it. For all she knew, while she was setting out decorations, their unsub was out stalking his next victim, or worse, grabbing her from the parking lot of her favorite grocery store.
“You’re doing it again.”
Sloane grimaced, then looked over at her best friend. “No, I’m not.”
Sighing, Emily shook her head. “You know you can’t lie to me.”
Sloane released a sigh of her own.
“Fine. You’re right. It just doesn’t feel right to be doing this when people…” she paused and looked around for Tally. “It feels wrong to be doing this while people are suffering.”
“Someone’s always suffering somewhere. It’s the sad truth of the world. You can’t let that stop you from living.”
“That’s really depressing,” Sloane muttered. “The difference is I wasn’t brought in specifically to stop that suffering. I’m here to work on this case, and I need to make sure we catch this guy.”
Setting down the box of crackers she’d grabbed from the pantry, Emily walked around the island to join Sloane near the kitchen table. She knew she would get a mini lecture the second Emily stopped working on the charcuterie board she was painstakingly putting together. The fact her friend left her station so she could get closer meant she’d struck a nerve.
“I know what this case means to you. I know how badly you want to solve it and how badly you want to find that woman’s daughter. But if you can’t interview people until tomorrow and other people are scouring the internet for you, what more could you be doing? Sitting around the conference room staring at the pictures on the wall. You think that would be helpful to anyone?”
“Like a birthday party is?” Sloane asked, even though she knew she should keep her mouth shut.
“Everyone needs time to decompress. Especially you,” Emily said sharply. “I know how you get when you’re focused on a case. And this case is your freaking white whale. You aren’t an FBI agent anymore. You don’t have to live and breathe a case twenty-four seven. Hell, nobody should do that. It’s not healthy at all. I bet you anything, hanging with us tonight will make you feel better. A few hours of enjoying yourself is going to help clear your head. Just you wait and see.”
Sloane wasn’t sure if Emily was right or not, but she owed it to her friend to at least give it a shot. If she was being honest, she probably owed it to herself to give it a try. It had been far too long since she’d let go and enjoyed herself. And even longer since she’d had a chance to do it with Emily and Tally.
“Fine. I will try hard to forget about the case and focus on having a good time. Happy?”
A smile brightened Emily’s face. “Ecstatic. Now hurry up with those decorations. Cooper will be here soon, and so will the others.”
Sloane stuck her tongue out at her friend, then turned back to her very important duty. Half an hour later, Emily’s house was covered in decorations, music was playing softly in the background, and platters of food were set out throughout the house. Cooper and Reid arrived only a few minutes after they’d finished decorating.
A year before Sloane’s meltdown, the two men had met at the gym, then grew close after she took off. She’d never gotten the chance to meet Cooper before she left, but it was apparent he’d heard a lot about her from both of the Morgan’s in his life. Sloane just hoped that Emily’s good far outweighed Reid’s bad.
The second Cooper walked into the house it was evident Emily was in good hands. He made a beeline for her and pulled her into his arms so he could plant a very steamy kiss on her. Then he bent down and picked up a giggling Tally who’d been running circles around them, screeching ‘happy birthday Cooper’ at the top of her lungs. As soon as the little girl was in his arms, she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek.
Once the moment was over, Cooper didn’t put Tally down. Instead, he stood with one arm around Emily’s shoulders and Tally on his hip as he took in the decorated house. They looked like a very happy family. It was the sweetest thing Sloane had ever seen and was exactly what her best friend deserved.
After a while, Sloane joined the adults in the kitchen while Tally colored Cooper a picture in
the living room. Standing with the happy couple and her ex made for a slightly awkward quartet. She tried acting like there was nothing weird about hanging out with her ex-husband and his family.
The last thing she wanted to do was ruin Cooper’s birthday because she was uncomfortable. Until she offered to get the door twenty minutes later when the doorbell rang, she thought things had been going well. But as she stood in her ex-husband’s sister’s house staring at her ex-husband’s girlfriend standing on the porch, she realized there was not enough alcohol in the world to save her.
“You must be Sloane,” the beautiful brunette said, a huge smile gracing her face. “I’m so happy to finally meet you. I’m Sara.”
“Um, yeah, I’m Sloane. It’s nice to meet you, Sara.”
Sloane’s brows furrowed for a moment, unsure what parallel universe she’d walked into. What woman was excited to meet her significant other’s ex? Especially when her significant other really didn’t like his ex that much.
She tried to get a read off of the other woman, but Sloane honestly couldn’t tell if Sara was genuinely excited to meet her or if she was faking it so she could get a look at the woman her man used to be married to. Sloane wanted it to be the latter but knew with her luck it was likely the former, which meant Sara was really as lovely as she seemed.
“Hey babe,” a voice said from behind Sloane.
She hadn’t heard Reid approach, and before she could turn away, Reid was gathering his girlfriend in his arms and kissing her. Averting her eyes from the happy couple, Sloane looked over her shoulder to where Emily and Cooper still stood. They were gazing into each other’s eyes before Cooper placed a sweet kiss on Emily’s lips.
Normally all the kissing happening around her wouldn’t bother her, except maybe to make her a bit nauseous. That didn’t seem to be the cause this time around. Instead, a pang of jealousy coursed through her, which made her feel like a world-class asshole.